Pages

Friday, 10 January 2020

A few more birds seen in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Once again I apologise for the quality of some of the photos.  The lens worked well at times and not at others.  Also, many birds were quite far away.

Grey heron (Ardea cinerea).

Kelp gull (Larus dominicanus).

Black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus).

Common tern (Sterna hirundo).

Streaky-headed seedeater or Streaky-headed canary (Crithagra gularis).

As above.

Little egret (Egretta garzetta).

Long-tailed widowbird (Euplectes progne).

Wing-snapping cisticola (Cisticola ayresii).

Southern boubou (Laniarius ferrugineus).

As above.



Joining up with


and


32 comments:

  1. I think you did well in capturing these lovely birds. Such a variety it Africa. They are all special. I love all the birds in your header too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Penny there is such a choice of animals and birds to take in Africa. I agree theyare all so special. Keep well Diane

      Delete
  2. Hi Diane - they are all quite delightful to see ... love them ... cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Hilary, as well you know, animal and bird life is in abundance in RSA and photography is a pleasure there. Hope that you are well Diane

      Delete
  3. Great photos! Wonderful collection of creatures!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Marie for your continued support, always appreciated. Cheers Diane

      Delete
  4. No need to apologise about these photos, Diane. There are some super shots there. Some of the birds you show are, of course, familiar to me, and some are very similar to species we see in UK. However, the Southern Boubou and the Long-tailed Widowbird look particularly delightful.

    My best wishes to you both - - - Richard

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Richard, the Long-tailed widowbird has always been a favourite of mine, fascinating to see them on a windy day trying to fly. I really need to sort out the lens problem, but there is just nowhere nearby to get it seen to and I am loathe to simply post it off before I know what costs may be involved.

      Best wishes to you both, cheers Diane

      Delete
  5. Your photos are excellent! That long tail is amazing....doesn't look real on that bird! I would love to see one. You have a beautiful banner for your blog too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the visit. The male widowbird struggles to fly with that longtail when it is windy, attracting the female comes at a price 😊 Cheers t'other Diane

      Delete
  6. Nice pictures - I wonder why your lens is not consistent - not much evidence of it in the pictures I have to say.

    We get the Kelp Gull in Australia.

    Cheers - Stewart M - (finally back in) Melbourne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stewart the only time I could get the lens checked was in South Africa and I was told somehow it has taken a knock and a bearing is loose. It needs to be taken apart and sorted out. I had no time to get it fixed in SA as we were moving around, I have nowhere nearby to take it so it is a problem. Cheers Diane

      Delete
  7. Oh my gosh, I was going to say that heron portrait at the beginning was tops!! But oh, the more I scrolled, the better they became....just look at that widowbird!!!!! Incredible.

    Thanks for sharing with us at I'd Rather B Birdin' this week!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anni I have to agree that male widowbird is quite stunning. Thanks for the comment and for hosting I'd Rather B Birdin' Enjoy your week. Diane

      Delete
  8. Those pictures seem OK to me Diane. I do think the tern may be a Roseate Tern - long winged, all black bill.

    I had a few Canon zoom cameras that were susceptible to knocks. I think it's a common problem with bridge cameras if that's what you use.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Phil, my camera has an interchangeable lens which I understand a bridge camera has not but maybe I do not understand the definition!

      Re the tern not my ID I asked the expert who took us on tour and he said he was pretty certain it was a Common tern out of breeding plumage.

      Have a good week Diane

      Delete
  9. wow, you got some really nice ones here. The grey heron we have but I never get that close to it. They are very shy.
    Would love to see the Southern boubou, such a sweet bird and great shots.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for the visit and the comment. Hope you have a good week Diane

      Delete
  10. That long-tailed widow bird is absolutely amazing! All these I think are new birds, even on blogs, let alone IRL...just wonderful

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have to agree with the widowbird, the male is quite beautiful. Glad that I am showing you something new :-) Keep well Diane

      Delete
  11. Also, please don’t apologize for these great pictures.., You will make meafraid to ever post again ))). my best are never this good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What a sweet comment. If you had seen how many photos I had to take to get these... the lens just is simply not focusing when on full extension!!! Very frustrting. Diane

      Delete
    2. I hope you’ve gotten your camera issues taken care of! Thank you for your comments on mine!

      Delete
    3. No still have the problem. I do not know what to do with it as posting it to the UK seems the only answer and I do not really wan to do that. Post is very expensive and it might be a complete waste!!! D

      Delete
  12. Actually, many of these species do look similar to what is found in Australia. I wonder if it's because it is in a similar position.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Australia has far more colourful birds that South Africa though I agree many are similar. Cheers Diane

      Delete
  13. Love the last three small birds Diane, the long-tailed widow bird is extraordinary!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree the Widowbird is quite different, that tail though seems to cause a few problems on a windy day!! Keep well Diane

      Delete
  14. What a superb and diverse collection of birds! Thank you so much for sharing so many species I have never (and likely will never) encountered.

    I cannot choose a favorite because they are all so unique, each in their own way.

    So sorry for your camera issues. I don't know your lens brand or your circumstances, but it may be worthwhile to contact the manufacturer and describe your problem. I was recently very pleasantly surprised to have my lens repaired and re-calibrated at no charge. Might be worth it to reach out?

    Again, thank you for making my day better with this beautiful post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the kind comment, much appreciated. Diane

      Delete
  15. What gorgeous creatures! Thanks for sharing their beauty with us :)


    My Corner of the World

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks you for the comment. Please note that I do not normally add comments that have a link to them. This is an exception!! Have a good day Diane

      Delete

Thanks so much for commenting, it is appreciated and it is my policy to try to answer every one even if only to say thank you.
NO COMMENT THAT HAS A LINK WILL BE PUBLISHED, THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.