What will almost certainly be a quiet little year - Soukous 2019

[Soukous]

#113 - Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill - Tockus leucomelas

Hwange NP, Zimbabwe. May 2019

 

 

[Soukous]

#114 - African Openbill (Open-billed Stork) - Anastomus lamelligerus

Hwange NP,  Zimbabwe. May 2019

 

 

[Soukous]

#115 - African Spoonbill - Platalea alba

Hwange NP, Zimbabwe. May 2019

 

 

 

 

[xelas]

Now I know where all the blue of the sky is hidding .

[pedro maia]

42 minutes ago, xelas said:

Now I know where all the blue of the sky is hidding .

 

No you don´t .

[Peter Connan]

Stunning spoonbill shots Martin!

[Soukous]

12 minutes ago, Peter Connan said:

Stunning spoonbill shots Martin!

 

Thanks Peter.

We didn't see many spoonbills, but this one was very obliging.

It was an unusual trip in many ways.

Although I did manage to get some lovely shots of some species, and managed to get some I hadn't seen in ages, others seemed to be completely absent from the area. We saw few raptors, hardly any shrikes and few seed-eaters or buntings. 

[Peter Connan]

I often find it amazing how people visiting basically the same area see different species than others.

 

Or more accurately, how people visiting areas that I have been to several times manage to post several birds that I have never seen...

[Galana]

9 hours ago, Soukous said:

and what's this about Field Guides???? I thought you had it all in your head. An illusion shattered. 

Illusions are meant to be shattered. Any lady would tell you that.

I could add that 99.9% in head but a Field guide is a comfort from time to time.

 

Of course another popular illusion appears to be a suggestion that 2019 was what will almost certainly be a quiet little year. For whom?

[Dave Williams]

I love the light and detail on the Openbill, a great capture.

[Zim Girl]

Good start with the Zim birds @Soukous, I also love the Spoonbill.

[Soukous]

#116 - Egyptian Goose - Alopochen aegyptiaca

Ngorongoro Crater, tanzania - Feb 2019

 

 

Zambezi National Park, Zimbabwe. May 2019

 

 

[Soukous]

#117 - Spur-winged Goose - Plectopterus gambensis

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Feb 2019

 

 

Zambezi NP, Zimbabwe. May 2019

 

 

 

[Soukous]

#118 - Knob-billed Duck / Comb Duck - Sarkidiornis melanotos

Hwange NP, Zimbabwe, May 2019

 

 

Zambezi NP, Zimbabwe. May 2019

 

 

 

Edited May 29, 2019 by Soukous

[Soukous]

#119 - Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis

Hwange NP, Zimbabwe. May 2019

 

 

[Soukous]

#120 - Black-crowned Tchagra - Tchagra senegalus

Hwange NP, Zimbabwe. May 2019

 

 

 

[Soukous]

21 hours ago, Galana said:

Of course another popular illusion appears to be a suggestion that 2019 was what will almost certainly be a quiet little year. For whom?

 

for me of course. A little bit of excitement in the first 6 months will be followed by a very quiet second 6 months. 

[Soukous]

#121 - Southern Grey-headed Sparrow - Passer diffusus

Hwange NP & Zambezi NP, Zimbabwe. May 2019.

 

 

So now for the challenge. Are these also Grey-headed Sparrows?

 

We had some very extensive debate about the next images. I had 3 guides scouring their books to try and work out what this bird is

 

 

None of them could ID the bird. My guess ( and it is only a guess) is that they are immature or non-breeding Grey-headed Sparrows.

 

I think these are as well.

 

What does the panel of experts think?

[Galana]

4 hours ago, Soukous said:

What does the panel of experts think?

Well I dispute any claim of expertise but I don't even thin your Grey-headed Sparrow is what you say. My money is on it being an African Silverbill.

That then throws open your others...

My books are at home but the next two look awfully like Speckle-fronted Weavers, the moustache is just forming, but there is another similar looking bird Scaly feathered Finch. The head/crown is wrong for both though so, unless these patterns come later, I am no help at all.

[michael-ibk]

Hate to be a nay-sayer @Galana but neither Silverbill nor Speckle-Fronteds even occur in Hwange, both are more East Africa birds. The first photo is a bit too greyish for a Sparrow IMO, but the next three could well be juveniles ones. Will take a flip through the books later.

 

Edit: What about a juv. Bronze Mannikin for the first one?

Edited May 30, 2019 by michael-ibk

[Soukous]

As @michael-ibk has already mentioned, Hwange NP (nor anywhere else in Zimbabwe ) is not part of the the African Silverbill range. It occurs much further north.

However I am inclined to agree that my Grey-headed Sparrow is not a Grey-headed Sparrow. 

 

here's another image of the same bird

 

[lmSA84]

I’m only working off the Roberts App but I have to say that they all look like Southern Grey Headed Sparrow to me. The juveniles / non breeding have yellow-horn bills which I think aligns with collection of three photos. Then for the adult I wonder if the harsh sun / angle is dulling the chestnut back and the white wing bar. Other options I thought of and dismissed are brown backed honeybird (wrong bill) and lesser honeyguide. 

[PeterHG]

 

6 hours ago, lmSA84 said:

Other options I thought of and dismissed are brown backed honeybird (wrong bill) and lesser honeyguide. 

Funny, I thought about the Lesser Honeyguide, too, for a moment. Couldn't decide, though.

[Soukous]

Thanks @lmSA84 & @PeterHG - I have been struggling with these birds for almost 2 weeks now. 

My starting point was that my guide identified the first bird as a Southern Grey-headed Sparrow. The light is dreadful, but I just cannot see what else it might be.

I came to the conclusion that the others must also be Grey-headed Sparrows (either immature or non-breeding) based on one of the photos on the Roberts app. 

I have looked at so many possible alternatives and none of them are as close, either due to plumage or distribution.

 

[Soukous]

#122 - Water Thick-knee - Burhinus vermiculatus

Hwange NP, Zimbabwe. May 2019

 

 

 

Zambezi NP, Zimbabwe. may 2019