Over the past month or so I've taken a fair amount of photos of White-faced ducks, but I haven't captured their colours as I have today. I think the late evening light had a lot to do with it.
A pair of White-faced ducks.
These ducks were actually challenging my dogs that were swimming a couple of metres away. I suspect that somewhere in the long grass close by there were newly hatched ducklings hidden away.
Sunset. Click on picture to enlarge.
Reflection.
Except for the first photo of the Cape crow, which was taken on Sunday, all the rest were taken late this afternoon.
Cape crow, (Corvus capensis), this photo was taken at an extreme distance.
Steppe Buzzard, (Buteo vulpinus). A Paleartic migrant arriving in South Africa, Oct/Nov, leaving Feb-Apr.
There is a pair of these birds that I've been stalking for about 3 weeks now, to try and get a photo. Today I managed to get close to one of them. About 50 meters.
A very handsome bird, preys on insects, rodents and small reptiles.
Fiscal shrike. This photo was also taken at a long distance.
My little friend the Three-banded plover. In a previous post I miss identified it as one of the Wagtail family. These little birds obviously don't mind muddy feet.
The little bird above, half hidden in a cow hoof-print, I could not identify. Whitish beak, black or dark blue glossy plumage, with a red stripe down the wing. Before I could get a clear shot it flew away.
A Cape wagtail, Motacilla capensis) Not quite as friendly as the Three-banded plover and hard to spot.
White throated swallow, (Hirundo albigularis).Inter African Migrants.
Clutch of White-faced duck eggs, a dozen of them. The dogs flushed the duck which did it's broken-wing trick to lure the dogs away. After a couple of minutes searching I found this nest well hidden under the long grass. I had to pull the grass away from above to photograph the nest. One quick photo, covered the nest again and left. The dogs were still looking for the duck more than a hundred meters away.
Last photo of the day, a Hadeda iIbis, (Bostrychia hagedash), it's nest in a willow tree. A very interesting afternoon.
Yesterday, late afternoon, the dam just below the cottage resembled a water bird convention, with a least five species present.
Click on photos to enlarge.
A pair of yellow bill ducks, (Anas undulata).
The photo above I took two days ago. Shows the ducks feather pattern clearly.
A family group of spurrwinged geese, (Plectropterus gambensis).
The family leave suddenly, Dad is out of picture on the right.
Egyptian goose, (Alopochen aegyptiaca).This is the gander and he is supposed to be on guard, as the female and one gosling were swimming among the reeds nearby. Actually looks like his sleeping, eyes closed and standing on one leg.
A pair of white faced ducks (Dendrocygna viduata). Also known as the whisteling duck
While these two were watching me Lady was sneaking up behind them through the long grass. They spotted her and made a short, startled flight into the water.
Red knobed coot. Took this photo about a month ago, there are two pairs that live on this small piece of water. Noisy quarrelsome birds, always fighting with the neighbours.
