Tuesday 26 March 2019

A short trip to Mozambique

On the 26th March, Delana & I packed the Landcruiser & set off from Pretoria. Unfortunately we didn't get away until the evening, which meant we arrived at our lodgings in Komatpoort very late indeed. We were away very early the next day & crossed the border without any difficulty. It is just over 500 kms to Lighthouse Reef where we would be staying for the next ten nights. Everything is slower in Mozambique & it was a very long slow drive. The last ten kilometers is on soft sand & you have to let air out of your tyres. The house proved to be a delight, with great views over the dunes & surrounding ocean.

Our rented house in dawn light.

Looking inland from the house.


Fiery necked Nightjar


Sombre Bulbul


Male


Female
Red backed Shrike, still around 
in reasonable numbers.

On 28th March we spent the morning on the beach & visited Gary Rowan a South African birder who is now resident in the area. He proved to be very helpful & gave us directions to the forest at Panda, which we visited the next day. It was a long & tortuous drive, we arrived at 10.30 am which wasn't ideal & spent the next four hours in & around the forest, which is being rapidly cleared for agriculture. We were of course looking for the rare Olive headed Weaver, but we failed to find it.

The roads inside the forest were sandy
 but graded & in good condition.

Delana & our transport!


Black headed Heron

Miombo woodland.

A rare & decreasing habitat in southern Africa.

African Barred Owlet

Crowned Hornbill

Burchell's Coucal

European Roller

Striped Kingfisher


Brown capped Tchgra

Neddicky

Best birds: 

Black headed Heron; Brown headed Parrot; Purple crested Turaco; Burchell's Coucal; African Barred Owlet; Striped Kingfisher; Green Wood-Hoopoe; Crowned Hornbill; Black crowned Tchagra; Brown capped Tchagra; Brubru; Grey Penduline Tit; Grey rumped Swallow; Neddicky; Southern Hyliota; Pale Flycatcher & Black eared Seedeater.






White fronted Plover


I see Daniel Craig has put on a 
bit of weight recently!

Lighthouse Reef





My first snorkel for thirty years!


Sea Goldies
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Horseshoe Hawkfish
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Goldbar Wrasse
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Moorish Idol
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Yellow spotted Scorpion Fish
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Raggy Scorpion Fish
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

South African Halgerda
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Longhead Flathead 
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Painted Spiny Lobster
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Zebra Moray Eel
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Powder blue surgeonfish
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

I really enjoyed it.



Lourens & myself  enjoying a bit of down time!

Colourful hawkers on the beach.

In one of the beach bars.

Lourens weighing our future dinner!


Francois, with his catch
 of the day!

There are several nice wetlands & grasslands
 just north of Pandene.


Brown Snake Eagle







Gabar Goshawk

Shikra

Crested Francolin







Knob billed Duck


Little Grebe

Lilac breasted Roller

Wire tailed Swallow

Green Wood-hoopoe



Swallow tailed Bee-eater

Southern Black Flycatcher


Our little dhow for the day.





Wading to the boat.



Andrew, with a friend!

Moray Eel of uncertain species.
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Scorpion Fish of uncertain species.
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Halfmoon Rockcod
photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Juvenile Yellow margined Triggerfish?
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Spotted Hawkfish
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Longhorn Cowfish
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Double spined Urchin
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Halfmoon Rockcod
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Blue lined Triggerfish
Photo courtesy of Delana Louw

Wading to shore at the end of a nice day.

Lesser crested Tern

Common Tern

Osprey

Greenshank


Best birds:

Shelly's Francolin; Crested Francolin; White backed Duck; African Pygmy Goose; Little Grebe; Purple Heron; Brown Snake Eagle; Gabar Goshawk; Shikra; Black Crake; Crab Plover 1; Grey Plover 35+; Common Ringed Plover 80; White fronted Plover 20; Lesser sand Plover 1; Great Snipe; Whimbrel 200+; Common Greenshank; Terek Sandpiper 6; Ruddy Turnstone 30; Sanderling 8; Little Stint 2; Curlew Sandpiper 9; Swift Tern; Lesser crested Tern; Common Tern; Little Tern 45+; Whiskered Tern 5; Brown headed Parrot; Purple crested Turaco; Burchell's Coucal; Fiery necked Nightjar; Speckled Mousebird; Lilac breasted Roller; European Roller; Swallow tailed Bee-eater; African Hoopoe; Green Wood-hoopoe; Pale Batis; Black crowned Tchagra; Southern Boubou; Brubru; Red backed Shrike; African Paradise Flycatcher; Sombre Greenbul; Zitting Cisticola; Black bellied Starling 15; Greater Blue eared Glossy Starling; Southern Black Flycatcher; Pale Flycatcher; Scarlet chested Sunbird; Yellow throated Petronia; Cape Wagtail & African Pipit.

The last sunset from our house looking out
 over the Indian Ocean.

The next day we all reluctantly left Lighthouse Reef for the long drive back to South Africa.

Andrew & Jacky's beautiful home.

Their house is on the banks of the Crocodile River.

The end of another great trip!