Birdingathome

Balcony Birds No. 5. I used to be confused about what this was. It’s not a turtle dove. It’s a red-eyed dove - cunningly named after a feature that’s really difficult to spot with the naked eye. The easier way to tell is that they’re much larger than the Cape Turtle Dove, which is really quite a little thing. The Red-Eyed Dove is almost pigeon sized. It also has a pinky shade to its head and breast while the turtle dove is… dove-grey. They really are lovely, gentle things. Even if they’re not exactly geniuses.

#balconybirds No.4 The Cape Bulbul. Distinguishable from other Bulbuls (or Greenbuls, I should say. I think they’re all called Greenbulls now) by it’s white eye-ring. These are fun little birds. Busy as heck foraging about in small groups. In fact, about 30 minutes after taking this two sat up on the line and were being incredibly sweet - the one grooming the other’s neck in the golden light. Of course my battery would die then. And of course I’d find the other was uncharged…

#balconybirds no.3. The Red-Winged Starling. This is a magic bird. From this angle you can’t see its dashing brick-red flight feathers that give it its name. This is one smart bird. Outside our old house I’d hear them give their special growling alarm call when our cats went out - to warn their foraging spouse and child that they’d spotted a predator. They hang about in these family groups. Males, like this. Females with their grey head. And the youngster who may look just like the parents but just hangs about waiting for handouts. It’s a cliff bird. Like many cliff birds including the European Rock Pigeon that’s ubiquitous worldwide, it’s adapted easily to the edifices of human cities. And being a great deal cleverer than pigeons, they’re not constantly being run over by cars. It’s a big and thoroughly charming starling.

#balconybirds No.2 An unloved introduced species, the European Starling. It’s the same one that forms those giant, pulsating flocks of viral video fame in its native Eurasia. Held in contempt though they be for their crime of having their ancestors brought here against their will, like all starlings they’re full of intelligence and virtuosity of voice. And like many starlings, they’re a blaze of iridescence when the sun hits them just so.

#balconybirds No.1: A Laughing Dove kook-ka-kooring atop the telephone pole. I got a Nikon lens adapter from #kandfconcept. Took about 8 days to get from Senzhen China, direct from the company, to Cape Town. Shipping was free. And way cheaper than the extortionate local markups. So now to try some #telephotography with the little old Fujifilm XE1. Usina a 300mm f4 Nikkor with a 1.4x converter. And I’m going to try get pics of all the birds that we get to see across from our #balconyofprivilege here in Observatory - be they ever so humble.