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,