In our Garden

With a heading like mine above, I guess one would expect to see photos of plants; in my case it means birds, though = my favourite "targets". Since winter here "arrived" early, I've also started to occassionally feed the birds = seperately something for the seed & fruit "eaters". This Black-collared barbet is quick to feed on what's on offer.



This bird's "cousin", the Crested barbet, is more shy & although I sometimes "spy" one, it flies off the moment it detects me with my camera.




Although it's also a somewhat shy bird, this Olive thrush "posed nicely" on a mole-hill, before it flew off. I've mainly come to know this bird as feeding on insects & occasionally worms, but it certainly likes to also "snack" on the bits of fruit I "supply".




With my new camera (as I "explained" during a previous blog-entry) I can zoom in on my "targets" & now "clearly" photograph them as they either wait for me to supply them with some "treats" or already had their fill.



The seed-eaters in our garden are far less "shy" & quick to "partake" in the food on offer. I have hardly put out some garden-bird-mix for them & I can "snap away" to my heart's delight - amongst the most common "visitors" being a Laughing dove & Cape sparrows.

The Rameron pigeons, which usually only "visit" our garden at this time of the year (= autumn/ early winter), aren't interested, though, in the food I "provide". Instead they feast on the berries of bushes, which are now ripe & in plentiful supply in our garden. These birds also "like" to rest on our roof.



I often detect a Fiscal shrike amongst the branches of the tree under which I place my food "offerings" for birds, but it seems to ignore that, even if this bird species is known to "consume" seeds - other than insects, small rodents & birds, etc.



I often see "couples" of Black-eyed bulbuls "resting" next to each other on a branch - but with my new camera, I can now zoom-in on them - what a pleasure :)



Not such a common occurence is seeing a pair of Cape sparrows "copying" this sitting side-by-side - although they usually "arrive" in couples to feed on what I'm "offering" them.