Birding update for St Lucia: August '25

Narina trogon started calling early in August already

August certainly lived up to its reputation as the windy month with the 'Beasterly' winds (the North-Easterly) blowing a gale for a large proportion of the month. This has made beach and grassland birding a bit of a challenge at times but luckily the forests are quite well buffered from the wind. It has been a typically dry month and as a result the wetlands have receded a little bit again. There is a definite feeling of Spring in the air with many birds becoming more active and vocal again. The different cisticola species have started displaying and calling in the grasslands more frequently and in the forest we have started hearing the first Narina trogon males calling. The 'September bells' started flowering early this year and the edges of the Igwalagwala trail have been lined with the beautiful, fragrant flowers of this plant.

The cisticolas, such as this Croaking cisticola have become very vocal with Spring approaching

Action in the forest has been centred around blossoming White stinkwoods with trees attracting impressive bird parties usually consisting of Dark-backed weaver, Black-backed puffback, Square-tailed drongo, Olive bush-shrike, Green malkoha, Rudd's & Yellow-breasted apalis, Black cuckooshrike & Yellow-rumped tinkerbird. 

Blossoming White Stinkwood tree

They are also attracting the odd Brown-backed honeybird- always a treat to see! As is typical for late August and September, we have once again started seeing African emerald cuckoo again and hearing their unmistakeable 'Pretty Georgie' call.

We have been treated to some great sightings of Brown-backed honeybird this month.

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Flowering Coral trees and Cape honeysuckle are still attracting 4 sunbird species- Collared, Olive, Grey & Purple-banded along with Eastern golden weaver and Cape white-eye.

Flowering coral trees have been busy with Olive sunbird and other sunbird species

Fruiting Natal figs, Wild plum and Sand apricot vine are attracting Livingstone's turaco, Purple-crested turaco, African green pigeon, Trumpeter hornbill, Yellow-bellied & Sombre greenbul, White-eared barbet, Yellow-rumped tinkerbird and Black-bellied starling. Fruiting Forest cabbage trees have been attracting both Trumpeter & Crowned hornbills.

Both Trumpeter hornbill and Crowned hornbill have been enjoying the fruits of Forest cabbage trees

On the forest floor we have enjoyed some fantastic sightings of Spotted ground-thrush, Chorister robin-chat, Brown scrub-robin, White-starred robin, Buff-spotted flufftail and Red-capped robin-chat during the month. 

The tern roost at the Lake St Lucia estuary mouth has consisted predominantly of Greater crested, Common & Caspian terns with one surprise sighting of Lesser crested tern (unusual for this time of year). Other birds regularly seen at the mouth include African oystercatcher, Sanderling, Eurasian whimbrel, Common greenshank, Kelp gull, Cape Gannet, White-fronted plover and Western osprey. We have also enjoyed the occasional sighting of Greater flamingo.

Greater flamingo flying over the Lake St Lucia estuary mouth

The Mangrove kingfisher have continued to show well at the estuary edges.

Mangrove kingfisher have continued to show nicely throughout the month with multiple individuals sometimes seen on bird walks

Wetland birding has started to improve again as the wetlands have dried up and birds are concentrated into the more permanent wetlands again. We have enjoyed regular sightings of Rufous-bellied heron, Squacco heron, African pygmy-goose, White-backed duck, Rufous-winged cisticola, Yellow-billed (intermediate) egret, Malachite kingfisher & Great white egret. We also enjoyed an uncommon sighting of Lesser moorhen. 

Lesser moorhen

Birding on the Eastern shores of Isimangaliso Wetlands Park has been great this month with regular sightings of Southern-banded snake-eagle, African cuckoo-hawk, Senegal lapwing, African marsh harrier and Collared pratincole.

Large flocks of Collared pratincole have been perched on the road up to Cape Vidal this month

Also of interest, a trip to the Western shores of Isimangaliso produced a lucky sighting of the rare Strawberry leopard.

Strawberry leopard on the Western shores, Isimangaliso Wetlands Park