It was a wet February with over 350mm of rain falling during the course of the month. As a result the bush is lush and green and wetlands have topped up nicely after almost drying out by the end of January. 

The Wetlands have continued to produce some great birds with regular sightings of Saddle-billed stork, African pygmy-goose, White-backed duck and the odd Lesser moorhen and Lesser jacana.

With the plentiful rainfall in St Lucia and catchment areas, the umfolozi river has been in flood for most of the month washing up plenty debris on the beach. This has continued to attract beach scavengers such as Yellow-billed stork and Palm-nut vulture which scavenge on the remains of washed up freshwater fish pulled into the ocean by the flooding river.

The tern roost has grown in numbers and has been holding good numbers of Lesser crested tern (over 20 at times) along with large numbers of Little, Greater crested & Common tern as well as smaller numbers of Caspian and Sandwich tern.

The 3 African skimmer have remained throughout the month, providing birders with fantastic sightings. Interestingly an African skimmer was also seen at Cape Vidal- possibly one of the 3 that ventured up the coast.

Other birds regular at the mouth and surrounding beaches have included Common-ringed, White-fronted & Kittlitz's plover, Sanderling, Curlew & Common sandpiper, Little stint, Ruddy turnstone, Eurasian whimbrel, African oystercatcher, Wooly-necked stork, Kelp & Grey-hooded gull, Sand martin, Southern brown-throated weaver, Brimstone canary, Western osprey, Rufous-winged cisticola.

Birding has been more challenging in the forest due to the lush growth and resulting gloomy conditions. Breeding has also started to taper off with birds much less vocal. Nevertheless, we have enjoyed fantastic forest birding during the course of the month with regular Buff-spotted flufftail sightings, Green malkoha, Black-throated wattle-eye, Red-backed mannikin, Livingstone's turaco, Narina trogon, Blue-mantled crested flycatcher, Woodwards batis and Grey waxbill. Interestingly we observed 2 seperate abandoned Dark-backed weaver nests being used by Grey waxbill for their nesting. 

Raptor-viewing has been great on the Eastern shores of Isimangaliso with regular sightings of Southern-banded snake-eagle, Brown snake-eagle, Black-chested snake-eagle, Common buzzard, African cuckoo-hawk, African marsh harrier, African crowned eagle, Western osprey, Long-crested eagle, African harrier hawk and African fish-eagle.

Nocturnal birding has produced sightings of African wood-owl, Swamp nightjar, Fiery-necked nightjar and White-backed night-heron

It has been a hot and dry month in St Lucia with some fantastic birding. The big news of the month in St Lucia was the natural breach of the Lake St Lucia estuary mouth to the ocean following it's closure since September 2024. The breach was preceded by plentiful rainfall in the catchment area and extremely high water levels in the estuary. Unfortunately for many of the Eastern golden, Southern-brown-throated, Thick-billed and Lesser masked weavers this resulted in their nests being submerged by the water.

As usually happens in the initial few weeks after the re-opening of the estuary mouth, many freshwater fish species are pulled out to sea by the strong outgoing current and, unable to tolerate the salt water, beach themselves. 

This provided a feast for Yellow-billed & Wooly-necked storks, Grey & Goliath heron, Great white-egret, Palm-nut vulture, African fish-eagle, Yellow-billed kite and other beach scavengers. ​

The mud & sand flats left exposed after the mouth breached and water receded are attracting a nice selection of waders including Tibetan sand plover, Common ringed plover, Common sandpiper, Common greenshank, Sanderling, White-fronted plover and Kittliz's plover as well as the occassional Terek sandpiper and Bar-tailed godwit(s). The tern roost is typically holding 6 tern species (Greater crested, Lesser crested, Common, Caspian, Little and Sandwich) with the odd White-winged joining the mix too. Towards the start of the month a Parasitic jaeger was seen a couple of times at the estuary mouth harassing the terns- typical behaviour for this kleptoparasitic bird.  Another unusual bird for St Lucia sighted at the mouth was a Cape shoveler.

There was alot of excitement the last few days with the discovery of 3 African skimmer at the mouth. The 3rd consecutive Summer that these beautiful birds have arrived! 

The forest has been nice and busy with many birds still caring for their recently fledged chicks. We have had many excellent sightings of Narina trogon with their fledglings in tow- the fledglings usually much more confiding and offering excellent views.

We also enjoyed great sightings of all of the other forest specials including Livingstone's turaco, Green malkoha, Rudd's apalis, Southern-banded snake-eagle, Grey waxbill, Woodward's batis, Green twinspot, Blue-mantled crested flycatcher, Brown scrub-robin and Buff-spotted flufftail as well as sightings of Summer-visiting Marsh warbler and Willow warbler. 

The wetlands have continued to shrink with the low rainfall locally surrounding St Lucia and many have even dried up. This has had the effect of concentrating the waterfowl into the last remaining wetlands making for some great wetland birding.  Lesser jacana has been regular on the wetlands close to St Lucia and on the Eastern shores of Isimangaliso Wetlands park along with African pygmy-goose, Saddle-billed stork, Squacco heron, White-backed duck, Intermediate egret, Black crake, White-faced whistling duck, African jacana and African marsh-harrier.  

Also of interest, the Sooty falcon was sighted 16km from St Lucia on the road to Mtubatuba. A yearly occurrence for the last 4 years at least.

Nocturnal sightings have included Swamp and Fiery-necked nightjars, Spotted eagle-owl and African wood-owl. 

It was an extremely hot and dry December in St Lucia and the birding was on fire.

The biggest highlight of the month was the discovery of a Whinchat on the Eastern shores of the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park close to St Lucia. This is an extremely rare record for South Africa with only around 30 recorded sightings. This bird of Europe migrates to the Central parts of Africa during the European Winter and vary rarely reaches Southern Africa.

Another highlight during the month was a Dwarf bittern which spent around a week in one of the Wetlands close to St Lucia. Their tiny size and secretive habits always make them a tough one to see but this individual was rather confiding. 

The same wetland area also produced regular sightings of Lesser jacana in the latter part of the month. 

The Lake St Lucia estuary mouth also produced some great birds during the course of the month including Tibetan sand plover and Hartlaub's gull

The tern roost at the estuary mouth held good numbers of Greater crested, Common, Sandwich and Little tern along with the odd Lesser crested tern. Waders included Common ringed plover, Sanderling, White-fronted plover, Grey plover, Little stint, Curlew sandpiper and Common sandpiper. We also enjoyed a single sighting of Terek sandpiper- another great bird!   

Birding in the forest has been great again. It's that time of year when adult birds are extremely busy feeding their recently fledged chicks which seem to have an insatiable hunger. We have enjoyed beautiful sightings of all of the forest specials during the month including Woodward's batis, Rudd's apalis, Livingstone's turaco, Eastern nicator, Emerald cuckoo, Narina trogon, Blue-mantled crested flycatcher, African goshawk, Eastern olive, Grey & Purple-banded sunbirds, Green twinspot, Grey waxbill, Red-backed mannikin, Green malkoha etc.

The grasslands are once again teeming with Blue-cheeked bee-eater. Other regulars include Croaking, Zitting, Rattling and Rufous-winged cisticola, European roller, Fan-tailed widowbird, African marsh harrier, Brown & Black-chested snake-eagle and Red-breasted swallow to name a few. The secretary birds have also shown a couple of times during the month which is always a great sight. 

It was great to see the Yellow-billed oxpecker is still around on the Eastern shores after not seeing it for a month or two.

Also on the Eastern shores, the Rufous-bellied heron were still seen regularly as well as the odd Rosy-throated longclaw.

It has been a predominantly hot and dry month in St Lucia! The Wetlands surrounding St Lucia have receded alot as a result  and the Lake St Lucia estuary mouth remains closed for the time being. More Summer-visiting birds have arrived throughout the course of the month. The Blue-cheeked bee-eater are pleasantly common again and calling Diedericks, Red-chested and Klaas' cuckoo are a common sound throughout St Lucia. Many Common Buzzard can be seen perched conspicuously on small trees in the grasslands.  

The wetlands have continued to produce some great birds during the course of the month with the highlights being sightings of Allen's gallinule, Lesser moorhen and Rufous-bellied heron. Other birds regularly seen on the wetlands include African pygmy-goose, Intermediate and Great white egret, White-backed duck, White-faced whistling duck, Black crake, Malachite kingfisher, African marsh-harrier, Saddle-billed stork, African jacana and Purple heron to name a few. 

Grasslands on the Eastern shores have produced regular sightings of Senegal lapwing and Collared pratincole during the course of the month. The calls of displaying Croaking cisticola are a common sound in the grasslands along with the other cisticola's (Rattling, Zitting and Rufous-winged).

The estuary and surrounding beaches have turned up some interesting birds this month, the biggest discovery being that of a Saunders's tern (the second consecutive year it has visited St Lucia). Other rarities at the mouth have included a Greater sand plover and Bar-tailed godwit. The tern roost has grown in numbers and diversity with Summer terns such as the Lesser crested, Common and Little terns returning again along with the  Greater crested, Sandwich and Caspian terns. Other species present at the mouth have included Ruddy turnstone, Sanderling, Common ringed plover, Eurasian whimbrel, Grey plover, Common sandpiper, Common greenshank, Western osprey and Palm-nut vulture.

The reedbeds lining the estuary narrows are still busy with nesting Southern brown-throated, Eastern golden, Lesser-masked and Thick-billed weavers which are usually spied on by their nest parasite- the Diederick's cuckoo.

In the forest we enjoyed a couple more great sightings of African broadbill during the course of the month.

Other forest birds regularly seen during the course of the month included Narina trogon, Green malkoha, Livingstone's turaco, Woodward's batis, Rudd's apalis. African emerald cuckoo, Scaly-throated honeyguide, Blue-mantled crested flycatcher and Brown scrub-robin to name a few. We also enjoyed a few good sightings of Buff-spotted flufftail during the month. 

Lastly, nocturnal birding has been great with consistent sightings of Swamp nightjar, Fiery-necked nightjar and African wood-owl. 

It's been a mixed bag of weather this month with howling winds, a fair amount of rain, the first Summer thunderstorms and some perfect, warm windless days inbetween. Intra-African migrants such as Violet-backed starling, Broad-billed roller, African pygmy kingfisher, Red-chested, Diedericks and Levaillant's cuckoo started to arrive at the start of the month- the first sign of summer. 

The intra-african migrants have been joined by the first-arriving Eurasian migrants such as Common buzzard, Barn swallow and European bee-eater. 

We are still eagerly awaiting the arrival of our other Summer migrants! ​It's been busy in the forest with many of the forest residents engrossed in nest building and plenty of vocalizing to attract mates or proclaim breeding territories. We have regularly encountered floating leks of male Narina trogon during the month. Amazing to watch these usually furtive species sitting conspicuously calling and performing overhead display flights!

​Fruiting large-leafed figs (Ficus lutea) have been attracting a great variety of frugivores including White-eared barbet, Black-bellied starling, African green pigeon, Trumpeter hornbill, Yellow-rumped tinkerbird, Livingstone’s turaco and Yellow-bellied greenbul whilst blossoming Natal Flatcrown and Forest Mahogany trees have been attracting a nice variety of Sunbirds- Grey, Olive, Purple-banded and Collared- as well as a few leaf-gleaners such as Yellow-breasted and Rudd's apalis.

​A few lingering African emerald cuckoo still provided nice sightings throughout the month, advertising their presence nicely with their piercing 'Hello georgie/ Mooimeisie calls.

​The haunting call of little Buff-spotted flufftail is a common sound in the forests at the moment at dawn, dusk, night-time and drizzly mornings. We have also enjoyed great sightings of these beautiful little birds during the course of the month.

​A nice surprise on one of the walks was a displaying African broadbill- a very uncommon bird for St Lucia. Amazing to hear and see it's very eccentric display.

​We saw the first termite alate emergences this month after the first heavy thunderstorms of the season. The whole of St Lucia and surrounds was a swarming mass of flying termites, providing a feast for a large multitude of birds, some bending the rules of what they are supposed to eat to take advantage of the high-energy, easy-to-obtain food source.

​At the estuary mouth wader numbers have starting to increase with sightings of Common-ringed and Grey plover, Curlew sandpiper, Common sandpiper, Common greenshank, Little stint, Ruddy turnstone and Sanderling. Other birds seen at the mouth during the course of the month have included Western osprey, Pink-backed pelican, Eurasian whimbrel, African Black oystercatcher and African fish-eagle.

​The Rufous-bellied bellied heron have still been seen regularly at Amazibu hide on the Eastern shores and the wetlands just to the North. 

​Nocturnal birding was great with up close sightings of Swamp nightjar and African wood-owl during the course of the month.

It was a very wet September with over 250mm rain falling and some icy cold weather too!

Birding has been fantastic in all the different habitats with some nice surprises.

Starting at the Lake St Lucia estuary mouth, the biggest find of the month was that of 5 Damara terns which spent 3 days at the tern roost before disappearing. 

Other special sightings at the mouth during the course of the month included a sighting of Terek sandpiper and regular sightings of Bar-tailed godwit.

Other regulars at the mouth included African oystercatcher, Common ringed plover, Curlew sandpiper, Sanderling, Common greenshank, Common sandpiper, Sanderling, Western osprey, Ruddy turnstone, Grey plover, Eurasian whimbrel, White-fronted plover, Greater crested tern, Caspian tern, Common tern and the odd Little tern.

We enjoyed good sightings of Mangrove kingfisher in the early stages of the month but it seems they have now left to return to their Summer breeding territories in the Eastern Cape. The long-staying Eurasian oystercatcher also appears to have left.

The forest has been on fire this month, the Celtis leaf beetle larvae attracting plenty insectivores- such as African emerald cuckoo, Black cuckooshrike, Green malkoha, Brown-backed honeybird, Klaas' cuckoo- to the White stinkwood trees.  

Fruiting fig trees and Wild plum trees have been attracting Livingstone's turaco, White-eared barbet, Black-bellied starling, Yellow-bellied greenbul, Sombre greenbul, Trumpeter hornbill, Crowned hornbill and African green pigeon.

We have also enjoyed regular sightings of Buff-spotted flufftail, Bluemantled-crested flycatcher, Woodward's batis, Rudd's apalis, Olive bush-shrike, Grey waxbill, Red-backed mannikin and Green twinspot amongst others.  

With the large amounts of rainfall, the wetlands have filled up and previously dried up wetlands have re-filled meaning the wetlands birds have dispersed somewhat with more options available. Earlier in the month we enjoyed regular sightings of the Rufous-bellied heron and Allen's gallinule but after the rains the Rufous-bellied have become more erratic and the Allen's has moved elsewhere it seems. There are still plentiful African pygmy-goose and White-backed duck amongst others.

In the grasslands, Collared pratincole are still abundant and in recently burnt patches there are plentiful Senegal lapwing. The Red-breasted swallows have returned and can be seen perched alongside roadside culverts or animal burrows which they use to nest.  

Nocturnal birding has been great with excellent sightings of Swamp nightjar and African wood-owl during the course of the month and erratic sightings of White-backed night-heron.

Another interesting sighting during the course of the month included a Bush blackcap at Eden park campsite (reported by Ivonne Coetzee).

It has been a great birding month again with a mixed bag of weather. The August winds have certainly arrived on time this year! In between the many blustery days though we have had some perfect warm days hinting at the arrival of Spring. 

In the forest, the White stinkwood trees have started pushing out their new leaves which are fed on by the countless larvae of Celtis leaf beetle- an annual occurrence at this time of year. 

This coincides with an influx of African emerald cuckoo and Klaas' cuckoo which have both been pleasantly common throughout the month. ​

Flowering Coral trees are still attracting good numbers of Collared, Eastern olive, Grey and Purple-banded sunbirds as well as Eastern golden weaver.

The first Narina trogon males started calling towards the middle of the month making these spectacular birds easier to find. They are silent in non-breeding season from late summer until late Winter. 

Seed-eaters such as Grey waxbill, Red-backed mannikin, Green twinspot, Bronze mannikin and Yellow-fronted canary have been attracted to areas of seeding Beefwood/Casuarina trees, sometimes in mixed flocks of 30 or more individuals.

We have enjoyed regular sightings of Spotted ground-thrush throughout the month- one confiding individual has been treating us with close-up sightings! With an estimated global population of fewer than 2500 individuals it is always a privilege to see these beautiful birds!

A highlight in the forest towards the end of the month was a sighting of 2 Eastern Bronze-naped pigeon. These rare pigeons are synonomous with forests such as Dlinza and Ongoye so seeing them in St Lucia is a rare treat. Having said this, there have been a handful of sightings in recent years- all in late Winter and early Spring- which may hint at some seasonal movement of these birds to the coastal forests of St Lucia.

There have been big changes at the St Lucia estuary mouth during the course of the month with the mouth finally closing after the dry Winter we have had. The long-staying Eurasian oystercatcher has remained at the mouth and another highlight was 2 sightings of African finfoot during the course of the month.

At the estuary edges we have enjoyed regular sightings of Mangrove kingfisher which will soon be departing back to their Summer breeding grounds in the Eastern Cape.

The wetlands surrounding St Lucia and in the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park have continued to shrink and provide easy pickings for herons, egrets, spoonbills, kingfishers and reed cormorants. Amazingly, the one wetlands complex is frequented by at least 6 Rufous-bellied heron - a bird still considered to be rarity in South Africa.

Another highlight in the wetlands has been a juvenile Allen's gallinule- also a rarity to the area- which has been present on a wetland on the Eastern shores for most of the month.

As is usual for this time of year, large areas of coastal grassland have been burnt. 

Freshly burnt areas are attracting a nice variety of raptors including African cuckoo-hawk, Martial eagle, Brown, Black-chested and Southern-banded snake-eagle, Bataleur and Black-shouldered & Yellow-billed kite. Good numbers of Senegal lapwing are also present in some of the burnt areas. ​

Other highlights in the grasslands have included good numbers of Collared pratincole and- closer to Cape Vidal- the Yellow-billed oxpecker which have been seen regularly on herds of buffalo.

Lastly, we have once again enjoyed numerous leopard sightings during the course of the month. St Lucia and the Isimangaliso Wetlands park proving to be a fantastic place to see these beautiful predators.  

It has been an exceptional birding month in St Lucia with fantastic sightings in all the different habitats.

At this time of year in the forests most of the White stinkwood trees and Large leaved fig trees have shed their leaves allowing more light to infiltrate through the canopy meaning the forest is less gloomy, affording better photographic opportunities. 

Action in the forest has been centred around the fruiting fig trees, Wild plum trees, Sand apricot vines and Pigeonwood trees which have been attracting large numbers of frugivores including Trumpeter hornbill, Black-bellied starling, White-eared barbet, Yellow-bellied greenbul, Livingstone's turaco and Crowned hornbill. 

On the forest floor we have enjoyed regular sightings of Winter-visiting Spotted ground-thrush, Chorister robin-chat and White-starred robin as well as resident Brown scrub-robin, Buff-spotted flufftail, Lemon dove, Red-capped robin-chat and Terrestrial brownbul.

Roving bird parties have been quite spectacular in the forest this month with sometimes overwhelming numbers of species. Regular species present in the bird parties have included Olive bush-shrike, Orange-breasted bush-shrike, Green malkoha, Dark-backed weaver, Black-backed puffback, Rudds apalis, Yellow-breasted apalis, Black cuckooshrike, Green-backed camaroptera, Black-throated wattle-eye, Blue-mantled crested flycatcher, Square-tailed drongo, African paradise flycatcher and the odd Narina trogon.

Flowering Coral trees, Tree fuschia and Cape honeysuckle have continued to attract good numbers of Purple-banded, Grey, Eastern olive and Collared sunbirds.
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Seed-eaters have been concentrated around seeding Casuarina (Beefwood) trees this month with nice mixed flocks of Green twinspot, Red-backed mannikin, Bronze mannikin, Yellow-fronted canary and Grey waxbill often present in the vicinity.
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With a relatively dry Winter thus far the wetlands have receded around St Lucia and in the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park. The smaller, shallower wetlands are providing easier pickings for herons (Grey, Black-headed, Squacco, Rufous-bellied), little bittern, Egrets (Great white, Intermediate, Little), African spoonbill, Hamerkop and Sacred Ibises as aquatic organisms are more concentrated and easier to hunt, attracting good numbers of these birds.

Highlights in the wetlands have included regular sightings of a pair of Rufous-bellied heron as well as regular open views of the normally secretive Little bittern.

The last-remaining deeper wetlands are also holding more concentrated numbers of waterfowl such as African pygmy-goose, White-backed duck, White-faced whistling duck, Yellow-billed duck, Red-billed & Blue-billed teal and the odd Lesser moorhen.

Other highlights on the Eastern shores during the month have included Collared pratincole which are visible at wetland edges or on the road if one is lucky,  Saddle-billed stork, African cuckoo-hawk, Southern-banded snake eagle and African crowned eagle. 

Huge baitballs of sardine have been lingering around Cape Vidal throughout the month attracting good numbers of Cape cormorant, Cape gannet and Greater crested tern. 

A Parasitic jaeger (not a bird often seen perched ashore in KZN) has been harassing terns and gulls at Cape Vidal for their food- typical behaviour from this kleptoparasitic bird. Amazingly it has also been perching ashore (often seperate to the tern roost because it gets mobbed by them if it ventures too close). Other interesting sightings from shore at Cape Vidal included Indian Yellow-nosed albatross and  Brown booby. Also of interest, in St Lucia, a Wilson's storm-petrel was seen flying in the channel between the beach and backline- a bird usually seen much further off shore. 

The Lake St Lucia estuary mouth and narrows have produced some great sightings during the course of the month with regular sightings of the Eurasian oystercatcher which is often in the company of African (Black) oystercatchers. 

Lastly, in the narrows section of the Lake St Lucia estuary we enjoyed multiple sightings of African finfoot during the course of the month as well as some great Mangrove kingfisher sightings.

It was a relatively wet June in St Lucia with approximately 100mm of rain falling during the month. Nevertheless, the wetlands have continued to shrink and the shallow remaining pans with more concentrated, easy to catch invertebrates, frogs and fish are attracting a nice variety of predatory waterfowl including Squacco heron, Saddle-billed stork, Striated heron, Little bittern, Great white, Intermediate and Little egret, Black-headed heron, Grey heron, African spoonbill, Hamerkop, Saddle-billed stork and Wooly-necked stork to name a few. There are also abundant African pygmy-goose, White-backed duck, White-faced whistling duck, Red-billed teal and the odd Blue-billed teal along with African jacana, Black crake, Reed cormorant and the odd patrolling African marsh-harrier. 

One of the highlights of the month has been the regular sightings of Rufous-bellied heron on the Eastern shores of Isimangaliso Wetlands Park.

Another highlight has been the regular sightings of a Eurasian oystercatcher on the St Lucia beaches which has been in the company of African (Black) oystercatchers.

Forest birding has been fantastic with regular sightings of Green malkoha, Olive bush-shrike, Blue-mantled crested flycatcher, Woodward's batis, Rudd's apalis, Eastern nicator, Buff-spotted flufftail, Spotted ground-thrush, Black-throated wattle-eye, Brown scrub-robin, Livingstone's turaco, Grey sunbird, Purple-banded sunbird and the odd White-starred robin (to name a few)

At the estuary there has been a large tern roost present consisting predominantly of Greater crested terns with the odd Caspian, Sandwich and Little tern in the mix. The Western osprey has continued to show consistently as it hunts over the mouth and we have even enjoyed a sighting of African finfoot opposite the mouth  in recent days! The Palm-nut vulture have also given us nice sightings on St Lucia beaches during the course of the month.

Other Dune forest specials include Gaboon adder, Tonga red bush squirrel, Setaro's dwarf chameleon, Red duiker and Samango monkey.

The grasslands are bisected by small streams and drainage lines which are lined by another unique habitat type in South Africa called Swamp forest which supports it's own unique fauna and flora.

Another unique and outstanding feature of the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park are the estuarine lakes found a few kilometers inland of the ocean. The largest of these is Lake St Lucia which is connected to the ocean (sporadically) via a long channel known as 'the Narrows' .

A large roost of terns (and other shorebirds) is usually present at the estuary mouth with numbers fluctuating according to season and food availability. In the Summer months there are typically 6 to 7 tern species present with usually a few less in the Winter months.

The Lake St Lucia estuary mouth is also famous as one of few places where it is possible to see Crocodiles, Hippopotamus and Bull sharks swimming in the same waters!   ​

During the Winter months the estuary edges are home to visiting Mangrove kingfisher which migrate up the coast from the Eastern Cape. There are only a few hundred individuals within South Africa and the Lake St Lucia estuary provides an important non-breeding ground for these beautiful birds.

Lake St Lucia itself is an important nursery ground for many estuarine/marine fish species as well as prawns.  It is also home to the unique amphibious mudskipper fish which can survive prolonged periods of time outside the water.

Lake St Lucia also supports some of the largest populations of Hippopotamus and crocodile in the country. St Lucia town is famous for having it's resident pods of hippo saunter into town in the evenings to graze on short lawn grass at the verges of roads and in people's gardens.

To the west of Lake St Lucia lies the Western shores and False bay sections of the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park. The Western shores protects a similar variety of habitats to the Eastern shores with a few slight differences such as Lala palm studded grasslands, Tall woodland and the odd sandforest patch. As a result the Western shores is better for birds such as Lemon-breasted canary and Pink-throated twinspot. 

Large game has also been reintroduced to the Western shores and in addition to all the species occurring on the Eastern shores, it also supports populations of Nyala, Giraffe and Tsessebe. Recently, the Western shores has also become famous for its population of 'Strawberry leopard'- a rare genetic abnormality whereby leopards lack black pigment and as a result their rosettes are reddish in colour instead.

The False bay section of the Isimangaliso Park protects beautiful tracts of Sandforest and lakeshore on the North-Western edge of Lake St Lucia. With no dangerous game, this area can be explored on foot or mountain bike via one of the stunning trails. 

The sandforest areas in particular, are a birding hotspot protecting many rare and localised species such as African broadbill, Gorgeous bush-shrike, Eastern nicator, Rudd's apalis, Purple-banded & Neergaards sunbird to name a few. ​

The Lake and lake shore in the False bay section, besides being tranquil and picturesque, offer great birding for waterfowl.

The Mkhuze section of the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park protects a wide range of habitats all crammed into a relatively small area of 400sq/km. Habitats include the foothills of the Lebombo mountains, Bushveld, Tall woodland, Ox-bow lakes, Riparian forest and Sandforest. The amazing diversity of habitats crammed into a small area makes Mkhuze a birding mecca, with over 400 species of bird recorded in the reserve. Mkhuze is famous as one of the best locations to see the rare and elusive Pel's fishing owl which can be found in the lush Riparian forest along the banks of the Mkhuze river and oxbow lakes. The guided Fig-forest walk gives the best chance of seeing this impressive owl. Sand forest areas protect many unique bird species such as Neergaard's sunbird, African broadbill, Eastern nicator, Bearded scrub-robin and Pink-throated twinspot. 

Large game has also been reintroduced to the reserve over the years and it is now home to Lion, Leopard, African Wilddog, Cheetah, Elephant, Buffalo, Black and White rhino and a wide variety of ungulates.  ​

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The small and secretive Suni antelope is one of the special mammal species found in the park which is restricted to Sand forest habitat and therefore very range-limited and localised in South Africa.

A nice variety of well-placed hides overlooking waterholes and the oxbow lakes provide excellent photographic opportunities for birds and animals. The hides overlooking waterholes are particularly productive in the drier Winter and Spring months when parched animals and birds come to quench their thirst.

North of Sodwana bay the Coastal forest section of the Isimangaliso Wetlands park skirts the coastline all the way up until the Mozambique border. This stretch of coast is characterised by many beautiful remote beaches and protected bays such as Mabibi, Rocktail bay, Lala nek, Black rock, Dog point and Bhanga nek which all offer fantastic snorkeling on the low tide.

The Maputaland turtle sanctuary is found within this section of the park and forms the core protected area for nesting Leatherback and Loggerhead turtles- the highest density of which can be found nesting between Bhanga nek and the Mozambique border. The turtle research and monitoring programme here is the longest-running in the world and the source of much of the information we know about marine turtles- something to be proud of!

West of Mabibi is the beautiful and tranquil Lake Sibaya- a large freshwater lake seperated from the ocean by the impressive forested sand dunes. The lake is home to hippo and crocodiles and some unique fish species. The short grassy, damp shoreline of the lake is a good area to search for Rosy-throated longclaw. 

Another impressive feature of this stretch of coast is 'Island rock'- a large island of reef which is exposed on the low tide and juts out above the ocean 50m off the shore. The Western 'inside' section of the reef is very sheltered from swell which allows corals to thrive- creating a beautiful underwater aquarium.

The 4 Kosi Lakes are another outstanding feature of the coastal forest section of the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park. The Lakes are all connected by channels and also connected to the ocean at the Kosi mouth. A traditional and sustainable form of fishing developed 700 years ago is still used by the Tonga people living alongside the lake- an interesting cultural feature of the lake. 

The Kosi mouth is an extraordinary area which protects a stunning diversity of marine and estuarine life. It has been nicknamed the 'aquarium' as a result and provides some breathtaking snorkelling.   

It is also possible to snorkel in the first and second lake on a guided boat trip where it is possible to see Mangrove snapper, Glassy, Moonies and other estuarine fish.

Impressive Raffia palm forests are found in a few locations bordering the Kosi lakes and these are home to Palm-nut vulture. The Palm-nut vultures use the Raffia palms for nesting and roosting purposes and also eat the husk of the fruit. They are also regularly seen on the beaches to the East of the Kosi Lakes. 

The Isimangaliso Wetlands park is also a legendary fishing destination for shore anglers, ski fishermen and deep sea fishermen alike.  Deep sea fishermen are permitted to catch pelagic species such as Tuna, King & Queen mackerel, Dorado, Wahoo, Sailfish, Marlin and Kingfish. Shore anglers target species such as Kob, Natal stumpnose, Spotted grunter, Garrick (Winter), Shad (Winter), Kingfish, Pompano and Perch.

For the surfers out there, there are various uncrowded breaks on offer at St Lucia, Cape Vidal, Mabibi, Black rock and Sodwana.