Zvezda & Alex Part V: The Hare Strikes Back

[xelas]

BY 116 / UG 080

Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola

 

QENP - Ishasha sector, 17-Feb-2020

[xelas]

BY 117 / UG 081

Green Sandpiper - Tringa ochropus

 

Lake Mburo, 27-Feb-2020

 

[xelas]

BY 118 / UG 082

Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia

 

QENP - Kazinga channel, 14-Feb-2020

[xelas]

BY 119 / UG 083

Little Temminck's Stint - Calidris minuta

 

QENP - Kasenyi sector, 15-Feb-2020

Edited April 22, 2020 by xelas

[xelas]

BY 120 / UG 084

Curlew Sandpiper - Calidris ferruginea

 

QENP - Kazinga channel, 14-Feb-2020

[xelas]

BY 121 / UG 085

African Snipe - Gallinago nigripennis

 

QENP - Ishasha sector, 17-Feb-2020

[xelas]

BY 122 / UG 086

Grey-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus

 

QENP - Kazinga channel, 14-Feb-2020

[xelas]

BY 123 / UG 087

Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus

 

QENP - Kazinga channel, 14-Feb-2020

[xelas]

BY 124 / UG 088

Gull-billed Tern - Gelochelidon nilotica

 

 

QENP - Kazinga channel, 14-Feb-2020

[xelas]

BY 125 / UG 089

White-winged Tern - Chlidonias leucopterus

 

QENP - Kazinga channel, 14-Feb-2020

[Dave Williams]

Are you sure that's a Gull-billed Tern? 

The Ringed Plover looked like there was a face behind it then I realised...there was!

More excellent photos, looking forward to more.

[michael-ibk]

Lovely selection of Waders! Not completely sure but the legs of the Little Stint look somewhat yellowish - might be Temminck´s?

[xelas]

2 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Are you sure that's a Gull-billed Tern? 

Yes.

 

2 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

might be Temminck´s?

Could be. Indeed legs, while muddy, do look more yellow then black. Anyone else has the same impression? @Galana ??

[Galana]

1 hour ago, xelas said:

4 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Are you sure that's a Gull-billed Tern? 

Yes.

I am not so sure. It looks like you may have reversed 124/125 captions. i.e. 125 is the Gull-billed. Not really sure about the White-winged. Like shooting it may be sporting to hit flying birds but it's a darn sight easier to catch them perched.

 

3 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

might be Temminck´s?

Could be. Indeed legs, while muddy, do look more yellow then black. Anyone else has the same impression? @Galana ??

I could go with that.

Or one of each?

 

[xelas]

One of each would be pushing it too much so I have accepted the yellow legs, and corrected the name accodingly. Thank you both @michael-ibk and @Galana. Please keep your eyes sharp as more complicated birds will come more frequently, and thus also my wrong ID.

[xelas]

The Terns Case

 

Here is my reasoning to support my original ID. But first, a perching bird for @Galana.

 

Gull-billed Tern

 

Here are both culprits:

 

 

There are several obvious differences between the two:

- the colour of the upper part of the wings: very light at Gull-bill and darker at White-winged

- the colour of the legs: black at Gull-billed and red at White-winged

- the black patch in front and at the back of the eye: pronounced at White-winged

 

#125 has all of the marks: dark wings, red legs and pronounced patches in front and at the back of the eye; I have no doubt about  being a White-winged Tern in flight

#124 has pale wings and dark on the head does not extend below the eye level; on the photo legs colour is not very well visible but enlarging the original photo, feet is black.

 

@Dave Williams and @Galana, please comment on my findings, as with identifying birds I am still in the beginner's classroom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2020 by xelas

[xelas]

However, just to keep the Big Year count going on, here are both birds again:

 

#124 Gull-billed Tern (with a juvenile Grey-headed Gull)

 

#125 White-winged Tern

[Dave Williams]

For a "beginner" you are certainly demonstrating a desire to read up on the detail Alex. I thought the bill on the original shot looked too thin but I'll go with your ID. 

[xelas]

I am an apprentice of a really tough master craftsman ! He will not let me go to the intermediate level until I will be confident with visible details.

[Galana]

1 hour ago, xelas said:

 and @Galana, please comment on my findings, as with identifying birds I am still in the beginner's classroom.

Well done. You are showing lots of promise.. But you see how much easier it is for ID when the beggars are at rest? Leg's down, beak closed.

There are no rules in Big Year. The name of the game is to show the bird with enough marks to positively ID it or not enough for anybody else to satisfactorily  challenge it!   There are no prizes for artistic merit.

 

Keep it up!

[Soukous]

1 hour ago, Galana said:

There are no rules in Big Year. The name of the game is to show the bird with enough marks to positively ID it or not enough for anybody else to satisfactorily  challenge it!   There are no prizes for artistic merit.

 

But there is personal satisfaction, and didn't we agree that the bird must still be alive? 

[xelas]

Now that Terns have been sorted out, a less problematic species to ID.

 

BY 126 / UG 090

African Green Pigeon - Treron calvus

 

Bwindi - Ruhija, 21-Feb-2020

[xelas]

BY 127 / UG 091

Speckled Pigeon - Columba guinea

 

Kaku swamp, 29-Feb-2020

[xelas]

BY 128 / UG 092

African Olive Pigeon - Columba bollii

 

Bwindi - Ruhija, 23-Feb-2020

[xelas]

BY 129 / UG 093

Emerald-spotted Wood Dove - Turtur chalcospilos

 

Lake Mburo, 29-Feb-2020