On Thursday the 12th July 2012 we set out for the Mbombela Nature Reserve. In total we saw 51 bird species on the walk through the reserve. Some of the highlight include a sighting of Gorgeous Bush-Shrike (a lifer for me which I sadly did not manage to photograph properly through the dense thickets), a photo lifer of African Goshawk and great sightings of Grey Penduline Tit, female Black Cuckooshrike and Olive Woodpecker.

Here are a few scenery shots we took:

Here is a selection of bird shots I took:

Here is a full list of the birds we saw: Thrush Kurrichane, Robin-Chat White-browed, Flycatcher Ashy, Bulbul Dark-capped, Sunbird White-bellied, Apalis Bar-throated, Robin-Chat White-throated, Sunbird Collared, Camaroptera Green-backed, White-eye Cape, Robin-Chat Red-capped, Greenbul Sombre, Flycatcher Blue-mantled Crested, Weaver Spectacled, Puffback Black-backed, Tit Grey Penduline, Cisticola Lazy, Flycatcher African Dusky, Turaco Purple-crested, Drongo Fork-tailed, Bushshrike Gorgeous, Bushshrike Grey-headed, Goshawk African, Sunbird Amethyst, Hornbill Trumpeter, Woodpecker Golden-tailed, Tinkerbird Yellow-fronted, Tit Southern Black, Boubou Southern, Barbet Black-collared, Cuckoo Klaas's, Mannikin Bronze, Brownbul Terrestrial, Apalis Yellow-breasted, Weaver Village, Sparrow Southern Grey-headed, Cuckooshrike Black, Wagtail Mountain, Canary Yellow-fronted, Coucal Burchell's, Dove Laughing, Ibis Hadeda, Woodpecker Olive, Crombec Long-billed, Weaver Thick-billed, Prinia Tawny-flanked, Kingfisher Brown-hooded, Mousebird Speckled, Finch Cut-throat, Dove Tambourine and Eagle African Fish.

Here are GPS co-ordinates (Google Earth) for the entrance to this reserve in Melkweg Road: 25°29'50.02"S and 31° 0'31.51"E. From Dr Enos Mabuza Drive travelling east you turn right into Aurora Street, then right into Canaveral Street and left into Melkweg Road at the T-Junction and about 500 meters down the road you will see the entrance on the right hand side of the road.