SANParks.org Forums

Oops - just read the ID thread.
More info:
- alone
- Big (about 60cm)
- in a leafy suburb of Cape Town
- sitting, flew from tree to tree
- and in Winter!

Thanx wildtuinman! (missed your reply with my last posting)

The sighting I have just had will most definitely qualify as one of my most interesting bird sightings at our house in Maputo. I heard an unfamiliar bird call outside and almost fell on my back when I saw the Crowned Hornbill....by the time I got my camera it flew into the green belt that our house borders and I was only able to get a few, far-off shots. We saw some of these hornbills in March at a very quiet and secluded spot a small distance away from our house (our first ever sighting of them)....I did however not think that they will venture into the city.



Some other interesting birds we have had in our Maputo garden were: Stripped Kingfisher (once), Brown-hooded Kingfisher (regular), Malachite Kingfisher (once), Pied Kingfisher (once inside garden, see it often in green belt), Hamerkop (once inside garden, fly past daily), Red-headed Finches (completely out of their range), Red-billed Queleas (regular), African Goshawk (once), Diderick Cuckoo (once), Southern Boubou (was a regular, now gone), Fork-tailed Drongo (couple of times), Little Sparrowhawk (once) Blue Waxbills (couple of times) and Red-billed Firefinch (only once, have very bad quality photo of it sitting on the razor wire)

yesterday, just behind "my" house, I saw a farmer mowing the end of the straw in his field... and about ten common buzzard (buse variable) follow the tractor and plunge to catch some small beast



and last Sunday, on a wire a common krestel (faucon crecerelle) a first for me, unfortunately I have only my mobile

Just a few minutes ago, right outside my windows amongst the telephone wires and street lamps, this pair of (northern) cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) mating.





Not the crispest of images , but definitely a first for me!

Arks, that's great!

wow... nice

While sitting relaxed fiddling with my camera, glancing at my 'braai' now and then...I saw from the corner of my eye something fluttering some 10 meters away from me in some schrubs. By golly!!! was I surprised!...a young Pygmy kingfisher was trying to fly up to a higher perch in my Francipani tree. In a haste I began taking pictures of it with trembling hands...not even thinking whether I had the correct lens or settings....I just clicked away and took about 10 pics before it suddenly got its direction again and hurriedly flew away! Needless to say I went straight to my pc to download the pics.......and yes.....I burnt all the expensive meat on the braai! Here is a pic of the little beauty(youngster I think) http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa27 ... 0copya.jpg

Klipbaber

Very nice sightings Anne-marie, Arks and Klipbaber!

What a special to have seen in your garden. I'd also offer up a chop or two for one of those...

I had a hamerkop visit our Standerton garden fish pond yesterday. Looks like the tilapia sparmanii that we stocked three years ago may just be starting to attract some feathered visitors. I have kind of given up hope...

The hamepkop was bird specie #42 listed in our Standerton garden.

Such a great topic! Wow, everyone has had amazing sightings in their own gardens....always so exciting.

In no particular order, my most interesting or unusual have been:

- Little Sparrow Hawk (on a few occasions) - Once caught a Bulbul on the lawn!

- Grey Heron (numerous times)

- Yellow Billed Kite (above my garden ) Most summers

- African Darter (one morning at our pond a few years ago)

- Reed Cormorant (about 6 weeks ago!)

- Paradise Fly Catchers (Summer visitors)

- Hamerkop (many years ago was a frequent visitor)

- Roseringed Parakeets (fly through very often - once had the whole colony roosting in my neighbours Poplar Tree)

- Thick Billed Weaver (twice that I know of, the last time was a week ago!)

- Cardinal Woodpecker (rare visitor)

- European Bee-Eaters (summer visitors - mostly fly above our house and garden but tend to land in the very tall trees in a nearby park)

Most interesting sighting NEAR my house: About 2 years ago I was driving in the area and noticed unusual birds flying - they were big and were being pestered by Crows, Plovers, and other smaller birds. The next thing they landed in a Jacaranda Tree on the pavement! I couldn't believe my eyes!!!!: A pair of African Harrier Hawks (Gymnogene - prefer this name ) WITH a JUVENILE - breeding Gymnogenes in the heart of Jo'burg suburbs!! What made it more amazing was that I could see them close enough to see that the male (?) was displaying red in the facial skin while his mate had the usual yellow - the juvenile was brown and flecked but fully feathered and flying.

I think they are normally resident on the Houghton Golf Course (was told about them a year or two beforehand) - this was only about 4km away - must be them. Wonder what has happened with the big re-development of the course....hope theyre still there.

BM, they must definitely be in that area still as Laine saw a Gymnogene flying overhead a week ago in that same area.

Very nice sightings you had. Well done!

I was "grounded" this weekend! Somehow I turned the study into a bird hide. I got some nice shots of a number of birds visiting my pine cone yummy. I got a nice surprise when a bokmakierie came for a very quick taste (too quick for a pic ). Just prior to that a Acacia pied barbet put in an appearance... haven't seen it in my garden for a while!


Large view

Lucky!!!!