Mfuwe's second year.

[Galana]

4 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

become totally nondescript  little brown jobs for the rest of the year. For me an ID nightmare.

Too true. If it had not been for that red bill and ginger top  knot the PT Whydah would have been harder. But there are often small clues as to which LBJ is which.

 

Four more for today.

 

174. Variable Sunbird . Which should by rights have a yellow belly in TG but maybe the paint was a bad batch?

 

175. Rose-ringed Parakeet. Plenty of colour here.

 

176. Orange-cheeked Waxbill.

and as again we are near to Senegal.....

177. Senegal Thick-knee. (plus a one legged Greenshank!)

As an aside I first saw Senegal Thick-knees in Ethiopia and never did understand names.

 

Stay tuned. I see from the menu that you are in for a feast on the next post.

[Galana]

A few more offerings with the only moan:-

 

178. Red-breasted Paradise Flycatcher.

 

179. Northern White-faced (Scops) Owl.

 

180. Blue-breasted Kingfisher. Quite a few around but getting them in the open was not easy.

 

And to the 'moan'.

Despite Lodge promises to the contrary I had to share my guide and canoe one morning. Nice folks but not birders and the inevitable happened.

181 a. See that black dot in the bright water dead ahead, to the left of the guests shoulder?

That's MY bird. Did we approach noiselessly? Did we heck.

 

So this is the best I could do with the light in my face.

 

181b Can you see what it is yet?

181c African Finfoot. Talk about EBC!

Sorry for the moan. I feel better now!

 

 

Edited April 14, 2018 by Galana
Corrected grammar.

[Galana]

Four more steps on the long climb.

 

The same boat and sunrise as 181. Needless to say the bird flew long before we really got in range. The only one of the trip.

 

182. Osprey.

 

183. Western Violet-backed Sunbird.  That water feature again.

 

184. Yellow-billed Kite.  (I never thought I would be photoing these as much!!)

 

Greater Honeyguide. Look where it is drinking. Best site in TG. I sat there fr an hour at least every day. One of the few 'excursions' that Mandina failed to exploit!!

[Peter Connan]

Wonderful sightings. Pity about the boat company!

[Galana]

Nothing too controversial in the next batch and I hope to be through by Tuesday..........

 

186. I am going for Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)  in the absence of challenges even though I may be throwing a point away.

 

187. Western Redbilled Hornbill. Tockus kempi  With five species of RBH we are on a good run here.

 

188. Yellow-fronted Canary.  (Serinus mozambicus)

 

 

189. African Spoonbill. (Platalea alba)

and finally for now:-

Two views you rarely get as everyone wants to show the fishing habit.....

190. Black Heron or Egret. (Egretta ardesiaca) It's not a bad looking bird so no need to hide the face but it could do with a comb over!

 

[Galana]

A few more from The Gambia.

 

First a real special. Not a 'Lifer' but a bit special as my last usable photo was about 15 years ago.

Typical Bittern behaviour of not moving around much unless actually flying!

 

191. Little Bittern. Ixobrychus minutus.

 

192. African Sacred Ibis. Threskiornis aethiopicus.

 

193. Hamerkop.  Scopus umbretta.

 

194. African Grey Hornbill,  Tockus nasutus.

 

195. Palm-nut Vulture.  Gypohierax angolensis.

 

It seems to be becoming a tradition to mark special progress so I can advise that my second century does by chance have a worthy subject and a 'lifer' for me.

[Galana]

Per ardua ad duplex saeculum!  Should I translate?

 

First is one in its natural place. You can't get them more natural than this.

 

196. Yellow-billed Oxpecker. Buphagus africanus.

 

197. Red-eyed Dove. Streptopella semitorquator.

 

198. Plum-coloured, Amethyst or Violet-backed Starling. Cinnyricinclus leucogaster.

 

199. Tawny-flanked Prinia. Prinia subflava.

 

And now for a special bird as promised.

 

200. Guinea Turaco. Tauraco persa  One of my specials from the trip.

Until tomorrow then! 

Edited April 16, 2018 by Galana
remove errors

[michael-ibk]

Congratulations on passing the #200 mark! I love Turacos, so a very good choice.

[TonyQ]

Wow- a wonderful choice for 200! Well done. It is amazing how many birds you saw that we didn't. Some real beauties.

[Dave Williams]

Turacos are a bit special but the Finfoot more so. I can feel your annoyance! Quite right too.

Well done on the double ton though.

[Galana]

Thanks all.

Again I am surprised that whilst @TonyQ and @Dave Williams scored well in Gambia we all seem to have done it with different birds. I can't help wondering what a combined list would yield?

I am not done yet but not many to go (sigh!) but I was only there for a week.

Here is a teaser:-

[Peter Connan]

Stunning bird to get the double ton on! And it's still only mid-April! Great work.

[Dave Williams]

7 hours ago, Galana said:

Thanks all.

Again I am surprised that whilst @TonyQ and @Dave Williams scored well in Gambia we all seem to have done it with different birds. I can't help wondering what a combined list would yield?

I am not done yet but not many to go (sigh!) but I was only there for a week.

Here is a teaser:-

 

WOW!   ?

[lmSA84]

Congrats on the 200! Gambia always delivers (even if you were imprisoned)

[Tdgraves]

Congrats on the 200

[Galana]

Today's first batch.

I will keep them to five at a time as this matches my fingers:-

201. Stone Partridge.  Ptilopachus petrosus. Rubbish shot but they were well away and legging it for all they could.

 

202. Northern Crombec. Sylvieta brachyura. Overcropped but unmistakable.

 

203. Black-crowned Tchagra. Tchagra senegalis.

 

204. Black-billed Wood-dove. Turtur abyssinicus.

 

205. Common Redstart. Phoenicurus phoenicurus.

[Zim Girl]

Very well done on reaching 200.

[Galana]

Second batch. Perhaps a tad controversial.

 

206. Seebohm's Wheatear. Oenanthe seebohmi.

 

207. Melodious Warbler. Hippolais polyglotta.

 

208. Black Scimitarbill.  Rhinopomastus aterrimus

 

209. Striped Kingfisher. Halcyon chelicuti.

 

210. Lavender Waxbill. Estrilda caerulescens. There's that water tap again. The best site in TG!!

[Galana]

Today's first offering. (It takes time to look up the latin names but nearly done, honest!)

 

211. Lesser Honeyguide. Indicator minor.

 

212. Four-banded Sandgrouse.  Pterocles quadricinctus

 

213. Golden-tailed Woodpecker(s) Campothera abingoni. No idea what was going on here but it was noisy.

 

214. Senegal Eremomela.  Eremomela pusilla

 

I see a hare in the headlights.

[TonyQ]

Wow - a striped Kingfisher. Seven out of the last 10 we didn't see! I think we would get a good joint total with @Dave Williams 

[Galana]

4 hours ago, TonyQ said:

I think we would get a good joint total with @Dave Williams 

I am working on it. With @Dave Williams's list we have made 222 together in TG. We each 'captured' about 50 species that the other did not. I think you got another 50 'exclusives' from what I see.

I think that my 'final' few might well be exclusive also.

And that does not include this that even I won't count!.....

 

[xelas]

Is that a "dust bunny" on your camera's sensor, @Galana ?!

[Dave Williams]

Actually despite it resembling an oil streak on your sensor it looks like a male Pallid Harrier to me and that's without checking your list. If it is, count it! 

Not many birds come with those back wing tips and the rest grey/white.

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

If it is, count it! 

@Dave Williams

Get thee behind me! I am not sure now whether it was a Great White Pelican or a Caspian Tern.

 

The final three for The Gambia. (Phew!!)

215. Yellow-bellied Hyliota. Hyliota flavigaster. A very welcome lifer for me. Definitely camera shy.

 

216. White-backed Night Heron. Gorsachius leuconotis. Just as hard to see as to pronounce.

 

217. Garden Warbler. Sylvia borin. I was at school with her brother Vorrey.

One more to come but out of sequence as some Island birds got in first.

 

[Galana]

Last one, re-shuffled up the list to end TG.

"18. Bush Petronia. Petronia dentata.

 

That's it from Africa (f.t.b.)

Back to Ellan Vannin.