Snippets from the past week.

On 22nd September I was delighted to see some broken egg shells
below the Spoonbill nest in my garden,
this means that there are some new kids in my garden!!
The nest are too high for me to see any activity from the chicks,
I'm sure that once they are a little older I will see them bobbing about in the nest.

Saturday morning Jugen, Thomas and I went "Forest birding"this turned out to be a great day, lots of very interesting birds, just a very frustrating time for Thomas as the Barratt's Warbler tormented him from deep within the dense bushes. Whilst Thomas was trying to get a glimpse of the elusive bird, I took this photo of a spider web, with dew studded jewels, framed in a natural frame.

The bright green spring leaves of the

Celtis africana were an amazing sight in the

Marustwa Forest.

Podocarpus Falcatus (Outeniqua Yellowwood) are the

tallest trees in Marustwa Forest, here is one really large tree, (photo taken up the trunk)

Cape Parrots feed on the fruit. And some are lucky enough to find a hole in an old Yellowwood,set up home, lay eggs and bring some youngsters into this world.

At the end of a very long day "Forest Birding"

I suggested that the best way to see the Cape Parrots

was to take up a good posture - flat on ones back, on the ground!!

The guys took my advice, this photo is the result.

They were enjoying the six Cape Parrots that had come into Marutswa to roost for the night.

I had a great two days birding with Jurgen and Thomas, we saw some really super birds, some specials were Pygmy Geese, African Marsh Harrier, Little Rush, Lesser Swamp, Dark-capped Yellow, African Reed, Yellow-throated and Barratt's Warbler. Bush Blackcap is always a treat to see, as are the Knysna Turaco and Cape Vulture.

Atlasing 3015_3010

After a week of misty - drizzly weather I decided to go out atlasing yesterday, and this is what what turned up - two pairs of Pygmy Geese.

I have seen one pair in the area, but never two pairs, this is such an amazing blessing, I hope that they are happy on this dam and feel safe enought to settle down and breed. When they swam across the dam I managed to get a photo of these tiny geese, together with Egyptian and Spur-winged Geese all in one frame, its a very long distant photo but its amazing to have seen all three togetherOther specials were two African Fish Eagle feeding youngsters on the nests, A Broad-Tailed Warbler and Red Headed Quelea.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that!!

This photo was taken looking over Springbrook farm dam towards our house,
the peace is tangible and the paddocks still brown from frost during the winter.
Living on this dairy farm has some amazing advantages, milk straight from the cow,
fresh home made yoghurt and of course many hectare to spend time birding,
walking and just being quiet.

During the past weekend it was not very quiet at 6am:

Story time in Gran’s bed!!! From left to right Emma, Ashley

and Nathan

There are three pairs of Spoonbill nesting in my garden;

yesterday this one decided it needed some new
nesting material, it flew down onto my lawn,

picked up this stick which proved rather large and very

comical, every time the bird moved the stick ‘attacked’ the bird.

Here is a pic through my office window of one very frustrated

Spoonbill trying to run away from the stick.

An Update from my patch

Sunrise from our house, I'm truly blessed that

this is the sight that greets me some mornings.

What a delight that the Spoonbill are back and setting up home in my garden, it is a privilege to have eight pairs of very noisy and busy Spoonbill building nests in one's garden.

Whilst out and about collecting bird species data for Doug, I took some photos, here are some of them:

A very confiding Black-crowned Tchagra

A cute little Dusky Flycatcher

Love is: Common Waxbill Allopreening??

Then of course there is always that photo, that could do with the sun on the other side of the bird, or if only one could just remove that branch before the photo is

taken, here is one of those photos,

but hey I also enjoy some silhouette photos.