St Lucia Birding Update: September '23

Saunders's tern, St Lucia estuary mouth

Birding in St Lucia has been splendid this month with many surprises!

The Lake St Lucia estuary mouth has been on fire! The discovery of a Saunders's tern in the early part of the month caused a huge stir amongst birders countrywide with many people making the journey to see the tiny tern- a first ever record for South Africa! The furthest South they usually make it is Central Mozambique so this individual was relatively far out of range.Unfortunately it has not been seen for the last 5 days so may have left us now. Another surprise was the discovery of 2 Damara tern (in full breeding plumage) at the tern roost on the 12th September. Unfortunately the Damara terns only spent one day at the roost before moving on. These small terns breed on the Southern Cape and up the Namibian Coast and usually overwinter on the West African coast but small numbers were recently discovered to also overwinter off the coast in Central Mozambique. The 2 birds seen off St Lucia were possibly in transit to their breeding grounds on the Southern Cape from Mozambique. Complimenting the 2 tern rarities was a group of 3 Red knot (also considered a rarity in KZN). These have been seen regularly but erratically throughout the month. Quite outrageously there were up to 14 Bar-tailed godwit at times at the mouth (also a usually uncommon bird) with a few individuals still present towards the end of the month. Other birds seen at the Lake St Lucia estuary mouth over the course of the month included Terek sandpiper, Grey plover, Eurasian whimbrel, Sanderling, Curlew sandpiper, Little stint, Marsh sandpiper, Common ringed plover, White-fronted plover, Common greenshank, Pied avocet, Ruddy turnstone, African Black oystercatcher, Greater crested, Common, Sandwich and Caspian tern, Kelp gull, Grey-headed gull, African fish-eagle, Goliath heron, Cape cormorant to name a few. ​

Damara terns at St Lucia estuary mouth

In the narrows section of the estuary, Mangrove kingfisher persisted during the early stages of the month but seem to have now all departed for their breeding grounds in the Eastern Cape. The reedbeds are abuzz with Southern brown-throated, Eastern golden, Thick-billed and Lesser masked weaver all busily weaving their nests. We also enjoyed one sighting of African finfoot during the month.

Nesting Lesser-masked weaver, St Lucia estuary narrows

In the forest, the action has been happening around the White stinkwood trees which are teeming with the larvae of Celtis leaf beetles at the moment. This feast is attracting plenty of African emerald and Klaas' cuckoos, Green malkoha, Black cuckooshrikes and other insectivorous birds. Fruiting Wild plum (Herpephyllum caffrum) are attracting both Livingstone's turaco and Purple-crested turaco and fruiting figs are attracting Trumpeter hornbill, Crowned hornbill, Yellow-bellied & Sombre greenbul, African green pigeon, Black-bellied starling, Yellow-rumped tinkerbird and White-eared barbet to name a few. The call of Narina trogon males is a common sound in the forest at the moment and the eery foghorn call of the Buff-spotted flufftails can now be heard at dawn, dusk, night and misty/drizzly mornings. A nice surprise in the forest this month was a juvenile Palm-nut vulture!

African emerald cuckoo surrounded by Celtis leaf beetle larvae

Wetland birding has also not disappointed with plenty of African pygmy-goose and  White-backed duck around as well as the odd Lesser moorhen. The Rufous-bellied heron on pan loop (Eastern shores) have been very consistent this month with as many as 5 seen at once! Collared pratincole are also still common at wetland edges.

Rufous-bellied heron, Isimangaliso Wetlands Park

Raptor-viewing has been great throughout the month with sightings of African crowned and Martial eagle, Southern-banded, Brown & Black-chested snake-eagle, African cuckoo-hawk, African Marsh-harrier, Black-shouldered & Yellow-billed kite, Black sparrowhawk and African goshawk. ​

African cuckoo-hawk