Spring brings special birding sightings to Lake St Lucia

Spring and early summer put elusive birds on display at St Lucia's iGwalagwala Trail

9 hours ago

Tamlyn Cramer 1 minute read

Birding in St Lucia is always greatly rewarding, but there’s just something special about spring and early summer, when courtship rituals are in full swing and otherwise elusive birds put themselves on display.

None more so than the Narina trogon, a forest-dwelling bird that holds near mythical status for many birders, some who have waited 15 years before finally ticking it off their list.

Spring is when the male Narina trogons form what is called floating leks, which is when males congregate in one area and call repeatedly, competing for the affections of the females.

We experienced this on St Lucia’s iGwalagwala Trail last weekend, and consider ourselves very fortunate to have witnessed it – all thanks to highly knowledgeable bird guide Ian Ferreira of St Lucia Birding Tours.

The summer visitors have also returned, including the European bee eaters which we saw on the Eastern Shores, Eurasian whimbrels which were at the estuary mouth, and even a lone bar-tailed godwit also at the estuary.