On Sunday 15th November 2009, myself, Eugene Marais (Pretoria Zoo) and Mike Harman (ex Jhb zoo now retired) set off from Skukuza, covering the far south on the 15th, overnighting at Skukza before heading further north on the 16th; overnighting at Letaba section 17th November, Mooiplaas section 18th November and  then continuing on to Phalaborwa to search for, and report on, Southern Ground Hornbill nest activity.

Of the 41 nests we checked on, 12 of them were lined, 8 were inactive, 5 were cleaned out,  and one the tree had fallen over.
 In the Malelane section, the Lukimbi / Lwakhele River Nest  that was reported as fallen down by D. Jackson (171108),  was very much alive with a female sitting and reluctant to fly. (We were accompanied by Lukimbi Head Ranger D. Brandt.)

In the Tshokwane section, a female is sitting on the Orpen nest, although no signs of eggs as yet. But, the Mamariwa Nest revealed a male feeding a female who was sitting on 2 eggs. The Houtboschrand Section provided a small problem in that we arrived at the New Ngotso Nest  to find a number of tourists vehicles watching a leopard in a tree with a kill not far from the Ground Hornbill nest. We were reluctant to visit the nest as we would have disturbed the leopard and had some very irate tourists.

The Phalaborwa section had 2 active nests; Shikumba Cliff Nest had a Female sitting on nest, one can see her on the nest from the tar road.  We were unable to ascertain whether there were eggs, as it is inaccessible for man unless one abseils down the cliff. The Phalaborwa Gate Nest had a female sitting on two eggs; their estimated hatching 18/19th December 2009.

At the Shimuweni Nest, (in the Mahlangene Section)  on arrival, the female flew off to expose an egg and a chick of 2/3 days old. This was the nest that double clutched last year( had a very late chick that fledged in June 09.) So this female had a very short time being unmotherly.