Garden Bird Pictures

[Lisbeth]

The African Grey Hornbill is a widespread and common resident breeder in much of sub-Saharan Africa and into Arabia.
This is a bird mainly of open woodland and savannah. The female lays two to four white eggs in a tree hollow, which is blocked off during incubation with a cement made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, just big enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks.
When the chicks and female outgrow the nest, the mother breaks out and rebuilds the wall, after which both parents feed the chicks.
This species is a large bird, at 45 cm in length, but is one of the smaller hornbills. It has mainly grey plumage, with the head, flight feathers and long tail being a darker shade. There is a white line down each side of the head and one on the back which is visible only in flight. The long curved bill is black and has a small casque and a creamy horizontal stripe.
The male has a black bill, whereas the female has red on the mandibles. The plumage of the male and female is similar. Immature birds are more uniformly grey. The flight is undulating.

[steamtrainfan]

Thanks nan for the compliment.

Lisbeth, thank you very much for the interesting fact file.

[steamtrainfan]

Here are the last seven.













Finally, for those of you who remember the "LOVE IS......." books, cards etc etc, here is mine.

Love Is........... A cozy cuddle in the early morning sun.

[Super Mongoose]

STF

[Flutterby]

Lovely pics stf!! You'll just have to attract the birds to your new garden now!

[steamtrainfan]

Thanks very much SM.

Hi Flutterby. We are taking all our bird baths, feeding trays etc with us and hope to start attracting them.

[Flutterby]

It won't take long.

[Mel]

Very cool, stf! And it seems they had a ball at your feeder!

[Amoli]

Wow - grey hornbills in your garden - wonderful.

Lovely pics of them on the feeder

[steamtrainfan]

These garden birds of ours must know we are leaving as they are all popping in to say goodbye. Today I was sitting outside and we had, besides the usual gang of grey hornbills, green wood hoopoe, bul buls, coucals and so on, a visit from red face mousebirds and red headed finches. To crown it all the woodland kingfisher who I have not seen for a few months came and sat in a branch right above me. Tried to get the camera lined up but he was gone in a flash.

I also saw a bird that I do not think I have seen before, the yellow fellow in front, unless it is a juvenile masked weaver?
The narrow beak and high forehead make me think it could be something else.
Anyone have any ideas??????