Michael´s Sixth Year

[Peter Connan]

Magnificent stuff! Great birds, lovely photos, incredible total!

[michael-ibk]

Thanks Alex and Peter. Quite a few more coming up.

 

316/K64) African Harrier-Hawk (Polyboroides typus) / Höhlenweihe

 

Aberdares, 15/11/21. Just one very distant sighting of this raptor.

 

 

I‘ll try to make up for this rubbish photo with a pretty cool Black-Winged Kite (K65) sighting in the Mara:

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

317/K66) African Cuckoo-Hawk (Avideda cuculoides) / Kuckucksweih

 

Aberdares, 15/11/21. A lifer - so a big highlight for me to finally see this unusual raptor.

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

318/K67) White-Headed Vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis) / Wollkopfgeier

 

Massai Mara, 13/11/21. One far-up sighting here - my first one in East Africa, I‘ve only seen this Vulture in Zambia before.

 

[michael-ibk]

319/K68) Lappet-Faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) / Ohrengeier

 

Ol Kinyei, 13/11/21. A huge Vulture - very impressive bird.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

320/K69) White-Backed Vulture (Gyps africanus) / Weißrückengeier

 

Ol Kinyei, 13/11/21. The classic African Vulture. Common in the Mara - surprisingly no Vultures at all in Ol Pejeta.

 

[michael-ibk]

321/K70) Rüppel´s Griffon aka Vulture (Gyps rueppelli) / Sperbergeier

 

Ol Kinyei, 13/11. Just this one sighting.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

322/K71) Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) / Gaukler

 

Ol Pejeta, 20/11/21. Normally a fairly easy one to get but this time it was only willing to feature in the ebc league.

 

[michael-ibk]

333/K72) Black-Chested Snake-Eagle (Circaetus pectoralis) / Schwarzbrust-Schlangenadler

 

Sandai, 19/11/21. A couple of sightings, this one a few minutes from the main house in Sandai.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

334/K73) Crowned Eagle (Stephanoeatues coronatus) / Kronenadler

 

Ol Kinyei, 13/11 and the Aberdares, 16 & 17/11/21. A special raptor to see, and this time I was quite spoilt - four sightings.

 

This one in Ol Kinyei was totally unexpected. Just a small patch of riverine forest along the (mostly dry) creek here. We could not figure out which bird that was when we saw it, sitting deep in the shadow. The brilliance of post procession revealed its magnificence.

 

 

The Aberdares is where you can expect to find this bird (with some effort). This one was very distant:

 

 

And this one in another unexpected area, up on the moorlands far above the treeline.

 

[michael-ibk]

335/K74) Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) / Kampfadler

 

Ol Pejeta, 19 & 21/11. The close cousin of the Crowned.

 

 

And a youngster:

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

336/K75) Long-Crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis) / Schopfadler

 

Aberdares, 16/11/21. A very patient individual.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

337/K76) Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) / Raubadler

 

Ol Kinyei, 12/11/21. The classic Savanna Eagle.

 

 

 

Edited December 28, 2021 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

338/K77) Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis) / Steppenadler

 

Ol Kinyei, 12/11/21. A migrant from Central Asia.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

339/K78) Wahlberg´s Eagle (Hieraaetus wahlbergi) / Silberadler

 

Nairobi NP, 10/11/21. One distant sighting.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

340/K79) Dark Chanting-Goshawk (Melierax metabates) / Graubürzel-Singhabicht

 

Ol Kinyei, 12/11/21. The only sighting.

 

[michael-ibk]

341/K80) Grasshopper Buzzard (Butastur rufipennis) / Heuschreckenteesa

 

Ol Pejeta, 20/11/21. A delightful surprise. My first sighting in East Africa - have only seen it in Chad‘s Zakouma NP before.  A really beautiful bird.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

342/K81) Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) / Steppenweihe

 

Massai Mara, 13/11/21. And more scattered sightings throughout the trip.

 

 

A female:

 

 

Montagu‘s (K82) Was also regularly seen:

 

 

And a Eurasian Marsh Harrier (K83). The default Harrier at home but apart from Chad I‘ve never seen it in Africa.

 

[michael-ibk]

342/K84) Mountain Buzzard (Buteo oreophilus) / Bergbussard

 

Aberdares, 16/11/21. Always a regular but quite scarce sighting here.

 

 

Common Buzzards (K85) were also around. I would count it as Steppe Buzzard but am too afraid of @Galana‘s wrath if I do that. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

343/K86) Augur Buzzard (Buteo Augur) / Augurbussard

 

Everywhere! The most common bird of prey seen throughout the trip, most abundant in the Aberdares.

 

 

This young dark morph had me scratching my head for quite a while:

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

344/K87) African Grass-Owl (Tyto capensis) / Kapgraseule

 

Ol Pejeta, 21/11/21. Seen on a nightdrive. Unfortunately very shy so we could not get closer for more than an ebc. Very similar to Barn Owls but darker.

 

[michael-ibk]

345/K88) Verreaux´s Eagle-Owl (Bubo lacteus) / Milchuhu

 

Ol Pejeta, 20/11/21. Not the most prolific trip for Owls, the only other species I saw.

 

 

Edited December 28, 2021 by michael-ibk

[pedro maia]

Great raptor series Michael.

[Galana]

4 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

I would count it as Steppe Buzzard but am too afraid of @Galana‘s wrath if I do that. 

Oh Sir. Not that bad surely?

I am on holiday and my EA Guides are not in my luggage so you would be quite safe in any event.

As is the Melanistic Augur.

[Peter Connan]

Absolutely stunning take-off and in-flight shots!