letting nature back in

Visiting birds such as malachite sunbirds bring their own festive features to the garden in the year-end summer holidays. There will be no snow lying round about, no blazing Yule before us, or halls decked with boughs of holly. But oblivious of all that, the birds are donned in gay apparel. Fa la la la la and all that 🎶

What could be more festive than a male malachite sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) in his breeding plumage?

Flaunting those fine feathers!

A male malachite sunbird in eclipse (transitional) plumage, photographed in January last year.

Although smaller in size than the malachite, the southern double-collared sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus) is nevertheless a flamboyant presence.

A male southern double-collared sunbird looking less flamboyant and slightly weird in eclipse plumage, in October this year.

Decorative, although in another colour palette, is this pair of speckled pigeons (Columba guinea).

With feathers both fine and festive, the speckled pigeon (also known as the African rock pigeon) can register a regal presence.

The nuanced colours of the laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) are more festive than one might expect.

The opposite of nuanced is the plumage (including the crest even when held flattened as in the above photo) of the African hoopoe (Upupa africana).

Definitely dapper and despite its sombre colour, this Cape bulbul’s (Pycnonotus capensis) white eye-ring and yellow vent are decorative features.

Superficially reminiscent of the European robin of British Christmas card fame (Erithacus rubecula) is the Cape robin-chat (Cossypha caffra), this one apparently deep in thought while perched on the rim of a birdbath in our garden.

A bully canary, also known as a brimstone canary, (Crithagra sulphurata), looking slightly diffident while drinking at a birdbath.

Looking festive while eating flowers of the Gnidia squarrosa, is the canary-like streaky-headed seedeater (Crithagra gularis).

Also visiting the Gnidia shrub (with round pods of the balloon milkweed (Gomphocarpus physocarpus) visible in the background) is a female Cape weaver (Ploceus capensis).

Washed a stronger orange-yellow colour than the female, the male Cape Weaver has pale eyes in contrast to the brown eyes of the female.

Often overlooked in quiet contrast to the bright red of the male southern red bishop (Euplectes orix) in crimson breeding plumage, the non-breeding male or female bishop bird has a festively yellow eyebrow and attractive streaking on the breast. A common waxbill can be seen in the background.

A male southern red bishop, just starting to transition to breeding plumage.

This southern red bishop is nearly there in attaining full and festive breeding plumage.

No collection of fine and festive feathers in our summer garden would be complete without including the pin-tailed whydah (Vidua macroura) that featured in this recent post.

Another bird with more nuanced coloration is the Cape sparrow (Passer melanurus)—here a female looks rather fetching at the bird feeder.

And the male Cape sparrow is always decorative, whatever time of the season.

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Posted by Carol