DECEMBER 2023 GARDEN BIRDS

December is a busy month. As summer spreads its warmth there is a lot of gardening to be done. Then there is the usual flurry of festive baking and the delightfully unexpected arrival of our son from Glasgow, who was later joined by our daughter and her family from the Western Cape. Even though I had a happy home filled with people, the birds played along and came out in force.

I don’t know why I didn’t see any Cape Crows last month, but they made up for it this month by flying in pairs and up to six of them together across our garden several times a day on most days. Also among the ‘new’ birds seen this month is a Cardinal Woodpecker.

The appearance of a pair of Paradise Flycatchers have brought me a lot of joy. This is the male.

It has been pleasing to see the return of African Hoopoes, a Burchell’s Coucal, a Diederik Cuckoo, and a pair of Knysna Turacos. I have seen Sacred Ibises flying overhead and the arrival of a Yellow-billed Kite had all the birds falling silent as they headed for cover. African Pigeons seem to be happily ensconced in the Natal fig tree, a pair of Olive Thrushes are busy feeding their next brood and a spotty youngster is already braving the other birds at the feeder to seek food for itself. Fork-tailed Drongos delight with their aerial displays and the calls of the Cape Turtle Doves continue to remind me of growing up in the Transvaal Lowveld – a good feeling during this month and its attendant nostalgia for loved ones no longer with us and for times gone by.

Adding to the weavers I showed in November, is this Southern Masked Weaver pecking at maize seeds.

Also with a smooth back (as opposed to the speckled back of the Village Weaver) is this Spectacled Weaver.

Here is a baby Streakyheaded Seedeater, having just received food from its parent. So many adult birds are feeding chicks this month.

Spotty, the ringed Common Fiscal, also has an offspring seeking food for itself while he is again collecting food and winging his way towards his secretive nest to feed the next brood of the season.

My bird list for this month:
African Green Pigeon
African Hoopoe
African Paradise Flycatcher
Black-collared Barbet
Black-eyed (Dark-capped) Bulbul
Black-headed Oriole
Bronze Manikin
Burchell’s Coucal
Cape Crow
Cape Robin-Chat
Cape Turtle Dove
Cape Weaver
Cape White-eye
Cardinal Woodpecker
Cattle Egret
Common Fiscal
Diederik Cuckoo
Fork-tailed Drongo
Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Green Woodhoopoe
Grey-headed Sparrow
Hadeda Ibis
Klaas’s Cuckoo
Knysna Turaco
Laughing Dove
Lesser-striped Swallow
Olive Thrush
Pied Crow
Red-eyed Dove
Red-necked Spurfowl
Red-winged Starling
Sacred Ibis
Southern Masked Weaver
Speckled Mousebird
Speckled Pigeon
Spectacled Weaver
Streaky-headed Seedeater
Village Weaver
White-rumped Swift
Yellow-billed Kite

So ends another year of delight watching the birds that frequent my garden.

FEEDING TIME

Still on the theme of looking up, here is a Streaky-headed Seed-eater feeding its young:

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

MARCH 2023 GARDEN BIRDS

“I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date!” So said the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. Well, watching the birds in our garden has been an activity snatched between others during what has proved to be a very busy month indeed. Whiterumped Swifts and Lesserstriped Swallows have bid us farewell to wing their way northwards. Here are two of hundreds of the latter gathered on the ground nearby prior to their departure.

Laughing Doves tend to dominate the feeding area, especially if I put the seeds out early, so I have successfully experimented with changing the feeding times slightly and have been more irregular about it. Cape White-eyes are finding lots of berries and insects to eat in our autumn garden at the moment, while a number of Cape Crows have made raucous fly-pasts throughout the month – sometimes landing briefly in the Natal fig tree.

This is a changeable month with some birds leaving and others arriving. A newcomer is the African Harrier Hawk, which has flown low over the garden several times and occasionally lands in the Erythrina caffra. Even watching it flying above me, I can hear no sound – of course the birds hide immediately and they too make no sound!

Speaking of sounds: I love the sound of Cape Turtle Doves early in the morning and during the late afternoons so I am delighted they have made their presence felt once more. Their sound reminds me of growing up in the Transvaal Lowveld and the many adventures I had there.

Another delightful bird call is that of the Bokmakierie.

Forktailed Drongos flit about the back garden and deftly catch insects on the wing.

I am very pleased to see that the Streakyheaded Seedeaters are back this month.

My bird list for this month:
African Green Pigeon
African Harrier Hawk
Barthroated Apalis
Black-collared Barbet
Black-eyed (Dark-capped) Bulbul
Black-headed Oriole
Bokmakierie
Bronze Manikin
Cape Crow
Cape Robin-Chat
Cape Turtle Dove
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
Red-eyed Dove
Rednecked Spurfowl
Red-winged Starling
Southern Masked Weaver
Speckled Mousebird
Speckled Pigeon
Streakyheaded Seedeater
Village Weaver
White-rumped Swift

LOOKING AT THE STREAKY-HEADED SEED-EATER

This is the fifth time I have devoted a post to the Streaky-headed Seed-eater (Crithagra gularis) and these photographs span the past six years for they are not as easy to find out in the open as one might imagine. I make no apologies for I think these rather understated dun coloured birds are often overlooked and need a spot in the limelight now and then. This one is perched on Morrigan’s feeder.

Although I generally see only one pair at any time, this one is sharing the feeder with a weaver.

I have tried out different shapes of feeders and this one is being checked out with care.

Streaky-headed Seed-eaters also often eat the seeds that fall to the ground, although this means having to compete with Laughing Doves and a variety of weavers.

I suspect this is why they tend to wait until the main rush of feeding is over so that they can take their time to feed unhindered by other birds. Nonetheless, this one is not taking any chances and is making sure to take a mouthful of seeds!

Like all birds, they like to drink during the day. I used to place this shallow bowl on the lawn (which was still green in 2016!) to make photography a lot easier. With the trio of cats next door, this is no longer possible and I have opted for pedestal bird baths.