African Affinity Birding

December 2018 Mozambique and the Indian Ocean!

Charlotte loves the sea, so we decided to drive east through the Kruger National Park and into Mozambique. First we took the girls away for a weekend up to the Mapungubwe national park before hand, to mainly trap raptors. We did really well with Wahlberg's and Hawk Eagle, Brown and Black-chested Snake Eagles.

In Mozambique, we stayed at the most gorgeous of lodges, Dunes de Dovella, just south of Inhambane, settled among coastal sand forest at the top of a large dune. I was to give a ringing and bird watching workshop to several guys from the museum and university whilst there.

It was extremely hot so we had closed nets most mornings by 8-9am! However, we did get some pretty cool birds.

My special was catching a Dickinson's Kestrel and Charlotte got her first African Goshawk. There are a few species endemic to this coastal forest mosaic, including Woodward's Batis, Plain-backed Sunbird, Rudd's Apalis and Pink-throated Twinspot to name a few.

Coming back to SA we stayed a couple of nights in Limpopo where we did a bit of raptor trapping and got a remarkable 6 Black-chested Snake Eagles, there was some kind influx them, as well as 2 Lanner, 2 Hawk-eagle Steppe and Lizard Buzzards and a Barn Owl!

Swimming in that ocean was fantastic and getting a visit from a Leatherback Turtle was epic!