Nature on your doorstep

Nature on your doorstep Clive Stewart capturing the beauty of everyday nature. https://natureonyourdoorstep.com - Wall art with a difference.

A huge flock of Speckled Pigeons arrive at the house each morning and often see them circling overhead before heading of...
18/06/2026

A huge flock of Speckled Pigeons arrive at the house each morning and often see them circling overhead before heading off for the day.🙂

Scientists theorize that when pigeons circle immediately after take-off, they may be calibrating an internal navigation system. Tiny iron-based particles in the head may respond to changes in the Earth's magnetic field, while light-sensitive structures in the eye could help detect directional cues we cannot perceive.
It's not a single GPS system, but a layered map built from magnetism, the sun's position, wind, smell and visual memory all working together.

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"The Don", my resident Orange-breasted Sunbird, never misses an opportunity for a good shower whenever one presents itse...
16/06/2026

"The Don", my resident Orange-breasted Sunbird, never misses an opportunity for a good shower whenever one presents itself.🙂

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Cape Buntings and Cape Sparrows share surprisingly similar wing plumage, with brown feathers edged in pale tones, althou...
12/06/2026

Cape Buntings and Cape Sparrows share surprisingly similar wing plumage, with brown feathers edged in pale tones, although the Cape Sparrow has a bolder facial pattern. It is their behaviour, however, that really helps separate them. Cape Sparrows are highly social birds, usually found in pairs, family groups or flocks, where they are often noisy and constantly interacting with one another. Cape Buntings, on the other hand, are generally more reserved and are most often seen alone or in pairs, quietly foraging among rocks and shrubs.

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A Cape garden must have — The Pig’s Ear (Cotyledon orbiculata) is one of South Africa’s most attractive and bird-friendl...
02/06/2026

A Cape garden must have — The Pig’s Ear (Cotyledon orbiculata) is one of South Africa’s most attractive and bird-friendly indigenous succulents. Widespread across much of the country, it occurs naturally in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Karoo, grasslands, and rocky mountain slopes. Flowering mainly during the winter months, it provides a valuable source of nectar for sunbirds, sugarbirds, and a variety of other species, including the beautiful Cape White-eye pictured above.

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These guys have hijacked my chimney for the winter 🥶But I love having them around so well worth the sacrifice and each d...
29/05/2026

These guys have hijacked my chimney for the winter 🥶

But I love having them around so well worth the sacrifice and each day the family arrive and stare through the window flapping their wings about, as they do, until i throw them some homemade peanut seed ball.

As a species the Familiar Chats have adapted exceptionally well to human structures and will often nest in walls, chimneys, sheds, bridges and even old machinery. "Familiar" gets its unique name from its tame behaviour, frequently perching in plain sight and hanging around human settlements.

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Red-eyed Dove Doves have unusually large and powerful flight muscles, accounting for up to 15–20% of their body weight. ...
28/05/2026

Red-eyed Dove

Doves have unusually large and powerful flight muscles, accounting for up to 15–20% of their body weight. This allows for rapid, explosive take-offs when threatened.

The familiar whistle heard as a dove takes flight is not a call, but a mechanical sound known as sonation. It is produced by air passing over specialised outer wing feathers during the wingbeat, creating the distinctive whistling sound.

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Tawny Eagle - Distinguishing between Tawny and Steppe Eagles is a tough challenge imo, especially since their plumage an...
26/05/2026

Tawny Eagle - Distinguishing between Tawny and Steppe Eagles is a tough challenge imo, especially since their plumage and facial features are so similar. When first viewing these comparison diagrams it’s easy to think this image could be a Steppe Eagle.

Both species occur in Kruger but in this case it is the migration patterns that helped me with the ID. Steppe Eagles are long-distance migrants that move north during the SA winter to breed across parts of Asia and Russia, while Tawny Eagles (Aquila rapax) are largely sedentary and do not perform extensive migrations.

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The Kurrichane Thrush is can easily be mistaken for a robin because of its warm orange underparts, upright posture and h...
24/05/2026

The Kurrichane Thrush is can easily be mistaken for a robin because of its warm orange underparts, upright posture and habit of feeding quietly on the ground.
One giveaway is its behaviour — pausing, listening and tilting its head slightly while foraging through leaf litter, often using sound to detect movement beneath the surface.
The name “Kurrichane” comes from the historic Kuruman/Kurrichane region of southern Africa, where many inland species were first documented by early naturalists in the 1800s🙂

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“Precocial” birds (chicks that leave the nest early) tend to have smaller brains relative to body size than altricial sp...
21/05/2026

“Precocial” birds (chicks that leave the nest early) tend to have smaller brains relative to body size than altricial species that develop slowly in the nest.

The Martial Eagle is “altricial”, where the young remain dependent for 6–12 months after fledging, still begging while learning to hunt, use thermals, and range over vast distances.
However, altrical as it is, Africa’s largest eagle (up to 6.2 kg) still has a small brain relative to body size—both eyes together actually weigh more than its brain. By contrast, a small songbird like a sparrow has a far higher brain-to-body ratio.

This slow development helps explain why Martial Eagles breed so slowly, usually raising just one chick every few years. They are currently listed as Endangered in South Africa and globally by the IUCN.😕

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