Kit & Herman Year 2

[Kitsafari]

178/BW62: Long-toed Lapwing, Khwai Reserve

 

I don't see this species often, and the few times I see it, it's "unusually long" toes are conveniently hidden in the grasses. it was the only one we saw, although the species is reported to be typically in small groups of 10-40. 

 

[Kitsafari]

179/BW63:  Chestnut-backed Sparrow Lark, CKGR

 

Female

 

Male: 

[Kitsafari]

180/BW64: Fawn-coloured Lark, CKGR

 

Widely spread out in Africa. 

 

[Kitsafari]

181/BW65: Red-capped Lark, CKGR

 

Yes, we were stopping for quite a few LBJs on the ground! I was sure there were other species, but had to restrain myself. 

 

[Kitsafari]

182/BW66: Rufous-naped Lark, CKGR

 

One of my favourite LBJs because its melodic songs carry far and wide on the African savannah. But this time, they weren't very cooperative. in the second pix, there was a quarrelling pair. 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

183/BW67:  Red-faced Mousebird, CKGR

 

A species found in southern Africa, it likes thickets in savannahs, fynbos scrubs and wooded areas. 

 

[Kitsafari]

184/BW68: Square-tailed Nightjar, Khwai Reserve

 

I'm not 100% confident of this ID after googling this species, but the guide called it, unless others feel otherwise? 

We did one night drive in Khwai Reserve, circling the area and driving along the main road from Maun that enters the reserve. Also known as the Gabon (despite that name, it is found mainly in western Gabon) or Mozambique nightjar, it is distributed south of the equator in Africa.

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

185/BW69: Fiery-necked Nightjar, Khwai Reserve

 

Another nightjar that was warming on the gravel road. 

Wikepedia says its distinctive call sounds like "good-lord-deliver-us" what a fascinating tidbit, shame it didn't call when we were watching it. 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

186/BW70: Common Ostrich, CKGR/Nxai Pans

 

I found this little nugget from Siyabona Africa's website that told a fascinating story about the ostrich: I love these little stories: 

"The bushman people believe that the ostrich cannot fly because god gave them the secret of fire and told ostrich to guard it at all costs, so the ostrich put the secret under his wing and vowed never to open them. Man however managed to trick ostrich and steal the secret but ostrich to this day keeps his promise to protect the secret from others and does not fly."

 

an immature ostrich

 

[Kitsafari]

187/BW71: Spotted Eagle Owl, CKGR

 

Well, at least we could see its face, and one beady eye watching us watching it. 

Edited May 25, 2019 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

188/BW72: Verreaux's Eagle-Owl, Khwai Reserve

 

shaky hands make for fuzzy photo. I was sitting on the wrong side of the vehicle. 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

189/BW73: Buffy Pipit, Khwai

 

only two pipit species to grapple with,and still they cause confusion.......

 

 

190/BW74: Plain-backed Pipit, CKGR

 

[Kitsafari]

191/bw75: Blacksmith Plover, CKGR/Nxai Pans, Khwai

 

Such a common but still beautiful bird. 

 

[Kitsafari]

192/BW76: Caspian  Plover , MP

 

[Kitsafari]

193/BW77: Three-banded Plover, Khwai 

 

[Kitsafari]

194/BW78: Black-winged Pratincole,  Khwai

 

This is considered a wader but it seems to like to take insects on the wing like swallows but also does a fair share of looking for prey on the ground. it is a migratory bird, wintering from Europe in AFrica. 

 

[Galana]

Keeping us in suspense for the 200

And you may be relived to know that I don't pack my African Field guides when not going to Africa.

Not often one gets a photogenic YB Kite to pose.

[Kitsafari]

@Galana thanks.... 200th coming up and I'm still deciding although I may have one in mind....

 

195/BW79: Black-chested Prinia, Khwai

 

Considered as part of the cisticola family, the black-chested prinia is found mainly in southern Africa, mainly in the drier western and central parts.

 

[Kitsafari]

196/bw80: Green-winged Pytilia, Camp Kalahari grounds

 

Supposedly widespread in sub-saharan Africa, the pytilia was hopping on the ground but hiding behind the bushes when I took a step forward. when i stood still, it slowly emerged but not fully out of the grasses. This was early morning on the grounds near the swimming pool of Camp Kalahari - there were lots of birds around.

 

this was a female. 

 

[Kitsafari]

197/BW81:  Kalahari Scrub Robin, CKGR

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

The Red-capped Lark and the Caspian Plover are particularly beautiful birds

[Kitsafari]

198/BW82: White-browed Scrub Robin, CKGR

 

I'm not confident of this ID but it does seems like a pale version of the white-browed scrub robin due to the angle of the shot. Let me know if you think otherwise please. 

 

[Kitsafari]

I thought so too @TonyQ.

 

199/BW83: Ruff, Khwai

 

This is a wader and a winter visitor to Africa, southern Asia and Australia. 

 

[Kitsafari]

 

200/FH01: Red-headed Trogon, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, April 2019

 

For my 200th, I went through my list of Botswana birds and while they are all lovely, none of them could compare with this memorable and special red bird. So, i'm temporarily breaking up my Botswana list for a beaut. 

we made a weekend trip up to the hill station on Fraser's Hill, and I was very pleased to find my main target, the red-headed trogon. Distributed in the Himalayas, Bhutan, Bangladesh through Myanmar to southern China and down to Southeast Asia. the population is reckoned to be declining as habitat is being destroyed. 

The male has an all red-breast while the female spots a brown breast. 

 

male: 

 

female: 

Edited May 25, 2019 by Kitsafari

[xelas]

Gorgeus, both arriving at 200 birds and the bird itself! Congratulations!