a slightly belated winter solstice celebration bonfire (including capturing a heart-shaped flame)...
& despite "mid-winter" already being upon us, some of the garden birds continue to re-establish & defend territories.
pretty sure the knysna loeries are now building their nest (their breeding season technically starts about now), with how much more they are vocalising, & coming out to respond when i call them.
also have seen/heard southern boubou & sombre greenbul pairs being very interested in a certain tree & squabbling over it.
all the sunbird species (usually winter breeders in the western cape) continue to go nuts screaming & chasing each other all over the garden.
(cape) bulbul season seems to have been very short this year, though there are still some stragglers, & after the (cape) batis nest failed a second time, they haven't really been around much, but they did pop in yesterday.
the african fish eagles are regularly back on the dam, sans their annoying baby, seems they successfully dropped it off into the nomadic juvenile/subadult/nonbreeding floater "creche." such a joy to have an iconic species around nearly every day, & hear their unmistakable call on the regular.
AND! had a levaillant's cisticola & a whole flock of adorable swee waxbills turn up a few days ago, which now makes the home/garden list to 91 species!!