Garden Birds

"Gotsha!" Finally a Crested barbet couldn't resist inspecting at closer quarters what I sometimes "offer" as supplementary food during winter to the birds in our garden. [SEE: my previous blog entry when I called this bird shy & elusive]



Then the Crested barbet seemed to make a "statement" other than only posing "in all its glory" - as if it wanted to refute my previous observation & also provide ample proof that it's more handsome than its cousin!?


After having its fill of bits of fruit & before "departing", the Crested barbet also "demonstrated" how it got its name.



Not to be "outdone" by their more colourful cousin, not 1 but 2 Black-collared barbets approached - proving again that they are far less intimidated by a human on the prowl with a camera.


Feeding on bits of fruit, when available, has virtually become a habit for these birds - I often see them hovering/waiting on a branch on days I haven't put out food for them. I don't want to "spoil" them by providing food for them on a regular basis, because I believe they have to fend for themselves in the "wild" - instead of becoming "beggars" or even "thieves", as sometimes is the case in areas/parks, where humans feed wild animals (like baboons and monkeys).

Larger birds - like this Grey lourie - also love the bits of fruit sometimes on offer. As I explained above & however much I love to "snap" these pretty visitors to our garden "at close range", I've learned that Grey louries can be very "demanding" other than chasing away smaller birds - simply because in the world of birds, size counts!



Some of these smaller birds (mentioned) include this lovely "song-bird" - a Cape robin, who appears more interested in checking out what's "cooking" than actually feeding on what's on offer.


And a bird definitely with a taste for the berries of a bush instead of coming to feed on what I sometimes "provide", is the rather "scarce" Red-faced mousebird.






Similarly disinterested in the food I provide but nonetheless a regular visitor in our garden, is this tiny Cape White-eye.