Winter is here ... finally!

Winter has finally arrived in our part of the country. Except for a very cold spell over one week-end in April, we had a very mild winter and birding went quite well. Since last Friday (30 May) we had 42 mm of rain - and the rainy weather lasted till Tuesday. It was cloudy and overcast and the rain was falling softly and intermittently like in the Western Cape - quite exceptional for our part of the country where we are used to thunderstorms in summer.

With the onset of the cold I've made a few interesting observations. Suddenly the birdfeeder in the garden is visited by more species and with greater urgency - the Cape Weaver just try and to occupy the feeder for itself. Species seen around the feeder are: Cape Weaver, Cape Sparrow, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, House Sparrow and only once this week a Cape Canary. Other regular visitors to the birdbath where they drink, are: African Red-Eyed Bulbul, Cape Glossy Starling, Common Starling, Laughing Dove and Cape Turtle Dove. Two others that are quite at home are the Common Fiscal (raised quite a few chicks from their nest in the lemon tree in the past few seasons) and the little flock of Red-Faced Mousebirds doing their rounds in the neighbourhood.

The Karoo Thrush, which is a regular visitor to the garden, suddenly "disappeared" with the colder conditions. I assume they move to the well wooded kloofs around town - especially those fronting eastward. These kloofs are a lot warmer than in the open in town. The other regular to the garden - the Cape Robin-Chat - is a lot quiter as well and is not heard calling that regularly in the morning anymore.

Another regular that is conspiciously absent the last few days is the Bokmakierie. A pair of these birds called their duet early every morning from the bare branches of the trees in the garden - but it seems as if winter has eventually got them as well. It is quite strange not to hear them from their perch.

At least the sun is shining again and I look forward to a weekend of birding and atlasing in the district. There are a few pentads just waiting to be done!

(Photo: Johan vd Westhuizen)