The Malibala hide is half way between the Mshophi gate and the Matuma camp in the Mkuze Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu Natal.

Helen and I visited the hide every day for four days. The weather proved variable. It was surprisingly cold in late September, which is springtime. This can be a very hot part of the world in summer. It was overcast and raining intermittently. There was a cold easterly wind blowing for much of the time we were in the hide. To our very pleasant surprise all the hides we visited in Mkuze Game Reserve were in excellent condition. Well maintained and positioned for best views of the waterhole.

Whilst we did not see many different mammal species we saw plenty of birds despite the difficult weather conditions. I have no doubt that we would have seen many more bird species if it had been warm and sunny.

There were many young birds around in late September. We were fortunate enough to see Three banded plover chicks with their mother and Water Thick-knee chicks with both parents.

The Water Thick-knee is crepuscular and nocturnal. It is never far from water. It is a tall, dome-headed, plover-like bird with large, yellow eyes. It is mostly brownish in colour, and has a grayish wing panel that is bordered above with a narrow white bar. 

The greyish wing panel is clearly visible on the adults’ wings.

The colour of the chicks blended so well with the grass and even in the stoney area leading down to the water’s edge. The parent were very attentive.

After drinking at the waterhole in front of the Malibala hide a wildebeest bull started walking towards the Water Thick-knee family. Immediately the male Thick-knee spread his wings in a defensive posture. Despite the vast size difference the male Thick-knee stood his ground and the Wildebeest walked around the family with no incident.

The Water Thick-knee family were on the far side of the waterhole but thankfully a Three-banded plover and her two chicks were close to the hide on the left hand side. Just as well as this plover is very small. Needless to say her chicks were even smaller. When the wind blew strongly or it was getting too cold, the chicks would nestle under their mother’s wings and all you could see were numerous legs and feet under her body.

The chicks were minute. The Three-banded plover chicks are precocial. This means they are born with a downy covering, open eyes, and are able to move around and find food almost immediately. We have seen this behaviour among African Jacana chicks.

Precocial chicks need to be able to escape danger from the moment they hatch. They rely on their crypsis to evade predators by staying motionless on the ground. Crypsis is the ability of a creature to conceal itself especially from a predator by having a colour, pattern, and shape that allows it to blend into the surrounding environment.

In the four days we visited the Malibala hide we only saw a solitary White-backed vulture. It landed in the morning around 9h00 when the conditions were cold and windy and it was overcast. It was probably waiting for the air to warm up and thermals to develop. While waiting, it decided to have a drink of water.

This vulture drank water in a similar way to all other raptors. Raptor do generally not need to drink water often because they get most of their fluids from their prey. Most bird species drink by dipping their beak into the water, then tip their head backwards to swallow. Doves and pigeons are the only birds that use suction to draw water into their throats. Vultures also frequently bathe to keep their feathers clean.

There was a single Grey heron at the waterhole while we were watching. Grey herons tend to operate at the water’s edge unlike the Black -headed heron which hunts in the grass and reeds along side the water. Most birds stretch their wings to keep supple and get blood flow to their muscles in case they need to take flight suddenly.

The Grey heron can take on comical poses at times. It is always on the look out for aerial raptors which can swoop in and radically change the dynamics at the water’s edge.

On the few occasions that the sun emerged, the Grey heron shook its feathers and took in the ambient warmth.

We had a solitary “lightning bird” fly down to the water’s edge. The Hamerkop, also known as the Lightning Bird, is one of Africa’s most fascinating species and the subject of many traditional beliefs amongst the people of Africa. Some African cultures believe that if you tamper with its nest you will be struck by lightning. With no lightning around this Hammerkop just walked around the edge of the waterhole looking for something to eat.

The Hamerkop feeds predominantly on tadpoles and adult frogs, fish and some insects. It hunts by moving along the water’s edge and puddles of water in a dirt road stirring up mud with its feet to find edibles that are lurking in the shallow water.

As you can see from the images there are plenty of birds that frequent the water’s edge. In the next post I will show some of the smaller birds that we saw along the edge of the waterhole at the Malibala hide.

If you are prepared to take the time to slow down and wait for mother nature to reveal herself at her own pace you will be amazed at what you will see. The show is not preordained and does not happen at regular intervals but some time quietly invested can reveal wonders.

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike