"birding" fun - Page 89

**Kevin WS** · #**881** 03-18-2016, 02:39 PM

Here are few more pics now downloaded......

These are all of the Southern Carmine Bee-Eater - a pretty bird.

It is an intra-African migrant, and feeds by aerial foraging i.e. catching insects on the wing. As a result they move around quite a lot, following the breeding insects or going where there are lots of airborne insects to eat any one time.

**Don Boose** · #**882** 03-18-2016, 03:53 PM

A beautiful bird, Kevin. I love seeing those (to me) very exotic birds that you photograph.

Don

**N96HBK** · #**883** 03-18-2016, 06:31 PM

Great photos!!!
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I'd like to visit South Africa one day, to see birds!!!!

**whulsey** · #**884** 03-20-2016, 04:59 PM

That is really a nice looking bird. Great photos, Kevin.

**Kevin WS** · #**885** 03-26-2016, 09:14 AM

Don, Dong-Woo, Whulsey - thank you for your kind words.

Still have a few more pics to come - will try and do a few more this weekend.

**SCEtoAUX** · #**886** 03-26-2016, 11:47 AM

That is a nice looking Bee-Eater.

Do you have any of those birds in your area that call people to bee hives so they can share the honey?

**Kevin WS** · #**887** 03-26-2016, 12:20 PM

Doug, yes we do.

Honey guides. About four of the six Southern African species live in our area.

However, having said that I have never seen one in South Africa! I think I have heard one once.

They are very inconspicuous, drab little things that skulk a lot - my excuse! Plain dull colours and a short beak like a seed eater. Also not at all common.

In the Kalahari, yes, they call Bushmen to nests. But that is the only area where they used to do this. They do however work a lot with Ratels (honey badgers) as partners, calling the badgers to hives.

Interestingly they eat the honey comb wax mainly, and only grubs, bees, and honey as a secondary food!

**CharlieC** · #**888** 03-27-2016, 10:18 PM

One of a pair of Kookaburras that moved in my neighbourhood at the start of summer. They make their presence known by a chorus of "laughing" just before dawn.

Regards,

Charlie

**Kevin WS** · #**889** 03-27-2016, 11:44 PM

Bulky looking bird, but I like the vwing colourings.

If you want to make a model of it Johan does a nice one.....

Kookaburra

**Kevin WS** · #**890** 04-17-2016, 08:24 AM

Just back from another quick trip! Still have birds to share from the previous one too!

Anyway, this time we were lucky with water birds.

May I present the Greenbacked (Striated) Heron!

Quite "Bittern-ish" in appearance, but so it should be as Bitterns are also Herons!

A small little Heron, just over a foot in length.

I sat and watched one by the side of a lake for a while - it was patrolling up and down a log capturing dinner - though I am not certain quite what? See Picture 3!

Picture 1 - Prowling down the log.

Picture 2 - And you thought that these birds didn't have necks! Actually they sit hunched up all the time, except for a blindingly fast stab that never really shows you the extent of the neck. Food spotted!

Picture 3 - Success. Except I do not know what is hanging out of its mouth!