1 1 2 HARONI-RUSITU 2 3 3 4 JUNCTION 4 5 Clinging to the southern foot of the 5 6 Chimanimani mountains, where the 6 7 HHighlandighland Haroni and Rusitu rivers meet to flow 7 8 into Mozambique, are Zimbabwe’s last 8 9 fragments of lowland evergreen forest. A 9 10 birding Mecca, these small but luxuriant 10 11 forest patches harbour a list of regulars 11 12 that include Barred Cuckoo, Green 12 13 Coucal, Eastern Honeyguide, African 13 14 Broadbill, Angola Pitta, Pel’s Fishing Owl, 14 15 LLow-downow-down Slender Bulbul, Black-headed Apalis, 15 16 Vanga Flycatcher, Woodwards’ Batis and 16 17 Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike. Getting 17 18 BIRDING ZIMBABWE’S EASTERN HIGHLANDS there requires some determination 18 19 though. The track, for it cannot be called 19 20 Text by Penn Lloyd a road over the last 20 kilometres, is har- 20 21 rowing at best, impassable at worst. A 21 22 4x4 is advisable, but certainly no guaran- 22 23 tee that you will make it there (or back 23 24 again!) should rain set in. 24 25 With the forests surrounded by 25 26 communal land, courtesy requires that 26 27 HHazyazy withwith thethe smokesmoke ofof countlesscountless wood-firedwood-fired hearths,hearths, you stop off at the local District 27 28 Administration or the police/military post 28 29 thethe lowlandslowlands ofof MozambiqueMozambique sprawlsprawl fromfrom thethe IndianIndian at Vhimba to announce your presence in 29 30 Ocean to the foot of an escarpment that runs a wavy the area. There are also no facilities, so if 30 31 Ocean to the foot of an escarpment that runs a wavy you decide to camp rough, introduce 31 32 coursecourse fromfrom thethe DrakensbergDrakensberg rangerange ofof SouthSouth AfricaAfrica toto yourself to the closest household and 32 33 enquire where you might do so. 33 34 thethe AhmarAhmar MountainsMountains ofof Ethiopia.Ethiopia. Here,Here, puncturedpunctured andand The people here are poor and live a 34 35 simple life. The lands they have cleared 35 36 separatedseparated fromfrom thethe highlandshighlands toto thethe northnorth andand southsouth of forest are highly fertile. A variety of 36 37 fruits, such as avocados, bananas, 37 38 byby thethe mightymighty ZambeziZambezi andand LimpopoLimpopo riverriver valleys,valleys, thethe papaws, mangoes and naartjies are sold 38 39 as cash crops to the Zimbabwe Farmer’s 39 40 EasternEastern HighlandsHighlands ofof ZimbabweZimbabwe riserise upup fromfrom 300300 metresmetres Union. Sweet potatoes, madumbe (yams) 40 41 and maize are the staples, with indige- 41 42 toto overover 22 500500 metres,metres, toto formform aa naturalnatural borderborder withwith nous sorghums and millets extensively 42 43 cultivated for home-brewing. As the pop- 43 44 itsits moremore prostrateprostrate neighbour.neighbour. AssociatedAssociated withwith thisthis ulation expands, so the pressure on the 44 45 remaining forest increases; the people 45 46 altitudinalaltitudinal rangerange isis aa diversitydiversity ofof habitats,habitats, fromfrom need the land to make a living. 46 47 The borders of the Haroni and Rusitu 47 48 lowlandlowland evergreenevergreen forestforest toto miombomiombo ((BrachystegiaBrachystegia)) Forest Reserves exist on paper only, and 48 49 most of the former has already fallen to 49 50 woodlandwoodland toto Afro-montaneAfro-montane evergreenevergreen forest,forest, andand finallyfinally a banana plantation. Until the locals 50 51 montane grassland. Each supports a unique community derive a more direct benefit from the for- 51 52 montane grassland. Each supports a unique community ests, the attrition will continue. A farmer 52 53 ofof birdsbirds allall packedpacked withinwithin aa relativelyrelatively smallsmall area,area, who invited me in to his humble home- 53 54 stead asked me which bird I most want- 54 55 makingmaking thethe EasternEastern HighlandsHighlands oneone ofof thethe subcontinent’ssubcontinent’s ed to see. I indicated the appearance and 55 56 proportions of the Silvery-cheeked 56 57 premierpremier birdingbirding regions.regions. Furthermore,Furthermore, thethe isolationisolation ofof A view over communal lands at the Hornbill. ‘The Gakamira!’ he exclaimed 57 58 Haroni-Rusitu junction. In the a little incredulously. His advice on how 58 59 thethe mountainsmountains meansmeans thatthat aa numbernumber ofof species,species, foundfound background are the Chimanimani to find it: ‘When you walk in the forest, 59 60 mountains, rising up from lowland look for the pips of my papaws on the 60 61 otherwiseotherwise onlyonly inin distantdistant SouthSouth AfricaAfrica oror EastEast Africa,Africa, sursur-- evergreen forest on the border ground. When you find them, look up 61 62 with Mozambique. into the tree and the Gakamira will be 62 vivevive herehere asas long-isolatedlong-isolated populations.populations. BRONWYNBRONWYN LLOYDLLOYD there’. 63 1 Let this take nothing away from the ing, the weedy tangle in and around the (‘the boiling place’) pool, where a power- 1 2 quality of the birding experience though. communal fields hosts a multitude of ful spring keeps cones of white sand in 2 3 Wander along the footpaths through the birds, such as Blue-spotted Dove, Broad- perpetual motion, I tramped through the 3 4 more accessible Rusitu forest into a fairy- tailed and African Yellow warblers, marshy grasslands of the Bundi plain and 4 5 land of butterflies and birds. The butter- Singing, Red-faced and Short-winged was lucky to flush a Great Snipe. Other 5 6 flies are simply stunning, bobbing up cisticolas, Golden Weaver, Fire-crowned birds to look out for here are the Yellow- 6 7 from the path in a kaleidoscope of Bishop, Nyasa Seedcracker, Golden- throated Longclaw, and an uncommon 7 8 colours and symmetries. The birds are a backed Pytilia, and Cabanis’ Bunting. summer visitor, the Blue Swallow. While 8 9 little more elusive, but no less dramatic. In the scattered trees and woodland walking beneath the towering peaks, scan 9 10 Aside from the specials already men- fragments, the Long-crested Eagle, the skies for the elusive Taita Falcon and 10 11 tioned, you should at least catch glimpses Southern Banded Snake Eagle, Lizard Scarce Swift; this is one of the few places 11 12 of forest regulars such as Delegorgue’s Buzzard, Dickinson’s Kestrel, Swallow- where these rare species can be seen. 12 13 Pigeon, Tambourine and Cinnamon tailed Bee-eater, African Golden Oriole, 13 14 doves, Livingstone’s Lourie, White-eared Mozambique Batis, Red-backed Shrike, ELAND SANCTUARY 14 15 Barbet and Golden-rumped Tinker Red-billed Helmetshrike and Purple- 15 16 Barbet, Scaly-throated Honey-guide, Little banded Sunbird may be found. Fringing Chimanimani village, the small 16 17 Spotted Woodpecker, Stripe-cheeked and Over the tricky-to-cross Haroni River a Eland Sanctuary reserve offers a peep at 17 18 Yellow-streaked bulbuls, Gorgeous and magnificent tract of forest beckons. While what the highlands must have looked like 18 19 Black-fronted bushshrikes, and a bevy of deriving better protection as part of the 19 SWYNNERton’s robin PETER STEYN 20 20 21 outside Chipinge. The Chipinge area also 21 22 boasts some impressive forests, including 22 23 HARARE• the Chirinda Forest at Mt Selinda (see 23 24 pages 60–63). 24 25 Marondera • 25 26 NYANGA NATIONAL PARK CHIMANIMANI 26 27 NATIONAL PARK 27 28 • HONDE VALLEY 28 AND ABERFOYLE 29 ZIMBABWE Perched on a hill, the village of 29 30 MUTARE• Chimanimani has a sweeping view east 30 31 to the craggy peaks of the Chimanimani 31 BVUMBA 32 range. With a variety of comfortable 32 33 accommodation, from the Heaven bud- 33 34 get-backpackers’ hostel, to the Moriah or 34 35 ELAND SANCTUARY • CHIMANIMANI Frog & Fern self-catering chalets, the 35 36 NATIONL PARK Chimanimani Hotel, and the up-market 36 37 • Muwenji Lodge, it serves as the perfect 37 Chipinge HARONI-RUSITU JUNCTION 38 • springboard for excursions into the 38 39 national park. The park office is only 39 • Espungabera 40 CHIRINDA FOREST • 14 kilometres from the village, but the 40 41 last seven kilometres are on a dreadful 41 MOZAMBIQUE AFRICAN BROADBILL PETER STEYN 42 42 dirt road and take half an hour to negoti- OR 43 ate. From here, access to the mountains is before forestry blighted the landscape, 43 44 on foot along a network of hiking trails. with pristine Brachystegia/Uapaca wood- 44 45 flycatchers that Chimanimani National Park, its virgin The initial 400-metre ascent through land giving way to evergreen forest on 45 46 include Blue- status owes much to rumours of open Brachystegia/Uapaca woodland and the southern slopes. The magnificent 46 47 grey, Blue- unexploded mines. The border with forested gullies is steep and rocky. Bridal Veil waterfall is an idyllic spot to 47 48 mantled, Fan- Mozambique is a stone’s throw away, and Common birds to look out for while picnic. While the birding here is superb, 48 PENN LLOYD 49 tailed, White- a clearing I came across in the forest was catching your breath are several miom- Above Open miombo woodland on the rocky western slopes of the the sanctuary suffers from a lack 49 50 tailed and Wattle-eyed. As in any forest, once used as a forward base by Rhodesian bo specials, namely the Miombo Rock Chimanimani mountains. of footpaths. 50 51 the real action is in the bird parties, so helicopter-gunships during the civil war. Thrush, Miombo Grey and Rufous- 51 52 listen out for the noisy Square-tailed There is much to be explored and discov- bellied tits, Miombo Double-collared often with a rewarding view of Augur Cape Bunting. 52 53 Drongos that normally accompany them. ered here, including the multi-tiered Sunbird, and Mashona Hyliota. Others Buzzards soaring over the undulating The large mountain hut, which has THE BVUMBA 53 54 And don’t overlook the high-pitched, Mukurupini waterfalls cascading out of include Shelley’s Francolin, Freckled Bundi River valley to the high peaks of incredible views over the Bundi plain, is a Just 15 kilometres from Mutare, the capi- 54 55 almost inaudible trilling of Green and the Chimanimani mountains.