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St Lucia Birding update: Jan '24

31/1/2024

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It's been a great birding month in St Lucia again.

Starting with some of the unusual sightings:

On the 4th of January we saw a Yellow-billed oxpecker at the Dune loop exit on the Eastern shores, Isimangaliso. This follows a previous  sighting at the end of October and is probably the same individual as it was in exactly  the same location- also on a herd of kudu. ​
Yellow-billed oxpecker sitting on kudu
Yellow-billed oxpecker on Eastern shores, Isimangaliso.
On the 9th January a Dusky Lark was observed feeding on refuse on the main street of St Lucia. This is a very unusual record for St Lucia. ​
Dusky lark perched
Dusky lark, Main street, St Lucia
​In early January 3 African skimmer were discovered at the Estuary mouth but did not stay around for long. Last sighting was on the 12th Of January. At roughly the same time no fewer than 10 individuals were sighted in Richard's bay! Its encouraging that the skimmers have returned now for the second consecutive Summer (albeit for a shorter period this time).
African skimmer with tern
African skimmer, Lake St Lucia estuary mouth
​In the forest we have enjoyed good sightings of Narina trogon, Green malkoha, Woodward's batis, Livingstone's turaco, African emerald cuckoo, Rudd's apalis, Scaly-throated honeyguide, Brown scrub-robin, Green twinspot, Grey waxbill, Red-backed mannikin to name a few. The Livingstone's turaco are loving the fruiting Cape Ash trees at the moment. We enjoyed some special sightings of a pair of Narina trogon feeding their recently fledged chick, returning approximately every 15 minutes or so to feed it. Caterpillars, Leaf katydids and Cicada beetles were some of the food items observed being fed to the chick. We have observed a lone Pink-throated twinspot female throughout the month which is an uncommon bird in St Lucia (more typical of Sand forest). We enjoyed an interesting sighting of a pair of Crowned hornbill raiding the nest of a pair of Dark-backed weavers. The hornbills plunged their bills into the nest of the weavers whilst tried desperately to chase them off with no success.
African emerald cuckoo calling in tree
African emerald cuckoo, St Lucia
​The wetlands are once again full to the brim after some heavy rains towards the middle of the month. Most have matured nicely and are covered in a carpet of waterlilies. African pygmy-goose and White-backed duck are present in the wetlands along with more common waterfowl such as Great white, Intermediate and Little egrets, White-faced whistling duck, Little grebe, African jacana, Black crake, Purple & Striated heron. Waders at the edges of the wetlands include Wood, Marsh and Common sandpiper, Common greenshank and Three-banded plover. Rufous-winged, Zitting, Croaking and Rattling cisticola are common at wetland edges along with the odd Collared pratincole, Fan-tailed widowbirds and Yellow-throated longclaws. At night time we have enjoyed fantastic sightings of White-backed night-heron at wetland edge close to St Lucia.
White-backed night-heron at night
White-backed night-heron, St Lucia
The estuary mouth channel has continued to bend Northwards scouring the beach as it goes. This has created a nice long sand spit opposite the mouth channel a few hundred metres long. The sandspit is usually frequented by one (sometimes two) large tern roosts usually consisting of Greater crested, Lesser crested, Sandwich, Common, Little and Caspian terns. Other birds seen at the mouth during the course of the month have included Collared pratincole, Ruddy turnstone, African black oystercatcher, Grey plover, Goliath heron, Marsh sandpiper, Common greenshank, Eurasian whimbrel, Sanderling, Curlew sandpiper, Little stint, Common ringed plover to name a few. Western osprey, African fish-eagle and Palm-nut vulture are also regularly encountered. The reedbeds bordering the mouth are producing Southern brown-throated, Eastern golden and Thick-billed weavers as well as Rufous-winged cisticola, Lesser swamp & African reed-warblers.  The dune scrub bordering the estuary is producing Blue-cheeked bee-eater, Brimstone canary and when morning offshores blow- mixed flocks of Barn swallow and Sand martin.     ​
Lesser crested tern
Lesser crested tern, Lake St Lucia estuary mouth.
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