This great white strelitzia photo was taken in Margate.
S. reginae (+- 1,5m) high produces stunning orange and purplish-blue flowers, along with massive dark green leaves.
Big Birding Day 2008 (29 Nov 2008)
You may be asking why we would have a national birding day in SA. Well it is all explained on the following website: http://www.birdlife.org.za/index.php?p[IGcms_nodes][IGcms_nodesUID]=94cf40026546f1f7a7cffe7713706731
The purpose of Birding Big Day is to raise funds for bird conservation. There is no fee to take part, but teams raise sponsorship for BirdLife South Africa. There are different categories for all levels of competence. To participate, you have to count the number of bird species you see during a twenty-four hour period, between midnight and midnight and within a radius of 50km.
What is nice is that you don't have to exert too much effort in order to compete. You may even decide to enter the “Garden” category and count the birds seen in your garden on the day.
The purpose of Birding Big Day is to raise funds for bird conservation. There is no fee to take part, but teams raise sponsorship for BirdLife South Africa. There are different categories for all levels of competence. To participate, you have to count the number of bird species you see during a twenty-four hour period, between midnight and midnight and within a radius of 50km.
What is nice is that you don't have to exert too much effort in order to compete. You may even decide to enter the “Garden” category and count the birds seen in your garden on the day.
IUCN Explained
You will see that in my post on Lions, I inserted an IUCN rating for the Lion (Panthera Leo). Below is a very quick explanation & mission on the very important organisation. We have to protect the environment as much as we can. God gave us a very responsible duty when he made us master over nature.
Description
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation.
Mission
IUCN's mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.
Website: http://www.iucn.org/index.cfm
Description
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation.
Mission
IUCN's mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.
Website: http://www.iucn.org/index.cfm
Lions (Panthera Leo)
Seen in the Madikwe Nature Reserve
Date: 26 Sep 2007
Weight: Between 150 to 250kg (male) 120 to 182kg (females)
The 2 bachelor brothers killed a seemingly sick Eland. Here they are guarding the carcass from other predators. They quickly scared off a brown hyena when it smelled their scent. You can see from the photo how full they have eaten themselves.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Date: 26 Sep 2007
Weight: Between 150 to 250kg (male) 120 to 182kg (females)
The 2 bachelor brothers killed a seemingly sick Eland. Here they are guarding the carcass from other predators. They quickly scared off a brown hyena when it smelled their scent. You can see from the photo how full they have eaten themselves.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Redwinged Starling
Seen at Golden Gate National Park
Date: 26 Apr 2008
Length : 27cm
Call : whistled "Cherleeeeeoo"
Afrikaans: Rooivlerkspreeu
Date: 26 Apr 2008
Length : 27cm
Call : whistled "Cherleeeeeoo"
Afrikaans: Rooivlerkspreeu
Masked Weaver
Seen in JHB
Date: 25 Oct 2008
Length : 15cm
Call : Sharp "Zik-Zik" and swizzling weaver sounds
Afrikaans: Swartkeelgeelvink
Date: 25 Oct 2008
Length : 15cm
Call : Sharp "Zik-Zik" and swizzling weaver sounds
Afrikaans: Swartkeelgeelvink
Fiscal Shrike
Seen in JHB
Date: 24 Oct 2008
Length : 23cm
Call : Harsh grating
Afrikaans: Fiskaallaksman
Date: 24 Oct 2008
Length : 23cm
Call : Harsh grating
Afrikaans: Fiskaallaksman
Cape Robin (Robin Chat)
Seen in JHB
Date: 11 May 2008
Length : 18cm
Call : "Cheero-weet-weet-weeeet"
Afrikaans: Gewone Janfrederik
Stone Chat
Seen at Golden Gate National Park
Date: 26 Apr 2008
Length : 14cm
Call : "Weet-weet chak"
Afrikaans: Gewone Bontrokkie
Date: 26 Apr 2008
Length : 14cm
Call : "Weet-weet chak"
Afrikaans: Gewone Bontrokkie
Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)
Seen at Golden Gate National Park. It is also called the Lammergeier.
Date: 26 Apr 2008
Length : 110cm
Call : High-pitched whistling
Afrikaans: Baardaasvoël
IUCN Status: Least concern
Date: 26 Apr 2008
Length : 110cm
Call : High-pitched whistling
Afrikaans: Baardaasvoël
IUCN Status: Least concern
Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres)
Seen at Golden Gate National Park
Date: 26 Apr 2008
Length : 114cm
Call : "Kakka-Kakka"
Afrikaans: Kransaasvoël
IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Date: 26 Apr 2008
Length : 114cm
Call : "Kakka-Kakka"
Afrikaans: Kransaasvoël
IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Pied Starling
Seen at Golden Gate National Park
Date: 26 Apr 2008
Length : 27cm
Call : "Skeer-skerra-skerra"
Afrikaans: Witgatspreeu
Yelloweyed Canary
Seen in Durban
Date: 1 Jan 2008
Length : 12cm
Call : "Zeeezeree-chereeo"
Afrikaans: Geeloogkanarie
Date: 1 Jan 2008
Length : 12cm
Call : "Zeeezeree-chereeo"
Afrikaans: Geeloogkanarie
The Start
I am starting this blog in order to keep track of nature that we spot in our travels in SA. I also take photos of them. So I will be publishing photos and some interesting facts about the nature scene or animal. I will also reveal the date and location where the photo was taken.
Blackeyed Bulbul
Seen in Durban
Date: 3 June 1998
Length : 22cm
Call : "Cheloop chreep choop"
Afrikaans: Swartoogtiptol
Crested Barbet
This photo is a Crested Barbet seen in JHB.
Date : 9 May 2007
Length : 23cm
Call: a long sustained "trrrrrrrrrr"
Afrikaans : Kuifkophoutkapper
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