Three little maidens from school are we…..

Many, many, maaaaannnnnyyyyy years ago, when in my first year at high school, I was shanghaied into playing a part in this Gilbert and Sullivan production of Mikado…. I was to play a maiden…

Now I have to thank my lucky stars that it was not a major part, but rather one of the young maiden chorus group… now stop that laughing… I may still need to visit a shrink in years to come…

When these three ducks or Cape teal came swimming around the corner the song came back to me as if it was yesterday…. Now I know I need psychologist….

Three little maids from school are we

Pert as a school-girl well can be

filled to the brim with girlish glee

Three little maids from school……………… hell I have a shiver going down my back….

Can you that know me, picture this body playing the part of a school girl ? Dressed in a pinafore reaching the ground…. and a bonnet six foot high (slight exaggeration) on my head and a forehead of curls that were made using curling irons ??  Didn’t think so… you don’t know how I prayed for the proverbial things to drop that my high voice would become a deep thunder……

But any way here is a few other photos of the Cape Teal…

Plover or Lapwing, does not matter, a Blacksmith it will remain….

The blacksmith lapwing or blacksmith plover (Vanellus armatus)

This bird I knew as a plover, yet someone decided it should become a lapwing… now I have searched high and low and cannot find a decent answer as to why it has become a Lapwing…

So, any one out there that wishes to help me with a definitive answer, please feel free to do so…

This little guy I know as the Blacksmith Plover was not in the least concerned about what I called him. He told me so… he said “Plover; Lapwing, who gives a damn, so long as I remain a blacksmith man” so until I have an explanation… he remains a plover….

Hobbly Nobbly Dinkum Do.. I got a snoz unlike you…

When you wish upon a star,

Just beware of where you are,

Noses grow, ask Pinocchio,

Knob-billed ducks can tell you so….

How would you like a bill like this…

This duck has such a knob on the bill one tends to miss its beautiful colours….

Want to know more about this duck ?? Click on this link….

Filicide…. This should not happen in nature..

It was quite a spectacular morning watching this mother feed her three chicks…. I have only ever seen them with two at the most, but this mother had three…. Every time she dived to get a little water weed the young would crowd around to get their share…

Now this may sound strange that I say I’ve never seen a mother with three chicks, but I will quote for you from the internet about this bird…. “It is a resident breeder across much of Africa and in southern most Spain on freshwater lakes and ponds. It builds a nest of dead reeds near the water’s edge or more commonly afloat, laying about 8 eggs (or more in good conditions). However, its behaviour towards its own young is so aggressive that only a few are likely to survive to adulthood.

So I say again, it was a pleasure to watch this mother feed her three young instead of chasing them away… now that is when you call a bird by the female of a dog…. a bitch…

and all they actually want to do is cuddle with their Mom…

How can a Mother not like that..????????

Cape Turtle Dove.. Ring-necked Dove.. Half-Collared Dove

(Streptopelia capicola) Cape Turtle Dove.

My recent (although it feels a long time ago now) visit to the Kalahari Gemsbok Park gave me a new out look at these common birds… Their congregating around watering holes makes them seem to be showing off to the local Jackal as a meal for the having.. yet their fast flight and escape tactics are amazing to watch.

An early morning start had me viewing a water hole surrounded by these birds.. and then the Namaqua Sandgrouse came in to join them.. a Black Backed Jackal kept dodging out of a shadowy hideaway trying to capture his breakfast.. their flight was great to watch and one was not sure who to root for.. the Jackal or the Dove..

The Sandgrouse were just too fast with their ascent and descent, but the doves were a bit more co-operative.. I caught a few doves in flight as shown in the photos.. sat riveted waiting to capture a Jackal/ Dove encounter… but no luck this trip..

Yes keep looking the last photo the flying bird was so fast, even I can’t see him…