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

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Soukous said:

Do ALL larks have the same coloured legs?

Not really and in some field guides we are of course at the mercy of the artist's palette and the printing process.

And of course not all pipits have flesh pink one. Our own Rock Pipit is a good example. It was really the beak/bill that was wrong. Larks are usually heavier and blunter. Pipits more 'delicate'. Compare 41 with 43 as a picture being worth a thousand words.

Your bird is a Grassland (African) Pipit. Unless.....

 

[Soukous]

Thank you Fred.

In fact now that you have kindly identified it correctly I can visualise the moment I saw & photographed it and the words 'Grassland Pipit' echo in my head. 

[Soukous]

46. Superb Starling - Lamprotornis superbus

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

[Soukous]

47. Hildebrandt's Starling - Lamprotornis hildebrandti

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

[Soukous]

48. Martial Eagle (imm) - Polemaetus bellicosus

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

[Soukous]

49. Northern Wheatear - Oenanthe oenanthe

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

[Soukous]

50. Abdim's Stork - Ciconia abdimii

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

 

[Galana]

Nice bunch.Like the Martial Eagle and the Wheatear.

[Soukous]

16 minutes ago, Galana said:

Nice bunch.Like the Martial Eagle and the Wheatear.

 

Phew! no ID errors this time. 

[Peter Connan]

I just love the Abdim's. Beautiful colours!

[Soukous]

51. Kori Bustard - Ardeotis kori

Ngorongoro Crater - Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

We saw more Kori Bustards than almost any other bird. They seemed to be everywhere and the males were all strutting their stuff.

 

 

Ndutu plains, Tanzania

 

We saw surprisingly few females and almost wiped out one of those we did see. 

We were driving through the long grass, eyes on the wildebeest and zebras when suddenly a female Kori Bustard burst out of the grass by our side.

She had been sitting on eggs. 

It would have been a real shame to have flattened those.

 

 

Edited April 30, 2019 by Soukous

[Soukous]

52 & 53. Flamingoes, Great & Lesser (mostly lesser - Phoenicopterus ruber & Phoenicopterus minor

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

Greater Flamingoes - Lake Masek, Ndutu.

 

 

[Soukous]

54. Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

[Soukous]

55. Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, Feb 2019

 

 

[Soukous]

56. Malachite Kingfisher - Alcedo cristata

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

Superb Barn Swallow photos!

[Galana]

Some very nice photos and again no corrections.

Just a plea that I often repeat. I KNOW it is permitted to leave marked tracks in Ndutu/Ngorongoro Conservation Area but that does not mean it is OK.  And I make the same plea in Southern Africa where it seems the norm to get up close and personal to large mammals in total disregard for the environmental damage that this creates. A good guide is one who can get you in close contact without leaving park tracks.

Your Bustard nest was lucky to be big enough to be seen in time but sadly a lot more wildlife just gets crushed under wheels and, as if that was not bad enough, the soil gets compacted and this affects drainage and the soils ability to breathe. And because one does it everybody follows in their tracks, literally!

Sorry to rant Martin but it is something I feel very strongly about. Think of the Little Five as well as the Big Five. Please!

[Soukous]

I totally understand your point @Galana it is not good practice to deviate from marked tracks.

 

 

[Soukous]

57. Steppe Eagle - Aquila nipalensis (with a Martial Eagle looking on)

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

[Soukous]

58. Yellow Wagtail - Motacilla flava

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

 

[Soukous]

59. Black-crowned Night Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

[Soukous]

60. White-naped Raven - Corvus albicollis

Ngorongoro Crater rim, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

[Soukous]

61. Black-shouldered Kite - Elanus caeruleus

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. feb 2019

 

 

the first one we saw was in the Crater but we did see several more in Ndutu

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Soukous]

61. Secretary Bird - Saggitarius serpentarius

Ndutu, Tanzania. feb 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Soukous]

62. Yellow-throated Sandgrouse - Pteroclas gutturalis

Ndutu, Tanzania. feb 2019