A female and a sub-adult Bateleur Male Green-winged Pytilia Southern Black Tit My first record of a Yellow-billed Kite of the season Black-collared Barbet Ouch! Just stepped on a Knob-thorn. A Retz's Helmet-Shrike tap dancing on a branch
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The male Cheetah took down a female Bushbuck near our house. This allowed us to observe as it went about devouring the kill. It would feed for a while then stop to listen and scan the area before tucking in again. At one point it took a break and lay down a short distance away and rested for a while before returning for a second session. Luckily he was under the canopy of a large Weeping Boerbean tree so not visible to the Vultures, who often attract other predators as they are seen congregating at a kill site. Tucking in. Notice how backleg bone to the right of the image has already been stripped clean Listening watch Belly full, having a rest up in the shade Contented Cheetah
Spectacled Weaver female Lesser Masked-Weaver female Red-headed Weaver female or non-breeding male Golden-breasted Bunting Yellow-fronted Canary Yellow-breasted Apalis male Black-headed Oriole
This small unobtrusive and mostly silent bird is not often seen, or otherwise often mistaken for one of the small Flycatchers (Dusky or Spotted), which it resembles in size and general colouration. Like the other members of this family, the honeybirds are brood parasites. They parasitise hole-nesting birds such as the Yellow-throated Petronia. ( see blog entry dated 11/08/2020). These are my first images of this species and a welcome addition to my photographic library Brown-backed Honeybird. Note the slightly decurved bill and brown back The front view showing the decurved bill and white throat patch It prefers to perch and scan the surrounding foliage, as it was doing here, rather than clamber around like other leaf gleaners. Its diet consists of insects, mainly scale insects and woolly aphids.Small beetles and caterpillars are also taken opportunistically.The scale insects provide wax, a substance that all honeyguides actively seek and that only they and their kin can digest and therefore use as food.
After many attempts, finally an image of the Purple-crested Turaco in sunlight showing off the magnificent colouring An obliging Bronze Mannikin A female Chinspot Batis showing the bold chestnut chin spot and broad breast band An improved image of the Grey Penduline-Tit feeding at the Mistletoe The male White-bellied Sunbird continues to show Yellow-fronted Canary
Blue Pansy male Lion joins us at our Sundowner spot Tree Squirrel warming his nuts Well camouflaged Leopard cubs Lioness Grey Heron gets gatecrashed Crisp early morning view of our mountain Terrapin on the track
A Yellow-throated Petronia showing the broad straight eyebrow as well as the not always visible diagnostic yellow throat spot A Southern Grey-headed Sparrow by way of comparison An often overlooked species, the Grey Penduline-Tit. I was surprised to see it feeding on nectar. Reading up I discovered that whilst it is insectivorous there are records of it feeding on aloe nectar A male Chinspot Batis having just caught what looks to me like a Brown-veined White Butterfly A male White-bellied Sunbird continues to frequent the Mistletoe Male White-bellied Sunbird A male Scarlet-chested Sunbird is also a regular visitor
Green-winged Pytilia male Green-winged Pytilia female A young Orange-winged Pytilia male by way of comparison. Note the red ear coverts, orange wing panel, and olive and white barring See post dated 24/08/2017 A lifer record for me back then, with no other sightings of it since Red-billed Firefinch male Red-billed Firefinch female A Jameson's Firefinch male (note the blue-black bill) by way of comparison Blue Waxbill. Not difficult to see how this species got its name A female or a non-breeding male Red-billed Quelea Southern Grey-headed Sparrow A Golden-breasted Bunting male in soft afternoon side light
The Lion coalition having a team drink Notch Mullet Mullet left and Collar right Mullet and Notch doing a bit of bonding whilst Collar drinks on Mullet and Notch resting up after their puza Collar finally has slaked his thirst and has a short rest. Note the gaping hole on his forehead, I presume it is an injury picked up in the recent take down of prey Collar keen to get going but his brothers are still a bit tired. Note the full belly, not only have they had a good drink but they recently fed well on a kill
I was set up with my camera with a view to the Mistletoe where the Sunbirds were coming to harvest nectar when all of a sudden a Little Sparrowhawk came flying in like a missile from left field and hit a Grey-headed Sparrow off a branch of a nearby tree and onto the ground. It rested for a couple of seconds and then as quick as it arrived it departed with the bounty to the cover of some trees to enjoy the meal Little Sparrowhawk and Grey-headed Sparrow A quick departure with the prey firmly in its talons Male Collared Sunbird Female Amethyst Sunbird. If you look carefully one can see the extended tongue and the pollen on its crown.
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