The LionHeart Experience, Umhlanga Rocks (2026)

20/08/2026

South Africa's Elusive Ghost Bird, and Some Incredible Winter Birding!!!

This rarely seen and mostly heard buff-spotted flufftail gave me the most incredible views that I have ever had of this species. It is one many birders will spend years and years chasing, and on a day of conducting bird surveys in Zimbali Estate, I heard a sound in the bush, and this beauty popped out and landed on the surface of a large Strelizia, right close to me! I stood in awe, froze, and slowly lifted my camera to take photos, only to realise that I was going to have a full soaking 5 minute sighting of this beaut!! They really are cute little things! The flufftail was looking down, clearly concerned by something, and the next thing, a Burchell's coucal exploded out of the bush. It is possible it was hunting this flufftail, coucals can be pretty savage! It popped off eventually, walking into the undergrowth, and quietly slipped away, probably not to be seen by another human for the rest of its life....

Crazy reality is that this was the third buff-spotted flufftail that I saw this week, in three different estates.

Winter birding in KZN has been incredible this year! And on top of this unreal sighting, I possibly had my best day on Zimbali yet (in over 10 years of working in the estate) Amongst many others some of the other birding highlights were:

Red-chested Flufftail
Allen's Gallinule (a KZN rarity, and this one was very obliging!)
Spotted Ground Thrush (one with colour rings from our project)
Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher
Palm-nut Vulture
Little Sparrowhawk
African Fish Eagle
Gorgeous Bush Shrike
Olive Bush Shrike
Grey-headed Bush Shrike
Green Malkoha
Scaly-throated Honeyguide
Lesser Honeyguide
Lanner Falcon
Alpine Swifts
Green Twinspot
Red-backed Manikin
Grey Waxbill
Red-billed firefinch

07/08/2026

Agriculture Meets Conservation: The Way Forward 🌿

In a world where biodiversity is often on the back foot, it is incredibly encouraging to see large-scale industry stepping up to make a real difference.

The LionHeart Experience is proud to partner with Zambia Sugar, a subsidiary of Illovo Sugar SA / Associated British Foods (ABF) on a landmark biodiversity initiative at the Nakambala Estate on the Kafue Flats.

As Zambia is my father’s birthplace, this project is deeply personal and close to my heart.

The Mission: We are conducting a comprehensive Biodiversity Assessment, which will serve as the foundation for a full-scale Biodiversity Management Plan. Our goal is to set the gold standard for how industrial agriculture and wild ecosystems can coexist.
The Team: We have assembled a "dream team" of specialists to ensure this landscape gets the protection it deserves:

• Richard Mckibbin (The LionHeart Experience)
• Candice Mckibbin (The LionHeart Experience)
• Justin Nicolau (Unearth Consulting)
• Dr. Craig Widdows (Trogon Biodiversity)
• Steve Woodhall (Lepidopterist & Author)
• Ryan Edwards (Verdant Environmental)
• Dr. Moses Chibesa (Copperbelt University)
• Gary Nicolau (Nicolau Ecology)
• Dr. Jonah Gula
• Nick Wightman (Armitage Consulting)

Early Highlights: Our initial surveys have revealed a thriving ecosystem. Species sightings include: 🐾 Mammals: Serval, African Clawless & Spotted-necked Otter, Civet, Side-striped Jackal, Large Grey Mongoose, and Chobe Bushbuck. 🦅 Birds: Western Banded Snake Eagle, Grass Owl, Swamp Nightjar, Martial Eagle, Red-throated Twinspot, Rufous-bellied Heron, African Marsh Harrier, Dickinson’s Kestrel, Lesser Jacana, and Allen’s Gallinule. 🦋 Insects: A variety of butterflies, including the African Pansy and the Blue Spangled Prince.

We are just getting started. There are challenges ahead, but with this team and the support of Zambia Sugar, we are committed to securing the long-term future of these "little treasures."
Onward and upward!

Have you ever seen a coexistence project that you found particularly inspiring? Let us know in the comments below!

17/03/2026

Urban Crowned Eagles - Conservation and Collaboration in KwaZulu-Natal

The journey of a crowned eagle hatched in 2023 and tagged by Crowned Eagle Research with the unique code AKL, highlights the critical challenges these birds face in our urban environments. AKL recently faced a human-wildlife conflict situation and in a truly admirable effort demonstrating the value of passionate conservation, the owner of Creatures and Critters stepped in, understanding the immense conservation implications for this bird, and managed to protect the bird from potential harm.

Then came the value and the beauty of collaborative efforts in conservation. Crowned Eagle Research, headed up by Shane McPherson, was able to coordinate AKL being transferred to the African Raptor Centre, run by Ben Hoffman. The bird was checked and deemed in suitable health to be released back into the wild.

After a recent and very sad incident, (shared on FB by FreeMe Wildlife, another organisation also doing epic work) where two crowned eagles sadly lost their lives in Cowie's Hill, a tracking unit from the adult female was then available.

The collaboration continued, and Brent Coverdale from KZN Wildlife, Ben Hoffman and The LionHeart Experience, fitted AKL with the tracking unit and the bird was released at Downs Estate. Cotswold Downs plays a significant role in conservation by protecting natural habitat and conserving biodiversity, supported by a management team deeply committed to stewarding the natural ecosystem under their care. The resident male from this region sadly lost his life toward the end of last year due to a window collision, and since AKL had visited this region in December, it was determined to be a suitable site to release him, in the hope that he might remain and hopefully pair up with the resident female.

Tracking data shows the bird remained in the estate for a short time, with the resident female nearby, sparking hope for a 'crowned eagle romance'. This successful effort is a testament to the vital collaboration driving conservation in South Africa and is also a positive story amidst the multitude of sad endings.

We will be watching these eagles closely, and as the next breeding season approaches, waiting with much anticipation for success for them.

Expertly filmed and edited by the creative media team.

02/03/2026

Ntsikeni: Where Rare Birds and Wild Orchids Meet

A life-long wait for an encounter with one of the world’s most enigmatic bird species. Finally, finally, we have now seen a striped flufftail!!

This is a bird I have wanted to see for far too long. In 2004, I got within a few metres of this bird, calling in wetland on Table Mountain, but I did not get to lay eyes on it. Fast forward 22 years, and we were asked to join on a weekend at Ntsikeni, and we heard that these birds were active and there was a chance…
You give the LionHearts a chance to see a rare bird, and a chance to get into pristine grasslands and wetlands, and they shift into overdrive!
Ntsikeni has long been on our list to visit, but we had no idea how much we were actually missing. The grasslands are utterly breathtaking and because of this, and being at a high altitude, the birdlife, and biodiversity are truly phenomenal. On arrival we started seeing some of the more common species of orchids, and this got the excitement going. Soon into the drive we started seeing incredible birds, like black harrier, black-rumped buttonquail, and wattled crane. We were welcome by the legend that is Dalu (more to come on this gem of a human soon), and the discussions started, and the excitement started bubbling. When I was getting ready to sleep, I heard a striped flufftail calling across the wetland, and I knew this could be our time!

The next morning, Dalu took us to his sites. This man knows this place so intimately and likely knows this species better than most people on the planet. We were treated to three individuals on one morning! We could not believe our eyes! And one of them, a feisty, mini bantam chicken, came and did his best aggression display, which (he would be utterly devastated to know) was hilarious, and he heard what no man would ever want to hear ‘you are cute when you are angry’.

Watching and listening to flufftails, while an adult and juvenile bearded vulture glide elegantly overhead, with scenes of pure glory, is something you can only experience to fully appreciate.

We got to explore the grasslands, and found many species of orchids, the absolute star of the flower show, is the endangered Disa scullyi, which was absolutely gorgeous, as were the Satyrium haackeii!! This place is a total wonderland. The oribis, cranes all over, malachite sunbirds, yellow-breasted pipits, red-chested and striped flufftails, multiple sightings of black-rumped buttonquails, mountain buzzards, and more, were just some of the other highlights of an incredible weekend.

BirdLife South Africa are doing a great job in trying to fight to protect this sensitive and highly critical wetland. Dalu, the local guide, is exactly what South African conservation needs. A man who is from the area, is passionate about conservation and birds, understands birders and their passions, and is wanting to work hard to provide for his family whilst doing an essential job. This was the message I shared on a whatsapp group with some of South Africa’s most well-known, respected birders and naturalists and pretty much is all that needs to be said about the place:

‘Ntsikeni is an ABSOLUTE MUST!
The biodiversity is NEXT level...
And Dalu is incredible. It would be a total waste to not use his wealth of knowledge and expertise. So if you get a chance, do it! ‘

I want to encourage birders to visit this place and to use Dalu. Not just once, but on every visit. It is one of many ways birders can actively contribute towards the protection of the birds they love.
Get… to… this… place!

24/01/2026

Paradise Lost - Blue Swallows in Trouble!

This bird is utterly gorgeous!! Laying eyes on them was truly special, but also emotional, and extremely concerning....
We recently visited a very small patch of grassland in the midlands, which is one the last refuges for this beautiful creature, the blue swallow. There were only three birds in this whole area... a pair, that were actively working on a nest, and a single male.

My photos definitely did not do justice to this incredible bird, so please pop over to The Flacks Photography post at: https://theflacks.co.za/news/saving-the-blue-swallows/
to see how beautiful the bird really is. Here is the scary news...

This bird requires pristine grassland. This has been decimated in South Africa. It also nests in aardvark burrows, and this species has also decreased in the regions where this bird visits in the summer months, meaning that nesting sites have largely disappeared.

Here is the even scarier news... It is possible that this summer, less than 20 birds are here in South Africa. There are only a few pairs in KZN, and for the first time in a long while, three birds have been seen in Mpumalanga again.

I am deeply concerned for this species' future in South Africa. This is why we at The LionHeart Experience have moved our work significantly into habitat restoration where we can, for all biodiversity. For those who own farms, and large portions of land, perhaps it is time to consider restoring some sections for biodiversity where possible. Our wildlife really needs it... or we are going to start saying goodbye one by one to these beauties!

16/01/2026

The Ghost of Table Mountain!! ... in the jaws of a snake!!! The biggest, flashiest orchid, (a whole lot more crazy orchids), a rare bird, a cute bird facing extinction, and basically just the Cape going off its rocker!!! 🔥🔥🔥😎

A bucket list creature for me, was the Table Mountain Ghost Frog (Heleophryne rosei), and the LionHearts hiked up table mountain, and this was the target. The hike is around 8km... but at the top my garmin showed that I had covered over 15km, whilst others on the same walk with me said theirs was showing 8 -9km. See the screenshots at the end to understand why 🙈😂😂😂😂

I was dedicated. This was my chance!! I wasn't going to go half measures. Well, the first 3 hours didn't produce and I had worked so hard already. A herpetologist friend had sent me a good area to search, water levels were low, and I had no luck. It was hotter, later, and the crew was moving on, so I went ahead to the best sites to try not fall behind as I searched. After zigzagging in the steep ravines like a hooligan, and doing maneuvers that I wasn't aware I could still do,and whilst crawling into a watery cave, I saw movement.... a snake.... and its got something!! A frog! I had so SO many Cape River Frogs on the way to this spot that I assumed it would be one, but lo and behold, there was a Table Mountain Ghost Frog, and in the jaws of a brown water snake, and fighting for its life!! This is definitely NOT how I expected to see one, but what an incredible sighting and record! I have finally seen one, and I am so happy. Fortunately I don't give up easily and I wanted to find a live one, so the zigzagging mayhem continues. After scaling an 8m ravine, straddled with hands and legs apart (the way a kid climbs a doorpost), I found a mossy section and spotted two more, and I was elated. This was a real treat. I lost the whole crew and most of the rest of the climb to the top was playing catch up but I had enough joy and excitement to not hold anyone up and caught them before the top. But.. on the way was one more treat, an orchid Mrs LionHeart and I have tried for a few times but have missed due to just missing the flowering, there was a few SPECTACULAR Disa uniflora just showing off. What a day. My sunglasses that went flying off a cliff whilst looking for the frog was a small price to pay for all this goodness.

During our Cape trip, we also paid a visit to Boulders to see the African Penguin, which is potentially facing extinction due to overfishing, we shot off to see if we could see the rare Baird's sandpiper, which we got!! And we paid two visits to Silvermine, and managed to see 6 new incredible species of orchid for us... 3 of which are in this post, the enigmatic vlei disa, (Disa racemosa) which was in stunning numbers thanks to recent fires, then Disa bivalvata and the amazing Disa atricapilla, which Mrs LionHeart REALLY wanted to see.

The Cape really knows how to show off!! Wow....The almost unparalelled floral diversity and some very special creatures really make the Cape a special place.

(Although the 11 degree surf I had at Noordhoek gave the warm KZN a slight competitive advantage on that front!)

09/01/2026

2025 was a total blur!! It came and went in a flash... and 2026 is FULL STEAM ahead already!

We only managed a total of about 8 posts on our page through the whole year.... but what an incredible year it was...

It was a wild combination of some leopards, lots of incredible orchids, endangered species conservation, great times in the wild with many other incredible conservationists, some big wins for wildlife, encouraging work on eco estates with some wonderful habitat restoration and ToPS projects, and a lot of firsts for us, including new species, new research and new ventures!

We wish you all an incredibly blessed 2026!

The LionHeart Experience

20/08/2026

07/08/2026

17/03/2026

02/03/2026

24/01/2026

16/01/2026

09/01/2026

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