Birding on 3 continents

[Galana]

2 hours ago, xelas said:

Dusky Indigobird should not be anywhere near to Okavango ... but my bird # 294 is undoubtedly (??) a Dusky Indigobird. 

Is it?

I missed this one but whilst birds don't read maps they can generally be relied on to know where they wish to live.

But they can be sneaky little beggars and love to confuse us poor humans and our cameras. So my friend when the map indicates a problem one checks the photo against ID carefully for sneaky disguises.

You have an Indigobird with white bill and red legs? Your book says "Dusky" but the map says "no way."

 

The map is 'usually right' 999 out of 1,000 so we check back in the "book" for the problem.

 

We find Purple and Village occur in Okavango. Purple has pinky-white bill and matching legs. Your subject photo clearly has red legs.

Village suggests Red legs so that's a good sign but what about that Bill colour? Nail varnish Red in illustration and white in photo! Hmmmm! Maybe it stuck its bill in nail varnish remover?  Unlikely I think so we read on.

My book says "In most of its range red bills, legs and feet differentiate from other Indigobirds." Nota bene the word 'most'!!!  Read on. The book goes on to say "West of Victoria Falls V.c.okavangensis has a whitish bill but is the only Indigobird in the area with red legs."

Now with a name like okavangensis this little guy just knows where he should be. Right where you saw him!

Your photo is an excellent ID for Vidua chalybeata okavangensis.He even put his name on the packet and we both missed it!!

Moral of the story. Maps are 99.9% reliable. If something looks obviously wrong read the book again.

Thank you for the kind words also.

BTW. I have checked again. Tropical Boubou does come west of the Kwando in some books and also hybridises with Swampy but the smaller bill still points me to Swampy.

 

Onwards to 300. The tortoise is not far ahead but the Kob is in your mirrors.

Edited May 9, 2018 by Galana
additional text.

[xelas]

Good news first. The Like button works again! Another good news: Dusky or Village, the count will stay.

 

I must obtain that book you are using; would you be so kind and post the title, the author and the publish date? Or even better, the front cover photo.

I really appreciate all your comments; I have improved so much already, in bird ID, and I am planning to improve more, with your excellent guidance. And I am sure also other Big Year members and lurkers are benefiting from your vast knowledge, and precise explanations!

 

300 is already a done deal; tortoise firmly in my sight and his ears; who is the Kob?!

 

 

For the record I am correcting the ID:

 

BY 294 / AF 240

Village Indigobird - Vidua chalybeata okavangensis

[Galana]

55 minutes ago, xelas said:

who is the Kob?!

The guy in your mirror on 241. Might be a Puku perhaps? Hard to see in the dust.

[TonyQ]

Great additions - you did well at iso12800! The Striped Starling is excellent. Approaching the 300.....

 

I also appreciate the comments from @Galana  - an insight into how a birder thinks!

Edited May 9, 2018 by TonyQ

[Galana]

3 hours ago, xelas said:

I must obtain that book you are using; would you be so kind and post the title, the author and the publish date? Or even better, the front cover photo.

As requested plus a bit more:-

This is the Book quoted. I bought it last year prior to Namibian trip and like it.

Health warning:_  it weighs a good Kg in your luggage.

 

This is what the illustration records.

Note how it simply says Bill red in east white in west.

To me that is much broader/clearer and points you to reading the text carefully. As quoted above.

 

Now my only other book for Namibia is Sinclair's "Birds of Africa south of the Sahara". A very good all round book for my journeys outside East Africa and as a supplement to the excellent "Fanshawe" for East Africa.

Out of curiosity I turned to the former and checked the legend and illustration for Village Indigo.

All the text says is "in SE Africa" Red legs and bill! To me this is not as clear.

Neither is the Illustration.

W,C & NE Africa does not contain any hint of including Angola, Namibia or Botswana although none of them can possibly be classed as  "SE Africa".

So us poor mortals stumble through life in blissful ignorance until a post such as yours points to the anomaly and puckers the brow and we reach for the book.

Thanks for the heads up. I too learned a bit from this.

And that @TonyQ is how we all learn from our mistakes. Trust the map and read the book

 

Time to give @xelas his growing post back but he DID ask!

[xelas]

Ah, that Puku! Then better hurry up, Hare. And thanks for the book cover. I have that same one, only it says FOURTH EDITION and it is a paperback. Now I see how easy is to miss "small print". I was intrigued by the distribution map but to me the white bill and red legs were sure enough signs ... looks like not only birds do not read books and distribution maps !

 

 

[xelas]

We have left Seronga on the wrong side of a towing bar. The fact that would deter many bird photographers from even getting the camera out of the camera bag. Not this one! Thinking out of the box (or was it reverse engineering) I came up with PIF solution! These are the results:

 

 

BY 296 / AF 242

Yellow-billed Oxpecker - Buphagus africanus

Okavango, 07.04.2018

 

 

BY 297 / AF 243

Southern White-crowned Shrike - Eurocephalus anguitimens

Okavango, 07.04.2018

 

 

BY 298 / AF 244

Magpie Shrike - Corvinella melanoleuca

Okavango, 07.04.2018

 

 

BY 299 / AF 245

Lesser Grey Shrike - Lanius minor

Okavango, 07.04.2018

 

 

Edited May 9, 2018 by xelas

[xelas]

Tadaam, taadaaam !!!

 

 

BY 300 / AF 246

Purple Roller - Coracias naevius

Okavango, 07.04.2018

 

 

BY 301 / AF 247

Mosque Swallow - Cecropis senegalensis

Okavango, 07.04.2018

[Galana]

Well done on the 300.

[TonyQ]

Congratulations on 300!

[Peter Connan]

Congratulations Alex!

 

Well done.

[xelas]

Thank you @Galana, @TonyQ and @Peter Connan! I recon Dave is out looking for the birds ?!

[Tdgraves]

Well done on 300!

[xelas]

Last two birds from Botswana

 

 

BY 302 / AF 248

African Mourning Dove - Streptopelia decipiens

Ghanzi, 08.04.2018

 

 

BY 303 / AF 249

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver - Plocepasser mahali

Skilpadshek, 08.04.2018

[xelas]

Then there are four more new birds, all from Peter's backyard (or is it front yard).

 

BY 304 / AF 250

Dark-capped (Black-eyed) Bulbul - Pycnonotus tricolor 

Kempton Park, 28.03.2018

 

 

BY 305 / AF 251

Karoo Thrush - Turdus smithi

Kempton Park, 09.04.2018

 

 

BY 306 / AF 252

Rose-ringed Parakeet - Psittacula krameri

Kempton Park, 09.04.2018

 

 

BY 307 / AF 253

Grey Go-Away-Bird (Lourie) - Corythaixoides concolor

Kempton Park, 09.04.2018

 

 

[PeterHG]

Congrats on reaching #300 and beyond, Alex! An impressive number and many more months to go. It may be a good time to take a break, relax and do something different though....

[xelas]

18 minutes ago, PeterHG said:

Congrats on reaching #300 and beyond, Alex! An impressive number and many more months to go. It may be a good time to take a break, relax and do something different though....

 

Thanks, Peter! And No Way Jose! I need to get at least 100 EU birds before leaving to Costa Rica! Do you know for any good place for gulls and waders?

[Zim Girl]

Well done on reaching 300 birds Alex.

[Dave Williams]

300 eh, time for me to move out of first gear I think!

[Dave Williams]

I have ways of stopping your progress!

Fox by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[xelas]

@Dave Williams only Flying Fox might be able to do that !

[xelas]

A bit surprised that no one asked what PIF is meaning: Photographer In Flight ! That is when one is driving past static birds in moving vehicle at a substantial speed, 60 - 80 km/h in my case.

Settings: AF-C, 21 points, Ch, 1/3200 sec, f/8

Technique: Spray & Pray

 

[xelas]

Upon returning home excellent news: a Redstart couple has decided to start their nest on the beam above the balcony. Now I can admire the male (and the female) at close distances daily.

 

BY 308 / EU 055

Redstart (Common) - Phoenicurus phoenicurus

 

Barje, 11.04.2018

[xelas]

Despite having a new bird feeder some smaller birds still prefer to stay at safe (for them) distance on the one of spruce trees just opposite of our balcony. A bit far for better quality photos.

 

BY 309 / EU 056

Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla (in three stages)

Barje, 11.04.2018

 

Barje, 14.04.2018

 

Barje, 18.04.2018

 

[xelas]

In the field, old friends have returned.

 

BY 310 / EU 057

Serin (European) - Serinus serinus

 

Barje, 11.04.2018

 

 

BY 311 / EU 058

Siskin (Eurasian) - Carduelis spirus

Barje, 19.04.2018

 

 

BY 312 / EU 059

Yellowhammer - Emberiza citrinella

Barje, 19.04.2018