Category Archives: Garden

A Bird a Day in June: Day 15 – Grey-headed Kingfisher

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Tanzalong | Leave a comment

Day 15 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden including this one.

Grey-headed Kingfisher

Grey-headed Kingfisher

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Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Tanzania, Tanzanian living, Wildlife

Tagged bird, birds, grey-headed, kingfisher

A Bird a Day in June: Day 14 -Spectacled Weaver

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Tanzalong | 2 comments

Day 14 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden like this regular visitor.

Spectacled Weaver

Spectacled Weaver

Spectacled Weaver

Other Weavers

Catch up on other days

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Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Tanzania, Wildlife

Tagged bird, birds, spectacled, Village, weaver

A Bird a Day in June: Day 13 -Red-chested Sunbird

Posted on June 13, 2016 by Tanzalong | 14 comments

Day 13 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden like this regular visitor.

Red-chested Sunbird

Female

Female

Other Sunbirds

Scarlet Chested Sunbird

Scarlet-chested Sunbird

Marico Sunbird

Red-chested Sunbird

Catch up on other days

14 Comments

Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Tanzania, Wildlife

Tagged bird, birds, red-chested, scarlet-chested, sunbird

A Bird a Day in June: Day 12 – Hadada Ibis

Posted on June 12, 2016 by Tanzalong | 13 comments

Day 12 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden like this regular visitor.

Hadada Ibis

Hadada Ibes

Catch up on other days

13 Comments

Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Tanzania, Wildlife

Tagged bird, birds, hadada, ibis

A Bird a Day in June: Day 11 – Grey-capped Warbler

Posted on June 11, 2016 by Tanzalong | 13 comments

Day 11 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden like this regular visitor.

Grey-capped Warbler

Grey-capped Warbler

Catch up on other days

13 Comments

Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Tanzania, Wildlife

Tagged bird, birds, grey-capped, warbler

A Bird a Day in June: Day 9 – White-browed Robin Chat

Posted on June 9, 2016 by Tanzalong | 13 comments

Day 9 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden, like this regular visitor.

White-browed Robin-Chat

White Browed Robin Chat

White Browed Robin Chat (Orange)

White Browed Robin Chat

Catch up on other days

13 Comments

Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Tanzania, Wildlife

Tagged bird, birds, robin-chat, white-browed

A Bird a Day in June: Day 8 – Variable Sunbird

Posted on June 8, 2016 by Tanzalong | 11 comments

Day 8 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden like this regular visitor.

Variable Sun Bird

Variable Sunbird

Variable Sunbird

Variable Sunbird

Catch up on other days

11 Comments

Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Tanzania, Wildlife

Tagged bird, birds, sunbird, variable

A Bird a Day in June: Day 7 – African Paradise Flycatcher

Posted on June 7, 2016 by Tanzalong | 12 comments

Day 7 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden like this regular visitor.

African Paradise Flycatcher

African Paradise Flycatcher (Indigo)

African Paradise Flycatcher

African Paradise Flycatcher

Catch up on other days

12 Comments

Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Tanzania, Wildlife

Tagged african paradise flycatcher, bird, birds, flycatcher

A Bird a Day in June: Day 6 – Yellow-billed Black Kite

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Tanzalong | 12 comments

Day 6 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden like this regular visitor.

Yellow-billed Black Kite

Yellow-billed Black Kite

Catch up on other days

12 Comments

Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Tanzania, Wildlife

Tagged bird, birds, black, kite, Yellow-billed Black Kite

A Bird a Day in June: Day 5 – Spotted Morning Thrush

Posted on June 5, 2016 by Tanzalong | 15 comments

Day 5 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden like this regular visitor.

Spotted Morning Thrush

Spotted Morning Thrush

Spotted Morning Thrush

Catch up on other days

15 Comments

Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Tanzania, Wildlife

Tagged bird, birds, Spotted Morning Thrush, thrush

A Bird a Day in June: Day 4 – Eastern Grey Plantain-eater

Posted on June 4, 2016 by Tanzalong | 11 comments

Day 4 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden like this regular visitor.

Eastern Grey Plantain-eater

Eastern-grey Plantain Eater

Catch up on other days

11 Comments

Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Tanzania, Wildlife

Tagged bird, birds, eastern grey plantain-eater

A Bird a Day in June: Day 3 – Purple Grenadier

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Tanzalong | 14 comments

Day 3 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden like this regular visitor.

Purple Grenadier

Purple Grenadier

Purple Grenadier

Purple Grenadier (Violet)

Catch up on other days

14 Comments

Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Tanzania, Wildlife

Tagged bird, birds, purple grenadier

A Bird a Day in June: Day 2 – Green-winged Pytilia

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Tanzalong | 13 comments

Day 2 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden like this regular visitor.

Green-winged Pytillia

Catch up on other days

13 Comments

Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Tanzania, Wildlife

Tagged bird, birds, Green-winged Pytilia

A Bird a Day in June: Day 1 – Black-headed Gonolek

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Tanzalong | 17 comments

Day 1 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden like this regular visitor.

Black-headed Gonolek

Black-headed Gonolek

Catch up on other days

17 Comments

Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Tanzania, Wildlife

Tagged bird, birds, Black-headed Gonolek

Garden Centres – Tanzania Style

Posted on May 21, 2016 by Tanzalong | Leave a comment

Here in Tanzania there is no such thing as a Garden Centre but instead you find, strung out along the road, in certain parts of town, small nurseries and pot makers etc. This is true in Mwanza where we live and where we are this weekend and many other towns and cities across the land.

This morning on a wander into the village of Mjimwema, we came across a such places …..

……. and a garden set out with plants and pots.

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Posted in Africa, Garden, Tanzania, Tanzanian living

Tagged Dar Es Salaam, Mjimwela, plants, Pots

Giving the Garden a Short Back and Sides

Posted on May 7, 2016 by Tanzalong | Leave a comment

It’s been getting a bit dark in the house. Our compound garden has a number of trees, great for shade and bird life. However of late the foliage has overgrown in the El Niño rains and now block out so much light even in the day. So time for drastic action. Our ‘Askari’ guards were dispatched this morning to cut some branches and trim the bushes back.

Just hope the birds don’t mind too much.

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Posted in Africa, Garden, plants, Tanzania, Tanzanian living

Tagged birds, Bushes, garden, Trees

Nesting Instinct

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Tanzalong | Leave a comment

There’s been a change in behaviour in much of the bird life here in Mwanza. Everything from the tiny Red-billed Firefinch collecting grass stalks to the enormous Yellow-billed Black Kites collecting branches. All with one purpose to build a nest. The long rains are probably imminent if not upon us already. Nesting instinct is taking over.

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Posted in Africa, Garden, Nature, Wildlife

Tagged bird, firefinch, kite, nest

Red Garden

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Tanzalong | Leave a comment

The first of a series on the colours of our garden.

The most prominent accent colour in garden is red. Whether it is in the flowers or in the birds (Black Headed Gonolek, Red Billed Firefinch or Red Chested Sunbird).

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Posted in Africa, Garden, Mwanza, Nature, plants, Tanzania, Tanzanian living, Wildlife

Tagged birds, flowers, garden, red

The Unexpected Cuckoo

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Tanzalong | Leave a comment

One of my interests since moving here has been the vast variety of birds we see on a daily basis. Most of them are familiar and repeatedly seen. Others are much more unexpected and unusual. Sitting in the garden last week we spotted an unfamiliar bird. It sat patiently on a branch as I took some pictures.

It wasn’t keen to show it’s chest so a few shots taken through a bush were all I got.

It turns out this is a Dusky Long Tailed Cuckoo – which is ordinarily found nowhere near here on the other side of the lake in Uganda, making this a rarity.

Within a few minutes it was on it’s way, much to the relief of the other birds no doubt wary of the cuckoo.

A chance encounter, just a few minutes long with a bird that has excited the birding community.

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Posted in Africa, Garden, Nature, Wildlife

Tagged cuckoo, dusky, long tailed

One Hour in the Garden

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Tanzalong | Leave a comment

I have often shared the wide variety of bird and animal life here on the Compound in Mwanza but I thought I’d give a flavor of what can be seen in about an hour on the verandah. All the birds below were seen.