Attending:  Doug & Angie Butcher, Alistair Warman, Robin Eccles, Danie du Toit, Graham & Sue Salthouse, Eric Kok, Dave Bishop, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen
Text: Hazel van Rooyen
Species: 35 (see end)
 
On arrival at the Bushbuck Trail, a cock crowed loudly close by, somehow befitting the wintry morning.   Although the sun was just reaching the top-most branches of the forest trees, nobody had, as yet, told the birds.  Stepping into the forest the visibility was poor, all was quiet and a bit eerie – a rustle amongst the carpet of leaves on the forest floor, a twig breaking.  Just the occasional bird called – Red-eyed Dove, Sombre Greenbul, Red-capped Robin-Chat, White-browed Scrub-Robin but they were still in hiding following their night’s slumber.  



However, on emerging into the sunshine, it was as though someone had opened a door and turned on the light.  We stood enthralled as first a Purple-crested Turaco flew from the low branches of a tree in an almost slow-mo  flash of red wings, then Collared, Amethyst and Olive Sunbirds flitted like jewels in the shrubbery and a Southern Black Flycatcher swooped down in an arc on a tasty morsel barely landing to pick it up.  Suddenly a flock of about 20 Trumpeter Hornbill’s flew in, and they entertained us for quite a while flying in and out of the trees, emitting their baby-like calls.
 
Trumpeter Hornbill (photo: Doug Butcher)
Trumpeter Hornbill (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Trumpeter Hornbill (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)


Glossy Starling (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)






Strolling along the road, we passed the most wonderful gardens with one in particular like a fairy-glade.  Black-backed Puffback, Cardinal Woodpecker, Glossy Starling, Black-collared Barbet and Yellow-fronted Canary and more put in an appearance.

Eventually arriving back at the carpark (we were on a new road) we were enjoying our coffee when Dave noticed some African Green Pigeons high up in a monkey-puzzle tree.  They were still fluffed up against the cold.

African Green Pigeon (photo: Doug Butcher)



African Green Pigeon (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

At this point some folk left for other engagements while Angie & Doug and others braved the beach.  The White-fronted Plover didn’t let us down and scurried around busily but otherwise the beach was lonely and even the dolphins were out too far to photograph.
White-fronted Plover (photo: Doug Butcher)

A quiet morning, but lots of enthusiasm.  Thanks everyone.

“Let no-one cage who you were born to be”

(Photos property of photographer) 

Species: 35


Apalis Bar-throated
Barbet Black-collared
Boubou Southern
Bulbul Black-capped
Bulbul Terrestrial
Canary Yelow-fronted
Dove Red-eyed
Drongo Fork-tailed
Flycatcher Dusky
Flycatcher Southern Black
Greenbul Sombre
Hoopoe African

Hornbill Trumpeter
Kingfisher Brown-hooded
Mousebird Speckled
Pied Wagtail
Pigeon African Green
Prinia Tawny-flanked
Puff-back Black-backed
Robin-Chat Red-capped
Scrub-Robin White-browed
Starling Black-bellied
Starling Glossy
Starling Red-wing

Stork Woolly-necked
Sunbird Amethyst
Sunbird Collared
Sunbird Grey
Sunbird Olive
Tinkerbird Yellow-rumped
Turaco Knysna
Turaco Purple-crested
Weaver Southern Masked
Weaver Spectacled
Woodpecker Cardinal