Sunrise in South Africa last month

Sunrise...

...on the N1 between our home and the city

I've linked my post today, to Skywatch Friday which you can access here

Operation Cats and Dog Mwadui

Today as this post is read by my dear blogger friends, I will be "in theater". I've notified all (my husband, Paul the chef, Regina, my house lady and anyone else looking for me), I'm not available until the two cat procedures and one dog operation is over.

I've liaised several times on the telephone with Dr Mawaluko . You have to do this in Africa. For instance, I spoke to the good doctor early Tuesday morning and said he'd be accommodated in a Guest House in town on Wednesday night so he need only travel down from Mwanza during the afternoon. (the trip takes about two hours) This morning he phoned me after 8am and said he'd be in Mwadui today "after two hours" which means within two hours from 8am, so could he start when he arrives. So I said, no Doctor, the animals haven't been starved and our arrangement was for us to start at 8am on Thursday. He said he understood and would travel as far as Shinyanga where he had business and be with me in the morning. I had to contact my long-suffering husband to cancel the Guest House arrangement!

As soon as I've finished this post (which I'm doing on Wednesday afternoon!), I will find the Micro-chips and new syringes which we brought from South Africa. I also have blank medical card/books from our vet in SA which the vet will fill in after the ops tomorrow. 

Tomorrow morning early, I'll take the high kitchen table to Grant's very large bathroom. There is plenty of light from the half-way wrap-around windows and the overhead fluorescent is bright too. There are five electric wall plugs (health and safety, mmm?) in this bathroom, so we will have a fan on us at all times. It's very important for the animal to stay cool under anesthetic, so as we've finished with one cat, I will settle him on a towel on the floor in by air-conditioned bedroom. Then we'll continue with the next cat neutering. 

Tipsy and Topsy will be feeling a little woozy by the afternoon

After the cats' procedures, we'll bring Honey, the guard dog onto my enclosed veranda, having taken the table there, and I'll assist the vet while he spays her. I'm still trying to work out what to do with my own three original cats at this stage. They love lying on the veranda during the day. Hopefully they won't mind being moved into the lounge for while. Fortunately there is a half-screen door between the lounge and veranda as my cats don't do dogs very well! 

 My three older cats love sleeping on the veranda

They also love the sofa and easy chairs in the lounge...

...the cat tree...

...and Shadow loves the dining chairs under the table

At least in the lounge and dining room they have a sofa, two easy chairs, the dining chairs (which Shadow loves) and their cat tree. Phew!  

Please cross fingers that all goes according to plan and ends well for the animals. 

 

First birding weekend in Mwadui (October 2013)

On Sunday Grant and I managed to get onto the mine and beyond to do some birding - the first since returning to Mwadui. 

The first bird we spotted in the bush beyond the mine (which was devoid of nature on our way in - we think it was too hot) was the delightful little d'Arnard's Barbet. It sits quite still and you're able to take photos of it to your heart's content!

d'Arnaud's Barbet

Once we reached the dam, we encountered a great deal more birds, all water birds. In the distance I could see a small flock of Pink-backed Pelicans. They looked pink in the late afternoon light. Then I spotted a lone pelican floating nearby. I managed to get several photos of it, and when I downloaded them onto the computer, I noticed an orange knob on the tip of its grey-pink bill.  I referred to my little field book, Birds of East Africa and viola! There it was, the Pink-backed Pelican is smaller than the Great White Pelican (also seen in our area) and has an orange nail at the tip of its bill.

 A small flock of Pink-backed Pelican with White-faced Whistling Ducks in the foreground (and two Yellow-billed Stork in the background!)

Although it was feeding (we saw it spear fish on two occasions) and moving quite fast, I managed several photos of this regal looking bird

 Here the orange nail at the tip of its bill is clearly noticeable 

Although I cut the tail end of the bird off in the photo, I felt I should show it close-up 

As we watched the birds in the water, something must have disturbed the White-faced Whistling Duck on the far side of the dam. They whistled wildly and then in unison, rose up into the air. Although it was a beautiful sight, I don't ever manage to photograph birds in flight. However, with a couple of clicks, I managed to get a reasonable photo of the ducks in the air as they flew over us. 

 White-faced Whistling Ducks in flight 

Focusing on the water again, I captured a few Red-knobbed Coot 

We finally climbed into the vehicle again and headed home. Around the next corner, a coucal flew across the road in front of us. As Grant stopped the car, the White-browed Coucal landed on a small sandbank on the edge of the road. I've never seen a coucal on the ground; I normally have to try and focus on this busy bird through branches. This day I was able to get clear photos.

  White-browed Coucal 

 It was also interesting to me to see the coucal walking and not hopping as it does from branch to branch

 Eventually it flew up into a small tree and with one last pose, it flew off into the bush

As we drove onto the airstrip, we started peeling our eyes for kestrels. We hadn't seen any for many months as these birds are migrants. Sure enough, on a power-line pole we spotted a Grey Kestrel. It was having a recently-caught meal so the photos are none-too-clear but at least I've seen my first kestrel this summer! 

 A Grey Kestrel enjoying its afternoon meal 

 A morsel visible in the Grey Kestrel's bill

We were thrilled that our first birding trip on the mine yielded such good results. For today's post I'm linking to Wild Bird Wednesday which you can access by clicking here