The Melrose dam is as rewarding as ever, lots of waterbirds, and other groups on the banks. The floater flock, down to about twenty now, is overnighting on ‘Harmony’ farm, is seen often as they seek out new areas to feed. Each morning the parents fetch the youngster, calling as they do so, and set off again to ‘The Drift’ for breakfast. The ringed juvenile on ‘The Willows’, in the wetland alongside the Elands river, is flying and spends the day with its parents, feeding, but at night they all return to the nesting site near a pan, tuck it up for the night, then the parents fly to ‘Highland Glen’ nearby to roost for the night, above the chilling temperatures that have been experienced recently – down to minus 2 a few mornings. The parents must be pleased, as are we, that at least one chick has resulted from each nest, which is quite an achievement with the proximity of all the Mongoose, Jackals and other scavengers, which do not have the same wish to see the chicks fly as we do. The Cranes remain a great pleasure, and the known nesting sites are great fun to observe. We also had a good sighting of a Spotted Eagle-Owl on the way home in the semi-dark the previous evening.īirding in Boston was as always superb, and Crystelle’s sightings below for the month gives an idea. Warming tea and rusks in these high hills is something we’ll miss if the Parrot count fades. They staked out the former favourite Parrot yellowwoods, while Barbara Clulow, Crystelle Wilson and I climbed the challenging pathway to the vast spread of indigenous forests, below the southern iNhlosane, where the views are spectacular, despite the rising mist of early morning. Both Hennie and Declan are quick on the draw when it comes to their cameras and they obtained some superb shots. Including the Rufous-chested SparrowHawk, being possibly the most unexpected – that on the same weekend as a Black Sparrow-hawk. But our Pinetown visitors, Hennie Jordaan and his young son, Declan, who has a superb ear for bird calls, joined us for the occasion, and they saw what were for them several lifers. “Our highlight was the Cape Parrot Count occasion……….not because of our tally of Parrots because we saw NONE – for the first time ever – a sad record of diminishing numbers.
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