Birding on 3 continents

[xelas]

Mystery Bird #2 - a Chat ??

 

[xelas]

Mystery Bird #3 - a Buzzard ??

 

 

 

[xelas]

Mystery Byrd #4 -  a Starling ??

 

 

[Peter Connan]

3) Jackal buzzard?

4) Wattled Starling? No, scratch that. 

Edited February 11, 2018 by Peter Connan

[xelas]

Mystery Bird #5 - a Pipit ??

 

 

 

[xelas]

Mystery Bird #6 -  a Canary ??

 

[xelas]

Mystery Bird #7 -  a juvenile Canary

 

[xelas]

Mystery Bird #8 - a Fiscal Flycatcher ??

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

@xelas  173 (+++) is an excellent score from your trip. Inspiring.

I can't help with your mystery birds yet as they are all unfamiliar to me (at the moment!)

[lmSA84]

For me...No.3 is a Jackal Buzzard but I’ll need to consult a bird book for the rest

[xelas]

By the votes of @Peter Connan and @lmSA84 #3 is getting its name: Jackal Buzzard. And old and grumpy one, if I might add. 

[lmSA84]

@xelas - tough break! ? Were all the photos taken in the Western Cape? 

[xelas]

Yes, all in Western Cape:

 

#1 - Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, Cape Town

#2 - Harold Porter Botanical Garden, Betty's Bay

#4 - Wilderness

#5 - Karoo NP

#6 - Karoo NP

#7 - De Hoop Reserve

#8 - Babylonstoren Garden, Franschhoek

[lmSA84]

My guesstimates are:

 

7. Juvenile Forest Canary 

6. Lark Like Bunting 

5. Juvenile Karoo Chats 

4. Juvenile Common Starling 

1 and 2. I think both have a short white eyebrow, with diffuse grey streaking so I’m going with African Dusky Flycatcher

 

 

 

Edited February 11, 2018 by lmSA84

[Dave Williams]

All new to me too bar the Starling, some excellent images so correct ID's should be forthcoming !

[Galana]

My thoughts are more or less as @lmSA84's

1&2 are African Dusky FC

3. Jackal Buzzard.

4. Juv Euro Starling

5. Perhaps not juv Karoo Chats but juv Karoo Scrub-robin? White tip to black tail?

6. Not Lark like Bunting. Bill too stout. I am thinking Protea Canary or White-throated C.

7. Juv Forest Canary.

and of course

8. Fiscal Flycatcher.

 

@xelas

Go back three points for us doing your work for you.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Galana
Additonal text.

[lmSA84]

@Galana - 6. Could be white throated but to my knowledge Protea Canary is not found in Karoo National Park. 

[xelas]

Thank you all for your kind comments (not the one about deducting points though ). I am happy to get he family right (the pipit was only a trick ), but in fact (apart of the Jackal Buzzard which was an easy one) others do not follow any description I have found in books or on internet; or better they have some specifics I could not find there to compare.

 

As all of the mystery birds have already been posted, no extra points, and our South Africa birding has finished with 173 different species. There was one more, which I will post this evening - under the title "celebrity bird".

[Tdgraves]

Having just got back and catching up, my daily like limit is not my friend. Please assume that I “like” all of zvezda’s work!

[xelas]

As every show does, also this one will be finished with a celebrity; a bird that has attracted serious South African birders to flock south towards Rooisand where it has displayed its charms.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, first time in this town, I proudly present you:

 

 

White Wagtail / Motacilla alba

Rooisand / 10.01.2019

 

[Dave Williams]

  I'm glad I'm not a twitcher!

[Galana]

3 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

I'm glad I'm not a twitcher!

Without decrying the unusual sighting for RSA birders, my view is that it is only one tick whether seen there or in SLO.

[xelas]

4 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

I'm glad I'm not a twitcher!

 

= a birdwatcher whose main aim is to collect sightings of rare birds. Uncle Google has all the answers for me !

[xelas]

39 minutes ago, Galana said:

Without decrying the unusual sighting for RSA birders, my view is that it is only one tick whether seen there or in SLO.

 

Fact is flying JNB to CPT is shorter and less expensive then flying JNB to LJU. To me our local wagtail is more beautiful; that is also the reason I have not count this one as I have got a local one shortly after returning from SA. However one should be there to experience the excitement of all those serious birders that have had the pleasure to get there, and to see the bird.

[Galana]

Not knocking it or making an issue of grown men chasing a little bird. Just saying it is still 'just a tick' in BY2018 more is the pity.