Malawi; Day 5 - Mount Mulanje

 Having basically gained a day on the itinerary by having left Dzalanyama the previous lunchtime and made our way south, today was the day that we would be visiting Mount Mulanje, the highest mountain in Malawi. The specific location is the Ruo Gorge on the south side of the mountain, where there is a small remnant patch of lush tropical forest. This is where we would spend the day birding.

After navigating the tea plantation, we eventually arrived in the forest at around 08:30, at which point it was already hot and humid. Still, we hoped we would be able to quickly find our targets, and so it turned out, as we found Thyolo Alethe, the most difficult bird, possibly on our trip, within five minutes, with a juvenile perched on an exposed rock adjacent to the road. We soon established that there was a family of these rare birds, with the more elusive adults foraging in the shrubbery behind.

The birding ebbed and flowed after that, with times that we encountered good numbers of birds in mixed flocks, including other targets like White-winged Apalis, Black-headed Apalis and Stripe-cheeked Greenbul, and then other times where we would be walking and see absolutely nothing. It was also in this forest that we saw our first primates of the trip, with Blue Monkey and Yellow Baboon hanging around. There were also many skinks with dazzling blue tails, absolutely stunning to look at.

Overall we had a great day and found almost all the birds we wanted, the ones we missed still be a possibility at other sites in the following days. On our way to Zomba, our next site, we called off at another patch of forest on the west side of the mountain. This was much less fun, as we spent a large part of our time here being harassed by people in the area. Once we managed to find some peace we did eventually find Pale Batis, our key target, but the highlight was probably three nice and confiding Crowned Hornbills.

-Thyolo Alethe

-Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler

-White-winged Apalis

-Stripe-cheeked Greenbul

-Yellow-streaked Greenbul

-Livingstone's Turaco

-White-eared Barbet

-Jameson's Firefinch

-Black-throated Wattle-eye

-Crowned Hornbill

-Rainbow Skink

-Mitchell's Flat Lizard

-Large Striped Swordtail

-Dry-leaf Commodore

Species List:
Mulanje Mountain: Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Livingstone's Turaco, Brown Snake Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Crowned Hornbill, White-eared Barbet, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Cardinal Woodpecker, Pale Batis, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Black-backed Puffback, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Common Square-tailed Drongo, Red-faced Crombec, Green-backed Camaroptera, White-winged Apalis, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Black-headed Apalis, Red-rumped Swallow, Black Saw-wing, Stripe-cheeked Greenbul, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, Dark-capped Bulbul, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, Southern Yellow White-eye, Grey Tit-Flycatcher, White-browed Scrub Robin, White-starred Robin, Thyolo Alethe, Collared Sunbird, Olive Sunbird, Dark-backed Weaver, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Blue Waxbill, African Firefinch, Jameson's Firefinch, Pin-tailed Whydah, Mountain Wagtail, Yellow-fronted Canary, 

Malawi; Day 4 - Dzalanyama Forest Reserve & Malawi College of Forestry and Wildlife

 This was supposed to be another full day in Dzalanyama, but we had already cleaned up on so much, only a few more difficult species remained. Max also woke up feeling unwell, so we only had limited capacity for searching for mixed flocks. We reencountered the flock close to camp that we had seen the previous day, with Steirlings Woodpecker and African Spotted Creeper both still in tow. Since we knew this flock did not contain the species we were looking for, we tried a new area and there found another flock with a few new species. While it did not contain our missing key targets, it did have Reichows Seedeater, plus a few new common species such as Black Cuckooshrike and Grey-headed Bushshrike.

We decided to move on from Dzalanyama at lunchtime, which worked out nicely as we could grab a bite to eat in Lilongwe on the way. We were heading south to Mount Mulanje, a journey of around five hours, but on the way we wanted to stop at small patch of forest where we could look for Vincents Bunting. While we failed to find the bunting, we were pleasantly surprised by the health of the woodland there, and we found many interesting species. Mocking Cliff Chat was new for me, and we found plenty of birds we did not expect, including another African Spotted Creeper and other Miombo species we had seen frequently in our time at Dazalanyama.

Our drive south was long, and the conditions were awful. We had torrential rain which reduced visability to less than 15 meters, but the fog that followed probably reduced it to five. This only cleared after an hour, but did slow our progress down significantly. It was an exhausting drive! 

-Little Spotted Woodpecker

-Striped Pipit

-Retz's Helmetshrike

-Common Waxbill

-Blue Spangled Charaxes

-Whyte's Barbet

-Red-backed Mannikin

-Lanner Falcon

-Bar-throated Apalis

-African Spotted Creeper

Species List:
Dzalanyama Forest: Ring-necked Dove, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Ayres's Hawk-Eagle, Steppe Buzzard, Augur Buzzard, Speckled Mousebird, Green Wood Hoopoe, Pale-billed Hornbill, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Little Spotted Woodpecker, Black Cuckooshrike, Black-headed Oriole, Retz's Helmetshrike, Black-backed Puffback, Black-crowned Tchagra, Grey-headed Bushshrike, African Paradise Flycatcher, Souza's Shrike, Green-capped Eremomela, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Neddicky, Southern Yellow White-eye, Kurrichane Thrush, Southern Black Flycatcher, Collared Flycatcher, Miombo Rock Thrush, Eastern Miombo Sunbird, Bronze Mannikin, Common Waxbill, Blue Waxbill, Reichard's Seedeater, Cabanis's Bunting, Golden-breasted Bunting,
Malawi College of Forestry and Wildlife: Red-eyed Dove, Ring-necked Dove, Steppe Buzzard, European Bee-eater, Whyte's Barbet, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Lanner Falcon, African Golden Oriole, Black-backed Puffback, Black-crowned Tchagra, Fork-tailed Drongo, White-necked Raven, Bar-throated Apalis, Dark-capped Bulbul, Kurrichane Thrush, Collared Flycatcher, Miombo Rock Thrush, Mocking Cliff Chat, Familiar Chat, Eastern Miombo Sunbird, Bronze Mannikin, Red-backed Mannikin, Striped Pipit, Yellow-fronted Canary, 

Malawi; Day 3 - Dzalanyama Forest Reserve

  Our second day in Dzalanyama started like a rocket. No sooner had we left the campsite than we found a mixed species flock containing two Sterlings Woodpecker, Souzas Shrike and my most wanted bird for the location; African Spotted Creeper. The creeper remained high in the canopy throughout the time we followed the flock, but occasionally showed well. The flock remained in the same area throughout the day and in the evening we had much better views of the African Spotted Creeper.

  Our main target for the day, since its one of the few species which is not only associated with mixed-species flocks, was the Boulder Chat. We had identified a few areas on the satellite images which looked promising, so we headed off in that direction. It was a healthy distance from the campsite, but generally on the way there was limited birdlife, once we had passed the first flock. Fortunately once we arrived in the area, we quickly found a pair of Boulder Chats which showed very nicely, although they were a little erratic for good photos.

  Having completed our primary mission, we slowly meandered back hoping to encounter more flocks along the way. It didn’t take long and we soon found a nice flock containing good targets such as Bohms Flycatcher, White-breasted Cuckooshrike and, for me at least, both Spotted and Collared Flycatchers. Spotted especially was nice to see, given that it is the first species on this trip that I have seen on Soil Hill! We also made a small detour to visit a new area close to camp, and while it did not yield any new mixed flocks, there were a few finches feeding on the streamside grasses, including a stunning Red-throated Twinspot, a rare species we did not expect to encounter.

  After reencountering the first flock on the return, we got back to the campsite late afternoon. After a short break, we had a quick wander around the village in the evening twilight but there was little activity. A few Schalows Turracos were seen, and there was a good-sized flock of African Green Pigeon to enjoy as well. Sadly a storm was looming and this meant we lost the daylight a little earlier than we should have. Not long after dark the heavens opened and any hope of trying for owls was lost. The storm was so vicious that we eventually opted to move into the lodge, rather than drown in our tents!

-African Spotted Creeper

-Stierling's Woodpecker

-Boulder Chat

-Green-backed Honeybird

-White-breasted Cuckooshrike

-Miombo Rock Thrush

-Souza's Shrike

-Bohm's Flycatcher

-Red-throated Twinspot

-Speckled Mousebird

-Common Mother-of-Pearl

-Natal Acraea

-Common Leopard

Species List:
Dzalanyama Forest: Hildebrandt's Spurfowl, Red-eyed Dove, Ring-necked Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, African Green Pigeon, Schalow's Turaco, Red-chested Cuckoo, White Stork, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Wahlberg's Eagle, African Hawk-Eagle, Common Scimitarbill, Pale-billed Hornbill, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Little Bee-eater, European Bee-eater, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Green-backed Honeybird, Cardinal Woodpecker, Stierling's Woodpecker, Little Spotted Woodpecker, White-breasted Cuckooshrike, Black-headed Oriole, Chinspot Batis, White-crested Helmetshrike, Retz's Helmetshrike, Brubru, Black-backed Puffback, Black-crowned Tchagra, Tropical Boubou, Fork-tailed Drongo, African Paradise Flycatcher, Souza's Shrike, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Rufous-bellied Tit, Green-capped Eremomela, Stierling's Wren-Warbler, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Neddicky, Zitting Cisticola, Black Saw-wing, Dark-capped Bulbul, Southern Yellow White-eye, Arrow-marked Babbler, Kurrichane Thrush, African Dusky Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Böhm's Flycatcher, Grey Tit-Flycatcher, Southern Black Flycatcher, Collared Flycatcher, Miombo Rock Thrush, Familiar Chat, Boulder Chat, Western Violet-backed Sunbird, Eastern Miombo Sunbird, Spectacled Weaver, Holub's Golden Weaver, Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Bronze Mannikin, Blue Waxbill, Red-throated Twinspot, Striped Pipit, Yellow-fronted Canary, Black-eared Seedeater, Cabanis's Bunting, Golden-breasted Bunting, 

Malawi; Day 2 - Dzalanyama Forest Reserve

  Having arrived battered and exhausted the previous evening, we were not in a rush to get up and go out birding. However, since we were camping, we were awoken by the sunlight before six anyway, giving us the full day to get out birding and exploring.

  The morning started slowly with very little activity, apparently as expected in this forest. The first birds we saw were two Mountain Wagtails, which was a lifer for me, followed by a few new finches and Pale-billed Hornbill, the first species endemic to the Miombo woodland on our trip. While we waited for flocks to form we went to areas of wet grassland in the middle of the forest, which are the place to look for the rare and range-restricted Lesser Seed-Cracker. Sadly we failed to find it in the morning, and with rain looming, we headed back to our campground. On the way we found our first mixed species flock, containing goodies such as Miombo Rock Thrush, Miombo Scrub Robin, Souzas Shrike and Anchietas Sunbirds. All really good species to have connected with on our first morning.

  After lunch we headed out again to look for the Lesser Seed-Cracker. Initially it looked like we would continue to have no success, but after some more searching we actually found one. It perched up briefly, allowing us to get a view of its glorious red head, before it flew off and away. My photos were sadly not in focus, but you get the idea.

  With one of our most important targets wrapped up, we headed off back into the woodland to look for more mixed-species flocks. And we found another two before we headed back for the evening. The first contained our first Retzs Helmetshrikes, Green Wood-Hoopoe and Rufous-bellied Tit. But it was in the second, and last flock that we really struck gold! In addition to more Rufous-bellied Tit and Souzas Shrike, we found our first Steirlings Woodpecker, probably the most important species to find in this reserve, although not many birding groups miss it. We had a female showing nicely, feeding away in the canopy before flying off.

  Two targets down, as well as many other of the regional specialities, our trip was off to a brilliant start. Already late in the afternoon, we headed back to camp for dinner, before we crashed out, going to bed before eight! Simply too exhausted for night-birding, that will no doubt come onto the agenda in the next few days.

-Stierling's Woodpecker

-Pale-billed Hornbill

-Lesser Seedcracker

-Green Wood Hoopoe

-Rufous-bellied Tit

-Anchieta's Sunbird

-Eastern Miombo Sunbird

-Miombo Scrub Robin

-Woodland Pipit

-Retz's Helmetshrike

-Darker Commodore

-Southern Gaudy Commodore

-African Pansy

Species List:
Dzalanyama Forest: Hildebrandt's Spurfowl, Mourning Collared Dove, Red-eyed Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, African Green Pigeon, Red-chested Cuckoo, Common Swift, Lesser Spotted Eagle, African Hawk-Eagle, Black Kite, Speckled Mousebird, Green Wood Hoopoe, Pale-billed Hornbill, African Pygmy Kingfisher, European Bee-eater, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Cardinal Woodpecker, Stierling's Woodpecker, Eurasian Hobby, Black-headed Oriole, Chinspot Batis, White-crested Helmetshrike, Retz's Helmetshrike, Brubru, Black-backed Puffback, Black-crowned Tchagra, Tropical Boubou, Fork-tailed Drongo, African Paradise Flycatcher, Souza's Shrike, Rufous-bellied Tit, Red-capped Crombec, Green-capped Eremomela, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Red-faced Cisticola, Black Saw-wing, Dark-capped Bulbul, Southern Yellow White-eye, Arrow-marked Babbler, African Dusky Flycatcher, Grey Tit-Flycatcher, Southern Black Flycatcher, Miombo Scrub Robin, Collared Flycatcher, Miombo Rock Thrush, Familiar Chat, Anchieta's Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird, Eastern Miombo Sunbird, Red-headed Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Bronze Mannikin, Common Waxbill, Blue Waxbill, Lesser Seedcracker, Mountain Wagtail, Wood Pipit, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Yellow-fronted Canary, Black-eared Seedeater, Golden-breasted Bunting,