More common garden birds in Gordon’s Bay
Fiscal Flycatcher
The Fiscal Flycatcher (Sigelus silens) is often mistaken for the Fiscal Shrike as they both are basically black above, white below and share the habit of perching prominently on the outside of a bush or on top of a pole. However, the flycatcher has a longer and thinner beak and shorter tail with white ‘windows’ obvious in flight. It also lacks the Fiscal Shrike’s white V on the back. The female Fiscal Flycatcher is a sooty-brown version of the male. Despite silens being part of its name, it is actually very vocal in the breeding season uttering it’s song of a variety of thin, high-pitched notes for long periods from a prominent vantage point. Like many flycatchers, this species hunts from a perch sallying out in a wide loop to catch an insect, often returning to the same perch. It will also drop to the ground to pick up prey items. It has a strong, quick flight. Typical of flycatchers this species has very sharp eye-sight and is quick to detect the presence of a snake. On three occasions we have been alerted to snakes (twice cobras, once a puff adder) by the Fiscal Flycatcher darting in and out of the bush where the snake is concealed while uttering its sharp alarm call. This alerts other birds and in no time there is a noisy flock of white-eyes, bulbuls and sunbirds all mobbing the harassed snake until it departs.
Bokmakierie
The Bokmakierie (Telephorus zeylonus) is very common along the lower slopes of the mountain above Gordon’s Bay from where it ventures down into the larger gardens lower down. It announces its presence with its cheerful, loud, ringing call usually in a duet with its mate and uttered from a prominent perch. The repetitive calls in duet have given rise to its onomatopoeic names of Bokmakierie and Kokkewit. The Bokmakierie is unmistakable with its bright yellow underparts and broad, black ‘bib’, greenish back and bluish-grey top of head. The sexes are identical. The tail is black with yellow tips. The beak is the strong, hooked beak typical of shrikes. The flight is fast and straight interspersed with gliding. The Bokmakierie feeds on quite large prey items such as caterpillars, spiders, insects, chameleons and small lizards. The nest is a neat cup of fine rootlets and hairs (but no feathers) placed low down and well-concealed in an isolated bush. It is very secretive when nesting and does not easily betray the site of the nest.