This year's unusual weather pattern has meant that some species of migratory birds are returning later than normal. A few days ago it started to feel more like the onset of our summer with warmer moist northerly winds replacing the cooler drier south-easterlies and with the northerlies have come birds which have spent the winter months in Asia.We heard the first Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher two days ago and yesterday spotted one in a tree just outside the window - we are really delighted as we have guests arriving tomorrow whose main reason for staying here is to see THE Kingfisher! Last year we had about half a dozen nesting pairs and we believe they often return to their old nests - they excavate holes in termite-mounds.
I will try to get a better photo but in the meantime this is a distance-shot I took last year - actually in almost the same spot as the bird we saw yesterday. Perhaps it's the same bird - or maybe one of last year's offspring!
