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Crested Barbet First Barbet Nest

Crested Barbet

We find that the barbet loves papaw the best. He has made his home in a dead branch of the syringa tree in the bottom of the garden. The hole was or originally dug by a Black collared Barbet last year. This year he and his misses have raised one baby in the nest. Unfortunately I do not have a photo of the three of them together. The common name is the alarm clock bird as his call sounds like an alarm clock, long and repetitive. It can be quite pretty when they answer one another and their voices form harmonies.
The next year the baby barbet has dug his own nest in another branch of the same tree and has young in it. their favourite fruit seems to be banana. Especially one that is a little over ripe. They seldom eat all at the same time often with one keeping watch and two others eating. They did not appreciate me chopping off some branches of their tree and now kick up quite a fuss whenever I put my nose out of doors. They are still the pride of our garden and our favourite family. They are also the most feared and even the Lourie that is just over twice the size lets them eat first.

Blackcollared Barbet Second Barbet Nest

Black collared Barbet

The Black collared Barbet is just a casual visitor to the garden.

On the right is Juniors nest dug out a year after the first one

Cape white-eye Barbet Nest

Cape white-eye

There are a pair that arrived when we put out an over ripe mango. They are smaller that the house sparrow but larger than the manikin. Their plumage has an almost greener yellow tinge. They eat together but are very skittish.

Redeyed Bulbul

The bulbuls are larger than the sparrows but smaller than the pigeons. They like the mango and the apples

Speckled Mousebird

The Speckled Mousebird are larger than the Bulbuls but smaller than the pigeons. Their legs bend opposite to other birds with their knees on the back of their legs and not the front. They hang most of the time from a branch rather than perching on top of it. Their long tail hangs behind and makes their flight seem laboured as if they struggle to keep their hight as they fly. They like the mango and the apples

Grey Lourie

The grey Lourie is over twice the size of the barbet but seems scared of that wood chopping bill. There are three Louries that eat at our table but there is barely room for them all of them on it. Their favourite food seems to be apple. They also like to sit on the table and sun themselves with their wings hanging over both sides.
They are regular visitors and seem to be able to see past their reflection in the glass and watch us moving around inside the house.