The day dawned cold, but bright and dry - a relief after the rain on arrival in Dulstroom yesterday evening, and it didn't take long for the early clouds to dissipate leaving a pleasantly warm day under clear blue skies. The 6am start wasn't too early as we set of to explore the highveld and the Veloran Valei National Park.
After yesterdays paltry return on raptors, it was pleasing to pick up Jackal and Forest Buzzards in quick succession. A first stop to try of Gurney's Sugerbird failed to locate any as most of the Protea were not yet in flower. We did locate Cape Longclaw, and a stunning little bird it is too, with its orange throat and yellow undersides. Cape Canaries were also highly conspicuous.
As we neared Veloren Valei a group of Gemsbok were noted off to the side of the road. Unfortunately these were stock from a game ranch, reared for hunting and out of their natural range, so were not tickable.
The birds, however, were tickable and the stunning Malachite Sunbird was appreciated by all. Over the next couple of days we were to see plenty of these iridescent green sunbirds - the field guides just don't do this species justice. New birds continued to fall our way, with Pied and Red-winged Starlings, Buff-streaked Chat, Horus and African Black Swifts, as well as a Common Swift and Rock Kestrel.
We eventually entered the National Park and quickly picked up Eastern Long-billed Lark, Buffy and Long-billed Pipits. The hunt was on for a Wattled Crane that had been seen in the area a couple of weeks earlier and whilst local farmers confirmed it was still in the area, we unfortunately couldn't locate it.
At one stop as were looking to get back into the minibuses, Toby found what he first thought was a small bee resting on one of the buses. On picking it up on his finger and showing it to me - by this time he was aware that my interests extended beyong the birds ans mammals - I noted it was a small moth and, from the shape of the wings, something in the Clearwing family, though the fore wing was covered in scales. Some research back home has identified this moth as likely to be Halictina andraenipinnis, and is described as a bee mimic.
Halictina andraenipinnis
We decided to head back to Dulstroom for at late breakfast at Harry's Pancake's but soo stopped as a group of raptors were spotted low in the distance in front of us. A quick scan identified them as Cape Vultures, and they were dropping down near the road. Off we set and soon found the vultures squabbling over a carcass about 800m from the road. Every couple of minutes another bird would drop in, followed by a squabble as it tried to get to the carcass. Thing would quieten down as they fed, until the next vulture landed. Off to one side a lone Black-backed Jackal sat waiting his chances to grab something to eat - I think he had two hopes, and one of them was Bob.
After an excellent brunch at the pancake place, we set off, this time taking the back road that runs up the west of Valoren Valei, up to the R577, along the R577 before taking the dirt road back to Dulstroom through the Valoren Valei.
More species were added to the trip list, with Yellow Bishop, Red-collared Widow-bird, Black-collared Barbet and Brown-hooded Kingfisher being the early picks. A calling Northern Black-bellied Korhaan could not be located, but several Ant-eating Chats were found.
At one point we pulled over, overlooking a series of famed fields where we quickly found at least a dozen Southern Bald Ibis. Scanning across the fields also revealed 4 Blue and two Grey Crowned Cranes. Unfortunately they were distant, so we had to do with shared scope views. My only real regret of the trip was not taking my scope - I didn't take as I knew we would be mainly birding from vehicles, but there were a number of occasions were the scope would have come in very handy.
As we traveled this road the guides heard several Cloud Cisticola's singing, but no one could get any visual on this time birds that sing like a skylark, high in the sky. Fortune, however, was on our side, at least those of us in the lead minibus. As we were slowly driving along, a small bird suddenly appeared out of the front windscreen on our right hand side and flew along about 3-4 meters in front of the minibus for several seconds, giving us all great views of this short tailed aerial singer, before ir dropped into the roadside grasses, were it was quickly chased off by the larger, and longer tailed Levaillant's Cisticola. Nice views of a difficult bird to see.
All along this back road, most of the termite mounds were showing signs of having been broken into by Aardvark's, leaving me wondering what a night drive might find.
Onto the R577 there was a very nice marshy area on either side, which contained at least 4 Purple Herons, all showing remarkably well. Further along the road, as it rose over a ridge we passed a stand of Protea's. In the leading minibus, we didn't pick up anything but the second vehicle did - a Gurney's Sugerbird. Although not attractively plumaged, this highly localised endemic was high on everybody's most wanted list. We had to find a spot to do a U turn, not easy on a busy two lane carrageway, before we could return to join the others. But we did manage to turn round and was back at the Protea's within a couple of minutes. At first we couldn't locate anything, them both myself and Toby located a small Prinia, a Drakensberg Prinia, another localised endemic. Soon the Sugerbird flew over and landed in the top of one of the Protea bush. Unfortunately only it's head could be seen clearly, but that plus the flight view was enough to confirm the id (and tick) for myself.
Back onto the dirt road through the Valoren Valei added nothing new, though a party of 3 stately Blue Cranes showed much closer than our earlier encounter.
Blue Cranes
With the light fast fading and as we were just entering Dulstroom, I called a stop to the vehicle as I spotted a Long-crested Eagle on a telegraph pole. We had been searching for this species since entering the highveld, but up till now had managed to remain out of sight. This provided a nice end to a fine day out.
After yesterdays paltry return on raptors, it was pleasing to pick up Jackal and Forest Buzzards in quick succession. A first stop to try of Gurney's Sugerbird failed to locate any as most of the Protea were not yet in flower. We did locate Cape Longclaw, and a stunning little bird it is too, with its orange throat and yellow undersides. Cape Canaries were also highly conspicuous.
As we neared Veloren Valei a group of Gemsbok were noted off to the side of the road. Unfortunately these were stock from a game ranch, reared for hunting and out of their natural range, so were not tickable.
The birds, however, were tickable and the stunning Malachite Sunbird was appreciated by all. Over the next couple of days we were to see plenty of these iridescent green sunbirds - the field guides just don't do this species justice. New birds continued to fall our way, with Pied and Red-winged Starlings, Buff-streaked Chat, Horus and African Black Swifts, as well as a Common Swift and Rock Kestrel.
We eventually entered the National Park and quickly picked up Eastern Long-billed Lark, Buffy and Long-billed Pipits. The hunt was on for a Wattled Crane that had been seen in the area a couple of weeks earlier and whilst local farmers confirmed it was still in the area, we unfortunately couldn't locate it.
At one stop as were looking to get back into the minibuses, Toby found what he first thought was a small bee resting on one of the buses. On picking it up on his finger and showing it to me - by this time he was aware that my interests extended beyong the birds ans mammals - I noted it was a small moth and, from the shape of the wings, something in the Clearwing family, though the fore wing was covered in scales. Some research back home has identified this moth as likely to be Halictina andraenipinnis, and is described as a bee mimic.
We decided to head back to Dulstroom for at late breakfast at Harry's Pancake's but soo stopped as a group of raptors were spotted low in the distance in front of us. A quick scan identified them as Cape Vultures, and they were dropping down near the road. Off we set and soon found the vultures squabbling over a carcass about 800m from the road. Every couple of minutes another bird would drop in, followed by a squabble as it tried to get to the carcass. Thing would quieten down as they fed, until the next vulture landed. Off to one side a lone Black-backed Jackal sat waiting his chances to grab something to eat - I think he had two hopes, and one of them was Bob.
After an excellent brunch at the pancake place, we set off, this time taking the back road that runs up the west of Valoren Valei, up to the R577, along the R577 before taking the dirt road back to Dulstroom through the Valoren Valei.
More species were added to the trip list, with Yellow Bishop, Red-collared Widow-bird, Black-collared Barbet and Brown-hooded Kingfisher being the early picks. A calling Northern Black-bellied Korhaan could not be located, but several Ant-eating Chats were found.
At one point we pulled over, overlooking a series of famed fields where we quickly found at least a dozen Southern Bald Ibis. Scanning across the fields also revealed 4 Blue and two Grey Crowned Cranes. Unfortunately they were distant, so we had to do with shared scope views. My only real regret of the trip was not taking my scope - I didn't take as I knew we would be mainly birding from vehicles, but there were a number of occasions were the scope would have come in very handy.
As we traveled this road the guides heard several Cloud Cisticola's singing, but no one could get any visual on this time birds that sing like a skylark, high in the sky. Fortune, however, was on our side, at least those of us in the lead minibus. As we were slowly driving along, a small bird suddenly appeared out of the front windscreen on our right hand side and flew along about 3-4 meters in front of the minibus for several seconds, giving us all great views of this short tailed aerial singer, before ir dropped into the roadside grasses, were it was quickly chased off by the larger, and longer tailed Levaillant's Cisticola. Nice views of a difficult bird to see.
All along this back road, most of the termite mounds were showing signs of having been broken into by Aardvark's, leaving me wondering what a night drive might find.
Onto the R577 there was a very nice marshy area on either side, which contained at least 4 Purple Herons, all showing remarkably well. Further along the road, as it rose over a ridge we passed a stand of Protea's. In the leading minibus, we didn't pick up anything but the second vehicle did - a Gurney's Sugerbird. Although not attractively plumaged, this highly localised endemic was high on everybody's most wanted list. We had to find a spot to do a U turn, not easy on a busy two lane carrageway, before we could return to join the others. But we did manage to turn round and was back at the Protea's within a couple of minutes. At first we couldn't locate anything, them both myself and Toby located a small Prinia, a Drakensberg Prinia, another localised endemic. Soon the Sugerbird flew over and landed in the top of one of the Protea bush. Unfortunately only it's head could be seen clearly, but that plus the flight view was enough to confirm the id (and tick) for myself.
Back onto the dirt road through the Valoren Valei added nothing new, though a party of 3 stately Blue Cranes showed much closer than our earlier encounter.
With the light fast fading and as we were just entering Dulstroom, I called a stop to the vehicle as I spotted a Long-crested Eagle on a telegraph pole. We had been searching for this species since entering the highveld, but up till now had managed to remain out of sight. This provided a nice end to a fine day out.
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