Johannesburg – and most of the South African Highveld region in fact – enjoyed very warm weather over the festive season, with temperatures hovering around or over 30 deg Celcius, so we were able to get out and about and enjoy plenty of holiday birding everywhere!  We also visited KwaZulu-Natal to see relatives and saw some lovely birds there, too, even though this was not a “birding” trip as such. 

Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve

Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve is looking beautiful at the moment after excellent summer rains have turned the rolling hills suddenly green.  Wildflowers are blooming everywhere among the rocks and carpets of yellow cover both grasslands and hills.  We visited twice over the festive season and noticed that there are fewer birds in the picnic areas and car park at the moment (possibly due to all the holiday activity).  We ventured out on the scenic drive  and saw plenty of birds including Rufous-naped Lark, Eastern Long-billed Lark and several cisticolas (little brown birds very hard to identify as they all look very similar!).  Pin-tailed Wydahs chased every other bird in the vicinity, usual behaviour for them during the breeding season.  We saw Cape Rock Thrushes and Ant-eating Chats among the rocky outcrops, while the tall grasses were favoured by both Long-tailed and Fan-tailed Widowbirds, Common Stone Chats and numerous Cape (Orange-throated) Longclaws.  We observed both Tawny-flanked and Black-chested Prinias, the tiny but attractive Bar-throated Apalis, together with Cape Robin-chats, Helmeted Guineafowl and Swainsons Spurfowl.  Golden Bishops were very much in evidence, matching the flowers with their daffodil yellow plumage.  We also saw the Didericks Cuckoo with its lovely green and white colouring.  Our personal highlight was the sighting of a lone Peregrine Falcon, which we have not seen at Suikerbosrand before, although they do occur there.  We also saw a large herd of eland – the largest antelope in Africa – as well as zebra, wildebeest and red hartebeest on the plains.

Paradise Flycatcher

The Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens is on the other side of Johannesburg from where we live but we decided to visit during this holiday season.  Due to the good rains, the waterfall plunging down the cliffs just below the spring which is the source of the Crocodile River was in full spate, much wider and fuller than usual.  We saw the usual collection of Red Bishops, Southern Masked Weaver and a lone African Black Duck at the dam – but the riverine forest along the river drew us with an exciting collection of birds.  We saw a Paradise Flycatcher several times and then realized that there appeared to be two females hawking insects and feeding a juvenile, which they were trying to keep in the thicker foliage of the trees.  We saw a male – which has a longer tail – in another part of the forest.  A Southern Boubou settled on a branch very close to us, singing his very melodious song.  Red-chested Cuckoos flew everywhere, chased by one of their hosts – the Cape Robin-chat.  This behaviour is an endeavour to prevent the cuckoo from laying its eggs in the host nest but does not work too well as the female slips in to lay eggs quickly (within seconds), while the host is otherwise engaged! 

Great Crested Grebe

Kayaking on our local Homestead Dam in Benoni, we noticed that Great Crested Grebes had moved in.  After a day or two, we realized that there appeared to be a pair lurking near the water lilies on the far bank – and they had three or four juveniles with them!  This was very exciting as we had not seen them on the dam before.  We also observed Whiskered Tern, Red-knobbed Coot, Southern Pocherd and both Purple and Squacco Herons there.  One one occasion, I also observed an African Harrier Hawk flying overhead, together with one or two White Storks.

We visited our favourite bird sanctuary near Springs and found that both the Glossy Ibises and Squacco Herons had moved off – at least, they were not as evident as usual.  However, we observed both Hottentot Teal and Red-billed Teal together with Cape Shoveller in the wetlands, together with large flocks of Red-knobbed Coot.  One one occasion, we saw a Black Crake (very shy and difficult to see), as well as an African Jacana.  We also saw Reed Cormorants and African Darters.  Great Crested  Grebes were in evidence, for the first time in many months.  The grassland areas of the sanctuary revealed Ant-eating Chat, Common Stone Chat, Long-tailed Widowbird, Black-headed Heron and several Cape (Orange-throated) Longclaws.  A special sighting was that of a possible Western Marsh Harrier, which is an unusual bird to see in this area.  It occurs in grasslands bordering wetlands.

Malachite Kingfisher

We visited KwaZulu-Natal and observed numerous Yellow-billed Kites flying around between the town of Pietermaritzburg and the Natal Midlands area.  We stopped over for a night at Utrecht Dam, where we observed both Barn Swallows and Lesser-striped Swallows hawking insects over the water.  We also heard Red-chested Cuckoos calling.  The following day, we took a drive into the reserve, seeing Natal Spurwing, Helmeted Guineafowl, Cape Longclaw, Fiscal Shrike, Fiscal Flycatcher, Red-backed Shrike, Southern Boubou and Southern Masked Weaver.  A Malachite Kingfisher posed for photographs near a large puddle of water – it was one of our best photographic experiences of these birds.  We also saw a Steppe Buzzard.

We took a scenic drive up to Wakkerstroom but did not stay over in the town.  The country gravel roads were lined with numerous Amur Falcons – both juveniles and adults – and we saw several White Storks and Cattle Egrets among cattle and sheep on farms.  There were a number of Golden Bishops and Red Bishops visible in reed beds and other wetland habitats en route.  In Wakkerstroom itself, we observed Grey Crowned Crane, Cape (Orange-throated) Longclaw, more Amur Falcon – and a Red-chested Cuckoo, perching (somewhat unusually) conspicuously in the top of a large willow tree.  Wetland areas revealed Yellow-billed Duck, Yellow-billed Egret and Spurwing Goose, together with several Red-knobbed Coots. 

Adbim's Stork

Our biggest surprise came when driving back to  Johannesburg from Wakkerstroom.  Alongside the road not far from the town of Standerton we were fortunate to see the incredible Abdim’s Stork.  Several of them were in flocks in short grassland pastures next to the road.  The birds are identifiable by the distinctive red spots on their knees and feet, as well as their grey and red bills.  We had never seen these before, so I put down another “lifer” for my last bird list of 2009!

We are looking forward to 2010 and the awesome opportunities it is sure to bring.  Make this year one when you visit South Africa and experience our wonderful summer weather on both our Birding Hotspots and Bushveld Birding Tours.  For those coming over for the Soccer World Cup in June/July, we are not offering tours over this period but do have pre and post Soccer tours on offer.  Remember that we also do other departures on request, subject to availability of accommodation, guides, vehicles, etc.  We look forward to welcoming you to our beautiful country.