Bokmakierie Newsletter of the Witwatersrand Club August 2018 No 252 Wesson Farm, Magaliesberg - Saturday 19 May 2018

Photos by Koos van Dyk Bokmakierie Newsletter of the Witwatersrand Bird Club August 2018 No 252

Witwatersrand Bird Club Inside this issue: P O Box 641 Cresta 2118 2 Letter from the Chair Tel: 011 782 7267 Fax: 086 512 7696 3 How ancestors of living survived Email: [email protected] asteroid strike by Helen Briggs BBC Web: www.witsbirdclub.org.za News 5 New chick on the block by Bo van der 2018 Committee: Lecq HON. PRESIDENT: Lance Robinson 9 Barn Swallow migration by Hugh CHAIRMAN: Andy Featherstone Chittenden VICE-CHAIRMAN: Awie Coetzee 12 Birding In Zululand, albeit the wrong time of year by Leslie Cornish TREASURER: Sandy Goodall COURSES: Janice Isom 16 Birding in the Soutpansberg by Anthony Cavanagh CONSERVATION: Lance Robinson

EVENING MEETINGS: Lia Steen 21 Dael’s U.K. after party by Dael Stojakovic WEBSITE Paige Simons PROGRAMME: Fiona van Zyl 23 Statement of cybercrime activities at Wits Bird Club by Andy Featherstone EAST RAND CHAIR: Awie Coetzee Trip Reports HENLEY-ON-KLIP CHAIR: Ben Botha 25 WEST RAND CHAIR: Koos van Dÿk 28 World Shorebirds Day - 6th September CLUB SECRETARY: Lauraine Leigh 2018

NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS 29 Rarities and unusual sightings report: Bokmakierie is published three times annually. Contribu- 30 June 2018 by André Marx tions may be in Afrikaans or English. English names of birds should be those used in Roberts VII. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor, Club, the Committee, Members or those of BirdLife South . The Editors reserve the right to edit articles as necessary. This issue of Bokmakierie has been produced and edited by Andy Featherstone and Lance Robinson.

COVER PHOTO: Immature Amethyst Sunbird by André Stapelberg

MAGAZINE LAYOUT: Andy Featherstone

Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 | 1 4 mm Body top Letter from the Chair

Swifts and Swallows. This let Lauraine know so that particular talk proved to be she can add your name to very popular and we will the roster. It’s not difficult try and add more of these work, there will always be an bird identification talks into experienced member there our future mix of afternoon to guide you, and it provides speakers. It is evident that yet another good excuse to the Saturday afternoon talks visit the Fair. Full details of have a better attendance the events will be published Dear Members, than our Thursday evening on the BirdLife I have enjoyed travelling to meetings, so we will contin- website. ue with Saturday meetings some of our winter venues The 2019 calendar photo going forward. despite having to get out competition has closed and of bed before sunrise and The Christmas in July af- the judges will soon be se- having to brave the cold ternoon meeting proved to lecting the photos to adorn mornings. It’s an effort at the be a lot of fun and a great next year’s calendar. The time but rewarding once you success and will be repeat- quality of entries received arrive at your destination ed on next year’s calendar. A to date is again of a high and start to bird. To suggest reminder that later in August, standard and the calendar to non-birders the thought we will be holding our promises to showcase some of travelling to a destination annual quiz with Lester Niss of our member’s photo- like the Devon grasslands, as our talented quizmas- graphic talents. Calendars with its endless sea of brown ter. These quiz events are will be available at the Bird grass, is to experience raised always very enjoyable and I Fair in September. eyebrows and a sad shake of am sure that this year will be With the continual rise in the head. For birders, how- no exception. ever, encounters with Blue fuel costs, it can sometimes Korhaan, Blue Crane, Secre- I would also like to remind be discouraging to go along tarybird and the numerous you of our Arbor Day at to outings, particularly the larks makes it all worthwhile. Delta Park on Saturday 15th ones to more distant areas. We will soon be greeting September, combined with We recommend that you the first of our intra-African a talk by Linda de Luca on contact Lauraine to find out migrants and areas such as gardening for birds. Trees who else is going and to ask the Devon grasslands will can be booked in advance her to try and find someone come alive with birdsong through Lauraine for planting to share a lift with. It’s both once more. We can then on the day. September is environmentally friendly to enjoy the challenge of trying also the month for the annu- cut down on fuel costs and to identify all those little al African Bird Fair at Walter a great way to socialise with LBJ’s so beloved by Faansie Sisulu Botanical Gardens other people who share your Peacock and his ilk! which this year will be on the interest. 8th and 9th September. Wits As always, I look forward Spring and summer will Bird Club will have a stand to seeing you at one of our enable us to try out all the and we appeal for your future talks or outings. little identification tips that help in manning the stand. Stephan Terblanche passed If you can spare a couple of Andy Featherstone on to us at his recent talk on hours to assist then please

2 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 How ancestors of living birds survived asteroid strike Text by Helen Briggs BBC News

What the asteroid strike might have been like by Phillip Krzeminski The ancestors of modern birds may have survived the asteroid strike that wiped out the rest of their kin by living on the forest floor. The new theory, based on studying fossilised plants and ornithological data, helps ex- plain how birds came to dominate the planet. The asteroid impact 66 million years ago laid waste to the world’s forests. Ground-dwelling bird ancestors managed to survive, eventually taking to the trees when the flora recovered. “It seems clear that being a relatively small-bodied bird capable of surviving in a tree- less world would have conferred a major survival advantage in the aftermath of the asteroid strike,” said Dr Daniel Field of the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath.

Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 | 3 4 mm Body top We already know that the early ancestors such as palms and pines happened much of modern birds were probably capable later, which coincides with the evolution of flight, and relatively small in size. and explosion of diversity of tree-dwell- ing birds,” said Dr Antoine Bercovici from Scientists have now pieced together their Smithsonian Institution. ecology to better understand how these partridge-like bird ancestors managed to The researchers found that once the for- avoid destruction in a particularly bleak ests had recovered, birds began to adapt moment in the Earth’s history. to living in trees, acquiring shorter legs than their ground-dwelling ancestors and “Teasing these stories from the rock re- various specialisations for perching on cord is a challenge when the action took branches. place over 66 million years ago, over a relatively short period of time,” said They eventually diversified into ostriches Dr Field, who led a team of UK, US and and their relatives, chickens and their rel- Swedish researchers. atives, and ducks and their relatives. The plant fossil record shows that the as- “Perhaps the best modern analogue teroid caused global deforestation and for one of the surviving birds lineages extinction of most flowering plants, de- are modern tinamous - this is a modern stroying the habitats of tree-dwelling an- group of flying relatives of ostriches: they imals. are relatively small bodied, and live on the ground,” said Dr Field. Birds didn’t move back into the trees again until the forests recovered thousands of Today’s “amazing living bird diversity can years later. be traced to these ancient survivors”, he added. “The recovery of canopy-forming trees

Tinamous resemble partridges and quail but have limited flight capability - photo by Daniel J Field

4 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 New Chick on the Block! Text and Photos by Bo van der Lecq

Twenty 17 was a dismal year for the Mey- er’s Farm Verreaux’s Eagle pair nesting on the outskirts of Alberton, southern Johan- nesburg, in that both breeding attempts were a total failure! Herewith an account of the failures: First Attempt Nest refurbishment commenced during late February and she laid her first and second egg on the 6th and 10th April re- spectively and, according to our calcula- tions, the first egg should have hatched on 21st May followed by the second on 25th May 2017. However, when neither egg hatched ten days later, we knew Female on nest that this was a failure. The eagles prob- ably had the same notion as we did that Second Attempt something was amiss, but in true resilient eagle fashion, both continued to share in- Ideally, the eagle pair should have abort- cubation until both aborted on 27th June ed and then not attempted to lay another - a staggering 82 days after the first egg clutch as this would extend the breeding was laid. We instructed project member, period well into summer and naturally Neil Hadfield, to climb up the cat-ladder interfere with the 2018 breeding season. to the nest and retrieve the clutch of eggs Usually, the eagles have an approx. three- before the crows could get to them. Un- month break before the following years’ fortunately, the eggs were intercepted by attempt is contemplated, however; telling a vet who analysed both and provided us the eagles what to do is as good as tell- with a biased opinion of what he thought ing the dassies not become eagle prey:a the cause of failure might have been, but fruitless exercise! it was also revealed that both eggs were First observations of the eagles mating unfertilized and merely embryos. were on 3rd July and the first egg was laid

Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 | 5 4 mm Body top on 29th July followed by the second on 2nd August. Keeping all our fingers and toes crossed and hoping for success, alas, the eggs should have hatched on 11th and 15th September respectively, but the pair officially abandoned on day 53, which was only 9 days after the first egg should have hatched. Neil was again summoned to retrieve the eggs from the nest and Les Morris and I immediately took the precious cargo to the Bird and Exotic Hospital at Onderstepoort Male leaving nest Veterinary Hospital handing them over to tolerated another male in their nesting Dr Dorianne Elliot, who, on 22nd Septem- area. Back to normal, both resident ea- ber sent us the following report: gles were seen on the nest from 24th to “Ref 8458-17 the shells appear well 26th October. Neither Verreaux’s were formed but were easily cracked. Only observed, only the resident Long-crest- white opaque albumin and mucoid yel- ed eagle was seen on 1st November low to clear yolk was present within. and on the 5th and 7th November only There was no embryonal development. the resident Verreaux’s male was seen in The eggs appear to be unfertilized or did the vicinity. On 8th November it was con- not develop after fertilization”. firmed by Odette Campbell, Les and I that there was a new female accompanied by Additional causes that were discussed via our male flying over the neighbouring email included possible old age in female Meyersdal Eco Estate and Meyer’s Farm (we have no idea how old she was), possi- where both eagles sat perched on a rocky ble disease in her oviduct and/ or infertility boulder-strewn outcrop! According to our in the male (he had however proven him- records, the “old” female disappeared be- self to be successful in previous breeding tween 26th October and 5th November seasons leading up to 2016). There was no and that the male managed to coax the additional information available to us that “young bird” in within 10 days of the grand may prove the contrary and we decided lady disappearing - a real Casanova! We to sit tight and see what transpired during believe that the ‘New Chick on the Block’ the 2018 breeding season. is about 3 year’s young because her mot- Footnote tled and streaky plumage is indicative of a young bird. Subsequent site visits by Les and I were executed to keep a tab on the eagles’ Back to the present and 2018 breeding movements and we saw both flying to- season. gether on 21st October and then two days It is quite obvious to observe that the later, on the 23rd , another young eagle new female has a number of new perch came to visit and was seen in the com- and roosting sites of which we are una- pany of the male – the visitor must have ware and trying to locate her, or both, has been female as the male would not have

6 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 become a mission of note! The one and only method of locating either is to simply keep one’s eyes peeled over the entire ridge system spanning from the west to the east and doing this a number of times in the hope that one will detect a glimpse of their white rump plumage or any move- ment. It’s difficult, but it has to be done. If after two to three hours of observation and still no movement or a sighting is de- tected, then one can safely assume that neither are nearby. Also noted was the females’ “reluctance” to perch nearer to the male and although it was quite appar- ent initially, they did get it together only about six weeks later. It could be that the female may have felt a little vulnerable as both were intensively observed by us and fellow project members. No problem was noted in flight as they stuck together with her leading although only the male per- formed the magnificent “pendulum dis- play” turning over onto his back through Adult female the apex of his upward flight - perfection thunder and lightning: good ol’ Highveld guaranteed! thunderstorms. In another incident when Nest refurbishment commenced in the male was nowhere to be seen, she mid-February and our first mating obser- left the nest to go and stretch her wings vation was on 27th February followed by and do some Woolworths shopping, she numerous interactions thereafter. As nest was off the nest from 11h44 to 12h07 - that refurbishment progressed well through- equates to 23 minutes, which is a tad long out March and lining the nest with crisp as at most they are off the nest for about green leafy sprays in early to mid-April, 10 minutes. At no time was the male even the female was seen spending long hours remotely nearby to contribute his portion in the nest cup testing and adjusting the of the incubation – selfish lad. Possibly comfort thereof. got side-tracked by another female!? The Lady in Charge laid her clutch of two We got a tad concerned when day 44 eggs on the 18th and 22nd April respec- arrived, which is the average hatching tively and the 44-day incubation period period of the first egg, and nothing in the commenced in earnest. There were a slightest indicated that there might be a few “scares” along the way as both had to chick on the nest. Usually, the best meth- sit through various spells of icy cold and od is to see if the male brings prey to the driving rain associated with a good deal of nest as only then will there be a chick on the nest. Day 45 passed us by and I was

Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 | 7 4 mm Body top seriously getting worried thinking that a has lived up to all expectations - a dream repeat of the 2017 breeding failures was come true for all of us who have worked replaying itself. Having spent the entire so hard -and most of all -hats off to the Saturday morning on the farm with Les eagle pair! Morris, Lance Robinson, Neil Hadfield Subsequently, and every day there is and yours truly, looking out for the tell- a fresh prey item on the nest as we ob- tale sign of prey on the nest, nothing was served the male taking only two minutes forthcoming. On Sunday morning and on from where he sat perched in a 500m dis- day 46, Les and I were on site at 08h00 tant Telkom mast, dropping off his perch, bright and early as I thought that this day making a kill and feeding on it in their was D-day as any days later would only favourite tree. Twenty minutes after his spell disaster and, or we would then have feeding session the prey was delivered to to pin our hopes on the second egg. At the nest where the female commenced 10h35 the female arose for the first time feeding herself and most likely the chick that morning and she promptly started too. feeding on a dassie carcass that was ly- ing on the opposite side of the nest that According to the book, the second egg was impossible to see on the other side may have hatched on Thursday 7th June and this was the answer we were hoping and with Cainism (sibling aggression) last- for the entire morning. After feeding her- ing approx. three days, the fight for surviv- sel, indicators were quite obvious that she al will be all over by Sunday 10th June or was feeding the chick in the nest cup - a sooner. Nature is both cruel and wonder- few slithers of meat at a time – this is defi- ful at the same time. nitely not a vegetarian chick! Bo van der Lecq : Meyer’s Farm Ver- To say that we are delighted is an un- reaux’s Eagles – Alberton derstatement as we have all longed for Email: boudewynvanderlecq01@gmail. renewed success and it is more evident com now that our previous female did have a problem and that her new successor Cell: 079 505 6419

Adult male

8 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 Barn Swallow Migration By Hugh Chittenden

If you live in the eastern parts of southern Africa and you have visions of ‘your’ Barn Swallows breeding under a quaint little cottage in England or France, you’ll have to re-think when you see the following very interesting data. A paper recently published by Marc Burman, Les Underhill et al of the ADU (details below), shows Barn Swallow ringing results between 1954 and 2011. Data from Barn Swallows ringed in the following 4 regions of South Africa was analysed. 1. KwaZulu-Natal 2. Gauteng. 3. Eastern parts of Northern Cape. 4. Western Province. Recoveries from these regions were allocated to 3 breeding zones in the Palearctic breed- ing region. You’ll see from the map below that most recoveries from KZN birds ended up in the eastern European zone & Asia.. Recoveries from these regions were allocated to 3 breeding zones in the Palearctic breed- ing region. You’ll see from the map below that most recoveries from KZN birds ended up in the eastern European zone & Asia.

Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 | 9 4 mm Body top

Eighty percent of the Gaut- eng swallows ended up in the central zone.

10 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 Fascinating to see that the Northern Cape birds end- ed up in the central and western zone.

Birds ringed in the Western Cape are spread almost equally through the 3 zones.

Fascinating information. Authors of this work from the ADU are to be congratulated for bringing to the fore the results of 57 years of Barn Swallow ringing. I thank Peter Steyn for forwarding this published paper to me, and to the authors of the paper, & Animal Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town, for allowing me to spread the details of this analysed data. Burman, Marc 2016. Citizen science reveals complex changes in Barn Swallow phenol- ogy in South Africa over three decades. PhD, University of Cape Town..

Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 | 11 4 mm Body top Birding In Zululand, Albeit The Wrong Time Of Year Text and Photos by Lesley Cornish It was so nearly a trip to Belarus, but a student had an extension to submit her master’s and I would have been away. So that idea was curtailed and Errol and I de- cided to go to Zululand at the end of May. We knew the timing was wrong, but it fitted in with my timing, sort of. First stop was Ndu- mo and although we had to drive through a heavy down- pour about an hour away Palm-nut Vultures from Ndumo when we ar- rived, it had stopped raining but there was that wonderful fresh-after-rain smell. We settled into our chalet (i.e. had a beer and dumped our luggage), and drove out to Nyamithi Pan. There were quite a few flocks of Crest- ed Guineafowl and a pair of Palm-nut Vultures! Leaving the car, we walked to Nyam- ithi Hide and enjoyed the spectacle: Pink-backed Peli- cans being trailed by African African Spoonbills and Pink-backed Pelican Spoonbills, Caspian Terns loafing on the “beach”, with White-fronted Plover and Black-winged Stilt feeding between them. There were also Yellow-billed Stork, Spur-winged Geese and Sacred Ibis. We could not stay long, because it was getting dark. The following day, we took our armed guide, Joseph, and his learner assistant to Shok- we Pan, and we walked down to the pan. En route, we had fun identifying the dung and reaching the pan, we were walking under the fever trees and fig trees. I was re- ally excited by being close to the Red Duiker and of course, there were the birds too: Whyte’s Barbet, Dark-backed Weaver (I love the song), Black-bellied Starling, Green

12 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 Yellow-breasted Apalis White-fronted Bee-eater after plunge-bathing Wood-hoopoe and Ashy Flycatcher. We kept hearing Trumpeter Hornbills, but only had glimpses. We spent the afternoon driving around, starting with the look-out tower (definitely recommended, because one can see most of the park), and decided to tack- le the 4x4 trail. Since it was getting fairly late by this time (probably my fault, demanding the stops for birds) we did not have too much time for stopping, but we got round in time. I would love to do it with more time and it must be wonderful in summer because the road is near the Mtikini River. Back at camp, we found up to eight Wahlberg’s Velvet Geckos in the bathrooms. A highlight of the trip was a walk in the sand forest, again with our two guides, and we heard African Broadbills. I said I was surprised but was told that the rain had “got them going”. Since there was only the four of us, we did manage to get close and catch a glimpse! We also saw Yellow-breasted Apalis. Our drive that afternoon completed all the roads where we were allowed, and we saw Little Bee-eaters, Red-faced Mouse- birds, and later, Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, followed by Water and Spotted Thick-knees. Our final day was a guided walk on the western side of Nyamithi Pan. First up was a Martial Eagle, and FINALLY, we saw the Trumpeter Hornbills properly. There were many water birds and BIG crocs. We walked away from the vehicle quite quickly

Black-backed Puff-back Female Pink-throated Twinspot

Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 | 13 4 mm Body top and dawdled back taking photo- graphs of Saddle-billed Storks (a pair), Yellow-billed Storks, many Pink-backed Pelicans, a few Great White Pelicans, Great Egrets, Little Egrets and African Spoonbills (who seemed to be in on everything). After that, we finished packing and had a 40-minute drive to Tembe Elephant Lodge. We had booked our own game drive vehicle (for more money, of course, but it was Red-billed Oxpecker and buffalo well worth it), on the basis that we were birders and photographers, and would drive everyone else up the wall! Tembe was wonderful: two breakfasts (before and after the morning game drive), lunch, afternoon game drive and dinner on return. There was a period be- fore lunch which was free, so we boozed (educationally, of course, sampling what was on offer). I also went to look at some trees: Toad Tree, Natal Mahogany. I thought we had a birdbath by our tent but I had to keep filling it up because Gorgeous Bush- the Nyalas kept drinking from it. The most common at Tembe are impalas and Nyalas, and we were entertained one morning on our drive by watching the males spar at Vukazin Pan. I had never seen so many males to- gether before, and one was even pronking! Meanwhile, a young lion was stalking them. He fluffed it because he was too impatient to wait for them to get closer. We saw some of the famous Tembe elephants at Muzi Swamp, and our Eastern Nicator guide got us pretty close. We also

14 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 saw the largest tusker, Ingwedla, who was BIG, but not as large as the tusker who had died in 2014. This bull was in musth, which we could see from the constant dribble of urine down his back legs, but he was perfectly calm, and just checked out a cow elephant who urinated for him. Also in the swamp were buffaloes, complete with Red- billed Oxpeckers. A real treat for me was the Swamp , also at Musi Swamp, and we heard the call too. Each dinner was also an opportunity to see the Greater Bush-ba- bies (galagos), who were fed on chopped-up fruit. Of course, we would have seen more birds if we had gone in the summer, but we still had really nice sightings of several specials: Eastern Nicator (the first flew in, barely touched the branch and flew off, but a later one was around for a while, tantalising us as he ducked behind leaves, and fanned his tail), Gorgeous Bush-shrike, Yellow-throat- ed Longclaw, Purple-crested Turacos, Lemon-breasted Canaries, Sombre Greenbuls, Crowned Hornbills and Pink-throated Twinspots. Although not specials, I was amazed by the number of Brown-crowned and Black-crowned Tchagra we saw. We did not find a Southern Tchagra though. We also had a close sighting of a Brown Snake Eagle. The most common birds were Emerald-spotted Wood Doves and Dark-capped Bulbuls. The last part of the trip was Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, and we stayed at Hilltop camp. Wow! What a view, and we had a nice bull elephant to help us settle in (as we had a beer and dumped the luggage, and he demolished the bushes outside), before going out to find some of Hluhluwe’s famous white rhinos. We saw lions, buffaloes and more white rhinos. Special treats were seeing mating African Bullfrogs and a giant legless skink, the world’s largest legless skink! On our way out one morning, we saw Vervet and Sa- mango monkeys very close together (Hilltop is on the edge of the escarpment forest, explaining the latter), which was a real treat. Hluhluwe-Imfolozi is not so well-known for birds, but we still had some nice sightings: Eastern Golden Weaver, Red-capped Rob- in-chat, immature Martial Eagle, a White-backed Vulture collecting nesting material by pulling a branch from a tree, African Goshawk, Tawny Eagle, and a strange-looking Black-backed Puffback. At the lovely picnic site on Hluhluwe River, we saw many birds, including Streaky-headed Seed-eater, Black Flycatcher, Common Scimitarbill and a pulling insects from the thatch of the toilets. In the Imfolozi part of the park, we stopped at a lovely hide called Mpafa, situated by a small waterfall. Even though it did not have much water, we watched White-fronted Bee-eaters plunge bathing, a pair of Mocking Cliff-chats and Marsh Terrapins. We did not do this part justice, but we did see both the Black and the White Umfolozi Rivers. We also saw the museum about the game capture operations and saving the white rhino – really interesting, and well worth a visit. Even though we went at the wrong time of the year, we still had a super time and had the advantage of mostly having Ndumo to ourselves, and our own private walks and our own game drive vehicle (OK, we had to pay extra). I do not think we did badly, with 159 bird species and 26 mammal species, as well as the giant legless skink.

Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 | 15 4 mm Body top Birding in the Soutpansberg Text By Anthony Cavanagh, Photos By Anthony Cavanagh & Karin Mitton

Raising the teams spirits ready for three days of hard birding - photo by Anthony Cavanagh

On Friday 27th April seventeen WBC members arrived at Time Out lodge some 36km east of Louis Trichardt to visit some of the Soupansberg birding hotspots under the guidance of local birding expert, Samson Malaudzi. A full three-day birding programme had been compiled for the long weekend and our spirits, assisted by some cold bev- erages, were high. The next morning we were up and ready just before sun-up and waited for Samson who duly arrived on his motorcycle. To reduce the number of vehicles following in con- voy it was decided to use only the 4x4’s and so we travelled in only four vehicles to our first port of call, which was the Levuvhu River about ten km back down the R524. Samson led us along the path towards the river and immediately an African Finfoot was spotted on the water. This superb sighting was followed by that of a White-backed Night Heron which was inadvertently flushed and which then flew across to the other side of the river. It could still be seen however and a number of photos were taken. An- other excellent sighting was that of a Half-collared Kingfisher, which posed contentedly on the wall of the weir.

16 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 Birding in the Roodewal Forest - photos by Anthony Cavanagh

There are a number of fruit farms along the R524 and after leaving the river we drove a short distance and entered a plantation of avocado trees and proceeded to one of the dams on the farm. White-faced and African Black Duck were seen on the water and Cape Batis, White-fronted Bee-eater and Red-faced Cisticola were seen in the sur- rounding vegetation. Tambourine Dove was also seen although not by the whole group. We then drove back past Time Out and on to the Entabeni Forest much of which is now commercial pine forest but with patches of the original Afromontane forest at higher altitudes. Samson pointed out a Mountain Wagtail in the stream flowing at the forest entrance. We then drove up into the forest and stopped at an altitude of about 800m where we had good views looking down on the hillside. Birds seen here included Afri- can Firefinch, Swee Waxbill, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, Bronze and Red-backed Man- nikin, African Green Pigeon and Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird. Further up the mountain track we stopped at 1000m and Samson pointed out a Bat Hawk sitting silently near the top of the tree canopy. At the next patch of indigenous forest, we spotted a Grey Cuckooshrike, Dusky Flycatcher and Scaly-throated Honeyguide. We continued up to the very top of the forest (1300m) and had our lunch packs provided for us by Wilma and her team. A notable sighting here was of a Forest Buzzard on the wing. After a full day’s birding, we arrived back at the lodge and treated ourselves to a few cold beverages while the very friendly and very efficient staff prepared dinner, which was duly served at 6 pm. The next morning at sun-up we headed off to Roodewal Nature Reserve where Sam- son led the group on foot for a few hours along some of the trails. Notable sightings included Bar-throated Apalis, Lazy Cisticola, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Sombre Greenbul, Spectacled Weaver and numerous other bushveld and woodland birds. Our next port of call was Muirhead dam, which is situated on a macadamia nut farm. At the bird hide overlooking the dam, White-backed Duck, Purple Heron, African Jacana and Giant Kingfisher were noted. Samson then led us along the macadamia shell encrust- ed road and into the surrounding vegetation to look for Blue-spotted Wood Dove and other specials of the area. The going underfoot was tricky at times and avoiding the sinister looking spiders and

Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 | 17 4 mm Body top their webs that stretched a few me- tres across became a primary concern. Birds in the undergrowth appeared to be completely absent and only when we trundled back onto the side road did we start seeing our feathered friends again. Sunbirds abounded including Collared, Greater Double-collared and Southern Double-collared sunbirds, as well as Yellow–breasted Apalis, Red-billed Fire- finch, and Southern Black and Ashy Fly- African Firefinch - photo by Anthony Cavanagh catchers. Everyone had a fine sighting of a Crowned Eagle soaring overhead stand- ing out against the white fluffy clouds and bright blue sky. Back at the lodge after a second full day’s birding, we got stuck into our cold bev- erages. The lodge operated an honesty bar whereby one could buy drinks and record the purchase in a carbon book kept on the bar counter. A great service indeed! The two-course dinner provid- ed by the lodge was again splendid and we all commented on the great value for money the lodge provided in terms of ca- tering and accommodation. Citrus Swallowtail butterfly - photo by Anthony Cavanagh Day three saw us following the familiar routine and we were out on the road again looking up when a bird was sighted, some shortly after 06h30. After a second visit to of the more interesting of which included Muirhead dam where most of us bought a Grey-headed Bush-shrike, Bar-throated macadamia nuts and other delicacies and Yellow-breasted Apalis, and an Afri- from the nearby store, we headed off to can Wood Owl which we obviously dis- Thohoyandou, some 30km away, where turbed and which flew silently overhead we paid a visit to the botanical gardens. allowing only a fleeting glimpse for those Maintenance at the gardens had been in front but a longer sighting for those fur- neglected in some areas but seemed to ther back along the path. be improving since the SA National Bio- We then drove out of Thohoyandou for diversity Institute (SANBI) took over the about 15km and parked off at The Geese management of the gardens. Samson led Dam which was alive with water birds. the way along one of the undulating trails Andy set up his spotting scope, which en- that took us through natural woodland abled very close up viewing of some of the vegetation. Everyone craned their necks specials of this area including Allen’s Gal-

18 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 linule, African Pygmy Goose and White- backed Duck. Numerous heron and king- fisher species were seen, and Lance and Karin pointed out an Orange-breasted Waxbill coming and going around its nest. The lepidopterists among us had a field day photographing a Citrus Swallowtail butterfly at the dam and many other but- terflies over the three days.

On our way back to the lodge we stopped African Pygmy Goose - photo by Karin Mitton at the Levubu Rugby Club that, judging by the length of the grass covering the pitch, had not hosted a game for many a month. Samson led the way behind one of the goalposts and into the bush that could have swallowed up a ball following a successful conversion, and placed his cordless speaker on a branch and played the call of the Blue–spotted Wood Dove. We waited patiently in anticipation of seeing this rarity and everyone kept very quiet and very still. The silence was then suddenly broken not by a responding White-backed Duck - photo by Karin Mitton Blue-spotted Wood Dove but by Sam- son’s phone advising that his battery was failing.

Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 | 19 4 mm Body top

White-backed Night Heron - photo by Karin Bearded Scrub Robin - photo by Karin Mitton Mitton We headed back to the lodge a little disappointed at not seeing the dove but neverthe- less very satisfied with the weekend’s birding during which some of the group recorded over a dozen lifers. To show our appreciation for guiding us to some of the local birding hot spots and for his excellent spotting, Andy presented Samson with a well-deserved bonus to which everyone had contributed. After another excellent dinner, we said our farewells as most of us set off early the next morning to avoid the holiday traffic heading back to Jo’burg, but not before collecting our packet of bacon and egg sandwiches that Wilma had very thoughtfully prepared for us. Time Out lodge next to Entabeni Forest is ideally situated for birding in the Soutpansberg, and the management and staff were absolute gems.

Happy birders at the end of a successful trip - photo by Karin Mitton

20 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 Dael’s U.k. After Party Text and Photos by Dael Stojakovic

Inner Farne due to rough seas but circled the other islands and had good views of breeding Great Cormorant and others before finally getting on shore and see- ing the puffins. What a treat! They come ashore in the spring to breed in burrows then head off into the oceans for the rest of the year. I was surprised how tiny they are and they are really comical to watch - rather like mini penguins. Hundreds of pairs of Arctic Terns breed all over the is- land, on the walkways, in the bushes and anywhere they can find an open spot. They are really aggressive and you are Bempton Cliffs Nature Reserve warned to wear hoods or hats as they at- tack visitors with gusto and lots of guano! Following my trip to Belarus with the Next stop was Bempton Cliffs, East York- WBC, I went on to spend some time shire, breeding place in spring and sum- in the UK to visit friends and family and mer for almost half a million birds. It’s most importantly to try and see puffins! awe-inspiring. Mainly Northern Gannets (and other birds). Before setting off from but also Black-legged Kittiwake, Razor- RSA, I joined the RSPB. This was really bills, Black Guillemot and Northern Ful- easy to do online (rspb.org.uk), so when I mar. There were also a few misplaced arrived at my initial destination in Norfolk puffins that seemed quite at home on the my “Starter Kit” was waiting: a Field Guide cliffs instead of in burrows. to British Birds and, more importantly, a handbook listing all the RSPB Reserves Then I was off to Blacktoft Sands, a small made planning so easy. reserve also in East Yorkshire with a huge tidal reed bed with all the attendant wa- First stop was the Farne Islands. Funnily ter birds and lots of small warblers and enough, not an RSPB reserve but they Western Marsh Harriers. The hides in the are the breeding place for thousands of reserves are wonderful, beautifully main- Arctic terns, Black Guillemots, Razorbills, tained and there were always helpful vol- European Shag and, of course, Atlantic unteers around to help identify birds. Puffins and some other lovely species we never get to see down south! This en- The rest of my trip was not dedicated to tailed a drive to Seahouses on the North- birding but I still managed to see Red Kite umberland coast. I booked a boat trip and Eurasian Spoonbill and other won- the day before and went off on a smallish derful birds on Holkham Beach and plen- boat to the islands. We could only land on ty of interesting stuff in the countryside

Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 | 21 4 mm Body top around Norwich. There may not be the huge variety of spe- cies we’re accustomed to in South Africa but there are so many new birds to see and the forests and lanes are really beau- tiful. This made birding very different and enjoyable. The main problem is deciding where to go. The handbook is full of won- derful sounding reserves to visit. I settled for a few and plan to go back and choose a different area next time. Can’t wait!

Northern Gannets

Atlantic Puffins

Artic Tern ‘roosting’ on this photographers head!

22 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 Statement Of Cybercrime Activities At Wits Bird Club

By Andy Featherstone, Chairman

Dear Members, As stated in the last newsletter, the Wit- investment portfolio by introducing watersrand Bird Club (WBC) was recently additional security measures requiring targeted by cybercriminals who man- authorization from two members of aged to defraud the club of a substantial the Finance Exco Committee and an amount of money. This criminal element additional cross-check by the external has targeted many of our fellow bird clubs portfolio financial advisor before any in a similar fashion around the same time. funds are released. In the case of WBC, the cyber criminals • Holding a special emergency meet- managed to hack into our email account ing of the full WBC Committee to dis- and install spy malware which intercepted cuss the events, agree to measures incoming emails, particularly those con- taken and to see if any further actions taining invoices for payment. The original could be taken. invoices were then altered with new bank account details added and sent on to the • Sandy Goodall contacted the bank club for payment, as if from the original to report what had happened and to sender. The bank details were fraudulent see what assistance they could offer. accounts set up to receive these pay- This matter was also reported to the ments and the money was then quickly two other banks involved. Regretta- transferred. Invoices totalling R57, 475.20 bly, little action has been taken by the were paid in this manner. Unfortunately, it banks and they would not seem will- has been established that it is unlikely to ing to pursue the matter further. recoup these monies paid fraudulently. • The matter was also reported to the Immediately, on realising that the club club’s insurance companies but we was being defrauded, a number of ac- were informed that the club is not cov- tions were taken. These actions included: ered for cybercrimes. • Employing an IT consultant to clean • Sandy Goodall and I reported the in- up the computers belonging to the cident to the Linden Police Station and WBC, Lauraine’s personal computer opened a case of fraud. SAPS have and that of Sandy Goodall, our treas- stated they will investigate the matter urer. All malware was removed and and we await further feedback. new anti-virus software was installed • Security regarding payments has to prevent any further malware being been tightened up and the impor- installed. tance of always checking banking de- • Tightening up on access to the club’s tails has been reiterated.

Bokmakierie Apugust 2018 No 252 | 23 4 mm Body top The Committee feels that it has taken all the necessary steps to combat this unprecedented and unfortunate event Thank You for from recurring and we trust that you will support us in the actions taken to date. Your Donation It is, however, an unfortunate fact that Roger Baldwin Non-Profit Organizations such as our own Janice and Cameron are a soft target for cyber criminals as the Dudley-Owen sophisticated firewalls and support sys- tems that other bigger organizations have Bruce Field are, generally, not in place. John Goatcher As we are all subject to ongoing spam Christa Moller emails (with the risk of malware being Andy Featherstone installed on our computers) we urge you Phil Langston to remember to be cautious and to make Paige Simons sure it is genuine before opening any attachments, or responding to the mes- Koos van Dÿk sage.

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24 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 Trip Reports Groenkloof Nature Reserve 28th April 2018 - Report By Christo Venter

The outing started in the parking area of their space. The owlet was not fazed at the reserve at 07h30. We were a group all by the birds mocking it and allowed of 15 people including 4 members from all of us a prolonged sighting. This was BirdLife Northern Gauteng (BLNG). considered by many as the sighting of the morning. One of the first sightings was a Little Sparrowhawk sitting in the Eucalyptus We then went up the mountain on a hik- trees. We first followed the upper road in ing trail. We had a nice view of a Cardinal an easterly direction for about 300m and Woodpecker trying its best to debark a turned back to get the sun behind us. branch and, in the distance, a Crested The next moment, while back-tracking, Francolin was calling. As we climbed many birds in a tree in front of us went higher the birds stop calling and we de- ballistic. Dark-capped Bulbul, Ame- cided to go back to the bottom and we thyst Sunbird, White-bellied Sunbird, took a walk along the Apies river. Fork-tailed Drongo, Chinspot Batis and I would like to thank everyone for making Streaky-headed Seed-eaters were the effort to join me on this outing. The calling very aggressively. It turned out list for the morning was 41 species. that a Pearl-breasted Owlet had invaded

O.P.M. Prozesky Bird Sanctuary 6 May 2018 - Report By Janice Isom 10 of us gathered for a very pleasant atlas lists with more quality birds such as mornings birding to OPM Prozesky on Orange River Francolin and African Grass Sunday. Potchefstroom, as always, was Owl. cold to start off with but by lunch time had turned into a lovely sunny autumn day. We got a very respectable total of 75 species for the morning (Thanks to our atlasers Andy & Christo for keeping the list for us), with some very good quality birds including Long-crested Eagle and Orange River White-eye. The surprise of the morning was a stunning male Red-crested Pochard which we assume was an escapee. Orange River Francolin - photo by Christo & Annalie went on to explore Andy Featherstone Eleaser Road area and added to their

Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 | 25 4 mm Body top The Aloe Farm, Hartbeespoort 6 June 2018 - Report By Lia Steen

19 Wits Bird Club members attended the ing colony but they were disturbed and walk at the stunning Aloe Farm near Brits. rushed off when a Little Sparrowhawk It was initially a cold morning with no decided to chase them! I walked with a wind and bright sunshine, and it warmed Harties Bird Club member to the area up during the day. As we were drinking where the Fairy Flycatcher was seen the our coffee, we were greeted by several week before and we managed to get it. sunbirds and a family of Southern Black Also in that area, we had African Green Flycatchers, while the Bronze Mannikins Pigeon, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Blue were feeding their babies. We decided to Waxbill, White-throated Robin-chat, walk in small groups as there were quite Orange-breasted , Little a few photographers. Soon we started Bee-eater, Arrow-marked Babbler, Chin- our walk and we had Amethyst Sunbirds, spot Batis and Natal Spurfowl. Getting the dominant birds there, preening, call- back to the group we had some 9 Cape ing, chasing and feeding on the variety Vultures flying over the mountain. of flowering aloes. In fact, I have never It is really a fantastic place if you want seen so many sunbirds in such a small to photograph Sunbirds when the aloes area before. Going towards the wild aloe are in flower. We missed the target bird area, a Marico Sunbird male was showing though. I atlassed 53 species in 3 hours. his beautiful iridescence. Cameras were Thank you Johan de Jager for leading the clicking and the birds were ignoring us! group, We walked up to the area where the White-fronted Bee-eaters have a breed-

Fairy Flycatcher - Photo by Lia Steen

African Green - Photo by Lia Steen

26 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 Marico Sunbird - Photo by Lia Steen

Sediba Game & Conference Lodge North West Province Sediba Lodge offers comfortable accommodation in 10 serviced chalets for up to 32 guests, with linen and towels provided. The communal lapa and braai area are situated next to a sparkling swimming pool. Kitchen facilities include all crockery and cutlery and a communal lounge and reading room offers DStv. Sediba is only an hour and 40 minute drive from Randburg and is close to the town of Brits. Situated on 500 hectares of pristine bushveld the Lodge has recorded over 180 species of birds and contains a selection of large game including giraffe, wildebeest, zebra and kudu. Normal rate R400 per person per night. Special rates are offered for birders: - R600 per person per weekend for groups of ten or more with a single supplement of R750 Enquiries: - Kim Burton-Durham [email protected]

Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 | 27 4 mm Body top World Shorebirds Day 6 September

Global Shorebird Counting • Count shorebirds (and ideally all birds) during the given dates (5–11 5–11 September 2018 September 2018). List of shorebirds The Global Shorebird Counting, held can be found here: https://goo.gl/ every year, is one of the key events of qCjBdn; World Shorebirds Day. • Submit your data to eBird the largest database in the world, (details at this The annual Global Shorebird Counting blog post: https:// goo.gl/zdZGdL). demonstrates the importance of field • Share the eBird checklist with the work, supports observers in improving username, WorldShorebirdsDay by 30 counting skills, and contributes to the September 2018. Here is how to do it: increase of the number of birdwatchers https://goo.gl/EzNPFV and scientists monitoring shorebirds worldwide. Further information How can you take part? Every effort counts, whether there are • Chose your most probable location(s) hundreds individuals or just one, submit where you be birdwatching between your records. 5–11 September 2018. The more suita- ble habitat you chose, the If you feel you can offer further help in better; getting more locals engaged with this • Register your location(s) to participate program or organising the counts in by this form: https://goo.gl/CbfoJ6; your region, please register yourself as • Invite your birding mates to par- a the World Shorebirds Day Ambassa- ticipate and friends, or pledge new dor. More information is here: https:// birdwatchers utilising the mission of goo.gl/tECnVH this event. 28 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 Rarities and Unusual Sightings Report: 30 June 2018 Compiled by André Marx This report covers the three months ending 30 June 2018. This period brings fewer rarity reports, however it was inter- esting to note the occurrence of species such as Wire-tailed Swallow and Spec- tacled Weaver during the winter months. SABAP2 records also are an important source of information and contribute greatly to this column; note the localised record of Swee Waxbill and Natal Spur- fowl for the region. Thank you to all the regular contributors of reports. Please African Skimmer. Waterploeër.- photo by send any interesting and out of range Cecilia Louw records together with a photo if possible to the address given below. Swallow, Wire-tailed. Swael, Draadstert-

National Rarities/Nasionalerariteite Two birds were back at Rooiwal Sewage Works, north of Pretoria, 9 Jun 2018 (RG). Harrier, Western Marsh. Vleivalk, Eu- Recorded in winter for the second year ropese running at this locality; this is a rare spe- One bird was observed at Marievale Bird cies in the region. Sanctuary, 22 Mar 2018 (WS). Skimmer, African. Waterploeër. Seven birds were still present at Finfoot Lake Reserve, Vaalkop Dam, 8 Apr 2018 (AB); six were still at this locality, 21 Apr 2018 (CL); with four present on 12 May 2018 (EP). Regional Rarities/Streeksrariteite Crane, Wattled. Kraanvoël, Lel- The lone bird that has been present in the Devon area for at least 8 years now was sighted again in the company of approximately 100 Blue Cranes, 23 May Wire-tailed Swallow. Draadstert Swael - photo 2018 (EM, AB et al). by Rihaan Geyser

Bokmakierie Apugust 2018 No 252 | 29 4 mm Body top Pratincole, Collared. Sprinkaanvoël, Other Interesting Observations/An- Rooivlerk- der Interessants Waarnemings One bird was at Kgomo-Kgomo on 24 Buzzard, European Honey. Wespedief Mar 2018 (DW). During an atlassing trip west of Devon Vulture, Lappet-faced, Aasvoël, Swart- one bird was found in pentad 2620_2840, 2 Apr 2018 (ST, AM). One bird was observed at Kgomo-Kgo- mo in the company of a group of Cape One bird was at Wierda Park, Centurion, Vultures, 13 Mar 2018 (DV). This is a very 9 Apr 2018 (NC). rare species in the region with few re- cords during the course of a year. Another bird was observed in Raceview, Alberton, 19 Apr 2018 (WM). Weaver, Spectacled. Wewer, Bril- Eagle, Long-crested. Arend, Langkuif- An adult female bird was a surprise find in the nets during a ringing session at One bird was on the corner of Garsfon- Buffelsdrift, north-east of Pretoria in tein and Rubenstein Road in Garsfontein, pentad 2535_2815, 2 Jun 2018 (ES). An Pretoria, 7 Apr 2018 (JB). interesting record; this is a species to watch on the eastern edge of our region Goose, African Pygmy. Gans, Dwerg- as records of out of range birds are be- One bird was at Mongena Game Lodge coming more frequent. in the Dinokeng area, north-east of Preto- ria, 5 Apr 2018 (WT). Osprey. Visvalk During a period of high water after heavy rains one bird was noted at the Kgo- mo-Kgomo bridge, 25 Mar 2018 (J&CH). Owl, Southern White-faced. Uil, Wit- wang- After a period of no reports the bird at the Sandton Field and Study Centre was seen again, 25 May 2018 (SB). Spurfowl Natal. Fisant, Natalse- One bird was at Marievale, an out-of- range locality where it is has not been recorded during the atlas period, 6 May 2018 (MB). Stork, Yellow-billed. Nimmersat A record of one bird in pentad Spectacled Weaver. Bril-Wewer - photo by Elba Swart 30 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 2018 (EM). An uncommon and localised resident species that appears to be pres- ent in small numbers only in the western Magaliesberg mountains in our region. Weaver, Red-headed. Wewer, Rooikop- A bird in non-breeding plumage was ob- served near Kgaswane Nature Reserve in pentad 2540_2710, near Rustenburg, somewhat out of range for this species, 16 Apr 2018 (JJ). Natal Spurfowl. Natalse-Fisant - photo by Martin Benadie Observers/ Waarnemers: Andrew Buitendach (AB) André Marx (AM) Cecilia Louw (CL) Danie Welman (DW) Dylan Vasapolli (DV) Elba Swart (ES) Etienne Marais (EM) Ewan Potgieter (EW)

Yellow-billed Stork. Nimmersat - Jannie Jansen (JJ) photo by Etienne Marais Joey Botha (JB) 2550_2800, west of Centurion, is some- John and Celia Human (J&CH) what unusual, 7 Jun 2018 (EM). Martin Benadie (MB) Thick-knee, Water. Dikkop, Water- Naomi Coetzee (NC) One bird was in the Dinokeng area north- east of Pretoria, 31 Mar 2018 (AB). Rihann Geyser (RG) Samantha Bradley (SB) Another bird was recorded at Vaalkop Dam in pentad 2520_2720, 22 Apr 2018 Stephan Terblanche (ST) (CL). Waldo Toerien (WT) Waxbill, Swee. Swie, Suidelike Warren McKay (WM) A record of a male bird in pentad Wouter Spijker (WS) 2550_2725 at the top of Breedtsnek Pass in the Magaliesberg is unusual, 16 Mar This column is mainly concerned with

Bokmakierie Apugust 2018 No 252 | 31 4 mm Body top observations of rarities and interesting sightings made in the Greater Gauteng region, defined as being 100km from the centre of both Johannesburg and Pretoria. While the majority of records are included it is sometimes necessary to exclude some de- pending on whether the subject matter has already been well reported. Occasionally records are sourced from Internet reports and from SABAP2 records. Members are invited to submit details of sightings to André Marx at e-mail [email protected] or 083 4117674.

Welcome New Members

Marylou Bawden Parkhurst Charmaine Dawson Sunninghill Bruce Field Sandton Rosemary Girard Albertville Mervyn and Nicolas Harding Craighall Park Danie Knipe Featherbrooke Estate Nikki, Storm, Siya and Precious Benoni Mackillican Adriaan and Anneke Meintjies Fontainebleau Les Oakenfull Craighal

32 | Bokmakierie August 2018 No 252 Faerie Glen Nature Reserve - Sunday 10 June 2018

Photos by Jan van Heerden