Photography

Birds of Mount Sheba resort

The Mount Sheba Resort is situated in the Transvaal Drakensberg above Pilgrim's Rest, off the R533. It's in an indigenous forest, which is its primary attraction. South African forest birds are very difficult to find for the novice bird watcher - Mount Sheba offers an ideal opportunity to see some of these birds. Here, I want to share some of the species that I have been able to photograph within the confines of the resort. Please be aware, that these pictures are not studio quality images, but they were all taken at Mount Sheba.

A Knysna Loerie eating the fruit from the Kiepersol outside our chalet

A Cinnamon Dove next to the road inside the resort

A Starred Robin on the little walk into the forest directly outside our chalet

A Sombre Bulbul

The Sombre Bulbul is one of those little horrors that you always hear, but almost never get the chance to see it.

This is really an awful picture, but it is an Olive Woodpecker taken on the Old Farm Road walk.

For me, one of the specials - the Olive Bush Shrike

Just walking around the resort can be very rewarding, the Olive Bush Shrike above was taken less than 50m from the entrance to the hotel.

A female Swee Waxbill, in a shrub between the pool and the hotel

A male Swee Waxbill, on the lawn between the pool and the hotel

A Cape Canary, on the lawn next to the pool

Although not really a special, other birds are also willing to pose - here a Familiar Chat on the walkway between the hotel and the pool

There were several forest birds which I could never get to pose for me, such as the African Goshawk, the Narina Trogan, the Scalythroated Honeyguide, the Emerald Cuckoo, the Chorister Robin and the Wood Owl. These birds were heard every day (or night in the case of the owl), but only offered brief glimpses of themselves, and never in a suitable position for a photo. Our bird list for Mount Sheba is not massive, only 67 birds, but every one of them made the effort worth it.

(10 May 2021)