Kit's Fledgling BY

[Kitsafari]

035: Helmeted guineafowl, MNC/OMC Jan 15-18

 

 

You hear them before you see them. I've seen them harassed and chased away leopards. but it is such a challenge to get them to stay still enough to get a proper shot. 

 

036: Isabelline Wheateater, MNC, Jan 15

 

 

Such a sweet bird with such a sweet name. It's considered as an Old world flycatcher. 

 

[Geoff]

You're doing well Kit.

[Galana]

On 3/19/2018 at 11:37 AM, Kitsafari said:

It's considered as an Old world flycatcher.

Chat family surely?

Good to see the collection coming along.

[Kitsafari]

Thanks @Geoff

 

@Galana do you mean the isabelline wheateater is part of the chat family, or that it is not an isabelline wheateater but a chat? it shows my ignorance but pray, teach!

[elefromoz]

Hi @Kitsafari, welcome, Ive really especially enjoyed your Singapore birds, I wish Id been aware of your wildlife when we visited a decade or so ago. I think you are selling yourself short with your photography skills, some really nice ones there.

[Dave Williams]

On 19/03/2018 at 11:08 AM, Galana said:

Actually I think that bird is a Wood Sandpiper. Bill is too short for Greenshank.

 

@GalanaLegs are the wrong colour for Wood sandpiper though and the white shoulder does suggest Greenshank! Might be an optical effect that makes the bill look wrong?

[Galana]

11 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

the isabelline wheateater is part of the chat family,

That is my meaning @Kitsafari Wheatears are 'chats'. Indeed the Mountain Wheatear is not really sure which it wants to be.

@Dave Williams I see your point. Would Green Sand work too?

[Kitsafari]

Thank you @elefromoz ! birdlife has certainly improved in our tiny island country over the last decade but I can't say the same for the mammal wildlife though, sadly. They are still bulldozing large tracts of secondary forests, and now they want to civilise a large forested area to make it into an "eco-wildlife" park though it is anything but eco and wildlife. 

But if you ever do come through our island again, buzz me!

The same goes for anyone who happen to come by this corner of the world.

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

 

On 22/03/2018 at 4:52 AM, Galana said:

That is my meaning @Kitsafari Wheatears are 'chats'. Indeed the Mountain Wheatear is not really sure which it wants to be.

 

Argghh - I shall remember this. Wheatear, wheatear, wheatear.....

Edited March 24, 2018 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

037: Malachite Kingfisher, Serian The Nest, MNC, Jan 14

 

 

Took this from a far distance and it's heavily cropped, but just claiming it, as EBC. 

 

038: Grey-Headed Kingfisher, OMC , Jan 18

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

039: Pied Kingfisher, OMC Jan 18

 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2018 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

Now I have a question about the following bird: The guide had said this was a brown-headed kingfisher and at first, the slightly dirty-ish head convinced me that it was, but then there is a flash of blue just below its beak and that is quite like the long blue streak on the wings of a grey-headed kingfisher. 

 

what do you all think? 

 

[Tdgraves]

Dear kit, this kingfisher looks remarkably like the one you have already labelled as grey-headed....

[Kitsafari]

040: Crowned lapwing, MNC Jan 13

 

 

 

041: the most recognised bird in Africa : Lilac-breasted Rollers, MNC/OMC Jan.

 

[Kitsafari]

Dear @Tdgraves that perfectly answers my query! thanks much!

[Kitsafari]

042: Lesser-Striped Swallow, Kicheche Bush Camp, Jan 20.

 

 

This quick and cute little bird had mud in its mouth. It was building a nest at the tent we were using as a day tent to freshen up before leaving for a flight out of Mara. The nest was almost finished and I guess it chose that tent because it was not heavily used. I had do some sneaking and hiding before I could snap a photo of it. 

 

043: Wire-tailed swallow, Maasai Mara-MNC border, Jan 16

 

 

as we crossed back into MNC from the national reserve, these swallows were on the ground before the sun set. I was pleased they were on the ground - no way I could have caught them flying in the skies!

[Kitsafari]

044:  Marabou Stork: MNC, Jan 13

 

 

We didn't see a lot of these storks, which were missing at kills. I think this was the only day we saw the stork, and there was only one. 

 

045: Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, Serian Main camp, MNC 

 

 

much thanks to @Tdgraves and @Michael-ibk for the ID. 

 

[Kitsafari]

046: Northern Wheatear, MNC Jan 16

 

 

Note to self: wheatear, and definitely not a wheat eater. 

 

047: Northern white-crowned shrike, MNC, Jan 15

 

[Kitsafari]

048: Ostrich: MNC, Jan 15

 

females

 

Males look good in pink

 

049: Pectoral Patch Cisticola, MNC/OMC Jan 14/18

- I hope I got these two right!

 

[Galana]

I am running behind here. So many to look at.

First up. I think your Malachite Kingfisher is actually African Pygmy. Care to check it out and note the blue cap only on head?

Now to your Brown-Hooded. I could be persuaded but it depends on the location. If you are talking MNC then doubtful.

Now to everybody's favourite. The Cisticola. I would like to hear your reason for Pectoral Patch? We are not seeing any obvious field marks to enable an easy choice, indeed both birds could be different species. I am seeing a little grey/black marking on number 2 which would point me to Winding.

Nice collection building up. Love the Swallows especially.

[Peter Connan]

Nice Kingfishers and Swallows.

 

I agree with @Galanaabout the Malachite/Pygmy. There seems to be a bit of purple in the neck?

[michael-ibk]

Really love the Swallows, Kit, great work. Another vote for Pygmy Kingfisher. The wader is pretty tricky but I think I side with Dave on Greenshank because of the shoulders which exclude Wood or Green Sandpiper. The bill does not look quite right indeed but that could just be the angle and my first impression was greyish and Greenshank not Wood Sandpiper.

[Dave Williams]

Nice collection and , yes an African Pygmy which in my book is a better "tick" than the more Common Malachite. 

[Kitsafari]

The feedback is most welcomed, @Galana, @michael-ibk, @Dave Williams, @Peter Connan - those malachite and African pygmy kingfishers are so alike! but you are all right. I checked the finer differences - APK has brown above its eye, while the brown ends at the eye level for the malachite. If Peter hadn't mentioned the purple in the APK, I wouldn't have noticed it as well. so thank you for the lesson on the finer things in life.

 

On the cisticola, pectoral patch was mentioned to me by the guide in MNC while the second cisticola was mentioned by a different guide in OMC. Do you think they are both not PPC @Galana? I worry that I might have misheard the guide or remembered wrongly. 

 

On the wood sandpiper vs greenshank - hmm since there two votes for greenshank, then I should change 033 to greenshank. Dave and Michael - would you say it is a common greenshank? 

 

[Kitsafari]

One of the most wonderful things about being on Safaritalk is you learn so much from more friendly people so willing to share their knowledge without making one look dumb and you only just want to learn even more from them. No negativity, no horrible vibes. it's one of the most pleasant by-products of Safaritalk. 

 

Changing #037 to African Pygmy Kingfisher.