Witwatersrand Bird Club, P O Box 641, Cresta, 2118 23 Sondela Nature Reserve by Anthony

Home , Greater honeyguide, Mottled spinetail, Southern pied babbler

Female African Stonechat — James Smith

African Snipe — James Smith

African Darter - James Smith

P O Box 641 WITWATERSRAND Cresta, 2118

BIRD CLUB Tel: 011 782 7267 Fax: 086 512 7696 Email: [email protected] ISSUE NO 232 DECEMBER 2011 Web: www.wbc.co.za

Inside this issue: 2011 Committee:

4 Letter from the Chair Honorary President Murrie Slotar 5 Nature in Italy by Marco Valtriani Chairman Andy Featherstone 8 Uitstappie na Kwa Mmatau deur Vice-Chairman Lance Robinson Maryna Bezuidenhout Treasurer Sandy Goodall 9 Breeding Record for Spotted Thick- Courses Janice Isom knee by Bev Carstens Conservation Barbi Forsyth 10 Mid-winter CWAC at Vaalkop Dam Nature Reserve by Lance Robinson Evening Meetings Marguerite Waite 13 Amazing breeding behaviour of the Website Lester Niss Scarlet-chested Sunbird by L. John Bunning Club Secretary Lauraine Leigh 17 Bird Ringing weekend at Mutapa by DEADLINE FOR APRIL 2012 ISSUE - Craig Nattrass 1st MARCH 2012 20 Birds and Buddhism by Clive Hop- croft Contributions can be:

22 Lucky Winners! by Beryl Leamen Posted to: The Editor, Witwatersrand Bird Club, P O Box 641, Cresta, 2118 23 Sondela Nature Reserve by Anthony

Cavanagh Delivered to: Delta Environmental 25 Cape Vulture Captive Breeding Centre, Road No 3, Victory Park Programme by Kerri Wolter emailed to: [email protected] 27 Diary from the Galápagos Islands by Peter and Carol Alexander NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS 31 Three Days in Dubai by Anthony Bokmakierie is published three times an- Cavanagh nually. Contributions are invited from members in Afrikaans or English. English 33 Mpumalana — Like a portal to an- names of birds should be those used in other dimension by Louise Barlow Roberts VII. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor, Club, the 34 The Mottled Spinetail in South Africa Committee, Members or those of BirdLife 35 Rarities and Unusual Sightings Re- South Africa.

port: July 2011 by André Marx This issue of Bokmakierie has been pro- duced and edited by Andy Featherstone 38 BirdLife Matters and Lance Robinson.

Cover Photo: Little Bee-eater by Arno Ellmer Cover Design: Gina Wilgenbus 3 Editor” section where one can express one’s approval, displeasure, or thought

Letter for the day. I would like to try and include this in future editions of Bokmakierie. From Please write to either Lance or myself if you want to express an opinion, raise a The query or just sound off! We will publish your letters, answer them as best we can Chair and use constructive criticism or suggestions, to better our Club. We also encour- age you to submit articles and photographs for future editions as we like to Dear Members, include a variety of topics in our magazine. It hardly seems possible that the holiday season is almost upon us and we will Despite the current financial gloom and soon be celebrating the festive season, doom we have managed to make dona- or just taking time out to relax at the end tions this year to: BLSA’s White-bellied of the year. Korhaan project (via Niall Perrins record- breaking attempt), the Kristi Garland can- I have just returned from an exceptional cer appeal; medical expenses for Lucky trip to Pafuri in the Kruger Park, which I (the Melville Koppies car guard) and re- shared with members from all the various pairs to the WBC hides at Nyslvley. branches of our club. Aside from the These are all in addition to our earlier do- mouth-watering birds such as Pel’s Fish- nations to BirdLife’s Seabird by-catch ing-Owl, Racquet-tailed Roller and Three- mitigation programme and the EWT banded Courser, I think the most pleasur- Guard Dog initiative. able aspect of the trip was to see the enjoyment of all who took part and their ca- For those of you who were looking for maraderie with members from other items in our WBC clothing range, but branches. I would like to foster the were unable to find your size, I am greater involvement of all branches and pleased to tell you that we are now able their members in club activities. I would to supply your size to order. Let Lauraine like us all not to look at ourselves as a know your requirements and she can or- series of separate clubs, but as one big der for you. family working together. We are fast approaching our AGM in Lance has prepared a programme of February and the election of a New Com- events for next year and he has tried mittee. Janice Isom has indicated that hard to provide something for everyone. she will no longer be available for re- We have been aware that some mem- election. If you feel that you can fulfil a bers feel that we are not catering for their role on our new Committee we would needs and we hope that you will find love to hear from you! something in the new programme that satisfies your requirements. If there is I wish you all a safe journey if you are some birding place / venue that you think travelling, a wonderful time with your fam- we are overlooking, or want to visit, let ily and a happy and prosperous New either Lance or Lauraine know and we Year. can take your suggestions into account when preparing the next programme. Andy Featherstone

Many magazines have a “Letters to the

can find traces, for example, of the Etrus- Nature in Italy cans and Romans inside a typical rural landscape or a medieval castle in the Text and Photographs by Marco middle of forest in the Apennines; you Valtriani can have a walk along the gentle hills, crossing vineyards and olives groves, or Dear South African friends, lose yourself in the trails of high mountains looking for wolves, bears, golden First of all, I have to thank Andy Feather- eagles and vultures. stone very much for letting me talk about Italy in your magazine.

My intention is to promote the “boot” among people who are interested in culture and nature beyond the rather notori- ous reputation we have gained in the last few years.

Italy, unfortunately, is now much more famous, all over the world, for its mas- sive public debt and its extravagant lead- ers rather than for culture, history and (I would like to emphasise) marvellous A Roman altar where the priests looked at natural settings. birds flying to predict the future

A terrible economical and political crisis In a few hours you can drive from the has assailed the country and the atten- Dolomite Mountains to the Po Delta (one tion is entirely focused (also abroad) on of the most important wetlands in the the effects of this situation. Mediterranean) and from the Apennines Its a sizeable predicament; a sort of to Maremma coast (called “Silver Coast” enormous dust cloud which has ob- for its beauty). scured our monuments, our art, our ar- chaeological sites, our landscapes and Wildlife and cultural heritages are both last but not least, our natural heritage. preserved, thanks to a net of 772 protected areas (Natural Reserves and Na- The author of this “appeal” is a biologist tional/Regional parks) that cover nearly who has dedicated the last twenty years 20% of the country. It’s difficult to believe of his life to studying habitats, land- that Italy is one of the countries richest in scapes, history and traditions of this ex- biodiversity in the entire world with traordinary land. I have worked free- 57,422 animal species (more than 1/3 of lance for different nature conservation European fauna) and 9,000 plant spe- organisations, tour operators, schools, cies. This is thanks to its geographical public institutions and many companies position, the extreme variability in mor- acting in environmental fields. As a na- phology and the highly complex mosaic ture/walking guide and environmental of habitats. educator, I have always emphasised the relationship between the various civiliza- Talking about birds….. Italy has been tions cultures that cross our history and largely shunned by foreign birders due to the environment. rumours such as “There is nothing to see there except for the House Sparrow”, or What makes Italy so special is that you “The only thing that flies in Italy is Ali-

5 talia”. These stereotypes have to be dis- (interested in culture and nature at the credited; I’m proud to say that the total same time) who want to enjoy different number of bird species recorded for Italy aspects of a country. is now 526. Most of them are rare and included in the list of Species of Euro- pean Conservation Concern (SPEC); some are very appealing to foreign birders, such as Audouin’s Gull, Eleanora’s Falcon, the Barbary Partridge, the Lan- ner Falcon, the Wallcreeper, the Pygmy Cormorant, the Ural Owl, the Marbled Duck and the Lammergeier.

Anghiari, a medieval village on the Tiber river

If you are planning a vacation here, it would be useful to take a look to these websites: http://www.birdinginitaly.com/ http://www.parks.it/Eindex.html

Diaccia Botrona marsh, a Natural Reserve along the Tuscan coast

Differing from other countries in Africa, or South/North America (which are much more well known for birding), in Italy you can bird in amazing natural areas, and then on the same day discover the im- pressive frescoes of a medieval church, tour an Etruscan necropolis, or admire world-famous paintings in one of the country’s many first-rate museums. You can also combine a birding trip with a visit to ancient villages where time stands still, or enchant your taste buds Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo) by dropping in at fabulous vineyards or cheese producers who still make pe- corino, ricotta, and raviggiolo as they Thanks for your attention! have for centuries. At the end of a bird- filled day, you can sample local recipes Marco Valtriani at a typical “trattoria” while you write your notes and update your checklist.

So, what I would explain with this letter, is that Italy can satisfy curious tourists

WETO BIRDING TRIPS 2011 / 2012

Mozambique

7-Day Trip

(A) SOUTHERN MOZAMBIQUE

14-Day Trip

(B) CENTRAL / SOUTHERN MOZAMBIQUE & EASTERN ZIMBABWE

Botswana & Namibia

14-Day Trip

South Africa

7-14 Day Trips

(D) CAPE ENDEMICS

(E) WAKKERSTROOM & GOLDEN GATE

(F) DULLSTROOM / KAAPSEHOOP / WHITE RIVER & SKUKUZA

(G) HOEDSPRUIT / PUNDA / PAFURI & MAGOEBASKLOOF

CONTACT DETAILS:

Email: [email protected] Website: www.weto.co.za Mobile: +27 (0)72 916 6103

gesit en roep het. Sommer vroeg og- Uitstappie na Kwa gend kon ons twee ‘lifers’ afmerk op ons lys. Terwyl ons met die eienaar van die Mmatau op 12 en 13 plaas praat, vertel hy ons van ‘n Para- November 2011 dysvlieëvanger (African Paradise- Flycatcher) in die boom net agter sy

huis. Opsoek na die vlieëvanger, ontdek Deur Maryna Bezuidenhout ons ‘n Witkoluil (Pearl-spotted Owlet) in die boom. Nie ver van die huis af nie Ek en Jan is vroeg Saterdagoggend by het Lia en Kevin ‘n Swartwangsysie die huis weg na Kwa Mmatau. Ons is (Black-faced Waxbill) gesien. Nog iets nie ‘n groot groep mense nie; ongelukkig uitsonderlik was drie Rooibekrenoster- het nog twee persone gekanselleer, en voëls (Red-billed Oxpeckers) bo in ‘n is ons nou net 5 persone wat in ‘n lieflike dooie boom. groot huis met 5 slaapkamers oor- bly. Dit is bloedig warm, met ‘n ver- Saterdagaand na ‘n wildsrit kon ons wagte temperatuur van 36 grade. heerlik vuurmaak in ‘n boma met hout wat ons van die eienaar gekry het. Ons groepie het heerlik vleis gebraai en ge- kuier om die vuur voordat ons teen 22:30 gedink het om te gaan inkruip.

Sondagoggend, net voor ons wou ry, het twee Grootheuningwysers (Greater Hon- eyguides) in ‘n boom voor die huis kom sit, met die gevolg dat ons ‘n hele uur later as beplan eers gery het.

White-bellied Sunbird — Lia Steen

Lia Steen, ons leier, met Kevin en Rose en ons twee, het net na 07:30 begin stap. Gou het Lia al ‘n hele paar bek- ende voëlgeluide geïdentifiseer. Daar is ook ‘n Swartsperwer (Black Spar- rowhawk) in ‘n groot ou bloekomboom in die reservaat. Lia het hom sien vlieg met prooi in sy poot. Ons is al agter ‘n Swartkoekoek (Black Cuckoo) aan. Dié Juvenile Greater Honeyguide — Lia Steen het heen en weer by ons verby gevlieg, maar uiteindelik in ‘n boom gaan sit, Die totale telling vir die twee dae was 92 waar ons na hom kon kyk. Volgende spesies. Dit was ‘n heerlike uitstappie was dit die Piet-my-vrou (Red-chested gewees. Cuckoo) se beurt. Aangesien ek hom nog nooit behoorlik kon sien nie, het ons (Baie dankie vir die verslag in Afrikaans hom gevolg tot waar hy rustig op ‘n tak Maryna – ed.)

This Thick-knee decided to lay her eggs Breeding Record for on the steps which lead from the parking to the road where the children and par- Spotted Thick-knee ents access the school. The two eggs can be seen in the left hand corner just By Bev Carstens under the "danger" tape the school provided so that the bird and her scrape in I enclose a photo of a Spotted Thick- the ground would not be disturbed. knee which is breeding in the Bordeaux First Scout parking lot. I have no idea how many times a day this poor bird gets off her nest when peo- The parking at the scout hall is utilized by ple approach the steps. If only she had parents from the Willows Pre Primary waited for a week, when the school School in Bordeaux. There are approxi- closes, she would have had the parking mately 150 children at the school, who lot to herself, but unfortunately this is not are dropped off and collected Monday to the case. Friday. I saw one child pick up an egg, so how many other times has this happened. Hopefully the eggs hatch and she will be able to raise her chicks undisturbed during the school holidays.

As a family we have been backwards and forwards a few times this week, as we have been attending the school con- certs. Unfortunately so have 150 children plus their parents and grandparents. It was amazing to see that some people never saw there was a bird incubating right under their feet, but they dutifully Spotted Thick-knee and nest — Bev walked around the tape. Carstens

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due to the variety of habitats to be found Mid-winter CWAC at –from acacia woodland to open savan- nah, through to the multiple water associ- Vaalkop Dam Nature ated habitats which together provide Reserve ideal locale for an amazing diversity of

By Lance Robinson

CWAC, the acronym for Coordinated Waterbird Count, is a programme of regular mid-summer and mid-winter waterbird censuses, conducted at various South African wetlands. All the counts are conducted by volunteers; people and organisations passionate about waterbird conservation. It is one of the largest and most successful citizen science pro- grammes in Africa, providing much needed data for waterbird conservation around the world. It has global reach as many of the waterbirds encountered, particularly in the summer months, are mi- A pensive Alison Hanson — Lance gratory and thus it is important to collect Robinson data when birds are on their wintering (usually non-breeding) grounds. CWAC is a bird monitoring programme adminis- birds. tered by the Animal Demography Unit (ADU) at the University of Cape Town. Members of the Witwatersrand Bird Club (WBC) have been conducting regular CWAC counts at Vaalkop dam since the winter of 1993. The counts are usually conducted in the months of January (mid -summer) and July (mid-winter). As a measure towards ensuring consistency in terms of data collection, the dam and shoreline have been mapped, delineating particular routes. Counts have been tra- ditionally conducted on both sides of the dam wall, primarily on Bushwillow shores, the Nature Reserve between the Hex and Elands Rivers and in the bird sanctuary area, at least where general CWACers Philip Tarboton, Jeanne Thomas, access is permitted. The original counts Murrie Slotar and Alison Hanson hard at were conducted from the shore only. For work — Lance Robinson a number of years however, particularly since the beginning of the millennium, Vaalkop Dam Nature Reserve has long counts have also been conducted under been regarded as a prime birding desti- more salubrious conditions: with consid- nation and ranks highly amongst favour- erable leisure and comfort from a pon- ite places to visit for many Gauteng toon. Unfortunately, due to a change in based birdwatchers. This is primarily circumstances, they have not been done

10 in this manner since the summer of standing, or to notice some trends. Last 2009. year’s mid-winter count amounted to 3550 birds comprising 49 species. From This year’s summer count had to be the outset it may at first seem that we postponed from January until February had a less productive count. There were due to the deluge of rain experienced in however, some very interesting observa- the region which continued for weeks on tions made on the day. A few are high- end, and which affected access to lighted below. Vaalkop dam and areas such as Bush- willow. When the count was eventually Without doubt the most numerous bird conducted, the water levels at the dam in species encountered on the day, with late February were still very high. When 184 individuals spotted, was African Ja- conditions are like this, the shore does cana. This is the highest number of Afri- not provide sufficient habitat for many of can Jacanas ever recorded at this local- the usual migrant waders. ity in the 18 years of collecting CWAC data! The previous record was set last winter when 64 were seen, however, by stark comparison only 5 were recorded in summer 2011. Looking back at the counts, it is noticeable that winter counts of this species are generally higher than the summer counts and may include juvenile birds from the last seasons breeding.

Another bird species that exceeded previous records was the number (39) of Black Crakes recorded. The previous re- African Spoonbills taking flight - Lance cord was that of 19 birds in winter 2002. Robinson By comparison, only 4 were recorded in February this year.

In July of this year, despite this being the A notable sighting was of 2 Little Bitterns. dry season, we still encountered rela- They have only been recorded once be- tively high water levels. We were, how- fore in terms of the official CWAC count - ever, able to conduct our counts once when one individual was recorded in the again from a pontoon; this was made summer of 2008. It should be noted that possible when the owners of ‘Lazy it really helped being on the pontoon to Daze’, from the Bushwillow Estate, made better access the reeds and other inun- their craft available. It was a rather cool, dated vegetation, which this species pre- crisp bushveld morning that dawned on fers. Saturday 9 July; invigorated by this, and at the prospect of counting again from The fishermen often comment on the the open water, the team of CWACers number of (competing) cormorants seen set forth. on the dam. Both the White-breasted and Reed Cormorant are to be found Our final tally in July was 2895 birds here, often breeding on the islands, even comprising 43 species. The results of the in the midst of winter. Their numbers CWAC count are always interesting, but would appear to be stable, albeit margin- should ideally be compared to previous ally seasonally variable. data, this in order to gain better under-

Near the dam wall we encountered a breeding flock of African Spoonbill. Vaalkop is one of a few localities near These elegant birds are usually re- Johannesburg where one can encounter corded, but we were pleased to record the crepuscular Water Thick-knee. We 202 on the day, again the highest on re- managed to locate 3 individuals on the cord. day, and they were last recorded in our counts in the winter of 2008.

One of the noticeable birds ‘missing’ on the day was Caspian Tern. They were also not recorded this past summer.

While we thoroughly enjoyed our time out on the water and savored sights such as swimming otters; a sparrowhawk that almost succeeded in making a meal of a seedeater over the open water and ‘mantling’ Black Herons on the shore, we also had less privileged experiences. African Spoonbill colony - Lance Robinson These included finding a couple of dead herons that had somehow become en- tangled in the thorny acacias on at least Vaalkop dam is host to two fish-eating two of the breeding islands. Certainly the raptors, the iconic African Fish-Eagle and carcass of a hippo on the shoreline, and the Osprey. Osprey are generally consid- another very noticeably distressed hippo ered to be summer migrants to southern in the water nearby, was another of the Africa, but our records show that they are less enjoyable experiences. often encountered in the winter months too (winter 2011, winter 2010, winter 2006, winter 1999 and winter 1996). These could probably be first-year birds that have no compelling need to complete the exhausting roundtrip to the northern hemisphere for breeding pur- poses - especially when food resources, such as those at Vaalkop dam are plenti- ful.

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looking for food in the shape of small in- Amazing breeding sects which, at this time of the year, they would probably be feeding to their chicks behaviour of the somewhere. Scarlet-chested On the Saturday when my gardener Sunbird Simon arrived, I set him the task of saw- ing the large branch into small pieces so Text and Photos by L. John that it could be disposed of. After a short Bunning, Barberton Bird Club while Simon came to me bearing a nest – I looked at it and immediately said: At my cottage - ‘Dove Cottage’ Grace “sunbird”, although I had no clue as to Farm Cottage, Alma Plots, Badplaas which one. There were four chicks in the Road, Barberton - there is a row of Wash- nest, who all seemed to be alive and well. ington Palm Trees (Washingtonia robust), Together, with help from Simon, we man- from the front gate to the front door, part aged to tie it up to a cable, going from the of one can be seen on the left side of the house to the garage and passing close to photo. On the right top side of the photo, the tree. I stood back to admire our handi- in the background can be seen part of a work – but secretly thought to myself that large tree which overhangs the bedroom the position was far to exposed and obvi- and garage (off right side of photo.). ous out in the open like that, that no self respecting bird is going to use it! How wrong I was, within half an hour I saw the female arrive and enter the nest, pre- sumably to feed the chicks.

I continued to watch the nest during the day - until it was too dark to see any more - and the female was seen to come to attend to the chicks, about every twenty to thirty minutes. I made some interesting observations during the day of watching Dove Cottage, Barberton them. “Robert’s” tell us that the female builds the nest, she also does all the incu- On Tuesday 25th January 2011, I had one bation, but it says the male assists in the of the large branches cut down from the feeding. During the time I watched the large tree as it was interferring with my nest, I never saw the male go anywhere signal for the internet and radio tele- near the nest. phone, besides, it made awful noises when scraping on the roof during windy I did, however, make one observation dur- sessions. ing this time that I thought was interesting. At times the male would come and perch This large branch that had been cut down in a close-by acacia tree, take up a posi- lay on the ground,from that Tuesday until tion on a dead twig, right at the top of the the Saturday (29th January 2011). During tree, and make a great display. He would that time I often saw a pair of Scarlet- take short aerial flights up a few feet into chested Sunbirds hopping amongst the the air and then down again landing back fallen branches. I did not think anything on the same perch, all the time uttering was amiss, as this bird is regularly seen in his loud alarm call - almost as if drawing my garden, and I thought they were just attention to itself. It was during these times that the female flitted quietly into the

13 nest to attend to the chicks. I have no October 2011: James van Dyk, fellow idea if this is normal behaviour for this Barberton Bird Club committee member species, or if it was some unusual behav- who is also my neighbour, and I sit most iour that was being put on by this particu- afternoons in my front garden, enjoying a lar bird owing to the untold trauma they cup ‘o tea (or sometimes a beer!). We had been through. watch the birds around and in the garden. We noticed a pair of Scarlet- I continued to watch the nest the next chested Sunbirds frantically gathering day - but saw no adult bird near the nest nesting material. I cannot say for sure and could not hear the chicks ‘cheeping’. that it was the same pair I previously re- I presumed that they were either aban- corded nesting on my property, as they doned, dead or fledged. Then at 16h30 were not ringed, but it seemed highly the male proved me wrong on two likely that they were. James located the counts! He came and fed the chicks – nest, which was just above where he but, unlike the female, he did not enter would sit drinking his tea. They had de- the nest, but clung on the outside and cided this year to place the nest under a popped the food into the first mouth that frond of the first one of the row of Wash- appeared at the entrance. So he had ington Palm trees. This spot being about proved that the chicks were not dead, or 25m from the tree they had used earlier abandoned, nor had they left the nest. for nesting, the nest was ±4m from the Also it was the first time I saw him feed- ground. We watched the nest building ing them, shattering my speculation the going on until completion and we then day before that only the female fed the presumed that egg laying had taken chicks. place and now the female seemed to be incubating. About this time, a pair of Monday 31st January: I observed frantic Dark-capped Bulbuls (Black-eyed Bul- feeding by both parents during the early buls) built a nest in the next-but-one and late hours of the day. Not many vis- palm tree – locating it on top of a frond its were made during the heat of the day. right against the trunk of the tree.

Tuesday 1st February: I am now con- James and I counted the days of incuba- vinced the chicks have flown. I’ve not tion for the sunbirds (“Robert’s” state up seen either parent during the day and do to 15 days) and we considered it was not hear the urgent ‘cheeping’ of the time to keep a close watch, to see if we chicks coming from the nest. would be lucky enough to see the chicks leave the nest. At about this time we had Wednesday 2nd February: Close inspec- very hot and dry weather and the frond tion of the nest proved that the chicks just above the nest died and collapsed have indeed left the nest. over the entrance to the nest.

Summary: A pair of Scarlet-chested The next thing we witnessed, in utter Sunbirds located their nest after the amazement, was the female sunbird branch holding it had been cut down. feeding the bulbul chicks! She was very They continued to feed the chicks for 4 ½ determined to look after these chicks as days in that position. The birds continued if they were her own – to the extent that to feed and tend to the chicks after the we witnessed her chasing the rightful nest had been handled, removed from mother away so that she could feed the branch, and strung up in a very ex- them! Why would she be doing that? If posed position in the open - some dis- her own chicks had successfully fledged, tance from the original position - for a fur- she would be tending to them and feed- ther 3 days. ing them. Perhaps when the frond col-

14 lapsed over the entrance to the nest, she had choked to death by eating some of couldn’t find the way in to feed the the stringy fibres that she had lined the chicks? This certainly was a mystery. I nest with. am aware of this mistaken identity and of parent birds feeding chicks of another But of course you solve one problem and species – I had previously witnessed an it makes others! For instance did she adult Red-capped Robin-chat (Natal only lay one egg? The other nest had Robin) feeding a Kurrichane Thrush four chicks in it. Did some survive and fledgling – but that’s another story! But fledge? We also noted the male’s dis- surely this behaviour only happens when traction displays when she went to the the parent bird have no chicks of their nest to feed the chicks, as with the previ- own to feed? ous report above. So is this normal behaviour for this species? Are these birds We have watched the female sunbird normally double-brooded? etc. continuing to feed the bulbul chicks until they sucessfully fledged, now she seems Anyway, I am enthralled by this amazing to be collecting nesting material again bird and so interested to watch them and and building another nest; but as yet, we learn more about their nesting behaviour. have been unable to locate it. One of the joys of ‘birding’ I find is that you are never too old to learn something After all the nesting activity had finished new about them, and their behaviour, for the bulbuls, we got the sunbird’s nest and you never know everything! down and found only one, almost fully- feathered dead chick, which it appeared,

Male Scarlet-chested Sunbird - Female Scarlet-chested Sunbird - L. John Bunning L. John Bunning

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1. 16 night Kalahari – Witsand, Augrabies, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Mabuasuhebe March 2012.

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Phone: 033 3303027 Mobile: 082 9000107 E-mail: [email protected]

16 more fruitless attempts, we stopped play- Bird Ringing week- ing the call and the owl moved off. th end at Mutapa 23-25 We left Jim to man the nets and took a September 2011 drive around the farm looking for more ideal ringing spots. We made our way to

the dam and walked around, deciding this Text by Craig Nattrass would make a great spot for our nets. We Photos by Marcelle van Wyk headed back to Jim to see if he had any luck. To our surprise he had two bags to Nestled in the Waterberg is the luxurious show us. In the first was a juvenile resort Mutapa, a game farm that is dedi- Greater Honeyguide, a great catch. The cated the conservation and preservation second bag contained a Pearl-spotted of wildlife. The resort is accredited by Owlet, an even better catch. We couldn’t BirdLife South Africa and the owners are believe he had caught it. The birds were making a fantastic effort in creating a bird- safely ringed and released. We closed the ers’ paradise. The resort not only has an nets for the evening and headed back to abundance of birds, but also homes a camp. large stock of game including Blesbok, Waterbuck, Impala, Kudu and smaller We discussed the plans for the following buck like Duiker and Mountain Reedbuck. day over one of Daniel’s majestic potjies. Jim said he would head back to the

After we ar- closed nets at the frog pan while we rived and would set up nets in the fields surrounding u n p a c k e d the camp. After dessert we headed off to we quickly bed for the early start. plotted our plan for the next few days of ringing. We decided that the first place to ring was at the frog pan, Pearl-spotted Owlet about 1km northwest of Chinspot Batis the main camp. Dael and I set up nets in the trees around the bird hides. Jim also set up his nets in the same area. Al- Getting up at 04h15 in the African bush is though there were a number of birds quite an easy task. Tea was drunk and around, there was very little movement we headed off to set up the nets. The and nothing flying about. wind was blowing, which is unusual for the morning, but we persisted and set up After waiting an hour or so we decided to a row of four nets between two rows of play the call of the Pearl-spotted Owlet. bushes and two individual nets horizontal This initially gave no results. However af- to the four. To our luck the first two birds ter about 20 minutes we had an owl re- were caught within a short period of time. spond and fly into the trees around the The first was a Rattling Cisticola and the nets but not into the nets. After a few second, a re-trap, a Golden Breasted Bunting.

We decided later in the morning to move warm clothing for some night-time ring- the four nets as the blowing wind was ing. Our goal – Nightjars. making them too visible to the birds. We moved the nets to a group of trees right We headed off and found many buck next to one of the Mutapa Luxury Suites. eyes in our spotlights but no Nightjars. This proved quite fruitful, as we caught a After about one and a half hours we Chinspot Batis and several Blue Wax- came around another corner and to our bills. We also set up some flap traps and surprise found a Nightjar in the road. Us- caught just one Southern Yellow-billed ing the spotlights to stun the bird, Dael Hornbill. approached with a net to catch it. It was however not ready to be caught and Approaching late morning, we closed the wouldn’t allow us within 2 metres of it. nets and sat down for brunch. Mutapa We drove around for a further 20 minutes once again did not disappoint with deli- and back to the same area where we cious Oopsies (bacon and cherry sosa- found a second Nightjar. ties) and a scrumptious buffet of breakfast foods. This time the ranger and I moved through the bush to attempt an approach from behind. I stood back with a spotlight but the rustling of the bushes frightened the bird when we got too close and it too flew away. On our way back to the camp, I spotted in the bush the unmistakable glowing eyes of a third Nightjar. This time it was my turn. Armed with a net and a spotlight I stalked. Having learnt from experience, I pounced with 2 metres to spare.

Yellow-bellied Greenbul With either beginner’s luck or the bird dozing off, I managed to catch it. What an unforgettable moment! The bird, after After brunch we enjoyed some quality a few minutes of identification woes, we birding around the main camp. Later that concluded was the Fiery-necked Night- afternoon, we moved down to the main jar. I ringed it and put it back in the veld dam, about 1.7km west of the camp. Jim to continue its night time insect hunt. We had set up his nets here earlier and had headed back to camp as another early by now caught quite a number of Cape start was steadily approaching. White-eyes. We ringed the White-eyes while the latecomers came to the dam. These included Yellow-Bellied Greenbuls and Dark Capped Bulbuls. Just before sunset we closed the nets for the evening and headed for dinner. Being national braai day, a mouth-watering braai with home-grown (by Daniel, the general manager) vegetables was had by all. To top the dinner off we were served an excellent bread and butter pudding with homemade custard. After dinner we gathered our equipment and put on Brown-hooded Kingfisher

We left for the dam at 04h30 and got to caught, which included Neddicky and the the dam before the morning light started Cape White-eyes. We were then lucky to show. In the dark we opened our nets enough to catch Brown-hooded and and went back to the cars to set up our Malachite Kingfishers along with a ringing base. Gazebos went up, water Jameson’s Firefinch. We closed the was boiled and we waited for the early morning off with more Blue Waxbills and morning rush. There was no rush at first Greenbuls. We called it a weekend at 10 light, which gave us some time to enjoy a o’clock and headed to camp for brunch. hot cup of coffee. We said our goodbyes and vowed to return. We thank you Mutapa, for hosting us and for accommodating our early starts and late breakfasts. We had an excellent weekend ringing and birding. The ringers: Dael, Jim, Craig and Marcel.

Jameson’s Firefinch

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill

Pearl-spotted Owlet

Later in the morning the birds seemed to Looks like even Malachite Kingfishers have wake up and a few interesting birds were bad hair days

there. Birds and Buddhism We always go in the northern spring By Clive Hopcroft when, as in all countries, the birds are in full song as they claim a territory and a For the last five years I have been ac- mate. Waking up in the morning to a companying small groups of people who dawn chorus of five cuckoo species; the are interested in, not only seeing more Asian Koel; the Blue-throated and Lin- exotic birds in more exotic places, but eated Barbets, calling as the sun rises also to see the people and the cultures of over the Himalayas, is a never-to-be- an exotic land. Nepal, although being a forgotten experience. In the Chitwan Re- poor country, has some of the most won- serve on the Indian border it is the Red derful, friendly people that I have come Jungle Fowl - the familiar chicken - that across. wakes us in the morning; the Peacock calls in the evening. The Kathmandu Valley consists of wooded hills at the foothills of the Hima- The elephant safaris into the reserve are layas, where views of the snow-capped a great experience, where we always mountains can be seen from the private find the rhino, wild boar and five deer balconies of the hotel. The climate here species. The tiger and leopard have, up is similar to Johannesburg, with spring ‘til now, eluded us, but they are there, temperatures of around 20 degrees, and with spoor often found in the sand not far little rain. Many people think of Nepal as from the camp. The birding here is good, being a snow-capped Himalayan coun- over 400 species having been recorded, try, but that describes the region to the with Hooded and Indian Pitta calling and north, in Tibet. To the south, on the In- displaying around the chalets. Although dian border, the climate becomes sub- the trips are not concentrated on heavy tropical, with Sal Forest being predomi- birding - we do slam on the brakes of the nant. Here are the tigers and rhinos that Land Cruiser if we see something new – we search for on each trip. The birds are we do see around 150 species and we incredible and we can immediately rec- identify them ourselves, so the record is ognise many of the families, with many all that more fulfilling. We think that al- bulbul, barbet, sunbird, cuckoo, wood- ways relying on local guides for finding pecker and starling species. But it is see- and identifying the birds here is not on, ing new families that make it even more and we leave that to those who only seek challenging and great fun. a big list of bird names. Once we leave Kathmandu we are on the move through- We do not concentrate only on birds, but out the country, with one or two day we do plan an itinerary that includes stops at various venues. good birding possibilities. We also visit the Buddhist shrines and temples while The organiser of the tours, Jill Persson, we are in Kathmandu and dine in quaint has been privately organising trips to Ne- restaurants on local fare, while staying in pal and Tibet a few times a year for 19 the Thamel district – the launching venue years, keeps the price of the trips as low for those heading out on the many Hima- as possible to accommodate South Afri- layan trails. Thamel is where the action can pockets - and for 14 days it is is, with shops that sell everything from cheaper than 10 days in Kenya. In March pashmina shawls, hiking gear, to books next year we are going again and are of the world - the latter being half the about to organise a different itinerary. So price of those in South Africa. The group if anyone would like to join us – no more buys the local field-guide when we get than 10 people – please contact Jill on

20 [email protected] and she will wonderfully different”. Why not get a keep you informed on developments. group together. If you do, special rates apply. I am often asked why I keep going to the same country, and my answer is always “Namaste” the same “I just can’t keep away, it’s so

Friends of Nylsvley and Nyl floodplain Limpopo Tourism and Parks Board

Woodland Bird Census 27- 29 January 2012

Nylsvley Nature Reserve

Knowledgeable and keen birders are invited to help us count Nylsvley’s Woodland Bush Birds

Unique prizes for 24 hour species count

Meet Friday from 16h00 for registration, supper, route confirmation, census training and bird ID review. Saturday 06h00 census followed by brunch.

There will be a charge towards the cost of meals.

Saturday evening speaker: Dr Warwick Tarboton

We invite attendees to stay over in case of bad weather when the census is done on the Sun- day instead.

Booking essential: Marion: Tel/fax: 012 667 2183.

[email protected]

21 We were accommodated in a luxury Afri- Lucky Winners! can style suite comprising an 'open air bedroom’, with panoramic bush views, By Beryl Leamen en-suite bathroom, private garden and deck with an outside bath and shower. My husband and I were the lucky winners of the competition held at the Sasol Perhaps though, the highlight of our stay Birds and Birding Fair, at Johannesburg was the incredible variety of bushveld Zoo in May. We were very fortunate to birds viewed from either the patio, or on be given a weekend stay at Mutapa the numerous walks we enjoyed - along Lodge, nestled amongst the sprawling game paths and on the hiking trails. vistas of the Limpopo landscape. We can highly recommend a visit to Mu- Our host, Daniel Tharratt and his crew tapa Lodge, less than 3 hours drive from were so welcoming and went out of their Johannesburg along the N1 towards way to make our stay very special. The Polokwane. excellent Afro-fusion cuisine served in the Queen Sheba Restaurant, the game Daniel would welcome birding groups on drives to view the many species of ante- a dinner, bed and breakfast basis at spe- lope roaming abundantly, and the sheer cially discounted rates and can be con- peace and tranquility of the bushveld, tacted on Tel. No. 081 316 3281 or made for a very enjoyable stay. www.mutapa.co.za

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATION John Freer Ginny Mes Pat van Nierop Janice Isom Murrie Slotar Peter Wilgenbus Sharon Kersten

A male will do anything for a beautiful female!......

Sondela Nature Reserve

Text and Photos by Anthony Cavanagh

Impala Ram

babbler, and Grey-backed Camaroptera. An Impala ram posed majestically while I took a photo and Namaqua Doves and a Common Scimitarbill also caught our attention. Our walk lasted about two hours and eventually brought us back to our very comfortable and well-appointed cha- Anthony and Sue Cavanagh let. As we sat outside sipping our bever- ages nyala wandered into the braai area where we sat. These very docile ante- The red soil of the bush trail was baked lope wander around all the chalets, the hard from the sun allowing for an easy grey coloured male very distinctive with a walk on the clearly marked pathway. Wil- shaggy mane and fine set of horns while debeest some thirty metres away, the smaller female is a yellow brown col- watched us cautiously as we made our our and has no horns. approach but soon continued grazing as they realised we were no threat. Earlier On drives around Sondela nature re- on the walking trail we had seen giraffe, serve we spotted Neddicky, Black- kudu, zebra and red hartebeest. There chested Prinia, Groundscraper and Kur- were numerous freshly dug burrows ei- richane Thrush, Magpie and Crimson- ther side of the path and we checked for breasted Shrikes and Southern Boubou, the telltale sign of flies at the burrow en- Green-winged Pytilia and African Fire- trance, a good indicator of an animal cur- finch. On walks around the chalets in the rently occupying the burrow. Sue and I bushveld thickets we saw Ashy Tit, Black mused on the cost of such a walk -faced, Blue and Violet-eared Waxbills, through the bush in the Kruger Park whilst here we were enjoying a similar but free bush walk, and only an hour and a half up the N1 at Sondela in the Warm- baths area.

We continued our walk and noted South- ern Black and Marico Flycatchers, Black- backed Puffback, White-bellied and Marico Sunbirds, Brown-crowned Tcha- gra, Southern Yellow-billed and African Grey Hornbills, White-browed and Kala- hari Scrub-robins, Chestnut-vented Tit- Arrow-marked Babbler

Black-throated Canary, Golden-breasted The next evening we drove down to the Bunting, and Golden-tailed and Cardinal hide close to the main gate and stayed Woodpeckers. Arrow-marked and South- until it was almost dark. In the hour of ern Pied Babblers often hopped around observation some of the birds we spotted the braai area. included Red-billed Teal, African Darter, Three-banded Plover, Common Sandpi- per, Black Crake, Burchell’s Coucal, Afri- can Palm Swift, Red-crested Korhaan, an immature African Fish-eagle, and two Gabar Goshawks.

Sondela caters well for families, for campers and for the nature lover. There are no predatory cats and one is free to enjoy the many bush walks around the reserve. One is also allowed to drive around until 10pm enabling sightings of Making friends with the locals nocturnal birds and animals. Over 300 bird species have been identified in Son- On the road adjacent to the camping dela and the reserve is a great place for ground we noticed a flock of very agi- a weekend getaway. tated Dark-capped Bulbuls in a tree. We stopped the car and got out to investi- gate and spied an African Scops-owl being mobbed by the Dark-capped Bulbuls. Eventually the African Scops-owl tired of being the centre of attention and flew across the road where it settled in a tree and tried to be inconspicuous.

While sitting outside enjoying our sun- downers and just at it was getting dark we observed two bush babies approaching rapidly through the trees. They dropped onto the thatched roof of our White-browed Scrub-robin chalet and proceeded in a strange hopping motion to make their way across the roof and into the trees on the other side.

Southern Boubou

hatching process in order to safe guard Cape Vulture and guarantee its survival during this stressful period. Captive Breeding Programme At 15:00 on 1 September, the chick was taken to its natural parents and swapped with the dummy egg, using a specially Press Release by Kerri Wolter made plastic egg shell, from which the

Manager: Vulture Programme (VulPro) parents could easily ‘hatch’ the chick. Rhino & Lion Wildlife Conservation The parents immediately heard the chick NPO inside the artificial egg shell and assisted it to hatch again after which they care- fully and proudly inspected their offspring and started brooding. Our breeding and swapping attempt proved to be successful and fourteen days later, the chick has doubled in size and the parents are quite comfortable allowing us to watch their feeding regime.

This technique allows us to produce parent reared ‘wild’ chicks that are suitable for release into their natural environment, as opposed to hand raised chicks which can be human imprinted, while eliminat- ing many of the dangers of natural incu- bation and hatching. Cape Vultures are The Vulture Programme in collaboration colonial birds, but will mate for life, care- with the Johannesburg Zoo is proud to fully choosing their ‘soul-mate’ from a announce the hatching of their first cap- large group. In captivity, they may not tive bred Cape Vulture chick which meet a suitable mate, thus for successful hatched on 1 September 2011. This breeding, several birds need to be chick is unique in that the method used housed together to allow them to make to successfully breed this chick is the first their own partner selection. for the species in South Africa, as well as the first chick destined for Namibia as part of our Namibian Cape Vulture Re- covery Plan.

The egg was laid on 11 July 2011 on an artificial breeding cliff inside an enclosure at the Vulture Programme’s Vulture Cen- tre near Hartbeespoort Dam. The egg was then transferred to an incubator where it was artificially incubated for 54 days. During this time, the parents were given a dummy egg to continue incubat- The Namibian Recovery Plan is focused ing. On 30 August the chick was heard on preventing the extinction of the spe- inside the egg’s air-space and the next cies in Namibia where they are now ex- day the chick was assisted throughout its tinct as a breeding species. The inten-

25 tion of the plan is to undertake ex-situ Power line electrocutions and collisions breeding of Cape Vultures with the goal together with inadvertent poisoning re- to reintroduce these vultures back into main two of the greatest threats that vul- existing home ranges in Namibia with the tures as well as other birds of prey are purpose of stabilising the remaining wild facing in southern Africa. Disturbance at population. The ultimate goal is to in- nesting and roosting sites contributes to crease the individual number of Cape a loss of suitable nesting/roosting habitat Vultures to the point of natural breeding for vultures. Human population expan- once again on Namibia’s Waterberg Pla- sion continues to claim large areas of wil- teau. derness, which will eventually be lost to vulture populations. Development in wil- The Cape Vulture is southern Africa’s derness areas for eco-resorts is a cause only endemic vulture species and is of great concern as these areas are often listed as critically endangered in Namibia branded as ‘eco-friendly’ however, im- with approximately 12 wild Cape Vultures pacts are often as serious as many agri- left in the country. cultural developments. Climate change could possibly have an impact on the birds breeding behaviour, a threat that requires further focused research to un- derstand its potential impact on the species. In Namibia, mismanagement of some farmlands has led to severe bush encroachment over large areas, and recent research has indicated that this also has an adverse effect on the vultures’ ability to find food.

For more information and to support this conservation project, contact: South Africa has the largest population of Kerri Wolter breeding Cape Vultures, however still Vulture Programme listed as vulnerable by the IUCN (2000) CEO with an estimated 2400 breeding pairs in [email protected] the wild (Vulture Programme unpub- Mobile: +27-82-808-5113 lished data 2011). In view of the few remaining Cape Vultures left in Namibia, unless the mitigation of identified threats is undertaken, in addition to a captive breeding and reintroduction programme, the species will be lost to Namibia and only a few vagrant Cape Vultures from South Africa will be seen visiting some of the natural and historical foraging sites.

Vulture species across the globe are facing similar threats with the Cape Vulture being no exception, resulting in a con- tinuous downward spiral throughout much of their range. Human activities have had the largest impact on vultures throughout the world.

first experience of both animals and birds Diary from the that do not fear man: they don’t move Galápagos Islands away from you as you approach.

Text and Photos by Peter and Carol Alexander

Sept 20, Tuesday

We flew from Ecuador’s capital, Guayaquil, to the island of Baltra. We then transferred on zodiacs to our home for the next week, the lovely cruise boat Isabela II. She only has 20 cabins, sleep- ing 40. She is a converted tug boat, full of old world comfort. After lunch on board, we transferred to the zodiacs to Blue-footed Booby visit the island of North Seymour. Sept 21, Wednesday North Seymour : located just north of the Baltra Airport (South Seymour), Today we visited Hood Island to snorkel, it is one of the few islands created by or watch sea life from a glass bottomed geological uplift, rather than a central boat. After lunch we visited Punta Suarez volcano. A relatively small island, Island to find Galapagos Hawk and Gala- North Seymour has a dense popula- pagos Doves. tion of wildlife, both on the island and in the waters surrounding it. It is a fa- Española (Hood) Island: It also is vourite site for day tours and island known as Hood Island after Viscount based diving. Samuel Hood. Española is the oldest island at around 3.5 million years and the southernmost in the group. Due to its remote location, Española has a large number of endemic species. It has its own species of lava lizard, mockingbird, and tortoise. Española's marine iguanas exhibit a distinctive red coloration change during the breeding season. Española is the only place where the Waved Alba- tross nests. Some of these birds have attempted to breed on Geno- vesa (Tower) Island, but unsuccess- fully so. Española's steep cliffs serve Swallow-tailed Gull as the perfect runway for these birds, which take off for their ocean feeding Here we saw colonies of Blue-footed grounds, near the mainland of Ecua- Booby, Magnificent Frigatebirds, Red- dor and Peru. eyed Gulls and sea lions (very similar to our Cape Fur seals, but have less web- Sept 22, Thursday bing of their flippers and have small Today we visited Floreana Island, look- ears), and marine iguanas. This was our

27 ing for flamingos (not found) some Gemelos. On to the home of the giant ducks, sandpipers and mocking birds. tortoises: a visit to the Darwin Centre, where the giant tortoises are being bred Floreana (Charles or Santa Maria): to save extinction. This was the home of one of the oldest and southernmost one tortoise called ‘Old George’, said to islands, Floreana has a long history be 100 years old. A stroll through the of human habitation and is home to shopping area, including a fish open air one of the three endemic mocking- store, where the Brown Pelicans were birds, known as Darwin's mocking- lining up for scraps birds. Sept 24, Saturday

Today we visited Tower Island.

Genovesa (Tower) Island: the name is derived from Genoa, Italy. This island is formed by the remaining edge of a large caldera that is submerged. Its nickname of “the bird island” is clearly justified. At Darwin Bay frigatebirds and Swallow-tailed Gulls (the only nocturnal species of gull in the world) can be seen. Red-footed Darwin’s Mockingbirds Booby, Noddy (terns), Lava Gulls, Tropicbirds, doves, storm petrels and In the afternoon we visited the ‘post of- Darwin’s finches are also in sight. fice’ site. Here we deposited self ad- Prince Philip's Steps is a bird- dressed postcards. Passengers were watching plateau for Nazca and Red- given postcards, left previously, to deliver footed Booby. There is a large palo personally to addresses convenient to santo forest. themselves. The system, we were told, actually works, with a high percentage of In the afternoon we had a careful dock- deliveries. ing at the foot of the Prince Philip’s steps. This was quite a steep climb to the Sept 23, Friday flat level above. Here we were looking for Today we visited Santa Cruz Island the Short-eared Owl, which we were

Santa Cruz (Indefatigable): located in the centre of the Galápagos, Santa Cruz is the most populated island, and has the most developed infrastructure, with hotels and other ser- vices. Headquarters of the Galápa- gos National Park and the Darwin Foundation are located in Santa Cruz, as is the Charles Darwin Re- search Station, and its resident ‘lonesome George’.

Here we did a bus trip to see the Scale- Galápagos Giant Tortoise sia Forest and the twin-pit craters: Los

28 lucky enough to find. metres (23,000 ft) and lava flows de- scended the slopes of the volcano, on the way to the sea. Punta Espinosa is a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of marine iguanas gather, largely on black lava rocks. The famous flightless cormorants in- habit this island, as do Galapagos Penguins & pelicans

Sept 26, Monday

This morning we went to James Island to walk on tuff-stone layers and lava flows. Large Cactus Finch Santiago (San Salvador, James) Sept 25, Sunday Island (Galápagos): its name is Our morning adventure was to Isabela equivalent to Saint James in English; Island it is also known as San Salvador, after the first island discovered by Co- Isabela (Albemarle): shaped like a lumbus in the Caribbean Sea. Marine seahorse, Isabela is the largest is- iguanas, sea lions, fur seals, land land of the chain. Located to the far and sea turtles, flamingos, dolphins west of the archipelago, Isabela was and sharks are found here. Pigs and formed by the merging of 6 volca- goats, which were introduced by hu- noes, 5 of which are still active. Isa- mans to the islands and have caused bela is the only Galápagos Island to great harm to the endemic species, straddle the equator. Noted for its un- have been eradicated (pigs by 2002; touched and rugged beauty, Isabela goats by the end of 2006). Darwin’s is home the third-largest human set- finches and Galapagos Hawks are tlement of the archipelago, Puerto usually seen, as well as a colony of Villamil, on the south eastern edge of fur seals. At Sulivan Bay, a recent the island. (around 100 years ago) pahoehoe lava flow can be observed. Here we were to see Southern right whales and dolphins having fun in the Here we observed marine iguanas feed- small waves (sometimes our zodiacs ing off algae on the rocks that had been couldn’t keep up with the dolphins).

Our afternoon outing was to Ferdinan- dina Island

Fernandina (Narborough) Island: the name was given in honour of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. This is the youngest and western- most island. On 13 May 2005, a new, very eruptive process began on this island, when an ash and water va- pour cloud rose to a height of 7 kilo- Land Iguana

29 exposed by a drop in the tidal level. The story of Charles Darwin

The voyage of the Beagle brought the survey ship HMS Beagle, under captain Robert FitzRoy, to the Galápagos on 15 September 1835 to survey approaches to harbours. The captain and others on board, including his companion, the young naturalist Charles Darwin, made observations on the geology and biology on Chatham, Charles, Albemarle and James islands before they left on 20 Oc- tober to continue on their round-the- world expedition. Primarily a geologist at Flightless Cormorant the time, Darwin was impressed by the quantity of volcanic craters they saw, This afternoon we went to Bartolomé Is- later referring to the archipelago as "that land: land of craters." His study of several volcanic formations over the 5 weeks he Bartolomé (Bartholomew) Island: stayed in the islands, led to several im- Bartolomé Island is a volcanic islet, portant geological discoveries, including just off the east coast of Santiago Is- the first, correct explanation for how vol- land, in the Galápagos Islands group. canic tuff is formed. Darwin noticed the It is one of the "younger" islands in mockingbirds differed between islands, the Galápagos archipelago. This is- though he thought the birds, now known land, and neighbouring Sulivan Bay as Darwin's finches, were unrelated to on Santiago (James) island, is each other, and did not bother labeling named after life-long friend of them by island. The Englishman Nicolas Charles Darwin, Sir Bartholomew Lawson, acting Governor of Galápagos James Sulivan, who was a Lieuten- for the Republic of the Equator, met them ant aboard HMS Beagle. Today Suli- on Charles Island, and as they walked to van Bay is often misspelled Sullivan the prison colony, told Darwin the tor- Bay. This island is one of the few that toises differed from island to island. To- is home to the Galapagos Penguin wards the end of the voyage, Darwin which is the only wild penguin spe- speculated that the distribution of the cies to live on the equator. mockingbirds and the tortoises might "undermine the stability of Species”. Here we had one of our longest and When specimens of birds were analysed steepest climbs up 360 wooden steps. on his return to England, it was found The view from the top was certainly re- that many apparently different kinds of warding. birds were species of finches, which were unique to islands. These facts were That evening we had an excellent Cap- crucial in Darwin's development of his tain’s farewell cocktail party, as on Tues- theory of natural selection explaining day 27 Sept we left the Islands to fly evolution, which was presented in The back to Guayaquil for our last day, and Origin of Species. then onward bound for Buenos Aires, on our way home Facts sourced from Wikipedia and other internet sources

30 the Dubai Desert Conservancy Reserve, Three Days in Dubai specifically to observe the local flora and fauna. Our guide, Omar, pointed out the Text and Photos by Anthony sparse dune and bristle grasses, and the Cavanagh fire bush whose dried seeds are used as camel fodder, and whose dead branches are used as tinder for starting fires. We spied a Hoopoe Lark trotting over the sand and a Great Grey Shrike in a meswak bush. Ring-necked Doves occasion- ally flew across in front of the vehicle. At an oasis, where we stopped for a light snack in the shade of ghaf and cedar trees, we spotted the Arabian Babbler and Purple Sunbird. Perched in a ghaf tree, what we initially thought was a flycatcher, we confirmed as the Isabelline Wheatear. Also in the ghaf trees we had As the sun sank rapidly below the dunes, a clear sighting of a Tawny Eagle that the fading light accentuated the ripples in posed sportingly before flying off silently. the sand creating an impression of an ocean spreading before us, as far as the The Dubai Desert Conservancy Reserve eye could see. The temperature re- is the home of re-introduced local mam- mained over 30 degrees C, but a wel- mals such as the Arabian gazelle come breeze made conditions quite (looking very much like a small Spring- pleasant and whipped up the loose sand bok) and the Arabian Oryx, a smaller and on some of the dunes. We were in the so lighter coloured cousin of our more famil- -called ‘Empty Quarter’ of the Arabian iar Gemsbok. These two animals are Desert that stretches across the borders thriving in the reserve and we saw many of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen and the of both species. Acacia trees (umbrella United Arab Emirates; where we now thorn) are being successfully planted on stood in the Emirate of Dubai. Having the gravel plains in the reserve and irri- taken photos of the setting sun over the gated by water pumped to the surface desert landscape, we walked across the and contained in small dams. On one hot sand back to where the tour guides such dam we saw a number of Little had parked the 4 x 4 vehicles. In the Grebes with Barn Swallows flying over- comfort of our air-conditioned vehicle, we head and, in the surrounding scrub, Grey continued with the very fun activity of Francolin scurried about. dune-bashing, which saw our driver rac- ing up the steep incline of a dune, slow- ing slightly at the top, then descending down the opposite slope, pitching and yawing the vehicle at incredible angles. This then led us to the desert camp, where we were treated to an evening of Arabian cuisine, whilst watching a belly dancer gyrate to the rhythms of the mu- sic of the region.

Earlier that day Sue and I had taken an- Arabian Gazelle other tour with Arabian Adventures into

ideal way to see the city. Also included in the price of the ticket is a one hour dhow cruise up the Dubai creek which is navi- gable for some seven or eight km from the sea.

The Ras Al Khor bird hide is located at the opposite end of the creek in the conservation area. The well maintained hide offers splendid views of Greater Fla- mingo, Eurasian Curlew and Grey Heron. Smaller waders included Common Sand- Kentish Plover piper, Common Greenshank, Black- winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Grey Plover, Dubai has developed exponentially over Curlew Sandpiper and Ringed Plover. the past ten years, and boasts the We also observed an Osprey, and a flock world’s tallest building, and has the of White Eared Bulbuls that were enjoy- world’s biggest airport under construc- ing the fruit of the meswak bush. The tion. The marina rivals any marina in the very helpful official guide, stationed at Mediterranean or Caribbean, and Palm the hide, allows visitors to peruse the Island, the completely man-made island birdlife through his tripod mounted spot- development, is a marvel of construction. ting scope. This level of service at a bird The metro railway is the world’s longest, hide was a first for us and is typical of driverless and fully automated city rail- Dubai’s attempts to promote all forms of way, and is extremely efficient and spot- tourism. lessly clean. Our very good friends, Mike and Ann, who are working in Dubai, drove us to the Mall of the Emirates which boasts a ski-slope. The skiers were experiencing European winter conditions, and were dressed in full ski out- fits, whilst on the other side of the glass panels, we were dressed in shorts and T- shirts. At Dubai Mall shoppers can observe sharks, and many other fish species, swimming in a two-story aquarium. Dubai has a hop-on, hop-off bus route Arabian Oryx specifically for tourists, and this is an Sue and I had attended a wedding in England and instead of flying direct to London we decided to fly via Emirates Airlines and spend a few days in Dubai on our way back to Johannesburg. The architecture, the hotels, the marina and the tourist infrastructure in Dubai are su- perb. The waters of the Persian Gulf are very warm and are great for water sports. The conservation areas are well worth a visit and are surprisingly rewarding for the eco-tourist. Dubai is a great experi- White-eared Bulbul ence.

several graceful giraffe, loping sedately Mpumalanga - Like a over the road, with Red-billed Oxpeckers hanging on their necks like broaches. So portal to another di- by my early morning start on the patio, I mension was rewarded by many visitors - at different times of course - such as: Natal

Spurfowl, Helmeted Guineafowl, glossy By Louise Barlow starlings - acting up as usual - and a startling Violet-backed Starling, glistening I counted no less than fourteen green in the sun. Beautiful. A mommy bush misty mountains, folding into each other pig, with two young ones and a tame old in a single frame, over the Long Tom grandma with a broken tusk, as well as Pass. Leaving behind the drama and antelope nibbling at the scraps we put corruption, debt crises, wars and ru- out. On nearby shrubs: a Kurrichane mours of wars, we too felt enfolded in the Thrush; Fiscal Flycatcher; Blue Waxbill; grace of nature in its purest form, giving Dark-capped Bulbuls; White-crested Hel- one the feeling that in some places met-Shrike; a pretty Red-headed things are still right with the world - giving Weaver; Burchell’s Coucal and three rest to our ruptured souls. Forked-tailed Drongos, the latter making a terrible racket. A freshly budding tree We visited the very many waterfalls with many busy weavers and canaries, in around that area (Trout Stream, Lisbon, various shades of colouration making Berlin, Lone Creek and Mac Mac), feel- them difficult to identify, but a Southern ing the refreshing spray on our faces and Yellow-billed Hornbill graced us with it watching many swallows swoop and presence, allowing us to focus our bin- dive, while a pair of Speckled Pigeons oculars. huddled together across the chasm in safety and an African Stonechat hopped Along the Crocodile River, in the cool around at the Mac Mac pools. At God’s evening: a Yellow-billed Egret and a Lit- Windows there was a misty view that tle Egret, a herd of elephant, impala and day, but I relished the small rainforest Blou Wildebeest. A lone White-fronted just before the cliff edge, priceless in it- Bee-eater (with a red chin) resting on a self. Because of the tourists the birds dry branch, goodness knows where its kept their cover in the shrubs. The Pot- mates were, a silent African Fish-Eagle holes were amazing and we were kept flying over the river. The usual Glossy company by a fearless Mocking Cliff- Ibis, making their presence felt by famil- chat, darting in front of us across the iar noises. At the Watergat swimming path - from left to right, now on a branch, pool next to a wooded area, while simply then on a rock, then on the path - play- rolling in-and-out of the pool to slay off ing “catch me if you can”, as well as an the heat, I was reward by the sighting of African Pied Wagtail wagging around. I an amazing Emerald-spotted Wood- also studied a bird, which I think was a Dove, with the shiny squares between its Gorgeous Bush-Shrike juvenile, at ashy feathers, and an African Paradise- length. Flycatcher flying overhead, back and forth to its nest, also many Laughing We were fortunate enough to get an offer Doves. to go to Marloth Park, next to the Kruger, along the Crocodile River. Here the Last, but not least, a Bearded Scrub- country was bone dry, but the trees Robin (I kid thee not). I know it’s not to found enough moisture to send out crisp be found in that area, but this angry green leaves. Upon entering we saw faced fella, with a sort of handlebar Colo-

33 nel-type moustache, stared at me! Quite I comment and I had a consort to discuss unique. On the way back a whole host of the options with. Oh, I had at least five Cattle Egret feeding in fallow ground. lifers - not too difficult as I’m still a nov- Trust me, that was not all, but my resolve ice. Trip was fabulous and I slept all the is always to have a good sighting before way back.

During the late nineties close on 300 The Mottled birds roosted in this tree but sadly this number has plummeted to less than 25 Spinetail in South birds. Africa Mottled Spinetails are threatened by in-

dustrial pesticides, habitat change and Text and Photos by Lisa Martus disturbance at nesting and roosting sites.

Spinetails are predominantly dark swift- like birds with characteristic sickle- shaped wings and square tails. The interesting tail feathers with their extended, sharp, bare shafts account for the name.

Mottled Spinetails are one of South Af- rica’s rarest resident birds with less than five known breeding sites in the country. The entire population in South Africa is restricted to the far north-eastern corner of the Limpopo Province in the Sagole, Masisi & Makuya regions of Vendaland and within the Levubu River valley in the Kruger National Park. This species is strongly associated with Baobab trees in which they roost and breed provided Sagole Cave there are large cavities within the trees. There is however a single record of Mot- tled Spinetails nesting in the roof sand- stone over-hang near Sagole. The famous Sagole Baobab supports the largest colony of this species in South Africa.

Bird Guides at the Sagole Cave

Broken Spinetail Nest

swillie : a record at Damhoek NR in Rarities and Unusual the Magaliesberg in pentad 2545_2735 is a new record for the area and further Sightings Report: evidence of the spread of this species July 2011 into parts of Gauteng, 05 Jun 2011 (LRo).

Sickle-winged Chat. Vlaktespek- By André Marx vreter : one bird was found on the Rietkuil Road near Nigel in the same Please continue to send any records, vicinity to where this species was seen and if you are unsure about its 'rarity last winter, 10 Jul 2011 (RM). status' just ask and I will send you the list Red-faced Cisticola. Rooiwangtink- of regional rarities for the greater Gau- tinkie : this species was found in two teng region. different pentads in the Siyabuswa area (2500_2905 and 2505_2900), Regional Rarities / Streeksrariteite north-east of Pretoria, and are very interesting records considering that this is generally a species associated with the Lowveld, 03 Jul 2011 (ER,ST). Ashy Flycatcher. Blougrysvlieëvanger : this species was found in an area of riverine forest

Collared Pratincole / Rooivlerk- sprinkaanvoël Kgomo-Kgomo - Gareth Hazell

Collared Pratincole. Rooivlerk- sprinkaanvoël : a solitary bird seen amongst many Black-winged Pratin- Immature Verreaux's Eagle / Witkruisarend coles was still present in late March Lonehill Koppie – Doug Black and early April at the Kgomo-Kgomo near Amanzimtaba, north-east of wetland north of Pretoria, when it was Bronkhorstspruit in pentad 2535_2900 reported by a number of people, 04 and is a good record for Gauteng, 25 Apr 2011 – see photo (Gbird). Jun 2011 (LvD). Burchell's Sandgrouse. Gevlekte Sandpatrys : several birds in associa- Other Interesting Observations / An- tion with Double-banded Sandgrouse der Interessante Waarnemings were observed just west of Kgomo- Kgomo in North West Province, a lo- White Stork. Witooievaar : about 40 cality within the 100km range of the birds were feeding on burnt ground at greater Pretoria-Joburg area, 22 May Marievale, and this constitutes a large 2011 (RGd). over-wintering group, 02 Jul 2011 Yellow-bellied Greenbul. Geelbor- (DN).

African Cuckoo Hawk. Koekoek- pentad 2630_2810, 26 Apr 2011 valk : a sighting of one bird near Foch- (RvdB). ville in pentad 2635_2730 in south- Osprey. Visvalk : an over-wintering western Gauteng is unusual, 07 May bird was at Abe Bailey NR near Carle- 2011 (CWJ). tonville, 24 Jun 2011 (J&MR). Verreaux's Eagle. Witkruisarend : a Peregrine Falcon. Swerfvalk : one very interesting record is of an imma- bird was at the Premier Mine quarry ture bird at the Lonehill koppie in Jo- near Cullinan in pentad 2540_2830, hannesburg where it stayed for a few 02 Apr 2011 (LvD); a bird was seen at days during which time it fed on a das- the cliffs at Trichardtspoort, north-east sie, 04 Apr 2011 (DB) – see photo; of Bronkhorstspruit, 09 Apr 2011 with another record of an immature (LvD). bird (the same one?) at nearby Norscot Natal Spurfowl. Natalse Fisant : this Koppies, 12 Jun 2011 (AF,HR). species was heard and seen at Mod- Long-crested Eagle. Langkuifar- derfontein, an unusual sighting for Jo- end : one bird was in the Suikerbos- hannesburg, 07 May 2011 (LRo). rand area in 2635_2810, 03 Jul 2011 African Finfoot. Watertrapper : this (CG). species was observed in the Skeer- Jackal Buzzard. Rooiborsjakkals- poort area near Hartbeespoort Dam in voël : a record in the Wolwekraal area pentad 2545_2740, 22 Apr 2011 (JJ); near Brits is unusual for this species, one bird was found on a quiet stretch 14 Jun 2011 (JJ). of the Hennops River near Erasmia, Pretoria, in pentad 2545_2800, 29 May 2011 (PT,RF). African Green-Pigeon. Pa- pegaaiduif : one bird in a Fochville garden, south-west of Joburg, was a surprise and a first record there in 25 years, 24 May 2011 (J&MR). African Scops-Owl. Skopsuil : during a walk at the Pretoria Botanical Gardens this species was first found roosting during the day and was seen in subsequent visits in the weeks that Black Sparrowhawk / Swartsperwer Kuilfon- followed, 07 Jul 2011 (MvL). tein Farm - Rob Scott Lilac-breasted Roller. Gewone Troupant : a record of this species in Black Sparrowhawk. Swartsper- Glen Austen, Midrand, is somewhat wer : two birds were photographed at out of range, 19 May 2011 (TMe). Kuilfontein Farm near Nigel (pentad Red-billed Hornbill. 2630_2830), 09 May 2011 (MT); one Rooibekneushoringvoël : a record of bird was photographed in a Lynnwood one bird in the Kyalami area is consid- Glen, Pretoria, garden after it had erably south of where this species is caught and devoured a pigeon, 23 Jul normally found, 19 Jun 2011 (RG). 2011 (R&LS, via IvH) – see photo; one Southern Pied Babbler. Witkatlag- bird was in pentad 2625_2735 near ter : two birds were present at Buffels- Fochville, 31 Jul 2011 (CWJ); a pair drift, north-east of Pretoria, for a pe- bred once again in Rust de Winter riod of a few weeks from July 2011, a town north of Pretoria, 15 Jul 2011 locality where they do not normally oc- (RGd). cur, 1 July 2011 (RGd). Black Harrier. Witkruisvleivalk : one Pink-billed Lark. Pienkbeklewerik : bird was observed at Suikerbosrand in several birds were seen in pentads 36

south of Devon, 01 Jul 2011 (RLm). Ingrid van Heerden (IvH) Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler. Bos- Jannie Jansen (JJ) veldtjeriktik : a record of this species John & Moira Randall (J&MR) at Northern Farm north-west of Johan- Lance Robinson (LRo) nesburg is considered to be a good Lia Steen (LS) record for the area, 12 Jun 2011 Lisl van Deventer (LvD) (AM,BLNG). Madeleen van Loggerenberg (MvL) Yellow Canary. Geelkanarie : a re- Mark Tittley (MT) cord of this species at Bishop Bird Park, Centurion, is somewhat out of This column is mainly concerned with range, 22 May 2011 (EM). observations of rarities and interesting sightings made within a 100km radius of Observers / Waarnemers: Gauteng, however observations made further afield are also welcome. While André Marx (AM) the majority of reports are included it is Andy Featherstone (AF) sometimes necessary to exclude some BirdLife Northern Gauteng members depending on whether the subject matter (BLNG) has already been well reported. Occa- Colin Gerrans (CG) sionally records are sourced from the Craig Whittington-Jones (CWJ) Internet. All are encouraged to complete Doug Black (DB) rarities documentation for regional and Doug Newman (DN) national rarities. Members are invited to Ernst Retief (ER) submit details of sightings to André Marx Etienne Marais (EM) at 083 411 7674, e-mail Gauteng birders (Gbird) [email protected] Howard Rayner (HR)

Thank-you Letter from Lucky Mdluli

WBC, and several members in their own right, contributed towards the medical bills of Lucky the extremely helpful and popular car guard at Mel- ville Koppies. Lucky was able to receive the treat- ment he needed and sent this note of thanks to all who gave assistance.

BIRDLIFE MATTERS

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Arrow-marked Babbler - Dave Gomersall

Pied Kingfisher - Dave Gomersall

Green-backed Heron - Dave Gomersall