Crows like to fly in strong winds, and I upset a pair, as I was standing below their nest.
In here you will see how the crows behave when they sense danger (7 shots). Then you will see a tree that I was standing under to take the shots (1 shot), and finally I also have a sunbird doing his singing song (2 shots).
They are Pied Crows (Corvus albus), and they are very protective of what they regard as their territory. Although I was standing under their nest, the nest was actually high up in the tree that I was standing under. The thing is that when they put down the markers of their territory, or should I say the borders of their territory it normally encompasses a kilometer in all directions from the center spot where they nest.
And let me tell you that they will attack anything and anyone in their territory. A strange event happened when I stood under the tree, as the tree is on the sidewalk side of a large house. It has an automated entry gate behind me and suddenly I heard a loud bang. The owner said that he had problems with the car's brakes and he slammed the car into the sliding gate as the brakes seemed to fail. Just imagine taking shots of birds and you hear a crash behind you. I think even the crows heard it.
Enough talk. Let's have a look at the crows.
This is the tree that I was standing under, and the nest is somewhere up there.
On our way back home, I saw this little sunbird doing his thing while sitting on an antenna.
You can only see his silhouette, but I know what it is. This is a Southern Double-collared Sunbird, and I know it is a male due to his song. I can even tell that he is an adult by the fullness of his song. The thing is that they now also have a baby, and I saw it briefly on a few occasions, but I did not get the baby on camera yet. As soon as I do I will share it in a post.
He is really a lusty singer.
We seem to be surrounded by different birds at different stages of their nests and most of the babies have already been born and the parents are scrambling all over to get food for the babies. We have a pair of Cape Sparrows on a nest at the top window frame of our neighbor, and then also the baby of the sunbirds. The Laughing doves have constructed a nest in the Acacia tree across the road, and the Ringneck doves have built a nest in the tree of our other neighbor. The Cape Robin-chats are also building a nest. I even have a Hadeda Ibis on camera eating a snail with its shell instead of taking the meat out of the shell, that I will show you in another post. I don't know what it is with the editor that pops up when I seemingly make a mistake in spelling, as I simply have to ignore the correction popup.
Such is life.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos and words by Zac Smith. No AI and no Photoshop. All-Rights-Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
Until next time. Shalom!