Michael‘s Seventh Year

[michael-ibk]

966/Z1) Purple-Crested Turaco (Tauraco porphyreolophus) / Glanzhaubenturako

 

Malcolm Lodge, Harare, 26/10/2022. Well, I´m not making much progress with my Zimbabwe photos, but really have to get on with this. I will only include birds not yet seen in Uganda. Since my main target was getting 35 new ones my birding hunting was very relaxed. It was actually very liberating not to have to run after each and every Bulbul or Egyptian Goose.

 

 

Quite a poor view in the lodge garden. They are plentiful in the capital apparently, even to the extent that they have been unflatteringly re-named the "Harare Chicken" apparently.

 

[michael-ibk]

967/Z2) White-Crowned aka White-Headed Lapwing (Vanellus albiceps) / Weißscheitelkiebitz

 

Mana Pools, 27/10/2022. The classic Lapwing of Africa´s big river systems. Abundant along the Zambezi.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

968/Z3) Grey-Headed Bushshrike (Malaconotus blanchoti) / Graukopfwürger

 

Mana Pools, 27/10/2022. Seen in camp. I´m pretty rubbish with bird songs (very hard for me to memorize them) but I instantly recognized its beautfiul mournful two-tone song and managed to find it after a while.

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

969/Z4) Terrestrial Brownbul (Phyllastrephus terrestris) / Laubbülbül

 

Mana Pools, 27/10/2022. Another one seen in camp.

 

[michael-ibk]

970/Z5) Meves's Starling (Lamprotornis mevesii) Mevesstarling

 

Mana Pools, 27/10/2022. One of the most common birds in the park.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

971/Z6) Brown-Hooded Kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) / Braunkopfliest

 

Mana Pools, 28/10/2022. The only new Kingfisher for this year - got all the other ones in Uganda.

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

972/Z7) Spur-Winged Goose (Plectropterus gambensis) / Sporngans

 

Mana Pools, 28/10/2022. Common both there and later down South in Gonarezhou.

 

 

 

[BRACQUENE]

@michael-ibk
 

Thanks a lot Michael especially for that Purple-Crested Turaco from Malcolm Lodge ; is it the same that I saw a week before you I don’t know but it surely wasn’t easy to take a picture of them 

[michael-ibk]

1 minute ago, BRACQUENE said:

@michael-ibk
 

Thanks a lot Michael especially for that Purple-Crested Turaco from Malcolm Lodge ; is it the same that I saw a week before you I don’t know but it surely wasn’t easy to take a picture of them 

 

Well possible Peter. I´m pretty sure some other individuals you saw will turn up here when I get to Gonarezhou.

[michael-ibk]

973/Z8) Rufous-Bellied Heron (Ardeola rufiventris) / Rotbauchreiher

 

Mana Pools, 28/10/2022. A pretty rare Heron, only my fourth sighting of this species. Another one in camp but did not allow a closer approach.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

974//9) Southern Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus) / Maskenweber

 

Mana Pools, 28/10/2022. A pretty unsatisfying sighting in camp. Unsatisfying because I was sure it´s not a Village but this angle does not really prove it. You´ll have to take my word for it.

 

[michael-ibk]

975/Z10) Southern Red-Billed Hornbill (Tockus rufirostris) / Südlicher Rotschnabeltoko

 

Mana Pools, 28/10/2022. Another super-common bird in this park.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

976/Z11) Trumpeter Hornbill (Bycanistes bucinator) / Trompetenhornvogel

 

Mana Pools, 28/10/2022. Find a big fruiting fig tree and these guys can´t be far.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

977/Z12) Southern Crested Guineafowl (Guttera edouardi) / Südliches Haubenperlhuhn

 

Mana Pools, 29/10/2022. An interesting sighting - they are birds of the Mopane, and not around on the flood plains. This one must have gone through an identity crisis, it was hanging out with a flock of Helmeted Guineafowl. A recent split from Crested Guineafowl according to Clements (ebird) taxonomy, still a subspecies according to IOC. Does not really matter, I saw it in Uganda but did not get a photo there.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

978/Z13) Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) / Kappengeier

 

Mana Pools, 29/10/2022. Never as numerous as its White-Backed cousin.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

979/Z14) Golden-Tailed Woodpecker (Campethera abingoni) / Goldschwanzspecht

 

Mana Pools, 29/10/2022. Seen on a walk. The Golden Tail is quite visible in the second photo but it still is an absolutely useless ID feature - all the other Woodpeckers of this type have it as well.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

980/Z15) Lilian´s Lovebird (Agapornis lilianae) / Erdbeerköpfchen

 

Mana Pools, 29/10/2022. Wonderful birds. Very, very common, and around in big flocks.  Spent a lot of time trying to get close to them in camp especially.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

Rapid progress.

I love the Lovebirds!

[PeterHG]

A few very good flight shots in your additions, Michael and I agree on the Lovebirds: a great sequence!

[Galana]

Coming along nicely with some good photos.

I have never been birding in Zim but am struck by regional variations seen in your BH Kingfisher and Golden-tailed Woodpeckers to what I know from elsewhere.

[Kitsafari]

 

Love the Lovebirds too!

 

[wilddog]

Wow @michael-ibk you are really riding the wave ......lovely images of such a wide variety of birds. Great job.

 

And the final number will be.......? We will have to wait snd see.

[BRACQUENE]

@michael-ibk

 

Ah .... Mana Pools and Gonarezhou in one trip ; it took me two years to visit both Zimbabwean parks but it was the start of a never-ending lovestory with birds   and your pictures bring it all back !

[michael-ibk]

Thank you all! The Lovebirds appreciate all the love - so do I.

 

981/Z16) White aka White-Crested Helmetshrike (Prionops plumatus) / Weißschopf-Brillenvanga

 

Mana Pools, 29/10/2022. I really like their weird spectacled look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

982/Z17) Black-Backed Puffback (Dryoscopus cubla) / Schwarzmantel-Schneeballwürger

 

Mana Pools, 29/10/2022. A skulker - but once you are familiar with their song it´s obvious how common it is.