| Actual Image
A Song For Ram - TBN 8 (100)
loot
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5695 W: 603 N: 3357]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (8939) | Mocking Cliff-chat - Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
The 8th delivery of the "Touched by Nature" series.
The air was filled with late afternoon bird-calls as I was sitting in the Mphafa hide in the south-western region of the Hluhluwe-iMfoloze Game Reserve. The Mphafa hide is situated at the top of a rocky cliff that over looks a waterhole and in the wet season there would actually be a small water fall running over the cliff. Down below, in the waterhole, a lazy crocodile was lethargically playing with his food, a couple of day's old, half eaten, impala carcass. A thirsty nyala ewe wanted to drink some water, but as she came close to the water the crocodile swam towards the ewe and she frantically jumped for safety. The crocodile watched her for a while and then returned to continue playing with his impala carcass. I witnessed how the "power of thirst" overcame the most basic instinct of fear in the ewe as she returned to the water, time and time again, and after this scene was repeated some 3 or 4 times I had captured enough photos of the event.
Meanwhile some warthogs appeared and they were wallowing in the mud of a little side pool. Two nyala bulls approached and they were lost in their own little mock battle while 8 zebras also arrived at the waterhole. All this activity kept me busy or focused at the waterhole and the adjoining sandy area of the dry riverbed so I wasn't really paying any attention to my direct surroundings. That's when I got touched by nature. Actually I got such a fright when this little Mocking cliff-chat unexpectedly plonked down right beside me on the wooden "window" sill of the hide. Fearless she sat there, about 1.5 metres from me. She gave me the stare down and started to sing the most beautiful melodic song that any birder could only dream of. At first I sat mesmerized by this sudden and brazen appearance that I almost forgot to try and take some photos even though I was sitting with the camera in my hand. The only problem was that I had the 500mm lens screwed on to the camera and that meant I had to take a chance to get my 28-300mm lens on to the camera.
This little bird showed no fear during my frantic activities and after I changed the lenses she even gave me ample time to capture her onto my flash memory. Of course I thanked her affectionately and appropriately and after that she departed while I sat there awestruck and wondering just how does some chance encounter like this happen. Often times you work your butt off and just cannot get near to any subject to get a decent photo. This time the subject came straight too me and she gave me all the time I needed to photograph her.
When nature touches you in such a wonderful way, you tend to stay "touched" for quite a while after that. I know, I did.
**Note 1: Please view the workshop as well which shows a profile shot of this little bird. Although these birds are not rare, it is only the 2nd posting of this species on TrekNature.
**Note 2: You are most welcome to view my other postings in my theme called "Touched by Nature".
This one is dedicated to our good friend Mr. Ram Thakur (ramthakur). Never judge a book by its cover (not that there is anything wrong with his cover, I suppose). Ram is no ordinary school master. He is a terrific guy, a stately personage, a great lover of nature, a splendid photographer, one of the most prolific members on TrekNature, a magnificent friend, and also a BLOG writer par-excellence who is "IN TANDEM WITH HIS MUSES" (chuckle). Apart for his love to photograph Indian butterflies or Saudi Arabian flies and cockroaches he also excels in bird photography. That is why I dedicate this lovely songbird to my friend. Thanks for your generous and undemanding friendship.
Taxonomic Classification
KINGDOM: Animalia (animals)
SUBPHYLUM: Vertebrata (fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, & mammals)
CLASS: Aves (birds)
ORDER: Passeriformes (perching birds)
FAMILY: Muscicapidae (old world flycatchers)
The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.
SUBFAMILY: Saxicolinae (chats, robins, thrushes, shamas, bushchats, stonechats, & redstarts)
Chats (formerly sometimes known as Chat-thrushes) are a group of small Old World insectivorous birds formerly classed as members of the thrush family Turdidae, but now considered Old World flycatchers.
Other Names
Also known as: Bambara Cliff-Chat; Abyssinian Cliff-Chat, Ethiopian Cliff-chat, or Common Cliff-chat.
Dassievoël (Afrikaans), iQumutsha-lamawa (Zulu), Roodbuik-kliftapuit (Dutch), Traquet à ventre roux (French), Rotbauchschmätzer (German), Roquero Imitador (Spanish, Sassicola ventrecannella (Italian), アカハラガケビタキ (Japanese), Sangklippeskvett (Norwegian). Klippedrossel (Danish), Smolarek rdzawobrzuchy (Polish), Bělořit oranžovobřichý (Czeck), and Chasco-poliglota (Portuguese),
Description
A smallish bird with stocky build, stout legs, and relatively short wings, but somewhat larger than a house sparrow. The male's black plumage, bright chestnut (rufous) belly, vent and rump, and white shoulder patch are diagnostic.
Height: 19-23cm
Weight: ±48gm
Female: Slaty black (to grey) head, back, wings and tail, chestnut below, and lacking a white patch on wing.
Juvenile: Resembles the female.
Distribution
Found in the western parts of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and the eastern parts of South Africa. Also in Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.
Habitat
At home in riverine forests and densely wooded forests, where there are Mopane trees or close to water bodies such as lakes, dams and streams. Often found at the bases of cliffs, wooded or rocky slopes, and boulder strewn hillsides.
Behaviour
Usually in small groups. Runs quickly over the ground, rocks or thick branches, sometimes with tail raised.
Food
They forage for food on the ground, or at the base of trees, and low down in the shrubs eating mostly fruits and seeds and also drink nectar from flowers high up in the tree canopy. They will also take insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants. These invertebrates are usually hawked aerially and killed in typical "flycatcher" manner.
Reproduction
Mocking cliff-chats are monogamous which means that they find and breed with one partner for the rest of their lives. They lay between 2-4 eggs which are coloured blue. The nest is built high up in the tree canopy and is protected from predators by branches and the dense green foliage.
Call
A loud, melodious mixture of mimicked bird songs, hence the name "Mocking".
Conservation status
Common but localised resident. Source.
Post Processing was done with Adobe Photoshop CS2. |
|
