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Saturday, 31 March 2018

26-3-2018 HERMANUS, SOUTH AFRICA - ROCK HYRAX (Procavia capensis)

31-3-2018 KYNSNA, SOUTH AFRICA - AFRICAN SACRED IBIS (Threskiornis aethiopicus ssp. aethiopicus)


29-3-2018 OUDTSCHOORN, SOUTH - CAPE WEAVER (Ploceus capensis)



29-3-2018 OUDTSCHOORN, SOUTH AFRICA - CACTI FLOWER (family cactaceae)


30-3-2018 OUDTSCHOORN, SOUTH AFRICA - RED BILLED QUELEA (MALE) (Quelea quelea)


31-3-2018 WILDERNESS NAT PARK, SOUTH AFRICA - CAPE WHITE EYE (Zosterops capensis)


The Cape white-eye (Zosterops virens) is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family. It is native to southern Africa. It is commonly found in suburbia, parks and gardens, besides a variety of mesic to well-watered habitats.


This species is about 12 cm long with rounded wings, strong legs, and a conspicuous ring of white feathers round the eyes. The upperparts are green, and the throat and vent are bright yellow. The members of the Z. v. capensis has a grey breast and belly, whereas Z. v. virens has a greenish-yellow breast and belly.

They are very vocal, and constantly keep in touch with soft trilled pee, pree or pirreee callnotes. The song consists of repeated long jerky phrases of sweet reedy notes, varying in pitch, volume and temp, usually starting off with teee teee or pirrup pirrup notes, then becoming a fast rambled jumble of notes, which may incorporate mimicked phrases of other birdcalls.


This is a sociable species forming large flocks outside the breeding season. It builds a cup nest in a tree and lays 2-3 unspotted pale blue eggs. The eggs hatch in 11–12 days, and fledging occurs in another 12–13 days. The peak breeding season is September to December.

The Cape white-eye feeds mainly on insects, but also soft fleshy flowers, nectar, fruit and small grains. It readily comes to bird feeders.

It is found in a wide range of densely to lightly wooded habitats in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini and marginally in Mozambique. Most populations are resident, but some perform minor seasonal movements.



23-3-2018 CAPE POINT, CAPE TOWN - CHACMA BABOON (Papio ursinus)




30-3-2018 KYNSNA, SOUTH AFRICA - CAPE WAGTAIL (Motacilla capensis ssp capensis)

                                                    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_wagtail



                                                                  

Friday, 30 March 2018

30-3-2018 KYNSNA, SOUTH AFRICA - GREY HERON (Ardea cinerea)



29-3-2018 OUDTSCHOORN, SOUTH AFRICA - SOUTHERN DOUBLE COLLARED SUNBIRD (Cinnyris afer)

30-3-2018 OUDTSCHOORN, SOUTH AFRICA - AFRICAN HOOPOE (Upupa epops ssp. africana)

25-3-2018 TABLE MOUNTAIN AVIARY, CAPE TOWN - SOUTHERN GROUND HORNBILL (Bucorvus leadbeateri)



25-3-2018 TABLE MOUNTAIN AVIARY, CAPE TOWN - SOUTHERN BALD IBIS (Geronticus calvis)




25-3-2018 HERMANUS, SOUTH AFRICA - SPECKLED PIGEON (Columba guinea)


25-3-2018 TABLE MOUNTAIN AVIARY, CAPE TOWN - NILGIRI WOOD PIGEON (Columba elphinstonii)




30-3-2018 KYNSNA, SOUTH AFRICA - BLACKSMITH LAPWING (Vanellus armatus)





29-3-2018 OUDTSCHOORN, SOUTH AFRICA - SOUTHERN MALACHITE SUNBIRD (Nectarinia famosa ssp.famosa)

Wednesday, 28 March 2018

20-3-2018 EL RETIRO PARQUE, MADRID - LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER (Dryobates minor)


The lesser spotted woodpecker (Dryobates minor) is a member of the woodpecker family Picidae. It was formerly assigned to the genus Dendrocopos (sometimes incorrectly spelt as Dendrocopus). Some taxonomic authorities continue to list the species there.

The range of the lesser spotted woodpecker is the Palearctic region, but several subspecies are recognised.
Its habits are very similar to those of the great spotted woodpecker, and it has the same stumpy appearance, almost triangular, when bounding from tree to tree. Its note is a repeated "keek", loud for so small a bird, and its vibrating rattle can with experience be distinguished from that of the larger species. This substitute for a song may be heard at all times, but most frequently when courtship begins early in the year.

Its insect food is similar to that of the great spotted woodpecker. When hunting for wood-boring larvae it chips away at the rotten wood, and the litter at the foot of a tree is often the first indication that insects are attacking upper branches. From autumn to spring it hunts mainly on wood-living insect larvae, frequently from thin dead branches in living trees. Through the breeding season, surface-living insects from the foliage and bark of trees make up an increased amount of the diet. Nestlings are mainly fed with surface-living insects, such as aphids and larval insects. At night it roosts in old holes.