MARCH 2024 GARDEN BIRDS

I have not spent a great deal of time at home this month nor have I used my camera much. While it has been a particularly busy month, I have enjoyed watching a pair of Knysna turacos fly across the garden now and then and hearing their rasping calls during the day. Cattle egrets abound, thanks to the presence of the Urban Herd, and my favourite view of them is when they fly across the garden en masse at the end of each day as they make their way to their perches in the CBD. Of course we always have Laughing doves that brighten each day with their cheerful burbling sounds. A Black-collared barbet or two have made occasional forays to the feeder – I am hoping to see more of them during the cooler winter months. We are still woken half an hour before sunrise every morning by the loud choruses of the Hadeda ibises that roost in the Natal fig tree in our garden and it has been fun watching Greater double-collared sunbirds feeding on the nectar of the Cape Honeysuckle flowers.

The weather has been very hot – some days have reached 38°C – making the various bird baths busy places for birds, such as this Olive Thrush.

The Cape Robin-Chat has also been a frequent visitor to this bird bath.

A different bird bath was favoured by a Speckled Pigeon.

Bronze Manikins also enjoyed visiting this one.

New visitors this month include a Southern Boubou which has become a regular visitor.

Others are a Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Cape Weavers, Amethyst Sunbirds, and a pair of Thick-billed Weavers. The latter have only appeared a few times – they never seem to spend much time here. Cape White-eyes, on the other hand, flit in and out of the shrubbery on a regular basis and enjoy visiting the nectar feeder we call the pub. Note that the photograph below is an old one: we no longer colour the sugar water as I have learned that the food colouring is not healthy for the birds.

My bird list for this month:

African Darter
African Green Pigeon
African Harrier Hawk
African Hoopoe
Amethyst Sunbird
Barthroated Apalis
Black-collared Barbet
Black-eyed (Dark-capped) Bulbul
Black-headed Oriole
Bronze Manikin
Cape Robin-Chat
Cape Turtle Dove
Cape Weaver
Cape White-eye
Cardinal Woodpecker
Cattle Egret
Common Fiscal
Fork-tailed Drongo
Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Grey-headed Bush Shrike
Grey-headed Sparrow
Hadeda Ibis
Knysna Turaco
Laughing Dove
Lesser-striped Swallow
Olive Thrush
Paradise Flycatcher
Pied Crow
Red-eyed Dove
Red-fronted Tinkerbird
Red-necked Spurfowl
Sacred Ibis
Southern Boubou
Southern Masked Weaver
Speckled Mousebird
Speckled Pigeon
Thick-billed Weaver
Village Weaver
White-rumped Swift
Yellow-fronted Canary

OCTOBER 2023 GARDEN BIRDS

Note that as I spent the first two weeks of October in Hout Bay, the list below reflects only half of the month’s potential bird viewing.

We are woken ever earlier by the Hadeda Ibises ruffing their feathers and calling to their companions perched in trees all around the neighbourhood: half an hour before sunrise is when the first of their loud greetings can be heard!

Welcome newcomers to the garden this month are the Pin-tailed Whydahs. This is what the female looks like:

The male is showier and dances around above or near the female – or chases other birds away – before swooping down to eat seeds on the ground. I have never seen them eating from the hanging feeders. Note the long tail feathers of the male:

Even though there are no figs for feasting on, the African Green Pigeons obviously feel comfortable perching in the large tree both during the hottest part of the day and at night; their chuckling noises are comforting sounds. Much shriller calls come from the Fork-tailed Drongos, which call to each other or fly across the garden – often catching insects in mid-flight. Then, of course, I must mention the ever-present Laughing Doves. There is a lot of wooing going on among them and their gentle laughing noises are a pleasure to hear on these warm afternoons.

The Black-eyed (Dark-capped) Bulbuls increased in number and frequency during the course of the month. They mostly aim for the fruit I put out, yet are not above tasting anything else that might be on offer:

A pair of Black-headed Orioles are also delightful visitors – and beg for photographs to be taken of their handsome livery! Although they mostly eat fruit, I often see them eating tiny bits of meat as well:

I cannot resist photographing the Bronze Manikins that flutter down from the branches like falling leaves or cluster around the hanging feeder until there literally is not space for another body:

A most welcome new visitor has been the Cape Wagtail bobbing around the edge of the swimming pool or picking its way through the blades of grass on the lawn. Some Common Starlings have inspected the feeding trays, paying very fleeting visits each time. Also staying for a short time are small flocks of Green Woodhoopoes that chuckle their way from the back garden around to the front as they inspect loose bark on the trees for food. There was an even briefer visit from a Red-chested Cuckoo (Piet-my-Vrou) which perched in one of the tall trees very early one morning, called out gustily – and left. A lone Jackal Buzzard swooped over the garden a few times one day – you could have heard a feather fall as all of the birds hid in the foliage as soon as it appeared overhead and made not a sound.

It feels good to have the Streakyheaded Seedeaters back once more. They appear to be bolder than before and are not above chasing weavers away when they wish to partake of the seeds on offer.

My bird list for this month:

African Green Pigeon
African Hoopoe
Barthroated Apalis
Black-collared Barbet
Black-eyed (Dark-capped) Bulbul
Black-headed Oriole
Bronze Manikin
Cape Crow
Cape Robin-Chat
Cape Turtle Dove
Cape Wagtail
Cape Weaver
Cape White-eye
Cattle Egret
Common Fiscal
Common Starling
Diederik Cuckoo
Fork-tailed Drongo
Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Green Woodhoopoe
Grey-headed Sparrow
Hadeda Ibis
Jackal Buzzard
Klaas’s Cuckoo
Laughing Dove
Lesser-striped Swallow
Olive Thrush
Pin-tailed Whydah
Red-chested Cuckoo
Red-eyed Dove
Red-throated Wryneck
Red-winged Starling
Southern Masked Weaver
Speckled Mousebird
Speckled Pigeon
Streaky-headed Seedeater
Village Weaver
White-rumped Swift

AUGUST 2023 GARDEN BIRDS

Having missed posting about the birds visiting our garden during June and July because I was abroad for most of that time, I thought I might compare this year’s August bird list with that of last August.

‘New’ sightings compared with August last year include an African Harrier Hawk. A pair of these birds have been resident in this town probably even before we arrived here thirty-five years ago – a succession of pairs most likely – and are seen regularly. The birds in our garden fall absolutely silent when one of these sharp-eyed birds flies over.

Very pleasing to see are the Amethyst Sunbirds that are particularly active among the scarlet blooms of the Erythrina caffra trees growing in our back garden. This tree has also been hosting a Cardinal Woodpecker working its way through the dead branches. A Cape Batis has been fun to spot as it flits through the trees. I also feel blessed with many sightings of a pair of Knysna Turacos. Disappointingly, I have observed only one Thick-billed Weaver – once.

Looking skyward (over ‘my’ airspace) I have seen a Black-headed Heron as well as a pair of Egyptian Geese flying across the garden fairly regularly during August this year. The Sombre Greenbuls are heard more than seen (this photograph was taken in the Addo Elephant National Park).

The pair of Cape Robin-Chats have been fairly circumspect – always on the lookout for the neighbouring cats – yet sing melodiously from the trees and, when the coast is clear, come to feed on cheese or tiny bits of meat on the feeding table.

Laughing Doves and Red-eyed Doves tend to dominate the front garden while the Cape Turtle Doves prefer the back. This month, however, I often see and hear them calling from the fig tree even though they do not mingle with the other doves to eat the seeds on the ground under the hanging feeders. This one was photographed in the Addo Elephant National Park.

Bronze Manikins delight, whether they are crowding around one of the hanging feeders or flit down to eat the seeds on the ground.

A pair of Black-headed Orioles call to each other early in the mornings and during the late afternoons. Their bright colouring make them a pleasure to see.

Lastly, the male Cape Weavers are coming into their breeding plumage – some are looking almost red, their facial blush is so deep already!

My bird list for this month:

African Green Pigeon
African Harrier Hawk
African Hoopoe
Amethyst Sunbird
Barthroated Apalis
Black-collared Barbet
Black Cuckoo
Black-eyed (Dark-capped) Bulbul
Black-headed Heron
Black-headed Oriole
Bronze Manikin
Burchell’s Coucal
Cape Batis
Cape Crow
Cape Robin-Chat
Cape Turtle Dove
Cape Weaver
Cape White-eye
Cardinal Woodpecker
Cattle Egret
Common Fiscal
Common Starling
Egyptian Goose
Fork-tailed Drongo
Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Green Woodhoopoe
Grey-headed Bush Shrike
Grey-headed Sparrow
Hadeda Ibis
Knysna Turaco
Laughing Dove
Olive Thrush
Pied Crow
Pintailed Whydah
Red-eyed Dove
Red-necked Spurfowl
Red-throated Wryneck
Red-winged Starling
Sombre Greenbul
Southern Boubou
Southern Masked Weaver
Speckled Mousebird
Speckled Pigeon
Spectacled Weaver
Streaky-headed Seedeater
Thick-billed Weaver
Village Weaver

FEBRUARY 2023 GARDEN BIRDS

Another month has flown by in a flurry of activity, leaving little time for photographing avian visitors to our garden – never mind being able to enjoy watching them without the nagging thought that I ought to be doing something else. The real problem – and partly why this post is late – lies with the long bouts sans power that we endure every day. This means one rushes around doing what needs electricity to be done when there is power and catching up with all sorts of other things when there is not. Thank goodness for the birds though: they are always there – seen or heard – to provide some respite from this mad rush.

There have not been as many weavers around as we usually see at this time of the year and of these, Southern Masked Weavers have been dominant. Red-eyed Doves too have been heard –usually early in the morning and during the late afternoon – more than seen. Redwinged Starlings are gathering in ever larger groups now and make various flypasts during the day – one hears them before seeing them whizz by. There will always be an abundance of Laughing Doves attracted by the seeds I put out daily and I am very pleased to note the return of Fork-tailed Drongos. Other welcome returnees this month include the Barthroated Apalis – its cheerful chirps can be heard throughout the day, Fierynecked Nightjars – lovely to hear them at night, and a few fleeting visits from a pair of Yellow-fronted Canaries.

It is always pleasing to actually spot an African Green Pigeon. This one was perched on the branch of the Tipuana tree early one morning:

The presence of Rednecked Spurfowls make me feel as though I have woken up in a game reserve! This small family makes regular forays onto our front lawn and from there to the seed that has fallen under the feeders next to the swimming pool. I have seen them in the back garden too and so have taken to scattering crushed mealies there every now and then. This one is looking up at me in surprise:

Bronze Manikins never fail to amuse the way they huddle close together on the feeders – there always seems to room for one more – and yet, they too, sometimes peck each other or biff one out of the way in order to get to the food:

Most gratifying this month has been the fairly regular sightings of a young Cape Robin-chat. It was very shy at first, but has become bolder in its search for food. Here it is perched on the edge of the bird bath:

A significant problem we have to deal with during these long periods sans power is that perishables, such as cheese, do not last as long as they ought to – even in the fridge. Here Spotty, the Common Fiscal, looks as though he is biting off more than he can chew:

Even though I featured a Blackheaded Oriole last month too, I cannot resist including this view of one perched on the trunk of a Cussonia (cabbage tree) next to the swimming pool:

My bird list for this month:
African Green Pigeon
Barthroated Apalis
Black-collared Barbet
Black-eyed (Dark-capped) Bulbul
Black-headed Oriole
Bokmakierie
Bronze Manikin
Cape Crow
Cape Robin-Chat
Cape Weaver
Cape White-eye
Cattle Egret
Common Fiscal
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Fork-tailed Drongo
Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Green Woodhoopoe
Grey-headed Sparrow
Hadeda Ibis
Knysna Turaco
Laughing Dove
Lesser-striped Swallow
Olive Thrush
Paradise Flycatcher
Pied Crow
Red-eyed Dove
Rednecked Spurfowl
Red-winged Starling
Sacred Ibis
Southern Masked Weaver
Speckled Mousebird
Speckled Pigeon
Village Weaver
White-rumped Swift
Yellow-fronted Canary

NOVEMBER 2022 GARDEN BIRDS

November is a month that seems to have sped by. I have been on the road more than usual and we have had inconvenient time slots for power outages – all of which have contributed to the late posting of my monthly overview of the birds visiting our garden. The third of November heralded the blooming of the first Pompon tree flowers and now our garden is brightened with the trees covered in beautiful pink blossoms.

November is also the start of having pesky mosquitoes around and is the time from which I can expect ants, spiders and beetles to land on me from the shady branches I sit under whilst watching birds! The first bird to draw my attention was a Black-eyed (Dark-capped) Bulbul displaying the avian version of panting in the heat – called gular fluttering.

We have experienced temperatures of up to 36°C, so there has been need for all of us to pant a little! Red-eyed Doves are more sensible and generally remain within the shade of the trees and have seldom been seen in the open during the hottest parts of the day. The heat has meant that Cape White-eyes have been visiting the nectar feeder regularly – they have also been enjoying the apples and pears. The Bronze Manikins continue to delight as they fill the feeders with their little bodies.

While the Laughing Doves generally gather in the nearby trees for at least twenty minutes before coming down to feed, there are always a few of them that prefer to filch seed from the feeder rather than joining the masses on the ground. I found the antics of this one particularly amusing.

Southern Masked Weavers have been kept busy feeding their chicks. I enjoy watching them stuff their beaks with fruit to feed their chicks perched nearby. At one point this month the Cape Weavers appeared to be the dominant weaver in the garden. They have now been usurped by Village Weavers.

The Common Fiscals have also been taking food away for their chicks. Meneer still seems to prefer the titbits I offer in my hand rather than helping himself from the dish. While on the subject of feeding, it has been interesting to note that the Black-headed Orioles have shown a definite preference for meat over fruit, which makes me think they too might be feeding chicks hidden somewhere in the dense foliage.

To round off, the Hadeda Ibis chick has made the successful progress from being nest-bound to walking around the garden in the company of one or both parents.

My bird list for this month:
African Green Pigeon
African Hoopoe
Black-collared Barbet
Black Cuckoo-Shrike
Black-eyed (Dark-capped) Bulbul
Black-headed Oriole
Bokmakierie
Bronze Manikin
Burchell’s Coucal
Cape Robin-Chat
Cape Turtle Dove
Cape Weaver
Cape White-eye
Cattle Egret
Common Fiscal
Common Starling
Diederik Cuckoo
Fork-tailed Drongo
Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Green Woodhoopoe
Grey-headed Sparrow
Hadeda Ibis
Klaas’s Cuckoo
Laughing Dove
Lesser-striped Swallow
Olive Thrush
Pin-tailed Whydah
Pied Crow
Red-eyed Dove
Red-throated Wryneck
Red-winged Starling
Southern Boubou
Southern Masked Weaver
Speckled Mousebird
Speckled Pigeon
Village Weaver
White-rumped Swift
Yellow-fronted Canary