Kyalami Estates - May Round-up

31 May 2022 - Kyalami Estates

With winter almost upon us, May was a relatively quiet month with only 48 species recorded. However, two sightings on the same late afternoon were certainly the highlight of the month.

A local birder alerted me to a Black Spa perched at the top of a dead Bluegum Tree opposite his house. I raced down from my house to find it was still there - a gorgeous pale form Black Sparrowhawk soaking up the late afternoon sun

Black Sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus)

No sooner had I got back to my house, when he called again to say an Ovambo Sparrowhawk was now sitting in the same tree. Back down I went, but it had flown off. The sun had now gone down and I managed to connect with one of the two birds in less than favourable light

Ovambo Sparrowhawk (Accipiter ovampensis)

From my balcony, I recorded a few African Green Pigeons perched in the top of a dead Pine Tree late one afternoon

African Green Pigeon (Treron calvus)

I also recorded African Olive Pigeon

African Olive Pigeon (Columba arquatrix)

Red-eyed Doves

Red-eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata)

And Cape White-Eye feeding on the Bottlebrush

Cape White-Eye (Zosterops virens)

In the Parks, Reed Cormorants were occasionally seen

Reed Cormorant (Microcarbo africanus)

The small flock of Bronze Mannikin's were enjoying feeding on the seed heads of the Pampas Grass

Bronze Mannikin (Lonchura cucullata)

Whilst Red Bishops are all now in winter/non-breeding plumage

Southern Red Bishop (Euplectes orix)

And the Thick-billed Weavers are also still present in the reed habitat at the dam

Thick-billed Weaver (Amblyospiza albifrons)

Common Moorhen stroll around on the grass surrounding the dam

Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

Whilst these Spotted Thick-knee's tried to keep low key in a flowerbed on the grass verge

Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis)