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.
Sombre Bulbul
Male
Female
Red backed Shrike, still around
in reasonable numbers.
Our rented house in dawn light.
Looking inland from the house.
Fiery necked Nightjar
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!
..Great to catch up with you at Casa de Cocos..keep on birding and keep us posted
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