Kalaharikind: the quest continues

[PeterHG]

A host of very good birds! Enjoy the weekend!

[Kalaharikind]

Thanks to all who've popped in! My BY postings keep on moving at the same glacial pace....

 

Still in Vermont/Fisherhaven, still 29 Jan this year. 

 

Not too sure about this one: NBr?

45) Common Ringed Plover         Ringnekstrandkiewiet         Charadrius hiaticula

 

 

 

46) Kittlitz’s Plover          Geelborsstrandkiewiet          Charadrius pecuarius

 

 

 

47) Little Egret          Kleinwitreier          Egretta garzetta
 

 

It was scorching hot at midday, the birds were all wilting somewhere else, and I decided to return home, again on the Swartrivier road. Thanks goodness for aircon...

 

The return trip was quiet: 

 

48) Speckled Pigeon          Kransduif          Columba guinea
 

 

49) Zitting Cisticola          Landeryklopkloppie          Cisticola juncidis
 

 

 

Half-ton coming up, with a huge question mark: is this a 

 

50) Large-billed Lark          Dikbeklewerik          Galerida magnirostris
 

or is it something completely different? Please help!

 

 

And has anybody, in the history of BY, posted number L in November? Of a bird photographed in January? Eish, is all I can say.

 

51) Capped Wheatear          Hoëveldskaapwagter          Oenanthe pileata
 

 

And so the Swartrivier trip comes to an end. 

[Kalaharikind]

Birds in the garden, Feb 22

 

52) African Goshawk          Afrikaanse Sperwer          Accipiter tachiro
 

 

Junior had a look-around from the neighbour's car port, and a week or two later an adult called from a few houses away.

 

  

53) Cape White-eye          Kaapse Glasogie          Zosterops virens
 

 

I've a funny feeling that this looks pretty much like the CGE I posted last year: the love the neighbour's fig tree. They take a bite or two, then move on to the next fig.

 

54) Klaas's Cuckoo          Meitjie          Chrysococcyx klaas

 

 

This Klaas's Cuckoo kept on preening and preening and preening and preening - I actually thought to give up and post a headless ECB - but eventually managed to get a decent shot:

 

 

55) Amethyst Sunbird          Swartsuikerbekkie          Chalcomitra amethystina
 

 

56) Booted Eagle          Dwergarend          Hieraaetus pennatus
Another one with a big question mark about the ID.

 

 

And another question mark:

Pearl-breasted Swallow          Pêrelborsswael          Hirundo dimidiata

57) Lesser Striped Swallow          Kleinstreepswael          Cecropis abyssinica
(Thanks, Galana!)
 

 

58) Streaky-headed Seedeater          Streepkopkanarie          Crithagra gularis
 

 

And now for something completely different: a water colour in an impressionist style. A photograph so bad it actually should be printed, framed and hung. Anybody wants to play Guess the Bird?

 

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by Kalaharikind

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Kalaharikind said:

Anybody wants to play Guess the Bird?

White-throated Robin Chat?

 

57. I think this is Lesser Striped Swallow.

 

Congratulations on your firtst Century.

[Kalaharikind]

@Galanathanks for elevating my count! Still stuck in double figures, unfortunately.

 

You're way off course with the mystery bird, unfortunately: it was shot in the garden, here in the WC. Anybody else who would like to try?

 

How sure are you about the Lesser Striped? I think we might be out of it's range, but then, birds don't always pay attention to distribution maps, do they? I'm more than happy to make the change - it gives me another chance at the Pearl-breasted And my numbers being what they are, an extra tick is an extra tick...

 

[Kalaharikind]

Garden birds, from March

 

59) Cape Robin-chat          Gewone Janfrederik          Cossypha caffra 
(You should, by now, recognise that fugly pipe! The birds don't seem to mind, but dammit, it's an ugly thing.)

 

60) Red-faced Mousebird          Rooiwangmuisvoël          Urocolius indicus
 

[xelas]

On 11/1/2022 at 8:59 PM, Kalaharikind said:

Anybody wants to play Guess the Bird?

Superb Starling ??

[Kalaharikind]

@xelasNo cigar for you, Xelas, unfortunately. I have to admit, I thought you were playing the fool with a made-up name, until Mr Google put me right. A bird worthy of the name.

 

Has nobody wondered why I did not post it as the ECB of the decade? 

[Kalaharikind]

This is what a trip to the Bossiveld on 26 March brough:

 

61) Little Grebe        Kleindobbertjie          Tachybaptus ruficollis

 

 

and with a chick:

 

[Kalaharikind]

62) Black-winged Kite          Blouvalk            Elanus caeruleus
 

Incoming....

 

Quick look-see...
 

 

And take-off!

 

 

One of the birds on my life list that I don't have a first-sighting date for. They were part of every trip, so it feels, out of town, watching and waiting on telephone wires. 

[Kalaharikind]

The Bossieveld trip didn't add much to my BY count, but here are a few Slightly Better Birds:

 

Last seen sat on a bale of hay, this time it's on a wire, with a snack:

  

 

Juvenile Jackal Buzzard playing on it's own:

 

 

 

And an image that makes me want to cry every time I look at it: a Blue Crane with one leg withered and practically amputated. It looks as if a length of fishing line (or perhaps baling twine) wound itself around the leg,restricting blood flow. He/she was quite close to the road, not moving, with the mating keeping watch deeper in.    

 

[Kalaharikind]

Bossieveld, early April:

 

63) Yellow Canary          Geelkanarie          Crithagra flaviventris
J

Edited November 3, 2022 by Kalaharikind

[Kalaharikind]

We live practically next door to the Theewaterskloof Dam, which supplies Cape Town and the downstream farms with water. (We have to make do with a smaller dam) Sadly, birding at TWK is pretty much a waste of time. These were taken next to the dam, on the road to Franschhoek, in April.

 

64) Cape Bunting          Rooivlerkstreepkoppie          Emberiza capensis
Feeding practically on the tarred road...

 

65) Orange-breasted Sunbird          Oranjeborssuikerbekkie          Anthobaphes violacea
I've never seen one in the garden, so this will have to do for now.

 

Edited November 3, 2022 by Kalaharikind

[Galana]

2nd Go. Southern Boubou.?

I am uncomfortable with your Yellow Bishop. 63. Head markings are not quite right and I suspect it is a juv male Yellow Canary.

[Kalaharikind]

@Galana Absolutely right! Southern Boubou

 

Had a look at the YC - you're dead right, as usual. (This also means that I might have a beaut of a EBC coming up, if I haven't deleted it. Haven't seen many YBs around this year, not with a camera near.)

[xelas]

Bravo @Galana! How many cigars for him, @Kalaharikind?

[Kalaharikind]

@xelasWhat about a bottle of red from the vineyards of the Cape of Storms, to be collected when  @Galanavisits Mzanzi again?

 

Two for you, for sportmanship, on your next visit?

[Kalaharikind]

Life here changes in April: it's the start of the rainy season. No more braais outside, the wind is worse than usual, the weather is as unpredictable as ever and we start thinking about that white stuff that (most of) you guys on the other side of the equator love so much

 

Rooisand NR, where the Bot River runs into the ocean. I stupidly did not think that the lagoon might be dry at the end of summer...

 

By keeping my eyes on the fences and not the road, I spotted this:

 

66) Pied Starling          Witgatspreeu          Lamprotornis bicolor
 

 

and at Dassiesfontein, a megafarmstall on the N2, a European import:

 

67) Common Starling          Europese Spreeu          Sturnus vulgaris
 

 

 

 

 

[Kalaharikind]

Rooisand delivered a Cape Spurfowl family, but they were camea shy:

68) Cape Spurfowl          Kaapse Fisant          Pternistis capensis
 

 

69) Karoo Prinia          Karoolangstertjie          Prinia maculosa
Highlight of the day:

 

70) Cape Shoveler          Kaapse Slopeend          Spatula smithii
A spectacular improvement on what was available last year...

 

[Kalaharikind]

The wind was pumping on the way home, so this was the only bird I stopped for, and it gave me only one chance before it flew off:

 

71) Hamerkop          Hamerkop          Scopus umbretta
 

 

In the next chapter, a change from the Overberg birds. Get your passports ready!

[xelas]

18 hours ago, Kalaharikind said:

Two for you, for sportmanship, on your next visit?

Agreed !

[Galana]

20 hours ago, Kalaharikind said:

a bottle of red from the vineyards of the Cape of Storms, to be collected when  @Galanavisits Mzanzi again?

You do know how to get a chap's attention. Have (perpetual) thirst, will travel.

 

Love the Cape Shoveller. So sorry about the Bishop.

[Dave Williams]

On 11/3/2022 at 7:52 PM, Kalaharikind said:

The wind was pumping on the way home, so this was the only bird I stopped for, and it gave me only one chance before it flew off:

 

71) Hamerkop          Hamerkop          Scopus umbretta
 

 

In the next chapter, a change from the Overberg birds. Get your passports ready!

 

mm, are you sure that's a Hamerkop?!!

 

Some excellent birds, must get to visit the Cape one day.

 

[Peter Connan]

19 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

 

mm, are you sure that's a Hamerkop?!!

 

Some excellent birds, must get to visit the Cape one day.

 

I am.

[Kalaharikind]

@Dave Williams Absolutely sure about the Hamerkop - one of those birds that can't be anything else. Also one of two (Bokmakierie being the other) that I can think of now where the English and Afrikaans names are the same. @Peter Connancan you think of any others?