Michael‘s Seventh Year

[xelas]

1 hour ago, michael-ibk said:

I will never go back to Uganda - way too many birds there.

Yeah right ...

[TonyQ]

@michael-ibk what an amazingly productive trip to Uganda.

So many birds and so many beautiful photos 

[Galana]

2 hours ago, xelas said:

I will never go back to Uganda - way too many birds there.   Yeah, right!

X 2 for this chap who can't wait to never go back either!

[shazdwn]

Wow, just wow, that is all 😁

[PeterHG]

Many great species, many great photos, like the dancing  pin-tailed whydah! I’m sorry you did not see more waxbills; that explains the rather meagre total for Uganda…

[Dave Williams]

That was exhausting.... and I was only scrolling through the shots!

You have murdered my target for the year already. The thought of capturing all those images, identifying the birds, processing the shots, it's all too much to contemplate and I need to lie down in a darkened room.

Zimbabwe and Ecuador still to come.. where will it end. Can you hit the 1000?

Oh yes you can!!

Good luck and keep it up!

 

[michael-ibk]

Thanks!

 

On 6/5/2022 at 3:32 PM, PeterHG said:

I’m sorry you did not see more waxbills; that explains the rather meagre total for Uganda…

 

Yeah, imagine what might have been!

 

5 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

The thought of capturing all those images, identifying the birds, processing the shots, it's all too much to contemplate and I need to lie down in a darkened room.

 

Well, it certainly was a lot of work, and I doubt I´ll do it again like this next year. Will have to find places with fewer birds to have something of a life again.

 

5 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Zimbabwe and Ecuador still to come.. where will it end. Can you hit the 1000?

 

I blame @pedro maiafor this stupid 1000 thing! I highly doubt I can even get close, but now the idea got stuck in my brain!

 

Still ... Ecuardor will be my first birding group tour, and I´ve been told photography would not be the focus. No idea really what to expect. And Zimbabwe will obviously have a lot of Uganda doubles. And I first need to get there!

 

 

[michael-ibk]

484/E139) Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) / Löffler

 

Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal, 28/5/2022. I had a seminar in Lissabon next week, and of course used that opportunity to add on a few fun days the weekend before. Not only is Portugal a birding but also a Safaritalk hotspot - greatly enjoyed (in that order) birding, drinking, eating and sightseeing with @Game Warden, @pedro maia, @xelasand Zvezda. Check out Pedro´s thread for more, including that must-see group selfie to end all selfies!

 

Missed Spoonbill this year in Seewinkel but not problem here - just half an hour out of Lisbon.

 

[michael-ibk]

485/E140) Yellow-Crowned Bishop (Euplectes afer) / Tahaweber

 

Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal, 28/5/2022. Fun to see this African species in Europe! A good population here, and it´s a "fully countable "one, there are several good populations in Portugal. Quite easy to get here.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

-/E141) Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) / Sichler

 

Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal, 28/5/2022. "We can´t miss them here", Pedro said, "they are everywhere." Of course we would not see one all day long after that. But Pedro´s reputation was saved by one of the last rice fields we passed before leaving - hundreds of Ibis were gathering there.

 

Already seen in Uganda.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

-/E142) Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) / Zistensänger

 

Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal, 28/5/2022. Super-common here. Already seen in Uganda but that one was barely a photo.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

486/E143) Greater Short-Toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla) / Kurzzehenlerche

 

Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal, 28/5/2022. Not much hope I´ll get this one later in the year (we don´t have them) so ebc-time!

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

-/E144) Black-Winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus) / Gleitaar

 

Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal, 28/5/2022. Such a cool raptor, and one than can reasonably be expected here. Not very close but always special to see it.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

487/E145) Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola) / Rotflügel-Brachschwalbe

 

Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal, 28/5/2022. Probably the main target bird for this day for me. They are breeding here - really beautiful birds.

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

488/E146) Cetti´s Warbler (Cettia cetti) / Seidensänger

 

Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal, 28/5/2022. Such a frustrating bird - heard all the time but impossible to get a photo! Normally, yes - but they were actually fairly easy from one of the hides. Definitely my best sighting of this hard to crack bird so far.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

489/E147) Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) / Samtkopf-Grasmücke

 

Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal, 28/5/2022. Probably the most common Warbler in Portugal but always difficult - I´m lucky I could get a shot.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

490/E148) Western Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) /Purpurhuhn

 

Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal, 28/5/2022. Not too difficult from the hides here - we saw four of this quite special bird. But none of them were really cooperative, had much better sightings last September.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

491/E149) Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) / Rosaflamingo

 

Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal, 28/5/2022. Love seeing them in Europe - always makes me think of Africa.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

Two doubles from the Leziria:

 

 

Purple Heron

 

 

Avocet

 

 

The most surprising sighting  - a Wild Boar crossing. Pretty cool, even Pedro has never seen one here.

 

 

Sorry about the quality here. We were in a hide with glass all around, and I had my lens hood on.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

492/E150) Scaly-Breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata) / Muskatbronzemännchen

 

RN Estuário do Tejo--Monte de Pancas/Portugal, 28/5/2022. A bycatch of the epic "Pedro against the Nightingale" battle described in great detail here. Another long-established exotic in Portugal.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

493/E151) Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus) / Zaunammer

 

RN Estuário do Tejo--Monte de Pancas/Portugal, 28/5/2022. Spotted just as we were about to return to the main road. Breeding bird in Austria actually but I´ve never managed to see one, it´s very localised in the North-East of our country.

 

[michael-ibk]

494/E152) Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) / Zwergadler

 

RN Estuário do Tejo--Monte de Pancas/Portugal, 28/5/2022 & 2/6/2022. I´ve never really had good sightings of this bird so these were an improvement - and quite delighted see both morphs. Really look like totally different birds!

 

 

Edited June 6, 2022 by michael-ibk

[xelas]

7 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Can you hit the 1000?

Yes he can!

[TonyQ]

No stopping for breath!

Lovely additions from Portugal and well done with the Cetti’s.

I understand that Equador has a bird list of 1600

[PeterHG]

Great to see your photos from Portugal and especially Leziria. Such a beautiful area. You certainly made a lot of excellent photos there!