Nature is waking up!

Finally the garden is waking up! The first sign that winter was at an end, was the bright splashes of the Clivias, they looked stunning in the shade, providing much-needed colour. Many succulents are also advertising the advent of Spring, some of them flowering for the first time since I acquired them.

My Pleiospilos nelli flowering for the first time

All the garden birds are also more active - the Masked weavers have started breaking down last year's nests and are gathering strips of weaving material from my Windmill Palm. The Fiscal Shrike probably already has her first brood, as she has started following me around the garden, begging for some minced meat, which I duly put out on the feeding table for her. I haven't seen them much most of the winter, was wondering if they're still around. 

My Robbie (Cape Robin-chat) seems to have disappeared, haven't seen him or his wife around at all. Even all my calling has been to no avail. This is very sad for me, I loved having him around and visiting me in the house to get a tit-bit. But ever since the Karoo Thrush attacked him inside my house, nothing's been the same. He started keeping to himself on the edges of the garden until this past summer, when he disappeared completely. I am SO hoping that he'll be back...

So, as they say, Spring is time for pink wine, working in the garden, time for love and new beginnings, cleaning out the cupboards (been there, done that), shopping (not really my thing), getting into shape for summer (not really my thing either!), and time for change. Change is good. I like change. So my resolution for this spring is to work more in the garden, change things around a bit, get my succulents in order (I need to start a succulent garden, I've got far too many in pots!) and clean out the wildlife pond.

What will you be doing this Spring?

The Cape Robin in my house

Camera : Canon EOS 550D
Taken in my kitchen yesterday morning 5.23am

I have this Obsessive Compulsive Cape Robin (Cossypha caffra) that has decided that my kitchen is the best place here in Tarlton (South Africa). He also wanders through the house as if he’s been doing it his whole life. And no, he’s not a pet, but I have named him Robbie.

He arrived in my garden early in 2012 and little did I know that he’s a totally peculiar character – he actually seems to prefer the indoors to the out-doors. Entering through the front door which is always open, he’ll spend hours wandering from room to room, sometimes walking, sometimes flying. His favourite spot, however, is standing in front of my stainless steel dustbin in the kitchen, flying up at his reflection, as one sees birds doing to motor car mirrors, coming back frequently from his other trips through the house to once again challenge himself in the shiny dustbin.

He has learnt what my whistle means when I fill the bird feeders and I can now actually whistle from anywhere inside the house and he will actually come in and have a look if anything is on offer. I specially put minced meat on a plate for him in the kitchen and he visits throughout the day, having his fill and finishing the lot. And for months now I’ve been trying to get a picture of him in the house and finally, yesterday morning, he posed for me in the kitchen!

 I feel absolutely blessed that he has chosen my home to be peculiar in and last year he acquired a wife, both who often visit my kitchen now.

The Cape Robin is 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.

Robbie sitting on one of the rafters in the lounge. It was pretty dark and as I was trying to focus, my zoom lens was chattering and whirring and pulling in and out, trying to focus, and by the time I had captured this, he had flown into the kitchen.

Robbie sitting on my Victorian Balloon-back chair

 Robbie merrily singing his song while I'm taking photos!

By the way, although Blogger says, "You may upload multiple files at once" and I have never been successful with that and it is now taken me longer than if I had just done it one-by-one! Aaaargh!

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