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Sunday, 13 April 2014

February 15, 2014

This week I will try to get the blog up to date :)
The result of not posting regularly is that sorting the photos to post becomes a daunting task :(

The first term at school was a rather hectic one, and with the new litter of puppies now five weeks old I have been a very busy 'people mommy' to seven little Schnauzer faces ;)

The following photos were taken in my garden.
These strange hairy fungi were growing on 'treated' poles. It makes me doubt the level of treatment these poles had because those that do not have fungi have been eaten by termites!

A succulent plant with long leaves have this strange way of reproducing, Baby plants develop at the tip of the long leaves. The plant is in a pot - would hate it to take over the garden! 

This is the tiny flower of a weed that bears red berries.
A variety of bee species are regular visitors to harvest the pollen-rich stamens.

 Very fitting to build your web to catch Valentines dinner with a heart shaped leaf in the background

 A very unhappy Mousebird - the Waterberries are all gone!

 This beautiful African Violet was a gift from a colleague
 Tiny Butterflies flitting all over the lawn  - until you approach, that is. I had to zoom in from quite a distance to get these shots. The grass had not yet flowered so I suspect this was about finding a mate.


Monday, 3 February 2014

February 3, 2014

Apologies! I have been feeling quite guilty because I have not posted in a while... 
Not that I haven't taken any photos - I have just been too busy to post!!
Hopefully this will make up for it!

Yesterday's drive to False Bay Park in the iSimangaliso Wetlands to photograph birds, did not amount to much because there were hardly any birds to be seen! (Or so it seemed)  
It was an overcast and windy day with intermittent rain.
On the way out I decided to make a last attempt and took the left turn to Rocky Point.
I spotted this Grey Heron  in a tree next to the road, but as we approached it took off.

Fortunately it settled a bit further at a pan to the left of us.

 Soon I noticed more...

.. and more ... Red-billed Teal

Yellow-billed Duck - a new addition to my birder's list!
Please don't laugh - I'm quite new to birding :)

 Black-winged Stilt

 How gorgeous is this Red-billed Teal?  (but I tend to think that it is well aware of that ☺)

 A Black-winged Stilt taking a rest on one leg :)

 Raindrops on a Red-billed Teal

 Very sad looking White Faced Whistling Ducks
Perhaps sad because their more colourful cousins were stealing the show?

 ... and last but not least - a beautiful splash of colour in the distant reeds on the shore of the lake.
If only it would come closer...
Fire Crowned Bishop or Black Winged Bishop - no picture seems the same -
I can't find a black bird online that seems to be wearing a red 'cape'

Monday, 20 January 2014

January 20, 2014

 My Canon SX50 loooves birds!
The photo below is of a Lilac-backed Starling ...
... and this is a European Roller