Please note this post was done on Friday, I forgot to press publish LOL........... so belated news whatever *smile* Just quickly added some news about my veggie planting too.
It has been raining all night, the sun has just come out and is spreading its rays and warmth upon my garden.Steam is rising from the thatch on the lapa, the grass, the wet bushes and every little rain puddle has steam coming out of it.
It has been raining all night, the sun has just come out and is spreading its rays and warmth upon my garden.Steam is rising from the thatch on the lapa, the grass, the wet bushes and every little rain puddle has steam coming out of it.
A very unusual early Spring rain or maybe it was meant to be snow, but we were too warm? I don't know, last year it snowed here this time and it is snowing in the Cape and Transkei and Drakensberg, so maybe we will still get it.
In the meantime my garden seems to think Spring has arrived.
The Hadeda Ibis is digging for worms and crickets in the sopping wet lawn,
Cape Robin is hopping about looking for insects,
Hopoe clambering amongst the branches of the Jacaranda trees , cackling like a bunch of old Zulu women.
I was just about attacked when I came outside with no bone meal, so had to go dig some worms out of my compost heap to keep them all happy, with a promise of going to the butcher later. Managed to put a grin on the Grey Louire's beak
with some bread mixed with peanut butter, but I think the banana was what kept the peace there in the end.
The fiscal shrike, also called the butcher bird is in with the crowd
Black headed Bulbul has joined the melee and the crested Barbet is shouting for apple, which lucky I have, together with some paw paw for the Mousebird
and the black-bibbed barbet.
The red-winged starling is in top of a tree waiting singing his mournfull sound of whooo woooo, simply sounds so very sad that sound.
The Rainbird, also called the Burchells Coucal arrived and I got cross with him as I see he has raided an early nest of Cape Weaverbirds.
Lucky I had some old cheese, I rolled into a ball and stuck on a thorn in a bush for the Cape Robin, he is too shy to go fight the others, so has to be fed in a corner of the garden. A piece of apple is also welcome to him.
The Southern Masked Weavers are already building in every single tree, competing with each other to attract the females to the prettiest sturdiest, best situated (meaning close to bird feeder) nest.
Our little Vinkie that is now nearly 4 years old, is managing very well, as he has his own feeder by the aviary he can take his little harem of 3 to. He has already got his Breeding plumage and is looking gorgeous, just a few weeks ago, I commented on how scruffy he was looking , then all of a sudden I couldn't tell him apart, only by the ring on his leg, now he looks fantastic.
Extra seeds in the bowl this morning and some peanut butter bread, which he also loves, on top of the aviary, together with fresh peas, grated carrot and apple and cucumber. Spoiled little one, but he is so very special, our first rescue bird and it always manages to lift any dark mood, when I spot him.
House Sparrow, Cape Sparrow and dark headed Sparrow,
competing with Mourning Doves and red eyed Doves and Pigeons at the seed table.
A couple of Red Bishops has showed up too and the Common Waxbill Finch is there with the whole flock, they only show in winter as soon as the grasses in the vlei starts having heads, they are off for natural food. In the meantime I enjoy watching them and their antics.
The whole garden is one big sound of birdsong all mixed and uplifting. I am so lucky in the middle of a suburb to have this Garden of Eden, where it all seems to come together to heal a troubled soul.
Have been watching this little dove for about a week now. We saw the parents build the nest, they are Laughing Doves, the beautiful call is like a " uh huh u huu hu" They build silly in a fork of a tree and lost the one baby, this surviving one was now too big for the nest, so they must have told it to sit still on that branch and wait. They feed it in turns, we just see the little one flapping wings (holding breath, it don't fall of perch) and beak opening, zoom zoom, in they go and out again. Watching us the whole time, watching them. Just another couple of days and ready for Take Off.
After the rains a rainbow ............. run, run, catch my pot of gold, duh, what I need money for
I got all my happiness right here.
It is amazing what amount of flowers, survived this winter in our gardens and brings colours and sunshine to my little place of Eden.
The bed I planted, where we cut down the palm tree, in May,which Russell predicted would die as he says , they are all summer flowers "ffffffffffffppppppptttttttttffffffft" See I do know something about Blommetjies and them are soo pretty.
More pretties blooming by the patio entrance
The front of the house, also has some flowers blooming and that in middle August, late winter. This is entirely the man's project, I try not to get involved in flowers.
and from the other side
Clivia has started flowering already, under the Delicious Monsters leaves.
Blooms are large and healthy looking.
Going in to check the vegetables,
carrots, leeks, celery, chinese cabbage and beetroot.
Beans plants are high and starting to flower. I do pray we do not get frost or I could be in trouble.
Got loads of snap peas, ready for my salad bowl, that is , if it makes it out the garden, without going into my mouth or into one of the birds beaks, they are begging when I go past with anything green in my hands.
Celery in abundance, have been using all winter in our soups and now ready for summer salads.
Lovely strong lettuce varieties
Strawberries has got flowers on.
as you can see Princess Mousie and Monster Dog Kieara is never far behind, when we are doing patrols. They simply love this walking around together early in the morning and again late in the afternoon.
Good Morning, so how is your day going????
