This week's critters

As always, when we bird, we also see critters. Shortly after the recent rains, we drove around the mine and then into the bush. 

Immediately I asked Grant to stop, as I'd seen a long black line across the road. Ants! I know I've posted about ants recently, but when I zoomed in to get a closer look at the ants, I noticed that these looked different to what we'd seen before.

A column of ants across the road and stretching into the distance

When I looked on the led screen, I saw that these were no ordinary ants

Some of the ants looked like large ants; others were also large but seemed to have a cylindrical tube under their forelegs

I sent the photos off to Jez, who asked Neil and Liz (Dar birders) their opinion. Their verdict was "These are Ndebeles megaponera: they move in small tight columns and raid termite nests. When disturbed, they all emit a high pitched noise. And.. they bite!"  I stayed far away from these critters. We moved on... 

Around the next corner we spotted something much more gentle.

 A dik-dik

Of course, we saw many birds, mostly familiar ones, which I'll post about on Wednesday. On Sunday, Marita phoned me about something, and although I answered her, I cannot remember now what it was. LOL! At the time, I was standing on the veranda and I saw a bird fly into a tree in the garden. I grabbed my camera, and opening the door, I managed to get two good photos.

African Grey Hornbill

Now, I'm racking my brains to remember what Marita had phoned me about. Perhaps she asked me to do something! Mmm.

On Tuesday when I went to town on company business for Grant, I found a beautiful kaftan to wear to Kwet's farewell. This was held on Wednesday night and I'll post about it in the new week. I took the kaftan and kitenga/shawl over to Mr Cheddy, our tailor to have it made smaller. On the way there, I spotted something flying quite low to the ground. It had bright red, hard-looking wings. It landed on the ground, I lifted my camera (which is always around my neck when I go outside) and snapped. 

A brightly-colored grasshopper  

Returning across the towns sqaure with Dr Wiliamson's statue presiding, Mataluma, popped through the hedge and called me. He said he wanted to show me a bird. Mataluma, who is a gardener at the Guest House, was the same man who showed me the African Scops Owl in a tree down the road from our house. 

He pointed to a Hamerkop on the ground nearby As we watched the Hamerkop picked up a small branch and flew off over the road. Mataluma pointed to a tree and said the bird was building a nest. 

Mataluma often calls me to see a new bird or bird activity in the vicinity!

The Hamerkop pair is still carrying twigs and small branches to build the nest and will do so until their humble abode will ends up as a mansion! 

Yesterday the pups were 37 days old. 

Joshua, who stands in as askari on Michael's Friday off, was ecstatic to help me let the pups out of the enclosure and onto the lawn. 

Here Princess checks up on one pup, while the others cavort on the lawn and Joshua waves his arms around

Joshua was very excited and the more I'd say to him he should sit down on the lawn,

 the more he'd hurtle after the pups to play with them

At one stage he grabbed Princess' collar and it slipped off. He was mortified but I told him, no problem, just slip it over a pup's head.

Wearing mama's pretty necklace!

 The pup ran up to me and climbed onto my lap!

How about I give you five bucks for the necklace, huh?

 I'm taking my necklace to a safe place!

To my left, Joshua was talking to several pups; see how attentively they're listening to him!

On my right, Bibi had hold of my readers...

...while Princess watches over all these things with such a happy and contented look on her face! 

When it was time to go back into the enclosure, Joshua and I walked ahead, Princess at my side and the pups following behind. They sleep extremely well at night these days, much to Zachariah's delight! He has a peaceful watch with the pups in the hut and Princess sleeping at the side of his chair. 

I'm linking my post to Eileen's Saturday Critter's Party meme which you can access by clicking here

I trust you're all having a great Saturday.