Michael´s Fifth Year

[michael-ibk]

39/E39.) European Stonechat /Schwarzkehlchen

 

Gaisau, Tirol, 8/3/20. @pedro maia was complaining about "Bloody Stonechats" being everywhere on his home turf recently. Quite different for me, Stonechats are generally pretty rare in Austria these days (sharing the fate of most meadowbirds) and virtually absent from my area here in the Alps. So I was delighted to find a pair today - just goes to show that rarity makes birds much more exciting.

 

[pedro maia]

It’s hard to get excited with a Stonechat over here .

[michael-ibk]

40/E40.) Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) / Zilpzalp

 

Gaisau/Tirol, 12/3/20. Well, this Corona stuff is getting serious here in Austria with public life all but shutting down. So I needed something to cheer me up and went out. And indeed, birds don´t care that nobody is supposed to cross the border from Italy. My very first returning Chiffchaffs of the year  - made me happy to hear them, Spring is almost here.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

41/E41.) Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) / Rabenkrähe

 

Gaisau/Tirol, 12/3/20. Just to get it over with.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

42/E42.) Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) / Wacholderdrossel

 

Gaisau/Tirol, 12/3/20. More of a Winter guest in Austria but this area is a reliable place for them all year.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

43/E43.) Yellowhammer (Emberizza citrinella) / Goldammer

 

Gaisau/Tirol, 12/3/20. I´ve never seen so many of them here, counted more than 10! And all the males were giving it their very best, singing their heart out - lovely to hear.

 

 

 

 

 

[xelas]

Lovely birds in lovely weather, I am sure your have been cheered up by those songs&sights!

[Dave Williams]

The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is indeed a bit special, only seen one once, in Hungary.

[michael-ibk]

I saw one again today - no photo though!

[TonyQ]

Beautiful Yellowhammer, and it looks like beautiful weather 

[Galana]

Good to get out now and again and the birds were very cooperative. Lovely sequence. Please send us some Yellowhammers. They are almost extinct here on IOM.

[PeterHG]

Beautiful shots of the Yellowhammer! I hope your choice of the Carrion Crow did not have anything to do with the virus...;)

[shazdwn]

Funny, I have spent all this week in a room planning our state’s response to corona virus and my escape last night was also to go looking for birds. Good for the soul and I a saw a pretty special lifer so was very happy. Now to find the time to add it to my BY. 

[elefromoz]

@michael-ibk, lovely spring additions. Oh dear, someone near and dear is planning on being in Austria later in the year, not looking good at the moment..OTOH, other than Antarctica, where is?

[michael-ibk]

On 3/6/2020 at 4:03 PM, michael-ibk said:

Maybe I should report that I coughed twice yesterday and have a slight headache  today and get myself quarantined, then I´d be faster for sure.

 

Oh well, that was last week when I did not take this Corona stuff too seriously - yet. Cut to now. Being effectively grounded for the next week at least (probably longer) I have much time on my hands now. Which is at least a good thing for the Big Year, so here goes -  Tanzania. We visited the Selous, Ruaha, the Udzungwa Mountains and Mafia Island. Four pretty different habitats, so let´s see what I got. Spoiler: Some pretty remarkable ebcs.

 

As always, I am doing this in "scientific" order or I should rather say in the (slightly dated) order presented in Stevenson/Fanshawe´s "Birds of East Africa". A book I´m sorry to say I´ve lost some respect for. Usually these range maps are pretty reliable but definitely not for Southern Tanzania, a lot of mistakes in there.

 

All pictures from February 2020, 1st to 15th.

 

44/T1.) Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus) / Strauß

 

Ruaha. Only two sightings of this familiar safari bird, and both were very distant, so not exactly starting with a bang here.

 

Edited March 14, 2020 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

45/T2.) Long-Tailed aka Reed Cormorant (Phalacrocorax africanus) / Riedscharbe

 

Seen in the Selous (where photo was taken) and around Mafia Island, but never a lot of them. No White-Breasted Cormorants in this area. I was surprised to not see Darter (a bird that does occur). We also missed Pelicans.

 

Edited March 14, 2020 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

46/T3.) Dwarf Bittern (Ixobrychus sturmii) / Graurückendommel

 

One pretty shy individual seen in Ruaha two days in a row. Had my first sighting of this species last year in Botswana.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

47/T4.) Black-Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) / Nachtreiher

 

A few individuals around Chole Bay in Mafia Island. The weather was not exactly stellar there unfortunately.

 

[michael-ibk]

48/T5.) Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) / Kuhreiher

 

Seen everywhere but not as abundant as in other areas, actually struggled to get a half-decent photo. Here from Mafia, or Chole Island to be more specific.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

49/T6.) Striated Heron (Butorides striatus) / Mangrovereiher

 

A few on the Rufiji river in Selous, only one seen on the Ruaha river, and one bird around Mafia.

 

 

Surprisingly no Squacco Heron, not even seen.

 

[michael-ibk]

50/T7.) Dimorphic Egret (Egretta dimorpha) / Meerreiher

 

Common around Mafia. Is a bird a lifer if you have seen it before but had no interest in birds back then? I only recently realized I have seen Dimorphic on Zanzibar almost ten years ago but couldn´t have cared less about them. It also drove me mad seeing our pictures from there with a gazillion of waders apparently everywhere - of course we did not bother about them.

 

 

And here a very nice individual im prime breeding state:

 

 

[michael-ibk]

51/T8.) Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) Seidenreiher

 

Very common on Mafia, and a few indiviuals in Ruaha. Would you believe some people (eBird for example) claim Dimorphic and Little are one and the same species?

 

[michael-ibk]

52/T9.) Black Egret aka Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca) / Glockenreiher

 

Only a few birds in the Selous, and one distant flock in Mafia. Did not see them doing their umbrella thing this time.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

-/T10.) Great Egret (Casmerodius albus) / Silberreiher

 

Already seen at home. Common in Selous and Ruaha. Not sure if we saw any Intermediate as well, did check for them but never noticed any candidates.

 

 

 

Edited March 19, 2020 by michael-ibk
Wrong numbering

[michael-ibk]

53/T11.) Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) / Graureiher

 

Our European Heron. Not too common, a few birds in the Selous.

 

 

A pretty punk looking chick:

 

 

Edited March 19, 2020 by michael-ibk
Wrong numbering