Snoodles, a chick with attitude!

Camera : Canon EOS 550D 

Taken in my garden (Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa)

This is Snoodles, the little chick I saved from the dustbin, took her out of the egg in November 2013 and she’s been living with me in my studio. She’s getting to be a big girl now and has already joined all the other girls in the chicken coop.

As soon as Snoodles was big enough, we’d go on field trips through the garden and my wildlife pond area, where she would investigate every nook and cranny, delighting in catching the odd insect. Here she hopped on a rock, chasing after a Dragonfly.

Good luck with that Snoodles!

 Snoodles standing on my computer speaker, taking a peek at what's going on outside

Snoodles taking some time out on the edge of Jacko's chair, much to his disgust!

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The Starling and the Weaver

Yesterday afternoon, while sitting on the patio with a cup of coffee, I saw a bright glint of blue through some plants. I had my camera with me as I had been taking photographs earlier on. I focused on the flash of blue through the plants and to my delight saw this Glossy Starling (Lamprotornis nitens) and a Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus) at one of my bird baths. The Starling seemed to be aware of me, but the Weaver was not perturbed by me or the Starling, hopping into the water and splashing water all over the Starling, who looked like he was also going to hop in, but never got around to it.

The Weaver spent a couple of minutes splashing around before taking off into the trees and settling down to preen himself. The Starling took a couple of drinks of water and also disappeared into the trees, sure that I was spying on him!

 

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♪ ♪ ♪ ♫♫♫♫ Oh, what a beautiful morning!

Camera : Canon EOS 550D 

Taken in my garden (Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa) 

An African Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus) proclaiming his territory, singing to everybody that he has cleared the leaves off these branches for HIS nest. This is HIS spot. Shortly after taking the pick, he flew off in the direction of my bathroom court-yard garden, quickly returning with a long sliver of the Windmill Palm’s leaf and he started construction of his nest.

It wasn’t long before he had the foundations of a brand new home and some ladies were sitting in the sidelines, keeping a keen eye on him. Once the nest is complete, a female will inspect it and if she doesn’t like it, she’ll start tearing it apart, letting him know no uncertain terms that it’s not up to standard! However, should she accept the nest, she will start carrying in feathers, lining it for her eggs.

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Now, where are all the ladies?

A male African masked-weaver (Ploceus velatus) looking around to see if there are any takers for a nest (one of many!) he’s just completed.

These lovely colourful little birds are so prolific in our gardens that we sometimes tend to over-look them. I’ve tried to count the Weavers nesting in my garden but, apart from counting the nests, of which there are sixteen, it’s impossible to keep track of these little busy-bodies! They provide me hours of pleasure, watching them building their nests and their constant squabbling and other antics makes me feel like I'm in primary school with dozens of uncontrolled children!

They are prolific breeders, normally two babies to a nest, two or three times in a season, and with a dozen or more nests in my garden, it's inevitable that there is some tragedy. This summer alone I have picked up six babies that have fallen out of the nest. Usually the injuries sustained just from the fall takes its toll and lying exposed to the elements and the heat for an extended period of time before I happen to find them also contributes to the fatalities. Add to that the impossibility of getting them back into the nest, even if I knew which one they fell out of, makes it impossible to really save any of them.

They have to be prolific breeders as they face many dangers. Heavy winds battering the nests, egg-eating snakes and nest-raiders like the Mynahs cuts heavily into the population.

Also known as the Southern Masked Weaver, it occurs across southern Africa, even in arid areas, extending into Angola, Zambia and Malawi. It generally favours semi-arid scrub, open savannah, woodland edges, riverine thicket, farmland with scattered trees, alien tree plantations and especially gardens. It mainly eats seeds, fruit, insects and nectar, doing most of its foraging in small flocks, gleaning prey from leaves and branches, taking seeds from the ground and grass stems.

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Cape Robin-chat (Cossypha caffra)

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Camera : Canon EOS 550D
Cape Robin-chat in my garden (Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa)
Afrikaans : Gewone janfrederik

My Robin, who comes into my house for snacks of minced meat, has been getting much tamer. Previously he wouldn’t let me photograph him in the garden, taking to the trees every time he sees me, but yesterday he was actually following me as I walked through the garden with my camera and even seemed to be taunting me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cape Robin is a resident breeder in southern and eastern Africa from Kenya south to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. It is a common species at forest edges and in scrub, fynbos, karoo, plantations, gardens and parks.

Until their recent name change, robin-chats were known as Robins, in southern African circles at least. But they are not really Robins at all, being closely related to chats and flycatchers.The name ‘robin’ stems from colonial times when, it seems, the British were obsessed with naming any red- or orange-breasted bird in a new country they settled in after their own beloved robin redbreast. In India and Africa the ‘robin’ is actually a chat, in North America it’s a thrush, and Australian and New Zealand ‘robins’ are members of the flycatcher family

They seem to like human company and have been known to nest in the most peculiar sites - one woman reported a Robin nesting in her handbag in her walk-in cupboard and another reports a Robin nesting in a pot plant in their lounge. My Robbie has been investigating my whole house, walking or flying from room to room, and I've been hoping to one day find a nest somewhere in the house!

(You can read HERE all about my Robin taking up residence in my home)

SOMMIGE noem hom dagbreker, ander weer janfrederik en ander Cape robin of Cossypha caffra. Maak egter nie saak wat hy genoem word nie, want hierdie nimlike voël het al in menige tuinier se hart gaan nesskop. 


Met sy wit wenkbroustreep en sy oranje ``borslappie'' is dit 'n gunsteling onder baie mense wat hou van voëls in en om hul huis.

Die naam dagbreker is sekerlik afgelei van die voël se gewoonte om amper eerste te begin sing in die oggend. Lank voordat die son sy kop uitsteek, basuin hierdie voël sy melodieuse frases luidkeels uit. Die sang begin dikwels met die kenmerkende "jan-fre-de-rik"-frase, waarvandaan die vroeë Nederlandse kolonialiste sy naam afgelei het. Die eerste Britse kolonialiste het terstond die voël Cape Robin gedoop omdat hy hulle seer sekerlik laat dink het aan hul eie robin met sy oranje bors.

Hierdie voël is grootliks insekvretend en sal geduldig sit en wag vir 'n besige tuinier om klaar te skoffel sodat hy by die erd- en ander sappige wurms, ongewerweldes en slakke kan uitkom. Hulle sal ook miere, spinnekoppe en plantluise met groot genot verorber en sodoende jou tuin gesond hou. Die voël sal ook vrugte van inheemse en eksotiese struike en bome eet. Daar is egter iets wat sal maak dat die voël 'n gereelde ``bedelaar'' by jou huis raak: 'n Stukkie gerasperde kaas en meelwurms of maalvleis behoort net die regte manier te wees om dié mooi voël tuis te laat voel en as dit nog op spesifieke tye neergesit word op spesifieke plekke, kan dit selfs vinniger gebeur.

Hulle word baie mak en sal sommer in jou huis instap en opvlieg na die kombuistafel om te kyk of daar nie iets is om te aas nie. Dit laat 'n mens tog onwillekeurig dink aan die gesegde van iemand wat "aasvoël" speel - moes dit nie eerder janfrederik gewees het nie? Solank jy net nie katte het wat daar rondloop nie, kan die voël sommer maklik intrek.

Enige tuin kan 'n paartjie huisves en dit slegs deur toe te sien dat daar genoeg digte struike en bome is waarin hulle kan nes maak. Daar word gewoonlik tussen twee en vier eiers per seisoen gelê en tussen 14 en 18 dae later sal die kleingoed begin smeek om kos. Wanneer hul kuikens uitgebroei het, kan hulle ook gekookte rys gevoer word.

Die jong voël is bruinerig, dofgeel-en-swart gespikkel met die kenmerkende oranjerooi stert met 'n swart gedeelte in die middel.

Maak nie saak wat jy hom noem nie, hierdie mooi voël is 'n uitstekende sanger en kan maklik etlike jare in jou tuin woon en ongekende plesier verskaf, aangesien die voëls tot 17 jaar oud kan word.

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Masked Weaver's nest-building skills

Camera : Canon EOS 550D
Location : In my garden. Tarlton (Gauteng, South Africa)

Since the beginning of summer I've been watching the Southern Masked Weavers (Ploceus velatus) busy building their nests in my garden and it’s been a hive of activity! There were at least ten of them with nests in various stages of construction, with great squabbling going on in between building sessions. This guy seems to be saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day, you know!” I stand amazed at the symmetry and perfection of their work.

Unfortunately they choose the very top of the trees, so a closer shot was not possible.

Swartkeelgeelvink [Afrikaans]

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I think I'll leave a window on this side...

Camera :Canon EOS 550D 

Taken in my garden (Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa)

A male African masked-weaver (Ploceus velatus) in the process of building his nest to attract a female. It was thrilling to watch as he flew to and from the nest, carrying weaving material, inspecting and adjusting with every visit. And in between he would hang from the nest, fluttering his wings to attract the attention of the ladies.

The Southern Masked-Weaver or African Masked-Weaver is an inhabitant of sub-Saharan Africa with a short, conical bill. Adult males in breeding plumage have a black face and throat, red eyes, a bright yellow head and underparts, and yellowish-green upper-parts, whereas females (and non-breeding males) are dull greenish yellow, streaked darker on the upper back, and the throat is yellowish, becoming off-white on the belly, with duller irides. It nests in colonies, like other weavers, and the nests, again like those of other weavers, are woven of reeds, palms or grasses. The Southern Masked-Weaver appears to have established itself locally in parts of northern Venezuela.

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Confused Weaver

It seems this Weaver is wondering, “Now why would she not like this one…?”

Camera : Canon EOS 550D
Taken in my garden (Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa)

A male African masked-weaver (Ploceus velatus) fluttering at his nest trying to attract the attention of a female.

The male builds a nest for a female. If the female does not like the nest, it might not be green enough even though it is newly built, he will tear it down and start over. If she does like the nest, she will line it with grass and feathers, and start raising a family. The male will then try to build a new nest for another female.

The Southern Masked-Weaver or African Masked-Weaver is an inhabitant of sub-Saharan Africa with a short, conical bill. Adult males in breeding plumage have a black face and throat, red eyes, a bright yellow head and underparts, and yellowish-green upper-parts, whereas females (and non-breeding males) are dull greenish yellow, streaked darker on the upper back, and the throat is yellowish, becoming off-white on the belly, with duller irides. It nests in colonies, like other weavers, and the nests, again like those of other weavers, are woven of reeds, palms or grasses. The Southern Masked-Weaver appears to have established itself locally in parts of northern Venezuela.

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