By Frans van Vuuren

The heavy rain and thunder at 4h30 Sunday was a good reason to stay in bed,but 10 brave souls made it to Suikerbosrand and shared in a great day's birding.
In total we ticked 112 species and it was difficult to get the team out before the 18h00 gate closure!

We found the Redeyed Bulbul and Mocking Chat easily at the parking area and then spent 15 minutes trying ro induce the Orange River Francolins (calling everywhere in te overcast,rainy conditions) to show themselves.We were rewarded with 10 minutes of one bird standing on a rock,yelling its head off! Of course,Adele and Ida drifted off and missed the show!

On our way up the hills,we had good sightings of Cape and Rock Buntings,Red-Throated Wryneck and several Yellowrumped Widows.Ayres and Cloud Cisticolas were calling everywhere and seen by everyone.
We picked up a couple of Grassbirds and Bokmakieries and had 3 sightings of groups of Greywing Francolins.

On the mountain we saw a pair of Malachite Sunbirds and then enticed a few Longbill Larks to divebomb us,with one eventually settling 5 yards from the road.Also saw a few Cape Canaries.Going down on the far side of the hills we had a repeat performance of a Clapper Lark performing nearly directly overhead.This area also yielded some Anteating Chats and Plainbacked Pippits--with yellow lower mandibles clear in the scope.

In the camp we saw Cardinal Woodpecker and Sparrowweaver and on the return road were nearly deafened by 150 Wattled Starlings in 2 trees 'singing" at the top of their voices. Some time at the scope and searching in the books,helped ID a juvenile Blackbreasted Snake-eagle.
Last,but not least we found a Cape Rockthrush on the lower slopes,sitting in a Cabbage Tree.