Michael´s Year

[michael-ibk]

-/S15.) Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) / Kuhreiher

 

I was very excited when I saw these in Spain last month but in Africa I ignored them - there were just too many of them. So no close-ups, just a Eland-accessory.

 

 

And I just realized I have no photo of a Great Egret. Must have seen them , though - they are everywhere after all.

[michael-ibk]

-/S16.) Black-Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) / Nachtreiher

 

Already seen in Spain, Ebro Delta

 

De Hoop, 17/07/16

 

 

[michael-ibk]

170/S17.) Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta) / Hammerkopf

 

De Hoop, 17/05/16

 

 

Kgalagadi, 23/05/16

 

[michael-ibk]

-/S18.) Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) / Haubentaucher and

 

-/S19.) Little Grebe /Tachybaptus ruficollis) / Zwergtaucher

 

Both fairly common birds here in Europe, already in the count. (Although it seems to me "our" Great Crested Grebes look a bit different ...)

 

De Hoop, 17/05/16

 

Edited August 6, 2016 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

171/S20.) Spur-Winged Goose (Plectropterus gambensis) / Sporngans

 

Somewhere on the road from De Hoop to Bontebok NP, 18/05/16

 

[michael-ibk]

172/S21.) Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) / Nilgans

 

Kirstenbosh, 16/05/16

 

[michael-ibk]

173/S22.) Yellow-Billed Duck (Anas undulata) / Gelbschnabelente (on the left) and

 

174/S23.) Cape Shoveler (Anas Smithii) / Kap-Löffelente (to the right)

 

A heavy crop of a very distant shot, so brutal ebc-territory here.

 

Somewhere on the road from Cape Town to Cape Agulhas, 16/06/16

 

[michael-ibk]

175/S24.) Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) / Mandarinente

 

Kgalagadi, 29/05/16 - really far away from home for this bird, I still wonder how it got there.

 

[TonyQ]

@@michael-ibk

Lots more great sightings and photos!

The Black-Crowned Night Heron is beautiful - the light in the eyes shows off the colour so well.

 

The Great Crested Grebe is interesting - it does look different to ours. I thought part of that might be winter plumage or moult - but the black on the head definitely comes lower down than the one we get in the UK - it comes to below the eye. I looked in my SASOL Birds of Southern Africa (got it when we went to Zambia) - the picture in that does show black coming down below the eye. The UK identification books show the black on the top of the head.

 

A bit more research (thank you google) (http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-great-crested-grebe.html) suggests there are 3 sub-species

"P.c. cristatus – Palaearctic. In the southern parts of the range, populations winter in coastal regions.
P.c. infuscatus – Some populations in E, S and WC Africa. This race lacks the white loral line and the seasonal variations.
P.c. australis – SW and SE Australia and Tasmania. This one is similar to nominate race but maintains the breeding plumage all year round."

 

(I only did this because the Great Crested Grebe is one of my favourite birds!)

[michael-ibk]

@@TonyQ

 

Interesting about the Grebe, thanks for the research. Now I only need to find some opinions that it´s actually a different species so I can include it in the overall count.

[michael-ibk]

176/S25.) White-Backed Vulture (Gyps africanus) / Weißrückengeier

 

Every bird counts, right? The absence of Vultures was a bit of a surprise for me in the Kalahari, I had expected some good sightings. But almost none of them, only two very, very distant sightings. This one soaring high in the Auob valley (Kgalagadi), 25/05/2016

 

[michael-ibk]

177/S26.) Lappet-Faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotus) / Ohrengeier

 

Even more ebc-ish, Kgalagadi, 26/05/2016

 

[michael-ibk]

178/S27.) African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vociver) / Schreiseeadler

 

The voice of Africa. A lucky sighting on this mostly desert-based trip, De Hoop, 17/05/2016

 

[michael-ibk]

179/S28.) Bateleur (Terathopicus ecaudatus) / Gaukler

 

Kgalagadi, 25/05/2016

 

 

Kgalagadi, 26/05/2016

 

 

[michael-ibk]

180/S29.) Verreaux´s (Black) Eagle (Aquila verreauxii) / Kaffernadler

 

One of the trip highlights. Augrabies Falls, 20/05/2016

 

 

[michael-ibk]

181/S30.) Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) / Kampfadler

 

Kgalagadi, 29/05/2016

 

 

(Juvenile)

 

[michael-ibk]

182/S31.) Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) / Raubadler

 

A very common sight, but few photographic opportunities. Kgalagadi, 30/05/2016

 

[michael-ibk]

183/S32.) Booted Eagle (Aquila pennatus) / Zwergadler

 

A highly variably coloured Eagle, though the Pales are the most common morph.

 

Kgalagadi, 24/05/2016

 

 

(I am not 100% sure about this one and I remember Dantes was a bit confused about it as well but other than a Booted Eagle I really have no idea what it could be. Thoughts?)

 

Augrabies Falls, 20/05/2016

 

 

Kgalagadi, 29/05/2016

 

[michael-ibk]

184/S33.) Black-Chested Snake Ealge (Circaetus pectoralis) / Schwarzbrust-Schlangenadler

 

Kgalagadi, 26/05/2016

 

 

[michael-ibk]

185/S34.) Jackal Buzzard (Buteo rufofuscus) / Schakalbussard

 

Very common sight around the Cape area, but also seen in the Kgalagadi, which is a bit unusual according to our guide Dantes. Also according to our birdbook the Kalahari is outside its range.

 

Chapman´s Peak Drive, 15/05/2016

 

 

Kgalagadi, 30/05/2016

 

[michael-ibk]

186/S35.) Steppe Buzzard (Buteo vulpinus) / Steppenbussard

 

A bit late in the season for this bird, they leave South Africa in summer. Also not 100 % sure, but Dantes identified it as a Steppe Buzzard. I don´t think it could be a juv. Jackal Buzzard because its breast (visible in other - even worse - photos) is very light and not rufuous like that of a juv. Jackal B. should be.

 

[michael-ibk]

187/S36.) Black-Shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) / Gleitaar

 

Lots of them in the Auob valley, but none at all "right next door" in the Nossob valley.

 

Kgalagadi, 24/05/2016

 

 

[michael-ibk]

188/S37.) Pale Chanting Goshawk (Melierax canorus) / Großer Singhabicht

 

Abundant in the Kalahari. Some call it the "Kalahari Chicken" quite disrepectfully.

 

Kgalagadi, 27/05/2016

 

[michael-ibk]

189/S38.) Gabar Goshawk (Micronisus gabar) / Gabarhabicht

 

Kgalagadi, 29/05/2016

 

 

[michael-ibk]

190/S39.) Rufous-Breasted Sparrowhawk (Accipiter rufiventris) / Rotbauchsperber

 

Could also possibly be an African Goshawk,both species look very similar from below but it seemed quite small to me - of course size is often difficult to judge.

 

Kirstenbosh Gardens, 16/05/2016