Hello fellow bird lovers.
I have just returned from a great trip to South Africa to see family and enjoy a bit of a break from the cold in London . We were based in Durban in the province of Kwazulu Natal and as it’s about a 2 hour drive from the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, I thought it would be rude not to pay it a visit. I only booked in for 4 days and the main focus was to get some new photographs of some of the local wildlife with the greener and more lush backgrounds that occur because of the abundant December rain.
The Reserve has listed around 400 bird species that can be seen on your trip and I was lucky enough to get around 130 in the 4 days without really looking. The main character I wanted to photograph was the Crested Guineafowl with its feathery wig and I got a great photo opportunity on the third day.
I also got some photos of the lovely Trumpeter Hornbill which was a lifer for me. Here are some of my favourites from the trip.
To view some photos of the mammals I encountered please take a look at the Hluhluwe trip report
![001-yellow-billed-kite-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Yellow-billed Kite - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/001-yellow-billed-kite-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Yellow-billed Kite
![002-fan-tailed-widowbird-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Fan-tailed Widowbird - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/002-fan-tailed-widowbird-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Fan-tailed Widowbird
![003-red-backed-shrike-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Red-backed Shrike - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/003-red-backed-shrike-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Red-backed Shrike
![004-rufous-naped-lark-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Rufous-naped Lark - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/004-rufous-naped-lark-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Rufous-naped Lark
![005-pin-tailed-whydah-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Pin-tailed Whydah - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/005-pin-tailed-whydah-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Pin-tailed Whydah
![006-crested-guineafowl - Marinovich Wildlife Photography "Crested Guineafowl - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/006-crested-guineafowl-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Crested Guineafowl
![007-wire-tailed-swallow-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Wire-tailed Swallow - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/007-wire-tailed-swallow-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Wire-tailed Swallow
![008-white-winged-widow-marinovich-wildlife-photography "White-winged Widowbird - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/008-white-einged-widow-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
White-winged Widowbird
![009-european-bee-eater-marinovich-wildlife-photography "European Bee-eater - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/009-european-bee-eater-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
European Bee-eater hunting
![010-burchells-coucal-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Burchells Coucal - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/010-burchells-coucal-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Burchells Coucal
![011-red-breasted-swallow-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Red-breasted Swallow - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/011-red-breasted-swallow-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Red-breasted Swallow
![012-black-bellied-bustard-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Black-bellied Bustard - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/012-black-bellied-bustard-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Black-bellied Bustard calling
![013-Black-bellied-starling-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Black-bellied Starling- Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/013-Black-bellied-starling-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Black-bellied Starling
![014-yellow billed-kite-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Yellow-billed Kite - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/014-yellow-billed-kite-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Yellow-billed Kite on a kill
![015-red-billed-oxpecker-Marinovich-Wildlife-Photography "Red-billed Oxpecker - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/015-red-billed-oxpecker-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Red-billed Oxpecker Family
![016-yellow billed-kite-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Yellow-billed Kite - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/016-yellow-billed-kite-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Yellow-billed Kite
![017-trumpeter-Hornbill-MarinovichWildlifePhotography "Trumpeter Hornbill - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/017-trumpeter-hornbill-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Trumpeter Hornbill
![018-wattled-lapwing-marinovich-wildlife-photography "African Wattled Lapwing - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/018-wattled-lapwing-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
African Wattled Lapwing
![019-steppe-buzzard-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Steppe Buzzard - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/019-steppe-buzzard-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Steppe Buzzard
![020-crested-guineafowl-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Crested Guineafowl - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/020-crested-guineafowl-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Crested Guineafowl
![021-yellow-billed-kite-marinovich-wildlife-photography "Yellow-billed Kite - Marinovich Wildlife Photography"](https://wmarinovich.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/021-yellow-billed-kite-marinovich-wildlife-photography.jpg)
Yellow-billed Kite
Wayne, what stunning pictures, dont know how you do it! Love the Crested Guineafowl. The images are so sharp… wow
Hello Charles. Thanks for the comment mate. Keep well and Merry Christmas
You are not kidding when you said you were after birds, thats a lot of birds. I like the oxpecker the most.
Lol…I did say that. thanks for the comment mate.
Super set of images Wayne, it’s on my list to visit this part of South Africa so it was a great intro to the birdlife. Especially like that bathing Starling!
Thanks Tom. It is a great Birding place along With St Lucia which is nearby.
Hi Wayne, truly beautiful photographs. We visited the park over the past weekend – it was my sixth visit in 2 years and for the first time ever we saw the European Bee-eaters. If you visit again, Mkuze and Ithala are lovely for birders as well. Just a quick one though – is your 3rd kite not a black kite by any chance? 🙂
Hello Louise
Many thanks for the comments. I love the park as it is a little gem albeit very green this time round. I have been to Ithala, but many years ago.
I had a long debate on a forum over the kite and was told its a juvenile Yellow billed, although there were few dissenting voices. So I left it like that. I orginally had it as a Black kite…oh well I didn’t get a DNA test… 😉
[…] bird life in the rainy season proved to be fantastic and I have another blogpost on the Birds of Hluhluwe-Umfolozi with many more photos for all the Twitchers out there. The dry season is definitely the better […]
Incredible pictures, would it be possible to upload some to our site and we will also link to your website.