Laughing Dove (Stigmatopelia senegalensis)

This Laughing Dove became a pet of mine after I found her as a baby, where the Fiscal Shrike had dropped her on the lawn, obviously intent on spiking her in his pantry for a later-in-the-day-snack. I have often watched, helplessly, as the Fiscal Shrike raids nests and carries off the newly hatched babies. 

  The raised wing is saying "keep away!"

 I named her Flutterby' and she lived with us in the house, only venturing out the door when she saw me going out, happily sitting on my shoulder as I tended to things in the garden. As she slowly gained more confidence, she spent more and more time outside, only coming in to roost at dusk, but eventually she started staying out at night, harassing me for seeds first thing in the morning as I left the house.

 Flutterby contentedly roosting on a rock and watching me digging in my new garden.

We sold that smallholding we were living on and I managed to catch her before we moved, bringing her up to our new property, where I kept her inside for a couple of days before allowing her to go outside. She now happily lives in my new garden and I've watched her and her new husband rear many babies. 

Flutterby preening herself before settling down to roost. 

The Laughing Doves are regular visitors to my feed tables, but gentle creatures that they are, they always seem to be the last allowed to feed, with the Weavers and Red Bishops leading the pack, making sure nobody gets close until they've had their fill. 

I have now resorted to spreading the feeding tables all over the garden, as well as putting some seeds on the ground, out of the way where it's easy for the Laughing Doves to also get something. 

The infamous but lovable Fiscal Shrike having some minced meat at one of my feeding tables. 

If you look closely, you can see a mouse that the Fiscal Shrike spiked on a branch in my peach tree. She is a fearsome little predator that will pluck the eye out a fully grown bird if they're not aware! Besides insects, they will hunt fledglings, birds, lizards, frogs and mice.

Another mouse spiked on one of the thorns of the White Karee


(See another one of the Fiscal Shrike's larders here.)

The Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) is a small pigeon that is a resident breeder in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East east to the Indian Subcontinent. This small long-tailed dove is found in dry scrub and semi-desert habitats where pairs can often be seen feeding on the ground. A rufous and black chequered necklace gives it a distinctive pattern and is also easily distinguished from other doves by its call. 

It is a common and widespread species in scrub, dry farmland and habitation over a good deal of its range, often becoming very tame, often to its own detriment as it always waits to the last minute before taking flight, making it easy prey for predators. The laughing dove feeds primarily on seeds, but it also eats other vegetable matter, such as fruit, as well as small insects, particularly termites. It typically takes fallen seeds and fruit from the ground, although occasionally it may pluck and eat fruit while perched. They actually often make use of my feeding tables provided access is fairly easy.

 Although the laughing dove typically occurs individually or in pairs, it may gather in flocks at watering points, roosting spots, or where there is an abundance of food. At such feeding sites, hooting and moaning can be heard as the laughing doves bicker over the food. Sometimes I think they get very little to eat while they are so busy worrying about who else wants to eat! 

A fledgling that hatched this spring in my garden. Where there's one, there's usually another one and it wasn't long before I found him in the Black Karee next to the peach tree

 

These doves are monogamous and only have one partner and will tend to return to the same nesting site year after year. It may nest at any time during the year, but peaks in nesting are often recorded in spring, or during the rainy season. Each nest is typically situated on its own, in a fruit tree, but occasionally a few breeding pairs may nest close together. The male laughing dove collects materials for the nest and the female then builds the nest with meticulous care and despite its flimsy appearance it can last a couple of seasons. The female lays two eggs and both the male and female take turns to incubate the eggs for up to two weeks.

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A bath and a clean nest

After Kiep's broodiness finished a couple of days ago, I decided she needed a bath after sitting on her golfball for almost a month. She looked decidedly drab and worse for the wear and needed a bit of special TLC.

I prepared some luke warm water in a tub and put her in. At first she struggled a bit (it was her first bath ever), but the minute she felt the warmth of the water, she actually lay down! I gently shampooed her back, chest and vent area, careful not to ruffle her feathers too much. 

I remembered using vinegar as a youngster to rinse my hair after a wash when we'd run out of conditioner and it always left my hair soft and shiny. So, after a first rinse, I transferred Kiep to another tub with a bit of vinegar in the water, gave her a good rinsing, dried her gently with a towel and then used the hair dryer to get her nice and dry. I was a bit worried about the noise of the hair dryer, but she seemed to enjoy it, fluffing up her feathers to let in the hot air. 

Kiep sunning herself in the bathroom court-yard 

After she was all nice and dry, and oh so extremely soft and fluffy! we went out into the bathroom court-yard, where she spent a while preening and getting her feathers in the correct order again and when she was ready, I led her out to the main garden where she immediately rushed up to Artemis, greeting him with some wing-flapping and a lot of prancing around. 

Kiep meeting up with Artemis after her bath 

Spending some time with Artemis in the garden after a nice warm bath

Now it was time to also clean out her nest-box, which is on top of one of my art tables in my studio. I cleaned out the box thoroughly, put in fresh grass and then placed it back, all nice and clean. 

Later in the morning she strutted into my studio to deliver her breakfast, but it turned into a big to-do. She took one look at the nest and, horrified, she proceeded to unpack all the grass and then putting it back to her liking before settling down to the serious job of laying the egg! 

 Her eggs are different after this last broody incident, much bigger and not so white, more brown. My little girl is growing up now… 

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Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

Barn Owl (Tyto alba) 

Afrikaans : Nonnetjie-uil 

The Barn Owl (Tyta alba) is a frequent visitor to my property and is not shy to hunt in broad daylight. I often see one pouncing on something in the long grass during the day, flying off with its prize, probably to feed some babies. 

Ghostly pale and (not) strictly nocturnal, Barn Owls (Tyto alba) are silent predators of the night world. Lanky, with a whitish face, chest, and belly, and buffy upperparts, this owl roosts in hidden, quiet places during the day. By night, they hunt on buoyant wingbeats in open fields and meadows. You can find them by listening for their eerie, raspy calls, quite unlike the hoots of other owls. Despite a worldwide distribution, Barn Owls are declining in parts of their range due to habitat loss. I for one do not see them as often as I used to. 

 

Barn Owls love to use man-made structures to build their nests and are very partial to nest boxes one supplies. I’ve always had a box or two in my garden but, sadly to say, the weather has taken it’s toll on them and seeing as I’m past the stage of climbing trees to put one up, it’ll have to wait until I find someone young and agile to do the job for me! 

Once welcomed by farmers as one form of pest control, the population is now under threat from modern farming techniques, e.g. the destruction of hedgerows and meadowland, which affect their prey, the removal of old barns & buildings, which were their nesting places and the use of chemicals to control rodents. 

The Owl Rescue Centre is the only raptor centre in South Africa that primarily focus on owl species. They give all their time and attention to owl species because of the high mortality rate of owls in South Africa, making owls vulnerable to a decreasing population. They rehabilitate and release 200 – 250 Spotted Eagle Owls, 100 – 150 Barn Owls and 80 -100 other owl species each year.

SHOULD YOU FIND AN OWL THAT YOU SUSPECT MIGHT BE INJURED, PLEASE CALL THEM ON 082 719 5463 (24/7 emergency line – South Africa)

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Feeder Tweeter - The ultimate bird table

I need one of these!

The Feeder Tweeter - It’s autonomous, it’s solar-powered, it feeds, it photographs, it tweets images when a bird comes to feed, and it’s open source.

A PIR (passive infra-red) sensor detects when a bird lands at the table to feed, and triggers the camera. Photographs are then uploaded to Twitter. PIR’s a great choice here because it only responds to warm-body heat; if a leaf blows in front of the assembly, nothing will trigger, but if a toasty-warm little bird stops by for some seed, the sensor will detect it, and set off the camera.

Read more at Raspberry Pi

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The simplicity of Nature

“Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy.” 

― Isaac Newton 

The Magalies River. Pic taken at Magaliespark, North-West Province, South Africa.

Nature has a great simplicity and, therefore, a great beauty. 

Many people find their greatest peace and serenity in nature. The natural world is exactly what it needs to be, no more and no less. There is no excess or clutter or a lack of organization in nature. Every rock, tree, drop of water, leaf, piece of sand and animal plays its part in nature with no thought as to whether they will match the local terrain or whether they will need extra storage to have all the things they want to have. 

A walk in the woods in the fall, or in the mountains by a bubbling stream, or by the roaring ocean can bring a new perspective into your own life and how it is affected by its surroundings. Our own living spaces should give us the same feeling that we get from being in the outdoors. Peace, quiet, and the time to reflect on our place in this world.

The benefits of nature is to experience the magnificent expressions of nature, who is our greatest teacher. She teaches us to experience and embrace the present moment, expand our deep appreciation and gratitude for all of life and deepen our love for self and other. Nature provides a feeling of full connectedness and aliveness with all, for all and stillness and a peaceful state of being. 

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Marog (Amaranth)

Here in South Africa we have a weed-type of plant growing wild all over the country-side which has been harvested for centuries by the indigenous people and referred to as "Morogo" (Tswana for vegetables). The finished preparation is almost like eating spinach, but has a less smooth and less bitter taste and is absolutely gorgeous prepared with potatoes and onions. As kids, my mom used to send us out into the veld to go and pick Marog and I used to take a huge basket to fill. And then I couldn't wait for supper-time!

Marog leaves must be cooked on the same day as it is picked and is super-easy to prepare:

- Cook the leaves in boiling water
- Add tomatoes and onions or potatoes and onions
- Flavour the dish with salt and pepper.

Image from 'EarthWeeds'

Amaranth bears edible, protein rich seeds and flour ground from these seeds mixes well with cereal flours and increses the protein content.

These days it seems harder and harder to find Marog in the veld, probably due to much of the land around here being developed for other crops, but luckily one can buy seed packs, so that's next on my list for my vegetable garden! I've read that planting can commence as soon as the minimum temperature stays above 16°C and can continue during the summer months up to 2 months prior to the onset of frost.

Seeds are sown shallowly in rows. These rows should be 1,5 m apart. Cover lightly using a rake. The seeds must be watered twice daily until the seedlings emerge. Seeds can also be planted in seed trays. Transplant them after approximately 4 weeks when the plants should be about 15 cm tall. Transplant into rows 1,5 m apart and with a spacing of 30 cm in the row.

Weeding is essential until the plants are well established. Insects cannot be controlled chemically because the crop is harvested regularly and it could result in people getting poisoned. So I will also be planting Marigolds between my Marog as they control a wide spectrum of insects.

Once you have it in your garden all you need to do is allow it to set seed and you will always have a fresh supply starting in early spring.

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Food from trees - The Waterberry

 (Syzigium cordatum - a.k.a Umdoni)

Our indigenous trees in South Africa are a good source of food; they’re both beautiful, and bountiful.

Wild fruits have an exceptionally high vitamin C content – partly what makes them so acid – and sometimes a high protein, fat, carbohydrate or mineral content.

Global warming and climate change are topics that are repeatedly discussed in the media and amongst concerned citizens of Planet Earth. And so they should be. Yet too few people seem sufficiently motivated to make a lasting and positive impact on these disturbing trends by changing their lifestyles even a smidgen. It doesn’t have to be a drastic, life-altering change. It can be as simple and rewarding, as planting a tree, or two, or three?

Trees benefit the ecosystems of the world by providing habitats for many creatures that play significant roles in maintaining the balance of nature. They fertilise and look after the soils, absorb massive quantities of carbon dioxide, release life-giving oxygen, and absorb the rainfall and slowly release it back into the atmosphere or into ground water supplies.

They provide the magic, medicine and poison that minister to the mind and spirit of man; fuel, timber, shade and shelter and, not least of all, food provide for the physical body which is, perhaps, more important in the minds of many people.

Our indigenous trees are a source of all these things, but let’s take a look at trees as a potential source of nourishment. Over hundreds of years the wild trees in this country have provided sustenance – the difference between hunger and plenty, life and death, for people and their livestock, and for the wild animals which they hunted and on which they fed. Today, with our so-called sophisticated tastes, many of these tree foods are unappealing to the palate.

The Waterberry is also known as Waterbessie (Afrikaans), umdoni (Xhosa, Zulu), montlho (Northern Sotho) and (more technically) Syzigium cordatum. The fruits grow in profusion on these rather splendid trees.

The fruits are surprisingly sweet when ripe ones and sour and tangy before reaching their prime.

Syzigium cordatum – the Waterberry tree – belongs to the family Myrtaceae along with the various guavas, pomegranates and Australian gums. Most people are also familiar with the common Eugenia used as a hedging plant. We’ve all used allspice and cloves in the kitchen. These are the aromatic fruits and flower buds respectively of other members of this same family, and which have great commercial value in Asia.

The Waterberry is an evergreen, water-loving tree occurring fairly widely in South Africa and in a wide range of habitats ranging from forest margins, along water courses, in open bush and rocky outcrops, and from sea level to altitudes of 1 600 metres. It reaches heights of 12 to 18 metres, the larger specimens being found in swamp forests where they have been described as being ‘literally supported on top of quagmires by the tremendous spread of their roots’.

A large 200-year old Waterberry tree at the Waterberry Coffee Shop in Ballito, South Africa. Unfortunately this tree fell over a couple of years ago, crushing half the coffee shop in the process. The theory was that the water-logged ground it was growing in couldn't support its weight any longer. I took this picture a few years ago.

Waterberries are dense with round or spreading canopies and are often more luxuriant at the coast where the air is more humid, and water tables may be higher.

In fact, it is believed that the presence of these trees in the wild indicates the presence of ground water. The blue-green leaves are thick and leathery, well able to tolerate the gale-force winds in the South-Western Cape and new foliage is bright red which adds to the aesthetic appeal of the tree. In the wild, browsing animals such as the Kudu eat the leaves and there are certainly birds such as the Crowned Hornbill which indirectly benefit by feeding off the hairy caterpillars of moths and butterflies that sometimes infest it occasionally.

In early spring and summer the clusters of sturdy buds at the ends of the branches burst into creamy-white or pink flowers which drop their petals very quickly leaving little puffs of stamens. The flowers have a delicate scent, produce large amounts of nectar and provide a good food source for bees and other insects. In late summer and autumn, the fleshy, deep pink to purple berries ripen, each one with one pip and these provide food for humans and a variety of animals including monkeys, birds, tortoises and mice.

This tree is perhaps one of the most useful in our arboreal anthology:

- It provides nesting sites and habitats for a variety of wild life.

- Its bark provides a reddish-brown or orange dye, is used as an emetic and to treat stomach complaints and diarrhoea.

- Powdered bark is also used as a fish poison. The leaves and roots are used for treating respiratory ailments and tuberculosis.

- The timber is heavy and hard, strong and elastic with a beautiful grain and, after seasoning in water, has been used for beams and rafters, furniture, boat building and fuel.

It is purportedly strongly fire-resistant: perhaps we should be planting more of it as fire-breaks in vulnerable areas.

(All photographs taken in my garden)

Source Biophile Magazine Issue 16

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September inspiration

Never yet was there a springtime, when the buds forgot to bloom. 

— Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

The 1st of September is officially Spring in South Africa and although all the signs of spring are there  — peach trees full of blossoms, Tiger grass and other plants pushing out new green shoots — today is  one of the coldest days of the past winter with temperatures at -2℃ early this morning and not going much above 10℃. Hopefully this will be the last of the cold and it's forth into summer from here on!

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Wishing you a beautiful Spring season!

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Green living

You might think that I — a lifelong nature lover — would automatically have been an environmentalist. But it wasn't until late in my 30's, when I seriously started gardening and saw what chemical insecticides, pesticides, herbicides and poisons (like rat poison) were doing to the insects and wildlife, that I became one through and through.

How we choose to manage pests in our yards is important for our families, our community and our environment. Some pesticides can cause accidental injury or death to non-target species such as aquatic organisms, birds, mammals and beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies. Micro-organisms in your lawn and garden can also be harmed, reducing their ability to enrich the soil and provide nutrients for plants.

This led me to even worry about all the toxic and dangerous chemicals I'd also been using in my home without ever thinking twice. I started seeing the build-up of fabric softeners in our septic tanks, causing thick cakes of oily, creamy fabric softener to block up the whole tank, preventing water from seeping away and spilling over. The constant use of bleach was killing all the necessary bacteria needed to keep septic tanks clean and chemical drain cleaners to eliminate smell also killed any useful bacteria that was not already dead.

I turned to replacing all those chemicals with more natural products, some of which I though up myself using common sense, some of which was passed on by friends.

Vinegar, baking soda and hot water is just about all one needs. Baking soda cleans, deodorizes, softens water and scours (goodbye to Vim!). I use vinegar to disinfect my animal water bowls and it also removes the scale build-up on bowls.

To clean my drains, I mix 1/2 cup salt in 4 liters water of hot water and pour down the drain. For stronger cleaning, I pour about 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain, then 1/2 cup vinegar. The resulting chemical reaction can break fatty acids down into soap and glycerine, allowing the clog to wash down the drain. After 15 minutes, pour in boiling water to clear residue.

Instead of spraying my chicken coops with dangerous insecticides, I spray with vinegar and sprinkle diatomaceous earth all over the coop, even on my chickens, for fleas, lice, mosquitoes and other harmful insects. I also make a potpourri out of various herbs which helps keeping the goggos at bay as well as impart a lovely smell to the coop when it gets trampled by the chickens.

Another natural control is a soap solution which can be used to wash leaves and eliminate pests and diseases. A natural fungicide can be made from one tablespoon each of baking soda and horticultural oil diluted in four liters of water and sprayed on leaves

For many home-cleaning chores, you can make your own cleaning products out of inexpensive, easy-to-use natural alternatives :

- Baking Soda - cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours
- Soap - unscented soap in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable and will clean just about anything. Avoid using soaps which contain petroleum distillates
- Lemon - one of the strongest food-acids, effective against most household bacteria
- Borax - (sodium borate) cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water, cleans wallpaper, painted walls and floors
- White Vinegar - cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up
- Washing Soda - or SAL Soda is sodium carbonate decahydrate, a mineral. Washing soda cuts grease, removes stains, softens water, cleans wall, tiles, sinks and tubs. Use with care, as washing soda can irritate mucous membranes. Do not use on aluminum.
- Cornstarch - can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs
- Citrus Solvent - cleans paint brushes, oil and grease, some stains. (Citrus solvent may cause skin, lung or eye irritations for people with multiple chemical sensitivities.)

All-Purpose Cleaner:
Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda (or 2 teaspoons borax) into 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water. Store and keep. Use for removal of water deposit stains on shower stall panels, bathroom chrome fixtures, windows, bathroom mirrors, etc

Air Freshener
Commercial air fresheners mask smells and coat nasal passages to diminish the sense of smell. Here are some natural air freshener alternatives :

• Baking soda or vinegar with lemon juice in small dishes absorbs odors around the house
• Having houseplants helps reduce odors in the home
• Prevent cooking odors by simmering vinegar (1 tbsp in 1 cup water) on the stove while cooking. To get such smells as fish and onion off utensils and cutting boards, wipe them with vinegar and wash in soapy water
• Keep fresh coffee grounds on the counter.
• Grind up a slice of lemon in the garbage disposal
• Simmer water and cinnamon or other spices on stove
• Place bowls of fragrant dried herbs and flowers in room.

A natural laundry detergent can be made by mixing 1 cup liquid soap, 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup borax. Use 1 tbsp for light loads; 2 tbsp for heavy loads. As far as fabric softener is concerned, I don't use it at all - to reduce static cling, dampen your hands, then shake out your clothes as you remove them from the drier. Line-drying clothing is another alternative, saving on electricity as well.

Image from Apartment Therapy

The common Mothball is made of paradichlorobenzene, which is harmful to liver and kidneys. Homemade moth-repelling sachets can be made with lavender, rosemary, vetiver and rose petals. Dried lemon peels are also a natural moth deterrent - simply toss into clothes chest, or tie in cheesecloth and hang in the closet. Cedar oil on an absorbent cloth will also repel moths. I use the aromatic cedar obtainable from many essential oil suppliers.

Image credit 

I've even come upon a shampoo alternative - Sonnet of "In Sonnet's Kitchen" says, " When I found out what was really in shampoo a year and a half ago, I vowed to stop using it and so I switched to the baking soda and vinegar method. Shampoos can contain a lot of harmful ingredients like

• Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (used as a foaming agent in shampoo and is a possible carcinogen)
 • DEA/Diethanolamine (an emulsifying agent that can create carginogenic compounds when combined with other chemicals found in personal care products)
• Parabens (used as preservatives to extend shelf life, but many of these chemicals have been linked to breast cancer)
• Fragrance (the word “fragrance” on a label can mean the presence of over 4,000 separate chemical ingredients; scary!)

Read more at In Sonnet's Kitchen

Finding green products to clean your home and manage your garden is easier than you think. Most products like vinegar, lemon and many more are right under our noses in our closets. So turn to green cleaning and use cleaning solutions and methods that keep our environment healthy.

Green living is a lifestyle choice. Green living is simple -- just a few small changes can make our lifestyle more eco-friendly and reduce our carbon footprint...

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Toilet rolls and a bird-friendly garden

We all love to hear the sound of birds in the garden and the sight of butterflies, but few of us design a garden that attracts them. The good news is that you don't have to dig out all your roses or other exotic plants in favour of indigenous plants. Just ensure that at least a portion of the garden contains plants and other facilities to encourage urban "wildlife" into the garden.

An excellent way to attract birds to your garden is to offer them food, places to nest, lots of water and a bird bath or two so they can have their daily bath.

Different birds have different food choices. If you offer something for seed eaters, nectar feeders and fruit eaters you're well on your way to providing birds with a welcome habitat as well as hours of enjoyment for yourself.

I'm always thinking of new ways to attract birds and the other day, while I was throwing away yet ANOTHER toilet roll core, I decided that there must be some use for it (I already use them in various ways around the house - to store used wrapping paper, as a hold-all for my art equipment and storing computer cables, an idea I found on the internet). I already had a jug of seeds for the bird tables in my hand, so off to the kitchen I went, smeared some honey all over the core and rolled it in some seeds and voila! a lovely snack ready to be pushed over a twig on a tree for the birds to enjoy!

 Toilet roll cores snipped on one edge, folded open and stuck onto a board - perfect for all my art brushes and pens and pencils

Another useful idea for all those toilet roll cores!

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