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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 8, 2013 18:25:06 GMT
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Post by htmb on Apr 8, 2013 19:32:01 GMT
Congratulations on getting those great photos of the colorful little one, tod.
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Post by tod2 on Aug 6, 2013 15:39:17 GMT
Great news! It's the 6th August and just like clockwork the Yellow-billed Kites have returned to the south and not only that, the first arrival has perched himself/herself in the tree across the road an hour ago. Excitedly I grabbed a pork sausage out of the fridge, cut it into sections and went out onto the lawn. As the kite saw me it took off from it's branch and flew over my head as I launched the pieces into the air! It swooped down immediatedly and clutched a piece in its talons. Welcome back Kitey!!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2013 7:02:42 GMT
You mean you can't throw sausage and hold your camera at the same time?
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Post by tod2 on Aug 7, 2013 13:33:40 GMT
Mmmmm......don't think you'd like the image Actually although I know you're just pulling my leg, it was too dark for photos. Sun still sinking behind the horizon around 4.30pm. But not to worry Kerouac, I aim to try my best at getting some aerial shots this summer! In case anyone is wondering about the sausage meat - it was raw. I don't think cooked food is good for birds. Today however I will have some raw chicken pieces to hand.
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Post by tod2 on Sept 22, 2013 11:26:34 GMT
I bought this Sunbird/sugarbird feeder some months ago and only recently have they come to test the waters! An Amethyst (African Black) Sunbird - Male Joined by a Greater Double-Collard Sunbird Also trying desperately to reach the thick syrupy mixture is these little White - Eyes.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 4, 2013 5:36:35 GMT
These fabulous pictures have gone begging! However did they get overlooked? Were the white-eyes able to get any of the syrup, Tod? Their beaks don't look like the right shape for that feeder.
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Post by tod2 on Oct 4, 2013 6:23:10 GMT
No Bixa, the poor things cannot gain access but that is good in a way because the bees cannot get in either. They have free reign on the fruit above the Sugar bird feeder!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2013 15:31:41 GMT
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Post by lugg on Oct 24, 2013 5:15:55 GMT
Such lovely birds both, the sun bird sure is beautiful and love the pic of the duck.
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Post by tod2 on Dec 3, 2013 15:26:43 GMT
Good shots Kerouac - The waterbird with the red face is a Moorhen. The beautiful duck is a Mallard. Two reasons for going into the Drakensberg mountains this weekend were to find birds and flowers. The birds proved to be somewhat difficult although they were heard repeating their calls over and over. We managed these few but using the telephoto lens without a tripod lead to some blurry photos - sorry! We walked up a steep incline to find this Black Cuckoo as it called for a mate over and over. This beautiful Lesser Striped Swallow was snapped whilst flying to and fro into the thatch roof. On the lawns around the hotel were a few Cape Wagtails. Not a pretty bird but fun to watch as it bobs around finding insects and worms. Just the opposite in bright beautiful colours we struggled to get a shot of this illusive Diderick Cuckoo. Their call is heard constantly from early morning to early evening but one can never spot them as they hide among the foliage in trees. There were two fluttering around in the branches of a tree - either courting or one chasing the other out of it's territory??? Dunno, while they were so engaged in their fluttering we caught a glimpse, but not a very good one. According to my bird book this is a male. The sunlight really brought out the brilliant turquoise green of it's feathers. Can you believe this is the same bird....this time taken in the shade of a gum tree. Other birds spotted was this Brown-Hooded Kingfisher. Sorry about the blurry image. Lastly on the way home this still to be identified little brown bird, sitting on the fence.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2013 17:27:50 GMT
These are gorgeous phots, tod2, I am so impressed. What sort of camera lens are you using?
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 3, 2013 20:08:21 GMT
Fabulous pictures, Tod! I love the colorful little sparrow, especially. The wagtail looks a great deal like a mockingbird. Do you know if its a member of that family?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2013 23:33:59 GMT
Colourful feathery camera whores!
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Post by tod2 on Dec 4, 2013 6:49:10 GMT
Yes, aren't they just! I have given up trying to identify the last photo with the little brown bird....so many look similar from a species of Lark, a Chat, a Pipit to a Cisticola. Either the colouring is right but the beak shape wrong or vice-versa, but thanks all for the comments!
Lizzyfaire, I was using my Canon 100-400 lens
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Post by tod2 on Feb 7, 2014 14:03:56 GMT
When dozens of Weaver birds descend on the breadcrumbs I throw out, I hardly notice that there is more than one 'variety'. Only after studying these photos did I realise that I had snapped: A Village (Spottedback) Weaver - My bird book tells me that the 'mask' does not extend above the bill except in Northern Zimbabwean weavers, which has a wholly black head. And the other was a Yellow Weaver which has a smaller shorter bill and a red not yellow eye, and some males have an orange wash on the face. I have noticed a lot of squabbling taking place and now realise that this must be among the different species of weavers....
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Post by tod2 on Feb 8, 2014 6:29:52 GMT
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Post by Kimby on Feb 9, 2014 14:11:33 GMT
Tod, I sure would like to hang out and bird-watch with you. And not just because it's been bitterly cold here!
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 9, 2014 19:29:56 GMT
What great pictures, Tod, & such super information, too!
Formidable beaks on those weavers. Are they the kind of birds that make the nests which look like 1920s ladies' handbags?
Are the hadedas the sort of kiwi-shaped birds in the pics? The Egyptian geese are so different from what I think of as geese, but rather elegant with their long legs and lovely colors.
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Post by questa on Feb 9, 2014 23:23:51 GMT
1920s Ladies handbags, as found in Sri Lanka.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 10, 2014 0:14:16 GMT
Hey! Thanks, Questa. Those are amazing feats of engineering. Are the made by the same birds Tod shows, or a related species?
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Post by questa on Feb 10, 2014 2:30:28 GMT
they just said 'weaver birds'....I only know 3 birds...1 Emu 2 Kookaburra Everything else.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 10, 2014 4:38:16 GMT
I'm impressed! That's almost as long as my life list: cardinal, mockingbird, bluejay, sparrow, Tweety.
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Post by tod2 on Feb 11, 2014 7:47:55 GMT
Golly Questa, I've never seen such a long weaver birds nest! I'm putting this link here for you Bixa - our weaver nests in my garden are like the picture of the Southern Masked Weaver. I have seen Sociable Weaver and other weaver nests in Namibia. www.fotolibra.com/gallery/136839/weaver-bird-and-nest/like/The Hadeda is an Ibis. Not as pretty as the white ibis with the black beak but when the sunlight catches the wing feathers they are a sort of pink, lilac and blue shine.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 11, 2014 14:04:36 GMT
Hadedas are pretty too!
Amazing images -- thank you. The middle picture in the 10th row looks very similar to Questa's photos. And they identify it the same way she did, as "Weaver Bird's Nest".
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Post by rikita on Feb 11, 2014 22:32:13 GMT
more of a balcony bird, really
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 12, 2014 2:07:13 GMT
Tweety!
Super photo, Rikita. Is he/she yours?
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Post by questa on Feb 12, 2014 3:00:50 GMT
That little balcony bird looks absolutely beautiful. So relaxed and wants to make friends with you.
Your bird pics are wonderful and so are tod2's.
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Post by rikita on Feb 12, 2014 8:05:31 GMT
mine? no, just a visitor that showed up on my balcony one day ...
thanks, questa!
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Post by tod2 on Feb 12, 2014 15:00:46 GMT
That is a brilliant shot Rikita! Looks like it enjoyed the crumbs..? Keep feeding and they'll keep coming.
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