The Aloe Farm - June 2018

Well its been a while since my last post, but what better time to try and catch up than during a 21 day lockdown.

I thought that I would start with a few nice trips that go all the way back to June 2018. It's not that I haven't been doing any birding, its just that I haven't been doing any blogging. In fact I have qualified as a Regional Bird Guide (Savanna Biome), registered with the South Africa Tourism Board and started Galimi Guides. Most of my guiding has been volunteer guiding for the SAN Parks Honorary Rangers, which has taken me to some really great places. I will send details of these trips in the next few days.

So, back to The Aloe Farm...this is a nursery out near the Hartebeespoort Dam which specializes in...you've guessed it...Indigenous Aloe plants. The nice thing for us birders is that in the winter months when the plants are in bloom, a plethora of nectar eating birds seem to gather here for the feast which gives us a great opportunity to photograph them from quite close distances.

 This Brown-hooded Kingfisher allowed a close approach. I don't believe that he was here for the nectar but perhaps inspecting the abandoned White-fronted Bee-eater nests for a possible future home..

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

The sunbirds here are amazing with quite a number of species visiting, here are a few..

Marico Sunbird, full of nectar to pollinate the next flower

White-bellied Sunbird drinking nectar and having pollen deposited on his forehead

White-bellied Sunbird Female with a light dusting of pollen

Amethyst Sunbird

It is always difficult to capture the colours of this bird as it appears completely black until the light hits it at a certain angle. Here you can see the "amethyst" nicely under the chin..

However sunbirds are not the only ones who are attracted to the nectar, the bulbuls, weavers and canaries also come in for an energy drink..

Cape Weaver in a Highveld Coral tree - Erythrina lysistemon

Yellow-fronted Canary

So, I hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. I will continue to post some more as the days go on. Happy Lockdown and may you all stay well during this time! Greetings G..