Hippo Pools

I recently spent a weekend at Hippo Pools camp in Umfurudzi Safari Area with the ringing group. This is a beautiful camp set among the thick riverine forest which runs along the Mazowe River. We went on Saturday the 21st of July and returned on Monday.

Riverine thicket in the bed of a dried-up tributary.

Looking upstream at the Mazowe River. Hippo Pools is on the right.

We didn't do much ringing - too busy looking at all the lovely birds that were around! We did manage catch some birds; Terrestrial Brownbuls, a Red-throated Twinspot and a Black-throated Wattle-eye, among others. One Black-throated Wattle-eye with a ring was photographed afterwards. The ring number was not visible, but the bird had an obvious tick behind its right eye, making it different to the individual we had just ringed! It was probably the bird we ringed in the same spot a year ago.

The scenery from camp is quite lovely, as it overlooks the river in which you can watch Hippos during the day. Most of the game in Umfurudzi has been poached over the years, but recently some animals have been re-introduced. We managed to see Vervet Monkey, Baboon, Hippo, Kudu, Eland, Impala, Klipspringer and Zebra along the road or near the camp. We were also lucky enough to visit the camp manager's chalet, where he feeds Brown Greater Galago (Bushbaby) and Rusty Spotted Genet at night!

Hippopotamus

Vervet Monkey

Brown Greater Galago

Rusty-spotted Genet

The six of us managed to see just under 90 species during the weekend. The birds were, as per usual for this area, brilliant. At night African Wood-owls were calling in the camp, plus I heard one Barn Owl. On Sunday and Monday morning a Verreaux's Eagle-owl was seen by other groups, but by the time we got there it had flown off (we were busy ringing!). I looked hard for the Pel's Fishing Owl, but didn't see or hear it, unfortunately...

In the riverine around camp was where the best birding took place. Birds seen here, along with the river and nearby drier woodlands include: Green-backed Heron, Black Stork, African Goshawk, Three-banded Plover, Water Thick-knee, African Green-pigeon, Klaas's Cuckoo, one Narina Trogon, Giant, Pied, Brown-hooded and Striped Kingfishers, Common Scimitarbill, Greater and Lesser Honeyguides, Eastern Saw-wing, White-breasted Cuckooshrike, Grey Penduline-tit, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Bearded Scrub-robin, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Ashy Flycatcher, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Livingstone's Flycatcher, African Paradise-flycatcher, Grey-headed Bush-shrike, White-crested Helmet-shrike (usually seen alongside Red-headed Weavers), Collared Sunbird, Red-throated Twinspot and Red-backed Mannikin.

Female Narina Trogon - tricky bird to photograph due to the usually poor light  conditions of its habitat.

Above and below - Livingstone's Flycatcher. A busy bird that just won't keep still!

A couple of interesting things - an unusual record of African Paradise-flycatcher in winter... Only one was seen, an adult male. Perhaps some birds overwinter here? It is a fair bit lower altitude-wise than Harare.

Also, the Eastern Saw-wings. There were at least ten, maybe more, flying around camp. In the time of SABAP1 (1987-1991), this bird was not recorded in the quarter degree square (QDS) in which the camp is located. 20 years is a long time - perhaps we are seeing another range expansion?

A map showing which QDS's the Eastern Saw-wing was recorded in for SABAP1 (red squares),
along with the location of Hippo Pools.

Birds seen on the road between the park gate and Hippo Pools (dry miombo/mopane woodlands) include: Black Stork (at Amm Mine, near the gate. Probably the same pair as the ones seen at Hippo Pools), Bateleur, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Lanner Falcon (nesting at Amm Mine), Red-eyed and Cape Turtle-doves, Racket-tailed Roller (gorgeous!), African Grey and Red-billed Hornbills, Familiar Chat, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Retz's and White-crested Helmet-shrikes, Yellow-throated Petronia and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting.

Black Storks at Amm Mine

My best picture from the trip - Racket-tailed Roller.