Mfuwe's Year.

[Galana]

@Dave Williams I usually don't do trip reports as such but am happy to help answer any queries by PM or mail.

I did a longish report a couple of years back for a longer trip through Kenya from Kakamega and Baringo down to Watamu which I can dig out for you.

This trip was mainly a road tour through Tanzania on the way to Uganda and home. Kenya was just Kibwezi and Tsavo East to check on 'my' adopted Ellie Orphans as you do from time to time. Whilst birds did not exactly come 2nd, ellies had priority. So much so that on one occasion our fellow guests threatened to get out of the car and walk home if Emmy did not stop his Pearl spotted Owl impressions.

Was it the ID of the Eagle Owl that should be challenged or the manner in which the photo was obtained? 

Still to come under "G":-

[Dave Williams]

Wife Claire and I had a package tour holiday to Kenya staying in Malindi a few years ago. We did a three night safari to Tsavo East and West which was pretty expensive by my standards but not it seems by others. $170 just to enter the parks for 24 hours is a major put off especially as the wildlife was fairly thin on the ground when we were there.I wondered what it's like now.

Birding was pretty good and our guide was a birding specialist.

 

No problems with the ID of the Owl.     and I suppose the BY is all about getting the bird in camera so.......... nice to progress while you are asleep!!!!!!! 

 

 

[Galana]

6 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

. nice to progress while you are asleep!!!!!!! 

I suppose the logical conclusion would be for me to set up several cameras, nail all the Nightjars, crepusculars and Owls on one and do a "VisMig seawatch" with another while sitting in the BlackHorse with friends?  I promise not to!

 

Tsavo fees are now a more 'reasonable' $52 per day and wildlife in the far north is skittish but you can always try 'Plan B' as above....

Or.......

The last one deserves a caption competition!!

 

[Galana]

In the 'C's so lets have some "Chats" and their relatives:-

213. Cape Robin-Chat.      Hotel Troy. Nairobi.

 

214. Red-capped Robin-chat. (Natal Robin). Umani Springs, Kenya.

 

215. Eastern Bearded Scrub-Robin.  Umani Springs. Kenya.

 

216. White-browed Scrub-Robin. Ithumba, Tsavo East. Kenya.

 

217. Nightingale. Lake Chala. Tanzania.

 

218. Capped Wheatear. Somewhere south of Ruaha NP. Tanzania.

 

00/12. No score but a substitute for the rubbish picture earlier. African Stonechat.

 

219a. Arnott's Chat. Or is it? There is a move afoot to split this and bring in a new species called Ruahensis based mainly

on the plumage of the female. My view is closely akin to the birds song "fick!" or "fee!"

219b. This is the female at the root of the trouble. Ain't it always??

Katavi National Park.

 

220. Mocking (Cliff)-Chat). On the B8 north of Kisulu.Tanzania.

221. Red-throated Alethe. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Uganda.

 

222. Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat. Botanical Gardens, Entebbe. Very reluctant to show the crown but I did get it. Honest.

OK. Here it is for the doubters.

 

 

Edited October 16, 2017 by Galana
Removal of unwanted photo and addition of another.

[Tdgraves]

ARrrrrggghh @Galana you got an arnot’s chat - all we got was a fleeting glimpse!

[Galana]

14 hours ago, Tdgraves said:

ARrrrrggghh @Galana you got an arnot’s chat - all we got was a fleeting glimpse!

That's because I was looking for one with two "t"s.

But that's another story.

[Galana]

If it "C" it must be the ultimate LBJs next.

Cisticola.  Have fun.

 

223. Tiny.  Lake Chala. TZ

 

224. Wailing. Tarangire NP. TZ

 

225. Rattling. Tarangire. TZ

 

226. Stout.   Tarangire. TZ

 

227. Piping or Neddicky.  Roadside south of Ruaha. TZ.

 

228. Churring.  Kitulo NP. TZ.

 

229. Winding. Katavi NP. TZ.

 

230.  Chubb's. Ruhija, Uganda.

 

 

 

[xelas]

They all look very similar to me ... just like redheaded girls in Ireland !

[Dave Williams]

If you are only on the "C"'s I feel a gallop from the back will build up pace as the month progresses!

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

I feel a gallop from the back will build up pace as the month progresses!

Maybe maybe not. Can tortoises gallop?

 

Anyway here are "Corvids" plus some I could not find a better home for:-

 

231, Pied Crow. Location: Somewhere in Kenya. Come on who remembers a bloomn Pied Crow.

 

232. Indian House Crow. Voi. Kenya.

 

233. African Pied Wagtail. Looks like Elephant country. Tsavo?

234. Secretarybird.  Tsavo. Kenya.

 

235. African Black-headed Oriole. Tandala Camp. Ruaha.TZ.

 

236. White-browed Coucal. Katavi National Park. TZ

 

This one was in the plumbing at Tarangire Roika.

237. Greater Honeyguide. Adult and Juv . Tandala Camp, Ruaha.TZ

 

238. Pallid Honeyguide. Umani Springs. Kenya.

[Dave Williams]

@Galana Tortoises might not gallop but dark Horses certainly do !!!!!

[Galana]

Quiet day so the last of the "C"s, a left over stray from the 'Chats.' and one beginning with P that maybe should be served up with the Warblers.

 

239. Northern Crombec. Ithumba camp, Tsavo East, Kenya.

 

240. Red-faced Crombec. Tarangire. TZ.

 

241. Banded Parisoma. Tarangire.

 

242. White-starred Robin. Kitulo NP. It was sitting nicely but in the shade and only viewable through the windscreen. I did get out of the car after these pics but it went deep so this is all I got.

[Galana]

D for Doves.

 

243. Cape Turtle Dove. Ithumba Camp. Tsavo.East.

 

244. Red-eyed Dove.  Lake Chala, TZ and Kayonza, Rwanda.

 

245. Laughing Dove.  Lake Chala. Tanzania.

 

246. Emerald-spotted Wood Dove.  Umani springs, Kibwezi, Kenya.

 

247. Dusky Turtledove.  Kitulo Plateau. Tanzania.

 

248. Namaqua Dove.  Ithumba Camp. Tsavo East. Kenya.

 

249. African Green Pigeon. Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

 

250. Speckled Pigeon. Eastern Country Hotel. Kayonza, Rwanda.

[Dave Williams]

250 up and only on D  !

[Galana]

Egrets went with Herons so to

"F" and Finches or more correctly Sparrows..

251. Rufous Sparrow.  Nairobi, Kenya.

 

252. Yellow-spotted Petronia, Umani Springs, Kibwezi, Kenya.

 

253. Yellow-throated Petronia. Lake Chala, TZ

 

254. Cut-throat Finch. Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

 

255. Chesnut Sparrow.  Tarangire, Tanzania.

 

256. Southern Grey-headed Sparrow. Tandala Camp. Ruaha, Tanzania.

 

257. Northern Grey-headed Sparrow. Kayonza. Rwanda.

 

258. Streaky SeedEater. Broadbill Camp, Ruhija, Uganda.

 

259. Western Citril. Broadbill Forest Camp. Ruhija, Uganda.

 

[Galana]

Flycatchers come next.

Some old friends and some new for the BY.

First an old friend in different morph.

 

46. African Paradise Flycatcher.  Umani Springs. Kibwezi, Kenya.

 

260. White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher in both guises. Nairobi and Umani Springs.

 

261. Fork-tailed Drongo. Umani and Ruaha.

 

262. Southern Black Flycatcher.  Umani Springs.

 

263. Silverbird. Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

 

264. African Dusky Flycatcher. Broadbill Camp. Ruhija. Uganda.

 

265. Dusky Blue Flycatcher. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda.

 

266. Cassin's Grey Flycatcher. "The Uhiza bridge", Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. (Never failed there yet.)

Edited October 21, 2017 by Galana
Corrected spelling.

[Dave Williams]

You are fair flying at the moment, more so if you step outside I imagine.

[Galana]

@Dave Williams Outside today is so not the place to be.

 

G. Game birds.

267. Kenyan Crested Guineafowl. Umani Springs, Kibwezi Forest, Kenya.

 

268. Vulturine Guineafowl. Ithumba Camp, Tsavo East.

 

269. Helmeted Guineafowl. Tsavo East.

 

270 Yellow-necked Spurfowl. Tsavo East. Kenya.

 

271. Red-necked Spurfowl. Tarangire, Tanzania.

 

272. Coqui Francolin. Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

 

273. Hildebrandt's Francolin. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

 

274. Handsome Francolin. Through the windscreen but we were late. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Uganda.

 

275. Black-faced Sand Grouse. Tsavo East. Kenya.

 

276. Yellow-throated SandGrouse. Tarangire. Tanzania.

 

277. Hartlaub's Bustard. Tsavo West. Kenya.

 

278. White-bellied Bustard. Tarangire. Tanzania.

 

279.  Black-bellied Bustard. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

[PeterHG]

At the rate you are going you are outnumbering us all before you're half-way through the alphabet. Fabulous collection, @Galana !

[Dave Williams]

Fabulous collection of game birds.

[Galana]

Thanks everyone. I feel certain the pace may slacken as we get into the 2nd half of the Alphabet as there are a brace of EBCs coming up.

 

A couple of small folders to hit the "H"s :- 'Erons, 'Oopoes n' 'Ornbills!

 

280.. Striated Heron. The only one of the trip and caught unintentionally.   Lake Chala.

 

281. Yellow-billed (Intermediate) Egret. Silale Swamp, Tarangire, Tanzania.

 

282. Cattle Egret. Katavi. TZ.

 

283. Two for one. I have just noticed I have no Sacred Ibis. Silale Swamp. The other is a Glossy.

 

284. Glossy Ibis. Silale Swamp, Tarangire. TZ

 

A freebie next.

To make up for the ECB 14 at the start. Rufous-bellied Heron. Silale.

 

285. Goliath Heron. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

 

286. Black-headed Heron. Royal Botanical Gardens, Entebbe. Kept me waiting til the last day.

 

287. Abyssinnian Scimitarbill.  Tsavo East NP Kenya.

 

288. Green Woodhoopoe. Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

 

289. African Hoopoe.  Tarangire NP. TZ.

 

290. Crowned Hornbill. Umani Springs, Kibwezi, Kenya.

 

291. Trumpeter Hornbill. Umani Springs. Kibwezi Forest, Kenya.

 

292. Von der Deckens Hornbill.   Ithumba Camp, Tsavo East, Kenya.

 

293. Red-billed Hornbill. Tsavo East. Kenya.

294. African Grey Hornbill. Tsavo East, Kenya.

Now for some strange reason I seem to have lost my Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbills so I crave teh team's indulgence with this:_

295. Taking EBC to the limit and mainly VD Decken's, and a Grey or two BUT top right there is an Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill.

        It was in Tsavo by the way as you would see from the Fischer's Starlings.

 

296. Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill. (Ruahensis). Ruaha NP. Tanzania.

 

297. Black and White Casqued Hornbill. Botanical Gardens, Entebbe.

 

 

Edited October 22, 2017 by Galana
Removal of surplus photograph.

[lmSA84]

@Galana - increasingly brilliant collection. I've never seen a large mixed flock of hornbills. Is it a common sight in Eastern Africa or were they attracted there by a particular event? 

[Galana]

@ImSA84  thanks. I think the feeding frenzy of Hornbills was that the tree was fruiting.

 

And now for what HAS to be the greatest EBC of all time. It was only when I put up #280-Striated Heron that I realised that the other two birds to the right were not Cormorants (which figured largely on the same tree further out!).

So here is the same photo again for number 298 which did not even figure on the Trip checklist.

I am so glad that I don't have to pass 300 with such a duff photo taken from my balcony to the crater lake below at extreme range.

 

298. Black Heron or Egret. Two of em.  Lake Chala, Tanzania. 

[Galana]

Kingfishers and Lapwings take us forward towards the (alphabet) halfway mark:-

 

299. Pied Kingfisher. The only ones of the trip. From the bridge Ruaha NP, Tanzania.

 

300. Grey-headed Kingfisher. I could not resist the 'kill' and the other shot shows different races in north and south Tanzania.

 

301. Brown-hooded Kingfisher.  Umani Springs, Kibwezi Forest, Kenya.

 

302. Everybody's favourite. Malachite Kingfisher. Kibondo. West Tanzania.

 

303. Woodland Kingfisher. Botanical Gardens, Entebbe.

 

Lapwings. Already counted the ubiquitous Blacksmith and "Wattled" so I am left with:-

304. Black-headed Lapwing. Tsavo East, Kenya.

 

305. Long-toed Lapwing. Silale Swamp, Tarangire NP, Tanzania.

 

306. Crowned Lapwing.  Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

 

307. White-crowned Lapwing. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

Quite why this is not "Wattled" despite its finer adornments escapes me. Compare and discuss

with the one below:-

##33. The much punier 'wattled' Lapwing. IMHO

 

308. Spur-winged Lapwing. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

 

309. Senegal (or Lesser Black-winged) Lapwing.  Katavi NP, Tanzania.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dave Williams]

Well, congrats on the 300. Bet you didn't even notice the tortoise on the way past!