Headline news: it has rained on the last day of the month – 17mm!
Birds come and go as the seasons change. Laughing Doves remain throughout the year and have become so prolific that I have decided not to put out crushed mealies for them every day: they not only eat all of that, but have become adept at filching the finer seed from the hanging feeders too!
Other regular visitors throughout the year are the Black-collared Barbets. Their calls can be heard across the valley throughout the day and they come to inspect the availability of suitable food at least once a day.
Common Starlings are never shy to ‘elbow’ other birds out of the way to gobble up as much as they can at once.
On the subject of starlings, I was very excited to see a single Cape Glossy Starling in our garden the other day – even more so when at least six of them paid a visit yesterday!
Other newcomers this month include a Cardinal Woodpecker, Paradise Flycatcher, Pin-tailed Whydah, White-rumped Swifts, Thick-billed Weavers, Yellow Weaver and several Southern Masked Weavers. More of the latter have been evident than the Village Weavers this month.
I never tire of the Olive Thrushes as they never fail to amuse. They stab at the apples with their sharp beaks and sometimes swallow large pieces whole. They prefer pecking at the bits of apple that fall to the ground though and sometimes drag large pieces away to eat at their leisure under the cover of the bushes.
My September bird list is:
African Green Pigeon
African Harrier Hawk (Gymnogene)
Amethyst Sunbird
Barthroated Apalis
Blackcollared Barbet
Blackeyed Bulbul
Blackheaded Oriole
Boubou
Bronze Manikin
Cape Crow (Black)
Cape Glossy Starling
Cape Robin-chat
Cape Turtle Dove
Cape Weaver
Cape White-eye
Cardinal Woodpecker
Cattle Egret
Common Fiscal
Common Starling
Forktailed Drongo
Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Green Woodhoopoe
Greyheaded Sparrow
Hadeda Ibis
Klaas’ Cuckoo
Knysna Turaco
Laughing Dove
Olive Thrush
Paradise Flycatcher
Pied Crow
Pintailed Whydah
Redeyed Dove
Redwinged Starling
Sombre Bulbul
Southern Masked Weaver
Speckled Mousebird
Speckled Pigeon
Spectacled Weaver
Streakyheaded Seedeater
Thickbilled Weaver
Village Weaver
Whiterumped Swift
Yellow Weaver
Anne, I continue to be astounded by the variety of birds you have and happy to see you got finally some rain.
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It was marvellous getting that bit of rain for the first time in months.
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Wonderful photos and beautiful birds Anne!
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Thank you, Pete.
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Pragtige fotos, Anne.
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Baie dankie, Una.
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A fine gathering of birds in your yard, Anne. I love those Cape Glossy Starlings, shiny blue with the bright yellow eye, so striking.
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The Cape Glossy Starlings seem to have been moving closer to town over the past number of years. I recorded a single one in the garden about three years ago and since then have spotted them on the edge of town. I am delighted that more of them are coming in to see what they can eat. I suppose the drought has something to do with this movement though.
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A remarkable collection.
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There is a pleasing variety. I enjoy their visits, however brief, and like the fact that more of them are staying for longer ones.
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Impressive list, wonderful photos and excellent news about the rain!
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Thank you Belinda. No further rain is forecast yet we are grateful for the brief respite.
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And your list keeps growing! That is wonderful, Anne – just like your photographs.
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You are very kind.
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Ek is so bly julle het reën gehad. Pragtige versameling voëls…die rooikophoutkapper is my gunsteling. Lieflike foto’s, Anne.
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Dit lyk vanoggend asof die gras ‘n bietjie groener is, maar dit is seker my verbeelding. Tog, die lug ruik vars en alles lyk skoon buite. Natuurlik was my kamera nie by toe ek die rooikophoutkapper gesien het nie!
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I love the first picture – those three seem to be discussing very important matters.
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Perhaps they are arguing about “whose seed is this anyway!”
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😀
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