African Wildlife & Environment Issue 79

DESTINATIONS

Greater Flamingos are present for most of the year (Photograph: Albert Froneman)

moult, and during this period are unable to fly. A few thousand of these birds are protected here during this vulnerable period of moult! Greater Flamingos are present for most of the year in numbers varying from a few dozen to a few thousand, while Lesser Flamingo usually occur during the winter months in similar numbers. Marievale has become an important place for migrant waders or 'shore birds', and some of the rarest of these species have been recorded since official records have been kept. Migrant waders are present from August to April each year. Large numbers of Ruff and Little Stint are usually the first to arrive followed by smaller numbers of Curlew and Marsh Sandpipers, Wood Sandpiper, Common Greenshank and Ringed Plover. Two resident shorebirds are the Three Banded and Kittlitz’s Plovers. Some of the rare waders recorded at Marievale are Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed

Godwit, Pectoral Sandpiper, Sanderling, Turnstone, Grey Plover, Baird’s Sandpiper, Common Redshank and Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Three species of lapwings are resident; most common is the Blacksmith Lapwing, followed by the Crowned Lapwing andWattled Lapwing. Species which have been recorded in the immediate grassland areas are Rufous-naped Lark, Red-capped Lark and Spike-heeled Lark. Fairly common residents are Levailant’s, Desert, Cloud and Zitting Cisticolas,African Pipit, Cape Longclaw, African Stonechat and MountainWheatear. Marievale’s raptors on record are African Marsh Harrier, Black-winged Kite, Jackal Buzzard, Common Steppe Buzzard, African Fish Eagle, Black-breasted Snake Eagle, Marsh Owl, Western Barn Owl and African Grass Owl. The rare Western Marsh Harrier has been recorded on a few occasions. Secretary Birds were common in the grasslands but in the last decade have become

46 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 79 (2021)