Galana's. Third big year.

[Dave Williams]

I saw one too, near Halali Camp

 

Now, back to EBCs !  I am afraid that the definition is it has to be recognisable so imho you have been disqualified on the Nightjar Fred. Looks like an eagle to me

[Galana]

13 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Looks like an eagle to me

Nah! You can clearly see the freckles glinting in the moonlight.

 

More on offer from my solo drive and final day in Etosha:-

I had been confident that I would find the usual Greater Kestrel pair nesting but they were not at home. HOwever I came across one feeding on the same patch of ground as the Coursers so got lucky.

256. Greater (or White-eyed) Kestrel. Ombika loop.

 

Time for another Lark.

257. Red-capped Lark. Gemsbokvlaakte. Don't you love it when some birds actually look like their description.

Not so the next one.

258. Grey-backed Sparrow Lark. Ombika.

 

259. Tawny Eagle. Okaukuejo. It was using the big tree as a lookout for launching attacks on the drinking doves and sandgrouse. 

Note how brown the leaves are in the drought.

 

260 Monteiro's Hornbill.  Ombika track.

 

All in all my solo drive of two hours was quite rewarding and it appears I have been pithed on too..

Edited July 20, 2019 by Galana
Additional updated comment.

[Kitsafari]

that is a cool redhead pecking. 

 

Lovely shots of the kestrel!

[TonyQ]

Well done on the Pith!

[Galana]

Thanks all.

So to continue towards the end of our short tour:-

Leaving a fairly productive Etosha with its Rhino and some great moments with ellies, one of which I will remember for the rest of my life and some good birds we headed for Waterberg as our last stop before catching the plane home.

After check in we were walking to our bungalow when I saw a movement in the tree but the bag carrier flushed it.

Darn it.

However whilst in the bar I saw it again and managed a quick shot before yet again it got flushed by a staff membercoming to enquire 'if everything was alright'.

Well it HAD been until he asked!

Has anyone else noticed how often this happens? You can die of thirst out there and nobody cares but if a decent bird hops in sight the staff materialise like Banquo at the feast.

Anyway.  I got it and apart from that darn branch I was happy.

261. Pririt Batis. (f). Waterberg Guest Farm BAR.!

Next up was a brief encounter, one shot and it was gone...

 

262. Marico Sunbird. Waterberg GF.

 

Damn me if it did not happen again...

Saw it plain as day but it got flushed as I hit the shutter. Anyway not an EBC

 

263. Violet-eared Waxbill. Waterberg Farm.

 

Outside my tent was quieter but the undergrowth put one firmly in EBC territory.

264. White-browed Scrub Robin. Tent at Waterberg.

 

265. Tawny-flanked Prinia. Kunene River Lodge.

The scraping noise you may hear is the barrel being searched for remants of which this is the first from the UFO folder.

 

The trip is done but not the files. There must be another bird in there somewhere.

Any guesses what this is?

 

 

[Galana]

Wrapping up Namibia with some scrapings:-

 

266. Great Sparrow. Etosha

How could I overlook this.....?

267. Egyptian Goose. Puros Gorge.

 

268. Southern Masked Weaver. f.  Puros Camp.

 

269. White-bellied Sunbird. Puros.

 

and finally...

270. Kittlitz Plover. Gemsbokvlaakte. Etosha. A strange location indeed.

 

So unless I find some more names, such as the sparrow like bird shown in a post above that ends my offering from Namibia.

It is a lovely place to visit and I shall be back before long but not in June I think. Whilst I got my Cinderella's the drought conditions and time of year were definitely limiting. I would normally expect a further 50, or more birds although the type of trip was somewhat limiting in that we ran a succession of one night stands in order to cover more ground.

 

However, the year is not over and there are another 162 days left and with @xelas's help  I am hopeful of a decent score in September.

[Tdgraves]

@Galana is your mystery bird a lark-like bunting?

[Galana]

4 hours ago, Tdgraves said:

@Galana is your mystery bird a lark-like bunting?

By jove, I rather think it is. Thanks.

[Soukous]

1 minute ago, Galana said:

By jove, I rather think it is. Thanks.

 

well done @Tdgraves 

[Galana]

Well if nobody has another suggestion why not strike while the going is good.

273. (271 & 272 are to come) Lark-like Bunting. Khowarib Camp.

[Galana]

To fill in the missing two numbers above.

In between posting on here and the normal domestic catch up after my trip (and being temporarily "birded out") I did want to catch some of our local Auks at their nests before it was too late.

So I took myself off the 5 miles to where I could maybe catch a few.

Sadly the birds had flown early or I had left it too late. The cliffs were empty.

I knew I would get lots of Common Gillies throughout the year as they never go far but I did need a Razorbill or two and my chances were getting slimmer.

 

But happily I could see some rafts of birds bobbing below so here are the Gillies.

 

271. Common Guillimot. Maughold Head. IOM.

And then there was a much darker pair of birds further out. Gotcha!

 

272. Razorbill. Maughold Head. Seemingly having a tussle with an eel or large garfish type of prey.

 

So that brings the numbers into order once more.

Next, if there ever is one will be 274.

[Galana]

To conclude the Namibian sector it occurs to me that as I don't do trip reports on ST some of you may like an idea of our route.

So here is Daniel's original plan of January 2019. Basically through Damaraland and up to the Kunene river with a side trip to Purros.

 

Then I got to work on it by offering a route to Purros via the Hoanib River bed to Amspoort and across to Purros gorge before returning on the original roue to Sesfontein. And this is what we did. A tougher route but with good chances of wildlife.

 

This drive took maybe eight hours and produces four Desert ellies and fresh Rhino tracks.

The black tracks out of Puros are simply our forays looking for Rhino on our 'rest' day..

 

For our return leg we took the 'main road' back to Sesfontein which in itself was very interesting.

D3707. Puros to Sesfontein.Main road. Our other tracks, courtesy of Gladys, are in black.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

Congratulations on the Pith! A very rewarding trip to Namibia. Where are you off to in September?

[Galana]

2 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Where are you off to in September?

Our normal/usual annual drive to the Dolomites but not using the Brenner this year.

I have a van load of Lasko to collect so we are going via Ljubljana. Then after a few days in Bohinj we return through Vinshgau to the Rechsenpass and up to the Moselle to check the harvest. Nobody needs to feel threatened as I am only targeting <50 species.  If I pass 300 I shall be happy.

 

Good to see you back safe.

[Treepol]

@Galana thats a very interesting Namibian itinerary, excellent birds and desert eles too.

[Galana]

@Treepol Thanks. It was definitely interesting in lots of ways. Short on ellies and birding was mostly restricted to when in camps.  I think 2020 will see me back if I can find /make the time.

[Galana]

After a very quiet Summer it is migration time (for me as well as the birds.) and also high time to move that darn list onwards.

So at a time before even Sparrows have test their digestive tracts we were in the car and heading outside my 8mile circle of action. At 17 we had to stop and wait a lift as the water was too deep for my car or Anybodies car! But there was a friendly ferryman and he took me to the other side where the Liver birds guard the landing stage. Dang. I could count them and missed the chance. I said it was early!

Then as my  migration route led across England I thought to catch a few birds at RSPB Fairburn Ings and I did.

I saw Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Great and Blue Tits, Blackbird and Dunnock. All done earlier. Greylag and Canada Geese flew overhead but did not help my list. Then among the 100s of black-headed gulls stepped two elegant Euopean Spoonbills. Nope! Got them in Spain.

Ringed Plover? Nope Got them. One UFO for later.So back to the car via that feeder one more time. TREE Sparrow! Nope. Spain again. Shame it was sitting so nicely too!

Then somebody smiled upon me. Darn it sit still! and get away from the Feeder or @Dave Williams tortoise may complain. Nope.

Sorry Mr Tortoise bach, here is #273 looking as though I put it in a blooming cage.

Cue song. "I'm only a bird in a gilded cage....But I am number 273 to him!"

273. Eurasian Nuthatch. Fairbirn Ings. And then it was time to go to Hull for the next Ferry to Rotterdam which at least left at a decent hour and included dinner.

Today we drove south through Netherlands (Hi @PeterHG ) in nice weather and although I counted Kestrel, Buzzard and the first Red Kites of the trip I did not stop for a photo as the Autobahn was moving quite nicely at the time and I know how upset some Politzei can get.

Now in Dorint Alzey waiting dinner. Temp 82F. Glasses raised. @xelas The Hare better find me something else. I got the Nuthatch now!

Chiemsee tomorrow evening. Insh allah.

 

[xelas]

Plenty of Laško. Rain is coming. Do you go birding in light rain?

[Galana]

23 hours ago, xelas said:

Plenty of Laško. Rain is coming. Do you go birding in light rain?

The first bit is good news, the second not so good.

I was to go birding this pm at Chiemsee but a 3 hour Abahn hold up and then rain at Munchen killed that stone dead. Just in from  nice Gaststube mit Hollunderbeerensafte so a nice Lasko would be welcome tomorrow.

No birds today so here is the Spoonbill from Tuesday.

That's it for now.

[michael-ibk]

Sorry to hear about the Stau, hopefully Alex will prepare some better weather for you!

[Galana]

9 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Sorry to hear about the Stau,

It was bad. I think two or more LKWs came together violently. The A8 nr Pforzeim just stopped. People walked about as heavy lifting cranes and other heavy duty stuff had to pass. 3 hours +15mins. Nothing moved. Not even a bird!!

In all my time this was the worst I have known.

The rain I can live with. I am used to it

On to SLO and sunshine and some birds.

[Dave Williams]

No reason not to include a Liver bird! An habituated caged bird is another kettle of fish though, I won't stoop that low !!

Have a great trip, let's hope @xelas has regained his missing legs and can give both your scores a boost!! 

I was in New Brighton on Wednesday looking for Leach's as the winds were spot on. Found them but didn't bother getting the camera out of the car as they were so far off on the Liverpool side of the Mersey. I have got to the stage that one bird doesn't make enough difference to be bothered. A bit of apathy creeping in again.

 

[Galana]

Safe in SLO.

Busy two days so "Day of rest" tomorrow!

Just one photo I have to/must share before I get to the Gritty Nitty.

Hope you can understand my excitement........There is no emoji for dancing a jig!

 

[Dave Williams]

Spotted Crake ? I love Crakes, Bitterns and all the other water birds.

 

[Kitsafari]

enjoy your trip and here's wishing you and @xelasplenty of sunshine and birds. that jig-a-hoorah-crake's already a good start, surely?