Department of Statistical Sciences
University of Cape Town
| Avian Demography Unit
Department of Statistical Sciences University of Cape Town |
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ADU travels, expeditions and eventsLong weekend in Malawi, 28 June - 2 July 2002Dieter Oschadleus |
My friend, Hanri Vogelzang, invited me to join him in visiting his friends, Frik and Berinda Kruger, in Malawi. Frik is a doctor at Nkhoma Mission Station, some 35 km east of Lilongwe.
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
Frik and Berinda's house and garden. The house is on a hillside. | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
Late afternoon view south-eastwards from the house. | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
Early morning view eastwards from the house. | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
Chichewa villagers walking to the local market | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
Tree basking in the late afternoon sunshine. Malawi was wonderfully warm in mid-winter, although some days were cooler. It was pouring with rain in Cape Town when I left. | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
Male Yellowbellied Sunbird. These were common in the garden. This species occurs from Zimbabwe northwards, so is not a bird I normally see. | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
The duller plumaged female Yellowbellied Sunbird. | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
African Hawk Eagle. This bird seemed to have a favourite perch on a tree on a cliff not far from Frik's house. When first encountered I got quite close to the bird. On my next visit the bird circled above me before I could get too close to the tree. | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
Swallowtail butterfly on exotic Lantana blossoms. I saw many different butterfly species, including Painted Lady. | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
Vervet Monkey. Much of the area around Nkhoma is light woodland, with patches of more dense wood. This patch of woodland was next to a village and was probably the site of a graveyard. When I passed the village, some Chichewa children started following me but when we saw this troop of monkeys the children forgot about me and tried chasing the monkeys away. | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
Whitenecked Ravens enjoying a cup of tea! On Saturday we visited the Dedza pottery shop an hour's drive south of Nkhoma. While having lunch here, these ravens showed up at the adjoining table. | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
En route to the airport (north of Liliongwe) I stopped at the Lilongwe Nature Reserve in the city centre. The reserve is a patch of natural woodland next to the Lilongwe River. | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
Natural woodland in Lilongwe Nature Reserve. | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
The reserve contains various information signs, like this one of the weaverbirds present in the reserve. Unfortunately the weavers were not breeding, so I only found Spectacled Weaver, but there were numerous old weaver nests along the river from last summer. | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
Schalow's Lourie, a species not found in southern Africa, but similar to the Knysna Lourie. | |
 Photo H.D. Oschadleus |
Nile Crocodile swimming past in the Lilongwe River. These crocs are wild and there are no fences between the river and the paths! Fortunately there is a high bank along most of the river in the reserve (and lots of warning signs). |
No pictures of Lake Malawi? This trip was too short to fit in a visit to the Lake. Next time ...
Bird list for Nkhoma (28 June - 1 July) and Lilongwe Nature Reserve (2 July), 2002The most recent checklist for Malawi is: K Newman, N Johnston-Stewart & B Medland. 1992. Birds of Malawi. A supplement to Newman's Birds of Southern Africa.
Reed Cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus Blackheaded Heron Ardea melanocephala Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis African Hawk Eagle Hieraaetus spilogaster Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco monogrammicus Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris Redeyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata Cape Turtle Dove Streptopelia capicola Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis Schalow's Lourie Turaco schalowi Klaas's Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas Fierynecked Nightjar Caprimulgus pectoralis Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus Blackcollared Barbet Lybius torquatus Greater Honeyguide Indicator indicator * Black Sawwing Swallow Psalidoprocne holomelas Whitebreasted Cuckooshrike Coracina pectoralis Forktailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis African Golden Oriole Oriolus auratus Blackheaded Oriole Oriolus larvatus Pied Crow Corvus albus Whitenecked Raven Corvus albicollis Blackeyed Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus Terrestrial Bulbul Phyllastrephus terrestris Mocking Chat Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris Heuglin's Robin Cossypha heuglini Tawnyflanked Prinia Prinia subflava Wattle-eyed Flycatcher Platysteira peltata African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp Puffback Dryoscopus cubla Threestreaked Tchagra Tchagra australis Tropical Boubou Laniarius aethiopicus Greyheaded Bush Shrike Malaconotus blanchoti Yellowbellied Sunbird Nectarinia venusta Black Sunbird Nectarinia amethystina Scarletchested Sunbird Nectarinia senegalensis Yellow White-eye Zosterops senegalensis Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis Redcollared Widow Euplectes ardens Bronze Mannikin Spermestes cucullatus Redbacked Mannikin Spermestes bicolor Redthroated Twinspot Hypargos niveoguttatus Redbilled Firefinch Lagonosticta senegala Blue Waxbill Uraeginthus angolensis Pintailed Whydah Vidua macroura Black Widowfinch Vidua funerea Yelloweyed Canary Serinus mozambicus * All the birds I recorded are reasonably common around Lilongwe, with the exception of the Black Sawwing Swallow which occurs south in the lower Shire valley. A flock was seen near Nkhoma Peak on 1 July. The most frequently seen bird in the garden at Nkhoma was Yellowbellied Sunbird. The most frequently seen bird in the woodland at Nkhoma was African Golden Oriole. The most frequently seen bird in the open areas at Nkhoma was Tawnyflanked Prinia.
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