Michael´s Fifth Year

[michael-ibk]

114/T70.) Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) / Sandregenpfeifer

 

One of our Palearctic migrants. Two sightings on Mafia Island.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

115/T71.) Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) / Flussregenpfeifer

 

"My" Austrian Plover, the only one breeding in the Alps. A very good record for the Selous, it does not venture that far South normally, so an unusual sighting there.

 

[michael-ibk]

116/T72.) Lesser Sandplover (Charadrius mongolus) / Mongolenregenpfeifer

 

Another wader I had really hoped to see on the Coast, and got lucky. Lifer. Only two or three of them on the sandbanks.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

117/T73.) Greater Sandplover (Charadrius leschenaultii) / Wüstenregenpfeifer

 

And another lifer. And even better, unlike little brother it already wore its breeding plumage.

 

Well, at least one did.

 

[michael-ibk]

118/T74.) Grey (or Black-Bellied) Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) / Kiebitzregenpfeifer

 

A few distant birds on Mafia Island.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

119/T75.) Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) / Flussuferläufer

 

True to its name the most common Wader we saw it everywhere we went. Photos from Mafia (or Chole Island to be more accurate) and Ruaha.

 

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

120/T76.) Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) / Bruchwasserläufer

 

Often the most common Wader on safari but here we didn´t see more than ten I´d say.

 

[michael-ibk]

121/T77.) Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) / Grünschenkel

 

One distant bird in the Selous, and a few on Mafia.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

122/T78.) Little Stint (Calidris minuta) / Zwergstrandläufer

 

Often occurring in big flocks but this litte guy on Mafia was the only one we saw.

 

[michael-ibk]

123/T79.) Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) /Sichelstrandläufer

 

One group on Mafia Island.

 

[michael-ibk]

124/T80.) Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) / Regenbrachvogel

 

Quite common on Mafia Island.

 

 

Delighted as I was about Crab-Plovers and the two Sandplovers I was a bit disappointed with Wader sightings. Lapwings aside, very few on the mainland which quite surprised me given how perfect Southern Tanzania appeared to be for them with the amount of water everywhere. No Ruffs, no Kittlitz, and I was also sorry to miss Marsh and especially Terek Sandpiper I had really hoped for.

[michael-ibk]

Also no Gulls which I found quite odd, so fastforward to

 

125/T81.) Lesser Crested Tern (Sterna bengalensis) / Rüppelseeschwalbe

 

Terns were flying by quite regularly but I had a hard time figuring out which ones. They all looked the same under the grey skies, so only at home I became sure I had three. Lesser Crested is another lifer for me.

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

126/T82.) Greater Crested Tern (Sterna bergii) / Eilseeschwalbe

 

Very similar but the bill is stronger and more yellow than orange-hued. Only saw them before at the Cape of Good Hope.

 

[TonyQ]

I really like the plovers and lapwings, always a pleasure to see them

[michael-ibk]

127/T83.) Saunders´s Tern (Sterna saundersi) / Orientseeschwalbe

 

Ebc as the photo may be, another new one for me. Could theoreticaly be a Little Tern (the two are not safely separable in the field) but Little is a very rare vagrant in the region whereas Saunders´s is common.

 

[michael-ibk]

Thank you Tony, I like the Waders a lot myself.

 

Up next - the most exciting birds of them all. Pigeons ....

[xelas]

1 hour ago, michael-ibk said:

Up next - the most exciting birds of them all. Pigeons ....

 

Some of pigeons are indeed very exciting birds ... sadly not those found in Europe 

[michael-ibk]

128/T84.) Black-Faced Sandgrouse (Pterocles decoratus) / Maskenflughuhn

 

Seen now and then in Ruaha. Male and Female here.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

129/T85.) African Green Pigeon (Treron calva) / Rotnasen-Grüntaube

 

Definitely my favourite of Africa´s Pigeons. Ruaha had a few ripe fig trees and that´s where these birds are always found of course.

 

[michael-ibk]

130/T86.) Emerald-Spotted Wood Dove (Turtur chalcospilos) / Bronzefklecktäubchen

 

Common in Ruaha but not the easiest one to get.

 

[michael-ibk]

131/T87.) Blue-Spotted Wood-Dove (Turtur afer) / Stahlflecktaube

 

Generally found in moister habitats than its cousin. Seen a couple of times in Udzungwa but quite shy.

 

Edited March 24, 2020 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

132/T88.) Namaqua Dove (Oena capensis) / Kaptäubchen

 

Scarce. A single one in the Selous, and a handful of sightings in Ruaha.

 

[Peter Connan]

What a set of doves!

[michael-ibk]

133/T89.) Ring-Necked Dove (Streptopelia capicola) / Kapturteltaube

 

I guess this must be one of Africa´s most numerous birds.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

134/T90.) Red-Eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata) / Halbmondtaube

 

A few in Udzungwa (where I took the photo) but very common in Mafia where I did not bother for them so I have no excuse for not getting a better photo.