African Rail- often heard but seldom seen …..

No one quite knows the full extent of the African Rail’s distribution in Southern Africa. Certainly, we know it favours dense habitat and reedbeds associated with perennial and semi-perennial wetlands and marshes with a distribution preference for the wetter east of...

Lazy Cisticola – a conundrum of a Cisticola

Lover of shrub dotted rocky hill slopes in the higher rainfall areas to the east of South Africa, this relatively shy and, outside of the breeding season, vocally subdued cisticola, is more prinia than classic cisticola in general appearance and inquisitive...

Chasing Rarities – Shorebirds in particular!

‘Vagrants’ in the ornithological form of navigationally disorientated migrant birds invariably present an almost ephemeral challenge to the birder with no guarantee of a ‘hook up’ in the quest for a credible sighting during what is invariably short stay…...

Rollers of the Kruger National Park

Possibly the most commonly encountered colourful bird in the Kruger Park is the Lilac-breasted Roller: a year round resident conspicuously perched on an open branch providing the classic bird’s ‘eye view’ of its immediate surroundings. Yet it is only one of a...

Of Baobabs and Spinetails

Pafuri, located in the far north east corner of the Kruger National Park is indeed iconic as a birding destination. Low lying, and flanked by the Limpopo river the mix of yellow fever trees and stately baobabs is home to at least fifteen highly sought after bird...