What will almost certainly be a quiet little year - Soukous 2019

[Soukous]

30. Common Bulbul - pycnotus barbatus tricolor  (I think)

Ngorongoro, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

 

[Galana]

Thanks. It might even have made things worse! That's a different image so lots to go on!

Lets do it like Sherlock and rule out what it is not. Eagle, Harrier, Snake Eagle (at one time I was tempted with Short-toed), Hawk Eagles and Accipters. So we have Goshawks and Buzzards.

Most  raptors have yellow legs so I think we can ignore the leg/feet colour as dried dirt/mud:-

At one time I was tempted with Honey Buzzard but the tail markings are all wrong.

Immature Chanters are not unlike that but 'not quite' as the bellies are barred.

So we are left with five Buzzards. Cross out the obvious rejects such as Auger and Red-necked.

Now the eye! Common I have seen have always had a gentle dark eye. Now there are two.

An immature Long-legged could be a candidate. That unmarked coloured head helps as does the eye colour and location in the RiftValley. No black trailing edge band either!

Or overlook the lack of trailing edge black and we are back with our first choice. Mountain Buzzard. I suppose the Rift walls at Manyara could be 'mountains'.

This bird used to be classed as conspecific with Forest Buzzard so maybe someone with more knowledge of that region could weigh in?

But that is my favourite at  the moment with Long-legged as a possibility.

[Soukous]

31. Ashy Flycatcher - Muscicapa caerulescens

Nogorongoro, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

[Soukous]

3 minutes ago, Galana said:

Thanks. It might even have made things worse! That's a different image so lots to go on!

Lets do it like Sherlock and rule out what it is not. Eagle, Harrier, Snake Eagle (at one time I was tempted with Short-toed), Hawk Eagles and Accipters. So we have Goshawks and Buzzards.

Most  raptors have yellow legs so I think we can ignore the leg/feet colour as dried dirt/mud:-

At one time I was tempted with Honey Buzzard but the tail markings are all wrong.

Immature Chanters are not unlike that but 'not quite' as the bellies are barred.

So we are left with five Buzzards. Cross out the obvious rejects such as Auger and Red-necked.

Now the eye! Common I have seen have always had a gentle dark eye. Now there are two.

An immature Long-legged could be a candidate. That unmarked coloured head helps as does the eye colour and location in the RiftValley. No black trailing edge band either!

Or overlook the lack of trailing edge black and we are back with our first choice. Mountain Buzzard. I suppose the Rift walls at Manyara could be 'mountains'.

This bird used to be classed as conspecific with Forest Buzzard so maybe someone with more knowledge of that region could weigh in?

But that is my favourite at  the moment with Long-legged as a possibility.

 

Picture me paying homage 

[Soukous]

32. Streaky Seedeater - Serinus striolatus

Ngorongoro, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

[Soukous]

33. Rufous Sparrow - Passer rufocinctus

Ngorongoro, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

And what I believe to be a female, in much less favourable light

 

 

[Soukous]

34. Rufous-tailed Weaver - Histurgops ruficaudus

Ngorongoro, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

 

Edited April 25, 2019 by Soukous

[Galana]

I am afraid that your Ashy Flycatcher is in fact a Prinia.

Ngornogoro is good for more that Black Rhino!

[Soukous]

35. Augur Buzzard - Buteo augur

Nogorongoro, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

and another one, this time from Ndutu

 

[Soukous]

36. Lanner Falcon - Falco biarmicus

Ngorongoro, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

[Galana]

Well that's one Buzzard less to worry about! Very nice!

[Soukous]

2 hours ago, Galana said:

I am afraid that your Ashy Flycatcher is in fact a Prinia.

Ngornogoro is good for more that Black Rhino!

 

You see what happens when I try to do my own IDs! 

We'll have to come to an arrangement Fred. I'll take the pictures and you identify them.

 

So it's a Prinia. Would that be a Tawny-flanked Prinia? 
It looks more grey than tawny to me but I've learned to to argue with you.

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Soukous said:

We'll have to come to an arrangement Fred. I'll take the pictures and you identify them.

Better still. Take me along as your spotter! I am very low maintenance and can run all day on two bottles of cold Kili and a plate of Nyama choma.

 

The Prinia will be Tawny-flanked. There can be seasonal differences in the amount of grey or brown in the plumage. Yours does look very grey but the eyes have it.

[Soukous]

18 hours ago, Galana said:

Better still. Take me along as your spotter! I am very low maintenance and can run all day on two bottles of cold Kili and a plate of Nyama choma.

 

 

That sounds like a plan. Now I've just to work out how to finance it.

[Soukous]

37. Red-rumped Swallow - Hirundo daurica

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. feb 2019

 

 

[Soukous]

38. Red-capped Lark - Calandrella cinera

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

 

[Soukous]

39. Capped Wheatear - Oenanthe pileata

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

 

[Soukous]

40. Northern Anteater Chat - myrmecocicchla aethiops (don't ask me to try and say that )

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

[Soukous]

41. Singing Bush Lark - Mirafra cantillans

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

Edited April 26, 2019 by Soukous

[Soukous]

42. Ruff - Philomachus pugnax

Ngorongoro Crater. Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

[Soukous]

43. Rufous-naped Lark - Mirafra africana

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

 

 

[Soukous]

44. Red-billed Oxpecker - Buphagus erythrorhynchus

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

[Soukous]

45. Grey Kestrel - Falco ardosiaceus

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

[Galana]

Some nice pictures there.

Compare the bill and leg colour on 38 and 43 with your 'Singing Bush Lark' 41. Would you like to phone a friend?

[Soukous]

13 hours ago, Galana said:

Some nice pictures there.

Compare the bill and leg colour on 38 and 43 with your 'Singing Bush Lark' 41. Would you like to phone a friend?

 

Damn! I thought I'd scraped through. 

Yes please Chris, can I phone a friend?

Is this a valuable lesson for me? Do ALL larks have the same coloured legs?

 

( I know it is not an excuse, but with some birds - ones I do not recognise myself - I just note down what my guide tells me.) I did check though, and thought it was close enough to the illustration in my field guide to be a Singing Bush Lark.

Edited April 27, 2019 by Soukous