African Spoonbill

Every week when I post birds we see on our outing, I generally post the birds in various poses or actions. It's been a long time since I've actually posted about one specific bird and given a description. 

Below is quite common resident in East to South Africa with a thin line running across the map towards West Africa. 

Recently we've seen two African Spoonbill in the New Alhamasi Dam. On Sunday I only saw one and photographed it.

African Spoonbill (although there is an African Jacana in the background, this post is not about it!)

The African Spoonbill is a large waterbird with a distinctive, long, flattened, spoon-shaped bill. It flies with its neck stretched out (unlike herons and egrets who tuck their necks in while flying). It feeds by sweeping its bill from side to side.  

The African Spoonbill has a grey bill with a red border and base. It has a bare red face and red legs. Its habitat is lakes, flood plains and estuaries. It voice is a low "kaark", at breeding colonies it emits various grunts and claps its bill. 

  African Spoonbill with its diagnostic spoon-shaped bill!

I'm linking my post today to Stewart Monckton's interesting blog, Wild Bird Wednesday which you can access by clicking here.

Yesterday I made the mistake of doing my puppy update during the day. My internet was horrifically slow at that time and I took ages to upload photos. So I hope you bird lovers will forgive me for adding my post about our pups, day 28 here.

Today is four weeks, since the pups were born. I still remember that early morning drama of helping Princess deliver seven pups in a small hut, two askaris shining torches, passing the scissors, giving me Dettol soaked cleaning cloth. It was also the morning that I felt a mosquito biting me, and caused this debilitating disease to attack me now. (I've completed the injections and hope to be well again soon!)

When the pups hit the three week mark, it was as if their growth, mentality, personalities and cuteness took on a new level. They're now eating two meals of uggi/oats porridge a day and spending all day outside their hut, in their enclosure, playing, discovering things (like they can bark!) and sleeping. 

 

Joshua who adores the pups, helps to wipe their faces and feet after their breakfast!

Joshua cuddles a pup while cleaning its face and feet (this is not a normal phenomena in Africa- I'll do a post later to explain)

Princess insists on entering the enclosure (the gate is locked and we open it for her) and then she looks all "hang-dog" when the pups suckle!

As always, they huddle together to sleep

As always, one pup provides amusement by the funny way it lies

I wish you all a wonderful Wednesday.