Outing to Sunbird Centre, Clovelly, Fish Hoek.

After weeks of hot weather, Tuesday 04 March dawned cooler with a light northerly which brought a bit of mist and a light drizzle off and on during the morning.

The weather did not deter the folk who joined me on the walk and after donning light rain gear and carrying umbrellas we strolled along the dirt road from the car park towards the golf course keeping an eye and ear out for anything that moved or sang.

Perhaps it was the very hot, dry weather that we had been experiencing but not much was about, or so we thought! A few Red-eyed Doves were perched on the top of the tall trees growing next to the old farm buildings that are now used as dormitory accommodation for school groups. A Cape Robin-chat could be heard calling from the thick growth near the Silvermine River and African Black Swifts and Barn Swallows were flying low.

Daryl had seen a group of Greater Crested Terns flying towards Noordhoek. These birds are often seen or heard flying up the Fish Hoek valley from their feeding area in False Bay to their breeding / roosting ground at Granger Bay.

It was not long before we started seeing more as we made our way along the road and in spite of the weather and months of very little rain a list of 28 species was made. We also saw two angulate tortoises out enjoying the rain – not bad for an hour.

Priscilla suggested that we gather at her house nearby to have coffee, an offer that was accepted with alacrity by most of us who did not have prior engagements. A lovely ending for a damp but enjoyable morning.

Thank you to all who joined in and to Daryl de Beer for the photographs.

Our list:
Greater Crested Tern
Red-eyed Dove
Cape Robin-chat
Barn Swallow
African Black Swift
Cape Weaver
Egyptian Goose
Yellow Bishop
Southern Double-collared Sunbird
Karoo Prinia
Pin-tailed Whydah
Cape Grassbird
Bokmakierie
Cape Bulbul
Southern Boubou
Saw-wing
Little Swift
Sombre Greenbul (heard)
Dusky Flycatcher
Common Waxbill
Jackal Buzzard
Red-faced Mousebird
Cape Sparrow
Olive Thrush
Fiscal Flycatcher
Brimstone Canary
Southern Fiscal
Speckled Pigeon

Photographs by Daryl de Beer.

Report by Gillian Barnes.