A Sequence of Pics of the Purple Crested Lourie.

I photographed this lourie (turaco) in my garden. I had previously made a number of attempts to photograph these birds but to no avail. At the sight of me, they took off. This day I was fortunate, as you can see. I think those palm berries were too delicious for the bird to abandon! The large palm leaf makes a nice backdrop for the bird.

The Purple-crested turaco is found from Uganda through Tanzania to the eastern half of southern Africa. It is usually found in woodland and coastal forest. It eats almost exclusively fruit, foraging in tree canopies, perching at the end of branches to pick the fruit directly. The nest is built by both sexes, with one collecting sticks and handing them to other, who adds it to the nest. It lays 2-4 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes, for 21-23 days. The chicks leave the nest before they can fly, at about 21 days old, but at about  38 days old, they make they’re first flight.

This pic, which I did in oils is a painting of the one above

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As the welcome new day nears,
Distinct sweet birdsong is music to my ears.
The purple crested lourie calls his mate,
“Breakfast is on, don’t be late!”
The distant call; "ha-ha-hadedah" of the ibises in-flight,
Their silver feathers gleam in the sunlight.

~ Caroline Street. Excerpt from My Piece of Paradise. (Take a Walk With Me) 

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Copyright © Caroline Street Art/Poetry/Photography