SIX BIRDS IN PASSING AT ADDO

I seldom get the opportunity to spend the time to stop and observe birds whilst driving through the Addo Elephant National Park with companions who are far more interested in animals than either birds or flowers. These are birds I managed to photograph during a day trip to that park last month. The first is a Green Woodhoopoe close to the reception. Naturally, it sauntered about in full view until I had retrieved my camera!

One can almost be guaranteed to come across a weaver or two either in or on the Spekboom hedge at Domkrag Dam. This is a Cape Weaver looking a bit disreputable since shedding its breeding finery.

A Speckled Mousebird watches me from a bush next to the road. Without its crest raised, it looks almost as though it has just woken up.

It was at Rooidam that a young Reed Cormorant flapped its wings to dry in the early morning sunlight.

Tripping lightly along the edge of the road was the surprising sight of a Three-banded Plover.

A Cape Turtle Dove inspected the gravel at Jack’s Picnic Site with a degree of success.

Of course there were many more birds seen but not photographed.

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APRIL 2022 GARDEN BIRDS

Not only is this post woefully late, but this is probably the shortest bird list for a long time – mainly because I was away from our garden for half of the month! Once again, photographs have been sourced from my archives.

A pair of Southern Boubous creep out from the thicket behind the bird feeders once they have established that the coast is clear. The first port of call is the birdbath on a stand before one or other ventures down to inspect the feeding tray. Laughing Doves still congregate in the trees or on the telephone cable, but are a lot more wary about fluttering down to feed on the ground. Perhaps they too wish to make certain there are no cats around before they do. It is very pleasing to hear the happy chirps from the weavers after their absence. Southern Masked Weavers were the first to return and now Village Weavers are making a come-back.

Several Speckled Pigeons keep watch on proceedings from the roof – one roosts on our bathroom window every night!

Olive Thrushes still call from within the trees and shrubs, yet have become shyer about coming out in the open since the neighbouring cats appeared. By contrast, it is lovely to both see and hear Red-winged Starlings in ever-increasing numbers as the figs begin to ripen on the Natal fig tree. It is always a pleasure to see a Black-headed Oriole.

Several Black-eyed Bulbuls chatter merrily in the foliage before tucking into the fruit put out for them.

There is plenty of natural fruit and seeds around to attract Cape White-eyes as well as the Speckled Mousebirds that are such fun to observe.

I will round off April’s round-up of garden birds with the real stalwarts, the Bronze Manikins, that arrive daily to flit about the feeder – always shifting up to make room for yet another one to join them there.

My bird list for this month:

African Green Pigeon
Amethyst Sunbird
Bar-throated Apalis
Black-collared Barbet
Black-eyed (Dark-capped) Bulbul
Black-headed Oriole
Bronze Manikin
Cape Crow
Cape Robin-Chat
Cape Turtle Dove
Cape White-eye
Common Fiscal
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Grey-headed Sparrow
Hadeda Ibis
Laughing Dove
Olive Thrush
Red-eyed Dove
Red-winged Starling
Southern Boubou
Southern Masked Weaver
Speckled Mousebird
Speckled Pigeon
Village Weaver
White-rumped Swift

WELCOME BACK

Welcome back to the Speckled Mousebirds that have been absent from the garden for some time. I have had fleeting glimpses of them as they work their way through the trees and shrubs to feed on berries and flower buds. The rain in December has encouraged wondrous growth and so there is plenty of natural food about. I still cut an apple in half every day and place it on the feeder in the hope of seeing something interesting pecking at it. Yesterday morning one mousebird came down from the treetop to inspect the apple; you can see the tail of its companion above it.

Before long, both mousebirds were enjoying the half of the apple on the side of the feeder away from where I was having tea.

A lot more chattering made me look up to see more of them had arrived to see what the attraction was. Soon there were four of them eating the apples with another looking on.

I only had my cell phone at hand and didn’t dare get up to collect my camera from indoors for it was wonderful to observe the ‘gang’ arrive, which included several youngsters – their tails still rather comically short. By the time my tea was finished I had counted at least a dozen of these birds perched in the branches above while waiting their turn to have a taste of the apple. Needless to say, the fruit disappeared in a flash.

SEPTEMBER 2020 GARDEN BIRDS

We have been treated throughout the month by the scarlet blossoms of the Erythrina caffra, which attracts a variety of birds throughout the day. A flock of Speckled Mousebirds make regular forays there to feed on the nectar.

Meanwhile, I am greeted daily by a flock of Laughing Doves perched either on the telephone line or in a nearby tree, waiting for me to put out seed for them. They would eat me out of house and home, so they are treated once a day only!

I have mentioned that two Common Fiscals have become regular visitors. The un-ringed one is increasingly tame / brave enough to perch on me and to eat food from my hand. I suspect it now expects to have its private supply of food for it hovers above my shoulder until I have sat down and then inspects what I have brought out. It once even came into the house when we were having tea indoors because of the inclement weather, but made its way out very quickly. The fiscal pictured below (with a ring) is a long-time garden visitor, yet maintains a distance. I have always used its ring as a means of identification. Now that we see the two of them on a daily basis, I have noticed other differences: this one does not have the same distinct eyebrows as the other, and it has a permanent dark spot on its front.

Some of you remarked on the crest of the Dark-capped Bulbul last month and so I feature one again, along with a good view of the yellow vent under its tail.

Another bird that got itself lost indoors was a Speckled Pigeon that probably entered through an open window in the bathroom. I first saw it on top of a cupboard in the upstairs passage and opened the window closest to it and left – only to return to my study a while later to find it perched on the curtain rail, having knocked photographs from the windowsill and scattered papers from my desk all over the floor! This time I caught it behind a curtain and almost shoved it out of the nearest window.

Of special note is the return of White-rumped Swifts in greater numbers. There is still no sign of Lesser-striped Swallows: I wonder if they ‘know’ there is no mud here with which to build their nests.

My September bird list is:

African Green Pigeon
African Hoopoe
Amethyst Sunbird
Black-collared Barbet
Black-headed Oriole
Bokmakierie
Bronze Manikin
Cape Glossy Starling
Cape Robin-chat
Cape Turtle Dove
Cape Wagtail
Cape Weaver
Cape White-eye
Cattle Egret
Common Fiscal
Common Starling
Dark-capped Bulbul
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Fork-tailed Drongo
Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Grey-headed Sparrow
Hadeda Ibis
Laughing Dove
Olive Thrush
Paradise Flycatcher
Pied Crow
Pintailed Whydah
Red-eyed Dove
Red-necked Spurfowl
Red-throated Wryneck
Red-winged Starling
Sombre Greenbul
Southern Masked Weaver
Speckled Mousebird
Speckled Pigeon
Streakyheaded Seedeater
Village Weaver
White-rumped Swift

AUGUST 2020 GARDEN BIRDS

This has been an interesting month for watching birds in our garden, beginning with the unmistakable sound of Red-necked Spurfowl under my bedroom window early in the morning. I counted six – not regular visitors, yet I am pleased to see how far they have ventured into the garden. One even hopped up onto the raised bird bath for a drink.

The Black-eyed Bulbuls (Dark-capped these days!) are courting – I watched a pair canoodling on the branches, looking very lovey-dovey – in numbers. This morning I counted eight of them in the feeding area. Several Speckled Mousebirds can also be seen cosying up to each other. The two Common Fiscals (one ringed and the other not) are clearly rivals and dart in and out trying to avoid each other. When they do meet they set up a loud haranguing match and have even attacked each other! I have observed a fiscal spreading out its tail feathers when confronted by a Black-collared Barbet at the feeding tray – determined to stand its ground. The barbets nearly always arrive as a pair. Another regular pair of visitors is the Streakyheaded Seedeater.

I put out both fine and coarse seed daily as well as filling up the nectar feeder. Other fare usually includes fruit, finely chopped pieces of meat, cat crumbles, or fat smeared on biscuits or thin slices of bread. This month I decided to take careful note of who ate what:

Dark-capped Bulbuls have enjoyed fat, cheese and fruit.

Both Common Fiscals seem to eat anything that is not fruit and are particularly partial to meat. This one, however, snitched part of my breakfast!

While the Red-winged Starlings are partial to fruit, they also eat cheese. This female is about to tuck into the pears.

Speckled Mousebirds prefer fruit and are prepared to wait their turn for it.

I usually associate weavers with eating the grain. These Cape Weavers, however, are tucking into a piece of fish. They also eat cat food, cheese, and fat.

The pair of Cape Robin-chats usually wait in the wings for the main rush to be over before they feed. I have seen them eating fat, as well as tiny portions of meat. This one has been eating cat food.

Common Starlings seem to eat anything. They tuck into fruit, cheese, fat, bread and cat food with relish.

I associate Cape White-eyes with fruit, nectar, and aphids. Yesterday though a few of them made off with tiny cubes of cheese.

My August bird list is:
African Green Pigeon
Amethyst Sunbird
Bar-throated Apalis
Black-collared Barbet
Black-eyed Bulbul (Black-cap)
Black-headed Oriole
Bronze Manikin
Cape Robin-chat
Cape Turtle Dove
Cape Wagtail
Cape Weaver
Cape White-eye
Cattle Egret
Common Fiscal
Common Starling
Crowned Hornbill
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Fork-tailed Drongo
Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Green Woodhoopoe
Grey-headed Sparrow
Hadeda Ibis
Knysna Turaco
Laughing Dove
Longbilled Crombec
Olive Thrush
Pied Crow
Pintailed Whydah
Red-eyed Dove
Red-necked Spurfowl
Red-throated Wryneck
Red-winged Starling
Spectacled Weaver
Sombre Greenbul
Southern Masked Weaver
Speckled Mousebird
Speckled Pigeon
Streakyheaded Seedeater
Village Weaver
Yellowfronted Canary