St Lucia Birding update: June 24'

African pygmy-goose

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. 

Saddle-billed stork

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

Rufous-bellied heron, Eastern shores 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.

Eurasian oystercatcher, St Lucia beach

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)

Sub-adult White-starred robin

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.

Palm-nut vulture exiting Casuarina tree bordering St lucia's beaches.