End of November Jean-Marc Lustrat visited from France and recently Eugenio Capella and Cristian Jensen Marcet from Spain were her with their partners. While Jean-Marc had no trouble to see all the forest species, Eugenio and Christian missed the Bat Hawk (this is a first time miss for me as well). A highlight for me was when we saw the Starred Robin and a troop of Samango monkeys in the valley above our house!!
The Paradise Flycatcher chicks are hatching all around the garden and the poor adults are having a tough time feeding all the hungry mouths. Summer has been very hot so far and the rainfall far apart. Here in Limpopo it is Mango, Papaya, Guava and Litchi time and we are enjoying the variety of fruits available.
I have hosted several birdwatchers from all over and it has been a successful birding time with the Bat Hawk, Taita Falcon and Blackfronted Bush shrike showing up as usual.
Two Screaching owl chicks were founded in a building which was being repaired. I took them in and now they are two months older. A dog box made an easy owl box which we put up on a pole in the garden. The box has to be closed in the day because the Gymnogene visits the garden frequently. Late afternoon I take them out and let them fly back to the box to establish the box as their place of security and to get familiar with their surroundings, the dogs and the children,
Winter (June and July) day temperatures average 25C here in Limpopo . Today was 30C. The first real cold front will hit Cape town tonight and will cool down things here with one or two degrees in a few days. Although the summer rains have stopped The garden still looks fine and green and the waterfall in the mountain above the house is down to trickle.
The Brownhooded Kingfisher is once again king of the garden for the winter until summer comes and the Woodland kingfishers take over kingship.
Our friends from Denmark paid another visit this year. We had two good days of birdwatching all around and they added many new birds to their list. It is so exciting to do birdwatching with enthusiastic people, each bird counts and is appreciated.
The Bat hawk was on it’s post and gave us a flight display chasing of a pair of Lanner falcons. Up at Lekgalemeetse game reserve a pair of Hobby falcons was peacefully hunting insects while a Gorgeous Bush shrike stayed out of sight a few meters from us while calling loudly - a very clever disappearing trick.
An abundance of all kinds of widow birds entertained us as we went walking above the house at the foot of the Drakensberg mountain.
Magoebaskloof was again a neck-breaking forest birding experience but rewarded us with a pair of Black-fronted Bush shrikes and Grey Cuckoo shrikes.
Standing in the garden I can count 15 waterfalls in the mountains behind the house.
It breaks my heart that this place is not being preserved.
Is there nobody out there that can help?
I am so proud that I’ve made it to http://birdfreak.com/top-bird-blogs/
I have no idea how my blog was discovered and by whom and it doesn’t really matter. What do matters is that I am thought to be associated with people called bird freaks and that really made my day!! Thanks to whoever! You are my freakin hero!
Three Paradise Flycatcher chicks have hatched. They are already squeezed very tight into the nest and can’t hide their yellow bills anymore inside the nest. When I came close to take the pictures all three opened up wide suspecting it is a parent delivering a snack. Hopefully the Gymnogene won’t discover them this year. He raided their nest twice last year and on the third breeding attempt only one chick survived his final onslaught.
(click on image to enlarge )
At last! I have boasted so many times to our visitors about the Pygmy Kingfisher in my garden. No one believed me so far ’cause it disappears as soon as bird-watchers enters my gate. When I don’t have my camera with me it shows up everywhere. Today was my lucky day! It sat for a long time in the Marula tree above the children’s swings and I caught it on camera. It even swooped down twice a few meters away from my feet to scoop up an insect. Difficult to find such a small bird in the view finder and even more difficult to focus on it.
The summer rains have started. First the Golden breasted buntings showed up followed by the Jacobin Cuckoo and Paradise Flycatchers. Recently several Diederik Cuckoos, Klaas Cuckoos and two pairs of Woodland Kingfishers have taken summer residence in the garden. We wake up to a beautiful combination of birdsong every morning.
