Category Archives: South Africa

Kruger – fewer mammal sightings

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The weather was variable in the week we visited Kruger at the end of February this year. It was overcast and raining for periods on most days and very windy on some days. Both mammals and birds do not like the windy conditions because it disrupts the hearing and smelling senses making them more vulnerable to predators.

“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” ~ Anthony J. D’Angelo

The vegetation was very thick in mid-summer making mammal sightings more difficult. The area from the Numbi gate to Skukuza had very thick bush. This meant that sightings of mammals was restricted, in large part, to the sides of the roads.

“It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know the sense of wonder and humility. ” ~ Rachel Carson

There was good grazing on the sides of the roads which attracted Burchell’s zebra. The southern Burchell’s Zebra has a distinctive shadow brown stripe in the white stripe, a characteristic which diminishes the further north they occur.

Zebras have a dark circular patch on the inner forelegs which is designed to accommodate the sharp end of the hoof when lying down. The white fur represents an absence of melanin; white is not its own pigment. Since white stripes only exist because pigment is denied, black is understood to be the “default” colour of a zebra.

One of the most productive drives during our week in Kruger was along the H3 from Skukuza to Malelane. The bush was more open so the mammals were more visible. Near Renoster Pan we saw a large bull elephant walking towards the road. As soon as he saw the cars on the road he walked parallel to the road until he found a quieter place to cross. He was clearly avoiding unnecessary conflict with humans.

“The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery, not over nature but of ourselves.” ~ Rachel Carson

Further down the H1 towards Malelane we found a large herd of buffalo spread out either side of the road. The buffalo were grazing and wandering through the mopani bush making it difficult to photograph them as a herd so I picked out one of the larger bulls at the back of the herd. You can see how smooth the top of his boss was indicating he had done his fair share of head butting and fighting over the years.

We travelled down to the Berg-en-dal camp to have a look around. I was surprised to see the dam in front of the camp was empty which meant there was no game close to the camp. There were a few Vervet monkeys hanging around probably waiting to try and steal food from visitors sitting having a meal on the camp’s restaurant deck.

After a brief look around Berg-en-dal camp, which looked in need of maintenance, we decided to drive on the Matjulu loop which took us through the mountainous south western section of the park. We found quite a lot of mammal and bird life on this loop. Close to the road we found three adult giraffes sitting in the grass chewing their cud. Giraffes actually have four stomachs, similar to cows so have to regurgitate the grass and leaves and rechew them. Giraffes occasionally sit or lie down, but not for long. They fold their legs under their bodies when sitting down, but they maintain their necks lifted high. They are very vulnerable to predators when sitting down.

Further along the Matjulu loop we found a pride of lions lying next to the waterhole where they had killed a buffalo. This lioness had a dirty face after feeding on the several day old carcass.

“Nature has introduced great variety into the landscape, but man has displayed a passion for simplifying it. Thus he undoes the built-in checks and balances by which nature holds the species within bounds.” ~ Rachel Carson

The pride at the Matjulu waterhole was large with two fully grown males and a large young male with a mohican style mane. According to the informative Londolozi Blog, humans have around 10,000 taste buds on average, while most carnivores have far fewer, being around 470. Carnivores are responsive to bitter flavours but cannot taste sweetness. Bitterness enables carnivores to distinguish between meat that is spoiled and meat that is still safe to eat. Their digestive system is far better at processing meats and can tolerate bacteria that would cause immediate and severe stomach issues in humans.

The males had already fed well from the carcass leaving the lionesses to pick over the remains. The carcass stunk to “high heaven” so we positioned ourselves upwind to be able to spend some time watching the lions interacting. The smell was strong enough to make us nauseous. It was still early and cool enough for them to be out in the open.

The next day we visited Lake Panic which is close to Skukuza camp. There is a bird hide at the south-west end of Lake Panic. There are several fallen dead tree trunks in the section of the lake in front of the hide. A few Serrated hinged terrapins climbed onto the fallen tree trunk to warm up. This species is the largest hinged terrapin. To protect themselves Serrated Hinged Terrapins secrete a very foul smelling odour when threatened. This did not seem to worry an African darter that pecked at one terrapin’s legs to get it off the fallen tree trunk.

As has often been the case, on the second last day in Kruger the sun came out. We stopped at Shitlhave dam for a cup of early morning coffee. The resident pod of hippo which had been very docile when the weather was overcast were now more playful in the sun. Two young hippos were sparring and testing each other’s strength.

Hippo bulls are territorial in water but not at night on land. Bulls defend territories for mating rights not food. Play fighting among young hippos can be fun to water and photographically productive. When a bull hippo is threatening others, the display is much more obvious with yawning, water scooping and head shaking combined with rearing and lunging.

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

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Our mammal sighting were limited by the cool, rainy and windy weather. A long time ago, I learnt that the weather can be a photographer’s friend. Overcast skies filter the harsh sunlight. Rain-filled cloud formations can provide wonderful backgrounds. Often the cooler weather allows predators to be more active later in the morning. I would never stay indoors in a game reserve because of overcast rainy weather.

“You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things.” ~ Nate Berkus

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

Have fun, Mike

Kruger – birding feast

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We visited Kruger National Park in February this year. Our focus was in the southern western section of Kruger including Pretoriuskop, Berg-en-dal and Skukuza camps. That time was late summer in southern Africa and the migrant birds were enjoying the warmth and abundance of food that summer conditions brought.

Kruger Parks’ slogan – Custos Naturae which means Guardian of Nature

Our base was Pinelake Resort next to Lake Longmere just outside White River and we travelled into Kruger through the Numbi gate. After looking around Pretoriuskop camp we drove to Shitlhave dam. The area around the dam is open grassland which attracts rollers and a variety of avian insect and seed eaters. There are normally a selection of waders, ducks and storks which remain around the dam.

“Nothing but breathing the air of Africa, and actually walking through it, can communicate the indescribable sensations.” ~ William Burchell

One of the more colourful migrants see at the dam was the European roller. This is the only member of the roller family which breeds in Europe. This species is usually seen perched on top of a prominent bush or tree. It prefers woodlands, bushveld and grasslands, and avoids open dry areas in the west of southern Africa. Its food comprises of insects, small mammals, reptiles and frogs.

While sitting quietly with a cup of coffee and a rusk watching all the avian activity around the dam, this Marsh sandpiper strolled along the edge of the water in front of us. It was foraging in the grass for edibles.

While gazing over the Shitlhave dam we suddenly heard the cackle from Hammerkops. To our left on a rock next to the water edge were a pair Hammerkops mating. Both male and female birds have a specialised opening at the base of their tail feathers known as an avian vent, or cloaca. This opening connects to a chamber where the sex organs lie – testes in males, ovaries in females. The act of passing sperm from male to female is known as the “cloacal kiss”. The males does not have a penis. The male and female press their cloaca’s together for a few seconds to transfer sperm to the female.

An adult Southern Carmine bee-eater perched on a dead branch in the heat of the morning facing Transport dam. This species is an intra-African migrant visiting in summer from Equatorial Africa. In summer, we have always found Southern Carmines in this area. There is a plethora of flying insects from bees to wasps and dragonflies. Carmines hawk from a prominent perch and usually return to the perch with their prey which they proceed to beat to death against the perch.

“My wish is to stay always like this, living quietly in a corner of nature”. ~ Claude Monet

The lighter, faded coloured Southern Carmines are fledged juveniles. The juveniles were accomplished hawkers.

A Grey heron drying it wings after a early morning cloud burst. It was facing east directly into the morning sun. The weather was warm so it would have dried its wing feathers quite quickly.

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

A Rattling cisticola – although it was difficult to see the red panel on its primary wing feathers and pale tip on its tail feathers. Its rufous cap was evident. This is a common species in open savanna and scrubland habitats and likes to sing on open perches.

A Common sandpiper walking on a fallen log in front of the hide at Lake Panic near the Skukuza camp. This species has green-brown upper parts and a white throat which has light brown streaks. Its belly and undertail coverts are white. It has a short straight grey beak and green-yellow legs. Common sandpipers have white wing bars and white tips on the secondaries and inner primaries. They have a conspicuous white eyering and a dark eye stripe. A key diagnostic feature is the white section above its shoulder.

A pair of Malachite kingfishers were very busy fishing from the reeds in front of the hide at Lake Panic. This is the smallest fish eating kingfisher. The smallest kingfisher in southern Africa is the Pygmy kingfisher but it is insectivorous.

“Light is a thing that cannot be reproduced, but must be represented by something else – by color.” ~ Paul Cezanne

A Grey heron standing on the back of a hippo bull which was sleeping with his head in the shade in the pool in front of the hide at Lake Panic. The bull hippo seemed completely unfazed by the heron walking around on his back. The hippo gave the heron access deeper into the pond to hunt fish and frogs.

A pair of Pied kingfishers were successfully hunting from higher perches in front of the hide at Lake Panic. This species also beat their prey against their perch to kill it and then throw their prey up in the air to rearrange its position so it can be swallowed head first. This prevents the dorsal fin of the fish getting caught in its throat.

Tucked away inside the bush overhanging the pond in front of the hide at Lake Panic was a nest with two newly hatched Green-backed herons. We watched the Grey heron get closer and closer to the nest but nothing happened. The outcome could have be very different if it had been a Black-headed heron.

“Nature is ever at work building and pulling down, creating and destroying, keeping everything whirling and flowing, allowing no rest but in rhythmical motion, chasing everything in endless song out of one beautiful form into another.” ~ John Muir

There was a colony of Lesser masked weavers nesting in the large tree overhanging the pool in front of the hide at Lake Panic. The Lesser masked weaver has a black mask that extends halfway up the front of its crown and its eyes are whitish. All the bird activity caught the attention of Diederick’s cuckoos, Gabar Goshawks and Little sparrowhawks.

The next day we decided to travel down to Berg-en-dal camp from Pretoriuskop. We started down Voortrekker road but found it too rough and corrugated so we took the longer route on a tarred road using the HI-1 road and turned right onto the H3 tarred road. A few kilometres south of the Afsaal picnic site we found a family of Southern Ground hornbills foraging through the grass and over a rock outcrop next to a dry riverbed.

The Southern Ground hornbill is the size of a turkey, and is the largest species of hornbill. The species is immediately recognizable by its jet-black feathers, yellow eyes, and bright red throat and wide red eye ring. The male and female mostly look the same but the female has a purple-blue patch of skin on its throat. The male’s throat is uniformly red.

A Red-billed oxpecker preening itself while sitting on the back of an impala ewe. This species has dark brown upper parts and beige under parts. It has a red eye with a yellow eye ring and a vivid red beak. Oxpeckers have stiff tails feathers and sharp claws to be able to balance and hang on to their moving host. Red-billed Oxpeckers feed on ticks and clean up wounds in the tissue of the host’s hide.

The following day we drove along the Waterhole road between the H1-1 and S1 tarred roads. This is usually a productive drive from both a mammal and avian sighting perspective. We found a muddy Burchell’s Coucal skulking in the bushes along the gravel road. This species’ under parts are usually a light beige in colour. The barred upper tail coverts are a distinguishing feature. Coucals are a members of the cuckoo family but do not engage in parasitic breeding behaviour.

A Bronze mannikin looking after its hungry chicks. The adult Bronze mannikin has a grey beak and black-dark brown head. Its underparts are white and it has brown barring on its sides. Immature birds are a more plain buffy brown, with dark grey-brown upper parts and a black beak.

“This world is but a canvas for our imagination.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

A Jameson’s firefinch identified by its red plumage with a brown back and upper wing coverts, and blue-grey beak. This little finch was close to the Bronze mannikins in a bush along side a rivulet with water.

A Red-backed shrike. This is a beautiful small shrike. The male has a distinctive blue-grey head, black eye band and white underparts and fine scalloping on its breast. Its back is a rusty-red. It prefers thorny bushes which it uses as a larder to impale its prey on the thorns. This species is a Paleartic breeder and migrates to southern Africa during our summers.

A female Giant kingfisher perched on a fallen tree trunk in the pool in front of the hide at Lake Panic. The sexes can be distinguished by the position of their chestnut frontal plumage. The male has a chestnut breast band while the female a has a chestnut belly and undertail coverts. This is the largest kingfisher in Southern Africa and feeds on fish, frogs, insects and crabs.

A Woodland kingfisher with its bright red maxilla and black mandible. It has a white head, neck and underparts. Its shoulders are black and the back and flight feathers are a vivid cyan-blue colour. This kingfisher has a beautiful trilling call which is only heard in summer as it is an inter African migrant. It moves north during the winter months in southern Africa.

An interesting interaction between a large terrapin and an African darter on a fallen tree trunk in front of the hide at Lake Panic. The terrapin was quietly sunning itself and minding its own business when this darter flew in and landed on the fallen tree trunk. The darter waddled over to the terrapin and started to peck at its legs.

“Wealth is the ability to fully experience life”. ~ Henry David Thoreau

This large Serrated hinged terrapin stood its ground by retracting the legs being pecked at. Eventually the terrapin slid off the log to get some peace and the darter walked further along the log to sun itself.

The weather was variable in the week we spent driving around the southern section of Kruger. We found a small flock of Red-breasted swallows sitting on the ground with their breast feathers puffed up because it was quite cold. This looked to be a juvenile because its tail streamers were still quite short. This large swallow has a brick-red rump and underparts and dark blue upper parts and crown and face mask. This is an inter African summer visitor.

A Southern Black flycatcher is a slim glossy-black flycatcher. It can be mistaken for a Fork-tailed drongo but the former is smaller, has a square tail and a smaller beak. Its eyes are dark brown whereas the drongo has a deep red eye colour.

A fledged juvenile Brown snake-eagle. The adult has dark brown overall appearance but in flight the underwing is silver grey. The juvenile has paler brown feathers and the edges of the feathers are paler and white giving it a scaly look. The head and breast often show white feathers bases.

Late in the afternoon, we travelled on S118 loop down near Malelane. It has several waterholes adjacent to the road. We found this Dark Chanting goshawk perched on a dead tree trunk scouring the area for any prey. This species is a tall, long-tailed, slaty-gray hawk with pink-orange legs and beak and the tip of its beak is black. The flight feathers and wing tips are dark on both the upper and under wings, creating a uniformly dark wing pattern in flight. By contrast, the Pale Chanting-Goshawk has pale inner flight feathers and dark wing tips, which creates a strongly contrasting wing pattern.

The sightings of mammals can be variable but you are always likely to see a wide variety of birds in Kruger. The sightings are affected by the weather. The birds are less active in cold and windy weather, as are the mammals. The wind can be an advantage when taking images of birds in flight. A bird flying into the wind will always fly slower making the photography easier. The birds of prey also seem to be disturbed by too much road traffic and they usually fly deeper into the bush so I prefer to stay off the main roads. Long lenses ensure that I can give most birds enough ‘fight-flight’ space, usually around 30 metres.

“Few can sojourn long within the unspoilt wilderness of a gam sanctuary surrounded on all sides by its confiding animals, without absorbing its atmosphere; the spirit of the wild is quick to assert supremacy, and no man of any sensibility can resist her.” ~ James Stevenson Hamilton

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

Have fun, Mike

Marievale – mid summer

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My enthusiastic birding wife, Helen, and I visited Marievale Bird Sanctuary at the end of January this year. For us this is a place of practice, fun and wonder at the constant changes. The Highveld in South Africa had very little rain this summer season because of the El Niño effect. Although milder than the 2015 El Niño, this time it was classified as strong and remained so until March. The effect brought drier, hotter weather.

“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” ~ Anthony J. D’Angelo

The birdlife you are likely to see in this wetland is highly dependent on the level of water in the pools in the wetland in Marievale Bird Sanctuary. With so little rain this season the water level in the wetland was much lower than usual at that time of the year. Some residents are not majorly dependent on the water levels in the wetland pools. One such species is the Pin-tailed whydah. The male is usually very active courting every passing female. During the breeding season, the male whydahs grow very long tail feathers. Whydahs are brood parasites and differently coloured to widowbirds. The latter species have all black plumage with patches of colour on their shoulders and collars. Whydahs generally have a black cap and black upper parts but their belly, breast and throats are coloured as are their cheeks.

There are plenty of reeds for Southern red bishops to build nests but we did not see as many this visit as in the past because the rain had not generated a bounty of grass seed. This species of bishop is a small, dumpy sparrow-like weaver. The breeding male has a black face mask and black breast and belly. The back of its crown, its nape, upper parts and undertail coverts are a vivid scarlet red.

The low water level was ideal for the African snipe. This species is a small stocky wader with short legs and it uses its long beak to probe the muddy pool bed and water’s edge. They mainly eat insects, earthworms, small crustaceans, snails, spiders, and some plant material.

We normally see African snipe foraging on the edge of pools of water but with the water levels so low we saw this snipe wading through the water from one island to the next to forage.

“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” ~ Winston Churchill

An adult White-throated swallow perched on a dead log in front of the Hadeda hide. This swallow has a small rufous patch on the forehead and a diagnostic steel-blue breast band which creates a white throat patch.

The pair in front of the Hadeda hide were mating and preening themselves. There was no large pool of water in front of the Hadeda hide but this did not stop them frequently hawking insects from their perch.

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.” ~ Chief Seattle

The Greater-striped swallow perched on a dead log in front of the Duiker hide which looks onto a large pool of water. This species is a relatively large, beautiful swallow with a long, forked tail. Identification comes from its rufous cap, and rump, and pale buffy underparts with fine streaking. It is usually found in grasslands and wetlands.

The Yellow-billed duck is brown with a vivid yellow bill. Its belly and flanks have white scalloping on the feathers, giving it a scaly appearance, especially on the underparts. This dabbling duck is common but nomadic through Africa’s freshwater and brackish wetlands, where it forages for plants and invertebrates.

Dabbling ducks float high in the water, and paddle along skimming the water’s surface for food such as seeds and insects. They dabble when they stick their tails straight up in the air and put their head underwater to feed plants and worms on the pond bed.

A Red-billed teal. This small duck has a chocolate-brown ‘skull cap’, brown eyes, white cheeks, and a distinctive pink-red bill with a dark saddle. This is also a dabbling duck and although not migratory, it is nomadic looking for suitable water sources.

“Put simply, birds can choose with their wings. When things go wrong in an ecosystem, they will simply not return.” ~ Dr Steve Boyes

This species prefers foraging on open fresh water, with seeds and plant matter constituting most of its diet. The Red-billed teal prefers freshwater habitats in fairly open country. On this particular morning, the sun was shining on the reeds and the light reflected on the water surface created a beautiful background for this teal.

A petite Marsh sandpiper wading through the shallow water. This is a paleartic migrant which migrates to southern Africa during the southern hemisphere summer. This species prefers inland fresh wetlands and tends to avoid open sandbanks.

This species has a white eyebrow, as are the feathers at the base of the beak. The needle-like beak is black with grey base. The eyes are dark brown. The long legs are dull yellow to greenish-grey. Both sexes have similar plumage, but the female is slightly larger than the male.

A pair of Hottentot teals. This teal is another species of dabbling duck. It has a diagnostic blue bill and a chocolate brown crown. Its cheeks are beige and its neck, breast and belly are beige with dark brown spots.

As with all teal, this species has an iridescent green speculum on its secondaries, edged by narrow black and terminal white bars.

The level of the water in the open pools in the wetland has a strong influence on both the Greater and Lesser flamingoes. The water levels appeared to be ideal for flamingoes, not too deep but deep enough for them to feed easily. Surprisingly we found this lone Greater flamingo. Both flamingo species have black-tipped bills with a distinctive downward bend. The Greater flamingo has a light pink beak and small light pink eyering while the Lesser flamingo has a dark pink beak and a dark red eye ring.

The Greater flamingo is the larger of the two flamingo species seen in southern Africa. It has a very long neck and its body plumage is mostly white with flecks of pink. Its upper wing coverts are pink and the underwing colour of its primary and secondary feathers is black and can only be seen in flight or when they open their wings.

“Something is complete when you can let is be as it is.” ~ Antoine de Saint Exupéry

I was surprised to see this Purple swamphen avoid any conflict with the Red knobbed coot as they approached each other. The swamphen was much larger but just flew over the coot. The water levels were shallow enough for the swamp hen to wade through the water while the coot swam.

A male Yellow-crowned bishop perched on a seed stem looking for females to chase. This small bishop has a diagnostic yellow crown and yellow back feathers and yellow shoulders. It looks like a large yellow bumble bee when it flies. When the male is trying to attract females he raises his yellow back feathers making him look like a bumble bee. The male in breeding plumage resembles the yellow bishop, but the latter species is larger and lacks the yellow crown.

A Black heron walking along the edge of the open pool of water looking for a suitable place to hunt for small fish. It prefers shallow open waters, such as the edges of freshwater lakes and ponds. The Black heron uses a unique method of hunting. It opens its wings and shapes them like an umbrella in a method called canopy feeding. The umbrella creates shade which attracts fish.

“The camera makes you forget you’re there. It’s not like you are hiding but you forget, you are just looking so much.” ~ Annie Leibovitz

A lone male Red shouldered widow also called the Fan-tailed widow. The male has black plumes with red shoulder and a short tail. It is resident but not often seen.

A male Long tailed widowbird in display flight. The male has between six and 12 tail feathers which grow as long as half a metre. The tail is a key part of the flight display as it is expanded into a deep long keel below the body with slow deliberate wingbeats. The red-orange shoulder epaulets with a white border are highly visible during the display.

“We cannot become what we what to be by remaining where we are.” ~ Max DuPree

The dry conditions and reduced grass seed dictated that there were fewer females in the area which required the males to spend more time and effort chasing each other away from the relatively few females. The open grassland areas alongside the reed bed at the edge of the large open pools of water were punctuated by these territorially protective males.

Only after having visited Marievale many times do you get a sense of just how different the conditions and light can be, all of which dictate the type and number of birds you are likely to see. Many of the non-migratory birds such as flamingoes, herons, sandpipers and snipe are nomadic and will move to more productive feeding wetlands as moisture conditions change.

“For many of us, water simply flows from a faucet, and we think little about it beyond this point of contact. We have lost a sense of respect for the wild river, for the complex workings of a wetland, for the intricate web of life that water supports.” ~ Sandra Postel

Marievale Bird Sanctuary is situated in the Blesbok wetland which is a Ramsar site. The Blesbokspruit is the major river coursing through the wetland. The area is relatively flat which creates an extensive floodplain and wetland. Many species of birds and mammals rely on this wetland for food, water and shelter. These areas are carbon sinks storing carbon within their plant communities and soil instead of releasing it to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. They also act as a sponge retaining and filtering the water. Wetlands connected to underground sources of water are important because they retain water and provide time for it to filter down into aquifers. Since the closure of the Grootvlei gold mine adjacent to the wetland there have been concerns that its flooding would spill acid mine water into the wetland. The Eastern Basin Acid Mine Drainage chemical treatment plant nows plays a critical role in ensuring the quality of water feeding into the wetland remains unpolluted. This is especially so when the summer season has been so dry.

“Nature is so powerful, so strong. Capturing its essence is not easy – your work becomes a dance with light and the weather. It takes you to a place within yourself.” ~ Annie Leibovitz

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

Have fun, Mike

Manyoni – scenic wonderland

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We spent four days in Manyoni private game reserve last September. Manyoni private game reserve lies in the heart of Zululand and its management has a strong focus on endangered species conservation. This focus is on endangered and priority wildlife species, including the African wild dog, cheetah, rhino, lion, elephant, leopard, pangolin and vulture species.

“I appreciate these moments where I can get away from life and focus on living” ~ TJ Thorne

We chose to stay at Rhino River lodge. This lodge is sited in the south eastern section of the reserve on the southern bank of the Msunduzi river. This is a seasonal river which flows into the Mkuze river. Manyoni private game reserve has over 70 mammal species and just over 450 recorded bird species. It is known as one of the best birding spots in Southern Africa. This game reserve covers 23 000 hectares consisting of a varied landscape of mountains, open plains and dense riverine woodlands.

“Nature is the greatest teacher. It teaches us patience, humility, and respect for all living things.” ~ Biju Karakkonam

The first image is of a female Red duiker. This species is smaller than the Common duiker. The upper parts are a deep chestnut-red and the lower parts of the flanks and under parts are a pale chestnut colour. The nape and throat turn ash-grey as the animal ages. Both sexes carry short, straight horns. The horns have coarse basal rings and longitudinal striations, but are smooth towards the tips.

There are two small dams on the west side of the reserve near the Msunduzi river. It is a shady serene area which is home to many bird species. Two juvenile Black crown night-herons seem unfazed by a Nile crocodile warming itself outside the water.

A Red duiker foraging under large Ana and fever trees on the bank of the Msunduzi river. Red Duiker forages mostly during the early mornings and late afternoons and prefers freshly fallen leaves, fruits and flowers from forest canopies.

A small herd of Plain’s zebra standing in the shade on a hot afternoon. The reserve falls under the Mkuze Valley Low-veld vegetation type, varying from open Savanna thorn-veld, bush-veld to riverine woodland, characterized by Acacia and Marula tree species.

“I am not the best, I am not one of the best, But every time I will do my best.” ~ Biju Karakkonam

Driving along the dry river bed bathed in warm late afternoon light. The reserve contains several protected tree species such as Torchwood, Shepherd’s tree, Matumi, Marula, and White milkwood.

A Nyala bull was drinking from a small stream of water flowing in the Msunduzi river. This species inhabits thickets within dense and dry savanna woodlands. It forages mainly during daylight hours. Among antelope species, the sexes are distinguished as bulls and cows for the larger species and the smaller varieties use the terms ram and ewe. In the case of Nyala the male is referred to as a bull while the female is called a ewe.

The Nyala’s pelage is rufous brown in females and juveniles. It is dark brown or slate grey in adult males, often with a bluish tinge. Females and young males have ten or more white vertical stripes on their sides. Both sexes have a dorsal mane of hair running right from the back of the head to the end of the tail. Males have another line of hair along the midline of their chest and belly. Both males and females have a white chevron between their eyes and a bushy tail white underside.

An late afternoon scene down at the river with filtered light. The large fig and fever trees filter the light and create cast a blue hue in the shadow areas. This kudu cow was walking slowly down to the river to drink. She was very cautious given the numerous predictors which prefer the shading river habitat.

“Nature, especially wilderness, has a calming effect on the mind” ~ Percy Fernandez

A view of a herd of impala grazing peacefully in the warm late afternoon sunlight. The herd was feeding on the grass along the dry sand river bed under large acacia and fever trees. Although the river bed looked to be sandy and dry, the water table must have been high as the grass was lush and there were patches of water at the surface of the river bed.

On several occasions we found the coalition of two large male lions. These males looked to have been around six to seven years old and appeared to dominate the south western section of the reserve. We first found these males near the river.

This old male lion was not part of the coalition but seem to spend a lot of time on his own scavenging. We did not get close but assumed his teeth must be worn down.

This next image shows the terrain in the southern western section of the reserve. The two males had walked north about five kilometres. They must have been patrolling their territory. Presumably they did most of their patrolling in the cool of night and at dawn and dusk, so were fast asleep in mid afternoon.

Down along the Msunduzi river we found a lioness and her cubs. On this occasion we were having a sundowner on an elevated bank admiring the beauty of the river scene with all the huge fig trees, torchwoods, and fever trees when this lioness walked passed below us on the river bed. She had a good look at us to see what we were doing.

The lioness looked in prime condition and was licking the blood off her mouth after having fed on a warthog she had caught. The cubs tucked into the remains but it was not possible to get decent images of them.

Two relaxed warthog lying in the sun in the afternoon. These warthogs felt safe in the confines of the camp. They must have taken up residence in the camp some time ago as they seemed quite habituated to all the comings and goings of the staff and guest in camp.

Manyoni is known for its conservation efforts. We did not see wild dogs, brown hyaena or honey badgers but on two occasions we found a coalition of three cheetahs. Our first sighting was down near the river in surprisingly thick riverine bush. The coalition had caught and killed an impala and were feeding on it when we arrived. There was always one member of the coalition on look out while the other two fed as fast as they could.

“It is my intention to present -through the medium of photography- intuitive observations of the natural world which may have meaning to the spectators “ ~ Ansel Adams

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Our second sighting of the coalition was away from the river in an thornveld area. They were hunting in the last light of the afternoon and were on high alert because of the proximity of lions. The cheetah population in the reserve is estimated at 25 individuals. The cheetah reintroduction has been a success to the point where the reserve is now in the position to contribute to the metapopulation by moving cheetah to new reserves.

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We spent four enjoyable and photographically productive days in the Manyoni private game reserve. Its was early spring in September in South Africa at that time. It was warm but not too hot during the days and pleasantly cool in the evenings. We still have much more to see in this reserve so will be back.

“Life is a journey which never lets you know when and where it will end.” ~ Biju Karakkonam

Manyoni private game reserve is protected with the highest protection status, highlighting the importance of the
ecosystems contained within the reserve.

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” ~ Earl Nightingale

The diversity of ecosystems provides a wide range of scenes and attracts different birds and mammals. We just scratched the surface of what this game reserve has to offer.

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

Have fun, Mike

Manyoni – wildlife wonderland

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Manyoni private game reserve lies in the heart of Zululand. Initially formed in 2005 as part of the WWF Black rhino range expansion project, Manyoni has become one of the premier safari destinations in Kwa-Zulu Natal with a strong focus on endangered species conservation. This work focuses on endangered and priority wildlife species, including the African Wild Dog, Cheetah, Rhino, Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Pangolin and Vulture species.

Manyoni was established in 2004 when the land owners agreed to take down their fences to create one larger reserve. The reserve extends over 23 000 hectares and hosts several safari lodges. We chose to stay at Rhino River lodge. This lodge is sited on the southern bank of the Msunduze river. This is a seasonal river which flows into the Mkuze river.

Manyoni private game reserve has over 70 mammal species and just over 450 recorded bird species. It is known as one of the best birding spots in Southern Africa.

“Photography is a love affair with life.” ~ Burk Uzzle

One of the interesting aspects of visiting different wildlife areas is that you get to see unique species such as the Southern Crested guineafowl. I had struggled to get a decent image of a Southern Crested guineafowl in Pafuri and Amakhosi. When I got to Rhino River lodge there was a group of about six just walking around on the lawn outside the main lodge.

A large-bodied, small-headed, black gamebird perfectly lined with rows of hundreds of bluish-white spots. It has a unique-looking curly crest above the naked face, which features an ivory-coloured beak and a blood-red eye. The facial skin color varies geographically. The Southern Crested guineafowl has a blue-gray face with a large white patch on the back of the neck. A broad band around the base of the neck is an unspotted black colour. It prefers forest and thickets, where it forages on the ground for berries, seeds, and other plant matter. (Source: ebird.org)

There are visual differences between the subspecies. The Eastern Crested guineafowl also has a bare skinned face and neck but its neck and nape is grey-blue and its neck and bare skin around the eyes is red. Its throat is also has a red downward stripe. The eastern species also has a black crest but it is not as curly as the Southern species.

“The beauty of the natural world lies in the details.” ~ Natalie Angier

A juvenile Black-crowned night-heron standing on one leg next to a thicket which housed its nest. This young night-heron seemed completely unfazed about the large crocodile sunning itself nearby.

A young Water Thick-knee (also called a Dikkop) resting in the shade near the Night-heron on the bank of a small dam. This species is usually found close to water but is nomadic, moving in response to changing water levels. This species of Thick-knee looks quite different to its Spotted cousin. It is distinguished by its distinct grey wing-bar which is edged with black bars. It has a beige chest with brown streaks which transitions to white towards the belly. It also has a longer and mostly black beak with yellow nostrils.

A Green-backed heron, now called the Striated Heron, is a small heron with a greenish dark grey back and iridescent green-grey wing feathers which have a yellow edge. Its long beak is bicoloured where the maxilla is black and the mandible is yellow on its underside. It has a yellow eye and a yellow ring around its eyes and across the top of its beak. Its legs are yellow to orange in colour. This species feeds on fish and it is known to use bait to catch fish. It also feeds on frogs and a range of aquatic insects.

A Brown-headed kingfisher keenly watching out for insects to prey on from its perch in a thorn tree. The Brown-headed can be mistaken with the Striped kingfisher but the key differences are that the Striped is smaller, its head its brown with white stripes and its beak is bicoloured with the maxilla which is dark brown and its mandible is a red colour. The Brown-headed species has a brown head, and a beige band which extends around from its throat to its nape. Its upper wing coverts are black and its primary and secondary wing feathers are a vivid turquoise.

At long last I managed to get a few images of a Gorgeous bushshrike. Gorgeous bush-shrikes are seldom seen despite being a commonly occurring species, as they mostly dwell in densely vegetated riverine woodlands. It is a shy bird which tends to stay hidden in the bush and will stay still and quiet in thick vegetation if approached. As with all bushshrikes, it skulks and has a distinctive call that sounds like “du-do-whit.” Similar to most bushshrikes, it feeds predominately on insects.

“The two most engaging powers of a photograph are to make new things familiar and familiar things new.” ~ William Thackeray

This species of bushshrike is stunningly coloured with an olive coloured back, a yellow eyebrow, vivid red throat, a black chest band and red under tail coverts, and black rectrices. Its belly varies in colour according to its location. In Zululand its belly transitions from its black chest band from red to yellow to olive green and back to yellow at the bird’s vent.

A male Chin-spotted batis had caught an insect in the sweet acacia. The male has a black breast band whereas the female has a clearly defined rufous chin-spot and breast band, and rufous flanks.

A Bearded scrub-robin foraging in the leaf litter in a flower bed next to the lodge. This species is identified by its white eyebrow with a black border. It has a white throat and black gular stripe. It has a pale orange breast and flanks and white belly. The Bearded scrub-robin inhabits dense woodlands, thickets and riparian forests, and is often seen flicking through the leaf litter on the ground for insects and spiders.

A male Southern black tit seen outside our room. He was very busy in the tree looking for insects. This species of tit normally forages as a pair but I did not see the female which has greyer underparts.

A female Black-headed heron breaks off sticks to build a nest in a tree overhanging a small dam. At first glance, the Black-headed heron looks similar to Grey heron but the former has a black head, ear coverts and black nape. Its beak is slaty grey as are its legs. This species seldom hunts in water and is more often seen hunting in the grass areas near water. It is a highly capable hunter taking anything from insects, to small mammals and birds.

“Wildlife photography is a matter of patience, focus and timing. If we learn these, we learn life.” ~ Unknown

A Grey heron fishing in the water of the small dam close to the Black-headed heron. The Grey heron has a broad black band which extends from its forehead to its nape and its lower mandible and legs are pinkish yellow. It has an ability to stand motionless for long periods while fishing.

A Yellow-billed stork fishing in the same small dam as the Grey heron. In bright sunshine this stork will often lift one wing to create a shady patch on the water which attracts fish. In lower light this stork fishes with its bill immersed and slightly open, whilst stirring mud with its foot. Its beak is highly tactile, and this stork reacts extremely quickly to the slightest detection of prey.

A Little egret standing still in the water while the wind blows and disturbs its hunting. This is a small egret, larger than a Cattle egret. It has a slender GISS with a long black beak and black legs with yellow feet ( golden slippers). It looks like it put its feet in a tin of yellow road marking paint. This egret’s plumage is white all over and the male grows long white plumes on the back of its head and neck during the breeding season.

A Woolly-necked stork hunting in the soft mud next to a small dam. It was a hot afternoon so looked to be trying to cool itself by flapping its wings.

Together with the Southern crested guineafowl and the Gorgeous bushshrike, a Pink-throated twinspot was another special sighting. This species of twinspot is a small rotund type of waxbill. The male has a guava-pink face and throat, and a brown crown, while the female has mostly whitish-beige underparts. It has a mauve eye ring and its belly is black. Its flanks are black with white dots. It has a blue-grey beak and legs. This particular male had lost his tail feathers.

The female lacks the guava-pink breast, neck, nape and face colouring. Both sexes have pink upper tail coverts. The distribution of this species is restricted to southern Mozambique, eastern eSwatini, north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, and eastern Mpumalanga, South Africa. The name twinspot comes from its white spots on both flanks.

A lone Hooded vulture. This is a small mostly brown vulture. Its has a relatively small head where its face is bare skinned and normally white but flushes with pink when agitated. It has a long pinkish ivory coloured beak with a sharp downward hooked tip. Being small, this vulture tends to scavenge on the periphery of vulture feeding frenzy picking up scraps dropped by other vultures. This species has been in steep decline since 2000 and is now listed at “critically endangered”.

“Wildlife is something which man cannot construct. Once it is gone, it is gone forever. Man can rebuild a pyramid, but he can’t rebuild ecology, or a giraffe.” ~ Joy Adamson

By mistake we chased this Tawny eagle off its scrub hare kill. It was feeding on a game trail in the grass next to the road and we only saw it at the last moment as we were driving past.

This Tawny was looking around to see if there was anything coming to steal its prey. Our guide wisely did not stay too long otherwise the Tawny might have lost its meal to a wily jackal.

This was a small selection of birds that we saw while wandering around the Manyoni private game reserve. In the second and last post of the reserve I will show some of the mammals and scenery we were privileged to see.

“Every sunset gives me a hope to live.
It reminds me,
You have capture more with your heart.
It reminds me
you are not alone,
surrounded by a beautiful world,
always there for you.”
― Biju Karakkonam

The northern section of Kwa-Zulu Natal has an incredible variety of flora and fauna and is one of south Africa most important wildlife areas. It is our intention to do a lot more exploring in this area in future.

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

Have fun, Mike

Amakhosi – elephants, rolling hills and the Mkuze river

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This is the third and last post from our recent trip to Amakhosi private game reserve. Each morning at the safari lodge we rose at 5h30 to be ready for the morning game drive at 6h00 after a cup of coffee and a muffin. The mornings were brisk at it was the beginning of spring. On some of the morning game drives shortly after leaving the lodge we crossed the Mkuze river with mist rising from the river in the foreground and the glow of the sunrise in the background.

“The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us. Thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fibre and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings our love.” – John Muir

The game drive took us to the southern part of the game reserve where we had some wonderful views of the area. This was the view from a section of the Mkuze river just east of the safari lodge. The north and eastern section of the reserve has undulating terrain and by contrast the southern section is quite mountainous.

A view from the hill on the opposite side of the Mkuze river to the safari lodge. The wellness centre is visible on the left hand side of the image and the main lodge on the right hand side. The Mkuze river is obscured by the steep rocky cliff directly in front of the lodge.

In the flatter sections of the game reserve, we found a female giraffe and her calf. A giraffe calf is usually up on its legs within 20 minutes of birth and nursing within a few hours. This calf looked to be around six months old. Our ranger often watched which way the giraffe was looking to give a possible sign of a big cat.

Up river along the Mkuze from the main lodge is “IsiGodlo” meaning the chief’s residence. It is a private house positioned on a rocky cliff directly above the Mkuze river. I never visited this house but I imagine the views are spectacular.

Often while waiting to start the game drive we were greeted by Purple crested turacos which were attracted to the seeds of the cycads in the lawn in front of the main lodge entrance. Their antics gave us much entertainment.

In the front of the lodge was a coral tree which attracted many sunbirds. The most common of which were the larger Scarlet chested sunbird and smaller Collared sunbirds. This was a male Collared sunbird with his purple necklace.

“I believe the world is incomprehensibly beautiful — an endless prospect of magic and wonder.” ~ Ansel Adams

We often saw Nyalas drinking from the pond at the entrance to the main lodge. These female Nyalas were quite habituated to people but would not let anyone get too close.

On our first day, we found the dominant coalition of two males down at the western boundary fence. They were interested in a lioness just other other side of the fence. They responded to the male lions roaring from the other side of the fence with their own powerful roars.

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” ~ John Muir

This male Nyala did not know it but he was only a hundred metres further along the fenceline from the two male lions. Once the lions started roaring he moved deeper into the thick bush.

This Waterbuck bull did not venture too far from the Mkuze river. This is a water dependant species which is not usually found more than two kilometres of a water source. A male Waterbuck is larger than a female and the fur of both sexes is strongly scented by their sweat glands. The Waterbuck was on alert because of the lions in his part of the reserve.

We found a male cheetah along the eastern boundary with the Mkuzi Falls reserve. He was close to another male who was across the fence.

Our guide, Jacques, chose a different place to stop every day for a coffee break. Each one of our stops had a wonderful elevated view across sections of the Mkuze river. This was in the western side of the reserve looking north west on to the adjacent reserve.

“The eye never forgets what the heart has seen.” ~ African Proverb

Looking down on the anti-poaching team camp from one of the surrounding hill tops where we stopped for coffee one morning. The Mkuze river is flowing in front of the camp and there is a large pool of water that extends around the bend. A natural large pool created by the rock formation in this area.

The type of scenery down near the anti-poaching camp along the Mkuze river. It was teeming with life.

A vista of the rolling hills looking south west across the Mkuze river valley onto the reserve.

One afternoon, we returned to the small waterhole where we had seen the lone lioness the day before. We had suspected that the lioness was hanging around the waterhole because she had cubs close by and we were hoping to see the cubs. Instead we found a breeding herd of elephants which had stopped for a drink on their way towards the Mkuze river.

Later that afternoon we surprised the same herd of elephants on route to the river. They stopped, blocking the road, for a good look at us before they were satisfied that we were no threat, then they moved on into the bush.

Our guide, Jacques, correctly anticipated which section of the Mkuze river the elephants were making their way down to. We drove across the river to get a better view of the herd drinking.

“Few can sojourn long within the unspoiled wilderness of a game sanctuary, surrounded on all sides by its confiding animals, without absorbing its atmosphere; the Spirit of the Wild is quick to assert supremacy, and no man of any sensibility can resist her.” ~ James Stevenson-Hamilton

It was late afternoon in the mountainous southern section of the reserve. The whole herd came down to drink, each group taking turns. They wanted to quench their thirst from the fresh water in the flowing river rather than a stagnant waterhole.

Sunset is a magical time in the African bush especially if there are plenty of clouds which add drama and colour to the scene. This was view looking west as we were crossing the Mkuze river over a rocky section.

After the sun has set there is a period of about 20 minutes when the light softens and the colours initially take on a pastel hue before becoming more saturated. After the phase of greatest colour saturation, the light and colour in the beautifully coloured sky fades fast giving way to the darkness. This is an in-between time in the bush which brings about a reverent stillness.

We had a privileged sighting of a leopardess and her year old male cub who emerged from the thick bush next to the road and walked around in the spotlight for about fifteen minutes. Unusual behaviour for such a secretive cat. Nature continually surprises when you least expect it.

We had superb sightings of some of the wildlife in the reserve. The variety of birdlife is astounding and the scenery beautiful in the ever changing light at different times of the day. I sense there is much more to see in terms of both mammals and birdlife. Management of the reserve make a concerted effort to maintain the gravel roads which makes a real difference to the bush experience on the game vehicle. This was complemented by our guide, Jacques’s excellent 4×4 game vehicle handling and his tracker Zakele’s incredible eyesight and knowledge of the bush.

“Everybody needs beauty…places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul alike.” ~ John Muir

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

Have fun, Mike

Amakhosi – prolific birdlife

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Helen and I visited Amakhosi private game reserve in September 2023. This was the start of spring in southern Africa so most of the migrants had yet to arrive and it was dry. The rains usually only arrive in late November or early December. Despite this, there is a perennial flow of water in the Mkuze river which courses through the reserve. The Mkuze river is known for its wonderful diversity of birdlife. Around 420 bird species can be seen in this reserve. There is something for every wildlife enthusiast from the “big five”, birdlife and frogging in the wet season. As a wildlife photographer I am interested in all wildlife.

There is a remarkable diversity of birdlife around the lodge. At breakfast, after the morning game drive, I found myself regularly getting up from the table to photograph new birds which showed themselves in the trees next to the pool and above the deck in front of the lodge.

“In the cathedral of the wild a glorious language is revealed in every breath.” ~ Robbie George

We saw this Orange breasted bushshrike outside our room at the safari lodge. I have often heard these small bushshrikes but seldom saw them as they are normally found at the top of the tree canopy. Thankfully each species of bushshrike has a distinctive call. Once we heard the call we started to look for the vividly coloured bushshrike. This bushshrike has a vivid yellow forehead, throat, belly and rectrices. It has a black bland across its eye from its beak to ear coverts. Its nape and the top section of its back is grey which wraps around to its ear coverts. Its lower back and wings are a green-yellow colour which blends well with the colour of the tree’s leaves.

This bushshrike is not a migrant and is highly active constantly moving in the branches of tree foraging for insects such as beetles, caterpillars, bees, ants and wasps.

This Red-billed firefinch is a small gregarious seed eater and is often seen on the ground foraging for seeds alongside Blue waxbills. This male has a pinkish-scarlet forehead, face throat and breast. Its uppertail coverts are scarlet as are its rectrices. Its nape, back, wings and belly are brown tinged with scarlet.

Next to the lodge is an inviting swimming pool. At the deep end it has a fountain flowing across a large boulder which attracts many birds to drink. One of the regular visitors was a group of Cape white-eyes. These small insectivores have yellow plumage with a slight green tinge and a distinctive white eyering.

“Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?” ~ Sir David Attenborough

In many of the reserves in the northern part of South Africa you will see Brown-headed kingfishers but in this reserve you will see mainly Striped kingfishers. This species is an insectivore. It has powder blue rectrices and primary wing feathers. Its crown is light brown with dark brown stripes. It has a whitish buff coloured cheek and nape and its eye stripe is dark brown reaching from behind the eye around the back of the head. Its breast and belly are a whitish buff colour with dark brown stripes. It beak comprises a dark brown maxilla and red mandible which is diagnostic feature.

Lesser striped swallows were constantly flying around the lodge hawking flying insects. These are large swallows with a russet coloured head, nape, ear coverts and upper tail coverts. Their back and upper wing coverts are steel blue in colour. Their throat, breast and belly are white with thick black streaks. The primary and secondary wing feathers are a black-dark brown in colour. The outer rectrices are long streamers, which are longer in the male.

Next to the dining area and deck that overlooks the Mkuze river, there are coral trees. The nectar in the florescences attract a variety of birds from weavers and Cape white-eyes to sunbirds. The Scarlet chested sunbird is a large dark brown sunbird with a vivid scarlet chest. It aggressively protects its feeding area from other sunbirds such as the smaller Collared sunbird.

The Collared sunbird is also strikingly coloured with an iridescent green back and head and yellow underparts. This small sunbird has a short beak so it feeds on different parts of the florescence to the Scarlet chested sunbird. The male has a purple collar which is absent in the female.

The most frequent visitors to the trees around the lodge were Purple crested turacos. Like most turacos, it is a large vividly coloured fruit eater. This species has a bright red eyering and its primary and secondary wing feathers are bright scarlet. Its crown has a purple-blue crest which extends down its nape. Its throat, back, belly and shoulders are an olive green. Its chest is an apricot colour tinged with olive green. This is a large, beautiful noisy turaco which is always on the move in the tree canopy. We saw this species feeding on fruit in the cycads at the entrance to the lodge and fruiting trees around the lodge.

“Tranquility of the heart is a blessing one receives from the wilderness.” ~ Robbie George

These turacos found the soft red seeds from the cycads around the lodge very enticing. The antics of these turacos around the pool area of the lodge provided plenty of entertainment.

A White-browed scrub-robin foraging in a open dry area close to where we found the cheetah family. This species of scrub-robin has a distinctive pale white superciliary (above its eye) stripe. Its crown, nape and back are light brown and its upper tail coverts are a rust colour. It has a buff coloured throat, breast and belly with dark brown stripes. Its greater and lesser wing coverts are distinctively white striped. This is a restless insect eater foraging mainly on the ground.

“I would like to paint the way a bird sings.” ~ Claude Monet

When we have meals at the safari lodge on the deck overlooking the Mkuze river, we were visited by a pair of Mocking cliff chats who were quick to pick up scraps of food dropped on the floor. There were quite habituated to people which gave us a chance to see them close up. This cliff chat is black all over except its belly and undertail coverts are chestnut brown. This species has a distinctive white shoulder patch. It is a very “chatty” chat.

Similar to all chats, this species lifted it tail just after it has landed. The male’s upperparts are black while the female’s upperparts are a dark grey. This species inhabits rocky boulder strewn areas and well-wooded rocky ravines. On the opposite side of the Mkuze river to the lodge is a high, well treed rocky cliff.

This Groundscraper thrush is an upright standing thrush. It is a bold, long legged thrush with a short tail. Its upper parts are a grey-brown and its cheeks, and underparts are white with bold dark brown spotted which join together around the face creating a malar and ear stripe. It characteristically, runs long distances on the ground hunting insects, stopping and standing bolt upright all the while flicking its wings. The Groundscraper Thrush is predominately terrestrial, hopping on the ground like many thrushes and scrapings among fallen leaves and other dead vegetation for insects. Sometimes it can be seen cocking its head to listen for prey moving in the leaf litter.

While having breakfast we were visited by a pair of Black backed puffbacks who hopped around in the trees close by the lodge’s deck. This small shrike has white underparts, a black head, variegated black and gray lesser and median coverts. Its back is black as are its rectrices.

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” ~ Gary Snyder

The male and female Black-backed Puffbacks are similarly coloured but the male has an all black head with the black becoming white just below its ruby red eye. The female’s face is mostly white face and she has a white eyebrow. These little shrikes also have a distinctive call which announces their presence. Thereafter it requires some patience to see them clearly.

The Pied wagtail is also a strikingly pied coloured wagtail. It has a long black tail which it wags up and down constantly. It has black upperparts and white underparts. It has a strong white eyebrow and a black stripe down its throat which broadens out into a black apron on its chest. It has a white panel of feathers on the leading edge of its wings. This insect eater seems to prefer to be close to water, be it a swimming pool or a river.

The other side of the Mkuze from the lodge is a steep rocky cliff with a small valley between the cliff faces leading down to the river. The opposite bank of the river is lined with large trees. On several occasions we heard what we initially thought was a baby crying but it turned out to be a family of Trumpeter hornbills. This pied colour hornbill has a wide pink area of skin around its eyes. This species is a large hornbill, compared to its yellow or red billed cousins. It has a large grey casque on top of its maxilla which is bigger on the male than the female.

On two occasions, the family of hornbills flew from their roosting trees on the other side of the Mkuze river to the fruiting trees around the lodge. They made quite a noise while communicating with each other.

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This adult Fish eagle was perched on a broken branch close to a large pool of water in the river. There must be plenty of fish in the river because we saw a number of Fish eagles.

“Nature’s beauty is that is cultivates appreciation and gratitude.” ~ Louie Schwartzberg

We found a lone African hawk-eagle perched on a fallen tree. It had a high position from which to scan its surroundings. This raptor prefers savanna and and riverine forest habitats where it primarily hunts gamebirds, such as francolin and guineafowl. This hawk-eagle hunts by swooping from a perch, quartering low over the ground or stooping from a soaring position. It is aggressive and highly territorial.

In my experience, adult African hawk eagles hunt in pairs. The only time I have seen a single African hawk eagle was when it was a fledged juvenile.

An adult Martial eagle perched on a large aloe on the side of a hill looking down onto the Mkuze river. This is the area where we found the three year old male lion hiding from the coalition. This is one the largest and most powerful species of booted eagle. Also found in Amakhosi private game reserve another large and very powerful booted eagle, the Crowned eagle, which is sometimes called the “flying leopard” because of its colouring. The Martial eagle is one of the few eagles which hunts primarily from a high soar followed by a high speed stoop once it has located its quarry.

We saw many more interesting birds but I was not able take a good images of them. Two species which proved difficult and elusive were the Crested guineafowl and the Gorgeous bushshrike. Many raptors appeared to move up and down the river but were usually on the other side of the river to the lodge. I never got to see a Crowned eagle this time but we did see a pair of Crowned eagles in 2008 sitting in a large tree above a female bushbuck which they had killed.

“Birds provide a treasure trove of colour, diversity and sound. Treasures that can be seen on every game drive.” ~ Mike Haworth

We plan to return to Amakhosi in September this year before it gets too hot. I still want to get a good image of a Purple crested turaco flying, and try to see and photograph a Crowned eagle. Brown hyaena, civet and a serval are also on my mammal wish list.

“You never know what may cross your path and fuel the wildness of your soul.”~ Robbie George

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

Have fun, Mike

Amakhosi – all the cats

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Amakhosi Private Game reserve is located on the banks of the Mkuze river about 25 kilometres south east of Pongola in Zululand, which is in KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. Helen and I first visited Amakhosi Safari Lodge in the reserve in 2008. We were so impressed with the experience that we returned in 2009 to find some significant changes. There had been a land claim and 10 000 hectares of the original 22 000 hectare reserve had been awarded to the claimants leaving 12 000 hectares of the original private game reserve. We had a wonderful time in 2009 despite the reduced size of the private reserve because of the quality of the safari lodge and the staff. The reserve has the Mkuze river coursing through it and has lush valley bushland, rolling savannahs, majestic mountains and thriving river wetlands which support a wonderful diversity of wildlife.

“If I have ever seen magic, it has been in Africa” ~ John Hemingway

In September 2023, Helen and I decided to return to Amakhosi to see how things had developed. To our very pleasant surprise it was excellent, as good as before. The safari lodge and staff had maintained the high level of standards regarding cuisine and service. Even more impressive was how well maintained the roads were in the reserve. It is a “big five” reserve and we were privileged to have had many good sightings of mammals and the birdlife, which in that part of the world is prolific.

The reserve introduced two new male lions in early 2023. These two aggressive male lions are the dominant coalition and any young males do their best to hide from them. The male lion at the back is collared so they can keep track of them. Interestingly, the blonder male is the more dominant and more aggressive.

Initially, when the two males were introduced to Amakhosi, one of the males regularly mock charged which must have increased the pulse rate of the guests on the game vehicle. We had no mock charges and the males seemed to be settling down in their new environment.

The two dominant males were very active and one many occasions we found them patrolling their territory. This was not because it had been raining and they had to remark their territory, but probably because it was still so new to them.

In the southern mountainous section along the Mkuze river, we found a three year old male hiding from the coalition. Remarkably, a day later, the coalition which was out patrolling their territory they came to the exactly same spot where we saw the young male hiding. This reminded us of how developed and sensitive their olfactory senses must have been.

“Vulnerability is the biggest attraction to all predators. But your survival instincts are also at the highest when in danger. Use them, don’t let fear shut them down.” ~ Mitta Xinindlu

The Amakhosi private game reserve has a male and a female cheetah. We were fortunate enough to see the male and female on separate occasions. The female had five cubs. Our first sighting of the cheetah family was early in the morning when it was light but before sunrise. There was still some frost on the dry grass and the cubs were curled up in the embrace of their mother. She was lying in an open section of grassland probably for protection so she could see and sense any danger coming.

Cheetah females become sexually active after two years and can give birth to as many as six cubs, with the average around three. Unlike the males which usually form coalitions, the female remains solitary and does not maintain a territory.

Cheetah cubs are blind at birth and their eyes open after 10 days or so. The cubs are born with a mantle of white fur running from the back of the neck down to the rump. This mantle is thought to provide camouflage in the grass.

The cubs’ mane of white hair disappears after three months and they are usually weaned around four months of age. At this point their mother no longer hides her cubs and they begin to follow her.

Paradoxically, cheetahs are the most productive cat yet they are endangered with a global population of only around 7 000 wild individuals. The main reasons for their decline are human-wildlife conflicts, prey decline, and habitat loss and fragmentation. In a private game reserve these factors are managed. The vulnerability of the cubs arises when their mother leaves them alone to go hunting. When small cubs they are easy prey for lions, leopards and hyaenas and, at times when they are very small, even jackals. Even when their mother is close she is often unable to protect the cubs from lions, leopards and hyaenas. Her best survival strategy is to keep the cubs far away from these predators.

We found this lioness around mid-afternoon lying close to a waterhole. We could not be sure, but judging from her behaviour she may have had cubs hidden in the shrubs among the rocks overlooking the waterhole. This was the only lioness we saw.

At dusk one afternoon, we had been watching a large herd of elephants drinking from the Mkuze river in the mountainous southern section of the park. After watching the herd in the water for a while it was getting dark. So we began making our way back to the lodge. On route our tracker, Zakele, caught a glimpse of a leopard in the thick bush next to the road as he was sweeping his spotlight from left to right looking for any interesting nocturnal wildlife. We stopped, reversed a short distance and our ranger, Jacques, turned the vehicle so we were side on to the road. To everyone’s amazement this leopardess walked out onto the road in the spotlight with year old male cub.

“Give your all to every experience, feel it breathe it appreciate it, nothing lasts forever, when it’s gone you’ll remember the feeling it once gave you and sometimes that’s enough.” ~ Nikki Rowe

The male cub was very affectionate to his mother. He looked to have be around a year old. Male leopards have usually leave their mothers by two years’ old and can start breeding from three years.

This male was too young, but the method of aging leopards older than three years, is usually done by looking at their dewlap size, the condition of their ears and the degree of facial scarring and sometimes the colour of the nose.

We were privileged to see this leopardess and her male cub walking around in the spotlight for what must have been around 15 minutes. The two were inquisitive and even walked close to the vehicle. For such secretive predators this was a remarkable sighting which left all of us on the vehicle quite breathless with excitement.

On the western boundary of the reserve there was a fence and on the other side of the fence was a huge open area. Early one morning, we found the two males walking along the fence line watching a lioness who was just the other side of the fence. The male lions on the other side of the fence had been roaring and these two male replied.

There were no “flat cats” on this particular morning. These two males were very interested in the female close to the fence but on the other side.

These were unusually confident male lions judging from their disregard for our vehicle and interest in what was the other side of the fence. Both males were large and were in good condition. Dr Jennie Miller in her Panthera Field Notes for Panthera’s Lion Program noted that lion biologists have long used unique natural markings (like whisker spots, ear notches and scars) to identify individuals but these factors do not help determine the age of the male. Research found six traits which notably changed with age – nose darkness, facial scarring, teeth colour and wear, and jowl slackness. These males looked to be around five year old.

“It starts with a series of grunts. Then the roaring starts. If you are close, it will send primordial shivers down your spine. The sound is deafening and awe inspiring at the same time. The game vehicle vibrates and you can feel the roaring in your chest.” ~ Mike Haworth

“He was a killer, a thing that preyed, living on the things that lived, unaided, alone, by virtue of his own strength and prowess, surviving triumphantly in a hostile environment where only the strong survive.” ~ Jack London

Amakhosi’s predators looked to thriving in the reserve. We had exceptional sightings of all the cats. On one occasion early in the morning, we had a fleeting glimpse of a Brown hyaena. According to the ranger, Jacques, there are many Brown hyaena in the reserve but they are nocturnal and very skittish in the daylight.

“There is something about safari life that makes you forget all your sorrows and feel as if you had drunk half a bottle of champagne — bubbling over with heartfelt gratitude for being alive.” ~ Karen Blixen

Being a “big five” reserve we also had excellent sightings of elephant, rhino and the birdlife was prolific.

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

Have fun, Mike

Marievale – end of winter

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Helen and I visited Marievale Bird Sanctuary in late August last year. This wetland is a RAMSAR site and is therefore judged to be of International importance because of its uniqueness and biodiversity. The water levels in the wetland have a strong influence on what birds you are likely to see. The time of year also dictates whether you will see migrants or not. Being the end of Southern African winter only the very early migrants were seen. In the southern African winter many of the grassland birds lose their colourful breeding plumage and the grass and reeds in the wetland turn to yellows and browns.

“The changing of the seasons marks our journey through life, embracing and learning from each experience.” ~ Anonymous

We have seen many Purple swamphens during our wanderings around Marievale Bird Sanctuary. This is a big bird around 43cm in height, the size of a chicken. When the sun is out it shows a spectacular purple, green and blue colouration. It has a bronze green back and wing coverts. Its underparts and head are a royal blue. The throat and ear coverts are a light blue and it has a red beak and frontal shield. Its legs are red and and it has white undertail which it flicks up and down as it walks along the bank of a waterway.

This species of swamphen is an omnivore and feeds mostly on soft shoots of reeds and rushes and small animals, such as frogs and snails. It is also known to feed on eggs and other bird’s chicks. The Purple swamphen is often heard and tends to hide in the reeds along the bank. It is not often seen out in the open, much like a Black crake.

A Black-winged stilt is wader recognised by its very long pink legs, black back and wings and white underparts, neck and head. It has an untidy black crown and a long thin beak, red eye which is black when immature. Marievale is ideal for this wader as it prefers marshes and wetlands. With its long thin beak it picks edibles such as insects and crustaceans from the sand and surface of the water.

A pair of Avocets. These waders are easily identified by their upcurved black beak, black and white colouration and ruby red eyes. Their head nape and back is black as are their upperparts. The primary feathers on the wings are black as are the coverts with the greater coverts mainly white forming a white shoulder patch. They have long blue-grey legs suited to wading in shallow water.

The Pied Avocet feeds by swishing its beak back and forth in the shallow water to catch insects, worms and crustaceans. Their short rounded wings are suited to short quick flights. Pied avocets have been a great conservation success story globally and especially in the UK.

A Hottentot teal foraging as it is swimming in the shallow waters of the Marievale waterways. This is a small dabbling duck with a black head and nape and buff-colored cheeks and throat. Its bill is an unusual blue colour with a black stripe on the upper mandible. Its back is blackish-brown edged with buff, the breast is brown spotted with black, and the belly is mottled buff. As with all teals, its has a green wing speculum, a distinctly coloured patch on the secondary wing feathers.

A female ruff in non-breeding plumage foraging for insects, worms and crustaceans in the mud. This migrant must have been one of the early arrivals. Ruffs undertake the longest migration of any terrestrial bird, as they first leave their Siberian breeding colonies in July before heading west to the Black and Caspian Seas, then on down south to southern Africa, a journey of approximately 16 000km.

A lone Kittlitz plover foraging for insects in the mud among the dead reed stems. There is a difference between plovers and lapwings. Plovers are much smaller than lapwings and the latter has broad, rounded wings. Lapwings also have long legs and carpal spurs on their wings.

This Little stint is a tiny wader and was seen foraging along the water edge. This migrant was also an early arrival. It breeds in arctic Europe and Asia and migrates down to South Africa in the late winter, early spring.

A pair of Red-billed teal sunning themselves and preening on a small island in one of the large open waterways in Marievale.

A pair of Red-billed teal and Yellow-billed ducks flushed by our approach. Interestingly, the popularity of Marievale with birders has not had much effect habituating these waterfowl to humans. The duck species are still wary of humans.

“Tame birds sing of freedom. Wild birds fly.” ~ John Lennon

A male Long-tailed widowbird in non breeding plumage. Non-breeding males lose their long tails and become streaky and brown but keep the distinctive wing pattern.

A Cape wagtail singing to its heart’s content from a fallen tree trunk mostly submerged in the water. This a long-tailed insect eater with a brownish back, pale underparts, and a black chest band. White outer tail rectrices are conspicuous in flight. Found in most open habitats, especially those near water. Like all wagtails it has a distinctive way of walking, bobbing its tail constantly.

“A heart without dreams is like a bird without feathers.” ~ Suzy Kassem

A male Stonechat singing away from its dead tree stump perch. Stonechats are abundant in Marievale.

A White-throated swallow. Like most swallows it has a blue back, nape and crown. Its forehead is a chestnut brown. Its throat is white and it has a blue horizontal breast band. Its belly, undertail coverts are white. It also has two long thin tail streamers which are characteristic of this species.

A Black crake out in the open but surprised by a noise on the other side of the stream. It immediately dashed for the cover of the reeds next to the stream. This species of crake is secretive and is usually only seen sulking on the edge of a reed bed. This is a small black wader with a vivid yellow beak, red eyes and pink legs. This species prefers freshwater marshes.

An African snipe. This is a stocky short legged, long billed wader. It has cryptically coloured plumage which provides effective camouflage making it difficult to see amongst the vegetation at the edge of the waterway.

This species of snipe is active at night, especially in moonlight. It uses its long beak to probe the mud for invertebrate organisms, especially earthworms. These were collected while the bird walks on soft mud and sandy edges of streams and in short grasslands.

We never got to see these African snipe winnowing with its associated unusual flight pattern and sound. We did see another of this snipe’s unique features which was the bending of the ends of its long beak. This snipe eats with its bill closed. It has a long, sensitive, flexible beak used to probe loose soil and mud for food. Without removing its bill from the mud, the snipe flexes the tip of its upper mandible like a pincer to grab and consume food. Serrations on the bill and spikes on the tongue help it to move food from the bill-tip to the throat

A Red-knobbed coot chasing another coot away from where it was feeding on submerged plant matter. This species of coot is a charcoal black waterbird with a white frontal shield, white beak, red eyes and two red knobs on its forehead. It has yellow legs and webbed feet. The red-knobs are only evident in the breeding season. This is a highly territorial species and can often be seen bullying larger birds by running across the water at them with open wings.

We were lucky enough to see several large flocks of flamingos. The flock in the next image was of Lesser flamingos.

“No human ever lived in a birdless world.” ~ Richard Smyth

An adult Lesser flamingo in flight with its legs and neck extended for longitudinal balance. This species is smaller than the Greater flamingo but has the same slender build. It has a dark pink beak and pink legs. The wings are narrow and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black, and their wing coverts are red. Their eyes are orange to yellow, surrounded by a ring of maroon.

The Lesser flamingo feeds on various types of algae. When feeding it submerges its head in the water with its beak upside down and uses its legs to stir up the water to release the algae and other organisms, which are filtered through the beak. The Lesser flamingo has an upper mandible which is triangular in cross-section, and narrower than the lower mandible, so acts like a lid for the lower mandible. Both the upper and lower mandibles contain two rows of a bristled, comb-like or hair-like structure called lamellae. When the mandibles come together, the lamellae of the upper and lower mandibles mesh forming a filter. The flamingo’s large, fleshy tongue is covered with bristle-like projections which help filter water and food particles through the lamellae.

A Lesser flamingo coming into land. Flamingos are strong fliers capable of both short-distance and long-haul flights, often traveling in V-shaped formations for energy conservation and safety during migrations. All species of flamingos demonstrate remarkable takeoff and landing skills, using water surfaces to gain momentum for takeoff, and gracefully touching down with their webbed feet acting as natural landing gear. At a point they appear to skip along the surface of the water.

A Marsh harrier quartering the grasslands and edge of the reed beds for prey. Quartering is slow flight over open areas in search of prey. When prey is spotted the raptor will often hover for a short while to pinpoint the prey’s location before diving down to grab it.

“Wild beasts and birds are by right not the property merely of the people today, but the property of the unborn generations, whose belongings we have no right to squander.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

An African rail. This is a mid-sized rail. Its back and nape are brown and its head and chest are grey. Its belly, flanks and undertail have a barred pattern of black and white. It has a long red beak and red legs. Both male and female have similar colouring.

Like most rails this species is secretive though less so than other rail species. It prefers reedbeds and dense vegetation along the edges of wetlands in which to feed and bred. It feeds by probing the mud and shallow waters along the bank with its long red beak. It eats insects, earthworms, spiders, small frogs, small fish and soft plant matter such as seeds.

You never know what you are going to see when wandering around Marievale Bird Sanctuary. There are the perennials like stonehats, moorhens and coots but what you see and where you see it is dependent on the level of water in the wetland and its open waterways. If you are lucky you may even see a spotted-necked otter, water mongoose or a yellow mongoose and a variety of interesting birds.

“Not just symbolic representations, birds bring forth a myriad of life lessons, inspirations, and vibrant imagery that imprint themselves on our creative and philosophical landscapes.”~ Isabella Sedano

Marievale is a wonderful place to reinforce your bird identification skills and keep photographically fit.

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

Have fun, Mike

Pafuri – birding at its best

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The Pafuri area of the Kruger National Park is located in the northern region of the park. It has Zimbabwe as its northern border and Mozambique as its eastern border. The Limpopo and Luvuvhu Rivers converge in this birder’s paradise, where over 400 species have been recorded.

“We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity as priceless while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to humanity.” ~ E. O. Wilson

We were based in the Pafuri Tented camp in the Maluleki Concession which is a 24 000 hectare concession situated between the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers. From here we traversed the whole Pafuri region. This area offers interesting species ranging from Black Eagles and African Hawk eagles to Pels fishing owls and Bat hawks, from a Racket-tailed to a Broad-billed rollers, and Retz Helmeted shrikes to Mottled Spinetails and Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters.

“Biodiversity starts in the distant past and it points toward the future.” ~Frans Lanting

In this post I have shown a few of the birds I photographed but there were many more which I could not photograph. Early in the morning we found a pair of Burnt-necked Eremomelas. These small warblers are ash-gray above and a pale buff below. They have a whitish throat and a distinctive pale-lemon eye. A diagnostic feature is the horizontal brown patch on their throat which gives them their name. According to the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, the Burnt-necked Eremomela is also known as the Brown-throated Eremomela. This is a highly active species, continually on the move in the tree canopy. Its preferred habitat is mixed and savannah woodlands.

The Ashy Flycatcher is a common resident in the Kruger National Park. The male and female of this species have the same coloured plumage. Their head and upperparts are a bluish grey. Their underparts are a light grey, and their legs and beak are black. Their eyes are brown. This species of flycatcher prefers the upper canopy of woodlands and catches much of its food on the wing, but it will also glean insects from the foliage and bark.

Arnot’s chat, also known as the White-headed black-chat, is found from Rwanda and Angola to South Africa. It is a chunky black chat with a large white wing patch. The male has a white cap, and the female a messy white throat patch. This chat prefers in miombo and mopane woodlands.

One of three Brown-headed parrots in a combretum near Lanner gorge in Pafuri. This species of parrot is often found in small groups at the top of the canopy. It has a brown head and throat, and its upper parts are an emerald green and its underparts are green with a yellowish tinge. The top of its upper mandible is white the lower part black. This parrot feeds on a variety of seeds, nuts, berries, flowers, fruits and nectar.

A female Giant kingfisher preening herself in the afternoon sun on a fallen tree trunk at the edge of the Luvuvhu river. This is the largest of the kingfisher species in southern Africa. Both sexes have a large shaggy crest and a large black bill. It has fine white spots on its black head and upperparts. The female has a rufous belly while the male has a rufous chest and white throat. The Giant kingfisher feeds on crabs, fish, and frogs, caught by diving from a perch.

“Biodiversity can’t be maintained by protecting a few species in a zoo, or by preserving greenbelts or national parks. To function properly, nature needs more room than that. It can maintain itself, however, without human expense, without zookeepers, park rangers, foresters or gene banks. All it needs is to be left alone.” ~ Donella Meadows

A male Chin-spotted batis. This small stout looking batis has a black mask on its face, with a short white eye stripe, a grey cap and a white throat. Its upperparts are grey, and it has a prominent white wing stripe. The eyes are a distinctive yellow, and its legs and bill are black. The underparts are white with a black breast band in the males. The female’s underparts are also white, but she has a chestnut breast band and a chestnut spot on the throat.

The Chin-spotted batis is found in savannah woodland and feeds on prey foraged from the trees, either by hawking or gleaned from foliage. The prey mostly comprises insects and insect larvae.

The Marico flycatcher has a light brown head and upperparts, and white throat and underparts. Both sexes have the same colouring. Marico Flycatchers are usually found in arid acacia savannah or mixed woodland if it has acacia trees. This bird is often seen perched on the outer branches of shrubs or fence posts looking for termites, caterpillars and grasshoppers. It occasionally hawks insects from the air.

A Little bee-eater, the smallest of the bee-eaters found in southern Africa. This wonderfully coloured bee-eater has green upperparts, a black eye band with a pale blue eyebrow. It has a yellow throat and a black/dark brown gorget and its belly and flanks are a yellow/buff colour. The Little bee-eater hawks insects in flight. It prefers insects such as bees and wasps. Once it has caught the insect in flight it will return to its perch and kill the insect and remove its sting by repeatedly hitting it against its perch.

“The diversity of the phenomena of nature is so great, and the treasures hidden in the heavens so rich, precisely in order that the human mind shall never be lacking in fresh nourishment.” ~ Johannes Kepler

I am not sure, but I think this is a Rattling cisticola given its rufous wings and cap, and black streaks on its back. This insect eater prefers open woodlands and can usually be seen singing in open perches. This bird was seen away from the Luvuvhu river in a dry section of Pafuri.

A male Green-winged pytilia foraging for seeds on the ground. This colourful seedeater has a grey head and lores with the male having a crimson-red forehead and throat. Its chest and back are an olive-green and its belly has black and white bars which fade to white towards its vent. Its tail feathers are crimson changing to black at the leading edges. The female looks similar but does not have the crimson-red forehead and throat.

A Bronze-winged courser in a dry section of mopane woodland. This species is named for its characteristic bronze-tipped feathers that are visible during flight. The underwing coverts are white, contrasting with the dark black primaries which are tipped with iridescent copper to violet colouration. This courser is usually seen on the ground and can be identified by its light grey-brown upperparts. Its head has a distinct cream-white supercilium, forecrown, and posterior eyeline, as well as buffy upper neck and throat. The facial lores and ear-coverts are darker brown-black. It has a red eye ring and base of its lower mandible is red converging to black at its tip. This species of courser has long reddish pink legs.

This is a nocturnal species which mainly feeds on ground-dwelling insects and is usually solitary unless seen in the breeding season, which is in the dry season.

Many long-legged birds look like they are kneeling, from ostriches to storks and from lapwings to coursers. In fact, they are not kneeling as humans do but rather bend the joint that links the tibia to the tarsus.

A White-browed robin-chat foraging on the ground in the thickets along the Luvuvhu river. This species used to be called the Heuglin’s robin. It has a black cap, broad white supercilium and a black eye band which covers the eye from the lores to the ear patch. It has a grey-brown back and a bright fiery orange underparts and collar. The female is a little smaller than the male but their colouring is similar. A pair of robin-chats have the most beautiful duet which we usually hear early in the morning.

A White-fronted bee-eater hawking insects in the afternoon heat from a stick perch. This colourful bee-eater has a red throat and a white line above the red patch below the black eye band. It has a white forehead and its nape, and underparts are an orange-beige colour. Its upperparts are emerald green and its undertail coverts are a powder blue colour. This is a common resident bee-eater usually found in groups in woodland areas close to water courses.

A pair of Green pigeons appeared to be eating minerals from a large sand bank in the Luvuvhu river. There are many green pigeons along the Luvuvhu river attracted by the numerous fig trees growing along the banks of the river.

“If we pollute the air, water and soil that keep us alive and well, and destroy the biodiversity that allows natural systems to function, no amount of money will save us.” ~ David Suzuki

A solitary female Saddle-billed stork fishing along a sand bank in the Luvuvhu river. The female looks similar to the male but has a yellow eye and does not have a yellow wattle under its chin. The female shows more extensive white in her primaries which can be seen in flight. The head, neck, back, wings, and tail are iridescent black, with the rest of the body and the primary flight feathers being white.

Both sexes have a large red beak with a black band across the centre of the beak. They also have black legs with a pinkish-red joint between the tibia and tarsus. The Saddle-billed stork forages for prey by stabbing its beak into the water, and if it feels something it will snap its beak closed. In the water it usually hunts fish but will opportunistically catch other prey such as frogs, snails, small mammals, birds, snakes, and insects such as grasshoppers, termites, and water beetles. When small fish are caught, they are swallowed whole headfirst. If a large fish is caught it is usually taken to the bank where it may be dropped many times and often the pectoral fins will be removed to aid the swallowing.

I have shown a small number of the birds you are likely to see in the Pafuri area. In the summer months the residents and migrants can be seen. In winter the birding is still excellent, and the going is easier from a game vehicle point of view.

“Look closely at nature. Every species is a masterpiece, exquisitely adapted to the particular environment in which it has survived. Who are we to destroy or even diminish biodiversity?” ~ EO Wilson

The Pafuri area is exceptional for its diversity of landscapes, where baobab forests can be found close to fever tree forests in the inland areas which are crisscrossed by rivers. The floodplain of the Limpopo river offers a quite different experience with open grasslands, pans and thick riverine and palm groves. The so-called Pafuri Triangle is considered the most diverse part of the Kruger Park where around 1% of the land accounts for and estimated 75% of the park’s biodiversity.

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

Have fun, Mike