Gloaming.

Took these photos late Sunday evening, the sun had already set and my dogs and I were roaming in the gloaming.


Click to enlarge.

Black-headed heron landing. The farmer was busy cutting hay and the herons were taking advantage of any insects or small animals displaced by the cutting. These birds are actually more of a grey colour but in the late evening light they looked blue.

This one is keeping a beady eye on me even though I was more than a hundred metres 
away.

Willow tree reflection.

Black Headed Heron & Groundscraper thrush.

My dogs and I took our usual walk and the first bird I saw was the black headed heron hunting for his supper. A while later I photographed a groundscraper thrush.


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Black headed heron waiting for a careless frog to make a mistake.

Grobundscraper thrush. 


Further along my walk I heard a bird singing it's evening song. Searching the branches I eventually spotted this groundscraper thrush near the top of the tree. I so wished I could record the birds song, it's only when I got home I realised that if I had put the camera on video it would have recorded the bird singing.

Side view above. This bird loves open woodlands and gardens with lots of shrubs and trees.

This photo clearly shows the birds distinctive markings.


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Amur falcon & others.

Sunday evening late after recovering from my adventures at Injasuthi, the dogs and I took our regular walk. I looked up and saw this Amur falcon sitting on a fence post not 20 meters from me. I only had time for one quick shot before it flew away.


Click on photos to enlarge.

Above an Amur Falcon, (Falco amurensis).These birds travel thousands of kilometres from eastern Asia to spend the summer here in this part of the world. Quite small birds, their diet consists mostly of insects. Soon they will gather in huge flocks to start the long journey to their breeding grounds.

On the way to Injasuthi on Sunday morning I spotted a large flock of Amur falcons sitting on a power line. I only managed to photograph these two. 

While passing the larger of the three dams on the farm I photographed this Black-headed heron, and in the process captured this White-throated swallow swooping passed the herons beak. The swallow almost seems to be daring the heron to take his best shot.
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Black Headed Herron

Took these photos of a Black Headed heron on Sunday afternoon late. I kept moving closer and closer to the bird, taking photos all the while.  


Click on photos to enlarge and see the detail.

Keeping an I on me, wondering how close I'll come.

Too close, and it flies off with a Blacksmith Lapwing closes behind and it's shadow racing along the dam wall.

The heron went and sat in this thorn tree close by and I continued advancing while taking photos.

Then it took off again to seek some real privacy.

Silhouette.

Silhouette of a Heron flying home to roost.

The miracle of rain.

After yesterdays rainstorm, we had 60 millimetres +, the whole world was refreshed and green this morning. After church I took the camera and the dogs to see what there was to be seen. 


Click on photos to enlarge.

Yesterday this shrub was a grey green dried up thorn bush, this morning it's bright green and lush with bright yellow flowers. Absolutely amazing how quickly nature recovers after a good rainfall.

The little brook on the farm is no longer sneaking sulkily out from under the culvert, but babbling along as a good little brook should.

Even the Southern Red-bishop looks brighter after the rain.

A Black-Headed heron, (Ardea melanocephala) on the look out for breakfast. This picture and the one below need to be enlarged to see the full effect.

A bird on the wing. Haven't ID this bird yet, even has my sister Jo, at memorablemeanders.blogspot.com  flummoxed, and she has many years birding experience.

Bird bedtime.

Took my  evening walk with the dogs a bit later than usual, just in time to watch all the birds heading home to bed.

Click on photo to enlarge.

Black-headed herons. This photo was almost shot from the hip. Amazing how fast these birds are moving, when you are trying track them in your camera view finder.

White-throated swallows on their spiky roost, settling down for the night.