27/07/2019 Too hot for the birds this week in France so a return visit to Botswana

Photos taken in Botswana by Patrick Miller, my thanks go to him for allowing me to use them on my blog.

Yellow-billed hornbill (Tockus leucomelas)...

 As above...

As above.

Southern ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri).  Yes, they spend a lot of time on the ground, but they do fly and they do roost in trees.

Crested Francolin (Francolinus sephaena)

Swainson’s francolin (Pternistis swainsonii)

African jacana (Actophilornis africanus)

Pale chanting goshawk (Melierax canorus).

Lesser grey shrike (Lanius minor)

African darter (Anhinga rufa)

African pied wagtail (Motacilla aguimp)

I will be in South Africa in October and November and during that time I will not be blogging,  I hope though to return with many new photos 😉

Posts will also be a bit sparce when we have visitors for 3 weeks as from 18 August.

Joining up with

Wild Bird Wednesday

and

I'd Rather B Birdin.

19/07/2019 Its been a good week for birds in the garden.......

A young Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) trying to work out what water was for...

Getting its feet wet...

Inspecting this strange liquid...

splish splash...

Still not too sure.

A young common blackbird (Turdus merula) also experimenting...

Looking around...

Maybe it looks better this way up...

After checking out the next bowl of water it just gave up!

Then along comes a young Great tit (Parus major)...

taking a look...

hopping about...

and finally giving up.  Think this is a young female.

A common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) looked in.

Of course, the House sparrow (Passer domesticus) looked in - male...

and female.

and then to make my week this evening the Little Owl (Athene noctua) turned up on our barn roof again

Joining up with

Wild Bird Wednesday

and

I'd Rather B Birdin.

The Little owl visits again and a visit to the Touvre River in the Charente.

Guess who has been visiting again - Little owl (Athene noctua)....

I managed to sneak a little closer this time.

Mute swans (Cygnus olor)...

as above...

The ugly duckling - only one youngster hope it survives.

Probably two Mallard females (Anas platyrhynchos).

I think this is a Pied wagtail (Motacilla alba)...

as above...

As above.

Joining up with

Wild Bird Wednesday

and

I'd Rather B Birdin.

Still very hot here, but the delight of spotting a Little Owl again (twice) this week made up for it.

01/07/2019 Seen on the neighbour's barn across the road, but I only managed one shot before it was gone. Little owl (Athene noctua).

02/07/2019 Seen on our barn which is opposite our house on the other side of the road and I was at the bottom of our garden where I was watering.  Again quite far, but it waited for me to go and get the camera 😉

I managed to get a little closer, but there was only one place where I could see it between the trees.

 As above where it turned to watch me more carefully!!

Common blackbird (Turdus merula) male, I actually missed it bathing, but caught it trying to spruce himself up for his Mrs.

Think he might have had something to say at the end of it all, but I have not learnt to speak blackbird!  He never did sort out the erratic hairstyle, perhaps it is the new fashion !

Joining up with

Wild Bird Wednesday

and

I'd Rather B Birdin.

Record breaking temperatures and not much going on.

I spotted this Little Owl (Athene noctua) on a roof two houses away from us.

House sparrows (Passer domesticus) trying to keep cool...

as above but I get the feeling that I am being shouted at!!!...

In the rose bush next to the bath waiting for space...

and inspecting the roses.

Also waiting for space in the bath...

As above.

Saw these geese when out for a drive - well they are birds!

As above...

As above.

Wild Bird Wednesday

and

I'd Rather B Birdin.