MONDAY 10TH AUGUST A REALLY MAGICAL MORNING AFTER THREE GLOOMY COLD
DAYS (AND MANY BEFORE IT!).

Dear All,
The past three days have been particularly horrible. Gloomy leaden
skies, misty drizzle and yesterday our outside temperature did not
climb over 15oC making the coldest day of the winter.
I had been continuing the study of bird movements in the paddock each
early morning, and although I had the Bat Hawks for company every day,
nothing else moved, and I was regularly wondering why I am doing this.
Then came this morning, a beautiful early morning. As on other sunny
days, the male Bat Hawk came in at 7.20am and stayed just under an
hour enjoying the sun. It was like a rebirth, birds were everywhere,
and things that had been silent and seemingly absent suddenly appeared
with great enthusiasm. As the sun climbed, birds that had probably
been grounded and frustrated with the lack of warm thermals, were
suddenly aloft in numbers. Fifty Marabous, twenty White-backed
Vultures, two Augur Buzzards, Yellow-billed Kites of course, and
singles of Tawny and Ayre’s Hawk-Eagles, African Goshawk, Little
Sparrowhawk and African Harrier Hawk. Amongst the vultures was
something odd, a Secretarybird with its legs dangling was coming down
from a great height. It might have been a display but the first we
have ever had one here. I took a series of images, but forgot I had
been using the macro on butterflies and hadn’t changed it so it’s a
bit blurry(!), but easy to see what it is. Then a small squadron of 10
White Pelicans joined the busy sky.
I thought the cold weather that had deprived the butterflies of food
and sunlight would have decimated the numbers. Not at bit of it, by
mid-day I had recorded 52 species, and from 11.00 to 12.00am there was
a huge movement of Brown-veined and African Caper Whites in an ENE
direction. I am sure this will get reported elsewhere.

The sun was gone by mid-day, and the clouds rolled in with light
showers in the afternoon, but I hope that tomorrow will again be a
sunny start.

Best to all
Brian

IMAGE ATTACHED

Far left Bat Hawk enjoying morning sun.

Far Right immature Ayre’s Hawk-Eagle. This bird has been in a battle
as the flight-feather damage is not moult!

Second Row Left Adult Male Little Sparrowhawk was hyperactive and
noisy early morning.

Second Row Right two not prize-winning images of the Secretarybird.

Third Row Right Male Violet-backed Starling. Every morning there are
ten-fifteen birds, but this morning there were over fifty. They roost
on the Ngongs and commute twice daily to Kisembe Forest in NNP.

Bottom Row, the small flock of White Pelicans.