Kirstenbosch Bird Walk – 21 February 2023 Led by Otto Schmidt.

The first part of February had been very dry, windy and hot, and a number of people commented on how quiet the birding had been in the Gardens.
So, when the heavens opened early on the 20th, I hoped that the cooler weather and damp conditions would bring the birds out to feed. And so it proved! About 40 eager birders, including two overseas couples, set off from Gate 1 shortly after 8am. It took us a full half hour to cover the short distance from the entrance gate to the otter pond, by which time our bird list stood at over 20 species.

To the left of the path a male Malachite Sunbird was hawking insects from a tall tree, Forest Canaries were feeding low down in the vegetation and a Sombre Greenbul was calling from inside the dense cover. A female Klaas’s Cuckoo was spotted feeding close by in the flower bed near the canaries and it gave good views. To the right of the path there was a stand of red hot pokers which was attracting a number of Southern Double-collared and Orange-breasted Sunbirds. In addition we picked up Levaillant’s Cisticola, Speckled Mousebird, Bronze Mannikin and a pair of Southern Boubous. A raptor flying between the trees across the lawn was identified as an adult African Harrier-Hawk. Overhead we had good views of a circling pale morph Booted Eagle and images taken of a second raptor showed this to be a 2nd (dark morph) Booted Eagle.

Perched on the “Vygie” sign slightly higher up on the left of the path and very relaxed was a Fiscal Flycatcher, a fairly rare bird in the gardens.
We eventually passed through the Dell and up the path towards “owl rock”, adding birds such as Karoo Prinia, Black Sawwing, Cape Spurfowl, African Dusky Flycatcher and several male Cape Sugarbirds with their impressively long tails.
The Canadian couple in the group was keen to add the other two canary species to the Forest Canaries seen earlier, and eventually both Cape and Brimstone Canaries showed well, as did a Cape Grassbird. We then had excellent views of a displaying and calling male Cape Batis, always a favourite with visitors. Finally, we also had a good look at a Sombre Greenbul, heard calling several times earlier.

When we reached the Enchanted Forest, a second Klaas’s Cuckoo was spotted and it perched beautifully for the photographers. The Boomslang elevated walkway was closed, but continuing underneath, a Lemon Dove was discovered on the forest floor in deep shade. It remained motionless and hard to pick out, but eventually most of the group had a reasonable view of this sought-after bird.

We continued back down the Gardens and, after spotting one female Swee Waxbill earlier, we now had a group feeding on seeds in the tall grass near the otter pond. They were very relaxed and made excellent photographic subjects. Eventually, someone spotted a four-striped mouse also feeding high up in the tall grasses. Normally quite shy, this individual was totally focused on its meal and it showed beautifully.

Finally, a turn past the BotSoc office added Common Waxbill to the morning’s list which finished on the very impressive total of 39 species. Super-spotter Zoë, who had come early, had also seen and photographed Olive Woodpecker and African Olive Pigeon, but unfortunately we did not come across these two species on the walk. We also did not see several other species one would often expect to find, but it was a most productive morning walk in lovely weather and, hopefully, enjoyed by all who attended.

The birds seen and recorded, in roughly chronological order, were: Cape Bulbul, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Malachite Sunbird, Bronze Mannikin, Orange-breasted Sunbird, Forest Canary, Red-winged Starling, Egyptian Goose, Olive Thrush, Fork-tailed Drongo, Speckled Mousebird, Levaillant’s Cisticola, African Harrier-Hawk, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Helmeted Guineafowl, Fiscal Flycatcher, Southern Boubou, Cape Robin-chat, Hadeda Ibis, Booted Eagle, Karoo Prinia, Cape Spurfowl, Black Sawwing, White-necked Raven, African Dusky Flycatcher, Cape Canary, Cape Sugarbird, Swee Waxbill, Sombre Greenbul, Brimstone Canary, Cape Batis, Cape White-eyes, Ring-necked Dove, African Paradise Flycatcher, Cape Grassbird, Lemon Dove, Red-eyed Dove, Common Buzzard and Common Waxbill.

Photographs by Zoe Lunau-Johns, Daryl de Beer, Penny Dichmont and Jacque Smit.

Report by Otto Schmidt.

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