I didn't realize that the Hadeda name was changed for some reason to Hadada.
In here you will see a hadada family sitting on a tree about 200 yards away (6 shots). Then I also had to employ much patience in order to get a young sunbird tweeting with an open beak (4 shots).
Last year this time, I also got some hadadas sitting on that tree, and this time round, I think that they are the same parents with a new youngster. The nesting period are now over, and it is always amazing to see how fast the youngsters convert into adults. The hadadas also have much patience, as when there are people around, down below, they will sit on that tree and wait until everyone is gone and then they will come down from the tree to a water pond.
I will again insert a Wikipedia article about the hadada.
The hadada ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) or hadeda (/ˈhɑːdiːdɑː/) is an ibis native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It is named for its loud three to four note calls uttered in flight especially in the mornings and evenings when they fly out or return to their roost trees. Although not as dependent on water as some ibises, they are found near wetlands and often live in close proximity to humans, foraging in cultivated land and gardens.
A medium-sized ibis with stout legs and a typical down-curved bill, the wing coverts are iridescent with a green or purple sheen. They are non-migratory but are known to make nomadic movements in response to rain particularly during droughts. Their ranges in southern Africa have increased with an increase in tree cover and irrigation in human-altered habitats.
Like I said, they were sitting at a distance on that tree.
But my zoom doesn't care about distances, as it can even see the moon clearly, and there they were. The one at the top of the trunk, and these two down below on a branch.
So, I walked towards the right-hand side from where I was standing to isolate the branch that they were sitting on to get some shots of them without the trunk behind them like the photo above.
And that was it for the hadada shoot.
This below is the young sunbird that I mentioned at the introduction.
Sitting on the branch of an aloe, and that dark blue curve that you see below, is in fact a mountain.
Tweeted but too late to get it with an open beak. It looked like a young malachite sunbird female, but the colors on the chest area have not developed yet.
Short, sharp tweets calling the parents for food, but the parents were nowhere around. So, it took off and I followed its flight.
Finally, this was my bonus, as I, at last, got a shot of it with its beak open while cheeping.
Not easy to get them and I have taken about 10 shots of it, trying to get it to tweet with an open beak, but it is so fast that every time I will get it either in a closed beak or a slightly open beak. So, the name of the game is to try, and try, and try again, until you finally come right. Oh, I forget as I also have the lovely Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) singing with an open beak, that I will show you sometime. Then I also have a shot of the Amethyst Sunbird that I have not posted yet. I already have done posts on each of these birds, but I have not included the ones I want to show.
Life is busy here and always so many things to attend to, that we just cannot cope with everything. I am sure it is the same worldwide, and an hour passes by so quickly that it feels like only a couple of minutes, especially when one is busy up to one's ears. But no need to complain, as we would rather be busy than just lounging around. My wife does not only mark degree essays and assignments, as she is also on the board of Papillon and she does all the admin voluntarily with no remuneration.
Such is life.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos and words by Zac Smith. No AI and Photoshop. All-Rights-Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
Until next time. Shalom!