E-mail from Ralda;

Hallo almal

Hiermee sommer net 'n paar foto's wat een van ons ringers, Johan Muller, geneem het Saterdag.  Dit was 'n wonderlike suksesvolle oggend en het ons omtrent 250 voëltjies uit die nette gehaal om te ring.

Jason, Rion en sy vrou, het hul eerste ring-sessie bygewoon en sommer dadelik begeesters ingeval. 

Die Alert wat Debbie uitgestuur het verrig wondere.  Dankie Debs.

Comment from André Marx (Rarities and Unusual Sightings Coordinator)

Fan-tailed (Red-shouldered) Widowbird is a very good record for Rietvlei and is a species that is only occasionally recorded there.  I don’t think this bird occurs further west than this.

Twenty enthusiastic members descended upon Berg-en-Dal rest camp in the Kruger National Park on the 25 November 2010 to begin our inaugural BLNG Birding Big Day Bash. We settled into our luxury accommodation in the Rhino and J Le Roux lodges which were perfectly situated in a secluded spot overlooking the Berg-en-Dal dam and river frontage. The first lifer for many was the very vocal family of Red-faced Cisticola in the reeds right in front of the lodges.

We were joined by Raymond Khosa, Head Guide of Berg-en-Dal,  who led us on the afternoon walk around the camp. The air was resonating with bird calls and song  confirming what a wonderful camp for birding Berg-en-Dal is. Our group enjoyed close-up views of a pair of confiding Brown-headed Parrots, nesting Black-collared Barbets, a Bennett’s Woodpecker engrossed in its characteristic terrestrial hunt for food, as well as a very relaxed Ashy Flycatcher which preened and posed for all to see. A large tusker right up against the fence added to the excitement of the walk.