Southafricanbirds on The Singemonkey

September 19, 2024

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 20:39:57 +0000

A White-Fronted Bee-Eater. I’ll hopefully post a compilation for fellow bird-nerds before too long. I’ve seen some cool stuff and some that’s really new to me or photographed ok by me for the first time.

June 26, 2024

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 15:53:58 +0000

Took another crack at the sunbirds. There were so many. I took more decent pictures of them today than in my entire life up until. Trying to think how to post a few more without it being boring.

June 20, 2024

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 09:24:38 +0000

I had a lovely experience with this little character. It’s a Cape Spurfowl - a common little ground bird that starts life as a fluffy golf ball on spindly legs. I was struggling to focus as it got nearer and nearer until it was right next to where I was lying on the grass - inspecting me at close range for signs of edibles. They’re lovely up close with their intricate patterns.

June 20, 2024

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 08:18:32 +0000

À propos first thing in the morning? The Cape Town Valkyrie, the Hadeda Ibis. I recently read that they have a sensitive organ in their long beaks that can detect the tiny vibrations of prey wriggling beneath the ground.

April 28, 2024

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 12:05:58 +0000

We have a number of large herons in South Africa. As a rule they’re pretty shy. But for some reason yesterday morning we kept coming across Black Headed Herons that were close to the road or even had to be persuaded to move.

December 29, 2022

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 15:42:47 +0000

The Saddle-Billed Stork. I was delighted to find that the Indian Black-Necked Stork is a close cousin who’s eschewed the clown makeup for a gothic, vampire look. The perfect contrast.

December 29, 2022

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 13:38:54 +0000

I’d guess a lot of South Africans would be surprised to know we have indigenous parrots. This busy, curious little bird is the Brown-Headed Parrot. In some cities you can see Rose-Ringed Parakeets. But they’re the descendants of escaped pets. And they thrive in urban environments as they have for thousands of years in their native India. But this is a true Southern African parrot.

December 29, 2022

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 13:20:17 +0000

A Burchell’s Coucal. The “rain bird.” Here drenched in rain. @withoutaleaf and I were laughing so hard at the Robert’s Birds description of its habits. This species is an absolute hot mess. Pure chaos.

September 15, 2021

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 20:06:33 +0000

A first for me: the eerie Bathawk (if I’m not mistaken). I WAS MISTAKEN. It’s apparently a brown morph Honey Buzzard. Well there you go… Who knows what circumstances in its youth led to an ordinary hawk leading a double life fighting crime in this frightening guise?

We’re home after the usual exhausting trip across the country - notwithstanding a wonderful time in Jozi with @sophdex, @ezlemoen, some lovely parents, and many cats and dogs. It took all of one minute in Observatory during which we were both inside for some rando to try steal the lens which this picture was taken with out of the car. He was most offended that I was suggesting that his reaching into the car, opening a bag, and trying to secret the lens under his arm implied that he might have been attempting to steal it. The nerve of me to suggest such a thing! I think he actually believed himself too.

September 08, 2021

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 17:15:46 +0000

Bird dump: Little Bee-Eater, African Darter, Greenback Heron, White Helmetshrike, Blue Waxbill.

September 08, 2021

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 16:23:11 +0000

This flock of murder birds approached the car window. Maybe people have been feeding them? Some of them were too close for the lens to focus.

September 06, 2021

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 19:42:10 +0000

A turkey sized bird with a knife for a face. And despite the name, they can definitely fly.

October 07, 2020

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 13:40:21 +0000

Birds of prey. Look at me getting ambitious with some amateurish cutting.

These were all filmed in Kruger years ago. Featured birds: African Fish Eagle, the fearsome and mighty Martial Eagle, the Giant Eagle Owl (now called Verreaux’s Eagle Owl), the Bateleur - the skymaster - and the… Wahlberg’s Eagle?

Fun fact: I know how to talk to Giant Eagle Owls. That Owl was responding to me talking to it.