Off the Beaten Track - August 2011
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We are now well into the dry season with little chance of substantial rain until November. Many trees have lost their leaves and the
available grass is of poor quality so the herbivores are starting to lose condition both here and in neighbouring Kruger National Park. Despite this it looks like we won’t have to
supplement with hay this year in our little wildlife estate. Water as always is of prime importance and our bird baths are now in
constant demand and if not carefully monitored can be emptied in a few seconds by a visiting warthog or large antelope. |
We also put out mixed grain for the birds and each morning the guineafowl and hornbills are waiting (usually not patiently or silently!) at the front door for one of
us to come out with a supply.
The guineafowl flock currently numbers about 50 individuals and we have to wait for them to disperse before
adding more seed or the other birds don’t get a chance to feed! Although a feisty little Crested Francolin pushes the guineafowl around
despite being only about half their size, sometimes pulling at an intruding guinea’s feathers to chase it out of the way. |
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| The hornbills, although not regular seed eaters, pick up individual tiny seeds, toss them into the air and catch them in
their open bills and then quickly grab the next one. We now have three species - Red and Yellow-billed throughout the day, with a less
regular pair of Grey Hornbills (female on left) at the feeding station. |
| We've never seen any of the hornbills drink at the birdbath but the smaller species are in and out on
all day long, sometimes with as many as 30 tiny Blue Waxbills huddled together around the edge of one of the birdbaths.
Others include a very wet White-browed Robin-Chat, a stunning little Green-winged Pytilia and a Cut-throat Finch. |
| A Little Sparrowhawk visits occasionally, spending 5-10 minutes standing belly deep in the water before moving on, and our resident
African Barred Owlet is often seen in the middle of the day having a quick bath. |
| Our vegetable peelings go out in the evening and disappear a short while later leaving us wondering what has come by, so
we are now very excited to have a camera trap (or trails camera) and on our first night recorded a family of four Porcupines followed
a little later by a Rusty-spotted Genet. Not much was left for him but maybe he was hoping for a juicy insect attracted to the
remains of the peelings. |
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