Dragon flies, bulbuls and a frog

 Good morning, Blogger friends, I'm determined to capture every interesting critter that crosses my path. 

While at the large house in October, with my visiting children, I snapped a dragon fly on just above the sliding door. 

While waiting for our Taigelates class to start last Friday, a pair of bulbul landed on my car. One flew off and landed on the roof of the building in front of me. The other sat on my car's rear-view mirror offering several photo opportunities. 

Dark-capped bulbul

Back home, I saw a movement in the dog's water bowl which is half concealed by my lush mint garden. Checking, I scooped out a tiny frog!

A type of tree or reed frog (I'm not able to ID it)

I'm linking to Saturday Critters with Eileen, here

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL! 

Farm walks

 Good afternoon my Blogger readers. I've stopped taking Skabby to Parkrun due to the incredibly hot weather recently, Instead, we go out for a walk on the farm as we did in days gone by. And a swim in the dam. The dear lad LOVES it!

Gulping a mouthful of water while swimming! 

Of course, the local wildlife residents have not seen this big black dog for 18 months. The pair of Egyptian Geese with goslings were quite skittish! 

Back home, Skabby is treated to a bone. When he's finished with it, the Glossy Starlings arrive on the lawn, picking a bits of fat, sinew, meat and bone left in the grass! 

I'm linking to Saturday Critters with Eileen, here

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL! 

Cloned dog

 Poor Skabby...

At the beginning of this year, he developed a hot spot while walking the Parkrun with Mum.. 

In my next post, I explain more about this debilitating condition and that he is now HEALED.

Praise God! One of the measures implemented to help him on the road to healing, was to fit him with a clone. Thank goodness Gavin, my neighbor, came across and fitted the contraption for me. I could not have done it by myself. 

Skabby adapted to wearing the clone immediately

The date was 28 January 2023.

 On 16 April 2023, I finally removed the clone.

I'm linking to Saturday Critters with Eileen, here 

Praying mantis

OK OK... Here I am after 20 days' absence! I have been very busy with my various irons in the fire, not least the accommodation, it just has not let up. Which Thandiwe and I are very pleased about.

On Friday as we opened the Trellidor gate, I spotted a strangely colored praying mantis on the bars. Of course, I photographed it. And then before we slid open the gate, I carefully removed it and placed it on a plant in the garden.

According to Google, praying mantis can turn brown after they have molted.  In fact, (and I did not know this!) brown is the most common color of praying mantis after green. 

I also enjoyed the last two guests' comments in my visitor's book. The first couple was from the Northwest Province, South Africa. They stayed from Tuesday until Friday and had their 16-year-old Yorkie with them. 

Even more precious was the blessing which they bestowed on me...

The couple who stayed last night, were from the UK and waxed lyrical about how their stay at the Bunker has been the best on their recent four-week road trip through South Africa. 

Most edifying!

I'm linking my post to Saturday Critters with Eileen here 

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL! 

 Good afternoon my dear Blogger friends. As always, I'm glad to get here and do a post. 

Last week as Thandi and I were leaving The Bunker (in readiness for the incoming guests), she pointed through car window and said "kwagga". I looked and saw a pair of zebras on the property.

The zebras striding along the top of The Bunker garden

When I sent the image to my friend, Estelle, on the same estate, she responded thus...

Steve giving tyhe same pair a tidbit. They also have a bachelor guinea fowl on their property!

I managed Steve and Estelle's art shop in the Valley for two years after Grant's death. They are very dear friends of mine. And oh, Steve cuts my hair every month. 💇

Last week at home, I noticed my Buddleja salviifolia had all but died on the one side.  We lopped off the dead branches, dug a good supply of compost into the ground around it and gave it a good soaking. I'm happy to say, ten days on it's looking a lot healthier and greener than the photo below.

My Buddleja salviiflora looking a little worse for the wear

On one of the branches, I found this sunbird nest; obviously in between uses

I'm linking to Saturday Critters with Eileen here

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL!

Newborn calf, Glossy Starling, Blacksmith Plover...

...and a happy dog! 

Hello dear Blogger friends. I haven't submitted to Saturday Critters with Eileen, but here goes.

I took this photo through the car windscreen so as not to stress Mama cow 

with her newborn calf

Glossy Starling on my lawn

Happy pooch running along the farm road

A Blacksmith Plover giving voice to try and lure us away from its nest (the nest is usually far away from where this bird would be acting as a decoy)

Skabby gave the plover a wide berth and dived into the dam further along

A good shake while in the water! 

And always a couple of gulps of water!

Back home we found Chappie in a cardboard box which I had thrown out 

She jumped out as soon as Skabby started plodging in his water bowl, splashing water across the veranda floor. 

Skabby noticed that Chappie had run onto the lawn to watch him cooling off

You should try this Chappie. Cools the paws!

Chappie stops a safe distance away and watches...

Here's thinking of those of you in the path of Ian - may you be safe!

I'm linking to Saturday Critters with Eileen here

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL

Saturday critters and snowy mountains

 Good evening dearest Blogger friends. Here I am trying to upload photos of my walk with Skabby earlier this week. I have had to send my notebook for repairs and upgrading to my son, Angus in the Free State . Ron has kindly agreed that I may use my farm office notebook here at home. Without a traditional computer: specifically a laptop, I am lost. 

But... it is SLOW. So very very slow. 

I just had to show this dear boy's exuberance at getting out for a walk !

A pair of Red-billed teal on the dam

I was tickled by this image of the pair of Spotted Thrush in focus with the ibis out of focus just below the rim of the lawn. I took this photo from The Bunker patio which has a lawn terraces above

Snow is always exciting to South Africans. We have had snow in April and now it has snowed heavily at the end of May

I'm linking to Saturday Critters with Eileen, here 

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL! 

Another walk !

 Good morning dear Blogger friends. The sun has been out since Thursday, so this morning Skabby and I were able to go for a walk on the farm road. A very happy dog indeed.

Happiness is...

A good shake from tail to the tip of his nose

Paws and all while he has a drink! 

Earlier this week when I woke, I spotted this critter on my office floor.

Even though it resembled a mosquito, I prefer to see it as a dragonfly. After photographing it I picked it up and put it out on the lawn

I'm linking my post to Saturday Critters with Eileen, here

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL!