Neil Gray Birds

6 November 2007 Last Sunday, 4th November, I went on a birding day trip to Borakalalo National Park. The day got off to a great start as I managed to get my first and only photo (not that great I must admit) of a Red-chested Cuckoo, but then tailed off into mediocrity as the day wore on. Not an eremomela, finch, waxbill or canary seen all day, not even a Common(!!!) Fiscal. No kingfishers. Waders at a minimum due to the dam being at max capacity, although there seemed to be a Greenshank convention going on. I don't think I've ever seen as many in one place at the same time. One bright spot was a flight of Greater Flamingo over the dam, as I have never seen them at Borakalalo before.

12 October 2007 Just back from two weeks in the DRC, where I managed a little more birding than my previous trips mainly because I walked close to 50km in Miombo woodlands during my field work and the birds "came to me". I spent one night some 200km from Lubumbashi camped on the bank of the Luapula River looking across into Zambia. This spot was only 105km from Lake Bangweulu - perhaps the closest I'll ever get to a Shoebill!

3 September 2007 Just back from a 6-night trip to the Drakensberg, with 3 nights at Giant's Castle and 3 nights at Kiara Lodge adjacent to Golden Gate Highlands National Park.

30 June 2007. Paid a visit to the Northern Farms just outside suburban Johannesburg, where the arrival of a male Northern Pintail in breeding plumage is causing quite a stir. Is it an escapee from captivity or a true reverse migrant hopelessly lost and well out of its normal distribution range?