In search of the Scotopelia peli and other Phantoms*

[Duke]

And I completely forgot this sighting from iMfolozi

This snake (and Toks will tell me which one it is ) must have just had a meal which you can see and it was on the tar road moving from side to side to aid digestion Was not interested in moving off the road. We inched forward from the side and it moved off.

[Duke]

We arrive at the Amazibu Pan. There is a long crested eagle in the distance


and zebra at the one end of the pan


at the other end a hippo tells an osprey that this is my pond osprey, no fishing




Chill hippo replies the osprey






Don't you tell me to chill


Ok then

[Duke]

Thanks Toko, nan, Dewi, Mel, Rp, harrys, BC, Flutts

The Osprey was another lifer for us

And for a moment we thought we had found yet another lifer in the Southern Banded Snake Eagle but it turned out to be its brown cousin





Our Bird Books recommended the Gwala Gwala Trail In St Lucia as a good place to find the Livingstonbe's Turaco. Some birds we picked up on the way to St. Lucia

Long Crestedc Eagle


Bronze Mannikin


Fish Eagle


Scaly Throated Honeyguide


Yellow fronted Tinkerbird


We could hear the turacos but not see them. We had walked for an hour and found a bench and decided just to sit for a while. They came to us

Livingstone's Turaco

[Duke]

Seen from the Amazibu Hide

Common Reedbuck??


Jacana




Grey Heron




Crested Guinea Fowl


Waterbuck


Here Toks


Sacred Ibis

[Duke]

Lisbeth

Last Installmenmt on Cape Vidal before we move on to uMkhuze

We have no photos of the accommodation at Cape Vidal I thought Sharifa was taking them and she thoght I took them We did get these Tokos come roost next to our balcony, and noisy they were too before they settled down



Bushbuck on the beach


Grey Headed Gulls






Samango Monkey


Common Waxbill

[Duke]

This was our first time in uMkhguze and we loved it. The hides are wonderful and Fig Forest Walk is a must.



The Fig Forest Walk was a self guided walk but now you have to have an armed ranger with you due to introduction of elephants.

The Reception Area



The Bird Hide just opposite reception - proved to be worth a stop for a few minutes



The accommodation is huge









On the walk to the swimming pool

[Duke]

There are so many good things about uMkhuze (this is how it is spelled in the latest Ezemvelo Map) it is difficult to decide where to start. Nsumo Pan is lined with fever trees and has a beautiful hide and picnic site, use both at your own risk . The pan is suppose to be good for the great white and pink backed pelicans, spoonbills, openbill, pygmy goose and the Pel's has been seen in the area

The fig forest walk is through ancient riparian forest with massive sycamore fig trees and reminded me of our walk from Balule also looking for the Pel's. The largest sycamore fig is said to be 600 years old and the path is strewn with fossils of ancient marine creatures showing that the ocean was once here. There is also a canopy boardwalk and two suspension bridges to cross. Miss Sharifa could not avoid these like she did the one at Storms River

All the hides are good. We found the kuMasinga to be the best. The kuMahlala was quiet and the kwaMalibala is not photographer friendly. As you would have guessed by now, we did not drive much around uMkhuze, rather spending most of our time in the hides.

The hide in camp, opposite reception, will guarantee sightings of the blue waxbill, green winged pytilia and dark capped bulbul. The pond is very close to the hide and very difficult to focus on a bird through all the foliage and without disturbing it but we got some good shots of this bathing blue waxbill









The entrance to the fig forest walk


The suspension bridge


The boardwalk


One of the huge fig trees


Crested barbet


Patrick was our guide and he is excellent knowing all the bird calls. We heard a pink throated twinspot and scanned and followed but did not find it
Patrick told us that he heard the Pel's on the morning walk but the guests then were not keen birders. So for us we made a walk towrds where he had heard the call that morning and we thought we had the phantom when an owl flew out of a tree. It was an African Wood Owl, still a lifer but could not get a pic.


This guy was seen at the kuMahlala hide. Somehow missed posting the pic in the ID thread

African Goshawk or Little Sparrowhawk???? Only one pic and cere looks yellow

[Duke]

From the hide at The Nsumo Pan







We did not get the waterbirds the whole day but did have these spoonbills for a while


And these Great White Pelicans did fly pass




This Kurrichane Thrush was in fine song




and caught the attention of myself and a brown hooded kingfisher perched in a branch just below the thrush


Open Bill

[Duke]

We get to the kuMasinga hide early in the morning. we can grt a whiff of a carcass but cannot see one and there is no predator around. We then see the tawny feeding on the carcass.



Then we had cape, white backed and white faced vultures home in.

[Duke]

So we have the vultures on one side of the hide and a family of warthogs and a nyala family come to drink at the other side Great interaction between the young warties