Blue Cranes sighted

A family of more than 50 Blue Cranes were sighted near the road on the way from Norvals Pont to Oviston

They’re Back

The Lesser Kestrels are swarming in layers over Smithfield in preparation for their communial roost.

An awesome sight!

I am sure that is what this masked weaver is saying.

More later…..

 

 

 

Some of the Lesser Kestrels seen circling overhead.

Bloemfontein Bird Club Visit

The Bloemfontein Bird Club paid a visit to Tussen Die Rievier.

They passed through Smithfield, and we eagerly await their report on the weekend.

Seen in Smithfield

Acacia Pied Barbet R465 Bonthoutkapper

Seen and heard around Smithfield at the moment, the Acacia Pied Barbet is a medium to smallish bird with a bright red forehead, a black hindcrown, broad black stripe through the eye and broad black bib from chin to chest. The rest of the underparts are white. Its back is black, with narrow yellow streaks, and the eyebrow is also yellow. These, plus the dark eye, prominent blackish horn bill, blackish legs and feet, and white soles are all strong identifying features.

Even if you have not seen it, I am sure you have heard its distinctive call; either a loud tin trumpet-like pehp, pehp, pehp, repeated up to about 12 times, or a Hoopoe-like toop-toop-toop-toop, with bill pointed downwards, throat inflated, repeated up to 20 times in quick succession (not in short phrases like the Hoopoe), sometimes speeding up towards the end.

This striking little bird is usually seen alone or sometimes in pairs and its flight is fast and direct.

It feeds on fruit, nectar, and certain seedpods, and is known to eat bone fat.

Breeding takes place from August to April. A nest hole is excavated in soft or dead wood, often of willows.
Roberts 6 identifies this bird as the Pied Barbet, and interestingly, the French name for it is “Barbican pie”.

The Swallows have returned and so have the Diedrick Cuckoos. They have both escaped my camera, so far!

Sacred Scratch in Smithfield

This Sacred Ibis R91 spent more than 30 minutes unsuccessfully overturning stones looking for food.

Die Rooibekkakelaar Sit vir sy Foto

Ons Smithfield Voëls Teks en foto deur Lynden Lund
Rooibekkakelaar  R452 – Green Wood-Hoopoe (Redbilled Woodhoopoe Roberts 6)

Cecil Webber het onlangs in Smiffie van hierdie voël geskryf. Ja, ek sien hom ook dikwels in ons tuin, en, het hy nie sy houding mooi ingeneem toe ek hierdie foto geneem het nie?

Hierdie swart en blink groen voël het ‘n lang helder afgeboë rooi snawel en voete. Die wit op sy vlerke en stert is duidelik sigbaar, veral as hy vlieg.

Sy sang, volgens die Xhosa en Zulu name, word vergelyk met die lag van vrouens, eers stadig en dan ‘n vinniger gekekkel. Hy eet graag insekte en songololas en gebruik sy lang snawel om onder los boom bas sy proei te soek.
Kyk gerus uit vir hierdie raserige voël .

Blue Korhaan R234 as seen and photographed by Lynden Lund

Feeding next to the N6 on the way from Smithfield to Rouxville, or in other grassland areas and cultivated lands, or sometimes even proudly perched on the top of an anthill, you can easily identify these beautiful birds. They are medium to large sized with rich brown upperparts, entirely grey-blue underparts, and black head with large white facial patch.

Slow down, or stop near to them, and they will be gone in an instant. Flying quite a distance, or slinking away with head held low to the ground, they blend so cleverly into the surroundings that even the trained eye may miss them.

As One Group Moves Out, the Other Moves In…. But it’s Not All Sadness

by Carmel Rickard

In some ways this is a sad time of year. The migrant birds that we have come to love have started their long trek to the other side of the world.

I’m thinking in particular of the kestrels, the Lesser Kestrel and the Amur or Eastern Red Footed Falcon. This has been one of the best kestrel summers since I moved to Smithfield – they have been everywhere. On the telephone lines, on the rocks – and, best of all, in the sky.

Ons Voëls DIKKOP (Spotted Thick-knee) -258

deur Manie Swarts

Ek  het dié foto’s gedurende Desember 2008 geneem, toe die Dikkop in ons agterplaas gebroei het.

Ek het die nes in ‘n oop ruimte tussen perdemis gesien. Die voëls lê twee eiers, wat dan na ± 24 dae uitbroei. Ek het die nes behoorlik opgepas, in afwagting op die koms van die kuikens! Groot was my teleurstelling, want gedurende dié tyd het daar een middag ‘n harde bui reën met hael geval, wat die nes oorstroom het met yswater. Ek het probeer om die water weg van die nes te ly, maar net een kuiken het uitgebroei. Dit was baie moeilik om die kleintjie te sien, omdat hy so goed gekamoefleer is.

Kestrels Spectacular Over Town

Apart from the rain and the resulting green veld, one of the most spectacular sights in Smithfield at the moment, is the cloud of Lesser Kestrels circling over the village in the evenings.

The kestrels used to roost in a stand of bluegums on the other side of the mountain, and then for a couple of years we didn’t see them at all. At the end of last season, Lynden and I watched a few dozen fly in and out of some trees near my house – but then they flew away again. This year we’ve been delighted that they not only came back, but they brought a whole lot of their friends with them.