South Africa – Marievale Bird Sanctuary [3]

Atlasville, 23 Dec 2006

Today was my 5th visit to Marievale in the last 8 weeks. I was there for about 3-4 hours on each occasion, but varying the time of day, once early morning, twice in the middle of the day and twice in late afternoon.

These were not bird-watching visits as such, rather opportunities to try and expand my photographic record of Marievale species. Waterbirds that I managed some decent photos of over these 5 visits were Spur-winged Goose, Yellow-billed Duck both on the water and well away from the water sitting on one of the roads, a Reed Cormorant drying its wings, Goliath Heron on the ground and in flight, Black Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Black-headed Heron, Purple Heron, African Sacred Ibis, Glossy Ibis, African Swamphen, Little Grebe, Red-knobbed Coot and a Pied Avocet flock wading and in flight.

Other birds included Caspian Tern, Helmeted Guineafowl, Pied Kingfisher, Cape Wagtail, Mountain Wheatear, African Stonechat male, female and juvenile, Greater Striped Swallow, White-throated Swallow, Speckled Pigeon, Blacksmith Lapwing, Lesser Swamp Warbler on reeds and singing, African Pipit, Yellow-crowned Bishop and Levaillant’s Cisticola.

I did manage to add a species to my Marievale list and it was only my 2^nd ever record of Orange-breasted Waxbill. A first ever sighting, but not of a bird, was this Rinkhals (a.k.a. Ring-necked Spitting Cobra). An added bonus was Painted Lady butterflies in an area of flowering alfalfa.