After the fire

17 August 2024 - Northern Farm

The Farm had suffered a severe fire in July and has a long way to go to recover - I call this image "Defiance"

Defiant Aloe

I followed my usual route along the canals and then to the Quarry - a Lesser Swamp Warbler greeted me on the way to the small dam

Lesser Swamp Warbler (Acrocephalus gracilirostris)

At the dam, only one Cape Teal

Cape Teal (Anas capensis)

But, good numbers of Blue-billed Teal

Blue-billed Teal (Spatula hottentota)

I also found a few Red-billed Teal, to provide a hat-trick of Teals for the morning

Red-billed Teal (Anas erythrorhyncha)

A Goliath Heron landed in the top of one of the bare Willow Trees before departing again

Goliath Heron (Ardea goliath)

I was surprised by a small flock of Avocet that passed by overhead - certainly not a regular species at the farm

Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)

There was some consternation in one of the nearby fields as a pair of Pied Crows flew in and were immediately bombed by both Blacksmith and Crowned Lapwings

Pied Crow (Corvus albus) and Crowned Lapwing (Vanellus coronatus)

I think the Pied Crows work together like Cuckoo's and Honeyguides - so the one Crow provided a distraction, whilst the other landed, found a Lapwing nest and dashed off at speed with an egg in it's beak. Amazing that it was able to hold onto it without dropping or breaking it, whilst being pursued by a number of Lapwings - nest raider!

Pied Crow (Corvus albus)

Continuing on my loop, I was surprised to see the first Lesser Striped Swallow's were back

Lesser Striped Swallow (Cecropis abyssinica)

I also had an obliging Brown-throated Martin perched on a fence at one of the paddocks

Brown-throated Martin (Riparia paludicola)

In another field filled with hundreds of Egyptian Goose, I found a single Bar-headed Goose - obviously an escape. But, this is a species that is known to migrate over the Himalaya's from Central to South East Asia so can fly at great heights. I was surprised that it was almost the same size as the Egyptian's

Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus)

In the same field, there were also a fair number of the much bigger Spur-winged Geese

Spur-winged Goose (Plectropterus gambensis)

There is never enough time on a morning sortie to cover the whole farm, but it always seem to provide something of interest - but I am still waiting to find a mega at some point!

Quick visit to one of my local patches

04 August 2024 - Glen Austin Pan

I had a brief visit back to the Pan to check if the Flamingos were still present and they were and had also increased in numbers. The water is relatively deep, so there was some upending and stretching for them to reach the food.

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

Maccoa Ducks were also finally present, but right in the middle of the Pan, so some distance off. They seem to disappear for months at a time and then suddenly return?

Maccoa Duck (Oxyura maccoa)

Along with many Little Grebes scattered all over the Pan

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)

Black-headed Heron's were in the process of nest building in the reeds

Black-headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala)

A Three-banded Plover foraged along the edge of the Pan - not too often do they stand and face you directly to give a good view of their underparts and the invisible third band!

Three-banded Plover (Charadrius tricollaris)

Nothing else exciting, but if you don't check, you wont know