Birding update for St Lucia- October '25

Controlled burn in the grassland surrounding St Lucia.

It was a drier-than usual October with only approximately 60mm of rain falling during the course of the month. As a result, the wetlands have continued to shrink. The summer migrants have continued to arrive throughout the month with plenty of Barn swallows and European bee-eaters once again hawking insects over the grasslands, a multitude of waders at the estuary and birds such as Violet-backed starling and Broad-billed roller at forest edge.

Broad-billed roller have returned

There have also been many controlled burns in the grasslands surrounding St Lucia and within the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park during October with freshly burnt areas attracting a host of raptors such as Southern-banded snake-eagle, Brown snake-eagle, Black-chested snake eagle, Bataleur, Yellow-billed kite, Black-winged kite and Martial eagle along with Secretarybird and Wooly-necked stork.

Southern-banded snake-eagle have staking out freshly-burnt grassland areas.

The estuary mouth has produced some great birding with the mudflats at the mouth hosting a number of different waders such as Greater sand-plover, Common-ringed plover, Kittlitz's plover, Terek sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew sandpiper, Little stint, Ruddy turnstone, Marsh sandpiper, Common greenshank, Common sandpiper and Eurasian whimbrel.

Greater sand-plover at the Lake St Lucia estuary mouth

More 'Summer' terns have joined the tern roost at the Lake St Lucia estuary mouth again with Lesser crested tern, Little tern and Common tern more regular amongst the many Greater crested tern and Caspian and Sandwich terns.

Tern roost at the Lake St Lucia estuary mouth

In the forest we have continued to enjoy fantastic sightings of Narina trogon floating leks. The far-carrying calls of Eastern nicator, Buff-spotted flufftail and African emerald cuckoo are also characteristic sounds of the forest at this time of year. 

African emerald cuckoo have been very vocal

Green twinspot have been plentiful this past month and we have enjoyed many great sightings of them along with other seedeaters such as Grey waxbill and Red-backed mannikin. 

Green twinspot have been plentiful during October

On the Eastern shores of Isimangaliso Wetlands Park highlights have included regular sightings of Rufous-bellied heron as well as Rosy-throated longclaw.

Rosy-throated longclaw on the Eastern shores of Isimangaliso Wetlands Park

The wetlands continue to hold good numbers of African pygmy-goose and White-backed duck with the odd sighting of Lesser moorhen.

African pygmy-goose in wetland