lmSA84 - Big Year 2017

[lmSA84]

I've failed miserably to participate in prior years so here goes!

 

I apologise in advance for the quality of some of the images.

[michael-ibk]

Welcome to the Big Year, looking forward to your contributions! And no need to apologise - you know our motto is "ebc" - Every Bird Counts.

[TonyQ]

@@lmSA84

I look forward to following your postings.

I see that you were born in Africa - do you still live there or are you based somewhere else? (I ask because I have particularly enjoyed seeing birds contributers local areas!)

[lmSA84]

@@TonyQ - Thanks for asking. I spent much of my childhood in Durban, J'burg and Zimbabwe but we emigrated a while ago so I'm afraid that I'm now based in London.

 

The better news is that I'm currently at the start of a two month sabbatical in South Africa. It's a family trip so it won't be bird watching all day but we're travelling through the majority of South Africa's biospheres so fingers crossed I'll get some new species.

 

Given the internet speed though I'm not sure that I'll be able to post anything till I return!

[lmSA84]

I'll start with some UK easys and a few from my current SA trip.

 

For SA ones, I'm going to pick images which I don't think I'll better or common ones which I'll shortly stop taking images of.

 

1. Blackbird, Woking

 

 

2. Blue Tit, Woking

 

 

3. Great Tit, Woking

 

 

4. Eurasian Robin, Woking

 

 

5. European Starling, Woking

 

 

6. Malachite Kingfisher, Intaka Island, Cape Town

 

 

 

6. Purple Heron, Intaka Island, Cape Town

 

 

7. Pied Kingfisher, Intaka Island

 

 

8. Cape Shoveler, Intaka Island

 

 

 

 

9. Southern Red Bishop Non Breeding, Intaka Island

 

 

10. Cape Spurfowl, Kirstenbosch

 

 

11. Black Saw-Wing, Kirstenbosch

 

 

12. Neddicky, Silvermine Cape Town

 

 

 

13. Pin-tailed Whydah, Franschhoek

 

 

14. Southern Masked Weaver, Franschhoek

 

[TonyQ]

@@lmSA84

A great start with UK locals and those from South Africa. The Malachite Kingfisher is a real beauty!

[michael-ibk]

Everybody is starting with Blackbirds this year! Very nice shots, like Tony I especially like the Malachite.

[lmSA84]

@@michael-ibk - you can't go wrong with a good blackbird!

 

The hide at Intaka Island is one of the best places to photograph Malachite Kingfishers in SA. They tend land on posts placed right next to the hide.

[lmSA84]

Two I missed from my current UK pics

 

15. Wood Pigeon, Woking

 

 

16. Mistle Thrush, Woking

 

[lmSA84]

17. African Darter, Intaka Island

 

 

18. Sacred Ibis, Intaka Island

 

 

19. Common Moorhen, Intaka Island

 

 

20. Reed Cormorant, Intaka Island

 

 

21. Red-knobbed Coot

 

 

22. Yellow-billed Duck

 

 

23. Speckled Pigeon, Franschhoek

 

 

24. Egyptian Goose, Franschhoek

 

[lmSA84]

25. Hartlaub"s Gull, Intaka Island

 

 

26. Glossy Ibis, Rondevlei Hide, Wilderness NP

 

 

27. Cape White-eye, Wilderness NP

 

 

28. Red-chested Cuckoo, Juvenile

 

 

 

29. Knysna Turaco, Wilderness NP

 

30. Black-headed Oriole

 

 

31. Forest Canary, Wilderness NP

 

 

32. Fork-tailed Drongo, Wilderness NP

 

[TonyQ]

The Knysna Turaco is stunning!

[michael-ibk]

Agreed, a spectacular bird. It´s the cover bird for "Complete Photographic Field Guide, Birds of Southern Africa" (Sinclair/Ryan) btw.

[lmSA84]

@@TonyQ - thanks. It's a particularly easy bird to photograph at Wilderness. There both in the camps and ubiquitous on the trails. You sometimes see groups of five or more.

 

I omitted to mention in my last posting that the Black-headed Oriole and Red-chested Cuckoo were also from Wilderness NP.

 

I also don't intend to do sub-counts in my numbering (all respect to those that do) but I'll do sub-totals at the end.

[lmSA84]

I'll start with a better photo of a Neddicky. It's a member of the fabled Cisticola family.

 

 

33. Dusky Flycatcher, Juvenile, Kirstenbosch

 

 

34. Black-winged Stilt, Wilderness NP, Rondevlei Hide

 

 

35. Blacksmith Lapwing, Wilderness NP

 

[lmSA84]

36. Cape Batis, Goukamma

 

 

37. Karoo Prinia, Goukamma

 

38. White-throated Swallow

 

 

39. White-fronted Plover

 

[lmSA84]

40. Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Goukamma

 

 

41. African Black Oystercatcher, Goukamma

 

 

42. Sombre Greenbul, Knysna

 

 

43. Forest Buzzard, Knysna

 

 

 

44. Cattle Egret, Franschhoek

 

Edited January 15, 2017 by lmSA84

[xelas]

Not even first two weeks of the year and already closing to the #50 ?! Great start, @ImSA84 !!

[lmSA84]

@@xelas - thanks but I think I'll be more a sprinter than a marathon runner in this competition. I'm going to get out the gates fast and then fade back to watch others do their thing.

[lmSA84]

45. Pied Crow, Robberg Nature Reserve

 

 

46. Rock Martin, Robberg Nature Reserve

 

Rock Martin, Jeffrey's Bay

 

 

47. Laughing Dove, Jeffrey's Bay

 

[xelas]

@@xelas - thanks but I think I'll be more a sprinter than a marathon runner in this competition. I'm going to get out the gates fast and then fade back to watch others do their thing.

 

 

Excellent comparison, @ImSA84 . Now, myself I am as a runner who is still at the starting block, although the starter has already given the signal that the race has started. (I do have photos but I am still waiting for the bird book to arrive).

[lmSA84]

48. Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Knysna

 

 

49. Olive Thrush, Knysna

 

 

50. Kelp Gull, Robberg

 

[lmSA84]

51. White-breasted Cormorant, Robberg

 

 

52. Cape Cormorant, Juvenile, Robberg

 

 

53. Cape Canary, Knysna

 

 

54. Cape Sparrow, Prince Albert

 

 

55. Spotted Thick-knee, Prince Albert

 

 

56. Spike-heeled Lark, Prince Albert

 

 

57. Karoo Chat, Prince Albert

 

 

58. White-throated Canary, Prince Albert

 

 

 

59. Red-billed Quelea, Breeding Female, Prince Albert

 

[lmSA84]

60. Cape Bunting, Prince Albert

 

 

61. Red-winged Starling, Jeffrey's Bay (for such a common bird I have really struggled to get a half decent photo!)

 

 

62. Fiscal Flycatcher, Jeffrey's Bay

 

 

63. Barn Swallow, Robberg

 

 

64. House Sparrow, Oudtshoorn

 

 

65. Cape Weaver, Oudtshoorn

 

 

66. Streaky-headed Seedeater, Oudtshoorn

 

 

67. Speckled Mousebird, Oudtshoorn

 

 

68. Common Greenshank, Oudtshoorn

 

[lmSA84]

 

@@xelas - thanks but I think I'll be more a sprinter than a marathon runner in this competition. I'm going to get out the gates fast and then fade back to watch others do their thing.

 

 

Excellent comparison, @ImSA84 . Now, myself I am as a runner who is still at the starting block, although the starter has already given the signal that the race has started. (I do have photos but I am still waiting for the bird book to arrive).

 

 

Intriguing - does that mean that you have been on a birding trip but don't yet have the bird guide for the region?