Grey Crowned Crane (photo HvR)
Attendees: Stan & Val Culley, Margie Cowan, Hazel Nevin, Stanley Gengan, Ros Conrad and Andrew Warburton, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen

Species:  61                                                                                Text: Hazel van Rooyen
Early morning at Ellingham (photo HvR)

A successful morning's birding was had at Ellingham Estate, 62 species being identified.  Beginning the day with a walk towards the dams, some tall trees produced Southern Black Tit, Southern Black Flycatcher, Sombre Greenbull and White-eared Barbet.
White-eared Barbet (photo HvR)

Yellow-rumpted Tinkerbird (photo HvR)

 Collared Sunbird (photo HvR)

Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Thick-billed Weaver, Paradise Flycatcher, Black Cuckoo-Shrike, Southern Boubou, Black-backed Puffback and Collared Sunbird were also very active in the early morning sunshine.  

At the first dam a Malachite Kingfisher, 3-banded Plover and Cape Wagtail were spotted.  Around the corner a Long-crested Eagle surveyed the world from a a stand of casaurinas.  As we walked beneath some bushes reaching across the road two Grey Crowned Cranes were perched in the lower branches.  After observing for a while they inevitably flew off as we moved passed them, trumpeting as they went.
Grey Crowned Crane (photo HvR)

The next dam was home to Spurwing Geese.  An African Darter dried off its wings, catching the breeze from the top of a shrub on the island while some African Jacanas investigated the lily pads.  It was good to see them as they haven't been so prolific this summer.  

African Jacana (photo HvR)

Other birds seen in this area were Green Wood-hoopoe, Purple-crested Turaco, Black-collared Barbet, Black Saw-wing and Grey Heron.  A Pygmy Kingfisher was sitting on a branch by the water's edge but disappeared on our approach.

After breakfast we drove across the road to another dam but we couldn't find a good vantage point and only saw a couple of White-backed Ducks and these through the scope.  We tried a walk around the side but couldn't get closer.  Along this road we saw Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Fiscal Flycatcher, Amethyst Sunbird and White-fronted Bee-eater.
Little Bee-eater (photo HvR)
Hamerkop - can you do this with your head! (photo HvR)
Our next stop was the causeway where we parked and took a stroll around.  White-bellied Sunbird, Pied Wagtail, Red-backed Mannikin, Mountain Wagtail and a Jackal Buzzard were spotted.

As Hazel Nevin left she added Cape Glossy Starling and Violet-backed Starling to the list and as the stragglers left, we saw a Crowned Eagle.


Special thanks go to Stanley Gengan for collecting and returning the forms to Rocky Bay resorts, especially as he had to delay joining his family on a weekend in the Drakensburg. Thanks Stanley!

Species: 61
Tit, Southern Black 
Flycatcher, Southern Black 
Ibis, Hadedah
Greenbul, Sombre
Barbet, White-eared
Weaver, Thick-billed
Flycatcher, Paradise
Robin-Chat, Red-capped
Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped
Bushshrike, Orange-breasted
Cuckooshrike, Black
Boubou, Southern
Puffback, Black-backed
Sunbird, Collared
Longclaw, Yellow-throated
Kingfisher, Malachite
Dove, Tambourine
Dove, Red-eyed
Starling, Black-bellied
Drongo, Fork-tailed
Plover, 3-banded 
Cuckooshrike, Grey
Wagtail, Cape
Eagle, Long-crested
Canary, Yellow-fronted
Sunbird, Olive
Mannikin, Bronze
Crane, Grey Crowned
Darter, African
Goose Spurwing
Jacana, African
Woodhoopoe, Green
Hornbill, Trumpeter
Goose, Egyptian
Turaco, Purple-crested
Barbet, Black-collared
Moorhen, Common
Saw-wing, Black
Heron, Grey
Hamerkop
Kingfisher, Pygmy
Greenbull, Yellow-bellied
Bulbul, Dark-capped
Kite, Black-shouldered
Goose, Spurwing
Bee-eater, Little
Duck, White-backed
Kingfisher, Brown-hooded
Flycatcher, Fiscal
Sunbird, Amethyst
Sunbird, White-bellied
Buzzard, Jackal
Wagtail, Pied
Mannikin, Red-backed
Wagtail, Mountain
Eagle, Crowned

(Photos property of H van Rooyen)