And the one sat in a very unusual position between two bodyguards :)
It was a Fork-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimillis), and you will see his bodyguards in the picture below.
I heard the strange calls and rushed outside expecting a bird of prey. But no, it wasn't a bird of prey, but rather the drongo mimicking one. They are known for mimicking other birds, and even a cat's meow in song. He sat on a high tree, about 40 meters away, and one can hear a drongo's song from even a longer distance away. Although I was working from our bird book, I wanted to see what Wikipedia says about the drongo.
The fork-tailed drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis), also called the common drongo or African drongo, is a small bird found from the Sahel to South Africa that lives in wooded habitats, particularly woodlands and savannas. It is part of the family Dicruridae and has four recognized subspecies, D. a adsimilis, D. a. apivorus, D. a. fugax and D. a. jubaensis. Like other drongos, the fork-tailed is mostly insectivorous; its diet mainly consists of butterflies, termites, and grasshoppers.
The fork-tailed drongo is known for its ability to deceptively mimic other bird alarm calls in order for a certain animal to flee the scene so it can steal their food (kleptoparasitism). They are also known for their aggressive and fearless behavior, often attacking and driving away much larger animals, including birds of prey, when their nest is in danger.
There he sat between two dove bodyguards.
And then there were two drongos, and the bodyguards left.
What? Then a third drongo arrived. Look below the two birds at the top.
I can only think that they are a small family, and I have never gotten 3 drongos together on camera. Even two is not a common thing.
The one in the middle was taking off.
And then the other two followed, but I couldn't get the departure of them, due to the light blurring the photos.
Now don't go away, as I want to show you something else.
A church tower seemed to get its times wrong.
But let's have a look at the roof of the tower. I call them holy birds :)
Two Red-winged starlings sat on the watch tower.
Unusual shots that I was grateful to get, as now I have three drongo birds, as they are known to be solitary birds, and so it was a real scoop for me. Then I also managed to get the starlings on a tower, and it's certainly a break from the same old, same old. As you will see in my blog, I like variety, as it keeps me on my toes to show as many aspects of nature as possible.
In my mind, photography is the ultimate, as not only is it relaxing, but depending on one's interests, or passions, it can also reveal many secrets in nature. From elephants to the smallest insect, everything has very interesting lifestyles and habits. From colors to designs everything also has a purpose in the eco-systems. It is to discover the purposes that is at times so surprising.
Such is life in the animal kingdom.
I hope that you enjoyed the pictures, and the story.
Photos by Zac Smith. All-Rights-Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
Until next time, cheers!
