Kit & Herman Year 2

[Kitsafari]

there are conflicting reports on the presence of chinspot batis in CKGR. This site : http://www.exoticbirding.com/botswana/central-kalahari/checklist.html

notes the presence of both chinspot and pririt batis in CKGR, but Wikipedia conflicts itself by putting chinspot batis in Botswana but later in the copy says it is replaced by pririt batis in woodlands to the west in southern africa.

Description wise, both male chinspot and pririt batis look exactly the same. Only the female chinspot has a clear spot on its chest while the pririt has a wider brown patch. 

So i've decided to take the female as an ID gauge - although I saw the male and female at different times and place, the differences were minute and both male and female were in the same grove. The female, as @Galana and @michael-ibk  noted (thanks guys!), looks more to be pririt batis, as such I'll treat the male as pririt as well. 

 

So, changing #127/BW11 to Pririt Batis. It doesn't make it less cute though!

 

[Kitsafari]

141/BW25: Knob-billed Duck, Khwai Reserve

 

[Kitsafari]

142/BW26: African Fish Eagle,  Nxai Pans/Khwai Reserve

 

My favourite iconic African bird with its resounding call and the full fling of its head backwards as it calls speaks Africa to me.  (utterly ignoring the fact that this is a well known thief!).

 

 

[Kitsafari]

143/BW27: African Hawk-Eagle, Khwai Reserve

 

We saw this raptor a couple of times in Khwai Reserve. I was fairly surprised at how big and powerful-looking this eagle was. It's fairly distinctive with its white front with streaks on the upper chest. One was quite accommodative as we slowly passed below it to get in front of it, so that we could see its frontal image.

 

[Kitsafari]

144/BW28: Brown Snake-Eagle, Khwai Reserve

 

Its flat and rather triangular-shaped top head makes it fairly easier to ID. Snakes - even venomous ones - are its favourite food. 

 

[Kitsafari]

145/BW29: Martial Eagle, CKGR

 

Surprisingly, although we saw this mighty powerful eagle in CKGR we didn't see it in Khwai where I thought it would also thrive in the wet season. This magnificent bird, unfortunately, is on the vulnerable list as numbers have plunged in recent years. between 1987 and 1993,and 2007 to 2012, the numbers fell 42% in south african protected areas (54% in Kruger). In Kenya, the decline is estimated at 50%. 

 

 

[Galana]

38 minutes ago, Kitsafari said:

as such I'll treat the male as pririt as well. 

I think so. The male Chinspot's breast band is quite wide and the Pririt has slight spotting on the higher flanks which I think I can just make out on your photo..

Sorry to be picky but I think your Brown Snake Eagle is actually a moulting Black-chested SE.

My reasons:-

The face mask is starting to show, as is the Black chest in the top photo. A Brown Snake-eagle is really er, "Brown" and the tail bars of the Brown are much finer and numerous.

[Kitsafari]

146/BW31: Tawny Eagle, CKGR/Khwai Reserve

 

Having a feed along the road from CKGR. 

 

Khwai

[Kitsafari]

@Galana Hmm, i have to admit that the light in that backlit photo was really bad and I had lightened it up a fair bit during processing. The guide had made the call and he was on the spot to ID it. But you are the authority on African birds, and I can see your points on the black chest. 

I'll defer to your knowledge!

The count remains. 

 

144/BW28: Black-chested Snake Eagle

[Peter Connan]

Some really lovely birds from Botswana already!

 

Good call on the Batis, I think.

[Dave Williams]

Fair steaming ahead, some great shots too. 

[Galana]

6 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

I had lightened it up a fair bit during processing.

Can you perhaps put up a pre processing version of them for comparison?

[Kitsafari]

 

@Galana   here u go: 

 

 

I also recall that we saw a immature black chested snake eagle (pic below) in Serian in January 2018 and it bears good resemblance to this, which further supports your argument for a black-chested. 

 

Edited May 20, 2019 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

147/BW31: Cattle Egret, Khwai Reserve

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

148/BW32: Greater white Egret, Khwai Reserve

 

[Kitsafari]

149/BW33: Little Egret, Khwai Reserve

 

[Kitsafari]

150/BW34: Red-Necked Falcon, CKGR

 

I was very pleased to see this beauty in the semi-arid Kalahari desert, one of the preferred places  for this raptor in addition to savannah and other dry open country with some trees.  A medium-sized bird of prey, the red-necked falcon has two populations - one in India and the other in Africa. It posed very nicely atop a short bare tree. If you look closely at the second picture, you will see a second bird of prey, and not a falcon. 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

151/BW35: Red-footed Falcon, Nxai Pans

 

Formerly known as the western red-footed falcon, the bird of prey is a winter visitor from eastern Europe and northern Asia to Africa. the population is declining rapidly because of hunting and habitat destruction, resulting in a Near Threatened status in IUCN. Some conservation efforts were done in Hungary (the birds occupied some artifical colonies), Bulgaria (no bird had nested in artificial boxes by 2007) and Cyprus (anti-poaching efforts increased). 

 

[Kitsafari]

152/BW36: Scaly-feathered Finch, CKGR

 

Also known as scaly-feathered weaver, it is very well distributed in the Kalahari desert. this little finch with its cutie pinky bill was very friendly, landing at my feet and totally ignoring me while it scampered around looking for snacks on the ground. 

[Kitsafari]

153/BW37: Marico Flycatcher,  CKGR

 

part of the old world flycatcher, the marico FC is found mainly in the drier parts of southern Africa. 

 

[Kitsafari]

154/BW38: Chat Flycatcher, CKGR

 

I'm less confident about this FC - the guide called out chat flycatcher, but it looks so like the marico FC as well except that its frontal chest and belly is less white. so please let me if you have any doubts. 

 

Edited May 20, 2019 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

155/BW39: Swainson's Francolin, Khwai Reserve

 

[Kitsafari]

156/BW40: Egyptian Goose, Khwai Reserve

 

 

and babies well camouflaged in the grass

[Kitsafari]

157/BW41: Spur-winged Goose, Khwai Reserve

 

[TonyQ]

The Red-necked Falcon is a beauty!