Not every Drakensberg bird is listed here, only those that have been spotted on our property. We hope that while in the Drakensberg birders will find this list useful: CAVERN BIRD LIST using Roberts7 names and sequence. Coqui Francolin Peliperdix coquiGrey-winged Francolin Scleroptila africanusRed-winged Francolin Scleroptila levaillantiiRed-necked Spurfowl Pternistis aferSwainson’s Spurfowl Pternistis swainsoniiCommon Quail Coturnix […]
September can be quiet, often windy, as it was this weekend, and still a bit early for most tropical migrants. Of the swallows only the resident Sawwing was to be found. But lots of other action nevertheless… Hadedas don’t normally attract much attention. We see them every day, usually patrolling lawns and other short grass
Three days of cold, two of them windy, did not bode well. One day was the coldest for many years, really crackly frost and icicles. But the Cape White-eyes did what is typical for the time of year. The young of summer are now fully independent, so join their parents, and lots of other families
Rain hampered walks, but contrary to popular belief it does sometimes stop. That’s the moment to get out birding for the obvious reason that the birds have also been waiting for this moment. Something of a mystery is how small birds are able to emerge perfectly dry. About the best place to stand and wait
Mid-summer is a minor lull in the bird world, and not just in Africa. The most obvious feature is the slackening of bird-song. Territorial boundaries have been settled, and the most important thing is collecting lots of food for chicks. So it is at the Cavern. In an admittedly very wet weekend there was neither
The weather was unusually hot, not ideal for birding. But why do birds respond so quickly to a very early hot morning, and more or less slacken off even after a couple of hours? Temperature is indeed the main factor. All small birds wake up hungry, but insect food isn’t always obvious first thing. Being
We were again lucky with big game. There must have been a dozen Eland sightings, mostly singles, with plenty of other evidence including broken Buddleja salviifolia bushes – their favourite winter food. A group of six Mountain Reedbuck was the largest we have ever seen. A bushbuck near the hotel garden appeared to have no
The weather was perfect, birds responding full bore at sunrise. The highlight was seeing three Half-collared Kingfishers at once on the bottom pond. Although this is a regular haunt the kingfishers usually flee if approached too closely. Not today. This was a breeding episode, mom, dad and junior – easily identified by mottled beak and
We’ve all heard of the African Big Five (fierce and hairies), and Cavernites know of the Cavern Big Five (high peaks to be walked consecutively in a single day). Now it’s time to introduce the Cavern Feathered Five. These are the birds which most epitomise The Cavern birding experience. How to choose them? Endemism is
The weather was not kind. A howling gale dominated the Saturday. Most birds don’t like wind. Heads down in the bushes. But luckily swifts and swallows have the opposite view. There’s probably more aerial plankton in windy conditions. Anything small and light gets swept up, and this is the best time for spiderlings to disperse
