Starlings, Shrikes and Rollers. KNP Jan to March 21

[RichardJ]

An 'inside' Bushbuck was browsing next to our site.

[RichardJ]

In the setting gloom, Southern Black Tits

[RichardJ]

SO had a strange looking guest.
Tiny leave-like Praying Mantis



And so early to bed and early to rise (me a least)
Great to be back in KNP.

tbc early morning 'tree hoppers'

[RichardJ]

First morning up early and sat on the bench, taking it all in.

Some chirping and I see a number of birds on 'the tree'..... on the top..... a Scarlet-chested Sunbird.... which I see through the view finder.... and gone before I could focus and push the shutter.... but one was around.

What type of dove?

African Green Pigeon ( at last) (we would have a number of sightings) there were about 3



great start to the morning

[RichardJ]

What type of bird is that? These females would get me wondering a few times...

A Female Violet-backed Starling. Success with my wish list straight up.



A male came in



A whole bunch of both



A male flew across to the right and collected some dung for nesting



Posing nicely...certainly got some decent shots

[RichardJ]

Another bird on 'the tree'

A Southern Grey-headed Sparrow

[RichardJ]

And then another.

A little noisy black bird, next to the Starling?



Thanks to mites and WTM for id. Light pink bill and legs = Purple Indigobird, another Lifer.
It would be a common sight, on top of dead trees...

[RichardJ]

In the tree next to us a yellow, Red-headed Weaver

[RichardJ]

Some small birds came in to 'the tree'... appropriately named Cut-throat Finches

[RichardJ]

The Woodland Kingfishers were a common sight and sound. The amusing thing about them. They would land, stretch out wings, then hop around and stretch there wings. So you would see blue then white, or vice versa.

[RichardJ]

There were also common birds,
Laughing Dove

[RichardJ]

The V-b Starlings nest was regularly visited and raided? by the Green Wood-Hoopoes

[RichardJ]

Pin-tailed Whydah joined the party

[RichardJ]

A female joined him and he got to perform for/at her















A non-breeding one seen later

[RichardJ]

On page 6 and we haven't left camp yet for our first game drive

shows how much bird life there is in Berg en Dal

and another of my favourites landed in 'the tree'

Brown-headed Parrots



and then they were also on their way