The Feathered Nest - Magaliseberg

Blogging has been a bit slow with the arrival of a baby, however I did manage to sneak off for a few hours birding early one morning when we had a "weekend away" at the Feathered Nest in Magaliseberg (about an hour west of my home in Johannesburg) in June. This is a fantastic spot for observing raptors, like this black sparrowhawk i spotted:


I also followed a group of African Harrier Hawks for a while, these birds are much less skittish than sparrowhawks and let you get quite close:


In two hours of birding i managed to get nice sitings of black and little sparrowhawks, a garbar goshawk, african goshawk, african harrier hawks and many other birds - I also had a most frustrating birding\photography moment. I was trying to get closer to the little sparrowhawks (a notoriously skittish species) but the bird kept eluding me. As I approached a large bush I was using for cover I flushed a hoepoe, suddenly a little sparrowhawk shot out of a tall tree i had just walked past and seized the hoepoe in flight ... while I fumbled with my focus/camera settings missing the shot. Fantastic to see, but i would have really liked to get the aciton on film - oh well - maybe next time!

All in all I really enjoyed the stay. The Feathered Nest also has an Owl sanctuary - while its sad to see these magnificent birds injured and maimed, at least they are well cared for. They had barn, marsh, white faced and spotted eagle owls in care.

Wordless Wednesday - Injisuthi Rainbow Trout

The Rabble

Crested Barbet Using Sisal Nesting Log!

About this time last year I blogged about the crested barbets trying unsucsessully to create a nesting hole in the pine tree accross the road. This year i decided to offer them one of those sisal nesting logs that they sell in nursary's. I had some advise that the nesting log hole should face south and other advise that it should face any direction except south? I decided to compromise and have it facing west! Unfortunatley, the only place I could put the nesting log is quite close to my back window so i did not have too much hope that the birds would make use of it.

So I was delighted to see this sight less than two hours after putting it up! Will keep an eye on him to see how the excavation goes :-)

Amethyst Sunbird

I normally get a smattering of sunbirds in the garden in February to coincide with the "Cigarette Bush (Cuphea micropetal) blooming. This year they have been late in arriving, so i was very happy to spot this little female in fading light as I got home today :)

Wordless Wednesday - Amur Falcon

Little Sparrowhawk

I have had several fleeting glipses of a Little Sparrowhawk around Emmarentia in the last few days, including one lovely siting with the bird flying right over my head - giving me a clear view of the diagnostic yellow eyes and cere. Unfortunately I never seem to have a camera handy when its around! Never-the-less i'm super excited to have this voracious little predator around :)