GetBirding.com

The highlight of my blitz around Strandfontein on Saturday was a pair of White-backed Duck on P1 [map]. They were close to the south bank. I can’t recall seeing White-backed Duck at Strandfontein before, has anyone else seen this pair?

Water levels are high at the moment and bird numbers seemed a bit lower than average. There are however loads of Greater Flamingo around.

I don’t always venture into the back pans of Strandfontein, but if one is trying to build a decent list you can add a variety of species such as Karoo Scrub-robin [pictured above], Cape Grassbird, Grey-backed Cisticola and African Reed Warbler in summer.

Strandfontein bird list: Cape Canary, Kelp Gull, Levaillant’s Cisticola, Cape White-eye, Karoo Prinia, Common Starling, Great White Pelican, Little Rush-Warbler, Lesser Swamp-Warbler, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, White-breasted Cormorant, Cape Bulbul, Little Grebe, Helmeted Guineafowl, Cape Turtle-Dove, Greater Flamingo, Cape Robin-chat, Glossy Ibis, Cape Teal, Southern Pochard, Red-billed Teal, Maccoa Duck, Black-necked Grebe, Cattle Egret, Sacred Ibis, Hartlaub’s Gull, Reed Cormorant, Pied Avocet, Red-knobbed Coot, Blacksmith Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Yellow-billed Duck, African Marsh Harrier, Common Moorhen, Speckled Pigeon, Cape Spurfowl, Little Swift, African Black Swift, Alpine Swift, Swift Tern, Hadeda Ibis, Purple Swamphen, Cape Wagtail, Common Waxbill, Grey-backed Cisticola, Karoo Scrub-robin, Yellow Bishop, Cape Grassbird, White-throated Swallow, African Black Oystercatcher, Grey Heron, Black-shouldered Kite, Brown-throated Martin, White-backed Duck x 2, African Pipit, Pied Crow, Black-headed Heron.

Mammals: Cape Grysbok, Small-grey Mongoose.

David Winter