Gorgeous Bush-Shrike male Spotted Eagle-Owl under the canopy Black Flycatcher Purple-crested Turaco Dark Chanting Goshawk juvenile Adult bird by way of comparison A Puffback in search of a meal Village Weaver female Spectacled Weaver Yellow-throated Petronia, not a common sighting Southern Black Tit Scarlet-chested Sunbird female Scarlet-chested Sunbird male Fork-tailed Drongo
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Violet-backed Starling male near nest hole Female at the entrance to nest hole. This is a new nest site. Last season a pair nested about 300 metres away at a different site Acacia Pied Barbet nest hole. This is the second year they are using this site A parent at the entrance to the nest. Both parents do incubation duties The other parent in close support
A pair of these breeding inter-African migrants have arrived. Here is hoping they will remain with us for the Summer and breed on the property. Their loud, harsh and guttural call is unmistakable. Here one of the pair is in full voice
A pair of these Sunbirds built a nest under the roof of our outdoor deck area. They were very secretive and I only noticed the nest once the female had built it. During the incubation phase I hardly got to see the female, even her beak was not visible at the entrance aperture during this time. Once the chicks had hatched however it was all action during the feeding phase with both adults ferrying food items on a regular basis Completed nest Shut eye time for the two hatched chicks Hungry chicks waiting to be fed Female at nest Male at nest
We went on a trip to connect with some forest specials. The Cape Parrot and the Bat Hawk were top of that list and we managed to tick both, which was very exciting and rewarding. See separate posts on these two species. Here is a selection of what else I managed to record Mountain Wagtail Swee Waxbill male Swee Waxbill female Red-backed Mannikin adult African Dusky Flycatcher African Dusky Flycatcher on nest Cape White-eye Forest Canary African Firefinch male (Southern) Double Collared Sunbird male tbc Note the leg ring and yellow pectoral tufts Village Weaver male busy nest building
We set our alarms for 0400 hrs, an early wake-up call indeed. We then set off for a short journey to our rendezvous point to meet our guide for the trip. He wanted us in position before first light so as to ensure we connected with the parrots as they stirred at dawn. They roost in dead Yellow-wood trees and usually get active just before sunrise. They gather and perch at the top of the trees and warm up a bit in the early sunshine before flying off to their feeding grounds for the day A male bird on the right is joined by a female atop the tree I was staking out The light conditions were very challenging that early in the morning. Luckily I managed a few images as it improved and before they birds departed This was very exciting outing as it was a new tick for my life list.They are a rare localised endemic species on the Endangered List.
We made a special detour to find a well known Bat Hawk nest site when we were birding in the Magoebeskloof area. It was well worth the effort. They are an Uncommon to rare resident and are classified as Endangered These are remarkable crepuscular, bat-eating raptors.They visit bat roost sites at dusk and catch emerging bats in flight with their talons, transfer them to their bills and then swallow them whole. They also occasionally feed on a range of birds including Swifts, Martins, Doves, Starlings, Canaries, Bishops and Waxbills This is the New Agatha nest site, and it has a bit of a story to it. Bat Hawks were first noticed here by Dave Steyn in 1967. Over the next few years Archie van Reenen and Peter Williams noticed the nest was never completed. Even a light breeze would blow the nest down. A plan was hatched and Frank, Archie van Reenen's 10 year old son, was hoisted 25m up to the branch in a mielie bag. He then secured a wire platform to the branch. He was hauled up a second time to place some of the previously dislodged sticks onto the platform. Within two days nest building had recommenced and 1969 was the first year the birds had a successful breeding season. Bat Hawks have been breeding at the same site ever since. Source: For the love of Birds by Archie van Reenen
White-backed Vulture Diederick Cuckoo male Southern White-crowned Shrike A pair of Violet-backed Starlings Red-billed Buffalo Weaver male busy ferrying nesting material This Spotted Eagle-Owl is still sitting on the nest Dark Chanting Goshawk
These birds are very vocal at the moment and I am hearing them wherever I go on the Reserve. Locating them is another matter entirely. They are small,very cryptic and do not often come out of cover. This one was busy calling which alerted me to its presence
The female in question Male on approach Showing the amazing feather detail Male moves towards the female with neck outstretched, crest erect, neck feathers raised to form ruff and throat puffed out whilst click calling
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April 2024
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