Little Bee-eater (photo: Lennart Erikssen)

Present: Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury, Stan & Val Culley, Doug & Angie Butcher, Margie & Clive Cowan, Sandy Olver, Margaret Jones, Lennart & Evelyn Eriksson, Stanley & Asothie Gengan, Hazel Nevin, Kevin Westemann, Hazel & Bob van Rooyen

Species identified: 37                                                                      Text: Hazel van Rooyen

Hazel Nevin, who is involved on the TC Robertson Committee, started us off on this simply gorgeous morning, with a walk in the field next to the Crocodile Farm and above the nursery.  Here we identified Tawny-flanked Prinia, Black-collared Barbet, Sombre Greenbul, Collared Sunbird, Little Bee-eater, Brown Scrub Robin amongst others.  Sadly, we missed out on the Palm-nut Vulture which usually frequents the farm at this time of day.
Little Bee-eater (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

A short drive took us to the pretty bridge over the wetland to Renishaw Hills.  Normally quite a good birding spot, we only identified a pair of Three-banded Plovers, Speckled Mousebird and Village Weaver.  Maybe the area is still recovering from the floods of a few weeks ago.
3-banded Plover (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Down at TC  Robertson we experienced a similar scenario as the usual walk up to the forest area was halted because of the water-logged pathway.  Nevertheless, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Yellow Weaver, Amethyst Sunbird, Cardinal Woodpecker and a Brown-hooded Kingfisher were seen.
Yellow Weaver (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)


Goliath Heron (photo:Doug Butcher)
At this point we settled down at the picnic spot to braai.  A few people took a stroll to the river's edge to see if they could spot any waders, the only one being a Goliath Heron on the far side. The lovely hide that used to be by the river had been taken away and the small dam was so clogged with reeds that the hide didn’t have a view.  Nevertheless, TC is still on our favourite list, and the beautiful day was enjoyed by all.

Species identified (37)

Barbet, Black-collared
Bee-eater, Little
Bishop, Red
Bulbul, Dark-capped
Camaroptera, Green-backed
Canary, Yellow-fronted
Canary, Yellow-fronted
Cormorant, Reed
Dove, Red-eyed
Dove, Tambourine
Drongo, Fork-tailed
Flycatcher, Dusky
Flycatcher, Paradise
Flycatcher, Southern Black
Goose, Egyptian
Greenbul, Sombre
Greenbul, Yellow-bellied
Hamerkop
Heron, Goliath
Ibis, Hadedah
Kingfisher, Brown-hooded
Lapwing, Blacksmith
Mousebird, Speckled
Plover, Three-banded
Prinia, Tawny-flanked
Robin, Brown Scrub
Robin-Chat, Red-capped
Stonechat, African
Sunbird Collared
Sunbird, Amethyst
Sunbird, Olive
Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped
Wagtail, Pied
Weaver, Village
Weaver, Yellow
Whydah, Pin-tailed
Woodpecker, Cardinal