I came across eight Hamerkops, by far the largest aggregation of these birds I have recorded, on a small dam the other afternoon. Normally they occur singly or in pairs on water bodies and are seen patrolling the edges or foot-trembling in the shallows as they hunt for prey items. I have now for the first time seen another method where they were doing low aerial sorties out over the water and snatching up frogs that were floating at the surface. When a bird was successful it would return to the waters edge, rinse the frog and then ingest it. Other Hamerkops would fly in and try and rob the successful bird of its catch. It was incredible to observe the action going on all around the dam. Presumably this flocking behaviour is as a result of a concentration of food resources I was also able to observe this False mounting behaviour being exhibited which is a characteristic and bizarre ritualised display in Hamerkops not to be confused for a mating attempt
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At long last, a Yellow-breasted Apalis male complete with the diagnostic black breast band Duelling Winter plumage Red-headed Weavers Yellow-throated Petronia. Look carefully and you will pick out the yellow throat spot which is not always visible Juvenile Spectacled Weaver Lesser Masked Weaver female busy in the canopy White-bellied Sunbird male Brown-hooded Kingfisher Bronze Mannikin adult Golden-tailed Woodpecker male
This small bird is often mistaken for the small Flycatcher spp. It was previously known as the Sharp-billed Honeyguide. An uncommon resident, it is a brood parasite of various Cisticolas, the Grey-backed Cameroptera and Prinias. Once heard, the distinctive insect like call that lasts for a few seconds, will not be forgotten Brown-backed Honeybird
When I picked up a dash of yellow bouncing around in a Knobthorn tree I automatically presumed it was a Yellow-breasted Apalis busy leaf gleaning in the canopy. Luckily I managed a couple of images which on further inspection showed a yellow belly rather than a yellow breast! Yellow-bellied Eremomela Yellow-bellied Eremomela The more often seen Yellow-breasted Apalis. (this is a female bird with no breast band) Note the red eye, yellowish wash to the upper parts and yellow breast which differentiate it from the Eremomela
In among the regulars, new species continue to appear, long may it last A single Lesser-masked Weaver female dropped in A piece of bark falling onto our deck alerted me to the presence of this female Golden-tailed Woodpecker in the canopy of a Weeping Boerbean tree above A juvenile Bronze Mannikin There is a flock of about 15 birds and they spent more time drinking and bathing today I am starting to think there are more than just a pair of these Black-collared Barbets putting in an appearance Yellow-bellied Greenbul, a new visitor to my rock pool. Hopefully a Sombre Bulbul will oblige soon as I often hear them calling in the riverine vegetation below our house Southern Black Flycatcher It was good to see the Kurrichane Thrush back again. This male Thick-billed Weaver came to investigate but stayed within the canopy of a nearby tree. This scouting patrol qualifies as a visit though, so the rock-pool list continues to grow A few Knobthorn trees are starting to produce buds and flowers already and it makes for a colourful contrast with this Yellow-fronted Canary as it perches in the tree above the water checking to see if the coast is clear Posing nicely
I was fortunate enough to come across a feeding party of four of these uncommon residents which are listed as Vulnerable in South Africa. It included the ringed individual which was discussed in my previous post dated 14/11/2020 Three out of four ain't bad On the look out I 'll have that, thank-you very much Let me have another look just in case Note the white primary feathers which are normally only visible in flight. This could be a female bird as it looks like there may be a small blue skin patch on the throat
A very handsome male warthog pops his head out of the dry winter grass A Serrated-hinged Terrapin sunning itself at one of our dams Another decides to join in A relaxed Black-backed Jackal Female Duiker comes down to drink
My little rock-pool birdbath continues to produce new ticks amongst the now regular visitors A small party of Bronze Mannkins have put in an appearance over the last few days. They are still very shy but hopefully they will adapt to the hustle and bustle. Bronze Mannikin The pair of Black-collared Barbets are also becoming more relaxed and this one presents well today The sunlight shows off the plumage on a Cape Glossy Starling beautifully There are always one or two Golden-breasted Buntings in among the masses of Yellow-fronted Canaries A Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, one of the main dispersers of the Mistletoe seeds pops in to check out the plant in the tree near the birdbath
On two recent occasions I have made an incorrect ID and thought that an immature Yellow-fronted Canary was a Streaky-headed Seedeater. I was pleased as this was a new tick for my Reserve list. Recently however I managed to record and photograph the real deal and the error of my ways has been exposed - and now corrected On the 30/06/2021 "Busy Birdbath" entry I labelled this bird as a Streaky-headed Seedeater and my second record of this species on the Reserve, This is a juvenile Yellow-fronted Canary On the 9/05/2021 "Week 17 2021" entry I labelled this juvenile bird as a Streaky-headed Seedeater This is a Streaky-headed Seedeater. Note the heavier bill, the dark facial panel, lack of malar stripe, prominent white eyebrow and the overall grey plumage (no yellow tinge) This bird is also slightly larger, being 15cm versus the 12cm of the Canary A male and a juvenile Yellow-fronted Canary side by side to show the duller plumage of the latter A male Yellow-fronted Canary By way of further comparison this is a Yellow-throated Petronia
The nest building on top of a power-line pylon commenced back in March. Now in early July we have a juvenile chick that is well on its way. There does not seem to be a previous record of this species having built a nest in such a location and it has attracted widespread interest in the birding community The large nest structure placed on top of an electricity pylon. The Roberts notes on nest building state that it is a conspicuous large flattish structure built of sticks and earth lined with reeds or grass built and refurbished by both sexes. The cup is lined thickly enough to completely conceal a sitting bird. The nest is usually placed on top of a tree in full sunlight. It may be in a low tree surrounded by swamp, up to 500 m from water, and 20 - 30 m above ground. Occasionally old nests of other species including Tawny Eagle, Wahlberg's Eagle and Secretarybird are used. In this case they have built on top of a long standing Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver nest, one of several of these nests found on the pylons in this area. The Saddle-billed Stork pair usually use the same nest or nest tree for successive breeding attempts, so it is going to be interesting to see if they use this site again next season The male arrives back at the nest while the female and juvenile look on The male (red eye) and female (yellow eye) in attendance The male guarding the chick whilst the female is away form the nest The female is back at the nest and the chick begs for food. Food was regurgitated into the nest and quickly picked up. Here the chick is in the process of swallowing the large food item The chick flexes its wings in preparation for its upcoming maiden flight. Here is hoping when this happens it manages to avoid the power lines in the vicinity of the nest The female and chick give me the once over
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