Kyalami Estates - February Round-up

28 February 2021 - Kyalami Estates

We are still enjoying summer and some migrants are still around. I recorded 61 species in the Estate in February and notable highlights and in no particular order included; Green-backed Heron, Yellow-billed and White-faced Whistling Duck, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Sacred Ibis, African Paradise Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Kite, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Cardinal Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, European Bee-eater and Pin-tailed Whydah.

I managed to photograph a number of resident and other species during walks and drives around the Estate; African Palm Swift are seen most morning's and late afternoon's

African Palm Swift (Cypsiurus parvus)

Together with White-rumped Swift

White-rumped Swift (Apus caffer)

A distant and record image of a vocal Brown-hooded Kingfisher taken from my balcony

Brown-hooded Kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris)

Here a low-key image of Cape Robin Chat outside my study window

Cape Robin-Chat (Cossypha caffra)

Hadeda Ibis love my neighbours skylight (I'm sure they don't). Here an adult and a young bird begging for some food.

Hadeda Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)

A Reed Cormorant flying over the Estate (they do sometimes drop down and fish in the dams close to my house)

Reed Cormorant (Microcarbo africanus)

My first Yellow-billed Duck in the Estate seen from my balcony

Yellow-billed Duck (Anas undulata)

My shadow Marley aka Batman, checking out a few birds with me

Marley

An unobtrusive female Cardinal Woodpecker in my garden

Cardinal Woodpecker (Dendropicos fuscescens)

Down in the park, the Southern Red Bishops are still in full breeding regalia. I tried a few low-key images

Southern Red Bishop (Euplectes orix)

Whilst females are seen feeding the young

Female Southern Red Bishop (Euplectes orix)

At the same dam, Thick-billed Weavers are still active and a few new juveniles are now out of the nest

Male Thick-billed Weaver (Amblyospiza albifrons)

Juvenile Thick-billed Weaver (Amblyospiza albifrons)

The resident White-throated Swallow often perches on this railing

White-throated Swallow (Hirundo albigularis)

Whilst the Southern Fiscal likes the children's playground

Southern Fiscal (Lanius collaris)

Below the dam, Cape Wagtails feed along the water course

Cape Wagtail (Motacilla capensis)

Whilst Common Waxbill, the 'Zorro' of Waxbill's, can be seen on the spillway

Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild)

In my garden, I look for invertebrates - this was an interesting Bee species

Bee sp.

Next month, summer slowly starts receding, as we start looking forward to Autumn