October is a month of green... every shade of green you could imagine is present. All the years of planting for wildlife has paid off. There are birds everywhere. What a delight to watch dusky flycatchers flitting through the Buddleja Auriculata thicket .
The Bar–throated Apalis , he of the neat black collar, hunts busily in the self sown Pigeonwood. All day the calls of Klaas’ cuckoos sound “MeintJIE, Mein tJIE “ as they haunt the African dog rose searching out the caterpillars of the Acraea butterfly.
The entire shrub is laden with white flowers and flashing metallic green cuckoos .
The Black headed Oriole alternates between a liquid call and a harsh grating sound. Southern black tit flashes white wing patches as he patrols his territory of Acacia robusta.
The vertebrae of the garden are the trees of course , inviting and sheltering creatures of all kinds. The best way to attract birds to your garden is by planting for insects. All birds even the nectar feeders like sunbirds , need protein and insects make up the bulk of their diet.
Ochna natalitia or the Mickey Mouse bush shines brightly , bedecked in yellow frilly flowers. wonderful little tree for a small garden.
Purple broom , Polygala virgata, are the “happy accidents”of the garden. They spring up everywhere and it takes a hard heart to pull them out . If you like constant colour then this little charmer is for you .
The Barberton daisy of our KZN grasslands , Gerbera ambigua , is in full flower with dancing whiteheads. Together with the very special Senecio speciosus ( the Beautiful senecio) they make a very pretty show .
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