Friday, August 03, 2007

Moholoholo Rehab center for birds & animals

Moholoholo is a 40min. drive from home. Here you can have vultures sitting on your arm while feeding them. Have a Yellow bill Kite sit on your head. Except for the other animals you can touch, you'll learn about the explanation of the links in the ecosystem of vultures, Hiena's and predators.

Day visit to nearby Kruger Park

Highlight of today's visit wasn't a bird but a pride of 7 lions who killed a Giraffe! It is always a hair raising experience to see them so close up. Those yellow eyes looking right through you.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Our mountain


The northern Drakensberg mountain passing behind our house and home of the rare Taita Falcon that nests here.

Saturday, July 07, 2007

The pond area is getting more covered and bushy. More and more birds utilize the pond to drink and bath. An African Pygmy Kingfisher stayed here the whole summer and I had to stock up with small fishes from the nearby dam every now and then.
The garden is coming on great! While the lawn is establishing itself I am adding some endemic trees all around the house and some flowering crawlers on the fences to attrack sunbirds.














Some special visitors to the garden: The Gymnogene has been hunting almost weekly among the acacia's, especially at the squirrel hole in front of the house, but no luck so far. I think the hole, on the left of the larger tree trunk, is to deep.
The White helmeted Shrikes and all three- yellow, red and grey-billed hornbills frequent the jackalberry tree.
The grey-headed bush shrike has been very active all around the garden this winter calling most of the day.