Birding update for St Lucia: November '25

Green malkoha in St Lucia

November saw a mixed bag of weather in St Lucia with hot, humid days interrupted by cooler, rainy spells. A total of 140mm rain fell during the course of the month. We experienced our first Summer thunderstorms and as is typical afterwards we also experiended our first termite alate emergences. This is always a feast for birds, with large numbers and many species gathering to take advantage of the high-protein food source. It is great when this happens because many of the secretive forest species all of a sudden lose their furtiveness and venture out into the open. Summer migrants have continued to arrive with the first Blue-cheeked bee-eaters arriving towards the middle of the month. Violet-backed starling, African pygmy-kingfisher and Red-chested, Diederik and Black cuckoo are some of the other Summer arrivals.  

Blue-cheeked bee-eater have returned

Starting in the forest, we have continued to enjoy great Narina trogon sightings with regular sightings of floating leks (one sighting of 6 males calling altogether!)

The Buff-spotted flufftail have been very vocal and we have had some great sightings during the month (and some not so great sightings too!). But in my opinion, any sighting of a flufftail is a good sighting!

Buff-spotted flufftail male

Fruiting figs have been attracting a nice variety of frugivorous birds including Livingstone's turaco, White-eared barbet, Trumpeter hornbill, Yellow-rumped tinkerbird, Eastern golden (Yellow) weaver, Yellow-bellied greenbul, Black-bellied starling and African green pigeon. Black-throated wattle-eye also have a tendency to hang around fruiting fig trees (the fermenting figs attract fruit flies) so we have also picked them up regularly in the vicinity of the fruiting trees.    ​

White-eared barbet are attracted to fruiting Fig trees

We have also enjoyed some fantastic  Scaly-throated honeyguide sightings throughout the month thanks to them advertising themselves with their loud, repetitive calls.

Scaly-throated honeguide

The estuary mouth has turned up a few nice birds again with regular sightings of Greater sand plover & Bar-tailed godwit being the highlights. Wader numbers continue to rise as we get further into Summer and regulars at the mouth include Curlew sandpiper, Little stint, Common-ringed plover, Common sandpiper, Common greenshank, Kittlitz's plover, Grey plover, White-fronted plover, Wood sandpiper, Eurasian curlew and Sanderling. 

Bar-tailed godwit amongst other waders

Collared pratincole have nested in the mudflats surrounding the mouth and they can be seen perched amongst washed up beach debris or performing their brilliant 'broken wing display' 

Collared pratincole at the Lake St Lucia estuary mouth.

Wetland birding has been great with prolific African pygmy-goose and White-backed duck scattered across the Wetlands. A highlight in the wetlands during the month has been sightings of Lesser jacana. 

Lesser jacana in the wetlands close to St Lucia

On the Eastern shores, the Rufous-bellied heron and Lesser moorhen have been nice and regular at the wetlands surrounding Amazibu hide again.

Rufous-bellied heron on the Eastern shores

A Tree pipit was discovered on the Western shores this month (an extremely rare find in KZN) but was only seen once and unfortunately not found subsequently!