Birding in Africa
No Comments »9th December, 2011; Category: Non-Australian birds
I am currently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia visiting our daughter who is teaching here. We are living with her on campus at Bingham Academy, a private school in the capital city.
The grounds of the school are extensive and well planted with native and exotic species. We are delighted to feel almost at home because we’ve found many Australian plants included.
I’ve also been doing quite a deal of birding on the campus. So far I’ve seen about 15 different species and all of them are “lifers”, meaning that it’s the first time I’ve seen each species in my life. Probably the most interesting is the Hooded Vulture which frequents the school oval.
I’ve managed to get some good photos of some of the birds, but I won’t be putting these up on this site until I return home. The internet connection here is rather slow to load photos and I’d rather be out and about birding than sitting here at my daughter’s computer waiting for them to load.
In the meantime, I have scheduled photos and articles to appear here over the next few weeks. The articles were prepared before I left.
Good birding.
The little swallow and the big bunyip
Recently fledged Welcome Swallow
A few weeks ago we had a family reunion barbecue at our home for the occasion of my grandson’s 3rd birthday. He was over here from Sydney. Family also came down from the mid north of South Australia for the get together.
Later in the afternoon we had a picnic at Sturt Reserve near the banks of the Murray River here in Murray Bridge. With four children under the age of 9 we thought it good for them to burn off some energy on the playground before they undertook the long journey home.
I took my young nephew on a walk along the river bank. At one point we stopped to watch the local Bunyip – the only specimen of this fearsome mythological creature in captivity. It’s well trained; on inserting a dollar coin in the slot it will rise up out of its watery bed and roar in a frightening way.
While we were watching the monster strut its stuff I was aware of some Welcome Swallows flying in and out of the cage. One swallow was not flying much and I realised it was a recently fledged bird. It posed obligingly for my camera, and watched me from about a metre away.
Bird photography doesn’t get any better than that.
Warning: Don’t get frightened as you scroll down through the photos below because there is a photo of the dreaded Bunyip.
Recently fledged Welcome Swallow
Recently fledged Welcome Swallow
The Bunyip, Sturt Reserve, Murray Bridge, South Australia
A mystery bird at Mannum
2 Comments »3rd December, 2011; Category: Birds
Mystery bird - is it a female Brown Songlark?
On my recent birding trip to Mannum (South Australia) I photographed this mystery bird.
I’m not at all certain what it is. The closest I can come to a reasonable ID is a female Brown Songlark. The colour is right, the markings feasible and size – about the size of a reedwarbler – is also about right. It was about 40 metres from the edge of the Murray River and didn’t give any calls.
Over to my readers for help.
Mystery bird - is it a female Brown Songlark?
Mystery bird - is it a female Brown Songlark?