Birding South Africa 2 (SUNBIRDS, LIONESS, OXPECKERS, HAMERKOP and MORE)

Birding South Africa 2. The second of our 7 video series highlighting our November 2017 trip to South Africa. The first 4 videos cover our time in the KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.

The "Cover Bird" and Title Bird for this video is the Malachite Sunbird (24:40). We stopped for lunch at a restaurant in the Wakkerstroom area. Anxious to get more birds, we cut our lunch short and hurried out to the parkling area. Near the restaurant, among some flowers, this spectacular male Malachite Sunbird was visiting the flowers on the Ladies'-Finger plants. The Cape Sparrows (21:12) were also in the area. Birding means work, patience, luck and sometimes cutting a meal short.

The MOST PHOTOGENIC AWARDS for this video in order of appearance:
1. Blue Waxbill (00:10)—Painted delicately in grey, sky blue with a bit of white, this little bird started off this video in style.
2. Violet-backed male Starling—04:58) Another starling earning bragging rights as one of the Most Photogenic birds in this video.
3. Lesser Striped Swallow (13:10) posed and preened for us.
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No true SKULKERS in this video. These birds wanted to be seen!

And winning the category for LOOKS MOST LIKE ITS NAME in this video is the Yellow-breasted Apalis (04:01). This one is the only apalis with a bright yellow breast and no breast band. As this specimen is a male from the northern race he does have a small black bar at the center of his breast. His eye stands out too. His olive-green back contrasts nicely with his other features.

Recognizing some JEWELS-These birds sparkle and SHINE!
Little Bee-eater (00:55)
Purple-banded Sunbird (04:50)
Violet-backed male Starling (04:58)
African Pygmy Kingfisher (06:48)‹
Malachite Kingfisher (12:40)
Purple-crested Turaco (14:47)
Hadeda Ibis (21:10) (Look for the nest too.)
Glossy Ibis (22:35)

TAILS IT IS. Spotlighting some birds with unusually long tails:
Red-face Mousebird (15:11)
Long-tailed Widowbird (17:35) and
Pin-tailed Whydah (24:40)


Some bird species included in this video:

OXPECKERS—We observed them working hard grooming and eating ticks on larger animals (6:02). Easily identified by their all red bill.
GREY-CROWNED CRANES—(12:54). If you haven't seen one you might be looking for a grey crown. That would be wrong. You'll see that this mostly grey bird with pops of black, chestnut, red, has a beautiful gold crown. Coordinating feather near its flank too. Two of them were keeping pace with us as we drove in the area.
SUNBIRDS—Purple-banded Sunbird (04:50) and Malachite Sunbird (21:44) might remind one of a hummingbird. They are not related. They do share the same role as nectar consumers.
HAMMERKOP—(18:41). We almost didn't see this bird. The road was slightly raised and we were able to see it in and near the waters edge. It's physical characteristics mark it as a one of a kind.
SOUTHERN BALD IBIS—(12:54) A LOOKS LIKE ITS NAME contender.
CROWNED LAPWING—(02:48) Seemed to us to have a bit of an attitude.

ALSO making appearances—Bushshrikes, Helmetshrike and shrikes, Red-billed Quelea (08:24), ployers, whydah, stilts, buntings, pytilia, Red Bishops, Water Thick-knees, cisticolas, cuckoo, rollers, and loads more.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST Bird for this video is the Sabota Lark (25:44).

Not just birds:
Impalas (00:30), Chacma Baboons (01:34), Nyalas (02:08) and (08:00), Thick-tailed Galago (03:27), Blue Wildebeests (07:03), Wart hog w/oxpecker (07:52), Helmeted Terrapins (09:36), Plains (Burchell's) Zebras (09:44), and (23:55), African lIoness (11:14), Vervet monkey (12:16), Hippopotamuses (14:31), Giraffes (17:11)

Locations visited on this video included: Durban, St. Lucia, uMkhuze Game Reserve, Wakkerstroom, Isimangoliso Wetland Park and Kruger National Park.(Kevin, our guide, emphasized that if you want to shorten the name of Kruger National Park when speaking, the proper way to do so is to refer to it as "The Kruger."

Equipment used was Canon 70D with a Canon EF100-400mm lens and Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Thanks to Cheepers Africa! for setting up this tour. Our guide and driver for the first half of the trip was Kevin. Thank you Kevin for putting up with six birding enthusiasts!