I plan to do three posts in this series from small to big birds.
I will start the first post with two shots of a Fork-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis).
The good news is that the second post will be about a Spotted-Eagle Owl, and the third post will be all about a bird that we call a pirate, as he only has one eye and he is a Harrier Hawk. So, lots to look forward to, and I will not do the post consecutively as I get many other things for the camera every day. If I think something is nice then I will simply post it. For now, let's have a look at this first post.
Then we have three shots of a Southern Double-collard Sunbird (Cinnyris chalbeus).
I shared this little champion singer many times before here in my blog, as they fascinate me with their metallic colors and the sound of their songs.
And finally, we have five shots of a Hadeda Ibis family (Bostrychia hagedash)
I had to pull the car very quietly on low power into a parking spot. The Hadeda family was very close, and I didn't want to wake them, as then they would fly away. At first, I only saw the two sleeping parents on the wall, but when I opened my car door slowly, I saw the youngster on the ground below.
That's what a sleeping Hadeda looks like, and only on one leg. Amazing how the bird can keep its balance, sleeping on the incline of the wall.
Ever so slowly, I got out of the car, and I didn't close the door because it would make a noise. Nevertheless, you can see the dad on the wall waking up and taking a look at his offspring.
I saw the youngster walking towards a sunspot under the sharp leaves of a bush, and I ghosted to the front of the car to get the last two shots of the youngster.
Let's ask Wikipedia what Hadeda's eat.
Hadada feed on insects, millipedes and earthworms, using their long scimitar-like bill to probe soft soil. They also eat larger insects, such as the Parktown prawn, and also spiders and small lizards. These birds also feed readily on snails and often clear garden beds around residential homes. They are particularly welcomed on bowling and golf greens because they are assiduous in extracting larvae of moths and beetles that feed on the roots of the grass.
I thought here that the youngster would drag up a long worm, but no he didn't get anything.
Hadeda's used to be called Hadadas, but it's an old name and nowadays they are called Hadeda's. I saw on the Wiki site that they also mention the Hadeda name. I don't know for what reason people would chop and change names, as it gets confusing at times. I have always known a Rock Pidgeon, but now they have changed the name to a Spotted Pidgeon. The same with the Harrier Hawk, that I will show you in the third post, as we have always known them as Gymnogenes. I think that Gymnogene defines their unique acrobatic skills much better, but they now have been named like that, but their name has also been changed to Harrier Hawk.
Such is life.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos by Zac Smith. All-Rights-Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
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