The Trekkie's Forum

The next part of the trip report is my favourite birding route in the area.

I am not going into a description of the route as you can read it all here:  Eastern Freestate Birding Route
I will however post some of the nicer or interesting sightings.

On one of the farms on the route there was a huge manure pile to be used for fertilizing the mealie fields. This attracted a lot of interest from the usual array of doves, sparrows and African Pipits.  There were also a large number of Pied Starlings and a new species for the area in Wattled Starlings. Strangely enough I at first thought all females, but on closer inspection noticed some males but none of them with the bold colouring and spectacular wattles like the ones found in Kruger. Then I spot one strange starling among them and sadly found the first European Starling for the area. It seemed well associated with the wattled starlings, so this could just be stray, but nevertheless it means the tide is moving northwards.  It is going to be interesting to see the war develop as a few years ago I also found the first Mynahs for the area, and this obviously will be come the engagement front between the two species.


Bokkomkierie

Layard’s Titbabbler

Rock Kestrel

Common Waxbill

Diederik Cuckoo

Red-billed Quelas

Last edited by Imax (25-01-2010 15:31:22)

at the speed that it travels it is seriously hectic to get one pretty much in focus.

what would have been seriously cool, would have been one where the red bishop dived bombed her in flight.

its there, just you can see boggerol - green fuzz, red fuzz

if that was art, why arent i rich?

Nice photos once again!!!

Very nice for an Easter weekend

oh and Long billed crombec.

Crappy photo, but the abaslute highlight for the weekend: