Page 41 - Silver Lakes_Issue 10_2022

ESTATE EVENT

RETURN OF THE MIGRANTS

n 24 September, in celebration
of Heritage Day, a Bird Walk took
Oplace in our game reserve. It was
hosted by Lance Robinson.

The theme for the walk was “Welcome
back to the migrants” – in reference to our
migratory birds, given that spring signalled
the time for their welcome return to our
shores.

Lance began with a presentation of the
top five birding spots situated close
to Silver Lakes, namely: The Dinokeng
Game Reserve; Rietvlei Nature Reserve;
the legendary Zaagkuilsdrift Road which
includes the Kgomo-Kgomo floodplain;
Mabusa Nature Reserve; and the Wilge
River Valley.

Then came the spring walk. More than
20 enthusiastic Silver Lakes residents
participated. We had protracted views
of a mixed flock of swallows and swifts
overhead at the start of the walk. Among
the flock were the migratory Greater and
Lesser Striped Swallows (Grootstreepswael
en Kleinstreepswael), White-throated
Swallows (Witkeelswael), African Palm At the dam at the entrance to the billed Crombec (Bosveldstompstert),
Swift (Palmwindswael), and White-rumped nature reserve, a Hamerkop was seen more typical of the bushveld, was
Swifts (Witkruiswindswael). alongside a number of waterbirds. A Long- spotted. A Chestnut-vented Warbler
(Bosveldtjeriktik) was vocal but kept
mostly to the thicker thornveld.

As the morning warmed up, the birds
became less active. We were pleased
to have counted 53 species sightings
for the morning, despite not recording
any of the cuckoos. Some birders went
on afterwards to expand our birding list
for the estate and we managed to add
another 20 species, especially around
the larger dam, including a recently
arrived migratory African Reed Warbler
(Kleinrietsanger), the gem-like Malachite
Kingfisher (Kuifkopvisvanger), a couple
of breeding Goliath Heron (Reusereier)
and a small colony of Village Weavers
(Bontrugwewer).

Photos by Albert Froneman

INTRAMUROS NOVEMBER 2022 | 39