Mount Sheba Re-visited, South Africa, December 2011

My issues at Mount Sheba are still unresolved, but this morning brings another chance and as much time as I need. The journey from Lydenberg was quick and easy with a few species gleaned from the side of the road as I drove. A Rock Kestrel sat atop a telegraph pole and plenty of small weavers and doves flushed from the verges as I passed. The local relay station was guarded by a good flock of roosting Cattle Egrets.

Driving onto the reserve, it quickly became apparent that I had made the right choice to stay high in the mountains. Cloud cloaked the lower layers and meant that there was no need to hurry to get to the forest. On the approach road, swifts were already feeding and I had the chance to take a really good look as they swept low across the road and note the contrasting back of the Black Swift that differentiates them from the Common (European) Swift.

The cloud layer had actually settled just below the resort, so I pressed on into the forest on the road that passes Chalet No 1. The Narina Trogons and the Red-chested Cuckoos were calling again, but I was still unable to get a decent look at any of them. The forest was very quiet this morning. I followed the road until a sign enticed me into the forest along the trail that passes Marco’s Mantle. Despite stopping frequently, I found almost nothing until I traced the source of a “sweet pepper” call to a White-starred Robin. The path was rough in places and I spent more time watching my step rather than looking for birds. It is useful to know the calls of some of the species that you are likely to find in the forest. This leaves your eyes available to look where you are going. The trail is narrow and rocky, but well marked.

Another trail leads out from the left side of the road as it reaches the resort. Here a Grey Cuckoo-shrike and a Terrestrial Brownbul were seen, but the target birds from the forest remain unticked.

In the gardens and around the small trout lake birds were much easier to see. A Cape Wagtail parent was feeding its juvenile chick on the edge of the pond and a pair of young Familiar Chat watched hungrily from the fence as they waited for their parents.

A young Cape White-eye maintained a keening noise until its parents re-appeared with more food for it. On the steep switchback road above the resort, plenty of birds were moving, but very few sat still for the camera. Only a Bar-throated Apalis popped its head out to scold me.

A couple of birds that do not appear on the resort’s bird list were also seen with a group of 4 European Golden Orioles, a Black-throated Canary and a very washed out European Roller noted. The Roller struck me especially as it was so pale.

Birds seen; 38

Cattle Egret 50, Jackal Buzzard 2, Rock Kestrel 1, Helmeted Guineafowl 6, Ringnecked Dove 60, African Palm Swift 3, African Black Swift 20, White-rumped Swift 6, European Roller 1, Rock Martin 2, Greater Striped Swallow 40, Cape Wagtail 2, Grey Cuckoo-shrike 1, Common Bulbul 6, Sombre Greenbul 2, Terrestrial Brownbul 1, White-starred Robin 1, Cape Robin-chat 2, Common Stonechat 8, Familiar Chat 2, Drakensberg Prinia 3, Bar-throated Apalis 3, Cape Grassbird 1, African Dusky Flycatcher 1, Greater Double-collared Sunbird 2, Cape White-eye 25, Eurasian Golden Oriole 4, Common Fiscal 8, Cape Crow 2, Pale-winged Starling 11, Red-billed Quelea 1, Yellow-crowned Bishop 40, Red Bishop 120, Yellow Bishop 4, White-winged Widowbird 3, Common Waxbill 3, Pin-tailed Whydah 2, Black-throated Canary 1.

There are more posts from Dullstroom and nearby sites at the links below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2009/10/more-time-i-have-faster-it-goes.html

Visit the dedicated Africa Page for other sites near Johannesburg and for posts from elsewhere in South Africa and further afield on the Dark Continent.

Mount Sheba, South Africa, JNB

Mount Sheba, South Africa, JNB, December 2011

I had some unfinished business to attend to in the Afro-montane forest of Mount Sheba, and found that I had a couple of hours of daylight left after exploring the grasslands of Dullstroom. The entrance to the resort (Google Earth ref; 24 53 15S 30 40 46E ) is about 30 minutes drive from Lydenberg and a further 10kms will find you at the hotel and resort buildings.

Here Cape White-eyes were very common in small feeding flocks. This young one was still being fed by its parents and looked cross that I should disturb them.

Greater Striped Swallows and Red-winged Starlings flew around the roofs and Common Bulbuls were easy to find.

I wanted to get into the forest and look for some birds which had eluded me on my previous visits here. The Orange-bellied Thrush, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher and Red-chested Cuckoo had all out-foxed me here before and I was keen to make up for that.  The cuckoo was immediately audible with its three clearly defined notes repeated constantly. Its Africaan’s name is an onomatopoeic ‘piet-my-vrou’ with a slight drop in pitch with each note. There were at least 4 birds calling, but I was completely unable to locate any of them. There are chalets in the grounds of the hotel and guests were obviously in residence. I chose not to impose on the guests’ privacy by going around the back of the chalets, though this may be acceptable if you know the chalet to be unoccupied.

Around the grounds of the resort, sympathetic plantings give home and harbour to African Dusky Flycatchers. The Greater Double-collared Sunbird is usually very common here, but I only noted a couple of females today.

A road leads into the forest below the hotel by passing chalet number 1. The ‘South African Birdfinder’ book recommends this as a good place to look for Narina Trogons. They could not have been more accurate if they had nailed the bird to its perch. Sadly the light was fading fast and the silhouetted photograph was as good a view as I had of this bird. It was not even possible to tell the sex, but the profile was very distinctive and I was able to enjoy another pair shortly afterwards in slightly better light.

My 3 target birds continued to elude me. An Olive Thrush made me look twice, but any day that you see 3 Narina Trogons is a good day nonetheless. It was dark as I reached the car and Jupiter was showing high and bright. On the western horizon Venus (I’m assuming) was also very obvious. The three stars, Sirius, Canopus and Rigel, described a huge triangle in the western sky and Orion hunted upside down as is his wont in the southern hemisphere.

I took a hand-held shot to nothing of Jupiter with its 4 Gallilean satellites showing and was a little shocked to get a result.

Birds seen; 14

Natal Francolin 4, Helmeted Guineafowl 6, Narina Trogon 3, Greater Striped Swallow 6, Common Bulbul 8, Sombre Greenbul 1, Olive Thrush 1, Chorister Robin-chat 1, Bar-throated Apalis 1, African Dusky Flycatcher 2, Cape Batis 2, Greater Double-collared Sunbird 2, Cape White-eye 25, Red-winged Starling 6.

There are more posts from Dullstroom and nearby sites at the links below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2009/10/more-time-i-have-faster-it-goes.html

Visit the dedicated Africa Page for other sites near Johannesburg and for posts from elsewhere in South Africa and further afield on the Dark Continent. 

Mount Sheba, South Africa, JNB,