Bird watching.

My Mom always said I resemble my Dad in more ways than one, well
I don't quite agree with her theory, but I've certainly inherited
the man's love for birds (the feathery kind - snigger)
So because of that, I'll start with a few words about my bird-
watching.
Unfortunately my stay in South Africa wasn't long enough to allow
me all the bird spying.
One morning I deliberately left a bread roll out on the garden table in the
self catering Apartment where we lived - and all I had to do was wait
for results, it wasn't long after I'd left when this little
yellow Finch lady came along and enjoyed her free breakfast.
To take this pic, I had to manouvre my camera between a small opening
through the curtain. Click on for a better look. Early one morning while everyone was sound asleep, I crept out of the
Apartment armed with the camera in search of a few sights.
I was just about to give it up as a bad idea, when the noise of some
squawking birds made me look up - and right above my head were
about 7 or 8 finch nests.
The behaviour of the lady Finch will always amuse me, the male
will work for hours on end to build the perfect nest, but, if Madam isn't
happy with his work, she will rip and tear the entire nest to pieces, as I'm
sure you all know how dissatisfied the little lady can get.

That same morning I heard the noise of this bird, known to most South

Africans as the HA DE DA and I had to take a pic.

If you click on the picture you will see that this bird looks very

much like the Kiwi.

Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to go in search of more lovely

birds, and believe me, the country is alive with the sights and sounds

of them.

It must have been the excitement of spending the first night back
in my country which woke me up at 3.45am, it was quite dark outside,
but the bird sounds which came from the trees all around the Apartment
was unbelievable - perhaps there were only 5 different type of birds
singing their morning song, but it sounded like about 500 birds in
the choir.

I am still wondering how I managed to live for so long without those
glorious wonders of nature.