Outing to the Tokai Lower.
03 March 2026 – Led by Siv Sivertsen.
An active African Dusky Flycatcher hung around the CBC rendezvous spot for the Lower Tokai walk on Tuesday, 3 March 2026.
Off the bat, a Black Sparrowhawk swooped through the trees and into its nest. The beautiful raptor afforded us all a few good views of it coming and going before it flew off to perch in the open. It appeared to be actively building its nest, collecting twigs from the plantation. The morning had further sightings of other individuals and nests, and their loud calls were heard a good number of times. Tokai is a good spot to see this species over the coming winter months whilst breeding.
It was a beautiful, calm and sunny morning – and the birds were very active. A pair of vocal Fork-tailed Drongos alerted us to their brief presence and, shortly afterwards, Eurasian Chaffinches were observed moving through the pine plantation whilst feeding. A fun sighting which tested both eyesight and neck strength!
The Phragmites reedbeds along the Keysers River greenbelt provided a lot of action. Among the small seedeaters seen were a gorgeous male Pin-tailed Whydah in breeding attire (a female also made a brief appearance), Common and Swee Waxbills and flocks of Bronze Mannikins. Whilst keeping an eye on the close-up eye-level action, we enjoyed a host of aerial feeders which raced about frenetically. This, of course, caused much discussion and a little debate as to just who was who. We had good diversity among them: Little, White-rumped, Alpine and African Black Swifts, along with Barn, White-throated, and Greater-Striped Swallows, along with a Rock Martin. There was a further bit of excitement with what was thought may have been three Pearl-breasted Swallows which flapped furiously across our position, unfortunately disappearing into the distance without conclusion, and this unlikely sighting shall forever remain unsolved…
No Mystery Buzzards were about this day, but at least we had good viewings of a perched, and then soaring, Buzzard of the common variety.
The bird list tallied by Daryl de Beer hit 39 species, as did that of Siv’s. When I collated these and my own list, it reflected 40 species seen – not bad for a 2.5km walk through pine plantation and along the fringes of residential space.
Trip: Lower Tokai Forest
Date: 2026-03-03 to 2026-03-03
Observations: 40
Species: 40
Species (heard only): 0
Pentad: 3400_1825, Start: 2026-03-03, End: 2026-03-03, Species: 40, Observations: 40
1. Hadada Ibis, 2026-03-03 10:42
2. Western Cattle Egret, 2026-03-03 10:31
3. Cape Sparrow, 2026-03-03 10:31
4. Greater Striped Swallow, 2026-03-03 10:13
5. Little Rush Warbler, 2026-03-03 10:09
6. Cape Weaver, 2026-03-03 10:04
7. Levaillant’s Cisticola, 2026-03-03 10:02
8. Southern Fiscal, 2026-03-03 09:53
9. White-throated Swallow, 2026-03-03 09:53
10. Common Starling, 2026-03-03 09:51
11. Common Waxbill, 2026-03-03 09:51
12. Large Rock Martin, 2026-03-03 09:49
13. Yellow Bishop, 2026-03-03 09:48
14. Malachite Sunbird, 2026-03-03 09:48
15. Yellow-billed Kite, 2026-03-03 09:47
16. White-rumped Swift, 2026-03-03 09:47
17. African Black Swift, 2026-03-03 09:47
18. Little Swift, 2026-03-03 09:46
19. Alpine Swift, 2026-03-03 09:45
20. Swee Waxbill, 2026-03-03 09:42
21. Barn Swallow, 2026-03-03 09:42
22. Cape Canary, 2026-03-03 09:41
23. White-backed Mousebird, 2026-03-03 09:40
24. Karoo Prinia, 2026-03-03 09:39
25. Common Buzzard, 2026-03-03 09:39
26. Olive Thrush, 2026-03-03 09:39
27. Pin-tailed Whydah, 2026-03-03 09:39
28. Eurasian Chaffinch, 2026-03-03 09:24
29. Cape Bulbul, 2026-03-03 09:06
30. Red-winged Starling, 2026-03-03 09:06
31. Southern Double-collared Sunbird, 2026-03-03 09:06
32. Laughing Dove, 2026-03-03 09:04
33. Bronze Mannikin, 2026-03-03 09:03
34. Pied Crow, 2026-03-03 09:01
35. Fork-tailed Drongo, 2026-03-03 08:50
36. Cape Robin-Chat, 2026-03-03 08:45
37. Red-eyed Dove, 2026-03-03 08:41
38. Black Sparrowhawk, 2026-03-03 08:39
39. Cape White-eye, 2026-03-03 08:35
40. African Dusky Flycatcher, 2026-03-03 08:25
Sent via BirdLasser.
Thanks to Siv Sivertsen for leading this most enjoyable morning meet.
Photographs by Penny Dichmont.
Report by Justin Hawthorne.
