Mogoebaskloof Raptor Weekend

July with Michael Parker

Having got a Forest Buzzard earlier in the month, we decided to have another go. SO leaving Joberg at 5 am we got to the Springbok flats to see if we could find a Lanner or Snake Eagle, but everything was so dry, with no birds about at all.

Juv Jackal Buzzard

Not much till the afternoon when we caught a juvenile Jackal Buzzard. But encouragingly saw 2 Forest Buzzards and 2 Long-crested Eagles. One of the Forest Buzzards a real beauty, very white bird, was too low down in a field and unsighted so couldn't try for it.

Michael and his 2 JB's

The following morning we got 2 Jackal Buzzards on the one trap! An adult and sub adult. Not every day that happens!

LB in the Lowveld

After a cold night (minus 3 degrees) we decided that things were not up to much here in the mountains, so we decided to explore the Lowveld and headed down the pass to 500m, a drop of a kilometre or more!

Purple Roller

Here we got a Lizard Buzzard, Dark-hanting Goshawk and a Purple Roller, a tick for Michael.

We did a lot of reconnaissance work and found some great routes and tracks for the summer whether are more birds around with the rains.

Pale-chanting Goshawk

a double header!