30 June 2021 - Kyalami Estates
We are now in mid-winter, so understandably the bird numbers reduce. However, even though I only recorded 58 species there were some notable species recorded, but not all photographed. Highlights included; Grey Hornbill, Purple Heron, African Darter, Cut-throat Finch, African Green Pigeon, African Harrier-hawk, Cardinal Woodpecker, Arrow-marked Babbler, Lesser Honeyguide, Helmeted Guineafowl, Swainson's Francolin, Yellow-fronted Canary and Common Waxbill.
As seen in my previous post, both Red-headed and Cut-throat Finch were seen in my garden and at the main park. In fact, I observed the Cut-throat Finch mating and also feathering an old Masked Weaver nest, as did the Red-headed Finches last month.
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| Male Cut-throat Finch (Amadina fasciata) |
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| Male and Female Cut-throat Finch (Amadina fasciata) after mating |
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| Female Cut-throat Finch (Amadina fasciata) |
A selection of Red-headed Finches
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| Male Red-headed Finch (Amadina erythrocephala) |
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| Keeping guard at the Weaver nest |
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| Female Red-headed Finch (Amadina erythrocephala) |
After hearing their sporadic calls for the past 2-years, I finally found the African Green Pigeon roost and had up to 20 birds on some mornings, these found inland are the orientalis sub-species
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| African Green Pigeon (Treron calvus) |
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| Size difference against African Olive Pigeon |
On morning my wife alerted me to a large grey bird on the roof of our neighours house, it turned out to be not one, but two African Harrier-Hawk's scoping the birds at my feeders. Luckily my camera was handy and I managed to get a few images.
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| African Harrier-Hawk (Polyboroides typus) |
I had a bumper month with African Black Duck, with a max of 6 birds on one of my morning walks
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| A pair of African Black Duck (Anas sparsa) |
Another good bird was an obliging Purple Heron in the early morning winter sun at the main park dam
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| Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) |
The Wattled Lapwing are still present in the park
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| African Wattled Lapwing (Vanellus senegallus) |
As are Fiscal Flycatcher's
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| Female Fiscal Flycatcher (Melaenornis silens) |
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| Male Fiscal Flycatcher (Melaenornis silens) |
and Southern Fiscal
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| Southern Fiscal (Lanius collaris) on a cold morning |
and at the dam, Thick-billed Weaver
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| Male Thick-billed Weaver (Amblyospiza albifrons) |
Southern Red Bishop
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| Winter plumage Southern Red Bishop (Euplectes orix) |
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| Some colour coming through |
and Southern Masked Weaver are regulars
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| Southern Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus) |
With Reed Cormorant sometimes dropping in
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| Reed Cormorant (Microcarbo africanus) |
Occasionally we have Sacred Ibis passing by overhead
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| African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) |
In and around my house, Cape Robin Chat
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| Cape Robin-Chat (Cossypha caffra) |
Karoo Thrush
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| Karoo Thrush (Turdus smithii) |
Both resident Sunbirds; Amethyst
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| Male Amethyst Sunbird (Chalcomitra amethystina) |
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| Female Amethyst Sunbird (Chalcomitra amethystina) |
and White-bellied
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| Male White-bellied Sunbird (Cinnyris talatala) |
Green Wood-hoopoe's noisily announce their presence before you see them
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| Green Wood-hoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus) |
I get both Cape Sparrow
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| Male Cape Sparrow (Passer melanurus) |
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| Female Cape Sparrow (Passer melanurus) |
and Southern Grey-headed in the garden
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| Southern Grey-headed Sparrow (Passer diffusus) |
Along with the Grey Go-away-birds
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| Grey Go-away-bird (Corythaixoides concolor) |
Red-eyed Dove
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| Red-eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata) |
and Rose-ringed Parakeet's
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| Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) against a blue winter sky |
I see small flocks of Speckled and Red-faced Mousebird's regularly, but photographing the latter is not so easy - although I managed some this month.
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| Red-faced Mousebird (Urocolius indicus) |
To end off, another early morning skyline of Sandton City with Jozi CBD in the background. While we braze ourselves for another cold month in July
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| Sandton and Jozi Skyline |
