November Birding Update

Buff-spotted flufftail peeking out of the Buckweed- St Lucia.

​It’s been a typically grey and drizzly November in St Lucia but this hasn’t put a dampener on the birding which has been outstanding!
 
More of the summer migrants have arrived this month with flocks of Blue-cheeked bee-eater hawking insects seemingly everywhere over grasslands and wetlands. Other recent summer arrivals include the Broad-billed roller, Diederick’s cuckoo, Red-chested cuckoo, Red-backed shrike and Common buzzard.
 
The estuary beach area has turned up a few interesting birds this month. A Lesser black-backed gull was seen earlier in the month and a very confiding Bar-tailed godwit has also been seen consistently this month. The tern roost is growing in numbers with the Swift, Caspian and Little terns being joined by the odd Common and Swift tern. Other shorebirds and waders at the estuary/beach area include African black oystercatcher, Sanderling, Common whimbrel, Grey plover, Little stint and Common sandpiper. African fish-eagle, Western osprey, Purple heron and Goliath heron are also regular at the mouth area. Palm-nut vulture are regularly seen North of main beach in the early mornings .
 
The Rufous-bellied heron(s) were regular at Nsombiza pan and Amazibu hide on the Eastern shores during the early stages of the month but have been very erratic in the latter stages. Meanwhile, other unusual Isimangaliso sightings this month included a Lesser kestrel on the Eastern shores, Blue crane at Kwelamadoda pan on the Western shores and most amazing of all- a Whinchat was photographed close to Cape Vidal earlier in the month! Closer to St Lucia a potential Lesser cuckoo was sighted towards the end of the month. Interestingly, there also seems to be an influx of Common quail this year in the grasslands of the Eastern shores and had quite a few sightings of Black-rumped buttonquail too!
 
Forest birding has been great with regular sightings of Buff-spotted flufftail, Narina trogon, Green malkoha, Woodward’s batis, Rudd’s apalis, Black-throated wattle-eye, Grey waxbill, Southern-banded snake-eagle, Livingstone’s turaco, Eastern nicator, Brown scrub-robin and Gorgeous bush-shrike to name a few. An unusual sighting of Bearded scrub-robin (not a typical bird of the area) was also a highlight. Another interesting find was a pair of Grey waxbill using an abandoned Dark-backed weaver nest as a nesting site.
 
Swamp nightjars have been consistent again this month and European nightjar have also started arriving again. 

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Confiding Bar-tailed godwit- Estuary beach, St Lucia.