Pages

Tuesday 10 July 2018

Post number 16 Birds from Southern Africa

I have been away for the past week so just a short post to let you know that I am back.  We are very busy with a number of jobs that are doing here at home at the moment. These are photos again taken by my friend, Christelle Miller, while in the Kruger national park in May 2018.
Thanks go to Christelle for allowing me to use these photos on my blog.

I hope that my identification is correct, please let me know if there should be any mistakes.

The Lilac Breasted Roller, (Coracias Caudata).  See my photos for details on this bird on the previous post.

African jacana (Actophilornis africanus) is a wader in the family Jacanidae, identifiable by long toes and long claws that enable them to walk on floating vegetation in shallow lakes,  which is their preferred habitat....

It feeds on aquatic insects and larvae, worms, snails and other arthropods. It may take seeds sometimes when it forages on open cultivated areas. To avoid predators, it can swim underwater, and in the same situation, the chicks can stay underwater for a moment with only the bill tip above the surface, and they swim as well as the adults. The mating system of the African Jacana is reversed. The male performs all the nesting duties while the female has access to several males and defends the territories against other females.

Brown Snake Eagle (Circaetus cinereu). It lives in savannahs, woodlands and dry wooded countries with tall trees. It is uncommon in open plains. It feeds on snakes and other reptiles, carrying them by the head while flying. It spends most of its time perched in trees, performing short flights from one tree to another, and hunting from these perches. Prey is always taken on the ground, often by dropping on it from a perch....

The nest is made with small sticks and lined with some green leaves. Birds may return to the same tree and rebuild a nest after some years.  The female lays only one white egg. Incubation lasts about 47 to 50 days, by the female. She flattens in the nest if an intruder approaches, becoming almost invisible. The male feeds her at the nest.


Linking up to 

14 comments:

  1. Terrific photos again. Christelle must be very knowledgeable about each of her subjects to get such brilliant images.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Christelles comment to this was :- Great compliment, thank you.... camera must take most credit ..
      Have a good week Diane

      Delete
  2. The first bird is such a beautiful colour. They are all beauties though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The rollers are gorgeous, I never got tired of seeing them when we lived there. Enjoy the rest of the week Diane

      Delete
  3. Gosh, absolutely gorgeous! You saw incredible birdlife on your trip. The way you captured the sunlight in the eye of the Brown Snake Eagle was really special. Great job on all these photos Diane!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Denise if you read the top you would see these photos were taken by Christelle on her trip to Kruger earlier this year, they are no my photos, wish they were! Take care Diane

      Delete
  4. My congratulations to Christelle for such fabulous images - but that Roller still has me totally captivated! Have a wonderful 'rest of week' and weekend. My very best wishes - - - - Richard

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Richard, I have passed the congrats on to Christelle. I am hoping that she will soon find time to do her own blog, meanwhile I am happy to get her photos for mine. The roller is amazing, so beautiful.
      Cheers, keep well Diane

      Delete
  5. Wonderful pics by your friend, thanks to her and to you for sharing them...and for the good info too.... the roller is beautiful, the jacana looks like it is walking on the water! and that eagle eye.... his chosen prey wouldn’t stand a chance .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sallie Iwill pass the message on. She is taking some great photos. Have a good day Diane

      Delete
  6. Beautiful shots...:)JP

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks JP, comment appreciated. Enjoy your day. Diane

    ReplyDelete
  8. The roller and the janaca! Wow!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What magnificent light in your very first pic. It shows all of the wonderful colours of the bird's feathers.

    ReplyDelete

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.