Michael´s Fourth Year

[michael-ibk]

Thanks, Tony.

 

And to you Kit, but please, I have plenty of cringeworthy stuff, so don't worry. You just have to post them because with the way you are going with your locals, a Kenya and a Bots trip under wraps and Gabon (and who knows what else) coming up you are the top candidate for coming out on top this year. So go for it. And yes, I was very lucky Peter, JB and Andreas were so patient about my BY craze, thanks again for that.

[Peter Connan]

Wow, what a shot for no. 200!

[xelas]

Not on reaching #200, that number is still below your BY average, but congratulations on an amazing photo! Simply outstanding, Michael!

 

[Peter Connan]

5 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

Lovely photos again.

 

I have not really heard Southern Ground Hornbills smashing windows, but have witnessed many species of smaller birds fighting their reflections in windows, including Yellow-billed Hornbills. But I am sure the GH has the strength to break a window, unlike most other birds.

 

I certainly haven't heard of anybody killing one for that reason, but not sure I would hear of such a thing.

 

A friend of mine was involved in a project attempting to improve the Hornbill's breeding rates by harvesting the second egg from active nests and artificially incubating and hand-rearing them. I have asked him and will report back if he responds.

 

Got a response from my friend. Apparently all the hornbills will have territorial fights with themselves under some conditions, but also not always. It may be dependent on breeding cycles, but they aren't sure yet.

 

However, he doesn't believe they are seriously persecuted for it. He believes a bigger problem is the muti market...

 

Of course their biggest problem is loss of habitat and their long breeding cycle, fussy nesting requirements and the fact that they only rear one chick per brood. Similar to so many of the larger raptors and vultures.

[Galana]

What a great shot to hit the double century with and congratulations.

Some wonderful photos there and some excellent narrative too.

I did  a double take at the two headed pushmepullyu Flying Banana pair. As part of your narrative do you know if Wire Tailed Swallows have a preference for boats. I see them regularly on river ferries, often nesting, and cheerfully riding the ferry to and fro over the river.

That female Cuckooshrike had me blinking for a while as it was hard to find being hidden in plain sight.

More please.

[PeterHG]

Congrats on the 200 @michael-ibk ! What a stunning flight shot of the Carmine. Flight shots from the car are always tricky and a result like this shows your skill.

[Kitsafari]

Congrats on the 200th! the southern carmine bee-eater is also one of my favourite birds being so colourful and just elegantly beautiful.

[michael-ibk]

Thanks everybody, onward and upards - although with some slightly less spectacular species.

 

201/B164.) Pied Crow (Corvus albus) / Schildrabe

 

Seen a couple of times in Maun, and a few birds also in the Kalahari. Inhabits virtually all habitats except the driest desert areas. In Sub-Saharan Afric only really absent from the Horn.

 

 

202/B165.) Cape Crow (Corvus capensis) / Kapkrähe

 

Only one distant sighting in the Kalahari. The book says they usually come in pairs, and indeed there were two of them. Less dependent on carrion than its cousins.

 

[michael-ibk]

203/B166.) Ashy Tit (Parus cinerascens) / Akazienrussmeise

 

Given their prominence in Europe Tits really live in the shadow of their much more colourful rivals in Africa. This one was a lifer for me, a very similar bird to our Coal Tit. Unfortunately I could not get a clear view - Tits in Africa rarely are very cooperative subjects.

 

 

204/B167.) Southern Black Tit (Parus niger) / Sambesi-Rußmeise

 

Two sightings of this bird, both very distant. Probably the most commonly seen representative of the family.

 

Edited May 11, 2019 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

205/B168.) Terrestrial Brownbul (Phyllastrephus terrestris) / Laubbülbül

 

Only one sighting on the lodge premises in Chobe. Chobe Bush Lodge in general was very good for a lot of species I saw nowhere else, long-established places like those are usually a bird magnet.

 

 

206/B169.) Yellow-Bellied Greenbul (Chlorocichla flaviventris) / Gelbbauchbülbül

 

Also seen in Chobe, from the balcony. Greenbuls are generally forest birds which are not much seen on regular safaris, this is probably the only somewhat more familiar Greenbul since it also likes to hang around in gardens. It can get very bold around lodges, one pair was (or hopefully still is) nesting right on the deck of Kanga Camp in Mana Pools, often stealing breakfast from the buffet.

 

[michael-ibk]

207/B170.) Dark-Capped aka Black-Eyed Bulbul (Pacnonotus tricolor) / Dreifarbbülbül

 

The epitome of an abundant but quite boring African bird. A variant of the Common Bulbul which also seems to be split up in a myriad of different species to help us Big Yearers score.

 

 

208/B171.) African Red-Eyed Bulbul (Pycnonotus nigricans) / Feueraugenbülbül

 

This one, on the other hand, is an unusually attracitve, I´d even say striking Bulbul. More or less a Southern Africa endemic, only found in Southern Zambia and Southern Angola further North. A couple of sightings in the Kalahari.

 

[michael-ibk]

No Thrushes, no Familiar Chats this time surprisingly.

 

209/B172.) Ant-Eating Chat (Myrmecocichla formicivora) / Termitenschmätzer

 

Quite a common bird in the Kalahari but surprisingly difficult to get a picture this time. A different species from the familiar Anteater Chat found in East Africa.

 

 

210/B173.) Arnot´s Chat (Myrmecocichla arnoti) / Arnotschmätzer

 

Only seen on a forested patch on the way out of Moremi on a very rainy day. It is restricted to mature miombo, mopane and teak woodlands with an open understorey. Only the male has the white cap.

 

Edited May 11, 2019 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

211/B174.) Capped Wheatear (Oenanthe pileata) / Erdstseinschmätzer

 

Only two distant ebc-sightings in the Kalahari. Nests below ground in rodent holdes and occurrence therefore partly dependent on availability of these.

 

[michael-ibk]

212/B175.) African Stonechat (Saxicola torquatus) / Afrikanisches Schwarzkehlchen

 

A few in Moremi, especially during the boattrip into the Delta.Split off from our European species in 2002. The difference really is marginal but even the African species has since been divided in no less than 13 subspecies. They differ slightly in size, and more in the extent of the orange-red on the upper breast of the males, and whether the lower breast is white with a distinct boundary from the upper breast, or pale orange with an indistinct boundary from the darker upper breast. The extent of the orange-red also varies with time of year, often extending on to the belly outside the breeding season.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

213/B176.) White-Browed Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas leucophrys) / Weißbrauen-Heckensänger

 

Only one sighting in Moremi, the same area as the Arnot´s Chat. Normally a common bird, surprised we did not see more of them.

 

 

214/B177.) Kalahari Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas paena) / Kalahariheckensänger

 

This one was fairly common in the Kalahari, but apparently we forgot to stop for them, I only found one photo.

 

 

Edited May 11, 2019 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

215/B178.) White-Browed Robin-Chat (Cossypha heuglini) / Weißbrauenrötel

 

A familiar garden bird, only seen around Chobe Bush Lodge where it was numerous. Can be aggressive towards other birds.

 

[michael-ibk]

216/B179.) Collared Palm-Thrush (Cichladusa arquata) / Morgenrötel

 

Reaching the westernmost point of its distribution range in Chobe, occurring nowhere else in Botswana. I often wonder why bird ranges just stop at certain places, what exactly is it that´s preventing it from expanding along the Chobe/Kwando river system at least?

 

[michael-ibk]

217/B180.) Long-Billed Crombec (Sylvietta rufescens) / Langschnabelsylvietta

 

Seen a couple of times, best opportunity in Moremi. Crombecs are quite a weird-looking bird familiy with their not-even-stub-tails. Probably collecting nesting material here, it likes to use sikly plant fibres and spider web. A bit late for it though.

 

[michael-ibk]

218/B181.) Chestnut-Vented Tit-Babbler aka Warbler (Sylvia subcaeruleum) / Meisengrasmücke

 

Only one sighting in the Kalahari. Tit-Babblers are now known to be part of our European familiar "Sylvia" group of Warblers (Blackcaps, Whitethroats etc.) hence the name change. As always, I prefer the old one.

 

[michael-ibk]

219/B182.) Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) / Fitis

 

A bird we saw several times but I did not really bother too much about it, it will be seen in the European count again anyway. I took this very distant one because I thought it might be an Olive-Tree Warbler since it seemed to be somewhat larger and slightly different in appearance. But I´m not quite sure, and Olive-Tree Warblers are scarce, so I´m going with the safer bet here. Much paler than our Willows which is not uncommon in Southern Africa which gets the Asian "Yakutensis" subspecies as well.

 

 

220/B183.) Icterine Warbler (Hipplais icterina) / Gelbspötter

 

One sighting in Moremi. Not 100 % sure about this one either, opinions (on both birds) welcome but I do get more of an "Iccy" feel from this one, the very short supercilium and dark legs also being pointing to it IMO.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

221/B184.) Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) / Schilfrohrsänger

 

One bird seen in Maun at the Thamalakane river. Considering that Botswana´s North is one of the greatest wetlands of Earth I had expected to see - or at least hear - lots of all these Marsh and Reed Warbler bunch birds but not the case at all.

 

Edited May 11, 2019 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

Another "easy" family - Cisticolas! I´m sure we saw more species, I do remember Destert Cisticola (where we heard it singing), and there must have been others. But instead of endlessly tormenting myself with too many photos of these guys who all look the same I focused on the few fairly close shots I have. Again, I am fairly confident about ID but welcome any challenging views. (I´m surprise nobody has contested my Larks so far - or are you all just getting lazy?)

 

222/B185.) Chirping Cisticola (Cisticola pipiens) / Sumpfzistensänger

 

Seen on the Chobe river, so habitat excludes most species. I considered Red-Faced but the rufous on the wing does not suit that bird. Chirping is the "least-strikingly" marked of the wetland Chicsticolas, so that seems to be a good fit.

 

 

223/B186.) Luapula Cisticola (Cisticola luapula) / Luapulazistensänger

 

This one is quite well marked, and really the only Cisticola in that area and habitat which looks like this.

 

 

224/B187.) Rattling Cisticola (Cisticola chiniana) / Rotscheitelzistensänger

 

Absolutely abundant in savanna and grassland, and unmistakable by its call, so a pretty sure bet as well I think.

 

 

225/B188.) Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) / Zistensänger

 

Only seen in Savuti. The only Cisticola occurring in Europe, and its familiar "zitting" call was the best ID help.

 

Edited May 11, 2019 by michael-ibk

[PeterHG]

I think you make a good case for both the larks and cisticolas! Excellent photos to back up your claims as well.

[Galana]

4 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

(I´m surprise nobody has contested my Larks so far - or are you all just getting lazy?)

Not lazy. Just agreeing. Same with the Warblers and Cisticolas although I  will confess reaching for my SASOL one or twice.

But I was too fascinated by the narrative on the Collared Palm Thrush and its distribution.

Edited May 11, 2019 by Galana
Additional updated comment.

[michael-ibk]

226/B189.) Tawny-Flanked Prinia (Prinia subflava) / Rahmbrustprinie

 

Common throughout the trip except in the Kalahari which is much too dry for this pretty water-dependent species. Best seen from Chobe Bush Lodge´s balcony.

 

 

227/B190.) Black-Chested Prinia (Prinia flavicans) / Brustbandprinie

 

Two or three sightings in the Kalahari. The only Prinia with a broad black breast band. This one was singing its heart out, a bit late in the mating game for this species.