North Coast estates offer variety and opportunity for birders
Ballito birder Calvin Harris shares his favourite local locations for rare species.
North Coast estates offer pockets of perfection for birdlife and excellent conditions for birders looking to spot them.
According to Ballito’s Calvin Harris, an active birder for 15 years, Zimbali, Dunkirk, Seaward, Palm Lakes, Brettenwood and Simbithi Estates all contain treasure troves of birds waiting to be discovered, among many other smaller estates.
Photo: Calvin Harris.
That includes Harris’ personal favourite, the violet-backed starling.
“All the North Coast gated communities offer an abundance of birdlife, and their environments differ in bird species, landscape and eco-systems,” said Harris.
“Seaward has been one of my most productive sighting areas, spotting more than 150 birds, despite not having as much open natural space as the others.
Photo: Gary Uys.
“Zimbali offers an ecologically rich sub-tropical forest with more than 260 bird species, including a breeding pair of African crowned eagles.
“I have spotted about 120 birds in Zimbali. The diversity of birds and landscape is excellent for birding because it has a coastline, river mouth, beach and forest.”
He also rates Dunkirk highly, despite the other gated communities offering slightly more diverse and larger landscapes and eco-systems.
Photo: Calvin Harris.
“Dunkirk is very productive for birders. There’s a swamp fig forest, with lots of birdlife, and it’s surrounded by grasslands.”
Palm Lakes has the largest grassland habitat of the local estates. Here, Harris spotted the rarely seen nocturnal white-backed night heron. Nearby, in Springvale Country Estate, he saw a rare African pygmy goose.
Photo: Calvin Harris.
“Like Palm Lakes, Simbithi has many dams, wetlands and coastal forest areas, which are home to a variety of birdlife. Birders conduct many guided walks inside and it has one of the largest active birding communities due to its varied eco-system.”
Harris is still on the lookout for one mystery bird: The red-chested flufftail that is notoriously difficult to spot. It is known to frequent the bottom dams in Brettenwood Coastal Estate, however. Harris has never seen it, he has only heard it.
Photo: Calvin Harris.
“It’s what we call a “skulker” in the birding world,” he said. “It’s secretive and a tricky bird to find, but it has a distinct call.”
Harris recalls his most interesting local sighting being a pied starling, which was living with a company of common (Indian) mynas at Ballito’s Clarke Bay. By rarity however, the spotted ground thrush, African pygmy goose, southern crested guinea fowl, Shelley’s francolin, African finfoot and green malkoha are particularly thrilling local finds, among many others.
This article first appeared in the May 2025 edition of FastFinder – The North Coast Courier’s biannual business directory. The second FastFinder edition of the year will be released early next month.
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