Friday, August 21, 2009

African Rail caught napping in the early morning sunshine

This morning at 7am I was out birding in my home pentad (3010_3005) atlasing for an hour before my office duties!!! It was very chilly, three degree to be exact!! I found this African Rail soaking up the wonderful, but very weak sunshine.


I often see African Rail, dashing around in the thick reeds but this one must have decided that his toes needed some warmth. The Rail just sat there until I reversed my 'blue mobile bird hide' to try and get a better angle for some more photos.


The ground was white with frost, a few other little black critters in the form of Black Crake came into this little patch of sunshine to preen and get ready for the day.



Thursday, August 20, 2009

Welcome home to 'my' Wahlberg's Eagle



Early yesterday morning, I was sitting in bed, talking to God, when 'my' Wahlberg's Eagle started calling from outside our bedroom window,(first call for 2009)this is a great delight for me, so welcome home my special friend. I watched this afternoon,
as he/she started to re building the nest that they have used for
the past eight years. I wonder if this is mega 'bird faith' There is
no sign of any spouse but this Wahlberg's knows something that
I don't, he/she is setting up home knowing that soon someone
will arrive to share it.

I have a zillion questions for the Wahlberg's:
When you leave Springbrook Farm together, do you stay together all winter?
Do you spend that time together planning for the next summer at Springbrook?
or
Do you dump your spouse for a younger, prettier bride?
Do you? Do you? Do you? I wish I could speak "Wahlberg's"


I also so our first White-throated Swallow on 20th August. And then today I managed to take this photo, what an amazing colour this little feathered friend is.







Whilst out and about birding on our neighbours farm yesterday,
I saw this very blotchy Red Bishop,
a little while ago I asked a friend of mine,
where do the Red Bishops start changing the breeding plumage,
the black or the red, well here is my answer,

a very strange looking Red Bishop







And especially for John Bannon, that elusive Black-winged Lapwing. I saw them again today making lots of noise as they fly around the dairy pastures deciding where they would like to spend the day foraging.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Spring is here at Springbrook Farm



Today was an amazing spring day, the first very exciting bird that I saw in my garden was a Scaly Throated Honeyguide. I have some honeycomb tied to a tree just outside my office window, I have been observing a juv. Greater Honeyguide(see photo) that comes down regularly to feed on the honeycomb, but today we had a new bird on the block. This is the first time that I have seen the Scaly Throated Honeyguide in my garden, a few weeks ago I heard it calling.


During a lovely long walk around the dams and pastures this afternoon I heard the first Little Rush Warbler calling from the reed beds, I also heard amongst others African Rail and Red Chested Flufftail. I saw a stunning Paradise Flycatcher male with very long tail feathers.

I look forward to the arrival of 'my' Wahlberg's Eagle.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Atlasing with two X three year olds


This morning I needed to get out and see some birds, I decided to atlas the pentad adjacent to my home patch.
Once again I packed a picnic basket and loaded my very faithful Subaru with all my gear, today my gear included Emma and Nathan. Although we did not manage to see the Meeshie Moe bird again today, we did find 54 other species.
I managed to atlas for nearly three hours with these two little budding birders. Seen here learning how to use bins.

Friday, August 7, 2009

The Meeshie Moe Bird



I have discovered another new bird on my block.......... this morning I was out with my grandchildren, discovering the world of birds, (Emma and Nathan are three year old twins, Ashley is their 15 month old little sister, and their mom Carike),we set out to search for Sunbirds in a lovely patch of Halleria Lucida.
With our picnic baskets packed we set off on this huge adventure, on the way to the patch of Halleria Lucida I saw some birds foraging in some grass, so I stopped and said, "I just need to check what birds those are" then Emma says in a very seriously voice, but gran those are Meeshie Moe birds!!! (New Order, New Family, New Genus, New Species????) Your guess is as good as mine.
Well.................talk about a new bird on my block, I now have a Meeshie Moe bird.

Oh to have the imagination of a three year old!!!!!

The Meeshie Moe bird really is.......a Cape Longclaw

New Birds on my Block


Wow it seem to have been ages since I updated my birding blog, so here goes, some new infomation for 3010_3005.
I am currently atlasing the above pentad for the 70th time, yip, that is one mega commitment, but really worth while.
Last week the new bird on my patch was a Black-Winged Stilt, it looked very out of place amongst the Egyptian Geese.
This morning I found another new bird on my patch...............Sentinel Rock Thrush...........that makes the count for this dairy farm 206 species!! Well done to the farmers...

Trip to Aliwal North

Trip to Aliwal North
Stunning sandstone formations between Elliot and Barkley East

Kramberg Mountain Aliwal North

Kramberg Mountain Aliwal North
Wow the rock formations on Kramberg are amazing