Last birding in Zululand

In yesterday''s post on our trip through the Isimagaliso Wetland Park (Zululand), I mentioned that we spotted birds that day too. Well, we saw birds too. 

That morning, Rina and I had first gone for a walk down the lanes. Remember I had to cajole her to do this daily exercise and then a pair of bushbuck almost ran us down. On our way home that morning, we stopped as I'd heard a bird call from one of the high trees. Eventually we tracked the bird down and I focused. 

At first a cable obscured part of the bird but I identified it as a Yellow-throated Longclaw

Eventually I managed a clear photo of this pretty bird

The Yellow-throated Longclaw is a fairly common resident along the eastern shores of South Africa and usually found in pairs. It's habitat is shortish grasslands with scattered trees. This is exactly the surrounds in which we saw this bird that day.

When it turned, although the lighting was not favorable, at least we got a front view of the bird

In the wetlands park later that day, in between viewing the wildlife, we spotted several birds. I posted about the Long-crested Eagle a couple of weeks ago. 

At one point we stopped the car and watched several small brownish birds on the road in front of us. I struggled to get a clear photo through the windscreen. And I didn't want to open the door in case I frightened them away. Suddenly Rina pointed through my window. There was a solitary bird sitting on a dead shrub low on the ground. 

African Pipit

The African pipit is the most abundant pipit in the region, being the standard against which other pipits are compared. Key features are conspicuous white outer tail feathers boldly streaked breast, distinct back streaking on mantle, yellowish base to lower mandible and slender upright appearance. 

A little further along I spotted a bird on a concrete block. I reversed, stopped next to it and focused. 

African Stonechat (Male) 

I'm linking my post today to Wild Bird Wednesday here

Happy Wednesday to you all!