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Scipio, you forgot about the Anaconda... sorry that is inside the house, not outside

For the third season in a row, two Ibises are busy building their nest in the big tree in our front garden . It is amazing to watch how they go about their business. The nest looks awfully small and uncomfortable for such big birds, but they have raised 4 chicks and hopefully two more this year.

Just outside my bedroom window a white-eared barbet has been "lumbering" away for weeks now preparing a home for his bride. She better be impressed! I am

Besides the OR Tambo Highway, when we sit in the garden on the weekends we see African Hoopoes, and in the tree across the road from us we also see Grey Louries would rather prefer a waterhole with a few zebra, impala, giraffe, one or two elephants, a fish eagle or two and maybe a Bateleur. (nothing wrong with dreaming !)

Mixed emotions..... It is the shooting season here But some of the targets hide in the gardens

Our local pair of Hadedas ( previous pics posted on this thread ) , have been having a tough time raising their brood this year .
They built a nest in Blackwattle tree , laid eggs , but it was somewhat exposed , catching too much wind , and after a couple weeks mommy Hadeda left her nest
Then they built another nest , in the same tree , but on another branch , and better protected , laid eggs , and the youngsters hatched in due course . All hunky dory

Then , this morning , disaster struck when all of a sudden the tree fell over
When I saw the tree , my first concern was for the 3 chicks - oh dear , what now

But , someone must be smiling on these chicks , because their nest is still all intact , as can be see from the pic , now just two metres above the ground




And here is another close-up pic of the one chick



And mommy and daddy are both quite happy in continuing to feed them and looking after them , even so close to the ground .
And I can keep a close watch on them too over the next few weeks until they leave the nest .

Of course , cutting up the tree will have to wait until all three of them are able to leave the nest
Oh , just one problem , the farm's telephone line was brought down by the tree falling on it , and until that tree is cut up , I will have to do without a telephone land-line , at least for the time being

wow

my favourite SA bird and with the noise they make you wouldn't hear the phone ring

My favourites too !

I think Okie could write about his garden wildlife experiences in the writng comp here and perhaps win a prize

Hmmmm.... Childrens categories perhaps

No wildlife I'm afraid, they didn't want to be filmed showering, and this is a family forum

This is my water feature
The blackbird uses(about the size of a glossy) the lower urn to shower and the robin (weaverbird size) the one above
All mod cons for bird

Very attractive corner Dotty
And of course , the Pelargoniums

Thanks okie was a lot prettier in the summer getting tatty now Winter is on the way The birds will miss it then, as it has to be protected against nasty frosts.

Couldn't believe our eyes yesterday - a female Spek's Hingeback Tortoise casually wandered into our garden. She must have entered the complex underneath the outside palisade fencing having come from the veld across the road!

On Friday my wife saw and photographed a Malachite sunbird on our wild dagga plant.