Majestic Zulu Rock

Within five minutes of my arrival, the rain comes, throwing heavy drops that thud on the ground and send puffs of dust from the dry land into the air. The landscape is cleaned, leaving it rejuvenated. Another five minutes later, the downpour is over, and shafts of sunlight cut through the dispersing clouds, releasing an orchestra of birds, frogs and insects.

Frogs call with strange plopping sounds from rank grasslands on the hill slope, while cicadas call incessantly as flocks of Helmeted Guineafowl run around chasing one another, their loose feathers spewing into the air. Several of the flock stand still and call with a monotonous ka-chink, ka-chink, ka-chinking. A Red-capped Robin-Chat (1 on the checklist) and sombre