NDUMO GAME RESERVE KWAZULU NATAL FEB 06
We had read a lot about Ndumo being a great spot for birding and had met an ex-ranger who had worked there and spoke fondly of the park. Ndumo Game Reserve is the north east corner of South Africa on the border between KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique with the Usuthu River as the border and with the Pongolo River within, providing year-round water. 420 species of birds have been recorded in the small area of 10,000 hectares. This is the southern limit of the range of many tropical birds and the extensive pans attract many water birds. Ndumo is part of the KZN Wildlife network of parks and reserves in KwaZulu-Natal.
Somewhat remote in location, supplies need to be bought in advance at Mkhuze or Jozini, before tackling the rather difficult dirt road leading to the reserve. You need to be well prepared because, apart from a few cold drinks, nothing is available in the reserve. The facilities are excellent however with an extremely neat, unfenced camp overlooking the Pongolo River with only seven squaredavels, a communal kitchen and bathroom facilities and a camping area. The huts each contain 2 single beds, a small kitchen area, table and chairs, and large verandah with an outdoor setting and braii. The huts were air-conditioned (very useful in February) and extremely good value. The communal ablutions had excellent showers and laundry (and bats living in the ceiling) and the communal kitchen came with a full-time chef who prepares your food for you as you wish for breakfast and/or dinner. It is amazing what he can do with a few chicken bits, a tin of tomatoes, a few root vegetables and rice! The camp also has a beautiful swimming pool, from where you can often see giraffes feeding in the tops of the trees.
Birding around the camp is excellent with Cardinal woodpecker, Green Wood-Hoopoe, Purple-crested Turaco, Trumpeter Hornbill, Kurrichane Thrush, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, Bronze Mannikin, Blue Waxbill, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Plum-coloured Starling, Greater-Blue-eared Starling, Black-backed Puffback, Southern Boubou African Yellow White-Eye, Southern Black Tit, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Long-billed Crombec, Dark-capped Bulbul, Lesser-striped Swallow, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Red-faced Mousebird, African Green Pigeon, Red-eyed Dove, Laughing Dove and Emerald-spotted Dove all about the camp area.
There are several good bird hides in the reserve and guided walks, at a reasonable price, are available to each of the major regions. Game drives were also available. A guide seemed to be allocated to each party who wanted morning walks, and every morning ‘our’ Joseph would suggest to us where to go, depending on our needs. Joseph had been at the Reserve for 14 years, so knows his birds well and is a good mimic, successfully calling in several species.
Because we were visiting while the flood plains were full, it was a little more difficult to find water birds, however a guided walk to Shokwe Pan through the Sycamore Figs and Natal Mahogany riverine forest along the edge of the pan was very productive. African Fish Eagle, Great Egret, Spurwinged Goose, Egyptian Goose, African Pygmy Goose, White-eared Barbet, African Cuckoo-Hawk, African Jacana, Black crake, African Purple Swamphen, Trumpeter Hornbill and Hadeda were all found. Another walk was to the southern part of the Pongolo River where we were fortunate enough to see, along with all the regulars, a pair of Pel’s Fishing Owl. They have been elusive to us until then, and we managed to watch them for 15 minutes and get some good photos. What a fabulous bird! Our third morning walk was along the edge of the Nyamithi Pan which was full of water. There we saw Goliath Heron, great White Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Egyptian Goose, White-faced Duck, Water Dikkop, and Black-winged Stilt. Red-chested Cuckoo and Red-fronted Tinkerbird in the trees and Senegal Lapwing on the ground on the way home.
Not all hides were accessible because of local flooding, but we enjoyed both Ezulweni Hide and particularly Diphini Hide where we had good looks at African Fish Eagle, Lesser-masked Weaver, Thick-billed Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Burchell’s Coucal, Diderick’s Cuckoo, Pied Kingfisher, Lesser-striped Swallow (nesting in the hide), woodland Kingfisher and Pin-tailed Wydah. The next day at the same spot we added Grey-headed Kingfisher, Black-headed Oriole, Cape Wagtail, Abdims Stork, Plum-coloured Starling, Hadeda, Egyptian Goose, Spur-winged Goose and Trumpeter Hornbill. Warthogs, Nyala and Nile Monitor also kept us amused. Other recent sightings at the hide that we missed included Goliath Heron, African Finfoot, Yellow-billed Stork, Open-billed Stork and Saddle-billed Stork.
There is also a Vulture restaurant not far from the camp. There were no fresh carcasses out, but feeding nearby we found Palm-nut Vulture, Senegal Lapwing, White-crested Helmet-Shrike and Red-backed Shrike.
Game viewing was also good with big groups of giraffe and zebra, lots of warthogs, nyala, hippopotamus, impala, and bushbuck, duiker, rhino and buffalo.
Ndumo was one the highlights of our trip to South Africa and we would certainly recommend taking the time out to visit this small, hospitable park with excellent birds.
www.kznwildlife.com
Thanks for that Andrew. We'll be there in August so that's whetted my appetite.