St Lucia Birding update: December 24'

Whinchat on the Eastern shores, Isimangaliso Wetlands Park

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. 

Dwarf bittern, St Lucia

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

Lesser jacana close to St Lucia. Photo courtesy Kelsey Symons

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

Tibetan sand plover, Lake St Lucia estuary mouth

Hartlaub's gull (centre)

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!   

Terek sandpiper, Lake St Lucia estuary mouth

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.

Narina trogon, St Lucia

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. 

Secretarybird

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.

Yellow-billed oxpecker on the Eastern shores

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