I'm serious, stay away!

We were feeding the Ostriches on a recent visit to 'Rustig', a resort with various wild animals and hiking trails up the mountain, not far from Magaliesburg in Skeerpoort (Gauteng, South Africa) and this male put up a spectacular show of protecting his females, ignoring our offerings and charging the fence from time-to-time, a real force to be reckoned with! 

Every now and then he would nonchalantly pretend to be pecking at something on the ground, a ruse that worked a few times, but when the unsuspecting victim got closer, his attitude changed completely! In one instance, an elderly gentleman almost got his ear pecked off! 

This is one of his beautiful ladies he was protecting, a gentle gal with gorgeous long eyelashes who was delighted with the offerings of corn and seeds.

Camera : Fuji FinePix 2800Zoom 

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African Leopard {Panthera pardus}

Black Pilot FineLiner ink sketch and W&N watercolour on Amedeo 200gsm   

An African Leopard sunning himself on some rocks. Powerful, graceful and arguably one of the most beautiful of all the large cats, the elusive leopard is a master of stealth and survival. I myself have only seen a Leopard twice in my life, once in the Kruger National Park and once on a private game reserve and in both instances he would have gone unnoticed if not pointed out by the guide.   

In the Cape Province south of the Orange River (South Africa), they have been largely eradicated by stock farmers except in rugged mountainous areas. The Cape Leopard that lives in the Cape mountain range is much smaller than its big cousins in the Limpopo region. Their diet is probably the contributing factor, consisting mostly of dassies and much smaller prey. 

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The leopard lingered in the sun 

Almost at close of day, 

With all its hours almost done 

And fast to ebb away... 

The leopard let his memories 

Remind him now and then, 

Because he knew each day must cease 

When moonlight shone again.   

This day had seen new life, new death, 

That's how time passes by... 

We understand while we draw breath 

Until our final sigh... 

The leopard knew his time was near, 

Just like the sun above, 

Yet leopards are not prone to fear, 

That's why they still share love...   

His cubs were waiting down below, 

As he watched like a king... 

To see time like a river flow 

To outlive everything... 

Some day his cubs would watch in turn, 

As their cubs played a while... 

With each new day something to learn... 

Some joy to raise a smile... 

(The poem is based on the magnificent painting by Stephen Gayford called 'Leopard Sunset'.) 

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I'll wait for your return...

Picture from Warwick Tarboton 

 For the past week or so my Greater Striped Swallows have been getting increasingly more restless until, finally, this morning they were gone - mother, father and two babies. Nobody to greet me on the bathroom wall, no twittering and chattering coming from the TV satellite dish, no more watching them throwing their little heads back and uttering their little gurgling song... I DO wish them a safe journey to their summer destination and I will expectantly be waiting for their return in September.... 

The Greater Striped Swallow (Hirundo cucullata syn. Cecropis cucullata) is a large swallow. It breeds in Southern Africa, arriving from its central African non-breeding grounds around July-August in the Limpopo Province, Western and Eastern Cape. It reaches Swaziland, Botswana, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal during September-October, eventually leaving the region around April-May. 

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The last Cosmos of the Season

The show of Cosmos next to the roads in our area hasn't been that great this year and now, as the flowers start to wane, the insects are making the most of the last pollen and the Autumn sunshine. Soon all that will be left is the yellowing leaves and dry stalks. 

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But I've been lucky - the birds carried a Cosmos seed into my garden and I've got this one, very tall plant that, even though it fell over because it is so tall, has blessed me with a couple of beautiful flowers. 

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It IS something to own a Pheasant

Through the uncut grass on the elm's hill 

It is something to own a pheasant, 

Or just to be visited at all. 

Across the garden 

now beneath the bird food 

You peck your lordly selfish portion, 

Chest out, head back, all colours blazing. 

Your Lady Hen still follows meekly to the fare 

- Unknown 

My Pheasant sitting on a rock on my patio 

John, from Midmarsh Jottings's wonderful post on the visitors to his garden, in particular the Pheasant, reminded me to post a picture of my Pheasant, which we rescued from somebody trying to sell him for the pot. This is an introduced species into South Africa, probably from the U.K., where it is also a non-native bird that was first introduced by the Normans in the 11th century as a game bird. Here in South Africa they are sold as pets and kept as ornamentals in Aviaries. 

Even though he would wait at the front door for his daily tit-bits and even venture into the lounge, he never really got very tame and would spend most of his day skulking under the shrubs in my garden with his female, who only ever ventured out once the coast was clear and not a soul in sight. They spent many wonderful years with me and unfortunately the male died of something unidentified and the female took wing shortly after that. 

The Congo peafowl is Africa's only true native pheasant, according to the Arkive website. This bird, discovered in 1936, lives only within the Congo rainforest region. 

A pair of Congo Peafowl at Antwerp Zoo Photograph from Wikipedia  

Henry skulking around the garden 

Henry and his female in the garden 

The very elusive female Pheasant 

Henry softly calling to his female to come and check out his chosen spot 

 Henry running for cover as the gardener approaches

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