birds

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International Penguin Day

The 25th of April is Internation Penguin Day and with Algoa Bay being home to the biggest population of African Penguins in the world I thought I would do a post to celebrate it. The South African Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre (SAMREC) is located in the Cape Recife Nature Reserve in Port Elizabeth and the staff and volunteers involved there do an amazing job in the conservation effort of this endangered specie.Why is 25 April celebrated as International Penguin…

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25/04/2013
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Red Knobbed Coot

While out on a paddle boat on the dam during our return visit to the Montagu Caravan Park in December, I heard a couple of birds calling in the reeds.  On closer inspection it turned out to be a mother Red Knobbed Coot and two chicks.   The Red-knobbed Coot or Crested Coot, (Fulica cristata), is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae.  It is a resident breeder across much of Africa and in southernmost Spain and normally…

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18/01/2013
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Sacred Ibis

The Leidam in Montagu in the Western Cape must be one of the best places in the area to do bird watching.  From the bird hide next to the road one can get great views and photographs of particularly sacred ibis and egrets with herons and weavers also around.  Due to the big amount of birds around the dam there is a bit of an ... odor in the air, but the quality of the sightings makes more than up…

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14/01/2013
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Temple peacocks

Do you ever wonder where the peacocks around the St Georges Hospital and Settlers Park come from? How did they get there in the first place?  I have to be honest and say that I have never really thought about it until I recently visited the Shri Siva Subramanier Aulayam Temple in Upper Valley Road next to the Baakens Valley.  Peacocks are associated with the Hindu faith in various ways while the temple has a number of permanent peacock residents.  The…

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03/12/2012
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Heron on a pole

The banks of the Sundays River is home to a huge variety of birds ranging from herons and kingfishers to waders and bee eaters.  Amongst the herons are Black headed herons, Goliath herons and Grey herons, like the one sitting on top of the pole in the picture.

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22/11/2012
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Brown-hooded Kingfisher

On a game drive at Pumba Game Reserve near Port Elizabeth our ranger pointed out a Brown-hooded Kingfisher sitting in a tree next to the game drive vehicle.  The next thing he said kinda got our attention.  He asked us to look around and see if we could see any body of water.  There was none.  The Brown-hooded Kingfisher doesn't necessarily feed on fish but also on insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants. These invertebrates are usually hawked…

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12/09/2012
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Urban raptor

Apologies once again for posting another picture which I've posted on The Firefly Photo Files before.  I just haven't had the time to go though my pictures to see which haven't been posted.  Having your hard drive pack up on you isn't a fun exercise.This Black Sparrowhawk surprised me the other day by having his dinner on my lawn.  His dinner, one of the pigeons that live in my palm tree.  The Black Sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus), is the largest African member of the genus…

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12/08/2012
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Stadium pest control

Did you know that the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth  is the only poison free stadium in the world?  From the outset the stadium has worked hand in hand with the Urban Raptor Project to fight the potential problems of feral pigeons, crows, rats and insects in a natural way.  Trained falcons have been brought in from time to time to chase and hunt the pigeons that try to move into the stadium.  A while ago I attended a rugby…

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02/08/2012
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Black Sparrowhawk

Life and the universe tend to sneak you a very pleasant and unexpected surprise every now and then and I clearly got one of those pulling into my driveway the other day.  As I turned off thew road I spotted something on the lawn under one of the two big palm trees in my front yard.  There right in front of me was a bird of prey sitting on top of one of the palm trees' resident pigeons feeding away with…

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27/07/2012