Michael´s Sixth Year

[shazdwn]

🤣🤣🤣

[Soukous]

17 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Thanks, I know - I am that good.

 

we've known it all along Michael 

[michael-ibk]

Thanks for the reassurance Martin, appreciate the confidence! Try as I might I´m afraid I won´t be able to keep up the high quality of my first entry.

 

259/K2) Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus) / Strauß

 

Massai Mara, 10/11/21. More common in the main reserve than in Ol Kinyei Conservancy

 

 

In Ol Kinyei I saw them actively breeding - don´t remember having observed that before. I found it quite surprising how conspicous their eggs are, really sticking out and well visible from afar.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

260/K3) Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) / Nilgans

 

Ol Kinyei, 13/11/21. Common everywhere I went, and I almost forgot to take a photo. I checked, apparently not sighted this year in Europe.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

261/K4) African Black Duck (Anas sparsa) / Schwarzente

 

Aberdares, 15/11. One of the rarer Duck species. Not really surprising to get them in the Aberdares, but by no means a given.

 

[michael-ibk]

262/K5) Yellow-Billed Duck (Anas undulata) / Gelbschnabelente

 

Aberdares, 16/11. Quite a distant shot. This is normally an easy target but did not see many of them this trip.

 

[michael-ibk]

263/K6) Red-Billed Teal or Duck (Anas erythrorhyncha) / Rotschnabelente

 

Ol Pejeta, 22/11/21. One sighting only. This was not really a trip for water-based birds, even the marshes in Ol Pejeta were dry. Might have been my first safari ever without Pied Kingfisher or African Fish Eagle!

 

Edited December 21, 2021 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

264/K7) Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) / Helmperlhuhn

 

Ol Pejeta, 22/11. On my very last morning on the way out of the park I remembered I "needed" a photo of them.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

265/K8.) Crested Francolin (Ortygornis sephaena) / Schopffrankolin

 

Ol Kinyei, 11/11/21. One sighting here, and then some more in Ol Pejeta. Quite a common bird but never around in huge numbers like other Francolins.

 

[michael-ibk]

266/K9) Jackson´s Francolin (Pternistis jacksoni) / Jacksonfrankolin

 

Aberdares, 15/11/21. The common Francolin in the bamboo and moorland zone of the park. Many of them were having young ones, always nice to see.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

267/K10) Scaly Francolin (Pternistis squamatus) / Schuppenfrankolin

 

Aberdares, 15/11/21. The slightly less attractive cousin inhabiting the lower zones of the park in the Salient. Not quite as abundant but still pretty much guaranteed.

 

[michael-ibk]

268/K11) Yellow-Necked Francolin (Pternistis leucoscepus) / Gelbkehlfrankolin

 

Nairoibi NP, 10/11/21. Regularly seen here and in Ol Pejeta.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

269/K12) Rameron aka Olive Pigeon (Columba arquatrix) / Oliventaube

 

Aberdares, 18/11. Quite proud of this one, almost in my Somali Ostrich league. Distant flyover very early morning.

 

[michael-ibk]

270/K13) Dusky Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia lugens)

 

Aberdares, 16/11/21. For a Pigeon I was almost excited to see this one. An abundant species in Ethiopia but I have never seen it anywhere else. Another one was in Nairobi NP.

 

[michael-ibk]

271/K14) Red-Eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata) / Halbmondtaube

 

Aberdares, 16/11/21. Seen and especially heard everywhere. Their "I-am-the-Red-Eyed-Dove" is easy to memorise. More so than to remember to try to get decent photos of Pigeons actually!

 

[michael-ibk]

272/K15) Ring-Necked Dove (Streptopelia capicola) / Gurrtaube

 

Sandai Farm, 15/11. One of Africa´s most common birds

 

BTW, in case you´re wondering about my posting order - I have fully succumbed to ebird because it really works nicely as a database and am following their taxonomic order here. Quite different from the presentation in most bird books.

 

[michael-ibk]

273/K16) Emerald-Spotted Wood-Dove (Turtur chalcospilos) / Bronzeflecktaube

 

Ol Pejeta, 20/11/21. A regular but more heard than seen. I´m quite fond of their pretty melancholic song actually.

 

[michael-ibk]

274/K17) Tambourine Dove (Turtur tympanistria) / Tamburintaube

 

Aberdares, 15/11/21. Just to prove that I can be excited about Doves! Have only seen this shy species once before (in Kakamega). My driver Isaaiah even called it the "bird of the day" for him.

 

[michael-ibk]

275/K18) Black-Faced Sandgrouse (Pterocles decoratus) / Schmuckflughuhn

 

Ol Kinyei, 11/11. Only seen here. Oddly ebird thought that was an unusual sighting in this area which made little sense to me. (When the app thinks something is unusual it notifies you and requests additional comments. I normally write "seen well" then. Until the regional watchdogs complain. :-))

 

Edited December 21, 2021 by michael-ibk

[Galana]

A nice bunch. Like you I tended to ignore doves as they fly up annoyingly as you drive along looking for 'something interesting'! But, beware, once you start taking an interest they can become very absorbing and you can end up driving your companions mad from boredom as you stop to look at 'bloody pigeons.' Even at risk of missing your connection at ADD as you seek the White collared that is regularly seen there.

My best sightings of Dusky Turtle was in Sheldricks Orphanage in Nairobi. Quite a split demand on my time.

[PeterHG]

You even made the Doves and Pigeon section interesting! Quite a collection of them as well.

[michael-ibk]

6 hours ago, Galana said:

Even at risk of missing your connection at ADD as you seek the White collared that is regularly seen there.

 

You know, I can´t find that right now, but I remember for sure "Big Yearing live" from an Addis stopover with a glorious mobile photo of a White Collared. :-)

[michael-ibk]

276/K19) Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori) / Riesentrappe

 

Ol Pejeta, 20/11. Most common there but also seen in the Mara.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

277/K20) White-Bellied Bustard (Eupodotis senegalensis) / Senegaltrappe

 

Ol Pejeta, 20/11/21. Seen regularly here.

 

[michael-ibk]

278/K21) Black-Bellied Bustard (Lissotis melanogaster) / Schwarzbauchtrappe

 

Ol Pejeta, 21/11. Not as common as its White-Bellied cousin. Always checked carefully if one could be a (very similar-looking) Hartlaub´s but no luck with that.