Burnt Offerings

Since the veldt has been burnt, there is not much food to sustain the wildlife. Okay the guineafowls and the occasional scavenger can find some burnt offerings such as dead insects or any carcases of crawling animals that could not get out of the way of the flames quick enough. 

Hungry birds have been flocking to my garden looking food, so out comes the apples and seeds just to help them through this brunt spot.

Day After

The weather had changed from a hot and sticky Christmas to a cool overcast day with the sun trying to break through but lost. We stayed in bed as long as we could but had to drag ourselves out as the house needed cleaning before the afternoon visitors arrived.

Yesterday we had so much food that today was decided to leave the puddings and desserts for today.

By 2 o’clock a storm broke over Johannesburg just as I was supposed to leave to drive across town to pick up Matthew after his Christmas with his mother. As I left I saw these 2 guineafowls huddled under a tree seeking shelter from the rain.

Guineafowls in the Mist

It rained quite a bit yesterday and into the night that the temperatures dropped considerably. We woke up to the noisy guineafowls making a racket just outside in the veldt. Finally crawling out of bed to get ready for church, I saw that the valley below us was shrouded in a blanket of thick mist. I could not even see the other side but the guineafowls were sure having fun.

Bird on a Wire

Bird on a Wire must be one of my favourite 80s movies or was that in the 90s, oh never mind it was a favourite. I arrive home this afternoon to such a racket, the dogs were barking and the guineafowl were screeching so I went out to investigate only to find this cheeky guineafowl perched up on the fence teasing the dogs to the amusement of the cats, like a bird on a wire.

Close Encounters

It is the last weekend that Lynda’s dad, Hilton, will be with us as he flies back to Cape Town tomorrow. To make the most of this sad weekend, we took dad on a picnic at his happy place here in Johannesburg, the Botanical Gardens just below our house.

We found a nice shady spot not too far from the waterfall and settled down for some serious picnicking and resting the eyes. But it wasn’t long before we were joined by a pair of guineafowls who wanted to share our picnic.

It turned out to be a lovely day, close encounters with guineafowls, a poisonous grasshopper circling us, a robin and a pair of other unknown birds who were jealous of the guineafowls, a tortoise and another.

Guineafowl Nursery

On the way taking Matthew back to Benoni, 4 mother guineafowls ran across the road shepherding about 10 baby guinea chicks safely across to the other side. I had to stop to make sure they all crossed the road. By the time I took my camera out they were in the grass along the verge. You can see the mothers but as for the chicks, well they are so well camouflaged.

Attack of the Weaver

My flu has being a struggle, as I have never been this sick for this long as far as I can remember. As I start getting better from the one virus, another takes an opportunity to strike while my immune system is depressed. To make matters worse 4 cases of Swine Flu have been reported in my vicinity. Note to self: no kissing of pigs allowed, period!

Shuffling up to my pick-up after work, as in this state a bike will be kind of dangerous, I noticed this pair of guineafowls being dive bombed by a weaver. Although I didn't see one, the weaver must have a nest nearby which is most likely why this little yellow fella is attacking. With cellphone in hand, I had to try get a photograph if only the guineafowls would stop moving away. In the above photo the weaver is blurred in his attack but it is an action shot from a Samsung cellphone camera of Alfred Hitchcock's The Attack of the Weaver.

Demoiselle Crane

With an afternoon storm threatening, I took this photograph of the pair of Demoiselle Cranes, sitting in the foreground waiting expectedly for the large drops of rain mixed with small hail that would soon deluged us.

The Demoiselle Crane are the smallest of the crane family but the second most abundant, not in Africa but in Euroasia. In this photo along with the Demoiselle you can see 3 Helmeted Guineafowl running for cover, a single Black Swan, an Egyptian Goose, and a pair of Blue Cranes. All water off a duck’s back so to speak.

Cry the Beloved Guineafowl

The Helmeted Guineafowl used to be very common here in what’s left of the open veld surrounding Johannesburg. These grasslands are now being overtaken by a large ever expanding urban jungle. By urban jungle I mean the concrete jungle that is expanding, but the urban forest is too expanding not too far behind the developers of the concrete boxes.

Although Johannesburg may not be the largest man made forest, it is the largest man made urban forest with over 6 million trees in Johannesburg and its suburbs. This wide expanse of trees have even started to change the micro-climate. I can feel it in my bones. Plus the bonus of many bird species never seen in the region before have now made Johannesburg home.

With the veld getting smaller in Johannesburg and the forest getting bigger, what happens to the animals of the veld? A few years back I saw a Blackbacked Jackal in the veld of what is now becoming Steyn City, insurance mogul Douw Steyn’s ultra-ego city which he named after himself and fit only for the stinking rich. Yes it is good to hear reports of the Galagos or bushbabies, and hornbills becoming more of an occurrence in the northern suburbs but what of the guineafowl?

What of the beloved guineafowl? I am starting to hear less and less the cry of guineafowls in the afternoons. Are they going to disappear much like what the summer highveld thunderstorms have done? Here at Bosasa there are still a large number of guineafowls, and walking up through the gardens I am pleased to see the little chicks running behind their mommies.