Darwendale Dam; Hideaway Lodge

On October 10 I set out to atlas two squares around Darwendale Dam which, before I got there, lacked any coverage in the second atlas project.

The farm land between the tar road and Hideaway Lodge was very dry, with only a few fields in use near the lake. Nevertheless, there were plenty of birds to see.

Red-capped Lark, Capped Wheatear, White-winged Widowbird, Pearl-breasted Swallow, Namaqua Dove, Red-faced Mousebird, Pale Flycatcher, Long-billed Crombec, Crowned Lapwing, Red-breasted Swallow, Kittlitz's Plover, Thick-billed Weaver (not recorded near here in SABAP1, showing a definite range extension) and Eastern Saw-wing (another out-of-range record) were the highlights of the drive.

Kittlitz's Plover

Pale Flycatcher

Red-capped Lark

Hideaway Lodge and the lake's edge itself did not disappoint. In the lodge grounds: Pied Kingfisher nesting, Lesser Masked-weaver and African Pipit.
A walk along the shoreline produced Grey-headed Gull, African Openbill, Hottentot Teal, Glossy Ibis, Ruff, African Purple Swamphen, Goliath Heron, African Green-pigeon, Levaillant's Cisticola, Collared Pratincole and (best of all) African Pygmy-goose, to name a few species.

Darwendale Dam shoreline

African Pipit

African Pygmy-goose!

Collared Pratincole

Now, bring me that horizon...

Pied Kingfisher male

Red-billed Quelea

Three-banded Plover, with a ring. Unfortunately I couldn't get the entire number