We awoke early from our base in Mzuzu and went straight to the Telinka gate at Nykia National Park. This was about three hours of driving, certainly not helped by the road being a little sketchy in places, although generally not too bad for an African dirt road. We arrived at the park gate just after nine in the morning, and after completing the formalities of entering the park we got on with mopping up our targets.
First on the agenda was the Black-backed Barbet which we
could find in the mature woodland adjacent to the stream a couple of kilometers
walk from the gate. Despite it already being mid-morning and warm, we managed
to find a pair showing well. In the same area there was also Stierlings
Wren-Warbler and a few other common species, but generally activity was low so
we made tracks deeper into the park, to find habitat more suited to our target
species.
Our first stop was very productive, with good species such
as Brown Pariisoma, Brown-headed Apalis and Fulleborns Boubou all quickly
wrapped up. We had a forest we wanted to visit about halfway along the road
between the entrance and our eventual lodgings. Sadly, however, the trail we
hoped to find there failed to materialise and we were left frustrated. It
didn’t help that the rain started just as we arrived, and so we had to wait it
out in the car for an hour or so. Once out birding we did find a couple of good
targets such as Montane Double-collared Sunbird and Black-lored Cisticola.
There were also good numbers of Eurasian Hobby and a smashing male Pallid
Harrier, and even our first antelope with a distant Klipspringer.
With the afternoon drawing on, we continued on our way to
the lodge. On the way we picked up Black-browed Mountain Greenbul, Eurasian
Blackcap and a very confiding Spotted Eagle Owl. The Owl was initially just sat
in the road, but moved into the shrubbery as we approached in the car.
Ultimately though, it remained completely unfazed by our presence, and I will
be amazed if the encounter gets beat for the best bird in the national park.
It was only once we got round the town of Chelinda, where we
would be staying, that we actually started to see good numbers of the large
antelope, including; Reedbuck, Common Eland and the spectacular Roan Antelope
that was nice and approachable in the car. There were also quite a few Zebra
around, some of which were quick close. Birding around here was also good with
Red-winged Francolin seen on the road, as well as Montane Widowbird and Blue
Swallow.
The only downside to the day, was that we arrived to the lodge
to discover the restaurant had shut down, and that we would be eating cereal
for the next few days, since it was all the food we brought. Helpfully the staff were able to sort out some scran for us in the evenings, and we would be able to make it work.
Nykia National Park: Red-winged Francolin, Schalow's Turaco, Red-knobbed Coot, Black-winged Kite, Lizard Buzzard, Pallid Harrier, Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, Spotted Eagle-Owl, Speckled Mousebird, Eurasian Hobby, Tropical Boubou, Fülleborn's Boubou, White-necked Raven, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Brown-headed Apalis, Black-lored Cisticola, Churring Cisticola, Croaking Cisticola, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Blue Swallow, White-headed Saw-wing, Black Saw-wing, Black-browed Greenbul, Dark-capped Bulbul, Willow Warbler, Eurasian Blackcap, Brown Parisoma, Arrow-marked Babbler, African Dusky Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Green-headed Sunbird, Whyte's Double-collared Sunbird, Bertram's Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Red-collared Widowbird, Montane Widowbird, African Pipit, Tree Pipit,
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