Kit's Fledgling BY

[michael-ibk]

I always thought Plover and Lapwing are just synonyms, with Plover being more in use in East Africa?

[Kitsafari]

8 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

I always thought Plover and Lapwing are just synonyms, with Plover being more in use in East Africa?

 

I thought so too, until i was googling lapwings and plovers trying to find out which is the latest name used, when I came upon this site: 

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/plover-family/

which gave its two cents on the minute difference between the two. 

 

[Kitsafari]

081: Wattled Lapwing, Jan 13, MNC

 

082: White-browed Coucal, MNC, Jan 16

 

 

[Kitsafari]

083: Yellow-billed oxpecker, Motorogi, Jan 20

we were having breakfast at the Motorogi gorge and these oxpeckers kept returning, like bee-eaters, to this dead tree that was perched precariously at the edge of the cliff. the only time we saw time not hitching a ride on an animal!

 

084: Yellow-billed stork, Serian main camp Jan 16/MNC Jan 18, both along Mara River

 

[Kitsafari]

085: Yellow-fronted canary, Serian Ngare The Nest Jan 14

 

086: Yellow-throated sandgrouses, MNC, Jan 18

female: 

 

males

 

well for once, i think the female yellow-throated sandgrouse is more attractive than the males! 

[PeterHG]

I love those Oxpecker shots!

[Kitsafari]

There is a slight confusion over the next species. We saw the weavers in both MNC and OMC but the guides gave us different names for the species. The first weaver was seen in the Masai Mara NR and we were told it was the black-headed weavers. the second set of weavers was seen in MNC, and we were told they were the black-masked weavers. For all I know, they are exactly the same species but referred to differently by different guides. Please let me know your thoughts: 

 

 

087: Black-headed weaver, Masai Mara NR, Jan 16

with a mouthful of insects!

 

 

Black-masked weavers: OMC, Jan 18

The only difference i can really tell is the brownish patch on the chest of the weaver below 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

088:Red-headed weaver, Serian camp, MNC Jan 16

 

thanks to @michael-ibk for ID-ing this bird.

 

 

089: white-headed buffalo weaver, OMC, Jan 18

 

 

[Kitsafari]

090:  Rufous Naped Lark, MNC/OMC, Jan

 

they are at every corner, every stretch of savannah. You hear them before you see them. They may be LBJ but their lilting songs light up the savannahs of the Mara. 

 

 

Edited March 30, 2018 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

And for the problematic pipits. With much help from @Tdgraves and @michael-ibk - I hope these are right, but please share if you disagree. 

 

091: African/Grassland Pipit, MNC/OMC

 

 

092: Plain-backed Pipit, MNC/OMC Jan

 

[michael-ibk]

Definitely not a Black-Headed Weaver, those have black eyes. Probably Village Weavers (which used to be called Black-Headed Weavers) but I don't have my books at hand.

[Kitsafari]

9 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Definitely not a Black-Headed Weaver, those have black eyes. Probably Village Weavers (which used to be called Black-Headed Weavers) but I don't have my books at hand.

 

@michael-ibk I believe you are right! I didn't notice the eyes until you pointed it out. I wonder why the guides were so confident about their calls. I agree they look like village weavers. so i'm changing to 

 

087: Village Weavers

[elefromoz]

@Kitsafari, I agree, the Thick-knee is a beautiful Bird, Ive seen them in both Africa and India but have yet to see our own 2 Aus species. Always great to see a big group of Vultures busy cleaning up.

[Galana]

On 3/29/2018 at 9:06 AM, michael-ibk said:

with Plover being more in use in East Africa?

I like the RSPB explanation as it makes it a little simpler. Basically, to me at any rate, Lapwings are the bigger bird that mob intruders, Crowned Lapwing and the British Peewit are good examples, whereas the 'true' plovers are the little guys that do often 'lap'** their wings to lure you from their nest or chicks but rarely actually mob you.

**lap. Trail the wing as though broken to attract an intruder to the easier prey.

Them Weavers. Black-headed, akas Village and Spot-backed Weaver. All cucullatus.

No problem with the Pipits.

Almost at the ton.

[Kitsafari]

@elefromoz i would be keen to see what Australian thick-knees look like!

 

@Galana I think other than a couple of LBJs which I have no clue of IDs, i'm almost done with the Mara trip and will turn to home birds for my ton, but after that, not too many for the list. 

 

Edited April 5, 2018 by Kitsafari

[Galana]

@Kitsafari

Why not put up the 'Mara' lbjs and see if we can help with ID? That way is how we all did it.

[Kitsafari]

093: African Grey-Headed Flycatcher (+what looks like a spider), MNC, Jan 15

 

thanks to @Peter Connan and @michael-ibk for the ID. 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

I'm done with the Mara section, other than a couple of LBJs who are probably pipits and/or larks. would much appreciate any input!

 

a plain-backed pipit?

 

 

a rufous naped lark? but it doesn't have that tiny patch of brown at the wing tip

 

a rufous naped lark?

 

 

[Galana]

Well I suppose I asked for this so here goes.

Not ruling out Plain-backed Pipit but it is more likely to be Grassveldt Pipit.

The lark is Rufous-naped despite the lack of brown primaries.

The third bird is a Cisticola. Throwing caution to the wind I would suggest a Zitting as the tail is too long for Pectoral patch.

[michael-ibk]

I´d go with Plain-Backed Pipit but agree African (Grassveldt) Pipit is also possible.

Agree about Rufous-Naped.

Cisticola, yes, but which one? Zitting should have a white-tipped tail, don´t see that here. Croaking?

[Kitsafari]

22 hours ago, Galana said:

Well I suppose I asked for this so here goes.

 @Galana you did! LOL. 

 

Thanks much to you and @michael-ibk for the IDs. ID-ing bird is almost like a work of science breaking down the tails, and beaks and colour and streaks.....

The bird in my photo seems more akin to croaking cisticolas than zitting cisticolas, although either will still be a new species for me!

 

I have both plain-backed and grassland/grassveldt pipits in my list so I'm not missing out in the first photo. 

[Kitsafari]

094: Croaking cisticola, MNC, Jan 15

 

 

[Galana]

Happy with Croaker.  (We need sound on this forum!!)

[Kitsafari]

Back to home birds. We had been scouting around the little parks and reserves we have on our 278-sqm island country almost every weekend. but our takeaways were small not because the birds were not there, but because both our eyesight leave much to be desired! But I have been pleasantly surprised to learn that there are many species in Singapore; according to an updated list - slightly over 400 species resident and migrant have been seen. that's quite surprising if you've seen my country - it's mostly high-rise buildings and very urbanised with swathes of secondary forests and tall trees cleared for more concrete jungles. 

On with the list then. 

 

095: Ashy Tailorbird, Kranji Marshes, March 17

 

 

A resident bird, almost as small as a sunbird, and flighty which made getting good shots a huge challenge! it builds nest by rolling up leaves and keeping them rolled up with plant fibres and spiderweb threads. Its head is entirely rust-coloured. 

 

[Kitsafari]

096: Asian Koel, Pasir Ris Park/home vicinity

 

Male adult, home area

 

 

female, Pasir Ris Park

 

almost adult, Home vicinity
 

about 2-3 decades ago, we would get awakened by loud calls outside our windows. We would look out and yell Bloody crows. But its calls were different from the crows and then one day I noticed its eyes were red and the crows would flee if this loud bird flew near. That's when I learned it was an Asian Koel, slightly larger than a crow with a less formidable beak. Koels use crows' nests to host their young. and with the widespread presence of Koels, the crows' numbers have also fallen. is it a coincidence or a causation - I don't know. but i doubt it's a causation. Koels need the crows' nest for their young.