As promised yesterday I am continuing with the weekend's birds we saw on our three outings.
We drove through the boom gate on Sunday morning and the first thing I saw was a Striped Kingfisher on the overhead lines.
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Striped Kingfisher
The Striped Kingfisher is a small, dry-land kingfisher which feeds on insects, grasshoppers and lizards. It has a dark streaky head; red and black bill and a buffy-white collar. This is the first photo I have taken of the Striped Kingfisher where the azure blue rump and tail are visible!
On the haul road, we passed a number of rollers and bee-eaters which I have featured here before. Grant stopped for a regular bird, but which always makes such a beautiful image.
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Southern Red Bishop
At the explosives magazine, we stopped to watch the sunbirds which never disappoint.
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Beautiful Sunbird
Hunter's Sunbird
Around the next corner, while I photographed a Purple Heron in a pond near the road, Grant spotted a very large bird standing at the top of a dry tree. Not an ordinary bird, but a duck-like bird. It was a Spur-winged Goose which was nothing new to us; yet what was strange, was that this goose was perched on top of a branch (I wondered how? with its webbed feet!)
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Spur-winged Goose high on top of a dead tree!
I'm linking this late - or is that early - post to Wild Bird Wednesday which you can visit by clicking here
Such beautifully colored birds. How do they stand on branches with webbed feet? Guess the feet have knuckles like other feet.
ReplyDeletelike the fingfisher but the goose is the surprise one
ReplyDeleteHo Jo I am so jealous of all thee fantastic birds. Now I have never seen a Spur -winged Goose with 3 legs!!! Ha! Ha! Hope all is going well
ReplyDeleteSpur Winged Goose and others all new to me, and how beautiful they all are~
ReplyDeleteWow...mighty excellent. Each and every one of your bird sightings Jo!!!
ReplyDeleteThat Bishop is seen here in South Texas....but I'm thinking they're bought and released....not native to our country.
Wow, Jo! Great variety of birds and photos.. I love the cute Kingfisher and the beautiful sunbirds..The Southern Red Bishop is a beauty too. And cool sighting of the goose at the top of the tree. Awesome post, have a happy day!
ReplyDeleteHello Joe!:) Lovely captures! The Sunbirds and the Southern Red Bishops, are gorgeous.
ReplyDeletei actually found myself smiling as i red this post. these birds are amazing to me.. love that first sunbirds colors
ReplyDeletethe goose thinks he's a whistling duck! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat photo of the kingfisher! Beautiful birds, all of them.
ReplyDeleteWonderful birds! The sunbirds are my favorites! Beautiful shots!
ReplyDeleteThe Southern Red Bishop looks like a cute stuffed animal.
ReplyDeleteThere are some Canada Geese couple that nest on downtown balconies here ... they land on the railings before hopping down onto the cement balconies... crazy..but, they've been doing it for years. The only time I ever saw one I didn't have a camera... darn it...
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