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Nature on your doorstep

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

03/09/2026

Pale Chanting Goshawk (Melierax canorus) occur across much of the dry parts of southern Africa.
Most Pale Chanting Goshawks breed as pairs, but in parts of the Little Karoo some females form polyandrous trios with two males - Both males then participate in raising the young.
What makes this particularly unusual is the timing of mating: rather than the two males competing for access to the female at the same time, the alpha male mates with her much earlier in the breeding cycle, while the subordinate beta male mates only a few days before she lays.

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27/08/2026

Pin-tailed Whydah

A benefit of being a brood parasite: fewer blood parasites.
One study found haemosporidian parasites in just 5.7% of Pin-tailed Whydahs, compared with 56.5% of the finches they were compared with.
The researchers found that nest care was the strongest predictor of infection — suggesting that avoiding the nest may come with an unexpected health advantage.

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20/08/2026

African Hoopoe 🙂
Hoopoes have a surprisingly sophisticated chemical defence.
During nesting, female Hoopoes can produce a foul-smelling secretion from the uropygial (preen) gland that may help protect the nest and chicks.
Interestingly, both male and female chicks can also produce a defensive secretion from their own glands.
Research suggests the Hoopoe’s conspicuous appearance, crest display and distinctive flight may also deter predators by signalling that it is an unattractive or difficult prey item.
A similar strategy occurs in the Monarch butterfly, whose conspicuous orange-and-black wings advertise its chemical defences.
In both cases: advertise the defence before the predator discovers it the hard way.

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13/08/2026

Portrait of Black-headed Heron and African Darter 🙂

I found it quite interesting that the Black-headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala) has a seasonal change in eye colour. Its irises are normally yellow, but during courtship and nest establishment they can turn a striking ruby red. As incubation progresses, they gradually change back through orange to yellow. This is a species-specific breeding colour change and is not a feature shared by all herons.

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06/08/2026

African Darter (Anhinga rufa)
Commonly known as the Snakebird, it earns its nickname by swimming with its body submerged, leaving only its long, twisting neck above the water. Success underwater depends on three things: camouflage, patience and precision. Rather than chasing fish, it stalks them almost invisibly beneath the surface before launching a lightning-fast strike. Its greatest hunting asset isn't speed—it's restraint.

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30/07/2026

African Hoopoe (Upupa africana)
With courtship rituals the male approaches with his crest fully raised, lowered body and partially spread wings while giving soft "hoop-hoop-hoop" calls. He repeatedly offers the female food—usually large insects or grubs—as a demonstration of his ability to provide for both her and their future brood.
Females may assess several offerings before accepting a mate - fussy! 😅

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22/07/2026

Raptors can be among the most challenging birds to identify. Comparing a Common Buzzard with a juvenile Yellow-billed Kite (which I believe this bird to be), the similarities can be remarkable.
For me, the deciding factors were the bird's overall size and its dark eye. If anyone sees something I've missed or has a better way to separate the two from this image, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.🙂

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17/07/2026

Greater Striped
Together with its close relative, the Lesser Striped Swallow, the Greater Striped Swallow builds one of the most sophisticated mud nests found among African swallows. Each fully enclosed, flask-shaped nest is painstakingly constructed from between 700 and well over 1,400 individual mud pellets, bonded together with saliva to form a remarkably strong structure. The long entrance tunnel helps reduce access by larger predators and nest parasites. Rather than starting from scratch each breeding season, many pairs simply repair and reuse the same nest for years.

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10/07/2026

Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus)- The word kite comes from the Old English cȳta, a name believed to imitate the bird's shrill, whistling call. Centuries later, when the paper flying toy from China became popular in England during the 1600s, it inherited the same name because its effortless gliding, hovering, and swooping in the wind so closely resembled the graceful flight of the bird.

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