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Hello Granjan

Please do not be impressed by the 800mm lens bit - it is bit of a misnomer. I have a Canon 30SX so the lens is EQUIVALENT of 800mm. Nevertheless I get enormous enjoyment out of the camera, but the sad fact is that I will never never get the perfect shots obtainable with the CMOS sensors of the proper DSLR. No matter- I get great enjoyment out of what I have. I used to have (back in the old days of films) and Minolta with a 300mm lens that was great to have, but I like the convenience of the compact DSLR-like camera. I may never take the perfect shot, but they are good enough for me, especially as I bought the camera more for record shots than anything else. Still, the 800mm is lovley to have even if one loses lots of light and any photo over 200 ISO becomes dodgy. All these photos were taken on ISO 200 in very difficult light conditions. As the farm is on my way home I hope to call in every day to see how the chicks are faring. The birds built a nest on exactly the same fork of the tree last year.

Cheers
Pete

Late this afternoon I went to have another look at the nest. The female was feeding but I had to backpedal and sit quite some distance away after she objected to my presence. I subscribe to the rule that no photo is worth disturbing the nest and its goings on. To make up for having to move away a bit a Cape Batis came and sat very close to me. I plan to go every day if I can until the birds have flown.

Pete

I enjoy seeing the developments !

No matter what the lens Pete, the pics are lovely.
Looking forward to watch them as they grow.

Had a very hurried visit to the nest today. The youngsters clearly had been well-fed and were not begging. The parents were sitting casually around preening.

I am posting this picture as an example of how cleverly nature disguises the weak. It is very difficult to spot the nest, and even more so the inhabitants as long as they sit totally still - which they did this afternoon. I could barely see movement from the three young. As a result I had to search each time when I was quite a way from the nest to get the exact spot. Interestingly, quite a few people walked by while iIwas taking photographs. None saw the nest even though it is very close to the roadway and well beaten path. I work late most days at the moment but still hope to make daily visits - one advantage of Paarl is that it is light until late.

Pete

I was at the enst just after 17:00 in cool and rainy conditions. The chicks are rather self-assured now and one watched me with interest. They really are crowding the nest now.

Pete

The camouflage is amazing!
The nest looks to be very close to the groundthough.
I love the little tufts on their heads.
Thanks for posting, Pete!

Hi Granjan

The nest is not at all low- in one picture the zoom lens creates the illusion of the ground being close. I measure the nest as about 4m above ground level. I have no wish to fall this distance! I

I have to climb onto a roof and from the roof onto an old truck canopy stored on the corrugated iron roof of the shed which contains the cooling generator for the fruit packing shed. I walk very carefully on the support beams of the roof by following the roofing nails. All adds to the fun. I hide behind the canopy to avoid upsetting the parents too much and when they come to feed I very very slowly get into position for a photo - by which time feeding is often over!

Pete

Really enjoying your thread, Pete! In late April 2010, I returned from one of my RSA trips to find that robins had built a nest atop a light fixture on my (3rd floor) back porch. They were not too thrilled to have their quiet nesting site suddenly 'invaded', but as their eggs were already laid .... They raised four chicks and I really enjoyed watching their progress. It took about 10 days from hatching to fledging. So your flycatcher thread is bringing back great memories of watching a bird family's progress My robins were very tolerant of me once they'd realised that I was a permanent resident

Oh my goodness, Pete.
Be careful!

Visited the nestlings today after 17:00 - in a howling wind and I did not always feel safe on my perch. I have included these three pictures as they give a slightly different perspective of the nest. The nestlings are not fazed by me at all. The parents were not worried about me but did keep an eye on me. Over the weekend I hope to get more shots of feeding. To get about 5 useful shots today I took nearly 60 photos - the light was playing havoc as the wind caused the chicks to be in sunlight for half a second then shade for half a second and so on . Exasperating, but like golf, bird photography means having faith the NEXT shot will the perfect one.

Pete

Not good news. Yesterday a combination of late work, a very high wind and just plain tired after the week meant that I decided not to visit the nest and rather to go early this morning. The first photo shows what greeted me - an empty nest. I don't believe they were ready to leave yet. Also despite searching I coudn't find any one of them alive or dead. I shall be going out later today to see if I can find more. The parents were not really distracted at all. The nest is in perfect condition. Not a feather around which means not a cat - and anyway there are no cats on the farm that I have seen. It is a wine farm, protea farm, produces bottled spring water (and hence has a large work force) and also has lovely accommodation for tourists so birds are habituated to people. The only likely predator is an African Harrier Hawk (I have photos of these flying high overhead taken earlier this year). There are two in the region. The farm is very tree rich especially around the guest accommodation so there are plenty of nests (incuding one of an Olive Woodpecker).
There is plenty of time for the adults to produce another brood so I am not giving up - I shall vist regularly. The visits to this farm are my anti-stress and chill-out daily pill.

To make up for the loss I include a photo I took last year at the very same spot of a fledgling raised in the same nest. I am guessing that it had the same parents.

I am rather sad at the moment but do realise that nature must take its course - but that doesn't mean I hadn't formed an attachment to my three little Dusky Flycatchers. The emty nest photo is attached and one taken this am of one of the adults hanging around the nest. Remember the last photo taken last year is meant to cheer me up. I hope it does the same for you!

Granjan, ndloti, arks, CuriousCanadian: thanks for your encouragement. It meant a lot to me.

Pete

Just returned from outside where I
double checked my recent discovery
of Spotted Flycatcher and yep still there
flitting about. This bird was hard to id
and thus when stumbling across this
thread I thought, let's see what the
comments are.

And yah, but lets not go soft in the
middle now. Fact is our flycatcher looks
more like the pics you posted than what
my bird book shows and also the dusky
flycatcher is not found in these areas.

Amazing how the feathered ones are able
to captivate the human mind.
Nice thread to read and hope this loss will
not be the end of it.

Pete, how sad but as you say nature must take its course.
Thanks so much for posting and I'm keeping my fingers crossed to see pics of that second brood.