July 2014 No 42 KZN BIRDS Newsletter of the KZN Branches of BirdLife South Africa KZN BIRDS No 42 KZN BIRDS No 42 EDITORIAL CONTENTS CHAIR’S CHIRPS Congratulations to you both on the birth of your healthy little boy. Rina, Aldo THANK you to everyone who cast a vote in 3 Chair’s Chirps Berutti, Graham Kletz, Sue Stephenson our survey whether readers would prefer a 3 BirdLife Sisonke and Musawenkosi Mntungwa are our hard copy or electronic version of this 4 BirdLife Midlands other committee members. As with all newsletter. The results were 65% in favour 5 BirdLife Zululand committees new people bring new ideas of the printed copy and 35% who would like 7 BirdLife Trogons and I look forward to the coming season to receive a digital copy. The way forward 10 BirdLife Port Natal I ENDED my last chirp with these words, for our club. will be debated further at the KZN Bird “Seasons come and seasons go, for me Birding in the Sisonke area has been Forum which will be held in September. 12 Conservation and Projects 12 Wader survey KZN coastline the winter period (hibernation and lack quiet for the past two months. With the A big thank you too to all contributors who of new growth) of BirdLife Sisonke will Sani2c cycle race passing through our help to pack these issues with interesting 14 KZN Bird Forum hopefully come to an end, spring will area I had little time to pick up my bins, and entertaining information. An example is 14 Forum informs and educates follow winter, here's hoping that our club other than to count the Denham's the cover photograph of a trio of longclaws 15 In search of Blue Swallow nests will spring into action during the next few Bustards as they fed in the valley across by Hugh Chittenden. KwaZulu-Natal is the 15 CWAC results for Durban estuaries months. I wonder what 2014 has in store from my kitchen. Some days 15 of these only province where all three species occur. for BirdLife Sisonke?” 12 Bird Notes and observations majestic birds wonder through the maize Please continue to send in your At our AGM in March Nicholas Theron 16 Pelican numbers look good fields. An interesting visitor during the observations, trip reports and photographs! was voted in as our new chair! So yes, past month has been one Knob-billed 18 Marsh Owl behaviour after storms seasons have changed. I handed the Duck amongst a huge flock of Spur- Crystelle Wilson 18 Greater Honeyguide parasitism chair’s baton over to Nick and wish to winged Geese. 19 Raptors regurgitating congratulate him on his election. I look Faithway, Ixopo Primary and Goxhill 20 Woofpecker rules the roost forward to new and interesting ideas that schools all benefited financially from 21 Pollination of Leonotis flowers he will bring to our club. helping BirdLife Sisonke at the 22 How do birds know? Nick is not the only new person to join refreshment tables for the cycle races. 22 Buzzard plumage correction the committee. David Theron (Nick and The funds will be used in the schools for 23 Bird Trips Rina's son) is our latest member. conservation education purposes. 22 iSimangaliso park worthwhile In June I escaped from 23 Voluminous vultures BELOW: The Ixopo Primary school assisted BirdLife my office for a week to visit 23 East Africa in 100 days: part 2 Sisonke at refreshment tables during the Sani2c cycle exciting areas in Zululand. race. The team is seen here with club members (from As always, the grass is BIRDLIFE PORT NATAL CALENDAR 2015 27 Honorary Recorder’s Report Order your copies now left to right at the back) Sue Stephenson, Aldo and also greener on the other [email protected] 31 Club Activities Sharron Berutti, Trish Strachan and Bheki Nkabane side when it comes to Photo supplied b i r d i n g . F o l k f r o m Zululand enjoy Blue KZN BIRDS Swallow and Cape Parrot KZN Birds is the newsletter of BirdLife Port Natal, BirdLife KZN Midlands, BirdLife Zululand, BirdLife Sisonke and BirdLife Trogons, all branches of Birdlife South Africa, and is published three times a year. Any member of the public, sightings in our area, whether members of a branch or not, are invited to submit articles for publication. Views expressed in KZN Birds are while for me a trip north not necessarily those of the editor, the aforementioned clubs or BirdLife SA. All national rarities are subject to acceptance by the National Rarities Committee. means warmer weather in Submissions are used at the discretion of the editor and may be held back for future editions. Contributions can winter and new birds for be sent to the Editor, Crystelle Wilson, at [email protected] or typed or neatly written and posted to Crystelle at 2 Lanville, 149 North Ridge Road, Durban my year list. 4001. Good quality, high resolution digital photographs are We started off with also welcome. Telephone: 031 2080577 or 082 7235158 Advertising in KZN Birds Per issue three days at Mtunzini. The deadline for the next issue Front cover logo R1000 Mangrove Kingfisher, Back page colour R1500 Palm-nut Vulture, Red- is 1 October 2014 Full Page inside b&w R 1000 Front cover: Yellow-throated, Cape and Rosy-throated Half Page R 500 F a c e d a n d R u f o u s - Longclaws by Hugh Chittenden Quarter Page R 250 Winged Cisticolas were Desktop Publishing: Crystelle Wilson Smalls R2 per word amongst my best birds. July 2014 2 3 July 2014 KZN BIRDS No 42 KZN BIRDS No 42 EDITORIAL CONTENTS CHAIR’S CHIRPS Congratulations to you both on the birth of your healthy little boy. Rina, Aldo THANK you to everyone who cast a vote in 3 Chair’s Chirps Berutti, Graham Kletz, Sue Stephenson our survey whether readers would prefer a 3 BirdLife Sisonke and Musawenkosi Mntungwa are our hard copy or electronic version of this 4 BirdLife Midlands other committee members. As with all newsletter. The results were 65% in favour 5 BirdLife Zululand committees new people bring new ideas of the printed copy and 35% who would like 7 BirdLife Trogons and I look forward to the coming season to receive a digital copy. The way forward 10 BirdLife Port Natal I ENDED my last chirp with these words, for our club. will be debated further at the KZN Bird “Seasons come and seasons go, for me Birding in the Sisonke area has been Forum which will be held in September. 12 Conservation and Projects 12 Wader survey KZN coastline the winter period (hibernation and lack quiet for the past two months. With the A big thank you too to all contributors who of new growth) of BirdLife Sisonke will Sani2c cycle race passing through our help to pack these issues with interesting 14 KZN Bird Forum hopefully come to an end, spring will area I had little time to pick up my bins, and entertaining information. An example is 14 Forum informs and educates follow winter, here's hoping that our club other than to count the Denham's the cover photograph of a trio of longclaws 15 In search of Blue Swallow nests will spring into action during the next few Bustards as they fed in the valley across by Hugh Chittenden. KwaZulu-Natal is the 15 CWAC results for Durban estuaries months. I wonder what 2014 has in store from my kitchen. Some days 15 of these only province where all three species occur. for BirdLife Sisonke?” 12 Bird Notes and observations majestic birds wonder through the maize Please continue to send in your At our AGM in March Nicholas Theron 16 Pelican numbers look good fields. An interesting visitor during the observations, trip reports and photographs! was voted in as our new chair! So yes, past month has been one Knob-billed 18 Marsh Owl behaviour after storms seasons have changed. I handed the Duck amongst a huge flock of Spur- Crystelle Wilson 18 Greater Honeyguide parasitism chair’s baton over to Nick and wish to winged Geese. 19 Raptors regurgitating congratulate him on his election. I look Faithway, Ixopo Primary and Goxhill 20 Woofpecker rules the roost forward to new and interesting ideas that schools all benefited financially from 21 Pollination of Leonotis flowers he will bring to our club. helping BirdLife Sisonke at the 22 How do birds know? Nick is not the only new person to join refreshment tables for the cycle races. 22 Buzzard plumage correction the committee. David Theron (Nick and The funds will be used in the schools for 23 Bird Trips Rina's son) is our latest member. conservation education purposes. 22 iSimangaliso park worthwhile In June I escaped from 23 Voluminous vultures BELOW: The Ixopo Primary school assisted BirdLife my office for a week to visit 23 East Africa in 100 days: part 2 Sisonke at refreshment tables during the Sani2c cycle exciting areas in Zululand. race. The team is seen here with club members (from As always, the grass is BIRDLIFE PORT NATAL CALENDAR 2015 27 Honorary Recorder’s Report Order your copies now left to right at the back) Sue Stephenson, Aldo and also greener on the other [email protected] 31 Club Activities Sharron Berutti, Trish Strachan and Bheki Nkabane side when it comes to Photo supplied b i r d i n g . F o l k f r o m Zululand enjoy Blue KZN BIRDS Swallow and Cape Parrot KZN Birds is the newsletter of BirdLife Port Natal, BirdLife KZN Midlands, BirdLife Zululand, BirdLife Sisonke and BirdLife Trogons, all branches of Birdlife South Africa, and is published three times a year.