31 May 2022 - Kyalami Estates
With winter almost upon us, May was a relatively quiet month with only 48 species recorded. However, two sightings on the same late afternoon were certainly the highlight of the month.
A local birder alerted me to a Black Spa perched at the top of a dead Bluegum Tree opposite his house. I raced down from my house to find it was still there - a gorgeous pale form Black Sparrowhawk soaking up the late afternoon sun
Black Sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus) |
No sooner had I got back to my house, when he called again to say an Ovambo Sparrowhawk was now sitting in the same tree. Back down I went, but it had flown off. The sun had now gone down and I managed to connect with one of the two birds in less than favourable light
Ovambo Sparrowhawk (Accipiter ovampensis) |
From my balcony, I recorded a few African Green Pigeons perched in the top of a dead Pine Tree late one afternoon
African Green Pigeon (Treron calvus) |
I also recorded African Olive Pigeon
African Olive Pigeon (Columba arquatrix) |
Red-eyed Doves
Red-eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata) |
And Cape White-Eye feeding on the Bottlebrush
Cape White-Eye (Zosterops virens) |
In the Parks, Reed Cormorants were occasionally seen
Reed Cormorant (Microcarbo africanus) |
The small flock of Bronze Mannikin's were enjoying feeding on the seed heads of the Pampas Grass
Bronze Mannikin (Lonchura cucullata) |
Whilst Red Bishops are all now in winter/non-breeding plumage
Southern Red Bishop (Euplectes orix) |
And the Thick-billed Weavers are also still present in the reed habitat at the dam
Thick-billed Weaver (Amblyospiza albifrons) |
Common Moorhen stroll around on the grass surrounding the dam
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) |
Whilst these Spotted Thick-knee's tried to keep low key in a flowerbed on the grass verge
Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis) |