DOLPHIN COAST BIRD CLUB

NEWSLETTER : NOVEMBER 2015

OutingsLast Outing – 21 November 2015 – Jex Estate [2920_3115]

Following a lovely week of very welcome rain, Saturday morning was overcast but without the threat of rain, and so it stayed. The temperature started out at 20°C and increased to a warm 26°C but the humidity in the forest area was high. There was no significant wind to speak of which was a pleasant change after the heavy unseasonal blows lately.

Thirty members and five guests attended this outing. Members were Di Bowser, Jan Bakels, Rung Button, Bing and Heather Comrie, Andre and Ann de Jager, Simon and Maggie Dunning, Alan and Avril Eshmade, Judith Gawehn, Margie Green, Graham House, Chris and Danny Macdonald, Chris and Rie Mathews, Malcolm and Pete McClean, Kevin and Jenni Reynolds, Nan Sharp, Les and Margie Shone, Andy Warner, Clive and Priscilla Watson and Dave and Donree Wilkinson.

Guests were Graeme and Gill Leslie [3] and Vanessa Crow [1].

Graeme and Gill are now eligible for membership.

Apologies were received from Klaus and Ragne Achtzehn, Vi Bakels, Tina House, Tony and Adele Hesp, Margi McGrath, Ivan and Gwen Swaffield, Jimmy Trevorrow, Peter and Susan, Averil Warner, Derek and Larraine Watson and John and Linda Wilson.

Once again the party split into two groups, the first walked south, out of the coastal bush and then north on the west side of the estate and encountered a very productive temporary wetland on the Mvoti floodplain which yielded Grey Crowned Crane, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper and Water Thickknee. The second group covered the beach, coastal forest and estuary which was again closed due to low rainfall. Despite the overcast weather, birding was excellent and ninety six species were recorded including Grey Crowned Crane, African Pygmy-Kingfisher and Black-throated Wattle-eye. The list is appended.

Next Outing – 16 January 2016 – Sappi Mbozambo [2020_3115]

Chris Macdonald Chairman 082 879-4681Andy Warner Treasurer 073 221-9193Danny Macdonald Secretary 083 447-0520

The next club outing will take place at Sappi Mbozambo on 16 January 2016 at 06:00. This will be followed by the club AGM.

Talk Evenings

The talk evening program for 2015 is complete. Great thanks are due to Chris Mathews for co-ordinating the talks and adjusting to suit the changes made by the other organisers.

Birding Big Day – 28 November 2015Birding Big Day, the BirdLife SA organised birding event will take place on 28 November 2015. The club has decided to continue the format of 2014 under the section “Bird Your ‘Hood”, where members got together with members who live nearby and recorded the birds identified in their area. As this is a fund raising event for BLSA, members are asked to donate R20 per family taking part and the club will match this with a further R20 per family. Can each group collect their donation and forward it to Andy Warner at the soonest opportunity.

Amatigulu Summer Bird Count – 28 November 2015

The Amatigulu Honorary Rangers are holding their Summer Bird Count at Amatigulu NR on 28 November 2015. As this is on the same day as Birding Big Day, members could use this fantastic reserve as their BBD venue. It is up to you. I have not received a start time but if you meet at the picnic area at 07:00 that should be ok.

Heads Up on forthcoming events

28 November 2015: Birding Big Day

28 November 2015: Amatigulu Honorary Rangers Summer Bird Count

5 December 2015: Year End Function at All Souls Church, Sheffield [Remember, please bring your own drinks and glasses]

General

Member’s Sightings

Bing and Heather Comrie have twice seen what is thought to be a White-headed Saw-wing, one a Sappi and then in the cane fields on the south bank of the Thukela. Efforts to re-sight the bird have been unsuccessful.

Rie Mathews is very excited with the Red-throated Wrynecks which regularly visit her garden.

2015 Photography Competition

Just a reminder – keep your cameras clicking as the Howard Balcomb prize is up for grabs again.

The time is getting close so please get your photos through to Chris Macdonald by 31 December 2015. As there was an issue with print quality at

the last set of entries, members are welcome to get their photos developed and printed before submission [the only requirement is A5 size].

Pied Crows on the increase????

I am not sure if anyone else is noticing the gradual increase in the number of Pied Crows. I first started seeing more and more around the N2 off ramp to Blythedale/KwaDukuza; on some mornings one can see up to five Pied Crows milling in the sky and scavenging on the roads.

In Mandeni and Kwadukuza towns, there are many Pied Crows around shopping centres, schools and sports fields. Clearly these are good scavenging sites for the birds.

And recently, they are being noticed in the skies above Salt Rock and Ballito.

It would be interesting to understand the reasons for the increase. Drought? Increase in waste material to feed on?

Species Recorded at Jex Estate [2920_3115]

Birds Recorded 968 Little Grebe 55 White-breasted Cormorant

58 Reed Cormorant 64 Goliath Heron86 Woolly-necked Stork 94 Hadeda Ibis

102 Egyptian Goose 104 Yellow-billed Duck108 Red-billed Teal 116 Spur-winged Goose

126.1 Yellow-billed Kite 141 African Crowned Eagle143 Black-chested Snake-Eagle 148 African Fish-Eagle165 African Marsh-Harrier 196 Natal Spurfowl203 Helmeted Guineafowl 209 Grey Crowned Crane244 African Black Oystercatcher 245 Common Ringed Plover246 White-fronted Plover 249 Three-banded Plover258 Blacksmith Lapwing 264 Common Sandpiper266 Wood Sandpiper 269 Marsh Sandpiper295 Black-winged Stilt 298 Water Thick-knee324 Swift Tern 352 Red-eyed Dove359 Tambourine Dove 371 Purple-crested Turaco385 Klaas's Cuckoo 391 Burchell's Coucal428 Pied Kingfisher 431 Malachite Kingfisher432 African Pygmy-kingfisher 435 Brown-hooded Kingfisher455 Trumpeter Hornbill 464 Black-collared Barbet466 White-eared Barbet 469 Red-fronted Tinkerbird471 Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird 473 Crested Barbet486 Cardinal Woodpecker 518 Barn Swallow527 Lesser Striped Swallow 536 Black Saw-wing541 Fork-tailed Drongo 568 Dark-capped Bulbul569 Terrestrial Brownbul 572 Sombre Greenbul574 Yellow-bellied Greenbul 576 Kurrichane Thrush600 Red-capped Robin-chat 635 Lesser Swamp-warbler638 Little Rush-warbler 657 Green-backed Camaroptera672 Rattling Cisticola 675 Rufous-winged Cisticola679 Lazy Cisticola 683 Tawny-flanked Prinia691 Ashy Flycatcher 694 Southern Black Flycatcher696 Pale Flycatcher 705 Black-throated Wattle-eye711 African Pied Wagtail 713 Cape Wagtail716 African Pipit 728 Yellow-throated Longclaw732 Common Fiscal 736 Southern Boubou

740 Black-backed Puffback 744 Black-crowned Tchagra758 Common Myna 761 Violet-backed Starling764 Cape Glossy Starling 768 Black-bellied Starling769 Red-winged Starling 790 Olive Sunbird792 Amethyst Sunbird 793 Collared Sunbird796 Cape White-eye 801 House Sparrow804 Southern Grey-headed Sparrow 807 Thick-billed Weaver810 Spectacled Weaver 811 Village Weaver817 Yellow Weaver 824 Southern Red Bishop828 Fan-tailed Widowbird 831 Red-collared Widowbird846 Common Waxbill 860 Pin-tailed Whydah869 Yellow-fronted Canary 877 Brimstone Canary