Twelve hours have passed since solstice, so the official observation period for Birds of the Solstice has ended. Now it’s time to gather your notes, record your observations, sort your photos, and compose your thoughts and poems!
Twelve hours have passed since solstice, so the official observation period for Birds of the Solstice has ended. Now it’s time to gather your notes, record your observations, sort your photos, and compose your thoughts and poems!
My student’s solstice bird observations:
Pine Grosbeaks
Boreal Chickadees
Black-capped Chickadees
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
Downy Woodpecker
Junco
Ptarmigan
Willow Grouse
White-Crowned Sparrow (hope he/she makes it through the winter!)
Someone said they HEARD an owl, didn’t know what kind (probably our Great
Horned Owl)
and someone said they SAW some kind of hawk (probably Goshawk)
and last, but not least:
I had every intention of submitting my observations for the solstice, but the weather and birds just didn’t play the game.
The weather on the Kwazulu Natal coast was hot and very steamy 26C/79F with 83% humidity (which makes it feel even hotter), so the birds were very dormant, even early morning. Summer is really here!!
Cape White-eyes and Collared Sunbirds braved the heat for a short spell, gleaning whatever they could find from the Ficus trees in the garden and the Hadada just sat it out on her nest in the Mango tree. The afternoon saw heavy rains and thunderstorms going right through the night. Shame.
@Joyanne: Thanks, we hope to hear more from you folks at the Innoko River School!
@Andy: Sorry the birds didn’t play along, but even this brief glimpse at summer in South Africa is interesting to those of us who’ve never been. Thanks for reporting in. :)