Crested Barbet.. a visitor to the Pretoria fruit salad tree.

Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii)

You can’t miss this bird with its very colourful plumage the Crested Barbet is unmistakable. This small bird has a speckled yellow and red face with a small black crest. The belly is yellow with red speckles, wings are black with white specks and it has a broad black band on its neck. Yellow head and body with black and white feathers, with red markings on the head of the body, its colour blends in so well in the bush. A coat of many colours.

But this one I’ve been trying to capture at the right time of the day.. but had to put up with bad light and all the wrong conditions that all the experts say you should not bother shooting in and captured him today at midday..

and now for the fashion show showing this years trends….

TaaDaaaaaaaa ….. Now for our first shot we show the black back with white flecks, very in fashion this season….

Notice the orange hues of the neck and darkening of the ears.. all make up should concentrate in this area for the season….

Red around the backside is very in this season so do concentrate on that and ensure your trailing tail is black with white dots….

Chew fruit this year rather than gum…. and dye the front of your hair red…

Note the red dye in the front of the head… (Red hair is in Blonde out) wear a black and white bib..

This gives one a better perspective of the black and white bib.. always wear yellow dress with red flecks or dots… very in this year Ladies…

please send full size photos of your like fashion to this site for critique from the fashion Guru…the Bulldog…

And that Ladies and Gentlemen concludes our fashion show for the day…

From Dry Land to a Land of Beauty…

Imagine you have driven through the Kalahari Gemsbok Park, it’s hot and dry, the animals are lethargic from the heat.. and this is what the river bed looks like…..

BUT… some rain has fallen in some parts of the Park, you might not be able to see it under ground but the signs are there,.. Look at the green strip, that is water just below the surface….

Now imagine driving through the Kalahari after a good rainfall has fallen, a cloud break and a good soaking … would you expect to see this????? A river of flowers with the Gemsbok enjoying the occasion….

This is what makes Africa so beautiful… veld flowers that can lie dormant in seed form for years, and when the circumstances are right… the world is covered in flowers, and that in some of the most barren portions of South Africa.. Oh it is a tough country to live in …. ha ha ha ha…

Red billed Spurfowl… a Photo set that speaks for itself…

The Red-billed Spurfowl (Pternistis adspersus), also known as the Red-billed Francolin.

One that is not easy to capture on camera… this one walked right up to me hidden behind a tree…. it was a big tree luckily…

Magpie Shrike..

Magpie Shrike (Urolestes melanoleucus), also known as the African Long-tailed Shrike.

A truly beautiful bird to photograph, when you can capture them sitting searching for food on the ground or in the surrounding trees. It feeds mainly on insects, caterpillars, ants and beetles, which it will sit quietly on a branch, or on the ground and watch for.

It is also unusual in that the breeding pair are normally assisted by the last brood to feed the new born. I think it is called facultative cooperative breeding. However the male and female construct the nest and the younger birds have never been observed aiding in the construction. Typical of young never want to clean up around the house, however the aid in feeding almost guarantees the successful raising of the young.

The nest consists of an untidy cup made of twigs, grass stems and roots, typically placed in the upper branches of an Acacia tree.

The female lays 2-6 eggs, which are incubated by her for about 16 days, the male and group members providing her with food. The chicks are cared for both by the parents and group members, they leave the nest after about 15-19 days. Allowing the parents to lay a second set of eggs per breeding season, and the  fledglings help to rear the next brood. Now that’s family co-operation… I only have two photos of this bird and here they are…

Kaapsehoop Waterfall.. a casual stroll…

There is a wonderful little stroll across to a waterfall near the village, an easy walk down and not to bad back up. Down to the bottom of the waterfall is a different story, but me being me, a hot day, and no one around… a skinny dip seamed the way to go… till I felt the water… I wonder where they keep the refrigeration unit..??  It could have been a very small, painful swim….

On the way I passed horses…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There didn’t seem to be enough to eat…

and further down one catches sight of the water fall…. disappearing into a hole…

The climb down and the resultant sight made it well worth the effort…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This pool seemed the ideal spot to skinny dip… till the water temperature told me differently…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This waterfall is well worth a visit if you ever find yourself in Kaapsehoop… one passes and old grave yard on the way, if that scratches your fancy..