Marlborough Vlei and Other Stuff

During the week I went birding at Marlborough Vlei  and Marlborough Sewage Works with a friend. The vlei was dry, yet there were still loads of birds, especially warblers, cisticolas and weavers. We even saw about eight Marsh Owls in one area.

Marsh Owl

The sewage works were mostly dried up, but one pond still held some water. There were about 15 Wood Sandpipers, plus Blacksmith Lapwings, Three-banded Plovers and even a Common Ringed Plover. Barn Swallows were flying very low over the mud, and a Red-breasted Swallow flew past.
Below the ponds was a very wet, marshy area, with Black Crake, Common Moorhen and African Rail.

HDR image of Marlborough Sewage Works

Wood Sandpipers

Common Ringed Plover

Yesterday (3 Nov) we ringed at Ewanrigg Botanical Gardens. We caught 20 birds, including Crested Barbet, Black-backed Puffback, Southern Black Flycatcher, Red-chested Cuckoo and a Bronze Mannikin re-trap from early 2012.

Red-chested Cuckoo

118 bird species were seen this morning on the BirdLife Zimbabwe walk in Mukuvisi Woodlands, including some exciting things like Yellow-breasted Apalis, Broad-billed Roller, Cuckoo-finch and Spotted Creeper.

Spotted Creeper