tdgraves big year 2022 - here's hoping it's (all) better!

[Peter Connan]

Congratulations!

[PeterHG]

Congratulations on passing 200!

[Tdgraves]

thanks @Galana @TonyQ @Peter Connan and @PeterHG scraping the barrel now...

[Tdgraves]

Lower Sabie in camp, KNP, South Africa, 20/1/22

 

Canon 5D mark IV, 100-400 mark II, ISO 320, f7.1, 1/500
 

7T4A0011a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

208) Village weaver

[Tdgraves]

Lower Sabie in camp, KNP, South Africa, 20/1/22

 

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400 mark II, ISO 320, f7.1, 1/125, EV +1

 

J19A2973 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

209) Spectacled weaver (behind the stick)

[Tdgraves]

Near Letaba, KNP, South Africa, 28/1/22

 

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400 mark II, ISO 10000, f5.6, 1/2500, EV -1/3

 

J19A6227 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

210) Lesser masked weaver

[Tdgraves]

Near Skukuza, KNP, South Africa, 19/1/22

 

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400 mark II, ISO 1250, f7.1, 1/5000

 

J19A2635 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

211) Violet-backed starling 

[Tdgraves]

Near Lower Sabie, KNP, South Africa, 20/1/22

 

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400 mark II, ISO 400, f7.1, 1/1600

 

J19A3034 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

212) Fan-tailed widowbird

[Tdgraves]

Skukuza in camp, KNP, South Africa, 19/1/22

 

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400 mark II, ISO1250, f5.6, 1/8000

 

J19A2493a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

213) Marico sunbird (female)

[Galana]

Hmm. The barrell really is being scraped. That is a classic Fantailed Widow bird.

Sadly I fear your submissions of Village Weaver and Spectacled Weavers are a triumph of hope over reality.

I suggest your Spectacled (no puns) is a female Lesser Masked and your Village is just too Yellow.

[Tdgraves]

OK @Galana I'll take the two bottom of the barrel shots and replace them with two that never made it into the barrel at all...

 

Marievale, South Africa, 15/1/22

 

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400 mark II, ISO 500, f6.3, 1/1000

 

J19A1287 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

208 again) Ruff

 

[Tdgraves]

Letaba in camp, KNP, South Africa, 27/1/22 

 

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400 mark II, ISO 250, f7.1, 1/1600 - extreme crop

 

J19A6079 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

209 again) White-fronted plover (a lifer)

[Tdgraves]

This appears to be it for our South African trip, but as I look through the photos I will keep my eye out for unposted birds. e.g. for a tawny eagle or a black-winged stilt and I'm sure that there should be a cardinal woodpecker somewhere..

I am 99% sure that I saw an African pitta near Berg-en-Dal, a lifer for me, but no time for a photo (I was driving). Another lifer was Harlequin quail, which we saw a few times, but being flushed by the car from the verges, zero chance of proof.

We also saw dwarf bittern, Klass's and Red-chested cuckoo, little bee-eater, African olive pigeon, Southern black tit and sombre greenbul once with no photo opportunity. 

[PeterHG]

A very worthwhile harvest of Kruger birds ( barrel included)! 

[Tdgraves]

On 7/25/2022 at 8:50 PM, Galana said:

Hmm. The barrell really is being scraped. That is a classic Fantailed Widow bird.

Sadly I fear your submissions of Village Weaver and Spectacled Weavers are a triumph of hope over reality.

I suggest your Spectacled (no puns) is a female Lesser Masked and your Village is just too Yellow.

 

I believe I have found them!!
 

Skukuza in camp, KNP, South Africa, 19/1/22 

 

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400 mark II, ISO 800, f5.6, 1/1600

 

J19A2528 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

214) Spectacled  Red-headed weaver

Edited August 2, 2022 by Tdgraves
incorrect ID

[Tdgraves]

Lake Panic, KNP, South Africa, 18/1/22 

 

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400 mark II, ISO 800, f7.1, 1/250

 

J19A2289 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

215) Village weaver

[PeterHG]

I agree on the Village Weaver, but I still have doubts about the Spectacled Weaver. The bill should be darker and there should be black visible between the eye and the bill. Also I think the Spectacled's eye is lighter. Just my thoughts, of course......

[Galana]

2 hours ago, PeterHG said:

I agree on the Village Weaver, but I still have doubts about the Spectacled Weaver.

I could not have put it better myself. Spectacled has a light eye and jet back bill.

Indeed I am having difficulty finding  a Weaver with both a dark eye and a horn/pinkish bill. I wonder if it is a juv/transitional Red headed?

[Tdgraves]

12 hours ago, Galana said:

I could not have put it better myself. Spectacled has a light eye and jet back bill.

Indeed I am having difficulty finding  a Weaver with both a dark eye and a horn/pinkish bill. I wonder if it is a juv/transitional Red headed?

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head @Galana

i also spent a while thinking it was a golden oriole, before deciding that it wasn’t streaked enough….

Edited July 27, 2022 by Tdgraves
Typo

[michael-ibk]

Congratulations on #200, a great list from Kruger! 

[Kitsafari]

congrats on the 200th. 

[xelas]

Congratulations for reaching 2nd and entering into the 3rd "100". How many were taken in South Africa?

[Tdgraves]

Thanks @Kitsafari and @michael-ibk

@xelas - 210

 

[Tdgraves]

Right, now that I have finished the RSA birds, I need to get back to the UK ones that I managed before I became incapacitated, before we go to Kenya next month....

[Tdgraves]

WWT Welney, Norfolk, 8/2/22

 

Canon 5D mark IV, 100-400 mark II, ISO 4000, f5.6, 1/3200

 

7T4A9044a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

Canon 5D mark IV, 100-400 mark II, ISO 1000, f5.6, 1/2500

 

7T4A8692a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

216) Whooper swan