Only six birds? No, there were many more for the montane grasslands of the Mountain Zebra National Park is an interesting environment for bird watching. I have featured birds in previous posts and so have chosen only these. Within minutes of passing through the entrance gate I was enchanted to spot a flock of Scaly-feathered Finches perched in the low bushes.
White-browed Sparrow-Weavers flocked around us in the camp site while we pitched our tent and kept us company throughout our stay: their cheerful calls were evident from first light until the last and they were so tame that they would happily hop between our feet to peck at tasty crumbs of anything that might have fallen from our laps.
Their untidy nests are evident both in the camp and in the veld.
The camp site is an interesting place to see birds, among which was this Pied Starling feeding its youngster:
It was along the Rooiplaat Loop that we spotted our first pair of Blue Cranes, and saw at least two other pairs elsewhere in the Park. This pair was happy to wander among a herd of Black Wildebeest.
I found it difficult to photograph the Rock Kestrels perched atop trees in the valley next to the Wilgerboom River for the light always seemed to be wrong. This is the best of a poor bunch:
This is the area where I found a very co-operative Brown-hooded Kingfisher:
The weather was overcast and dull; the temperature was cool, and a fairly strong breeze blew for much of the time. Given that this two-day stay was not focused on birding, I am pleased with my list:
African Darter
African Red-eyed Bulbul
Ant-eating Chat
Barn Swallow
Bar-throated Apalis
Black-shouldered Kite
Blue Crane
Bokmakierie
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Cape Sparrow
Cape Teal
Cape Turtle Dove
Cape Wagtail
Cape White-eye
Cardinal Woodpecker
Common Fiscal
Common Moorhen
Egyptian Goose
Emerald-spotted Wood-dove
Fork-tailed Drongo
Hadeda Ibis
Helmeted Guineafowl
Laughing Dove
Namaqua Dove
Ostrich
Pearl-breasted Swallow
Pied Crow
Pied Starling
Pin-tailed Whydah
Red-knobbed Coot
Rock Kestrel
Scaly-feathered Finch
Secretary Bird
South African Shelduck
Speckled Mousebird
Speckled Pigeon
Spur-wing Goose
Verreaux’s Eagle
White-breasted Cormorant
White-browed Sparrow-weaver
White-necked Raven
Yellow-billed Duck
Something Over Tea 
Indrukwekkende lys wat jy kon afmerk, Anne! Jou visvanger is pragtig. Ek hou baie van koringvoëls(sparrow weavers). Hulle is altyd so vrolik en raak gou mak. Dit was nou heerlik om hier te kuier, dankie!
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Ek is bly jy het dit geniet 🙂
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The kingfisher’s surprising and unusual blue streak I might not have noticed except for his confident perch. Beautiful creatures, those little birds, all. But what is it about camping in the Mountain Zebra National Park if not birds? Oh, right, of course, the mountain zebra. Or is it just being alone overnight in the wild?
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You can tick all three: birds, animals and spending time in the wild 🙂
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You really have me pining for Mountain Zebra National Park now, Anne…
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It is an underrated, beautiful place. Although … we were taken aback by how full the camping area was during the week this time, so perhaps it is becoming more popular!
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People are starting to catch on to MZNP’s magic, that’s for sure!
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Wow – impressive list for your 2 days😃
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There were so many more birds that I only glimpsed in passing. This is a fantastic place for birds – with the advantage of the beautiful scenery at every turn!
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