Page 12 - 07 March 2025

PAGE 12 · THE REPORTER 7 MARCH 2025

they came close to each
other the made their normal
loud call.
K e v i n m a n a g e d t o
photograph the one feeding
a chick on its back.
We eventually managed to
convince ourselves that our
On Saturday morning we weekend chores were still
took an early morning walk waiting for us at home and
to the dam. It is getting tore ourselves away from the
cooler in the mornings, well dam.
officially it is Autumn and we
were up before the birds. It is very sad to see the dam Purple Heron (Rooireier) and an unexpected Barkly bird, a Black-crowned Night Heron (Gewone Nagreier)
Slowly as the sun warmed so low, the water is receding
and the rain drops from the quickly. It will be tragic if the
dam’s water dries up
night’s rain started sparkling,
the birds became active. completely. I so wish this was
still a bird sanctuary!
Those nasty birds who never More about the Black-
show themselves, were crowned Night Heron:
calling from the reeds. Their
beautiful call and rattle It is a medium-sized Heron
ringing out loudly to torment (56cm) recognised by its
us. It seemed that when Kev black crown and back that
and I spoke to each other, contrast with its grey wings
t h e y j o i n e d i n t h e and white underparts. It has
conversation, of course we a very short neck, a white
did not see them! eyebrow and a dark line from
the bill base to the red eyes.
The little Levaillant's In breeding plumage it has
Cisticola (Vleitinktinkies) long white plumes on the
were very active. They were back of the crown.
in small groups and in pairs.
Often sitting on top of a reed In comparison to other
calling and singing. Often herons, they are relatively Levaillant's Cisticola (Vleitinktinkie) singing and calling Black-crowned Night Heron (Gewone Nagreier)
flying off to chase away an short-legged and have a I took this photograph in January 2023 in KZN
intruder. s q u a t h u n c h e d - u p
appearance when at rest.
When we walked up the old
dam wall, Kev called me over They are solitary and shy
to where he was sitting. On birds that are mostly
nocturnal. They spend the
the other side of the dam was day perched in a concealed
the Purple Heron we saw 2 position in a tree or reed bed
week’s ago. A little way off
from him we saw a Black- and only venture out to hunt
crowned Night Heron at twilight. They roost alone
or with other herons. It can
(Gewone Nagreier). Such a stand very still for long
lovely surprise. As we sat
watching a second bird periods when hunting. It
landed close to the first one feeds by wading in water or
marshes. It also hunts from a Maccoa Duck male (Bloubekeend) Maccoa Duck female (Bloubekeend)
Unfortunately our photo- perch or shoreline. They
graphs are not very good as feed on fish, frogs, reptiles,
we were a long way off. eggs, nestling birds and
Closer to us we saw a pair of small mammals.
Southern African Shelducks They breed year-round, but
(Kopereend). mostly in the rainy season.
In the distance we could see The nest is a fragile platform
Cape Shovelers (Kaapse of sticks, reeds and twigs in a
Slopeend), lots of Egyptian bush above water.
Geese (Kolgans), Red- (Information taken from the
knobbed Coots (Bles- BirdPro App which is
hoender), Common Moor- available on Google Play).
hen (Groot Waterhoender) On Sunday morning we took
and at the edge of the dam our dogs for a quick walk at
Cape Wagtails (Gewone the Golf Club. Our dogs are
Kwikkie) and Three-banded good about not chasing South African Shelduck (Kopereend ) The male is the bird
P l o v e r s ( D r i e - b a n d - birds - they have been in on the left with the grey head and the female on the right
strandkiewiet) were feeding. trouble often enough! But with the white face. Yellow-billed Duck (Geelbekeend)
We walked around the dam the one worsie was running
to get a better view. The in the long grass of the rough
Purple Heron and the Black- and flushed the Blue
crowned Night Herons all Korhaans. First a single bird
flew off. We sat down under a and then the rest of the
tree to watch the Little group. We counted ten birds
Grebes (Kleindobbertjies). I in total, this was the most we
noticed that they had chicks have ever seen together.
hiding under their wings. As There must be more
far as I could tell each one youngsters than what we
had a single chick. realised. I can’t wait to spend
They were calling a different some time watching them to
single call - which I suppose see how many juveniles
is how they communicate there are in the group.
with the chicks. Then when Till next time Little Grebe (Kleindobbertjie) You can just see a chick. Little Grebe (Kleindobbertjie)

Little Grebe (Kleindobbertjie) the chick is now more Little Grebe (Kleindobbertjie) Kevin photograph the adult Little Grebe (Kleindobbertjie) the chick got off its parents
visible. bird feeding the chick on its back. back to have a swim.