Mfuwe's Year.

[Galana]

Next batch follows below.

521. Familiar Chat. Tandala Ridge Camp. The 2nd one is carrying a ring which is no surprise as the owner of Tandala is a well known bird ringer.

 

522. Short-toed Rock Thrush. Tandala Ridge Camp.

 

523. Monteiro's Hornbill. Tandala Ridge Camp.

 

524. Orange River Francolin. Tandala Ridge Camp.

 

525. Chestnut Weaver. Just finishing the moult, Tandala Ridge Camp.

 

526. Red-crested Koorhan. Tandala Ridge.

 

527. Violet-tipped (Bronze-winged) Courser. Tandala Ridge Camp.

 

528. Kori Bustard.  Etosha NP.

 

529. Abdim's Stork. Gemsbokvlakte, Etosha.

 

530. Red-billed Teal. Goas, Etosha. (I cannot believe I failed to get a better photo of this common bird!!)

 

More to come.

 

[Dave Williams]

Some excellent birds and photographs in the last few uploads. The Martial Eagle sighting was bit special!

[Galana]

Ten more.

 

531. Lappett-faced Vulture. Fischer's Pan, Etosha.

 

532. Steppe Buzzard. Oliphantsbad. Etosha.

 

533. Lesser Kestrel. Charitsaub tree. Etosha.

Well the male is but I am not convinced the female is not a Rock Kestrel. Suggestions. I can't see the toes!!

 

534. Greater (Whte-eyed) Kestrel. Etosha NP.

 

535. Red-knobbedCoot. Salvadora and Goas. Etosha. Aps for the quality but I could not get close due to lions.

 

536. Blue Cranes. NBN is the male from Halali Seepage site. The nest is NHF sitting at Charitsaub. Sightings reported. NHF with eggs was unknown to the Namibian Crane Monitors so I was chuffed to help.

Etosha Crane population is slowly improving. >32.

NBN has two chicks and the Salavadora pair have also two.

A plea. If in Namibia do please try to record sightngs and report them.

 

More mundanely:-

537. Northern Black Koorhan. Female at Charitsaub and male Fisher's Pan and most other places.Etosha.

 

538. Double-banded Courser. Namutoni and Halali. Etosha.

 

539. Namaqua Sandgrouse. Adamax track, Etosha.

 

and, trust me.....

540. Common Scimitarbill. First one was Tandala the 2nd at Kunene and could well be Violet Wood-Hoopoe but the bill is very curved.

 

More follows as we hit the 550 on next posting (unless anyone cares to challenge!)

[Galana]

On to 550. I hope you are still awake.

 

541. Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark. (f) Gemsbokvlaakt, Etosha.

 

542. Grey-backed Sparrow Lark . Etosha.

 

543. Plain-backed Pipit.

 

544. Cape Crow. Hundreds about in Etosha now.

 

545. Yellow-fronted Canary. Namutoni. Etosha.

 

546. Caspian Plover. Halali Seepage. Etosha.

 

547. I had this down as Whiskered Tern but I now think from the head markings etc., that it is a "Black Tern" . Opinions welcome.

 

548. Red-headed Finch. Etosha and Etendeka.

 

549. Sociable Weaver. Okaukuejo Waterhole. Etosha.

AND for the 550 something special....

 

550. Ludwig's Bustard. Adamax track. Etosha.

More to come so be patient.

[Dave Williams]

Non breeding plumage Terns are a nightmare to me.

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

Non breeding plumage Terns are a nightmare to me

I am usually comfortable but this one really foxes me.

Those black/dark primaries rule out White-winged Black Tern. Indeed if there was such a thing it is a good fit for Black-winged White Tern.

By rights it should be Whiskered but the book clearly says "similar to sterna head pattern lacks dark cheek patch extending below eye", which is exactly what this one has.

Either way the year has ended so it is a floating tick unless Matt insists on full ID!!

[Peter Connan]

With a very quick search I can find no mention of a Black Tern in Southern Africa.

 

I think it's a white-winged, black primaries despite. If not, I might be about to bugger it up myself...

[Galana]

6 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

I can find no mention of a Black Tern in Southern Africa

It is shown as occurring along the coast of Namibia right around the Cape in both my "Sinclair" books but rarely inland although it is a "lake tern".  "Regularly in small numbers in KZN" it says.

However despite the dark wings I am ambivalent as to which box to tick. Black-winged White Tern will do.

Or a tick for each suggestion??

[Tdgraves]

I think it is a white-winged tern

[Galana]

Today's batch and a tad more controversy as we leave Etosha and head for the Angolan border:-

 

551. Spotted Dikkop or thickknee. Adamax track. Etosha.

 

552. Giant Kingfisher (and tilapia). Kunene River Camp.

 

553. Rufous-tailed Palm Thrush. Kunene River Lodge. Easily observed from my patio.

 

554. Kunene Red-necked Spurfowl. Afer Kunensis. Neither of the drawings in both my Sinclairs or my old Newman's resemble this bird. It got lumped in with the eastern african lot some years back but I don't buy it.

The population along the river Kunene is so isolated it has to be a good species.

 

555. Meve's Starling. Kunene River.

 

556. Bare-cheeked Babbler. Kunene River Lodge.

 

557. Madagascar (Olive) BeeEater. Kunene River Lodge.

 

558. White-throated Swallow. Kunene and Swakopmund Salt works.

 

559. Lark-Like Bunting. the original LBJ. Etendeka Lodge.

 

560. Ruppell's Kooorhan. Etendeka Lodge.

 

More to come I am afraid.

 

[Galana]

This offering needs a great leap of faith on a couple of birds.

Here goes.

562. Verraux's or Black Eagle. Etendeka.

 

562. Karoo Chat.  Etendeka.

 

563. Mountain Chat or Wheatear.  Sesreim and Kuiseb Gorge.

 

564. Cape Wagtail. Swakopmund.

 

565. Double-banded SandGrouse. Etendeka Conservancy.

 

566. Dusky Sunbird. Etendeka Camp.

 

567. White-backed Mousebird. Etendeka and Swakopmund. (Desert Breeze Lodge)

 

Hold your breath...

568. Black-necked Grebes. Swakopmund Salt works. Best I could do.

 

569. Kelp Gulls. Cape Cross and Walvis Bay.

 

 

570. Greater Cormorant. Swakopmund Saltworks.

 

Getting there.

[xelas]

Well, if people have faith in Stock Exchange ....

[Galana]

1 hour ago, xelas said:

people have faith in Stock Exchange ....

My word is my bond.

[Galana]

Another step toward 580 follows.

 

571. Cape Teal. Walvis Bay. Normally a banker from Etosha but they were not in evidence so I was pleased to find them here.

 

572. White-fronted Plover. Cape Cross.  Always a banker at the coast.

 

573. Little Stint. Walvis Lagoons.

 

574. Kittlitz Plover. Swakop River. Again hard to find this trip hence the quality.

 

575. Cape Sparrow. Desert Breeze Lodge. Swakopmund.

 

576. Greater Flamingo. Walvis Bay.

 

577. Lesser Flamingo. Swakopmund Salt works. None at Walvis so got lucky with single stopover.

 

578. Grey Plover. Walvis Bay.

 

 

579. Chestnut-banded Plover. Walvis Lagoons.

 

580. Curlew Sandpipers. Walvis Lagoons.

 

And so to the next batch.

[Galana]

And even more to come and not an EBC in sight. (they will come later)

 

581. Hartlaub's Gull. Walvis Bay.

 

582. Caspian Tern. Walvis Lagoon.

 

583. Sandwich Terns. Walvis Bay. Note the two left foreground.

 

584. Cape Cormorants. Cape Cross and Walvis Lagoons.

 

585. Bar-tailed Godwit. Walvis Bay. I included the 2nd shot to show the ID marks.

 

586. Cape Shelduck. Swakop River. The dirt on the lens was from pushing through Tamarisk bushes and not seeing they were covered in film of mud which only became apparent when it dried..The perils of a wandering snapper.

 

587. Common Waxbill. Swakop River.

 

588. Wattled Starling. (juv) Desert Breeze Lodge.

 

589. Crowned Cormorant. Swakopmund Salt works outfall.

 

590. Damara Tern. Swakopmund but I ain't saying where the nest site is.

 

More to follow soon:-

The observant among you will have spotted at least two more to come but will that be enough?

[Dave Williams]

Getting ever so close, I'm rooting for you...honest! The 600 club is something to aspire to!

 

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

The 600 club is something to aspire to!

Thanks. I am not sure if it will require fancy camera work or fancy footwork. Perhaps both?

E.G. or EBC?

xxx. Barn Owl. Halali Waterhole. Etosha. The gunpowder was damp.

 

Edited January 19, 2018 by Galana
Additional photo and text.

[Dave Williams]

If you say it is I believe you, let's see how critical it is!

Anyway if it's not a Barn Owl you can claim a UFO which is even more extraordinary and a better tick!

[xelas]

It is an UFO! Have seen them in many movies, looks exactly like this one .

[Galana]

UFO? With enough red wine and Jaegermeister it may be ET on his bike next time?

[Peter Connan]

I think there is a Swift Tern in amongst your Sandwhiches?

[Galana]

8 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

I think there is a Swift Tern in amongst your Sandwhiches?

No. Only Bacon, lettuce and tomato.   Shhhh!

[Galana]

So now the going gets trickier as I attempt to get the magic number. Is that a rare Kentish Plover I see all alone?

Nope. After close scrutiny it is just a White-fronted Plover with odd plumage.

 

We left Swakopmund on New Year's eve and drove to the deserts of Sesreim. Maybe that Burchell's Courser I saw there a few years back will be there? I need ten birds and hopes are dimming with the light.

So the afternoon sun is sinking and I am to be found cruising the roads and tracks inside the National Park. Such dedication!

Mountain Wheatears? Got them in Kuiseb Gorge on the way down and posted.

Wait! What's that Chat with the funny tail?

A pale Desert version of the oft seen and aptly named Familiar Chat.

And the confiding grey Bustard?

It's just a young Ruppells and not a Karoo Koorhan despite the plain face and black throat patch. "Bother!!"

Or is it?

And as the sun goes down on 2017 I see some blackish birds in a small bush.

591. Pale-winged Starlings.  Sesreim.

So we better count that darned Barn Owl after all.

So I do. Exztreme EBC.

That can be #592.

Backing up my photos with a glass of something cool I see something odd in the Swakop series.

What are those smaller birds with the Greater Cormorants?

 

593. African Oystercatchers. Salt works.

 

And among those terns at Walvis?

594. Swift Tern. There were one or two on closer examination but one will do nicely.  Walvis Bay.

 

Time to have a close look at all files methinks!

595. Red-faced Mousebirds missed of the count from Etendeka!! Back at Christmas. Not even an EBC.

 

So near and yet so far. But there were some as yet unidentified LBJs back at the start.

 

Edited January 20, 2018 by Galana
Correcting text.

[xelas]

Working hard, @Galana ?! Sharpen your eyes, we want to see the 2 x #300 !!

Edited January 20, 2018 by xelas

[Galana]

If you say so.

I knew when I set off this thread I had a mountain to climb and like all mountain climbing it's the last bit that you struggle with most. I am on the birding equivalent of shaky legs but a check through the 'pending ID file' also known as "WTF" has brought out a few.

596. Spike-heeled Lark. (Juvs)   Etosha

 

597. Eastern Clapper Lark. Waterberg.

 

598. Yellow Canary. (f) Waterberg

 

599? Desert Cisticola.  Waterburg.

 

But who is this cute chappy?

000. A good and inspired guess would be imm Damaraland Canary

 

000 There must be something new in there...

I had this down as Buffy Pipit but is it?

 

I need a good push from behind!