A mix of critters

Last week as Grant and I drove off the farm where we drop our garbage to be recycled, we came across an adult Swainson's Spurfowl and two youngsters. I've posted quite a few times about this bird; in fact we have them roosting (resting) in the grass near our rondawel and as I walk the dogs along the servitude, they often flush one or a pair up into the air. So they have become "quite common" to us since living here. 

We had stopped on the main gravel road where people come around at a terrible speed so I didn't have a lot of time to take the photos. I have cropped and edited them slightly and hope you can see the juveniles with their parent. 

Swainsons Spurfowl and two juveniles

People ask me if I don't have a problem with cats, dogs and guinea pigs on the same yard. Well, I never let the guinea pigs out without the dogs and cats being closed up. But when I feed the Guinea Pigs and the dogs or cats are outside the cages, it's obvious that neither (especially not the carnivores) actually take any notice of the other. 

Ulgar Pulgar and Hurricane look out at the dogs who aren't even looking towards the Guinea Pig cage!  

 Ulgar Pulgar looks straight at the camera 

While photographing the Greater Double-collared Sunbirds earlier this week, I noticed that one of the Leonotus leonurus shrubs had a white flower. All the others are all orange.  Obviously this one is an albino. I Googled this and came up with a shrub with all white flowers here but nothing with orange flowers and ONE white bloom. I'll have to keep an eye on this plant and do some more research. 

Note the orange blooms and one white bloom 

Close-up of the bloom shows there will be another white bloom shortly

I never realized how hairy these blooms actually are! 

On the way down from our strenuous hike on Tuesday, I noticed a Thrush on a fallen log in the forest. I stopped to photograph it but was shaking so badly from exertion, that I had to delete most of the photos. I was left with one and I'm still not 100% sure which thrush it is.  

Kurrichane Thrush (TBC) 

Back at the hotel, we all stopped to admire two beautiful birds in a cage on the veranda. I took several photos and as I moved off, the one bird screeched so loudly in protest,  that we all jumped a few feet into the air! 

 Parrot

Macau and Parrot 

Then my piece de resistance...

Photographed on the kitchen window against the blue sky, is a Tachinid Fly. Ant has given me a book called Good Bug, Bad Bug and according to this Insect Identification Guide, the fly on my window is a GOOD BUG. With the cool winter weather we don't have flies so this is definitely what we laymen call a Brownfly but and now we know it's a Tachinid Fly! 

I was thrilled with the photos...

Mmm, I'm wondering what my blogger friend, Sandra would do with this image ! 

I'm linking to Saturday Critters here

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL!