Michael´s Fifth Year

[michael-ibk]

240/T196.) Sulphur-Breasted Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus sulfureopectus) / Orangebrustwürger

 

A few frustratingly distant sightings in Ruaha.

 

[michael-ibk]

241/T197.) Grey-Headed Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus blanchoti) / Graukopfwürger

 

Similarly reclusive in Ruaha, needed manual focus to get a picture at all.

 

[michael-ibk]

242/T198.) Northern White-Crowned aka White-Rumped Shrike (Eurocephalus rueppelli) / Rüppelwürger

 

A few sightings in Ruaha.

 

[michael-ibk]

243/T199.) White-Crested Helmet-Shrike (Prionops plumatus) / Weißschopf-Brillenvanga

 

A flock in Ruaha performed nicely for us. Fantastically weird-looking birds, I really like them.

 

 

Not sure I´ve ever seen a juv. before.

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by michael-ibk

[Galana]

Coming along nicely. We need more information. What had you done to get kicked out of Lake Manze Camp?

[michael-ibk]

Now for that one you will have to wait for the trip report.

[Soukous]

4 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

where we stayed a night after being kicked out of Lake Manze Camp.

 

Ooh, a teaser for the TR. I've never been kicked out of a camp, sounds like fun.

[michael-ibk]

53 minutes ago, Soukous said:

I've never been kicked out of a camp, sounds like fun.

 

Actually it was.

[michael-ibk]

244/T200.) Fork-Tailed Drongo (Dicurus adsimilis) / Trauerdrongo

 

Another well-known bird, common in both the Selous and Ruaha.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

245/T201.) Square-Tailed Drongo (Dicrurus ludwigii) / Geradschwanzdrongo

 

Another one from the ebc treasure chamber, the Udzungwa Mountains.

 

[michael-ibk]

246/T202.) House Crow (Corvus splendens) / Glanzkrähe

 

Common on the Coast. Not a welcome bird there, it´s an introduced Crow and considered quite a pest.

 

[michael-ibk]

247/T203.) Pied Crow (Corvus albus) / Schildrabe

 

Only two sightings on Chole Island. In direct competition with the House Crow, and judging by the numbers it seems to already have lost that battle.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

248/T204.) African Black-Headed Oriole (Oriolus larvatus) / Schwarzmaskenpirol

 

One sighting in the Selous. Mistook it for a Green-Headed Oriole there (which would have been a lifer for me) but it´s a juv. BH.

 

[michael-ibk]

249/T205.) Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) / Pirol

 

Delighted about this beautiful but incredibly tricky bird.  This one chose a fortunate perch for us, some distance from our treehouse on Chole Island. Will probably be on its way back home to Europe right now.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

250/T206.) African Golden Oriole (Oriolus auratus) / Goldpirol

 

Another good species to get, two sightings in Ruaha.

 

[michael-ibk]

251/T207.) Yellow-Billed Oxpecker (Buphagus africanus) / Gelbschnabelmadenhacker

 

The default Oxpecker in both Ruaha and the Selous.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

252/T208.) Red-Billed Oxpecker (Buphagus erythrorhynchus) / Rotschnabel-Madenhacker

 

Did not see one on safari, only "found" this one back home in front of the PC.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

253/T209.) Ashy Starling (Cosmopsarus unicolor) / Grauglanzstar

 

The dominant Starling in Ruaha, a new one for me. Poor guy, God seems to have forgotten about him when distributing colours to Starlings.

 

[michael-ibk]

254/T210.) Miombo Blue-Eared Starling (Lamprotornis elisabeth) / Elisabethglanzstar

 

Common in the Selous - at least I think so. Contrary to "Birds of Eastern Africa" Greater Blue-Eared also occurs there in good numbers and it´s very tricky to tell them apart. In good light, however, this species displays a beautiful magenta on the belly. Some authorities treat it as a subspecies of the Lesser Blue-Eared Starling.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

255/T211.) Greater Blue-Eared Starling (Lamprotornis chalybaeus) / Grünschwanz-Glanzstar

 

Also from the Selous, see above. Fairly certain about this one, note the big earcoverts. And even when boosting the magenta slider all the way to the right the colour would not react.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

256/T212.) Black-Bellied Starling (Lamprotornis corruscus) / Schwarzbauch-Glanzstar

 

The dominant Starling on the Coast. Quite common on Mafia. Adult and juvenile.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

257/T213.) Violet-Backed Starling (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster) / Amethyst-Glanzstar

 

One sighting in Ruaha.

 

[michael-ibk]

258/T214.) Wattled Starling (Creatophora cinerea) / Lappenstar

 

One juvenile in the Selous, probably lost its flock.

 

[michael-ibk]

259/T215.) Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus) / Dreifarben-Glanzstar

 

A superb name for a superb bird. Common in the more open areas in Ruaha.

 

[michael-ibk]

On to the next big chapter - Weavers & Friends:

 

260/T216.) Speckle-Fronted Weaver (Sporopipes frontalis) / Schuppenkopfweber

 

A very neat little Weaver which is delightfully common in Ruaha. Only have seen this one in Chad before.