Soutpansberg-Venda Trip Report November

Hi Birders,

Last week I was privileged to do a birding outing and cultural tour around the Soutpansberg and Venda areas with  Renee from Virginia,USA.We will do birding in the morning and in the afternoon we were visiting local artist such woodcarvers,Batik,Clay pottery and crafts projects.

The 4 days of birding in the early morning and sometimes late afternoon delivered a lot of species amongst many birds.On Saturday morning we went to Muirhead dams and Reserve,from the bird hide we saw African pygmy Goose about four pairs,Half collared Kingfisher,White backed Duck,a single African Fish Eagle,Horus Swift,Malachite Kingfisher and Giant Kingfisher.

Late afternoon I took her to Entabeni forest and before the Bat Hawk nest we did some birding along the way.We saw a flock of about 8 Grey-headed Parrots feeding on the Mabola fruit.Other birds were Scaly-throated Honeyguide,Tambourine Dove,Purple Crested Turaco and Lesser Honeyguide.We saw a female still sitting in the nest and male sitting nearby at the Bat Hawk nest.

Sunday afternoon we visited a friend from Levubu area and we got Blue spotted wood Dove,Magpie Mannikin,Red-chested Cuckoo,African green Pigeon,Thick billed weaver and Spectacled Weaver,Emerald spotted wood Dove.

On Monday morning we were joined by Paul and his friend.We did some birding along the forest at Muihead Dams and reserve  hoping to get African Broadbill unfortunately we did not see it.We found a fresh damaged nest along the site.Good list of birds around there;A nice view of 2 males Narina Trogon,Olive Bushshrike,Scaly-throated Honeyguide,Yellow-streaked Greenbul,Green Twinspot,Crested Guineafowl,Red-capped Robin Chat,Chorister Robin Chat.Blue mantled crested Flycatcher,Olive Woodpecker,Red Backed Mannikin,Red faced Cisticola,African Golden Weaver.

On Tuesday morning we went to do some birding at Albasini Dam along Shiluvari lodge scrub forest.We picked up some nice birds amongst many birds;Gorgeous Bushshrike,a flying African Cuckoo Hawk.Holub’s Golden Weaver building a nest,Common Scimitarbill,both Cardinal and Golden tailed Woodpecker,Golden breasted Buntin,European Bee-eater,Yellow breasted Apalis,Wahlberg’s Eagle in a nest,African Fish Eagle,Three banded Plover,Common Sandpiper,White-breasted Cormorant,African Hoopoe, etc.

Happy Birding.