Crested Guest

Birds in My Garden – and a Special Guest Since August

One of my favourite daily joys is watching the little feathered visitors who make my garden their stopover, snack bar and sometimes even their home. Over the years, I’ve come to recognize the regulars and their quirky habits. Some arrive in chattering flocks, others keep to themselves and a few announce their presence with unmistakable calls before you even spot them.

In my garden, the sparrows are always first on the scene, chirping in busy clusters as if they’re gossiping about the day. The doves arrive more quietly, waddling across the lawn in their soft, almost hesitant way. Every now and then, a sunbird darts in like a jewel with wings, hovering at the flowers long enough for me to catch a flash of iridescence, but since August, I’ve had a very special visitor: a crested barbet.

If you’ve ever seen one, you’ll know exactly why it feels like a gift each time it appears. With its vivid mix of yellow, red and black, the crested barbet looks like it was painted by a child with a box of crayons. Its call - a rolling, trilling sound - often echoes through the garden long before I spot it. There’s something cheerful and grounding about that call; it’s become part of the soundtrack of my mornings.

What I’ve noticed about “my” barbet is that it seems to enjoy the old tree near the fence. It hops between the branches, pausing to inspect the bark as though searching for the perfect spot to peck at. Sometimes it perches on the birdbath, ruffling its feathers as if posing for me. Unlike the fleeting sunbirds or restless sparrows, the barbet feels deliberate in its movements, unhurried, almost as though it knows it belongs here.

Having this crested barbet around for the past few months has made me pay even closer attention to the birds in my garden. Each visit is a reminder of how much life and colour surrounds us if we slow down to notice.

So, while the sparrows keep gossiping, the doves keep cooing and the sunbirds keep glittering past, the star of my garden since August has undoubtedly been my bright, cheerful crested barbet.