This Blog contains Wildlife and Bird Photos from Walks, Safaris, Birding Trips and Vacations. Most of the pictures have been taken with my Nikon P900 and P950X cameras. If you click on the label underneath the picture it will link to all of the photos taken for that species. Just click on any image for a large picture.
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Saturday, 6 April 2019
Friday, 5 April 2019
18-11-2017 HANNINGFIELD RESERVOIR, ESSEX - GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER (Dendrocopos major)
The great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) is a medium-sized woodpecker with pied black and white plumage and a red patch on the lower belly. Males and young birds also have red markings on the neck or head. This species is found across the Palearctic including parts of North Africa. Across most of its range it is resident, but in the north some will migrate if the conifer cone crop fails. Some individuals have a tendency to wander, leading to the recolonisation of Ireland in the first decade of the 21st century and to vagrancy to North America. Great spotted woodpeckers chisel into trees to find food or excavate nest holes, and also drum for contact and territorial advertisement; like other woodpeckers, they have anatomical adaptations to manage the physical stresses from the hammering action. This species is similar to the Syrian woodpecker.
This woodpecker occurs in all types of woodlands and eats a variety of foods, being capable of extracting seeds from pine cones, insect larvae from inside trees or eggs and chicks of other birds from their nests. It breeds in holes excavated in living or dead trees, unlined apart from wood chips. The typical clutch is four to six glossy white eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs, feed the chicks, and keep the nest clean. When the young fledge they are fed by the adults for about ten days, each parent taking responsibility for feeding part of the brood.
The species is closely related to some other members of its genus. It has a number of subspecies, some of which are distinctive enough to be potential new species. It has a huge range and large population, with no widespread threats, so it is classed as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Breeding involves excavation of holes in living or dead trees, with both parents sharing the duties of incubation, feeding the chicks, and nest sanitation. The typical clutch consists of four to six glossy white eggs, and fledglings are fed by the adults for about ten days post-fledging.
The great spotted woodpecker is similar to the Syrian woodpecker but can be differentiated by the absence of a black cheek bar and paler red underparts in the latter.
An omnivorous feeder, this woodpecker's diet includes seeds, insect larvae, eggs, and chicks of other birds. It is adept at extracting seeds from pine cones and insect larvae from within trees.
With a large population and extensive range, the great spotted woodpecker is classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It faces no widespread threats and has a stable or slightly increasing population trend.
Thursday, 4 April 2019
Wednesday, 3 April 2019
Tuesday, 2 April 2019
30-3-2018 KYNSNA, SOUTH AFRICA - SOUTHERN FISCAL SHRIKE (lanius collaris)
The Southern Fiscal (Lanius collaris), is a striking bird of the shrike family, prevalent throughout much of southern Africa. It is colloquially referred to as the 'jackie hangman' or 'butcher bird', a nod to its unique habit of impaling its prey on acacia thorns, a larder for future feasting. This bird was once considered conspecific with the Northern Fiscal, Lanius humeralis, under the collective title of the Common Fiscal.
Adult Southern Fiscals measure between 21 to 23 centimeters in length. They exhibit a bold dichromatic plumage with crisp white underparts contrasting sharply against their sleek black upperparts. A distinctive white "V" marks their back, and their long black tail is adorned with white outer feathers and white tips. Both sexes possess a black bill, eyes, and legs, with the female distinguished by her rufous lower flanks.
The Southern Fiscal is an adaptable species, inhabiting a variety of environments from grasslands adorned with fences suitable for perching, to acacia thornveld and even woodlands. It tends to avoid overly dense areas that would hinder its hunting prowess.
This bird's range extends across southern and eastern parts of the African continent, including parts of Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.
A solitary hunter, the Southern Fiscal typically perches in exposed locations or atop shrubs, from where it preys on insects and small rodents. Its territorial range is influenced by the availability of perching sites, with an increase in artificial perches leading to a reduction in territory size. The bird's hunting strategies and physiology adapt to seasonal variations, with changes in body temperature, metabolic rate, and hunting methods observed in response to different environmental conditions.
The Southern Fiscal's vocal repertoire includes a mix of shrike-like sounds, ranging from harsh alarm calls to more melodious songs. While its song may sound sweet, it is generally used for territorial defense or pair bonding.
The Southern Fiscal's diet consists primarily of insects and small rodents. It has been noted as a significant predator of the plain tiger butterfly in eastern Africa. Seasonal changes influence its foraging behavior, with the bird adjusting its hunting times, attack rates, and prey size in response to the availability of food.
The IUCN Red List classifies the Southern Fiscal as Least Concern, indicating that the species does not currently face any significant threats to its survival.
30-3-2018 KNYSNA, SOUTH AFRICA - BLACK EYED SUSAN VINE (Thunbergia alata)
Thunbergia alata, commonly called black-eyed Susan vine, is a herbaceous perennial climbing plant species in the family Acanthaceae. It is native to Eastern Africa, and has been naturalized in other parts of the world.
It is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens and in hanging baskets. The name 'Black-eyed Susan' is thought to have come from a character that figures in many traditional ballads and songs. In the Ballad of Black-eyed Susan by John Gay, Susan goes aboard a ship in-dock to ask the sailors where her lover Sweet William has gone. Black-eyed Susan is also a name given to other species of flowers in the genus Rudbeckia.
The plant is originally from East Africa, and has almost a world distribution including tropical and subtropical areas like China, eastern Australia, Hawaii, Southern US in the states of Texas and Florida, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, South Africa, Portugal, Japan, New Zealand, Cerrado vegetation of Brazil, Argentina, Madagascar, India, Thailand and Philippines, among others.
It is used all around the world as a garden plant, but has managed to "escape" to the wilderness, naturalizing in tropical and temperate forests. It has been widely reported as Invasive species, especially in the Caribbean and Pacific islands, from Mexico to Colombia, and in Japan, due to the fast growing of the plant; the ease of wild pollination during sporadic flowering times; its vine-growing strategies that strangle or create shadow on other plants; its difficulty to eradicate by hand (as it leaves underground rhizomes that rapidly grow back); its lack of usual predators in non native regions; plus, people who are unaware of its harmful nature to other plants in the wilderness tend to admire its beauty and might opt not to remove it.
31-3-2018 WILDERNESS NAT PRK, SOUTH AFRICA - COMMON BUSH BROWN BUTTERFLY (Bicyclus safitza)
Bicyclus safitza, the common bush brown or common savanna bush brown, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in all of Africa south of the Sahara. Its preferred habitat is forests and other well-wooded habitats.
The wingspan is 40–45 mm for males and 43–48 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round.
The larvae feed on various grasses, including Ehrharta erecta.
Subspecies and forms
B. s. safitza – south of Sahara except Ethiopia
wet-season form, f. safitza – south to Mpumalanga, South Africa
wet-season form, f. injusta – South African east coast regions
dry-season form, f. evenus – widespread
B. s. aethiops (Rothschild & Jordan, 1905) – Ethiopia
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