Two new birds in just two weeks
One facet of being a ranger and spending time within the wilderness is that we’re uncovered to many various features of the pure world. Certainly one of which many people discover fascinating is the world of birds. With this ardour, a variety of us spend an excessive amount of time searching for totally different birds, and as soon as we see a selected chicken, we are able to choose it from the checklist and add one other quantity to our life lists of birds we have seen. So seeing a chicken for the primary time will be an unforgettable expertise.
The Lowveld of South Africa is full of many various species of birds, most of which we could have seen sooner or later throughout our time right here, however every so often one other random chicken not so frequent right here pops up and these encounters are sometimes thrilling. Whether or not it is the colourful colours of a tropical chicken or the distinctive options of a chicken of prey, recognizing a brand new species of chicken to your eyes can provide you a way of marvel and appreciation for the variety of life.
This one made the crew very excited! One of many only a few instances an African creek has been seen in Londolozi. These uncommon birds favor swampy areas and tall grass which makes them exhausting to seek out. Given all of the rain we have had, we are able to solely hope that we’ll see much more within the coming weeks.
One of the necessary features of birdwatching is having the ability to observe these creatures of their pure habitat. Seeing a brand new chicken for the primary time can present a glimpse into its world and conduct, and provide perception into its function within the ecosystem. It may also be a chance to find out about their distinctive options, resembling beak form or feather patterns, and the way they developed to adapt to their atmosphere.
For some chicken watchers, recognizing a brand new chicken generally is a lifelong chase, they usually could spend years touring the world to see totally different species. Even for many who might not be an avid birdwatcher, encountering a brand new chicken generally is a particular second. It could present a way of connection to the pure world and an appreciation for the sweetness that surrounds us. In a world the place we have gotten more and more indifferent from nature, spending time observing and appreciating the birds round us can present a a lot wanted sense of grounding and perspective.
The previous two weeks have been an thrilling time for me as a birder, seeing two new and distinctive species that I hadn’t seen earlier than. Actually, if I am not mistaken, there have not been many information of those two species right here in Londolozi in any respect.
Volvo whistling geese
The Fulvous Whistling Duck is a surprising chicken that’s acknowledged for its brilliant, cinnamon coloration and distinctive whistle-like name. Driving round a bend within the street to see this”new“Species for me was a really thrilling second. Its cousin, the frequent white-faced whistling duck is usually seen on the banks of most water sources right here in Londolozi, however a second glimpse of the whistling duck caught Freddy’s monitoring and my consideration, we found one thing new for each of us. It was Freddy’s been on this for a few years and he is by no means seen a Volvo whistling duck right here.
Shut up view of a Fulvous Whistling Duck This photograph was not taken in Londolozi, the geese we noticed have been very skittish and flew as quickly as we tried to get shut.
African pygmy goose
One other new chicken on my checklist is the African Pygmy Goose which is likely one of the smallest waterfowl on the earth and is understood for its vibrant colors. In all probability some of the lovely waterfowl I’ve ever come throughout, this chicken has been on my watch checklist for a really very long time. Regardless of its small dimension, it’s identified for its velocity and agility, which makes it a tough chicken to identify within the wild.
Stunning dwarf geese. Discover the putting colours of the male’s head to the precise.
Photograph by Londolozi Visitor, Lynn Thompson.
I knew little or no concerning the behaviors of geese, after some research, I realized that these geese are totally different from most geese. It flies out and in of bushes virtually like a parrot, clinging to bark to examine potential nesting websites like a woodpecker. They normally nest in tree cavities, close to or above water the place their chicks can flutter towards the bottom with the supplied water drop.
No different shot of those superb birds was taken in Londolozi for a similar causes.
Seeing these two distinctive species of birds was a reminder of the superb range of life discovered on this area of Africa. Each of them, particularly the African dwarf geese, have been a fantastic shock to me, tracker Freddy Ngobeni and our friends. We’re not sure of the precise the explanation why these birds seem so randomly, however I’ve a delicate suspicion that there’s some connection to the weird climate patterns we skilled within the interval main as much as these sightings. Heavy rains and really moist situations could have thrown these birds off beam or may have brought on them to settle right here for a short while because the abundance of floor water was enticing. Typically it’s these distinctive bush vistas that make a keep in Londolozi much more particular. Till the following superb chicken seems, we’ll be watching carefully.
#birds #weeks
