Kalaharikind: the quest continues

[PeterHG]

Congrats on 100 and beyond! That’s a sizeable lunch for the hornbill!

[Kalaharikind]

@Galana I see the Pririt's dirty flanks, but the Chinspot's seem all white to me? #Totallyconfused 

 

@PeterHGPoor chap!

 

I've misnumbered an entry - seems no 115 escaped somewhere along the way. So, here it is:

 

115) Greater Kestrel          Grootrooivalk          Falco rupicoloides
 

 

 

125) Red-headed Finch          Rooikopvink          Amadina erythrocephala

 

 

 

126) Lilac-breasted Roller          Gewone Troupant          Coracias caudatus

 

 

127) African Grey Hornbill          Grysneushoringvoël          Lophoceros nasutus

 

 

 128) Bare-cheeked Babbler    Kaalwangkatlagter    Turdoides gymnogenys

 

 

And as if being bare-cheeked isn't bad enough, there is the bare-bummed ssp as well:

 

 

129) Secretarybird          Sekretarisvoël          Sagittarius serpentarius

 

 

130) Pale Chanting Goshawk    Bleeksingvalk    Melierax canorus

 

 

[Kalaharikind]

131) Kori Bustard          Gompou          Ardeotis kori
 

 

132) Marico Sunbird          Maricosuikerbekkie          Cinnyris mariquensis
 

 

 

133) Red-crested Korhaan          Boskorhaan          Lophotis ruficrista

 

 

134) Cape Crow          Swartkraai          Corvus capensis

 

 

135) Blacksmith Lapwing          Bontkiewiet          Vanellus armatus

 

 

136) Northern Black Korhaan          Witvlerkkorhaan          Afrotis afraoides

 

 

137) Red-capped Lark          Rooikoplewerik          Calandrella cinerea

 

 

 

138) Bateleur          Berghaan          Terathopius ecaudatus

 

 

139) Common Ostrich          Volstruis          Struthio camelus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and then they just walked away....

 

 

[Kalaharikind]

Oppiekoppie Rest Camp, en route to Skeleton Coast NP, 26/27 June

 

140) Southern Grey-headed Sparrow          Gryskopmossie          Passer diffusus
 

 

141) Rosy-faced Lovebird          Rooiwangparkiet          Agapornis roseicollis
 

[xelas]

Such beauties! I am looking forward to see them more here, and live!

[TonyQ]

An exciting Ostrich sequence 

[Galana]

The Red-capped Lark is in a class of its own.

[Kalaharikind]

Best of the lot, I'm afraid, Galana.

 

Thanks, @TonyQ

 

@xelasNamibia only, or SA as well? And when? 

 

From Kamanjab it was back to the desert next to the ocean.

 

Welwitschia mirabilis

 

 

We were also caught in one of the heaviest Oosweer sandstorms (with winds from the east) that Namibia had experienced in years. We were there from 27-30 June, and apart from a brief lull in the late afternoons, the wind blew the whole time. 

 

 

Terrace Bay exists for reason only: fishing. Not much fishing happened because of the wind; birding is minimal at the best of times. 

 

142) Kelp Gull          Swartrugmeeu          Larus dominicanus

 

 

143) White-breasted Cormorant          Witborsduiker          Phalacrocorax lucidus

 

 

144) Cape Cormorant          Trekduiker          Phalacrocorax capensis

and  a lonesome juvenile, too, to boot

 

More nothingness:

 

 

The most bizarre and aptest perch:

 

144) Tractrac Chat          Woestynspekvreter          Emarginata tractrac

 

 

(Terrace Bay lies in the Skeleton Coast NP. In Afrikaans, the park is called the Skedelkus NP (literally, translated, Skull Coast) which also explains the skull and cross bones at the park's entrance gates).

 

For most of the time on the drive back to Henties Bay, these road markers were the only indication of where the road went.  It was harrowing. These pics were taken on the odd occassion that the wind let go a bit, and still I had to struggle to stay on y feet. (And the bakkie had to be resprayed once back at home - it had been completely sandblasted.)

 

 

 

Edited January 10, 2023 by Kalaharikind

[xelas]

11 minutes ago, Kalaharikind said:

@xelasNamibia only, or SA as well? And when? 

 Botswana. End of August.

[Peter Connan]

You've been busy @Kalaharikind!

Great collection. Sorry to hear about the damage.

[Kalaharikind]

@Peter Connan if catching up can be called busy, I suppose so. Thank goodness insurance paid for the respray, windscreen and headlamps. 

 

The parking area  at Solitaire looked like a mall parking area on a busy day. And, far from home, this House Sparrow (1July):

 

145) House Sparrow          Huismossie          Passer domesticus

 

 

F

 

Please help out here: pale morph of the Common Buzzard, or a Jackal Buzzard? Between Helmeringhasuen and Aus, early July.

146) Common (Steppe) Buzzard          Bruinjakkalsvoël          Buteo buteo

 

 

And that was Namibia, waving yellow grasses between black rocky outcrops.

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by Kalaharikind

[Kalaharikind]

Keurbos hide, near Elgin, 9 October

 

148) Red-knobbed coot          Bleshoender          Fulica cristata
 

 

149) Cape Weaver          Kaapse Wewer          Ploceus capensis
 

 

 

150) Black-crowned Night Heron          Gewone Nagreier          Nycticorax nycticorax
 

 

151) African Darter          Slanghalsvoël          Anhinga rufa
 

 

 

152) Reed Cormorant          Rietduiker          Microcarbo africanus
 

 

 

153) White-throated Swallow          Witkeelswael          Hirundo albigularis
 

 

@Galanathis is what happens when you turn Southern Bishops into a male juvenile Yellow Canary: my 2022 EBC entry:

 

154) Yellow Bishop          Kaapse Flap          Euplectes capensis
 

 

Common Buzzard? Not counting it at the moment

[PeterHG]

Both your buzzards could also be Jackal Buzzard perhaps?

[Kalaharikind]

Jackal it is then, @ PeterHG, - thanks!

 

We were in Vanwyskdorp in the Karoo for Johan's birthday in October. The Karoo is sheep country and Afrikaans will get you everywhere. I spoke more English than Afrikaans there, and met more vegetarians and vegans than I could have imagined..

 

Birding was so-so, unfortunately.

 

Replacement for the Common Buzzard that was not:

146) Bar-throated Apalis          Bandkeelkleinjantjie         Apalis thoracica
 

 

155) Long-billed Crombec          Bosveldstompstert          Sylvietta rufescens

 

 

 

156) Goliath Heron          Reusereier          Ardea goliath

 

A lifer:

157) Southern Tchagra          Grysborstjagra          Tchagra tchagra

 

 

158) Lesser Swamp Warbler          Kaapse Rietsanger          Acrocephalus gracilirostris
(I hope...)

 

 

And a sorry excuse for a:

158) Cardinal Woodpecker          Kardinaalspeg          Dendropicos fuscescens
 

 

160) Brown-hooded Kingfisher          Bruinkopvisvanger          Halcyon albiventris
My only kingfisher for the year

Edited February 5, 2023 by Kalaharikind

[Peter Connan]

Nice shot of the Apalis.

I don't think 156 is a heron. It's got to put that long neck somewhere.

If I had to put a name to it, I would guess Hadeda?

Edited January 15, 2023 by Peter Connan

[Kalaharikind]

Oh dear, @Peter Connanfurther decimating my unimpressive numbers here 

 

Strandfontein Waste Water Treatment Works (there is a shorter, much more descriptive name for the place, but this is a family show, so I'll stick to the more socially acceptable name ), 16 November

 

156) Pied Avocet          Bontelsie          Recurvirostra avosetta

 

 

161) Southern Pochard          Bruineend          Netta erythrophthalma

 

 

162) Greater Flamingo          Grootflamink          Phoenicopterus roseus + 163) Lesser Flamingo          Kleinflamink          Phoeniconaias minor
 

 

 

 

 

164) Fulvous Whistling Duck          Fluiteend          Dendrocygna bicolor
 

 

 

165) Glossy Ibis          Glansibis          Plegadis falcinellus

(and a really scruffy Sacred Ibis in breeding tatters finery)

 

166) Hartlaub's Gull          Hartlaubmeeu          Chroicocephalus hartlaubii

 

 

 

There was great excitement on the Strandfontein FB page over this one. People were not quite shoving each other out of the way to see it, but there was a lot of manoeuvering going on to get a good sighting. A lifer for me.

 

167) Baillon's Crake          Kleinriethaan          Zapornia pusilla

 

 

168) Little Stint          Kleinstrandloper          Calidris minuta
 

 

169) Pin-tailed Whydah          Koningrooibekkie          Vidua macroura

 

 

170) Black-necked Grebe          Swartnekdobbertjie          Podiceps nigricollis
 

 

171) Black Oystercatcher          Swarttobie          Haematopus moquini
 

 

172) Cape Teal          Teeleend          Anas capensis

 

 

173) Great White Pelican          Witpelikaan          Pelecanus onocrotalus

 

 

SBB: at least one can see this is a Cape Shoveller:

[Peter Connan]

I saw Hartlaub's on my first visit there and never realized it was a rarity!

An amazing place.

[xelas]

Your Strandfontein photos are excellent! I have to revisit this place.

[Kalaharikind]

@Peter ConnanI don't think the Hartlaub's is such a rarity - but according to its distribution, it does seem to prefer colder water.

 

Thanks @xelas!

 

I really, at one stage, thought of just chucking in the 2022 BY and start on 2023. But, I've started, so I'll finish.

 

174)  Cape Sugarbird          Kaapse Suikervoël          Promerops cafer

They seem to have discovered our Proteas this last year - in the past, they frequented those of our neigbour and I was always disappointed by my pics.

 

 

[Kalaharikind]

Rondevlei NR, 3 Dec. The place was packed when I visited - only later discovered that it was Big Birding Day. Lovely to see young children with binocs and scopes.

 

175) African (Purple) Swamphen          Grootkoningriethaan          Porphyrio madagascariensis

 

Still call it a gallinule, no matter what the books say
 

 

176) African Reed Warbler          Kleinrietsanger          Acrocephalus baeticatus

 

Could also be Cape, could also be any of the others - your opinions, please.

 

SBB; the counted one posted was pretty meh 

 

[Kalaharikind]

Strandfontein, later on the 3rd

 

177) Maccoa Duck          Bloubekeend          Oxyura maccoa

 

178) Grey Plover          Grysstrandkiewiet          Pluvialis squatarola

 

 

179) Black Crake          Swartriethaan          Zapornia flavirostra

J 

 

 

180) Grey Heron          Bloureier          Ardea cinerea

 

 

181) Western Cattle Egret          Veereier          Bubulcus ibis

 

 

182) Whiskered Tern          Witbaardsterretjie          Chlidonias hybrida

 

 

SBB: This was posted more a Terrace Bay landscape with bird, than bird with a bit of landscape; so here's a slightly better White-breasted:

 

 

 

[Galana]

Good to see you back at it. Get it Done!

[Peter Connan]

😁

[Kalaharikind]

Never-ending BY

 

183) Swee Waxbill          Suidelike Swie          Coccopygia melanotis

2 Aug 22, garden

 

 

184) Great Egret, in its breeding finery          Grootwitreier          Ardea alba

30 Apr 22, Rooisand NR

 

 

185)        Laughing Dove          Rooiborsduifie          Spilopelia senegalensis
26 Mar 22, garden

 

 

186)        Rock Dove          Tuinduif          Columba livia
25 Sep 22, Dwarstrek farm 

 

 

187)        Cape Sparrow F          Gewone Mossie          Passer melanurus

11 Mar 22, garden

 

 

188)        Cape Longclaw          Oranjekeelkalkoentjie          Macronyx capensis
3 Dec 22, Bossieveld

 

 

[Kalaharikind]

Let's end this never-ending BY with a fine collections of LBJs and EBCs. I await your ID corrections...

 

189)        Karoo Chat          Karoospekvreter          Emarginata schlegelii
13 June, Soros Farm, Helmeringhausen

 

 

189)          Monotonous Lark          Bosveldlewerik          Mirafra passerina

18 Jun23, somewhere on the C13 in Namibia

 

 

190)        Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark          Rooiruglewerik          Eremopterix leucotis
F

18 Jun23, somewhere on the C13 in Namibia

And is she not a beaut of an EBC!

 

 

192)        Spike-heeled Lark          Vlaktelewerik          Chersomanes albofasciata
24 June 22

 

 

Different angle:

 

193)        Fawn-coloured Lark          Vaalbruinlewerik          Calendulauda africanoides
1 July 22, Skeleton Coast NP

 

 

194)        Plain-backed Pipit          Donkerkoester          Anthus leucophrys

16 Jul 22, Bossieveld

 

 

195)        African Pipit          Gewone Koester          Anthus cinnamomeus
16 Jul 22, Schoongezicht Farm, Villiersdorp

 

 

Not the double ton I had hoped for, but an improvement on my 2021 count. 

 

Thanks, everybody, for popping in, for correcting my very dodgy IDs, for the chats. 

 

2023 coming soon to a computer near you!