Going about a normal days chore can sometimes be monotonous, but add to that a wonderful sighting of the feathered kind right in our front yard, just made for the day to be that more entertaining. I had been busy practicing my hand at making fondant roses, which I had just learnt the week before, and between the waiting periods for each stage to dry, I had to make a fews treks to the kitchen, to wash off the “Stickyness” from my hands. Who knows how long they have been out there watching me through my kitchen window, when on one such trek to the kitchen, I lifted my head to look out the window for a brief second, when a slight movement on my lawn in front, caught my attention.
Upon closer scrutinization, through the windows, And to my pleasure, there under my cherry-bush tree, I manage to identify ,the almost camouflaged, 2 adult Spotted Dikkops or “Thick-knee” .
I do know what birds these are, because we often see them around the area, BUT usually at night, mincingly walking about and in moonlit nights can be very vocal. That’s such a positive of living in an area that once was a majority “Agricultural Holdings” , we still get to hear and see wildlife that we would not see in over developed areas here in South Africa. Most people would perhaps only see such wildlife when they venture out into our countrys’ many game reserves or National Parks, which we South Africans love terming as “the Bush”
I don’t know how common it is for these birds to be out and about during the day, they usually rest hidden away. But what made for this sighting to be that much more memorable was seeing a little / young Spotted Dikkops gracefully walk across the lawn to join his parents, who seemed to have been trying to catch a few winks of sleep. Parents were just as relaxed though when the youngster joined in to close his eyes a bit, with daddy, I Assume, standing up tall n proud to watch over his family. I did manage to grab my camera to blog those pics , and after a few good pics, still through closed kitchen windows, I would have dared disturb their little siesta, lest they were frightened away, I let them be. They have been in the yard the whole morning, running between my front lawn and my neighbours across the road, with my neighbour and her grand-daughter also enjoying every bit of the awesome sighting, with the star of the show being the young spotted dikkops.
And just as night is upon us here, with me about to publish this blog, I hear the Chweee….Chweee calls from the Spotted Dikkops, means they happily going on with their nocturnal habits, and i’m so thankful to have been able to glimpse into a small part of the daylight routine.
