Michael´s Sixth Year

[michael-ibk]

279/K22) Hartlaub´s Turaco (Tauraco hartlaubi) / Seidenturako

 

Nairobi NP, 10/11/21 and the Aberdares, 16/11. The beautiful signature bird of the Aberdares. Not too hard to find but always a tricky one to get reasonable pictures of since they like to hide higher up in the canopy.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

280/K23) Bare-Faced Go-Away-Bird (Corythaixoides personatus) / Braungesicht-Lärmvogel

 

Ol Kinyei, 11/11/21. Occasionaly seen in this reserve.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

281/K24) White-Bellied Go-Away-Bird (Corythaixoides leucogaster) / Weißbauch-Lärmvogel

 

Ol Pejeta, 21/11/21. A few scattered sightings here and there during the trip.

 

[michael-ibk]

282/K25) Blue-Headed Coucal (Centropus monachus) / Mönchskuckuck

 

Aberdares, 15/11/21. A good tick - while I have seen this bird in Gabon where it is the default Coucal (but by no means easy to see) this was my first sighting in East Africa. High up in the moorlands.

 

[michael-ibk]

283/K26) Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) / Häherkuckuck

 

Ol Pejeta, 19/11/21. A lifer for me, and a bird I´ve long wanted to see, so I was really delighted about this one. Caterpillars were all over the place in some areas in Ol Pejeta, and that certainly attracted Cuckoos and other birds with similar feeding habits.

 

 

A really beautiful cuckoo!

 

 

As you can see the Caterpillars were enormous.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

284/K27) Jacobin aka Pied Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus) / Jakobinerkuckuck

 

Aberdares, 16/11, and later two more in Ol Pejeta.

 

[michael-ibk]

285/K28) Dideric aka Diederik Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius) / Goldkuckuck

 

Ol Pejeta, 21/11/21. Quite common here, I often heard it. Sightings were more difficult, this youngster was the most cooperative individual.

 

 

The adults (here from Nairobi NP) are more beautiful but never got close to them.

 

 

The other two Green Cuckoos (Klaas' and Emerald) were around in good numbers in the Aberdares but only heard those.

[michael-ibk]

286/K29) African Cuckoo (Cuculus gularis) / Afrikanerkuckuck

 

Ol Kinyei, 14/11/21. Never 100 % sure about this species since they are awfully similiar to their "Common" cousin but I´m feeling quite good on this one - but stand to be corrected. Lots of yellow in the bill, quite faint barring on the breast. Also saw a few candidates in Ol Pejeta. All were silent - the call would make the ID a bit easier.

 

[michael-ibk]

-/K30) Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) / Kuckuck

 

Massai Mara, 13/11/21. At least I assume it´s a (1st year?) hepatic female Cuckoo but this bird quite confused me when I saw it.

 

 

 

Red-Chested Cuckoo was another one often heard in the Aberdares but (as is typical for that species) remained invisible.

[michael-ibk]

287/K31) Dusky aka Sombre Nightjar (Caprimulgus fraenatus) / Zügelnachtschwalbe

 

Ol Pejeta, 21/11/21. That´s my guess at least. This species does occur in Ol Pejeta and creamy "mark" on the coverts seems to be a good match. But Nightjar identification is way beyond my ID skills.

 

 

I also saw Abyssinian (according to my guide ) in Sandai and Freckled (again, according to the guides there) in Ol Pejeta.

[michael-ibk]

288/K32) Some Swift

289/K33) Some other Swift

 

Sorry for not being more specific. There was a good Swift and Swallow party in the Aberdares, dozens and dozens of individuals and they certainly looked (and flew) different.

 

 

Alpine is the only one easy to ID. But the others?  A nightmare - all look the same, even in the book I can hardly tell what the difference is supposed to be.

 

 

Maybe a Scarce Swift since the body shape seems to be somewhat slimmer.  But in my memory (which is totally unrealiable) this was a markedly bigger bird which is why I tended to Mottled.

 

 

And this? African Black? Mottled? Nyanza? I asked in birdforum and the Kenya birding FB group and got a dozen different answers. So I really don´t know, opinions very welcome! Cannot even exclude Common Swift although they have never been reported in the Aberdares.

 

 

And I´d guess Nyanza for this one in Ol Pejeta - that seems like a "lighter innerwing patch".

 

You might have noticed I think I have three different species here. But since I am so unsure I will just count two.

 

So come on now, my Big Year friends - this is the opportunity to prove your Swift ID mettle.

[michael-ibk]

290/K34) Little Swift (Apus affinis) / Haussegler

 

Ol Pejeta, 20/11. A Swift that at least has the decency to have some clearly definining traits.

 

[michael-ibk]

291/K35) White-Browed Coucal (Centropus superciliosus) / Weißbrauenkuckuck

 

Ol Pejeta, 21/11/21. Forgot to post this one in my GS Cuckoo excitement.

 

[Galana]

Your cuckoos and nightjars pass scrutiny. I will need longer to check out the swifts.

A great collection of sightings whatever they are.

[Galana]

14 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

But since I am so unsure I will just count two.

I think that wise and prudent. I 'think/guess/confirm' the first is Alpine 288? and 4th 289 is Nyanza.

The middle two are passes.

I don't think/fairly sure #2 is not Scarce (despite the name) but that does not help saying what it is, Any fool can say what it isn't, starting with Ostrich and proceeding through the book to Ortolan Bunting. I would linger over Mottled but it is 'going with the flow' as much as a firm ID.

#3. The dumpiness puts me in mind of White rumped but safer to leave it , which is a shame as it is your best shot of the bunch. Could even be Eurasian.

2 out of 3 ain't bad. Rest easy.

[Kitsafari]

wonderful collection! i've always envied your luck and skills with those turacos.

[michael-ibk]

Thanks for your efforts @Galana, appreciate it. Yes agree, better to just leave it with "Some Swift". Actually I had not included Alpine in my count at all (already seen in Austria this year), but thought two out of three (probably Nyanza, maybe Mottled and a different one probably not Common) still was a reasonable bet. 

Edited December 24, 2021 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

292/K36) Black Crake (Zapornia flavirostra) / Schwarzkielralle

 

Nairobi NP, 10/11/21. An unusually clear sighting of this skulker. I saw another one later in the Aberdares, down in the Salient - my first sighting there.

 

 

-/K37) Eurasian Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) / Teichhuhn

 

Also in Nairobi NP, the same pond.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

293/K37) Grey Crowned-Crane (Balearica regulorum) / Südafrikanischer Kronenkranich

 

Ol Pejeta, 21/11/21. Not many of them around this time (probably too dry), this was the only photo opportunity.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

294/K38) Spotted Thick-Knee (Burhinus capensis) / Kaptriel

 

Ol Pejeta, 20/11/21. The only sighting. No Water Thick-Knees this time.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

295/K39) Blacksmith Lapwing (Vanellus armatus) / Waffenkiebitz

 

Ol Pejeta, 19/11/21. Just a few individuals in that reserve.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

296/K40) Spur-Winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus) / Spornkiebitz

 

Nairobi NP, 10/11/21. Abundant here. Only a few later in the Mara.

 

[michael-ibk]

297/K41) Crowned Lapwing (Vanellus coronatus) / Kronenkiebitz

 

Ol Pejeta, 21/11/21. Common in NNP, the Mara and here. Almost forgot to take a photo.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

298/K42) Kittlitz‘s Plover (Charadrius pecuarius) / Hirtenregenpfeifer

 

Ol Pejeta, 20/11/21. Lots of them in one particular area here, not seen anywhere else surprisingly.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

299/K43) Three-Banded Plover (Charadrius tricollaris) / Dreiband-Regenpfeifer

 

Nairobi NP, 10/11/21. The classic African Plover.