A - Z Bird Photography Southern Drakensberg South Africa

in #animalsunday7 years ago

Animal Sunday Photography My Contibution @homeartpictures

Visits up to Garden Castle area in the Southern Drakensberg, enjoy the A - Z of birds I have managed to photograph in the region.

All photography is my own (please ask permission before you use any of my photography) Photography taken with either Canon PowerShot A530 or Canon EOS 500D

Most visits take place during the months of September or October being slightly cooler in the mountains.

Egyptian Goose This capture caught me off-guard since I was not aware the goose would sit up in trees, live and learn.

Egyptian Goose

Here are two with the sun capturing the beautiful plumage whilst sunning themselves after the brisk night. He gave me that 'look'.

Egyptian Goose

Fiscal Shrike Known as the Jacky-hanger for hanging it's food onto tree thorns or barb wire (we call it biltong so he inherited something I do believe)

Fiscal shrike

Gabar goshawk The following bird I researched to try find out what it is, I may be completely wrong with description, please if you do know drop a comment with what it actually is. (Size was about 30cm long, extremely shy and fast, first photo close to the ground and then up on the tree.)

Gabar goshawk

Gabar goshawk

Greater Kestrell Another surprise flying above my head that I have researched and the closest I managed is to identify this as the Greater Kestrell, I may be completely wrong.... hey, there expert birders a helping hand is needed here.

Greater Kestrell

Guineafowl Not normally seen up out of the bush wandering around on it's own, one and only time I have seen this up in the mountain area. Helmeted Guineafowl (Eng.); gewone tarentaal (Afr.); impangele (Xhosa).

Guineafowl

Sacred ibis With dams in the area quite a common sight along the edges of the water, they appear to fly up into the mountain area during the day and fly out just prior sunset.

Sacred ibis

Yellow-billed duck Water ponds for the golf course this little duck appears to be enjoying somewhere new, first and only one I have seen here.

Yellow-billed duck

*Red-winged starling Afrikaans known as the rooivlerkspreeu, and as iSomi in Zulu have made this area home. Sharing breakfast with many birds in the second photo (additional whole wheat bread goes along for goose, ibis, starling, finches and who ever else arrives).

Red-winged starling

Breakfast with the Birds

Each visit reveals a variety of bird life still to be photographed.


Previous articles on A - Z Bird Photography for Animal Sunday - (These articles are older than 7 days please do not upvote and waste your voting power)

https://steemit.com/animalsunday/@joanstewart/a-z-bird-photography-alongside-the-river

https://steemit.com/animalsunday/@joanstewart/a-z-bird-photography-isimangaliso-wetlands-park


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Birds are so amazing.

Thanks for visiting and enjoying @riyuwe

Very Beautiful 💜

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Thank you @steemitworldmap filling up the spot with plenty to see and do.

Great photography indeed.

Thanks for comment @malay11

Lovely piece @joanstewart. The Drakensberg is our favorite holiday destination in South Africa. Showing your post to my husband. He loves birds and bird photography.

Thanks for resteem and kind words @tanyaschutte hope your husband enjoyed them.

Photography is a passion, enjoying our environment, birds and wildlife all go hand in hand.

Well I sure never knew geese would go up in trees either! Lucky you to be able to draw the birds to your table :)

I'm coming to you from @kyrptonia with the same user name.

Goose does look out of place in a tree @fitinfun thanks for visiting.

Nice looking birds and my Kryptonia account is @ianstevenson

So beautiful!

The goose in the tree is a new one on me too lol. Great shots, you certainly have caught a wide range of birds.
I have Upvoted your task from kryptonia @stevehuggett :)

We tend to do a double back to make sure we saw what was in front of us, seemed quite at home up there too @stevejhuggett

The day a see a goose in a tree in Wales, I hope I have my camera with me :)

Funny was just going through today old pics that I took while my visit to ZA / Capetown into the world of birds, if i remember the name correctly :)
ZA is beautiful !

I rely heavily on books for reference (still like to feel the pages and glossy photography in the finger tips) from time to time when in a hurry I resort to online research, so much to see and learn @mcfarhat hope you had a good trip to SA.

Very clear pictures of the animals! Wow..upvoted and commented by rubelynmacion of krypto

Kind comments appreciated @rubelymacion

wow. perfectly captured images. nice.

Wow different kind of birds in one place..awesome!
From kryptonia @jason21

Lovely seeing nature at work @jasonabejero

Wow so beautiful

I love birds, nice post! from Kryptonia- reatimtim

Cool photos u got there @joanstewart

Wow, very interesting and varied bird life!

-Robhimself from Kryptonia

Different birds being seasonal @robhimself1

Wonderful photos of these beautiful birds!

Visit and comment appreciated @rwedegis