Mommy Bobby and her clutch of 10

“Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral.”

- Unknown

Day 1

Mommy Bobby, one of Solly's hens, chose to make her nest under a truck canopy lying on the lawn in the workshop area of our business, waiting to be fitted on one of the trucks, snugly out of the rain and harm's way. For three weeks the workshop staff waited impatiently (upon my strict threats that the canopy was not to be touched!) as Bobby sat on her clutch of 12 eggs, fluffing herself to double her normal size should anybody dare to come near. 

Then, at about 11am one morning, she triumphantly emerged from under-neath the canopy, keeping her brood of 10 close to her side, much to the pleasure and relief of all in the workshop, who immediately got to work moving the canopy, now leaving Bobby and her brood totally homeless! 

Now I know I was supposed to do this long before the time, but Solly and I quickly scrambled to erect a make-shift new home for them, finishing the coup that same afternoon. At about 4pm, we slowly herded them towards their new home, securely fenced, protected against the rain and a large area where they stayed for about a week before I opened the gate and introduced them to the garden. Now they spend their days happily scratching around in the garden before she leads them home back to the coup at about 4.30pm every day. 

I’m really enjoying having chickens in my garden once more after an absence of almost 2 years! 

Day 7 

Quick make-shift home for Bobby and her clutch 

Bobby seeking safety inside the chicken coup while Chrissie, my gardener, was mowing the lawn 

Happily playing in the garden 

Mommy Bobby and the brood’s new home – 

I placed an old garden table and chairs in their area, where I do some sketching of them, what a job, they’re never still for a moment! 

Camera : Kodak EasyShare C195

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Dainty but strong

I have one lonely Cosmos plant that took root in my garden, and then fell over because it was so tall and heavy that it needed to be propped up. I thought it wouldn't flower after falling over, but it did produce a whole bunch of flowers, obviously much loved by these pesky beetles that eat holes in every flower they find. 

Interesting info : Historians believe that the seeds of the flower, originally from Mexico, were brought in with bags of horse-feed for the English troops during the Anglo-Boer War. 

Camera: Kodak EasyShare C195 

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Another breeding season starts

Another breeding season starts for the faithful Black (Vereaux’s) Eagles 

 

Fifteen eagle-generations have passed since the Black eagles (Verreaux’s eagles) were discovered in the Garden and they are again faithfully preparing their nest for another generation to come. According to some sources the Black eagles are thought to have occupied the Waterfall for over 40 years, long before the Garden was established. 

Over the past 30 years Emoyeni, the female, has produced a chick every second year or even annually at times. 

 Mating usually takes place after nest building has been in progress for some time and is not a certain sign that the female will lay, or that nest building will proceed to the eggcup stage. Mating occurs often after both birds have fed and can occur many times in one day. Laying occurs towards the end of April or early May, if the female is spending long periods of time on the nest. Two eggs are usually laid 4 days apart. After an incubation period of 44 to 45 days, the eggs hatch, but only one chick is likely to make it to adulthood. 

The Black Eagle is one of Africa’s largest and most spectacular eagles. It is big and powerful with a wingspan that measures more than two meters. This enables them to fly at high altitudes without flapping their wings, thus saving them energy. A breeding pair remains faithful to one another for as long as they live. 

(Info from the Botanical Gardens Newsletter - May 2012)

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The feeder is full

Lovely Autumn days here in South Africa and the birds are having a jolly time in the garden! Their chattering is a constant reminder of how full of joy life is, and gratitude for the sunshine we so take for granted.... 

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The feeder is full 

Overflowing with seeds 

Little birds gather 

Up high in the trees 

Jump, skip and hop 

They fly down to see 

A glorious feast 

Offered to thee 

Chirping and singing 

They fly away quick 

Swooping and flinging 

They peck and they pick 

 Puffed up and content 

They return to the trees 

Watching the feeder 

For the return of the seeds 

- Written by Sarah Sabatini 

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Just one sweet little bird...

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Just one sweet little bird 

sitting on an almost-bare bough 

leaves having already scattered 

in autumn's breeze. 

A little gift from Mother nature, 

one tiny jewel 

nestled in it's nest 

of fallen yesterdays 

- The Blue Muse 

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My Fiscal Shrike's youngster patiently waiting while Mom collects some minced meat from the bird feeder. 

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Super Moon!

Skywatcher Tim McCord of Entiat, Washington caught this amazing view of the March 19, 2011 full moon - called a supermoon because the moon was at perigee, the closest point to Earth in its orbit - using a camera-equipped telescope. CREDIT: Tim McCord 

Skywatchers take note: The biggest full moon of the year is due to arrive this weekend. The moon will officially become full Saturday (May 5, 2012) at 11:35 p.m. EDT. And because this month's full moon coincides with the moon's perigee — its closest approach to Earth — it will also be the year's biggest. 

The moon will swing in 221,802 miles (356,955 kilometers) from our planet, offering skywatchers a spectacular view of an extra-big, extra-bright moon, nicknamed a supermoon. 

And not only does the moon's perigee coincide with full moon this month, but this perigee will be the nearest to Earth of any this year, as the distance of the moon's close approach varies by about 3 percent, according to meteorologist Joe Rao, SPACE.com's skywatching columnist. This happens because the moon's orbit is not perfectly circular. 

This month's full moon is due to be about 16 percent brighter than average. In contrast, later this year on Nov. 28, the full moon will coincide with apogee, the moon's farthest approach, offering a particularly small and dim full moon. 

Though the unusual appearance of this month's full moon may be surprising to some, there's no reason for alarm, scientists warn. The slight distance difference isn't enough to cause any earthquakes or extreme tidal effects, experts say. 

However, the normal tides around the world will be particularly high and low. At perigee, the moon will exert about 42 percent more tidal force than it will during its next apogee two weeks later, Rao said. 

The last supermoon occurred in March 2011. 

To view this weekend's super moon to best effect, look for it just after it rises or before it sets, when it is close to the horizon. There, you can catch a view of the moon behind buildings or trees, an effect which produces an optical illusion, making the moon seem even larger than it really is. 

Info from Space.com  

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The Language of Birds

A Red Bishop I sketched in my garden a couple of years ago - done in one of my Nature Journals 

The “language of birds” has many names; some call it the “Language of the Gods”, others the “Green language”. Some have described the “language of birds” as “the tongue of Secret Wisdom." Its vocabulary is myth. Its grammar is symbolism. 

But what is “bird language”? On first inspection, it would be the language that the birds use to communicate amongst themselves. It is a language the birds understand, but we humans do not. To many, the language of birds is therefore nothing more or less than a series of secret codes and phrases, which pass by in daily conversation, except for those with ears that “hear”.

"Hearing" the birds in your garden is a wonderful past-time. By listening carefully, and regularly, you will soon understand each innuendo, each call, each tweet and twitter. I know exactly when my birds are warning me of an intruder in the garden, when there is danger in the air or when they're purely singing for the joy of it. I also know their mating calls, I know when there's a strange bird in my garden and I know their call when they are looking for one another. Most heart-warming is hearing a fledgling calling its parents from the ground, and their response, as they find him and carry him a little snack. 

C'mon, listen to the birds in your garden, or wherever you are, and discover a wonderful world of communication, excitement and a better story than the Joneses next door! 

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May Gifts

Inspirational words on a textured back-ground by Kim Klassen 

May. A soft syllable, a gentle name for the best month in the garden year: cool, misty mornings gently burned away with a warming autumn sun, followed by breezy afternoons and chilly nights.  

Aaah, the changing seasons! How I LOVE May! Balmy Autumn days, sitting out on the patio with a cup of tea watching the birds as they revel in the perfect weather! And this is the one month where we seem to be one with the rest of the world - while the Northern Hemisphere is rejoicing in spring, it seems as if we, here in South Africa, have been given a second spring, gently easing into the colder months to come. The discussion of philosophy is over; it's time for work to begin! 

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I had a Dove ...

A Laughing Dove in my old Peach tree last winter - a tribute to Flutterby, my little pet Laughing Dove that I was blessed enough to have in my life for 6 months before she found her mate and started a family of her own. 

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I had a dove, and the sweet dove died; 

And I have thought it died of grieving: 

Oh, what could it grieve for? 

its feet were tied With a silken thread of my own hands’ weaving. 

Sweet little red feet! Why should you die– 

Why would you leave me, sweet bird! why? 

You lived alone in the forest tree; 

Why, pretty thing! would you not live with me? 

I kiss’d you oft and gave you white peas; 

Why not live sweetly, as in the green trees? 

- John Keats. 

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Ink sketch and Watercolour wash on Visual 200gsm 

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Hedgehogs and fires

Just before Winter in March 2008, Golden Girl and Sethlong had 6 babies, first pink and wrinkly with soft little spines, but soon perfect little replicas of their parents.

Unfortunately, soon after they were weaned, their mother, Golden Girl, died. I found her dead early one morning under some grass and all the babies wandering aimlessly around. I couldn't find any cause of why she had died, no apparent injuries, and up until that time she had seemed perfectly healthy.

Sethlong exploring the new area

I gathered all the babies and Sethlong, the father, and moved them to a new enclosure in my bathroom court yard so that I can keep a closer eye on them. An amazing thing happened, quite contrary to Hedgehog behaviour - Sethlong seemed to take over the care of the youngsters. They would follow him all around the garden and at night I would find all 7 of them huddled together in the same box.

One of the new nesting boxes - the photos were taken at night, so I'm sorry about the quality....

It was quite a business, having to put out 7 food bowls every night, and never being sure whether Sethlong was eating the bulk of the food and whether the babies were getting enough or not.

One evening, I found Sethlong kicking out all the grass out of one of the nest boxes - couldn't figure out a reason, unless he wanted to make a new place for himself...

Sethlong threw most of the grass out of one of the nest boxes ... wonder why?

When the babies were about 12 weeks old, I took them all to our local game reserve (Krugersdorp Game Reserve), where they have a huge 4ha aviary and where I felt they would have enough space to ramble to their hearts content and also be safe from predators and the raging veld fires we experience here in South Africa every Winter.

These fires, besides being necessary for the natural evolution of things, cause massive loss of life amongst small mammals, reptiles and birds every year. Many tortoises, hedgehogs and ground nesting birds fall victim to this phenomena. But on a good note, after the fires have either been extinguished or burnt themselves out, you will see big flocks of egrets, herons and storks foraging around for crispy insects.

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