Cherpy's Release

You remember Cherpy? He was the little baby bird that I wrote about in NEW BABIES in October. At that stage we still thought that Cherpy might be a Black-headed Oriole. However, Jez Simms came to visit us one day and was delighted to find Cherpy here. He immediately identified him as a Bar-winged Weaver. For more info on these interesting birds, refer to my notes on my Lumwana Wildlife Blog at http://lumwanawildlife.blogspot.com. I also made contact with John Caddick of the African Bird Club and Pete Leonard in the UK to find out some more info on Bar-winged Weavers. Unfortunately it seems that not much is known about them at all so all my observations on Cherpy will be forwarded to them. Follow this link to http://birdquest.net/afbid/birdspecies.php?func=view&slideno=1&af_bs_id=2258 for Cherpy's inclusion on the African Bird Club website. We were hoping for some feedback from other birders via this link but unfortunately we have not yet received anything. Well, during the 3 months that Cherpy stayed with us, he matured into a pretty interesting bird who offered us loads of entertainment every day - more on this on the Wildlife Blog. On Sunday morning, we took him out into our back yard (inside his cage) and opened the cage for him to come out. It took him a few minutes before he realised that the door was open. He hopped out and sat on the edge of the cage for a few moments and then jumped back inside. We were amazed! I used to let him out of the cage every day on the verandah to give him some time to fly around and exercise and also to chase around some moths that I would catch for him every morning. I wanted him to get used to finding food on his own and not rely only on what I give him. Getting him back into the cage every night was a mission as he would obviously not want to return when it was time. So now, here he was given his freedom and he decided to go back into the cage! He came out again a few moments later and sat on Pierre's finger for a while checking out the garden. Then, at last, he flew into a tree close to us. We watched him move from tree to tree, exploring, and we then lost track of him. A while later we were out again watching some other birds when Cherpy came back and sat on the verandah roof above our heads. That was so great for us - almost like returning to say goodbye properly! We saw him again a few times that day - once we watched him challenging a Greyheaded Bush Shrike - trying to snatch a moth from him. In case you don't know - a Bush Shrike is at least twice Cherpy's size! A while later we saw him being chased by another bird so we're sure he's going around making trouble wherever he goes. But, we're not worried about him. He's so innovative and gutsy ("windgat" would be the appropriate Afrikaans word) that we're convinced that he would be able to fight his own battles and hopefully not get into too much trouble in the process. Cherpy, I think of all the amazing "patients" we've had over the past year, you must have been the most interesting and entertaining of all. We miss you very much! The photo above is of big boy Cherpy in the tree after his release.

R.I.P. Penny

Beautiful, gentle Penny is no longer with us. Unfortunately we had to bury her on 22 November. Her injuries were just too severe to try and keep her alive any longer. Pierre found her a special resting place under a tree in our back garden. Rest in peace Penny - you touched our hearts immensely and we will always remember you for that.

Tinkie is Free

Little Tinkie (who turned out indeed to be a African Yellow White-eye) was set free on Thursday morning. We released him in our back-yard and he flew straight into the big tree where I always see the other White-eyes so we're sure he'll be fine. It was such a pleasure to raise him - he was truly my little baby. Tinkie used to love it when Pierre scratched his head and neck (see photo below). When Tinkie arrived, he could not even fly yet and now he's out and about, doing what birds do. We wish you all the best little Tinkie - we will miss you very much.

Penny

Penny is a female Pennant-winged Nightjar. She arrived on Saturday morning with a badly broken wing. She has survived her first two nights with us which is a good sign. Feeding Penny is a bit difficult as she is an aerial feeder (ie catch food in flight). She has a very large mouth to accommodate this. We therefore (unfortunately) have to force feed her as she cannot feed on something that you place in her cage. She eats flying insects so we're catching moths, flying ants, etc for her. She is beautiful with the softest beak imaginable. Pierre and Henk strapped the broken wing and now we can only pray that she'll heal well enough to return to the wild.

Frog Time

The little Painted Reed Frogs are back again - they're usually around during the rainy season. Henk and Rachelle found this little fellow in their garden a few days ago. They are so cute! Thanks for the great photo Henk!

In My Garden This Morning

How blessed am I? I took this photo in my garden this morning. I first noticed her a few days ago and then was amazed to see that she’s feeding two babies – the one a little bit older than the other – right here under my nose! Unfortunately I haven’t yet managed to get a photo of them. They are beautiful birds. They sit still for long periods of time (which gives me ample time to watch them) and sometimes I only notice them by accident as you don’t see them come and go. By the way, it is a Grey-headed Kingfisher. We've also noticed the last two evenings that they are active around the garden after dark. We're not sure if that is normal behaviour for them or maybe because we have the lights and they are just attracted to that and all the moths - obviously a clever time to feed as all the other birds are asleep so there's no competition for food.

Perky the Parrot

Perky the Parrot (so named by young Matt Fuhri) arrived on 19 September (same day as Cherpy). He had a broken leg with damaged tendons and ligaments. Strapping (as we did with Chomp) would therefore not have assisted him in his recovery. Perky stayed with the Fuhri’s for a while but he is now in Chomp’s old cage which is more suitable for him. Perky still has difficulty using the damaged foot which means that he cannot take care of himself in the wild. Piérre built Perky a “jungle gym” inside the cage to make it easier for him to move around. I feed him some of the indigenous berries/fruit that is naturally growing in my garden and a commercial parrot food blend that I mix with extra nuts, dates, etc. I also string fruit/veg/peanuts onto wire and hang it up for him to find and eat. It encourages him to exercise the foot and also practice a bit of flying around the cage while it keeps him busy and entertained. He seems in great spirits and has started eating from my hand. He is a Meyer’s Parrot and absolutely gorgeous!

New Babies

At the moment I'm looking after two "new" babies. The photo above is Cherpy, who might be a Black Headed Oriole and possibly about 6 to 7 weeks old. He was a survivor from the tree that feel on our communication tower in September. The photo below is Tinkie who is possibly an African Yellow White-eye and around 4 to 5 weeks old. Tinkie was left by one of the gardeners inside an empty whiskey carton with a note saying "Dear Sir/Madam, inside this there is a small bird". Both babies are doing well and flying around on my verandah when I let them out of their respective cages. I feed them with pro-nutro and a little boiled egg mashed up with the pro-nutro. Cherpy is very entertaining - he thinks he's an acrobat - hangs upside down and investigates and tries everything. He likes to eat fruit and had his first bath yesterday (inside his water bowl). I've also put some small sticks and blue bottle lids in the cage for him and he loves turning these over and carrying them around the cage. He has also started showing interest in ants. His behaviour is indicative of Oriole type activity so hopefully we're correct in assuming his identity. Tinkie is also starting to get more active around his cage. He likes pineapple but has not yet started eating it on his own - I must chew it a bit first and then feed it to him. The rims of his eyes are starting to colour white now so I'm sure he'll be all "white-eyed" in a few weeks' time. He is absolutely tiny - as adults they only grow to about 12cm. I'll keep you updated on their progress and whether our estimations of identities were correct.

Go Bokke!

We had Bokke fever going around camp last night. Everyone congregated outside the bar where the IT guys set up the big screen - people pulled up chairs and tables laden with beers, biltong and all kinds of other "dangerous green things" to watch the match out in the open air. Some were more affected by the "green stuff" than others but I won't mention names. All in all, we had a brilliant night and after party at Steve and Sal's. Go Bokke! You made us proud! Thank you! Thanks also to our Ozzie friend Bob who wore the green shirt in support (far left on the photo) - we appreciate it. This photo was taken at the end of the game. I wonder if Bob had a spare shirt tucked away somewhere?

Chomp's Release Day

Sunday, 7 October 2007 - Chomp's release day. At last the other Black Kites have returned to site from their northern migration. Chomp has been waiting for this day for a long time. At 08h00 I give him the last meal I would have the privilige of feeding him - a rat that Kath caught on her verandah the day before. Pierre and I watch him enjoying his breakfast - he needs a big one to last him through this important and possibly difficult day. He's out of practice with flying and finding his own food. We're worried that he might not cope. At 10h00 a few people arrive to share the release with us - it was not widely advertised as I didn't want too much activity around him. At 10h10 Pierre opens the cage. We all hide away so Chomp can't see us - waiting for him to leave the cage. Nothing happens! He's just sitting inside, probably not realising that he can go. I go inside, take the little fish that's still lying on his feeding table and put it outside the cage - hoping he would follow it. Nothing happens. After a few minutes, Pierre decides to go inside and chase him out. At last he leaves the cage and I start crying. We all run after him and follow him to a tree a few hundred meters away. He's tired - not used to flying. He sits there, watching us from above. After a few minutes two other Black Kites start circling above him. He joins them. It is a magical moment and everone starts clapping and chearing him on. We watch in awe how the three birds continue to circle around and around the camp. How amazing is that! Congratulations Chomp - you're a champion! We're keeping an eye out for you every day, hoping that you're still in the area. We'll never forget you. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was involved with Chomp : his medical care, his feeding (feeding him when I was on leave and catching food like grasshoppers, fish, snakes, rats, etc for him) and for regular visits and interest in his recovery. Thanks also for all your support - I could not have done it without you all. Also a special thanks to Henk D for taking these beautiful release photographs.

Birds Abound

Here is an update of some birds we've been seeing around site lately.

• Trumpeter Hornbill
• Hoopoe (lots of them)
• Cinderella Waxbill (locally common but red data book status globally - near-threatened)
• Greyheaded Kingfisher
• Drongo (lots of them)
• Yellow Billed Ducks
• Dabchick
• Cardinal Woodpecker

Unfortunately I don't have photos of all of them but below are some taken by Pierre, Henk and Sally.

Cardinal Woodpecker (Male = red head and Female = black head) - taken by Henk Hoopoe - taken by Sally Dabchick - taken by Pierre Forktailed Drongo - taken by Pierre Greyheaded Kingfisher - taken by Pierre Yellow Billed Ducks - taken by Pierre

Coffee Bar

We're so happy! ATS has started a Coffee Bar for us girls at the Senior Staff Bar in the Cons Camp. We had the "opening" last Thursday afternoon. Here is the cake made specially for the occasion. ATS is a hospitality management company operating remote exploration camps, industrial mine sites and contract catering services throughout Africa and responsible for all our catering and housekeeping needs here on site. Thanks guys - this is real "luxury" in a place like this.

Shrew

We've been seeing a few of these little fellows around. Here Amy is holding him - isn't he too cute for words? He stayed at the Wolfies' house for a couple of days but decided that he prefers the wild outdoors - much to the disappointment of the Wolfenden kids - and disappeared during an unguarded moment.

Growing Gardens

We are planting whatever we can find and there is more and more greenery around now.

Herewith a few images from my growing garden. It is so exciting to watch the plants and flowers grow and bloom from almost nothing (in just about nothing - the soil here is really not good). Just shows you, where there is a will, there's a way. I asked my gardener the other day if he also gets excited seeing the flowers, etc flourishing and you know what he said - "no madam, what excites me is when the other people come to admire".

Car Park

This is a section of our new car park for LMC vehicles. It is also the meeting place for the ladies who go for a group walk on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The road stretching behind the vehicles leads to the Lumwana Lodge (a tented camp about 6kms away from us) and is the preferred exercise route for walking, jogging, cycling and of course, having a drink or a meal at the lodge. Sometimes on a Sunday morning, a few of us walk down to the lodge, have a breakfast or something to drink and walk back again. Wonderful!

Wildlife Update

Unfortunately I don't have any photos but I just had to tell you that we've been seeing more and more wildlife around lately. On Saturday evening Pierre and I was having a BBQ on our back patio when we saw an African Wild Cat walk past the back fence. We also often spot owls in the trees behind the house and hear jackal calling at night (some people have been fortunate enough to see them). Some guys have also reported sightings of baboons and monkeys on site. We are so blessed!

Fishing Spots

Fishing has become one of the major activities around here and looking at these photos, you can understand why. This first photo was taken at the dam close to camp on the mine site and the other photo was taken at the waterfall about 90min drive from site. Well done to the guys who's set up the waterfall site so beautifully.

What a Shame!

This tree was apparently in danger of falling on our house, so he (yes he, not it) had to be chopped down. What a shame! It took a whole lot of people, planning, time and heavy duty equipment to get the job done and all that is left now, is this sorry stump below. I've decided to give it a second life by planting a bougainvillea at the base so hopefully it will look nice again in the not too distant future and once again be home to some interesting creatures.

Goodbye Brompie

Yes - Brompie is free. We released him this morning. I did of course shed a tear but I'm sure he'll be just fine. I'm just constantly amazed at how all creatures just have such a will to survive and Brompie is no exception. We heard the other ground hornbills early morning so we put some food outside his cage, opened the door and waited. Within a couple of minutes he came out, picked up a bit of food and then must have realised that he's actually free, so he left the rest of the food and took off in the direction where we heard the other birds. What a beautiful sight that was. On recommendation from Dee and colleagues at the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project, I'll be leaving some food out for him for another few days, in case he's having a hard time feeding himself. They are very intelligent birds and he'll remember that this was the last place he fed and will return if he's hungry. Goodbye Brompie - we wish you all the best. Pierre captured this moment of action below.

New Patient

We've got a new patient. His name is Brompie and he arrived on Thursday afternoon. Pierre, Altus and Henk 3 found him next to the road, unable to walk. We've not yet been able to establish exactly what is wrong with Brompie but at least he's still alive and where there is life, there is hope. Brompie is a Ground Hornbill and my guess is that he is at least 14 months old. For those of you who don't speak Afrikaans - the Afrikaans word for a ground hornbill is a Bromvoel - from there the name Brom(pie) - the "pie" indicates small as opposed to large because if you take into account that ground hornbills take around 6 years to reach adulthood, he is still a baby! It is estimated that they live on average about 45 years but possibly up to 60 years or more in the wild. Oh and please - the "pie" is pronounced the same as "pea" and not pie as in steak and kidney.

As I obviously know nothing about caring for Brompie, I contacted Dee de Waal who is the Project Administrator/Handrearer of the Ground Hornbill Project at Mabula Private Game Reserve (one of South Africa's finest private game reserves situated about 2 hours' drive from Johannesburg in the Waterberg Mountains). Thanks Dee and Stephen (who is the vet that Dee contacted for some assistance with Brompie) for all your interest, help and advice. It is greatly appreciated.

Now, do yourself a favour and visit www.mabulagroundhornbillconservationproject.org.za. You will find some fascinating information there about ground hornbills and this very worthy project.

Chomp Moved House

Chomp has moved house! A big thank you to all the guys (on the photo below) who built this great new cage in our back yard. The "interior decorating" was done by my gardener Jioma (pictured far right), who sourced some tree logs and planted them around the cage to give Chomp ample opportunity to spread his wings and get some exercise.

I now divide his food into small portions which I then put in different places around the cage to encourage him to move around to find his food himself. I also place a shallow container with water inside the cage and this morning we found him taking a bath in it. I'm so proud of him - he's recovered so well. Hopefully it won't be long now before we can release him back into the wild.

Shiinda Green Market

Today was the grand opening of the Shiinda Green Market organised by the Shiinda Farmers Marketing Cooperative (and supported by Lumwana Mining Company). The aim is to make this a monthly event where local fresh produce, garden plants, baskets, kitchen utensils, arts and crafts, etc can be purchased. I came home with some pineapples, sweet potatoes, wooden spoons, a knife, two grass mats and a fern. Well done to everyone involved in this initiative. We are looking forward to seeing many more interesting items for sale. Here I am with Loveness Kanchinyi who speaks impeccable English and was very helpful in explaining some of the weird veggies and stuff that our Muzungus know nothing about.

Where are the Boys?

We now have a total of 3 kids in school. Unfortunately for them, they are all girls! Where are the boys? Here Sophie, Emma and Amy are showing off their paper mache bowls they made this week - very useful as hats it seems. Well done girls!

Chomp - Another Update

Last night was the big night. Chomp's strapping was removed to assess the wing and I'm happy to report that it has healed satisfactorily and that no more strapping is required. This means that we'll need to build that "chicken-run" this weekend because Chomp will need some room to run around and get that wing strong again. Come on KB, where's that chicken wire?!

Chomp - Getting all Active

Chomp is definitely getting better. Yesterday I heard a noise at the cage and when I looked out the back door, I saw him dangling from one leg (head upside down) from the large branch that Pierre put into the cage on the first day. He (that's Chomp, not Pierre) obviously tried to fly onto the branch but must have lost his balance, having only one operational wing. Poor thing - after I got over the initial shock I started laughing - it was just so funny - a pity I didn't have the camera ready. Then this morning, Chomp made a run for it. I was cleaning out his cage when he ducked under my arm and ran off into the garden. Luckily Jioma is faster than Chomp and he cornered him, giving me the opportunity to cover him with a towel. Jioma then carried him back to the cage. We decided to put another larger brick into his cage in the hope that it would encourage him to climb up onto the large branch instead of trying to fly. Well - below is proof that our tactic worked. He is now happily sitting on his branch. I think it will soon be time to build him a "chicken-run" or something so he has more space to be active.

Chomp - An Update

Just look at this photo below - he's so gorgious and he knows it. He's doing so well. If he thinks nobody's watching, he sits on top of the brick Pierre put in his cage and checks out the garden and Jioma's activities in the backyard. Sometimes he jumps down from the brick and back up again. Maybe he's bored - just sitting there all day so now he's exercising to keep busy. He's fussy about what he eats. He loves grasshoppers but doesn't like crickets and worms and he doesn't eat heads - even grasshopper heads - he just chucks them out of the food bowl. Thanks very much to all the gardeners and little Leon who catch bugs every day and to Tanya for having the stomach to chop them all up - I could never do that! I'm quite happy feeding him and cleaning the cage - poop and all. Oh - and I talk to him all the time. The gardeners must think I'm crazy, talking to a bird.

Chomp's Strapping Procedure

Chomp had his wing strapped last night and another "check-up and adjustment procedure" this morning. He's eating and drinking water so he's doing just fine under the circumstances. Below are some photos - Darren W recons he should rather stick to metallurgy after seeing these. I recon Andrew or Steve should do a course on wild life medical care - seeing that they already have the medical background.

Chomp's New Home

Pierre and Altus worked hard last night to build a new home for Chomp. Thanks guys for doing such a good job on converting this old crate to a cage any bird would be proud of. I'm sure Chomp was glad to have such a nice warm bed during last night's thunderstorm.

Chomp's Medical Check-Up

Chomp had a thorough check-up last night. Darren B (here seen cradling Chomp in his lap) and Darren W checked him out properly. Luckily they didn't find any external wounds, bleading, etc but it was very clear that Chomp has a bad case of lice and he didn't mind sharing them with Darren and Darren. So, if you see Darren and Darren going around scratching, you know why.

Chomp

Chomp is his name. Don't ask me why - it was the first word that came into my head when I decided he has to be named. "He" might actually be a "she" - I don't know much about birds. Chomp is a Black Kite who had a nasty accident this morning. He flew into a moving truck on the mine site and broke his right wing. He is now in my care - so everyone, please pray that Chomp recovers well so he can once again be a happy bird. If any of you have tips on how to care for Chomp, I will greatly appreciate any help I can get. As you can see below, Chomp's presence gave me a good excuse to set up my computer outside on the verandah so I can keep an eye on him while I do emails, etc. At the moment Chomp is sitting inside the box in the background but Pierre will be building him a proper cage tonight so he can spend his recovery days in comfort.

Mud Glorious Mud!

What a mess! We went for a walk down to the lodge this morning and I got caught in a "soft spot" - sank ankle deep into the mud. It was really funny - Rachelle just about laughed her head off! I had quite a time cleaning up my shoes when I got home.

George the Chameleon

This is George having his lunch (a moth). He made himself at home at the Wolfenden house for a few days, where Emma, Amy and Leon took good care of him. Apparently George had a bit more spunk than his predecessor, Fred. George was released back into a tree after his visit. Wonder where George is now?

Cons Camp Bird List - 15/02/2007

For those of you who are interested, herewith a list of the birds that I've been seeing in our back garden since I moved here in October 2006. Some of these birds are migrants so they're not here all the time. I've put the Afrikaans name for each bird in brackets. - Chinspot Batis (Witliesbosbontrokkie) - Dark-Capped Bulbul (Swartoogtiptol) - Golden-breasted Bunting (Rooirugstreepkoppie) - Spotted Creeper (Boomkruiper) - African Cuckoo (Afrikaanse Koekoek) - Jacobin Cuckoo (Bontnuwejaarsvoel) - Red-chested Cuckoo (Piet-my-Vrou) - White-breasted Cuckooshrike (Witborskatakoeroe) - Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove (Groenvlekduifie) - Forktailed Drongo (Mikstertbyvanger) - African Paradise-Flycatcher (Paradysvlieevanger) - Southern Black Flycatcher (Swartvlieevanger) - Retz's Helmet-Shrike (Swarthelmlaksman) - White-crested Helmet-Shrike (Withelmlaksman) - African Hoopoe (Hoephoep) - Striped Kingfisher (Gestreepte Visvanger) - Rufous-cheeked Nightjar (Rooiwangnaguil) - African Golden Oriole (Afrikaanse Wielewaal) - Black-headed Oriole (Swartkopwielewaal) - Eurasian Golden Oriole (Europese Wielewaal) - Black-backed Puffback (Sneeubal) - Lesser Grey Shrike (Gryslaksman) - Violet-backed Starling (Witborsspreeu) - Groundscraper Thrush (Gevlekte Lyster) - Kurrichane Thrush (Rooibeklyster) - Red-headed Weaver (Rooikopwewer) - Bennett's Woodpecker (Bennettse Speg)

How About some Nicknames?

As you might well know, we've got a bit of a naming problem at the moment. We now have 3 gentlemen working on site who carry the same name : Henk. We have Henk Diederichs (he arrived first), then came Henk le Roux and believe it or not, new arrival Henk Botha. Now you must agree that it is a bit of a pain to have a conversation with someone where you have to keep on referring to whichever Henk by his first and surname (not to mention how confusing it can get on the radio channels). So come on guys - we need to give you some nicknames - Henk-1, Henk-2 and Henk-3 is just so boring. Either you come up with acceptable nicknames or we'll have to do it for you - risky, risky! Maybe Rachelle, Ilze and Mardi can suggest some suitable names? Apparently Mardi already has one for Henk-3 but he refuses to say what it is - come on - it can't be that bad (or is it that good?).

They Just Keep on Coming!

Some more great photos taken by Henk-1 at Malundwe Camp.