Always take your camera...

I've started toting my camera up the hill with me over lunchtime (usually it just stays behind in my handbag, locked in the office). I've missed too many photo-ops not to do so!

Yesterday, as I headed down the hill something brown, black and white flew up and away in front of me. There's no birds like that around here, so I did a double-take and then went creeping up to where I thought I saw it land. No ways - an African Hoopoe! We don't get them naturally here (they prefer the bushveld instead of our fynbos environment), and I've only seen them twice in the many years I've lived here. We have a large Southern Africa bird book, and note what we see and when - except for the Usual Birds who beg for seed every day on the front lawn: weavers, doves, pigeons, bulbulls...

I rushed down to the office and grabbed the camera to get a shot - but by the time I came back, it had completely disappeared. Darnit!

Today I went armed and ready, stepping carefully and keeping my eyes open. But all I found was a Malachite sunbird - and I see him nearly every day, along with his red-chested emerald cousins. And the usual compliment of Robins, Shrikes, Cape Batis's and White-eyes....

From now on, where I go the camera goes!