Around Kaolac - Hotel Relais - 21st January

 A visit to some areas around Kaolac followed by lunch and then a drive, vista site for Saville’s Bustard and short boat ride, to the Island of Kousmar for the Swallow-tail Kite roost

After an early breakfast we loaded up the van and drove out to an area of dry scrub where we walked through the bushes looking out for birds. Birds seen included African Grey Hornbill, Pygmy Sunbird, African Palm Swift and the ever present Abyssinian Roller. We had a short diversion to a dry field with withered stems of some long dead crop. As we walked across the dry ‘field’ a herd of cattle strolled through with a couple of boys and a big dog. A small flock of Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse flew through and then, in an area around a farm building we saw a Saville’s Bustard. It was quite distant but good views in the scope. We relocated it through a line of trees but the views weren’t good and it was time to go. As we walked back we saw Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, Tawny-flanked Prinia and Southern Red-billed Hornbill as well as Long-tailed Glossy Starlings and Pied Crow.

Another stop and we walked across more scrubby, dry vegetation. As I was trying to photograph a butterfly the others called for me to go over, they had had a Verreaux’s Eagle Owl. It had flown down the field to a tree and was visible on the left hand side, with the scope you could see its eyelids. As we walked back a Scissor-tailed kite and Montague’s Harrier flew over and then, in the distance an Abyssianian Ground Hornbill was seen. It was stalking around on the ground, moving further away and into some vegetation. It then flew out and along a line of trees into a baobab before it flew on out of sight. We walked back to the van and back to the hotel for lunch.

After lunch we set off to Kousmar island. We met up with the boat man who ferried us across the channel in groups of three and four. It was pretty muddy so I took off my shoes and socks before carefully squelching through the mud to the island. The boatman brought a bucket of water to clean our feet before we set off for the Kite roost. It was very hot and seemed a bit of a trek. We soon reached the vegetation and followed a path into the middle of the bushes and trees. We were given strict instructions by a group of French scientist before we settled down to wait. There were a couple of butterflies of interest, one was the seemingly abundant Plain Tiger as well as one of the Orange tips. 

After a short wait we began to see small white dots high up in the sky beginning to gather and slowly they began to coast down and settle in several trees around us. The estimate was around 2,000 birds came in and jostled along the branches before the light faded and it was time for us to return. As we came out onto the Sandy ‘beach’ we found a stick insect and there were a few Lesser Kestrels beginning to roost on the ground, but not as many as expected. The boat ride back across the channel was one of the most peaceful and mindful 10 minutes under the stars, before carefully transferring through the mud and back to the van and back to the hotel for dinner.