Hi guys...we've been away for a few days to a lonely farm in the Southern Free State of SA. I will attempt to set the scene and show some pics of birds, not all great pics, because it's wide open spaces. Here DW is attempting to conseal herself. The farm itsself was 3500ha sheepfarm, and the adjoining conservation area about 30000ha. We had lovely early morning walks, afternoons being a bit hot and also thundery as its our rainy season (3-6pm)..lol.
This is not a bird?? Just showing it was a sheep farm....lambing...so DW when ahhhh cute...mostly...
View from the farmhouse....open fields...
This message was edited Nov 27, 2008 6:27 AM
Taking walks on the old farm roads with book, binoculars and camera....check out the length of this "road"...
In and around the house...
#1 Masked Weaver...He was building nests and working females...everytime one came along to check out his building ability he went bonkers...it was fun watching him.
Here he is hanging under the nest with a female inside..."good nest?Tjik-tjjik...wanna be my wife"
This was interesting to me...he kept on breaking young leaves of the Acacia karroo, but dropped it to the ground, clearing whole branches...
Here he is on his way back to build with fresh grass.....
#2 Pintailed Whydah (in Afrikaans direct translation - KING REDBEAK), which is apt for a beautiful little bird in breeding colour. The tail can be 2-3 times body length.
A closer shot...he has more than 2 females, this one had 4. He is very alert to them and keeps chasing them.
#3 Rock Martin - I was lucky to find them sitting down for once....Martins remain one of favourates...
Mom and dad...
#4 Glossy Starling
#5 Red-winged starling with his black eye...
#6 Hadeda nest with chicks
At first I thought only one chick...the nest was very small and flimsy for these large birds, Hadeda ibis adults having a length of 76cm.
But to my surprize it was 2....it would be interesting to see how nest, tree will cope with two grown juv's and mom...
Thats it for now....will add more later...
#7 Common waxbill - pretty little birds that operate on river banks in large flocks.
#8 White-throated Swallow - nest was just outside the backdoor....had to take the pic through a net.....
Awesome pics, littleT. Thanks for sharing
Wow great thread Little!
I love the weaver,waxbill,martins and Ibis! Thanks so much!
Thanks crazy b and pelle...the pics will get worse from now...as the rest was taken away from the house in open fields and there is no way to get close or take great pics with a point and shoot....
This is a pic of the thunderstorms coming in from 3pm...
#9 The pic is not great, but Greyheaded sparrow was a first for me.
#10 Clapper lark - sitting on termite nest...best pic..another first...cool little bird, why...well...he goes up in the air like a helicopter (the wings clapper) and at the top he throws the wings back and drops with "poooeee" sound like dropping a bomb....amazing....I have no idea why they do it, but had little helicopters all around us....
#11 Secretary bird...running away! They are definately not gracefull runners.."knock knees"...LOL. Probably hunting for snakes or some other reptiles....still nice to see them again...not that common.
This was a spot on a ridge overlooking the "caledon river"...we sat here for a while and saw animals coming in for a drink and various birds...if you look closely in the distance 2 egyptian geese were plodding along...
#12 Egyptian Geese...closer!LOL Most of these pics where taken at max optical + digi...so excuse the quality...
#13 Stonechat....another first for us.
This was a biiiig nest and and well used one of some or other raptor I would guess...
Closer...I have my bird nest book and list of species in the area...hopefully when I have time I can at least id a few options to whom it may belong...
Egyptian goose taking off...she had two chicks
Chicks...luckely for point and shoot I could wizzz around and snap them....they were pumping their legs to get to grass cover a safety...little "motor boats"
Close-up of the "little motorboat chick"
Looks like such a great time little! Congrats on the new birds!
Pelle - thanks...I am still not done...I have more and will add them as I have time....it was great however.
We got to a dam on a very windy day and took a few pics....as you can see again we are talking distances and again I was asking my fuji to do a lot.....
a few horses on the far side..
Some more egyptian geese
Egyptian geese with about 6-8 juv...they are very common in the whole of SA...
