January birding update.

Dwarf bittern, St Lucia.

It’s been a hot and dry January in St Lucia but the the birding has been characteristically  fantastic for this time of year.

In the coastal grasslands of the Eastern shores, thousands of Blue-cheeked bee-eater can be seen hawking insects and they are joined-in abundance- by European roller and European bee-eater. Broad-billed roller, African Pygmy kingfisher, Striped kingfisher have also been regular at forest edges on the Eastern shores, Isimangaliso. Wetlands and wetland edges on the Eastern shores have been hosting large flocks of Collared pratincole and the odd Senegal lapwing.  The long-staying Rufous-bellied heron has also been observed (somewhat erratically) at Nsombiza pan and the nearby Amazibu hide again this month.

Raptor viewing has been fantastic with great sightings of resident raptors such as Southern-banded, Black-chested and Brown snake-eagle as well as summer-visiting European honey-buzzard and Common buzzard. The Crowned eagles have been displaying actively around the nesting site on the Eastern shores but the nest seems to have remained dormant.  Was delighted to find the Sooty falcon (Present for much of last summer) in the exact same location as last year- dead Eucalyptus tree 16km West of St Lucia on the R618.

Palm-nut vulture have been regular in the early mornings at Main beach, St Lucia. Interestingly, they are often observed hunting (and eating ghost crabs). 

The tern roost at the estuary mouth area has held Greater crested (Swift), Lesser crested, Sandwich, Little, Common and Caspian tern. Other waders, shorebirds and waterfowl regularly seen at the mouth include Common whimbrel, Common greenshank, Common sandpiper, Common ringed plover, Grey plover, Kittlitz’ plover, White-fronted plover, Brown-throated Weaver, Rufous-winged cisticola. A Eurasian oystercatcher was seen in the same area briefly at the beginning of the month but did not hang around for long. This is now the 5th consecutive year that it has shown on St Lucia’s beaches! Estuary water levels have been at their highest for many years and this has resulted in the flooding of most low-lying areas surrounding the estuary creating ideal conditions for piscivorous birds (such as Kingfishers, Egrets, Herons, Night-herons) to hunt in the shallows. We were treated to a very rare sighting of a Dwarf bittern at the end of the month (probably also attracted by the ideal hunting conditions)

Interestingly, a large flock of African openbill (numbering over 100 individuals) has been observed soaring above the Estuary narrows and other locations. An unusual occurrence in the area.

Forest birding has been fantastic with regular sightings of all the area’s specials such as Narina trogon, Buff-spotted flufftail, Green malkoha, Rudd’s apalis, Woodward’s batis, Southern banded snake-eagle, Grey sunbird, Purple-banded sunbird, Brown scrub-robin, Eastern nicator, Gorgeous bush-shrike, Livingstone’s turaco to name a few.

Finally, nocturnal birding has been good with consistent sightings of Swamp, European and Fiery-necked nightjar, as well as Barn Owl and African wood-owl. Bronze-winged courser has also been sighted a couple of times this month on the Eastern shores in the early evening.

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Large flock of African openbill, Eastern shores, Isimangaliso Wetlands Park.