TonyQ Big Year 2018 (The Third)

[TonyQ]

336.SA22. Black-bellied Starling  Notopholia corusca                       

Red eye shows probably male in breeding season, Emily Moon grounds   14.11.18

Emily Moon grounds   14.11.18

Taken from our balcony while sitting with a cup of tea

[TonyQ]

337.SA23. Black-headed Oriole  Oriolus larvartus 

Emily Moon grounds   14.11.18

Emily Moon grounds   14.11.18

Taken about 10 minutes before the starlings, same balcony, same cup of tea. We were thrilled to see this so close.

[TonyQ]

338.SA24. Blacksmith Lapwing (Plover)  Vanellus armatus              

Intaka Island, Cape Town    05.11.18

Edited December 14, 2018 by TonyQ

[TonyQ]

339.SA25. Blue Crane  Grus paradisea                     

Near De Hoop 08.11.18

        Uplands near Emily Moon       14.11.18

 

This is a bird we were very keen to see - beautiful and elegant. We were lucky to find this individual quite close to a track off the main road.

We were please to see some later with chicks - distant and with heat haze - but a very enjoyable sighting.

[TonyQ]

340.SA26. Bokmakierie   Telophorus zeylonus                     

De Hoop          09.11.18 

Youngster calling for food, De Hoop          09.11.18

Juvenile, De Hoop          11.11.18

[TonyQ]

341.SA27. Brimstone Canary  Crithagra sulphurata              

Intaka Island, Cape Town    05.11.18

[TonyQ]

342.SA28. Cape Bulbul  Pycnonotus capensis                      

Intaka Island, Cape Town       05.11.18

Mosaic Private Sanctuary       08.11.18

Showing it has learned how to cope with the water shortage, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens         02.11.18

These were very common and were seen almost every day

[TonyQ]

343.SA29. Cape Bunting  Fringillaria capensis                      

Rooi Els           06.11.18

[TonyQ]

344.SA30. Cape Batis  Batis capensis                      

(f) Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens         02.11.18

(m) Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens         02.11.18

 on the nest, Tsitsikamma Forest     14.11.18

We pulled over to the side of the road when we saw a couple of tourist staring intensly into the forest. The told us what they were looking at and then it took about five minutes for us to find it even as they were telling us where it was! This is cropped and taken with 400mm on a crop-sensor, so we were not disturbing it. We were delighted with seeing it - a lovely bird and a lovely nest.

[PeterHG]

Wow, that Oriole!

Wow, that Blue Crane!

Wow, that Cape Batis

....... etc. Great shots, @TonyQ !

[Dave Williams]

The nest shot is a standout amongst some superb images.

[michael-ibk]

Oooh, that Cape Batis photo in the nest might be the shot of the year for me Tony!

[xelas]

Another vote of appreciation, or even for Photo of the Big Year 2018 for Cape Batis on the nest. A really special moment captured on the sensor.

[TonyQ]

@PeterHG

Edited December 15, 2018 by TonyQ

[TonyQ]

Sorry @PeterHG  for some reason I couldn't type after the tag in the previous post.

Anyway, thank you!

@michael-ibk @Dave Williams @xelas  thank you. We were very pleased with the sighting (and the photo), so I am pleased you like it.

We only saw it because we are such skilled birders - we are very good at spotting birders or photographers looking at something

 

MrsQ has pointed out that if you look very closely below the breast of the bird, you can just see the beak and eye of a baby. Being such a good birder myself, I had not noticed!

[TonyQ]

345.SA31. Cape Canary  Serinus canicollis 

             

Intaka Island, Cape Town       05.11.18

With head covered in seeds, Intaka Island, Cape Town       05.11.18

[TonyQ]

346.SA32. Cape Cormorant  Phalacrocorax capensis                      

Watched by Hyrax, Betty’s Bay      06.11.18

With chicks, Betty’s Bay      06.11.18

 

[TonyQ]

347.SA33. Cape Crow  Corvus capensis  

                De Hoop          09.11.18

[TonyQ]

348.SA34. Cape Longclaw  Macronyx capensis                    

Strandfontein Sewage Works, Cape Town     04.11.18

         More distant and with heat haze, but showing orange throat, Uplands near Emily Moon       14.11.18

[TonyQ]

349.SA35. Cape Robin-Chat  Cossypha caffra                     

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens         02.11.18

Very confiding, barely cropped, Intaka Island, Cape Town       05.11.18

Seen very frequently, often very confident around people - sometimes coming too close to photograph!

[TonyQ]

350.SA36. Cape Grassbird  Sphenoeacus afer                     

Rondevlei Nature Reserve      04.11.18

Rondevlei Nature Reserve      04.11.18

 

I changed the alphabetic order slightly so that this was No.350. It was one of my favourite birds of the trip, even though I had never heard of it! I think it is really beautiful, and with patience (and our guide!) we were able to get quite close to it.

[TonyQ]

351.SA37. Cape Rock-Thrush  Monticola rupestris               

With kill, Rooi Els           06.11.18

Rooi Els           06.11.18

[TonyQ]

352.SA38. Cape Shoveler  Spatula smit

             Intaka Island, Cape Town       05.11.18

[TonyQ]

353.SA39. Cape Siskin  Crithagra totta         

Rooi Els           06.11.18

[TonyQ]

354.SA40. Cape Sparrow  Passer melanurus                       

(F) Intaka Island, Cape Town       05.11.18 (Actually on the lawn of a cafe just outside the reserve)

(M) Intaka Island, Cape Town       05.11.18