So often when wildlife enthusiasts go to a hide, they go to see mainly animals and the larger birds. You can see so much more if time is invested in those quiet spells just looking out for the smaller birds at the edge of the waterhole. You will marvel at the abundance and their wonderfully varied plumage.

“There is a way that nature speaks – that land speaks – most of the time we are simply not patient enough – quiet enough – to pay attention to the story” ~ Linda Hogan

A Golden breasted bunting came down for a drink of water. The male has this golden breast plumage and all buntings have the black head with white eye stripes.

We saw many Sombre bulbuls. They usually came down to drink at the water’s edge singly. The olive-green plumage seemed to vary somewhat from a lighter green to almost grey in different individuals. That creamy-white eye is unmistakable and diagnostic.

A Jameson’s firefinch with its vivid crimson front and face. It looks very similar to the Red-billed firefinch but is more vivid in colour and has a black upper mandible and light grey lower mandible.

“Enjoy the little things in life because one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.” – Kurt Vonnegut

A female Three-banded plover with her two young chicks. The chicks are born precocial, meaning they can fend for themselves soon after being born. They do on occasions go and tuck under their mother’s wings for warmth and protection. These chicks were tiny, probably only 40 mm in length.

A Common sandpiper foraging along the water’s edge looking for small insects and invertebrates. Its diagnostic white pectoral region above the folded wing was clearly visible.

“Wisdom comes with the ability to be still. Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being still, looking, and listening activates the non-conceptual intelligence within you. Let stillness direct your words and actions.”
~ Eckhart Tolle

A male Orange-breasted bush shrike in a hook thorn on the other side of the waterhole. It had its back to us so you cannot see the orange breast but the vivid yellow underparts and primaries helped the identification. The male has the black eye band but the female does not.

A lone Hammerkop parked on a rock next to the water’s edge to roost and watch all the goings on around the waterhole. Before resting it had been very busy looking for frogs and insects around the waterhole.

“Stillness is what aims the archer’s arrow. It inspires new ideas. It sharpens perspective and illuminates connections.”
~ Ryan Holiday

A Three-banded plover chick looking for edibles in the well trodden mud around the waterhole. As I mentioned earlier the two chicks were very small being around 40mm in length and when they stopped moving were very well camouflaged against the broken mud and soil.

Often looking at the grass near the water’s edge can reveal small insectivores such as this Rattling cisticola. It was picking small insects off the grass stems.

“The earth has its music for those who will listen.” ~ Reginald Holmes

We saw many Yellow-fronted canaries which usually came down to drink in small groups. This small canary has a grey crown and nape and black facial markings and its under parts are a bright yellow. They did not drink for long but flew down to drink frequently.

A Blue waxbill. We saw many, and like the canaries they drink a little often and then fly off into the bush to forage.

A male and female Jameson’s firefinch. The female is noticeably paler and more peach coloured. Both sexes have similar coloured upper tail coverts and rectrices.

A noisy gathering of mainly Black-headed bulbuls with a single Blue waxbill and a pair of Yellow-fronted canaries. This type of gathering is useful to see the relative sizes of the different species.

“We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us.” –Albert Einstein

An Emerald-spotted wood-dove. It has the two distinctive sets of emerald green wing spots. Doves and pigeons are the only birds that suck water into their mouths when they drink. This species of dove has such a sad sounding call.

A Black flycatcher keeping an eye on the waterhole from its perch in a dead tree at the edge of the tree line around the waterhole. This species can often be seen catching insects above the water but that morning it was too cold and windy for hunting .

“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” ~ Vincent van Gogh

A solitary Purple-crested turaco came down to drink and was joined by a Black-headed bulbul. We only saw this species once in the four days we visited this hide.

Another smaller gathering. The different species do not seem to mind each other at all. The two Black-headed bulbuls were joined by a Cape Glossy starling and a Black-collared barbet. I did see an Acacia Pied barbet but it was too quick for me to get a decent image.

“Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.” ~ E.B.White

A pair of Water Thick-knees brought their two drinks down to the edge of the waterhole. I did not see any of the family drink any water. The two chicks were incredibly well camouflaged among the small stones around the edge of the waterhole.

On our way out of the hide at the first gate along the walkway to the hide we saw this White-browed scrub robin. It was unafraid of us and we watched it call and display for about ten minutes.

These few images give you a sense of the abundance of small bird species around the waterhole. They are fascinating to watch and their plumage is vividly coloured. If you are only looking for the big things and leave once the mammals and large birds have left the waterhole you would miss all these small avian jewels.

“Slow down, be quiet, be patient and in that stillness nature will reveal things to you way beyond your expectations.” ~ Mike Haworth

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

Have fun, Mike