A distinct advantage of travelling even a short way from one’s home environment is the opportunity to both see and photograph birds other than those which have become familiar as garden birds. Take this Pale Chanting Goshawk, for example. Even though it is endemic to much of South Africa and beyond, it is not a bird I would expect to find in our town for it prefers more arid areas. We always look out for them when travelling through two of our nearest national parks:

Another endemic raptor we are more likely to see out in the country is the Jackal Buzzard, although I have seen one in our garden on rare occasions over the years and once photographed one with an injured leg perched on a street lamp on the road below our house:

It is years since we spotted a Cape Longclaw during walks on the…

Even though I have been extraordinarily busy this month, it has been a particularly satisfying one in terms of bird visiting our garden. One of the loveliest surprises was hearing the beautiful burbling sounds of a Burchell’s Coucal from deep within the foliage: I have yet to see it, but it has clearly made its presence known. Very few African Green Pigeons are left; most have probably sought an easy source of food elsewhere as the figs on the Natal fig tree have almost come to an end. The Olive Thrushes remain welcome visitors to the feeding tray, although a pair of them spend a lot of time chasing each other around the garden – a form of courting? Certainly the weavers think that spring is around the corner and are looking more beautiful every day. The very large flocks of Red-winged Starlings have also diminished along with the plentiful…