Text and pictures: Peter Chadwick. Article from the April 2013 issue of Country Life Magazine.
Just a hop away from the town of Hluhluwe, the Bonamanzi Game Reserve is a brilliant birding destination
I had checked into the reserve and was relaxing in comfort, overlooking a picturesque pan, and a more typical and tranquil African setting would be hard to find. Where the pan narrowed in front of me, African Jacanas (1 on checklist) trotted about, lifting their legs high with each stride so that their long toes would lift off the lily pads. An African Fish Eagle gave its characteristic call and a Southern-banded Snake-Eagle landed in a nearby tree. On the banks of the pan, nyala and impala fed peacefully as vervet monkeys chattered and played in the trees above and a pair of Yellow-throated Longclaws (7) wandered at their feet.
Red duikers emerged from the dense undergrowth and a pair of Egyptian Geese disturbed a Grey Heron that had been standing motionless in the water. In the openings around the lodge, Crested Guineafowl (6) scratched for food in the hard ground, and chased each other with much cackling. Purple-crested Turacos hopped around in the tree-tops, flashing their crimson wings. A bird party also passed through – a pair of African Paradise Flycatchers, as well as Ashy Flycatchers (9), Chinspot Batises, Spectacled Weavers, a Fork-tailed Drongo, a Cardinal Woodpecker and a pair of Brubrus.
With the late afternoon heading into evening, I drove into the reserve, my first excitement coming from Dark-capped Bulbuls and White-bellied Sunbirds mobbing a well-camouflaged, and by now highly agitated, vine snake that puffed out its throat in anger. In the dense undergrowth, Yellow-bellied Bulbuls chattered constantly, and White-throated and Red-capped Robin-Chats (8) showed themselves briefly in openings in the vegetation. At a seasonal pan deep in the bush, where warthog, impala, nyala, kudu, genet, mongoose and porcupine spoor dried in the mud, thousands of tiny frogs swam in the shallows and hordes of Cape Turtle Doves, Violet-backed Starlings and Cape Glossy Starlings came down to drink.
Back at camp, a Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl sat in an ancient tree before flying off with heavy wing beats. Darkness brought a cacophony from the frogs, as well as the wailing cries of a thick-tailed bushbaby, and the calls of Water Thick-knees and a distant African Wood Owl. Tropical house geckos circled the outside lights like an armada of battleships waiting to strike at any insect that ventured too close.
Early next morning, I walked the Salmon Nogoma trail that skirted a series of pans, and ventured into acacia and Dichrostachys cinerea thicket before returning to camp through sandveld forest. On the lily-covered pans a frantic African Jacana adult bravely protected its two young from a huge catfish that tried to swallow them. In the trees, dainty Yellow-breasted Apalis gleaned minute insects from the bark and leaves.
A troop of vervet monkeys feeding nearby dashed into a tree and alarm called vociferously – perhaps a leopard hid itself as I wandered the trail
I stood quietly with my eyes closed and was able to identify the sea-saw calls of Red-capped Robin-Chats, the scolding of Yellow-bellied Bulbuls, the echoing gwara-gwara of Purple-crested Turacos, complaining Egyptian Geese, monotonous Yellow-fronted Tinker-Barbets and the calls of the Kurrichane Thrush, Red-eyed Dove, Bennett’s Woodpecker, Green-backed Camaroptera, Hamerkop, Lesser-striped Swallow (10), Fork-tailed Drongo and the mournful Emerald-spotted Wood-Doves.
A blue Malachite Kingfisher (4) shot into a stand of reeds, and a slender mongoose ran down the path ahead of me, startling a family of Crested Francolin that erupted into panicked flight.
In the Dichrostachys woodland, I ticked off Eastern Nicator, Sombre Greenbul, Grey-headed Bush-Shrike, Black-backed Puffback and Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike. A troop of vervet monkeys feeding nearby dashed into a tree and alarm called vociferously – perhaps a leopard hid itself as I wandered the trail.
In the early morning sun, there were masses of butterflies – green-veined charaxes, citrus and blue-veined swallowtails, orange-, lemon- and red-tips, as well as blue pansies. In a stand of tamboti trees, a large water monitor hauled itself through the soft sand and I could see where porcupines had chewed away the bark at the base of trees.
I crossed into the sandveld forest and was fortunate to find another birding party of Dark-backed Weavers, Olive Sunbirds, Southern Black Tits, Rudd’s Apalis, Golden-tailed Woodpeckers, Scimitarbills and a pair of Black-backed Puffbacks with two soliciting youngsters. Eventually I also found Pink-throated Twinspots feeding on the edge of a thicket and an additional bonus was a tiny suni that showed itself briefly before dashing into the impenetrable undergrowth. A Grey Sunbird and a pair of Gorgeous Bush-Shrikes were my final rewards for walking this worthwhile trail.
After a superb breakfast at the lodge I watched Bearded Scrub-Robins (2) feed on the lawn alongside Pied Wagtails, and a family of grazing warthog negated any need for mowing. With some reluctance I checked out, only to be serenaded on my approach to the gate by a large flock of Black-bellied Starlings in the top of a flat-crowned albizia.
At the gate, a final birding party added Black Cuckoo-Shrike, African Golden Oriole, Speckled Mousebird, Southern Black Flycatcher, Black-collared Barbet and Long-billed Crombec to an impressive 24 hours in a brilliant birding location that certainly lived up to its reputation as one of the finest in the country.
Habitats
Bonamanzi Game Reserve comprises three adjoining eco-systems – coastal grassland, tropical forest, and woodland. Patches of sandforest occur on the reserve and there is a good network of pans and waterways.
Specials
- Lappet-faced Vulture
- Martial Eagle
- Purple-crested Turaco
- African Pygmy Kingfisher
- Gorgeous Bush-Shrike
- Marico Sunbird
Checklist
1. The African Jacana (Grootlangtoon) male incubates, raises and carries the young under his wings.
2. Found in dry forest, the Bearded Scrub-Robin (Baardwipstert) is shy. It differs from the Brown Scrub-Robin, with brightly coloured flanks and bolder head markings.
3. A rather dull sunbird, the Eastern Olive Sunbird (Olyfsuikerbekkie) occurs in coastal and mist-belt forest and moist broad-leafed woodland.
4. The diminutive Malachite Kingfisher (Kuifkopvisvanger) is only a centimetre longer than the Pygmy Kingfisher and occurs over most of South Africa apart from the arid west.
5. A common summer visitor, the Violet-backed Starling (Witborsspreeu) builds its nest in the hollow of trees, laying three or four eggs per clutch. Unlike the brightly coloured male, the female is brown with darker speckles.
6. The Crested Guineafowl (Kuifkoptarentaal) only occurs in the extreme north of Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal where it inhabits coastal and riparian forests. During foraging the birds use a soft keet-keet-keet call.
7. The Yellow-throated Longclaw (Geelkeelkalkoentjie) is a common resident in rank grassland close to water. It calls while in flight or when prominently perched.
8. Best found by following its soft see-saw call, the Red-capped Robin-Chat (Nataljanfrederik) is also an excellent mimic and songster.
9. The Ashy Flycatcher (Blougrysvlieëvanger) grabs insects from branches and will often fly groundwards for food. It is a common resident that may be found in loose family parties.
10.The Lesser-striped Swallow (Kleinstreepswael) is easily distinguished from the Greater-striped Swallow by its darker plumage and heavy black stripping on the white underparts.
Season and Weather
Summer months are extremely hot and humid and afternoon thundershowers can be expected. Note that this is a malaria area. Winter weather is pleasant with cool temperatures and more stable weather.
Accommodation & Activities
Bonamanzi Game Reserve offers accommodation to suit most needs, from comfortable 3-star chalets at the Lalapanzi camp to the luxury, private Dinizulu camp. There are also the well-known self-catering treehouses. Activities include boating trips, game drives and walking trails.
Get There
Take the N2 north from Durban and turn off to the town of Hluhluwe. Drive through the town towards the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. On the outskirts of the town, there is good signage directing you to the nearby game reserve.
| More info on the town of Hluhluwe | More info on the Elephant Coast area |
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