Wednesday 30 November 2016

The White Rhinoceros

We were about half way through our tour of the zoo when we saw these small school children with their teacher having their photos taken with the Rhino. It was a good time to stop, have a drink, and take in the view.



 


 

The River Douro.
 

One of the gates we saw on our walk.
 

A Peahen and her young, were walking along the paths and in the gardens.
 

The real McCoy....
 


The White Rhinoceros. Their name means (Nose horn) 

The White Rhinoceros have two horns, the foremost being more prominente than the other.
 


The Muscovy Duck seen in the zoo pond.
 

We have always had Muscovy ducks on the farm,...
 

The male hisses at intruders, but wag it's tails when spoken to!!:)
 
WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY
GOOD FENCES
SATURDAY'S CRITTERS
I'D-RATHER-B-BIRDIN

Thursday 24 November 2016

The Santo Inacio Zoo

We were having lunch with the family one Saturday, when my granddaughter Sara, told us about a zoo she had visited, and said that we should go there, as it was a great place to spend the day, and would only take an hour to get there. On her recommendation we decided to act on her suggestion, and I must say that we were impressed at the way the animals were cared for, and I will be sharing some photos of our visit over the next few weeks.


It took us I hour and 30 minutes on the highway to reach the Zoo,  and this is the entrance.
 

I sat on the bench, whilst Americo went inside....
 

this building, where he bought our entrance tickets, and on the right is where we started our walk around the zoo.

 

One of the hides where we were able to see the deer-like creatures below.
 

On a return visit, I'll be more careful to get their names, as I stupidly forgot to take pictures of them.
  


 


 


 

This creature and the next where taken in different areas of the zoo.
 

The environment  looked very natural,
 

Another view of a hide to get a better look at the fence.
 

This is where we had a delicious cooked meal.  We had intended to spend the day, but it was so hot, that we left after eating lunch, but we both agreed to make a return visit at a later date, and I shall look forward to it, besides,.. I want to get those names.
 

The Black Swan   Cygnus atratus
 


 


 

Sweet lonely Donkey.
 


 

The Greylag Goose.
 


 


 
I would like to thank all our gracious hosts. Just click on their links to visit them. WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY
GOOD FENCES
SATURDAY'S CRITTERS
I'D-RATHER-B-BIRDIN

Tuesday 22 November 2016

The Black-crowned Night Heron

 
 

The Black-crowned Night Heron  Nycticorax nycticorax  feed at night, mostly on fish and crustaceans squid, water insects and frogs in the water, and on land they will eat birds eggs, earth worms, insects, toads, lizards snakes and rodents, which is quite a varied diet.
 

The sexes are similar in appearance, although the male is slightly larger.
 

Their resting posture is somewhat hunched, but when hunting they extend their necks and look more like other wading birds.
 

A closer look at this red eyed, tri-coloured bird, which I think is most attractive with it's long white head plumes.
 
I have just discovered that their scientific name Nycticorax means night raven, refering to this species nocturnal habits, and crow-like call. I am linking up with Stewart, at Wild Bird Wednesday, Eileen at Saturdays Critters, and Anni, at The Bird D' Pot and if you would like to join in the fun, just click on the links to see other birds and critters from around the globe. br /> WILD BIRD WEDNESDAYS
SATURDAY'S CRITTERS
I'D RATHER B BIRDIN

Friday 18 November 2016

The Asian Hornet and Nest.

A few months ago, our foreman told us that there was an Asian hornet's nest in a disused hut on the farm. I can't say that I was surprised, as I had seen a number of unwelcome hornets in the garden. They were mainly attracted to the variegated ivy growing near the pond which gave me the opportunity to take the following shots, and of course we went to see the nest, and I took some photos at a safe distance. I'm sorry to say that they had to be "dealt with" by professionals, and the garden is not only safer, but a lot tidier now. I'm glad to be back, and will do my best to visit you all as soon as possible.


The Asian Hornet
 

The Asian hornet is an invasive species which  slaughter about 50 bees a day to feed their larvae...
 

They pose a tremendous threat to honey bees and other pollinators.
 

It is slightly smaller than the European hornet, but it makes a very loud buzzing noise which drew my attention to it in the first place.

 

They hover near the honey bees hive and pluck them out of the air on their return to their hive. They first remove the wings and legs, then roll them up into ball, which they then carry to their own nest to feed their larvae.
 

The Asian hornet is a day-flying species, which unlike the European hornet, ceases activity at dusk.
 

Mostly dark brown in appearance with the wide orange band on the forth segment, and yellow legs.
 

The nest is suspended, spherical or oval in shape, and can be as large as 1 metre in height, and 80 cm in diameter, I would say that the one in the shed was 60cm x 60cm.
 

It is built by making paper mâché made from chewed tree and plant material, and when finished the hive population  reaches about 6,000 insects. It was situated near enough to our foreman's house to cause him concern.
 

Unlike the European hornet, where the entrance to the nest is at the bottom of the nest, the entrances are at the sides, I tried to get closer shots of the entrance, but as the hornets were in constant movement they came out all blurry.
 

A couple of photos of sections of the nest.
 


 
I will be linking up with Eileen at Saturday's Critters later in the week, and if you would like to see more critters, just click on the link. SATURDAY'S CRITTERS My thanks to Eileen for hosting her fun meme.

Thursday 3 November 2016

Algarve and Horse riding for Good Fences

On our evening walks we encountered riders on horseback. We saw them so often that we exchanged a few words each time our paths crossed, and on two occasions they stopped for me to take their photos. I'm sure you'll agree that they, and their mounts look lovely, and I'm sharing these shots for Good Fences, and then I will be taking a break for a while, to do some much needed gardening, before the weather changes. Have fun,... and take care.:)
 


 


 


 


 


 



 


 

If you would like to see more fences, railings, or fences, just click on the links below.
GOOD FENCES
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