Gardening for wildlife in a Cape winter

We garden for wildlife. If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound? Between RL and gardening, rediscover your sense of wonder. Take time out, see what wildlife makes its home, or pauses, in your garden.

In Paradise and Roses both of our strelitzias have a flower open. I know our strelitzias are grown in California, I wonder if the hummingbirds use them as a nectar source? Strong stem and a bowl overflowing with nectar brings an impatient queue of  masked weavers and  Cape weavers.

Strelitzia reginae occurs naturally only in South Africa: eastern coast, from Humansdorp to northern KwaZulu-Natal in coastal bush and thicket. It grows along river banks in full sun, however sometimes it occurs and flowers on margins of forest in shade – from PlantZAfrica.

Weaver on Strelitzia

Nectar from Mandela's Gold

Strelitzia reginae Mandela's Gold

Weaver on Strelitzia

It winters very. When my sister was staying on the particularly nasty grey chilly days, we curled up with books and laptop by an early afternoon fire. Last night we went down to 3C (37F which sounds much warmer now I think in C). Tuesday has frost predicted for Malmesbury! Morning wakes with dew-spangled spiderwebs. This  black velvet spider was rescued as he brought in the day’s firewood. 

Green lynx? spider on web
Velvet spider, his and her photos

There are no fairies in my garden, but some quirky whimsy. (As Uncle Paul said – why doesn’t it GO when I say shoo!)

A metal bird with a fish

At the gently sloping shore of the pond, facing into the full benefit of the low winter sun, birds form orderly queues with timestamped tickets.

Masked weaver in the centre

A much smaller Cape white-eye waits with the respect that fits his size.

With a Cape white-eye

Gifted by nature, this is an image of our list … You know those days when you have a block of time and you are on a roll. The furthest bird who is a blur of movement? That was me, shredding the prunings from the plums and figs and part of the Leaning Tower of Should Be Compost. Used the shreddings as mulch beneath the fruit trees.

The next bird – has all the tools gathered and ready. His Ungardening revamp of the Mediterranean Sun Circle – work in progress.

And the four lined up and waiting. Prune the apples, and roses. Weed the driveway.

Sparrows and weavers
with a large spotted European starling

Looking out of the kitchen I saw a bird in a spiffy black and white suit, red tie and canary yellow corsage. Eating the apples we ignored. Says he, seen it already in the fig trees. Acacia pied barbet. In Joy Frandsen's bird book, a resident among trees, excavate their nest in dead trees.

Pictures by Jurg and Diana,

words by Diana of  Elephant's Eye

- wildlife gardening in Porterville, 
near Cape Town in South Africa

(If you mouse over brown text, it turns shriek pink. 
Those are my links.)