The good birding continues A grainy I.D. image of what looks like to be an African Cuckoo. I am sure all cuckoo sightings/images are getting extra attention due to the recent rarities reports of Madagascar Cuckoo being seen in S.A. Southern Ground-Hornbill observed roosting late one evening The single chick at the Woodland Kingfisher nest site has now fledged. Here it has just been given a juicy caterpillar by one of the parents on the staging branch Late the other evening I came across a termite (flying ant) eruption. A bird party was busy making the most of this opportunity. Here a female Amur Falcon is busy dispatching an alate caught on the wing. Glossy Starlings, Hornbills, European, Lilac-breasted Rollers and Drongos were all in on the action A Wahlberg's Eagle picks up alates on the ground Looking in Roberts birding app I have learnt that the brown morph Wahlberg's Eagle can have grey or whitish heads as shown here, something I have now seen for the first time. This is not the same as a pale adult form. A Green Wood-Hoopoe busy looking for larvae under the bark. Note the bill is not the usual bright red, perhaps a bit dirty from feeding A Dark-capped Bulbul sits on its nest Dark-capped Bulbul nest with eggs Helmeted Guineafowl. I haven't recorded any chicks out and about yet A juvenile Retz's Helmet-Shrike seen in the tree canopy
0 Comments
Whilst these are not all sequential images, they were all captured in one sitting at the Woodland Kingfisher nest hole.They document the often repeated sequence the parents have followed as they ferry food back to their brood Arriving onto the staging branch and occasionally wing displaying and calling Some prey items are stunned by being beaten against the branch prior to delivery The parent then swoops off the branch and rises up towards the nest hole For the first few days the parent would enter into the nest cavity to deliver food. Now they remain hanging at the entrance to make the transfer Transfer complete The parent then drops away and flies back to the staging branch again A momentary pause before heading off in search of more prey items
An African Spoonbill has taken to visiting our dam recently. It wades around in the shallow water sweeping its distinctive bill from side to side searching out food items. Seeing it feeding I set up and tracked it to attempt to record a capture sequence. I love it when the plan comes together! Strike! What have I got? This will do nicely Thank-you Down the Hatch!
Some of the residents came up with the idea of placing a few dead trees in the one corner of the dam when work was being carried out to enlarge and deepen it. The idea was to provide roosting and or to create possible nesting opportunities. We also dragged a dead tree into the shallow water to offer turtles a sunning spot and birds a perch to hunt from close to the water. Since this was done more and more birds have begun to use the trees.Now Buffalo-Weavers have arrived and commenced nest building, a momentous occasion! The nest begins to take shape in the upper branches A closer look at the nest under construction. It will hopefully get much larger over time The male inspecting his handwork The male displaying as other birds arrive at the nest A curious Grey Heron perches in the next door tree observing proceedings
Another productive week Cape Vulture White-backed Vulture juvenile Red-billed Hornbill parent ferrying food back to the nest hole. This is the second year these birds have used this particular nest On final approach Food parcel delivered This juvenile Black Stork (Near-threatened) flew in to inspect our full dam ans seemed to like what it saw. Here it patrols the shallows looking for suitable food items Note the orange bill and legs of the juvenile Tip-toeing through the Tulips The Striped Kingfishers continue to show near their nest hole The Woodland Kingfishers continue to allow me to photograph them as they bring food for their brood A tightrope walking Tawny Eagle. This Eagle was investigating the Red-billed Buffalo Weaver nest situated on the top of an electricity pylon I was lucky to catch a two frame burst of this juvenile Black-chested Snake-Eagle as it took off from its perch Steppe Buzzard. These shy raptors are not easy to photograph and are normally seen flying away under the tree canopy The Water-thicknee family are still in residence at our dam
Whilst sitting at a Kingfisher nest waiting patiently for the parents to bring food back to their brood I noticed activity of Violet-backed Starlings nearby. Later I went to investigate. Luckily I managed to pinpoint their nest and have been staking it out and recording their activity Female at entrance to nest cavity Male at nest cavity Female back from a feed foray Male also assisting in feeding duties Looks like fruit for desert What you can do I can do better!
Juvenile Didericks Cuckoo. I wonder what the host species was? Red-billed Oxpecker European Honey-Buzzard. My first record for the Reserve Juvenile Black-chested Snake-Eagle Juvenile Bateleur Woodland Kingfisher busy bringing food to the nest. Strike 1 Strike 2 Strike 3 An obliging Fork-tailed Drongo posing correctly so that the sunlight catches its red eye The call of the Stierling's Wren-Warbler can be heard from quite a distance but locating the bird is another story. This is what you are up against when it is sitting in the leaf canopy. Good Luck!
I had my long time friend and birding/photographic mentor Mike Pope come for a visit. It was great to spend some time in the field together doing what we both love. Whilst I could not find the Lesser Moorhen for him we managed to locate a couple of the Dwarf Bitterns, plus a few other species A very relaxed Dark Chanting Goshawk European Roller Pied Kingfisher African Spoonbill African Spoonbill A family of Water Thick-knees resting up near the waters edge more to follow.....
Dwarf Bittern posing well Showing off the waistcoat These uncommon intra-African migrants are popping up at water-bodies in several places on thee Reserve. Hopefully they will hang around and breed The Lesser Moorhens are everywhere, long may it last Striped Kingfisher ferrying food back to the nest hole Woodland Kingfisher also in on the act. The nest sites of these two Kingfishers are about 500 m apart!!! And not to be outdone the Red-billed Oxpeckers are back at their nest site from last season
|
Archives
April 2024
|