Text: Sue Hansbury
Attendees:
Sue Salthouse, Graham Salthouse, Stanley Gengan, Asothie Gengan, Sandy Olver, Hazel Nevin, Sue Hansbury, Barrie Willis, Alastair Warman

Species: 62 

The day started off overcast, and was lovely and cool to begin with.  Alastair took us a different route than last time, and led us meandering through the sugar cane fields to Ash Dam where we wandered around looking at all the grass birds.  Eventually the clouds dispersed and the sun came out as we walked around Clear Water Dam before departing to find a cool spot in the shade for breakfast.

After breakfast we had a short stroll along the stream, the temperature was now reaching 30º, and we were getting a little hot under the collar. On the way to the lunch spot we stopped at the lagoon to see what birds we could see there, but it was so over grown, it was quite a disappointment compared to last time we were there. 

It was decided to try our luck and go past Conrad’s house as he told us that he had seen a Sooty Falcon, but luck was not on our side and unfortunately we did not get a sighting of it.

Alastair had the key to the boom this time so we found a beautiful shady spot for our lunch, we parked the cars and went for a stroll around the Dam.  Things got quite exciting when we thought we saw a rare bird in the trees, but after looking through the bird books we came to the conclusion that it was most probably a Rosy Faced Lovebird (obviously an escapee).

The braai was lit, and the beers came out, so we settled ourselves down for some light hearted conversation and had a wonderful lunch at a beautiful unspoilt spot on the South Coast.

Thank you Alastair for showing us around. 

Species seen:
Barbet Black-collared
Bee-eater Little
Bishop Southern Red
Bulbul Dark-capped
Cameroptera Green-backed
Canary Yellow-fronted
Cisticola Rufous-winged
Cormorant Reed
Cormorant White-breasted
Coucal Burchell’s
Crake Black
Crane Crowned
Cuckoo Diderik
Dove Red-eyed
Drongo Square-tailed
Eagle Long-crested
Fiscal Common
Flycatcher Southern Black
Goose Egyptian
Goose Spurwinged
Grebe Little
Greenbul Sombre
Guineafowl Helmeted
Hadedah Ibis
Hamerkop
Heron Black-headed
Hornbill Crowned
Kingfisher Malachite
Kingfisher Pied
Kite Yellow-billed
Lapwing Blacksmith
Mannikin Bronze
Moorhen Common
Mousebird Speckled
Myna Common
Oriole Black-headed
Prinia Tawny-flanked
Saw-wing Black
Seedeater Streaky-headed
Spurfowl Natal
Starling Black-bellied
Starling Red-winged
Starling Violet-backed
Stonechat African
Stork Woolly-necked
Sunbird Olive
Swallow Barn
Swallow Lesser-striped
Tinkerbird Yellow-rumped
Turaco Purple-crested
Wagtail Cape
Wagtail Mountain
Warbler Lesser Swamp
Warbler Little Rush
Warbler Willow
Waxbill Common
Weaver Spectacled
Weaver Village
Weaver Yellow
White-eye Cape
Whydah Pin-tailed
Widowbird Fan-tailed
Woodpecker Golden-tailed