Wednesday's bird pickings

Last night while sitting on the veranda step, a monkey walked up to the middle of the lawn very close to us. We noticed that she picked at something in the short grass and ate it. She had discovered a flying-ant nest. The new ants were emerging and other monkeys came closer but were not brave enough to venture onto the lawn as she did. Then I saw birds swirling and hawking overhead. They had also heard the dinner bell and were enjoying the ants that flew up into the air; swallows, bulbuls and sunbirds.

I managed to capture a few of the many birds flitting overhead and hawking for their dinner. They dive and swirl around in the air and are impossible to pinpoint!

  

Just beyond our stretched-out legs, we spotted a Common Bulbul (right) and a sunbird (not able to see which one) pecking at the insects in the grass

Meanwhile, above us a variety of sunbirds, bulbuls and flycatchers were having a feast. Within a short while the African Paradise-flycatcher sat on a branch just ahead of me. Until now I've not been able to get a photo of this regular visitor to my garden. Tonight though, obviously gorged,  it was having a rest.

African Paradise-flycatcher (male) in my garden last night. The female is similar but has a shorter tail and duller blue eye-ring and bill

When the African Paradise-flycatcher faces away from you while sitting in the branches of a tree, it's possible to miss it

While I snapped away at the beautiful African Paradise-flycatcher, a sunbird landed on a branch above. Sunbirds are also known for flitting about constantly and very difficult (for a novice like me) to photograph. However, it was also replete and digesting its huge meal so I managed to get a few good photos. I  identified it as the Hunter's Sunbird and my sister-in-law, Shelley Hedges from South Africa confirmed my identification. (Thanks Shelley!)  

Hunter's Sunbird, another regular visitor to my garden, resting in the thorn tree last night. This is the male. The female is brown, mottled and streaked

The beautiful Hunter's Sunbird showing off his impressive bill