Full Worm Moon

March is the month of the Full Worm Moon. 

The Full Worm Moon was given its name by the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.

At the time of this spring moon, (this is in the Northern Hemisphere) the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. In some regions, this is also known as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins.

Here in East Africa, full moon in March occurred on the of 16th March.  As we left the fishing spot on Sunday evening, my DH drove slowly, stopping at various strategic points so that I could capture this beautiful phenomena.

The full moon over the haul road as we left the mine

 The full moon over the town inside the boom gate

Full moon over the Guest House opposite our house

 Full moon over our house

 Full moon through the fence around our house

Full moon 

For more sky posts, please click here

  

And as the Full Worm Moon is also known as the Spring Moon, yesterday, 20th March was the first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. I with my thin African blood cannot imagine what it's like to endure a long and harsh winter such as you have in parts of North America. So in solidarity with my friend, Lori from the State of Western New York, I have also posted a flower/bloom a day until such time that the snow melts in her area and the warm weather arrives. 

During the year we spent in Kenya, living in a remote valley within the Great Rift Valley, I completely changed my garden from exotic to indigenous. (When I looked around, all the gardeners in our lane had followed suit and changed their Mzungus gardens to user-friendly, maintenance free gardening!) 

Nevertheless, I deviated in one area, and that was to resurrect the old rose garden under our bedroom window. (I later discovered dhalias coming up in between my African plants at the side entrance to our house, but that's another story!)

So today I'm posting a photo of the rose garden and also a close-up of one of the many blooms which rewarded me and my loyal gardener, Stanley with its beauty.

 The resurrected rose garden in front of our house in Kenya

A close-up of one of the many blooms in that rose garden

 

 

Hollyhocks

Today I'm dedicating my post solely to my bloom which I show here in solidarity with Lori from Western New York State. They've experienced a very severe winter this year (as have many countries in the Northern Hemisphere) and Lori is posting blooms every day until the snow melts and spring arrives. I decided to join her!

 Hollyhock bloom (an exotic plant)  in my South African garden

Hollyhocks, known as Alcia, is a genus of about 60 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvacea.  They are native to Asia and Europe^. Hollyhocks are annual, biennial, or perennial plants usually taking an erect, un-branched form. Growing in my Marquard garden, I have found these plants to be most rewarding and very forgiving of harsh, dry summers and windy conditions. I just love the way the sun shines through the delicate blooms in the photo above and hope this image helps to hurry on the warmer weather in the States. 

Thanks to everyone for their lovely comments on my bird posts. Grant and I  have been in Mwanza for our three-month check-up with the dentist so I haven't had an opportunity to visit many blogs. I'll get back to Blog-hopping again from today.

I hope you're all having a wonderful week.

Four lifers and many re-visits!

As normal we went out on Saturday morning for our hour's birding into the bush. From the minute we left town via the boom gate, I had my camera ready. And we weren't disappointed.

The first birds we came across were Black-winged Bishops. These birds are in full breeding plumage at the moment and I often manage to capture a male displaying.

Black-winged (Fire-crowned) Bishop displaying

Driving along the bush road, I managed to capture an LBJ sitting quietly on a bush nearby. When we sent it to Jez for identification, he said it could be a Parasitic Weaver (Cuckoo Finch) or a female Bishop. If this was the latter, then perhaps it succumbed to the beautiful displaying of the male above. I like to think so...

Not sure if this is a Parasitic Weaver or a female Bishop! 

As we slowly approached explosives magazine, Grant slammed on brakes. He pointed to a bird on the road directly in front of our vehicle. I opened the door, stood on the running board and snapped away.

Namaqua Dove (Female)

Looking to my left, I noticed a slight movement in between the grass polls. And there was the male!

Namaqua Dove (male)

When I got back into the vehicle, Grant pointed to something in a tree ahead. We drove closer and I zoomed in. While I was snapping away, I thought I was photographing a kestrel. However, once I'd downloaded my photos, Grant identified these as Red-necked Falcon. 

 Red-necked Falcon - a lifer for us! 

Although we drove through to the big dam, and I managed to photograph many more birds, they're all what I've posted about in the past weeks. 

And then our Saturday hour of birding was up and we returned to town. 

On Sunday morning Grant went off to the office after arranging to collect me at 9 as usual. I had hardly swallowed my oats porridge, when he arrived at about 8.20. He said he knew he was early but he'd seen what he thought was a juvenile African Fish Eagle in a tree near the sewage works (where the men fish on Sundays). I grabbed my basket  containing our binoculars and a few facial tissues, picked up my camera bag and jumped into the vehicle. 

As we approached the tree where Grant had seen the bird, it wasn't there. Just then I saw a bird strutting away from us on the haul road. Along with a couple of Yellow-billed Kites, it was pecking at insects on the ground. This made us think that a Fish Eagle wouldn't be displaying this type of behavior. 

Meanwhile I snapped away...

When we downloaded the photos later on, I identified our raptor as a Palm-Nut Vulture! 

Palm-nut Vulture - another lifer for us! 

We drove along the airstrip and soon we turned onto a side mining road. As we approached the explosives magazine, Grant slowed down. This area contains the small dam which has recently been utterly devoid of the  water birds, Malachite kingfishers and duck we saw here last year. As Grant stopped he spotted a bird on the water. It was a Little Grebe, (Dabchick) which I quickly snapped, just for posterity! Regular readers of this blog may remember how we watched a pair of Dabchicks on a nest and later with their young on this self-same dam! 

 Little Grebe (Dabchick) - the first one spotted this year! 

As we left the mine behind us and entered the bush, Grant's phone rang. He stopped and answered it.  In the corner of my eye, I spotted a small dark bird with a long tail fly across the road. It landed on a bush in the near distance. I jumped out of the vehicle and walking through the grass managed to zoom in on the bird. Even on my small camera screen, I could see that I was photographing a bird that I'd been hoping to see since my friend, Sue showed me one she'd snapped in a Kenyan Game Reserve!

 Eastern Paradise Whydah - a lifer for us!

Eastern-Paradise Whydah is a brood parasite and uses the next bird's nest in which to lay its eggs!

Green-winged Pytilia whose nest is parasitized by the Eastern Paradise Whydah

After this exciting sighting, we continued on our way through the bush. Not long and Grant stopped next to a bird sitting quietly in a bush next to the road.  I took several photos and it was only after we'd sent them off to Jez, that we heard what we'd seen.

 Grey-capped Social Weaver - another lifer for us! 

As we drove along, I heard a beautiful song and asked Grant to stop. It was coming from his side of the vehicle again, and sure enough, there was an LBJ sitting in a tree near the road. 

 Rattling Cisticola in full cry 

 The Rattling Cisticola eyes us before launching into song again!

As we drove on, I spotted what looked like a pigeon on the top of a tree quite a distance into the bush. Because I'm not ever going to be blase about a bird again, I asked Grant to stop. I zoomed in and was thrilled when the bird started to call. I could see its throat moving as I checked the focus on my camera screen. 

 Diderick Cuckoo with its descriptive call of Dee-dee-deed-ereek

On the way back towards the mine, I spotted a small bird in a bush on Grant's side of the vehicle again. He stopped and I leaned across him and took photos.  The first time we ever saw this bird, was on the balcony of our apartment in Khartoum. I do have photos of it here in Tanzania, but none as clear as those I took on Sunday.  

 Cut-throat Finch

As we rode onto the haul road where we'd seen the Palm-Nut Vulture earlier, I spotted a Kestrel on the overhead wires. Although I have many of these photos, and have posted about it before, I just couldn't resist showing it again! 

 Lesser Kestrel (female) 

Continuing in protest against the freezing conditions in my friend, Lori's home state, Western New York, I found some beautiful blooms in the bush while we were birding.

Bell-shaped Flowers in the Mwadui bush

To recap on my post on Tuesday where I said that in a house fire I'd save my cats first, then my laptop and hard-drive, I have to say here that after knowing each other for 45 years, Grant and I think and act alike. So where I was, he'd be as well, or just ahead of me (LOL!)  and hopefully in this case, he'd have to front door open and we'd all get out safely! 

I'm linking my post to Wild Bird Wednesday which is kindly hosted by Stewart Monkton of Australia. Do pop onto his blog and see his beautiful bird images here 

I hope you're all having a really great week.