On Saturday the 11th September after a visit to the Mkhombo Dam Nature Reserve I made my way to the Mdala Nature Reserve (chapter 56 in Birding Gauteng). I arrived at the entrance gate and the security guards said that you had to pre-book to visit the reserve. After some protesting and sweet talking, I was given the cell phone number the manager (0838595569) who somewhat reluctantly allowed me to pay the security guards and enter the reserve. It is a national reserve, so I am rather confused at the whole reluctance to allow day visitors entrance. I soon learned from some workers that I spoke with, that they have had no water in the park for some time and that has caused people to avoid staying over in the park. In fact I did not see another person there during my time in the park and the roads are in a pretty sorry state of maintenance. At one point I wondered whether I would make it through the roads and get out in one piece. I think a 4x4 and not just a high clearance vehicle might just be a wise option!

But what the park did not provide by way of facilities and maintenance, the bird life more than compensated. From the main entrance to the Zwelabo Camp site I recorded the following birds: Grey-headed Bush-Shrike, Southern White-crowned Helmet-Shrike, Lourie, Laughing Dove, Red-winged Starling, Gabar Goshawk, Lilac-breasted Roller, Natal Spurfowl, Cape Glossy Starling, Cape-Turtle Dove, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Long-billed Crombec, Yellow-fronted Canary, Pied Crow, Fork-tailed Drongo, Helmeted Guineafowl, Green Wood-Hoopoe, Crested Francolin, Dark-capped Bulbul and Blue Waxbill.

I then drove towards the little dam with the hide (at point 7) and spent the best part of an hour and a half at this great little spot. The Bird hide is in a sorry state of dis-repair so I spent my time out in the shade of the acacia trees and wandered around the dam instead. Here I saw: Blue Waxbill, Black-headed Puffback, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Blacksmith Lapwing, African Spoonbill (they gave a spectacular fly-by a few times right in front of me), Fork-tailed Drongo, Jameson's Firefinch, Pied Kingfisher, Striped Kingfisher (although it was a long way away from me and difficult to confirm from the photo), White-browed Scrub-Robin, Marico Flycatcher, Emerald Spotted Wood-Dove, Magpie Shrike, Yellow=billed Hornbill and Red-billed Hornbill.

One of the mystery sightings was a bird that came to drink and then flew off and all I got was two out of range pics - it looked like it could have been a Namaqua Dove but I am unsure of it's id.

From the hide I headed towards point 6 on the map, but got side-tracked by a sign to another hide. After a few hundred meters I got an amazing sighting of Red-crested Korhaan that strolled down the road in front of my car for a hundred meters or so before flying off into the tall grass.

This road eventually passed by a small dam, but there was no bird hide - and it felt like I was driving down a river bed most of the time (fortunately it is the dry season) and also the grass and thorn trees in the middle of the road were hugely over grown that it was not a great experience. But, then again, I would have missed the Korhaan if I had not taken the road less travelled - as well as an Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove!!!

For some strange reason, even though it was heading towards 4 o'clock it seemed like the birds had all but disappeared (apart from a Yellow-billed Hornbill) so I made my way back through the gate and headed back to Johannesburg.

One of the greatest highlights of visiting Mdala took place before I entered the main gate - a small flock of Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver foraging on the road side. It was a lifer for me on the day (I technically have to record Mkhombo Dam - or the village of Loding - as the site where I saw my first Buffalo-Weaver but it was not a great sighting and high up in a tree near one of their large nests). Here are some pics from the sighting: