Living & dying

Took the dogs for a long walk around the farm yesterday. Didn't take a fly rod, just the camera. Click on photos to enlarge.

Yellow-billed egret, (Egretta intermedia). I had an idea that there was something wrong with this bird. It was hunched up, and hunkered down and all on it's own. These birds are usually in flocks and fly away at the approach of humans, this one just sat there.

Unfortunately my observation that the egret not being well proved to be true. When I went walking this afternoon I found that the bird had died.

Blacksmith Lapwing, (Vanellus armatus). Gets its name from it's call a klink klink klink. Much like a small hammer being struck against an anvil. Very aggressive during the nesting season. The bird at the back appears to be a juvenile and has what looks like a minnow in it's beak.

A pair of White-faced ducks. What struck me about these two is how unperturbed they were at the approach of me and the ducks. Even when lady entered the water to swim, a few meters from them, they hardly moved. 

Southern Red bishop. (Euplectes afer) This bird had just chased a bird of another species away from the nests, looked like a Red breasted cuckoo. Cuckoo's like to lay their eggs in weaver birds nests.

Tranquil waters.

Hail storm casualties.

Took a walk Friday evening to see what other damage the Wednesday hail storm had caused.

The reeds growing at the edge of the dam, just below the cottage, looked as if someone had taken a rush cutter and cut them down. Above is a close-up.

Above a broader view of the same reeds as above.

This patch of reeds at the other end of the dam was devastated, about 2/3 of their hight cut down. These are a totally different type of reed to the ones in the previous photos. A colony of red bishop weavers nest in these reeds every year, this year was no different and they were well established with dozens of nests hanging over the water. After the hail storm not one was left, weather they will come back this year is doubtful, but, who knows, maybe, just maybe.

Sitting under this willow tree was a Hadeda Ibis with a broken wing.

Can't be seen clearly in the photo, but it's left wing was hanging all skew. Weather this bird will recover is uncertain but it's picked a good spot to recover against the dam wall. Lots of food here, insects, frogs and tadpoles. Yesterday when I went to look it was still there but had managed to get on to a safer perch over the water for the night.