Africa Wild

We have a crested barbet at work who nests next door. I call her Sandton Sally.. from next door.
Last year I watched her feed her chicks and see them through until they were big enough to fend for themselves.
My cell was the only camera I had at time and the pictures were unrecognisable.
This year I have been able to watch her again... and these are only the first few.

This is Sally's next door home.



She comes flying in with lunch -



She scans the area and shows me the babies lunch...



I can only make out her head in the nest....



Out she comes again - going on a new mission this time - thing it will be Fish-aways...



She scans the area again - check that her chicks will be safe in her absence...



Up she moves to the take-off strip.....



We have a lift-off





.....

That's all folks...

until next time.

Toko had me thinking.... where is Daddy??

So... with camera in hand off I set to watch the nest. As I arrived I saw Sally go into the nest, and I know it takes about 15 - 20min before she comes out again.



I relaxed and was watching other birds fly around. The next moment....

well.....

in flew daddy.... go camera, go....



he had scraps of food to offer...





This is a tight fit....



He must have felt very crowded in the nest, as he didn't stay. Moments later he came out...



Up to the take-off strip...



and off he goes....



Lunch times' done all round.... -O -O

Sally has experienced a few cold days.
She would peep out for some fresh air and dissappear after a while.

Daddy would come flying and then quickly find something nearby,
and present that to the nest.. !! (Reminded me of some fishing stories )

I had to do some reading up on the Crested Barbet to keep track with what was devolping daily.


They nest in a hole in a tree or a Sisal log in a garden.
They are monogamous and territorial during breeding. Territory size varies according to their habitat.

Eggs are laid between September to December.
1 to 5 eggs are laid at daily intervals.
Incubation lasts between 13 to 17 days, beginning with the second or third egg and mainly by the female.
The young hatch naked and blind. They are fed insects by both parents.

I noticed the bird bringing ‘things’ from the nest, and I didn’t know what it was….

Faecal material is removed regularly.




One for the blurry collection



They fledge after about 31 days.
Up to five broods have been recorded in a breeding season.

So if they have hatched around 1 November, then they should start coming out of the nest by 1 December.-
What does ‘broods’ mean (is dit broeisels). Would that mean there would be maybe more than five !

They are found singly or in pairs.
They like to bounce around on the ground looking for food, they usually call from a branch out in the open.
They do not fly easily and then only for short distances.
Crested Barbets roost in holes in trees.

Sally really scans the aera before she goes on a short flight.
She sees me, she hears me....










They are very vocal, the call being a trill that can continue for long periods.
Crested Barbets are aggressive towards other birds in their territory and chase off both nest competitors such as other Barbets and other birds such as doves and thrushes.
They have also been recorded to have attacked a rat and killed a snake.

This guy was feely very brave.... but left soon enough.. -O


Crested Barbets are common in Southern Africa.
They are also found in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana and Northern Namibia.

The Crested Barbet feeds on Insects, other birds eggs and fruits.

Info : http://www.krugerpark.co.za

Brilliant Amoli.

Love the behaviour pics.

"Brood" means the number of times they can lay eggs and rear chicks to fledging in a single season. So your pair could theoretically lay five different clutches of eggs this Summer.

This week saw Sally and Daddy face some difficulties.

During one lunch time they couldn’t get to their nest. This person was using their high riser as a leaning pole. They would flutter from one branch to another, trying to find a way, but all in vain.



I didn’t want to alert this guy to the fact that there was a nest, as he was a daddy also and might want to show his kids.
For the protection of the nest and keeping inquisitive eyes at bay, I kept quiet.

What felt like forever, he took a call on his cell, and started pacing the driveway, which left the path open for Sally and Daddy to feed the chicks.
Daddy scans the area every time before he enters the nest.










On another day the Myna’s were making mock charges at the nest.
Daddy came down to the nest with a speed and sat on the front branch for protection. (0)








When Sally flew in, Daddy quickly checked the nest, bobbing his head as if counting the chicks, and then took to the outer branches.





Sally sat watching the myna and you could hear her say with every move of her head… ‘you need to get past me!!’







At this stage it is easy to distinguish between the male and female.
The male is very colourful and Sally has a dull look to her head feathers.
Sally is also much slimmer (like in English – not Afrikaans) than Daddy. -O -O

No sight of the chicks yet.

I found proof today that there are definetly chicks in the nest - can you see it ?...

Judging the size, maybe the first flight will be around 1st Desember... (the day of our meet )

I definetly misjudged the size of the chicks..... look, look, look...

they are beautiful.....



















Sorry for the overdose. I could identify at least two, maybe three.
The difference between the grown-ups and chicks, with only the head in view, was their beaks.

There was a lot of nest cleaning going on....



and here I see a 'syrup-py' substance on her beak....










The nest has been empty for two days.... Little birds have flown away,

Thank you all for reading - and thank you Leachy for initiating STORY TELLING DAY


Did you know: The Crested Barbet is a welcome garden bird, as it almost eliminates the local snail population.

The Crested Barbet is also called:
Crested Barbet Levaillant's [English];
Kuifkophoutkapper Kopaope [Afrikaans];
iMvunduna [Zulu];
Mbangura (also generic term for woodpecker) [Kwangali];
Malioache [South Sotho];
Chizuvaguru [Shona];
Ludvonca [Swazi];
Ngoko [Tsonga];
Kôpaôpê [Tswana];
Toppet Perleskagfugl [Danish];
Kirjoseppä [Finnish];
Barbican promépic [French];
Kuifbaardvogel, Druppelvlek baardvogel [Dutch];
Schwarzrücken-Bartvogel, Haubenbartvogel [German];
Vousák Levaillant [Czech];
Barbudo Crestado de Levaillant [Spanish];
Barbaças-de-poupa [Portuguese]



the end.
(fluit-fluit, my storie is uit)