Feathery visitors

The weather at the moment is just glorious! The summer is finally over and we can enjoy some mild temperatures and cool breezes. The sky is bright blue with a few feathery clouds floating by. (In summer the sky is a pale gray/yellow non-colour and months go by without a single cloud in sight) I have to remind myself everyday that this is autumn and not spring. But it seems I am not the only one who has season-confusion...

A pair of White Cheeked Bulbuls (Pycnonotus leucogenys) has built a nest in the tree outside our front door and they have successfully hatched two little ones! They get very angry at us whenever we go in or out near their nest, so we try to stay clear. Today I ventured closer and took a few photos. The nest is very well hidden between the leaves so it is not easy to see the babies.

The poor mommy bird got very upset with me and made a lot of noise, so I didn't stay long...

This fellow below is a Hoopoe (Upupa epops) and he is on his way south for the season. He feeds on the lawn in the school grounds where my son has swimming lessons and we have watched him for the past week or so. He will soon continue his journey south.

This Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) is a resident in the UAE although they are more common in the mountains to the east than in the city. This one looked quite young and still unsure of himself. He sat on the railing of the balcony for a long time. I had to take the photo through the window as I didn't want to scare him away.

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I have also noticed the Purple Sunbird in the garden but he doesn't stay still long enough for me to take a photo.

My daughter and I have a date for a picnic in the park next week - we might just see some more feathery friends to share...