Mfuwe's Year.

[Galana]

5 hours ago, TonyQ said:

I promise not to sue you

Phew! That's relief @TonyQ I need my pension for trips. I would count Golden Pheasant if I ever saw one as there are four populations around Great Britain. The nearest to you is North Wales/Anglesey.

I am comfortable with the local Peafowl. They are well spread and have been here for 40 ears plus.

So that is #179 thanks.

Speaking of Feral Pigeons.......

180. Feral Pigeon on a neighbour's roof. He feeds the bloomin things even though it is against the law.

[Galana]

2 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

So, right or wrong, you will be in company.

@Peter Connan I 'ticked' Common Mynah when in J'burg. Why not? It is on the list. As @TonyQ says I am also coming to the opinion that if living wild and breeding it is within the rules. Now we have to define 'breeding' so maybe substitute ' a sustainable population'?

Thank you both for your thoughts.

[TonyQ]

@Galana

I would count Golden Pheasant if I saw it in one of those populations. The one that I saw had escaped from a cage and was living in woodland about 200 yards from its previous home - so an escapee rather than an established population.

 

[Dave Williams]

@Peter Connan For the record,the Starlings are a native species, they have been introduced in to North America and apparently number millions now.

I don't thing there are any Golden Pheasants in Anglesey anymore either @Galana but as for what counts in the Big Year I guess it's entirely a matter for each of us us to decide. The way my list is going I might need to head off to the zoo and in actual fact when you think about it it's no more cheating than booking a holiday somewhere foreign where you know that you can add umpteen common species. ( Thought I'd start the day with a bit of controversy!)

My trip down to the south east of England is so far been totally unrewarding and despite seeing many Ring-necked Parakeets it was always without a camera. My big chance yesterday was ruined by rainfall. Today, the sun is out so hopefully I might get something at least. We'll see. Maybe a Feral Pigeon....they all count!

[Peter Connan]

Thanks for the explanation @Dave Williams.

 

Something to think about but not sure i agree, but certainly the guys who have more opportunities to travel tend to do better than those who don't.

[Galana]

@Peter Connan  Is that not the object of a "Big Year?"  I had never heard the phrase until I watched that excellent film of the same name.

 

9 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

booking a holiday somewhere foreign where you know that you can add umpteen common species. ( Thought I'd start the day with a bit of controversy!)

Sounds a good plan but as you know in any sport it is said to be not the winning but the taking part that counts.

[Dave Williams]

3 hours ago, Galana said:

@Peter Connan  Is that not the object of a "Big Year?"  I had never heard the phrase until I watched that excellent film of the same name.

 

Sounds a good plan but as you know in any sport it is said to be not the winning but the taking part that counts.

 

I did say I'd start the day with a bit of controversy. Caught you at the first cast @Galana .... there again you probably saw right through that!!!!

[Galana]

3 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

there again you probably saw right through that!!!!

Yup! You can't beat good optics.

[Dave Williams]

Just been for a walk past the local Owl Centre, there are at least 6 different species sat out in the open and just feet away from the road. Tempting !!

[Galana]

I have been quiet, too quiet some may say but whilst awaiting some autumn and winter visitors I went south.

 

I had programmed my Garmin to find birds and this is what "Gladys" came up with:-

 

Could be a Touraco or just Helmeted Guinea Fowl but she was trying her best.

On the other hand maybe not:-

But it counts as #181. Common Ostrich. Tsavo East.Kenya.

A few more to follow shortly.

[xelas]

28 minutes ago, Galana said:

A few more to follow shortly.

 

I've heard "a few more" is a huge understatement !

[Galana]

Does this count? It was my camera trap although I was sleeping soundly in my tent by 02.54.

The Lesser Kudu is neutral.

 

182. Spotted Eagle Owl.

[Galana]

In a break from the norm I am going to present my offerings in more or less A-Z order of family. This is because I grouped them thus in order to select the 'best', not the first seen, having to wade through 3000+ piccies and trying to also avoid accidentally duplicating species also submitted. Never have I taken so many photos on a trip before. 3 16GB cards. Eek!

So, starting with Barbets,

 

183. d'Arnaud's Barbet.

 

184. Black-collared Barbet.

 

185. Spot-flanked Barbet.

186. Crested Barbet.

 

187. Yellow-billed Barbet. A real skulker this one.

 

188. Red-fronted Tinkerbird.

189. Speckled Tinkerbird.

That's the Barbets done. Dipped on Red & Yellow and Hairy Breasted and Grey-throated. Seen but not captured.

[Galana]

Next up come the Batis family.

190. Black-headed Batis. Umani Springs.Kibwezi Forest.

 

191. Pygmy Batis. Ithumba Camp. Tsavo East.

192..Chinspot Batis. Ruaha. Tanzania.

 

193. Pale Batis.  Tandala Camp. Ruaha.

[Galana]

BeeEaters and Rollers to take us to 200.

 

194. Cinnamon Breasted BeeEater. Hotel Troy. Nairobi.

 

195. Little BeeEaters.  Tarangire and Ruaha NPs.

 

00. A freebie after those wet ones in Namibia. Ruaha.

 

196. Black BeeEater.   Ruhija, Bwindi, Uganda.

 

197. White-faced BeeEater. Entebbe Botanical Gardens.

 

198. Everyone's favourite. Lilac Breasted Roller. Umani Springs, Kenya and Katavi NP Tanzania.

 

199. Purple or Rufous -crowned Roller. Ithumba Camp. Tsavo East. Kenya.

 

A special indulgence for #200.

200. Boehm's BeeEater. My particular favorite.

And finally.

 

201. Broadbilled Roller. Entebbe.

 

 

 

Edited October 14, 2017 by Galana
Removal of unwanted photo.

[TonyQ]

Congratulations on reaching 200. Some really beautiful birds in these last sections!

[xelas]

Congratulations! #200 is a poser!! I have no doubts #300 will be presented very soon .

[PeterHG]

You are certainly making progress! Congrats on #200. Your Bee-eater/Roller collection is impressive!

[Soukous]

very envious of your bee eater collection - so many I've never seen outside of guide books.

[Tdgraves]

Grrr @Galana you got a broad-billed roller, THis was also on my target list but I never found one! Well done on 200.....

[Dave Williams]

200 is a nice number to reach, keep 'em coming!

[Peter Connan]

Congratulations and thanks for spoiling us with such a magnificent collection of beautiful birds!

[Galana]

Thanks to you all for kind wishes. 200 is always a nice number.

Still on Folders with "B" it is time for some dull Buls. Why can't they come and sit in the sun now and again? Whenever one does it is always the same one!!

This one!

202. Common, Dark-capped or Yellow-vented Bulbul.Dependng on what book you read. This one was in Nairobi so you choose!

 

And its eastern 'cousin',

203. Dodson's Bulbul. Tsavo East NP

 

204. Rufous Chatterer.  Lake Chala. TZ.

 

205. Northern Brownbul.  Lake Chala . Tanzania.

206. Northern Pied Babbler. Tarangire NP. Tanzania. Quite pleased to see this even though I always understood "Pied" meant BLACK and white!

 

207. Mountain Greenbul. Bwindi Forest. Uganda.

and finally:-

208. Toro Olive Greenbul. Botanical Gardens, Entebbe. Uganda.

[Galana]

While at the PC, awaiting "Ophelia" I may as well finish the "B"s adn head for the "C"s so here are

"Buntings and Canaries!"

First a 'no score' as number 55 from Namibia but nice to see,

.

00/55 Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting.

 

209. Somali Golden-breasted Bunting. Tsavo East. Kenya.

 

210. African Golden-breasted Bunting. Bwindi Impenetrable, Uganda.

Canaries:-

211. White-bellied Canary. Sultan Hamud. We had stopped to buy some beer and it was attacking our car.

212. Bully or Brimstone Canary. Makombe Hills. Tanzania.

Into the "C"s next. Chats and then Cisticolas. That promises to be interesting to some.

 

 

[Dave Williams]

Is there a trip report planned for Kenya? I'd be interested to hear what Tsavo was like.

Incidentally it went unchallenged by your Spotted Eagle Owl is the most controversial shot yet IMO!

Edited October 15, 2017 by Dave Williams