A few of the first birds seen while in the Eastern Cape; South Africa....

Southern grey-headed sparrow (Passer diffusus)...

As above   The bird in the background is a Southern masked weaver.

Fork-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis).

Laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis)...

As above...

As above...

As above.

Rosy-faced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis).  These birds are not native to the area, they are popular as caged birds and a number must have escaped at some stage.  There are many in the area and are obviously breeding well.  There are a number of different varieties.

As above.

Joining up with

Wild Bird Wednesday

and

I'd Rather B Birdin.

Just a list of birds seen while out yesterday for the record. Photos will follow when we get home late November.

58 Birds seen out with Tim Cockroft 18/10/2019 Southern Africa

African darter	(Anhinga rufa)
African stonechat	(Saxicola torquatus)
Bar-throated Apalis	(Apalis thoracica )
Black-bellied starling	(Notopholia corusca)
Bokmakierie Shrike	(Telophorus zeylonus)
Brown-hooded kingfisher	(Halcyon albiventris)
Cape glossy starling	(Lamprotornis nitens)
Cape longclaw or orange-throated longclaw	(Macronyx capensis)
Cape wagtail	(Motacilla capensis
Chinspot batis	(Batis molitor)
Collared sunbird	(Hedydipna collaris)
Common Greenshank	(Tringa nebularia)
Common ringed plover or ringed plover	(Charadrius hiaticula)
Common starling	(Sturnus vulgaris)
Crowned Eagle	(Stephanoaetus coronatus)
Dark-backed weaver	(Ploceus bicolor)
Dark-capped (Black-eyed) Bulbul	(Pycnonotus tricolor)
Diederik Cuckoo	(Chrysococcyx caprius)
Egyptian goose	(Alopochen aegyptiaca)
Fan-tailed widowbird or red-shouldered widowbird	(Euplectes axillaris)
Fork-tailed drongo	(Dicrurus adsimilis)
Greater striped swallow	(Cecropis cucullata)
Green-backed camaroptera	(Camaroptera brachyura)
Green-backed Woodpecker	(Campethra Cailliautii)
Grey Heron	(Ardea cinera)
Grey plover	(Pluvialis squatarola)
Grey Sunbird	Cyanomitra veroxii
Hadeda Ibis	(Bostrychia hagedash)
Jackal buzzard	(Buteo rufofuscus)
Karoo prinia or spotted prinia	(Prinia maculosa)
Kelp gull	(Larus dominicanus)
Kittlitz's plover	(Charadrius pecuarius)
Lesser striped swallow	(Cecropis abyssinica)
Little egret	(Egretta garzetta)
Long-tailed widowbird	(Euplectes progne)
Olive thrush	(Turdus olivaceus)
Pearl-breasted swallow	(Hirundo dimidiata)
Pied kingfisher	(Ceryle rudis)
Red-capped lark	(Calandrella cinereal_)
Red-faced mousebird	(Urocolius indicus)
Red-fronted Tinkerbird	(Pogoniulus pusillus)
Red-winged starling	(Onychognathus morio)
Rufous-naped lark	(Mirafra africana)
Southern black flycatcher	(Melaenornis pammelaina)
Southern double-collared sunbird	(Cinnyris chalybeus)
Southern fiscal or fiscal shrike	(Lanius collaris)
Speckled Mousebird	(Colius striatus)
Spur-winged goose	(Plectropterus gambensis)
Streaky-headed seedeater or streaky-headed canary	(Crithagra gularis)
Thick-billed weaver	(Amblyospiza albifrons)
Trumpeter hornbill	(Bycanistes bucinator)
Turaco or Knysna Lourie	(Tauraco corythaix)
White-necked raven	(Corvus albicollis)
White-rumped swift	(Apus caffer)
Wing-snapping cisticola	(Cisticola ayresii)
Yellow Weaver	(Ploceus subaureus)
Yellow-billed Duck	(Anas undulata )
Yellow-breasted apalis	(Apalis flavida)

Tim is highly recommended if you are travelling in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, we had an amazing day.  Diane

Just a short fun post

As I said previously, we are daily on the run with little time for photography.  October is approaching fast and then we will be away until mid-November.  The birds though captivated me this morning in the bath and I had to grab the camera.  The other shots are just odd ones that I have taken since my last post.

House sparrows (Passer domesticus) having fun...

As above...

Watch out I am about to bomb you all 😉

Getting splashed sitting on the stone elephant waiting patiently.

Great tit (Parus major) hanging on to our house stone wall.

As above, taking a drink with little water left after all the bathing!

Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) on the roof.  

Common wood pigeons (Columba palumbus).

I am not sure what bird this was but I just like the photo!!

Joining up with

Wild Bird Wednesday

and

I'd Rather B Birdin.

Just a few random photos.

Yellow-bellied greenbul (Chlorocichla flaviventris) seen at Chobe, Northern Botswana by my friend Christelle.  Apparently rarely seen though often heard.

At home in France, the house sparrows (Passer domesticus) are bathing in the stone ashtray which I keep full of water...

Thinking of joining in....

No there really is not room for two!!

I am really not sure how often I can post over the next few months.  We are off to South Africa early October, then when we return mid-November Christmas will be looming and we will most likely have to plan a trip to the UK.  Added to that I will have to go through a lot of photos before posting once again.  If I can I will post, but it is not going to be easy.

Joining up with

Wild Bird Wednesday

and

I'd Rather B Birdin.

16/08/2019 A few rushed photos as very busy here.

Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) looking at an interesting stick...

Hmmm maybe I would like this....

Yes, this could be useful I will take it away.....

Nest building in August?, maybe he knows something I don't!!!

Great tit (Parus major).

House sparrows (Passer domesticus) taking a bath.

House sparrow (Passer domesticus) female.

I will be away for the next fortnight plus, see you when I return. Sadly not birding!!

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Wild Bird Wednesday

and

I'd Rather B Birdin.

Here and there!

My friend Christelle is taking photos at the present time in Botswana and these are a few of her shots, but not to be totally outdone, there are four at the end taken in and around our garden in France.

Burchell's coucal (Centropus burchellii)...

as above...

As above.

Crested francolin (Dendroperdix sephaena).

African darter (Anhinga rufa), sometimes called the snakebird...

as above...

As above.

The White-browed robin-chat (Cossypha heuglini), also known as Heuglin's robin.

White-crowned lapwing, white-headed lapwing, white-headed plover or white-crowned plover (Vanellus albiceps)...

See above.

Back home in France not to be outdone by the above....

Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) on the house roof...

as above on the cable over the house.

Little Owl (Athene noctua) on the neighbour's barn, the moon was just an extra bonus...

A slightly closer look.

Joining up with

Wild Bird Wednesday

and

I'd Rather B Birdin.