"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Bird and wild life seen in our valley



On this page I am posting photo's of birds and wandering wildlife which we've seen in our valley on this page.  

 S'funny - I've never been a twitcher, but we have seen such a variety of birdlife that it is just calling out to me to record whatever I can.

 Where possible I will identify them using Robert's Birds of Southern Africa, but if I get it wrong, or there is no name, and you know what it is, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know :)
1  Bully Canary
(I didn't know there were wild canaries LOL)

2  Cape Wagtail

 
3  Golden weaver
The weaver obviously
enjoyed the sugar water -
it started making a nest
on the chain supporting
the sugar water bottle

4  Swamp Boubou

5  Unidentified
6  Fallow deer
7  A ringed Feral Pigeon taking cover on RMan's
braai during a very welcome rain shower
8  Blackheaded heron

9  Cape Bulbul

10  House Sparrow (male)

11 Greater Doublecollared Sunbird

12  House Sparrow (female)

13  Malachite Sunbird

14  Swamp Boubou - can it be?  They shouldn't
be down this far south.  Alternatively it is a
Tropical Boubou, but it also shouldn't be here
 
15  Forktailed Drongo
 
15  Forktailed Drongo

16  Rock Pigeon
/
The Rock Pigeon flew into our gas storage area
and made a nest on top of a coil of steel wire.
It has diligently sat on that nest, with us walking
passed at all times of the day, until it's young
hatched this morning (19/10/2014)
17 Glowing insect - on the right it
created just enough light to photograph a blur
without the flash.

18 Hadeda Ibis

19 Hoopoe

20 Black Kite - spotted on our grape vine support
posts and on top of our garden umbrella
21 Bearded Robin

22 Secretary Bird

23 Baboon
Look at the claws on this little tortoise (+/- 15cms long)


24 Baby & adult tortoise





25 Baboon Spider


 
26 Hares before dawn and early morning



27 Frog

28 Wagtail nest with eggs
                              (spotted by RMan when he was mowing the grass)
29 Button spider lurking in my old compost
maker

30 Bullfrog or terrapin?

31 Terrapin catching some warmth on the dam wall


32 Duberria lutrix (Common South African slug-eater)

33 Goshawk

                                                         (Baby Goshawk)

34 Cape Cobra
(hiding by our LP gas cylinders)
35 Blue Headed lizard
(pic by Isadore Kleinsmith)
36 Malachite Sunbird (male)

37 Olive Woodpecker (female)

38 Olive Woodpecker (male)

 
39 Raucous Toad, Ranger's Toad, Kei Road Toad  Lawaaipadda
40 Evidence of Rooikat in our garden -
territory marking under our pomegranate tree

41 Spectacled Weaver
42 A pair of African Spoonbills
(Carly, the alpaca was fascinated with them)

43 Bokmakierie
44 Spurwinged Goose
                                                  45 Reed Cormorant 

46 Spurwinged geese
47 Common Waxbill



48 Brown house snake (eats rodents / lizzards)
49  White owl

50 Pintailed Whydah
51 Malachite Kingfisher
 
52 Rock Martin
53 Spotted Dikkop

 
54  goshawk or falcon? - still trying to establish



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