mvecht`s fifth BY

[michael-ibk]

Sorry about your surgery results, and I´m really hoping for improvement there for you!

 

Some great birds you got at the coast! I agree about being left alone in the forest - that´s just unprofessional. I was told a birding company left one participant in the rainforest in Gabon (because he was unable to keep up) a while ago. When they came back two hours later he was gone - never found again.

[PeterHG]

16 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

When they came back two hours later he was gone - never found again.

What a story…..

[PeterHG]

Very unprofessional indeed, to leave you alone twice. Well, I’m glad you made it back safely ( especially so after @michael-ibk’s story about what could have happened). And all that trouble for 3 species…

[Galana]

Easy to be wise after the event. I think your tour company/guide let you down.

When we went into Sokoke we already knew where two pair of Scops were. The guide had sent out a 'scout'.  One Rufous and one Grey. We drove up, walked about a km, saw the rufous pair. Walked another 500 metres, got the grey ones. OK we had to scramble through thickets and assume awkward poses to get them 'clear' but it still felt a bit like cheating. Then we went and found the Pipit in a 'field'. The Clarke's weaver was in the trees so no photo. We only glimpsed the Elephant Shrew in the gloom.

Given that your guide took you to Mida at low tide I think he was not up to the job.

This must be very disappointing for you so commiserations.

Totally wrong for you to be left alone but you were not really in any danger. The big dangerous mammals are long gone apart from leopard.

[Zim Girl]

So sorry to hear your eye surgery didn't give you quite the results you were hoping for.

I also do not have any vision in my right eye, but I have had all my life to get used to it, so not so bad.

Along with @PeterHG, we have the makings of a 'one-eyed photographers club'!

[mvecht]

Well ArabukO Sokoke was not up to expectations but there was a minor compensation. Two different Narina trogons. Brief sigthings but still

Ol Pejeta did produce a lot of nice birds.

In Camp there were lots of Common Bulbul KE 36

 

 

 

 

Also seen several times in camp

KE 37 Whitebellied Go Away Bird

[Galana]

KE37 is two different species..

 

7 hours ago, Zim Girl said:

we have the makings of a 'one-eyed photographers club'!

And do remember the true meaning of "In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is King."

[mvecht]

In camp we were regularly entertained by

#50 KE 38 Black-headed Oriole that were visiting the tree just next to the veranda.

Juvenile

 

 

 

 

adult

 

 

 

[mvecht]

@GalanaAs you may have noticed I dont see much with the "bare" eye so thank you for adding a bird to my list and also a lifer

KE 39 Bare-faced Go Away Bird

 

[Galana]

6 minutes ago, mvecht said:

so thank you for adding a bird to my list and also a lifer

No problem and delighted to have helped. In fact when one looks at BF Goaway distribution it should not be in Kenya at all. Treble well dones.

[mvecht]

Some more birds from Ol Pejeta

KE 40 Isabelline Wheatear. Seen several times. This would be a very good find in Denmark!

 

 

 

Sylvester and John worked hard to find me this one. Unfortunately quite far away.

KE 41 Somali Ostrich.

 

KE 42 African Grey Flycatcher

 

KE 43 Reichenows Seedeater

[mvecht]

More from Ol Pejeta

 

KE 44  Three-banded Plover. Wa

 

 

KE 45 Common Sandpiper

 

KE 46 Black-winged Stilt

 

KE 47 Ruff

 

KE 48 Kitlitz Plover

[mvecht]

KE 49 Verreaux Eagle Owl.

Unfortunately there was no way we could find a good angle and get some decent light.

 

 

More luck with KE 50 Little Bee-Eater. Common in Ol Pejeta and very common in Ol Kinyei

 

[Kalaharikind]

Lovely photos, despite your eye problems and guide problems! 

[mvecht]

Still at Ol Pejeta

KE 51/52 Kori Bustard and White-bellied Bustard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mvecht]

KE 53/%4 Blue-naped and Speckled Mousebird

 

 

 

 

[PeterHG]

Beautiful Bee-eater shots and a wonderful Kori Bustard sequence, even in flight!

[Galana]

Having given you the Bate-faced GoAway Bird I don't feel sol bad about "suggesting" you don't have a photo of a Speckled Mousebird %4.

I am sure you will have one somewhere but.......

[mvecht]

10 hours ago, Galana said:

Having given you the Bate-faced GoAway Bird I don't feel sol bad about "suggesting" you don't have a photo of a Speckled Mousebird %4.

I am sure you will have one somewhere but.......

Fred, You are absolutely right.

Kind of a funny story. Blue-naped is a lifer for me but I have been to busy (lazy) to look up the meaning of the word nape. Looking at the bird I have had Galana`s law in mind but could not make sense of it, especially as I was always seeing the bird from the front!

Understanding the meaning of the word nape and applying Galana`s law makes me absolutely sure that the third picture does not show a Speckled Mousebird

A new bird has to be KE 54 Red-fronted Barbet.

Galana`s law applies here eventhough it is hard to see the red in the picture

 

Fred, I do have a few birds where I am struggling with ID so maybe you can give some input?

Ol Pejeta. Pallid Harrier? The somewhat forked tail is confusing me.

 

 

Long-tailed Fiscal? (Ol Pejeta)

 

The whitish rump is confusing me. Steppe Eagle or could it be Lesser Spotted? (Ol Kinyei)

 

Wahlbergs og Tawny (Ol Kinyei)

 

 

Steppe or Tawny (Ol Kinyei)

 

Merlin is suggesting Lesser Spotted!  (Ol Kinyei)

 

Blue-capped or Red-cheeked Cordonbleu. The crown suggests red-cheeked and the bill suggests blue-capped.

 

 

Any help is appreciated.

Edited April 2, 2023 by mvecht
typo

[Galana]

4 hours ago, mvecht said:

Galana`s law applies here

More than you may think! Even the Cordon-bleu complies if you speak latin.

And look what happens if you lighten your Harrier.

Note the black bar on the secondaries? You have a Monty.

 

Giving your flying Eagle the same treatment.

You have a Steppe. Which does have a small white rump and that gape looks long enough..

I would like more of an angular head for the next to be a Wahlberg's so suggest a Tawny.

 

Next up is another Steppe with a white rump and long gape.

 

Merlin could well be right but I am not convinced. With large eagles I often check the position and angle of the nostrils.

 

And finally. Them pesky blue birds.

Despite the pinkish bill there is too much brown on the face for Blue-capped so we are left with Red-cheeked. Female or imm. but what about that brown face/collar? Read the book and there are four races with variable amounts of blue on the face. The Northern and Central Kenya race is given the name brunneigularis  .  Galanas law translates that as 'brown throat'. Q.E.D.

Hope that helps.

 

 

[mvecht]

@GalanaThank you for the help with the ID. I will make use of it soon 

KE 55 Meyer`s parrot. I did see them several times but they were not cooperative.

 

 

 

 

KE 56/57/58 Crowned/Blacksmith/Black-winged Plover

 

 

 

 

 

KE 59 EBC European Barn Swallow

 

 

KE 60 Rattling Cisticola

[mvecht]

KE 61/62/63

Superb/Greater Blu-eared/Wattled Starling

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mvecht]

More from Ol Pejeta

KE 64 Yellow necked Spurfowl

 

KE 65 Sacred Ibis

 

 

KE 66 Red-billed Teal

 

KE 67 Brimstone Cary

 

KE 68 African Spoonbill

Sleeping all the time and the only ones we saw on the trip.

 

KE 69 African Pied Wagtail.

 

 

 

KE 70 Western Yellow Wagtail EBC

[mvecht]

KE 71/72 Red-billed and Yellow-billed Oxpecker

 

 

 

KE 73 Plainbacked Pipit

 

KE 74 Rufuos tailed Rockthrush

 

 

KE 75Speckled Pigeon

 

 

KE 76 Ring-necked Dove

 

KE 77 Southern Black Flycatcher

 

 

 

KE 78 Red-capped Lark

[mvecht]

More birds from Ol Pejeta

KE 79 Taita Fiscal

 

KE 80 Gray-headed Social Weaver

 

KE 81 White-browed Sparrowweaver

 

KE 82 Lilac Breasted Roller

 

 

KE 83 Purple Roller

 

KE 84 Long tailed Fiscal

 

 

KE 85 Common Kestrel