December 202 was very hot, and my birding from home was limited to the very early morning and late afternoon hours. Lockdown Level 1 continued, but then our Covid totals started increasing sharply and we moved to Level 3 on 29 December 2020.
All the regular birds were around. One Friday morning I walked out onto the balcony to see a flock of about 20 European Bee-eaters feeding on flying insects on the other side of the complex.
The Rose-ringed Parakeets normally just fly over the complex like little rockets, but they decided to hang about in some of the trees surrounding the complex.
The Red-billed Queleas never visit my balcony so I was so excited when a few visited twice during the month.
The male looked splendid in his breeding plumage.
The little Red-headed finches paid a very brief visit.
A very unusual visitor to my balcony was a Hadeda. He popped in once to have some of the dried meal worms and peanut butter. I‘ve never seen one feed on the balcony and this was quite a surprise.
The highlight of the month was the Ovambo Sparrowhawk. I heard the Go-away Bird and Wattled Lapwings alarm call at the same time. When I went outside, the Ovambo Sparrowhawk was circling above my head before being chased away by the Lapwings.
I’ve seen them a few times during lock-down but this by far the best sighting at my house.