Galana's Seventh. Lucky numbers.

[Dave Williams]

I was beginning to wonder if the Elephants had trampled you Fred. Good to hear all going well!

[TonyQ]

Good to get an update from the field @Galana

[Galana]

Thanks @michael-ibk@Dave Williamsand @TonyQand any one else.

Back home now today and guaranteed wiffy at least. Report in progress once Domestic duties ease a bit.

I can say the trip was good with many funny stories to bore with as well as a few birds to fill the spaces.

Making no comment on these strange woke things going on around the world I do have a pleasant recollection of how a fair Damsel rode to the aid of a Knight in distress as well as a pub with no beer.

But this is Big Year, not trip reporting, so the count can now bridge the gap to 300.

 

291. ~Vulturine Guinea Fowl. Tsavo East. Kenya.

 

292. Eastern Yellow billed Hornbill. Tsavo East.

 

293. Black throated Barbet. Tsavo East.

 

294.  Grey Wren-warbler.  Tsavo East.

 

295. Parrot-billed Sparrow.  Tsavo East.

 

296. Chinspot Batis. Tsavo East.

 

297. Pringles Puffback. Tsavo East,

 

298. Yellow spotted Petronia. Tsavo East.

 

 

299. Hunter's Sunbird. Tsavo East. Female or non breeder.

300 was of course Dodson's Bulbul.

[TonyQ]

300 already! Well done and I look forward to the rest of your trip

[PeterHG]

Congratulations on the triple century. I love those Vulturine Guineafowl.

[BRACQUENE]

Congratulations Fred with your 300 and glad to have you back after the safari ! 

[Zim Girl]

Congratulations on the 300 and pleased you had a good trip!

[Galana]

Thanks for the welcome mat. @TonyQ, @Zim Girl,

@BRACQUENE& @PeterHGand all.'likers'.

Yes well 300 was assured with a start point of 280ish or would have had to be blindfolded to miss that stage but nice to have anyway.

Also TZ in February will have already counted a few of what I will find this time around but ever hopeful I made a start in Tsavo East as our first point of call.

I will pick with 301 from there with another 10 for the list for you. Some 'easy' ones with limited exposure may help.

~All in order of 'first record shot' to avoid confusing me and you although better ones coming later will be recorded with the correct location where applicable.

Gottit?

301. Yellow-necked Spurfowl. Tsavo East. Kenya.

 

302. Red-bellied Parrot. Tsavo East.

 

303. White-bellied GoAway bird. Tsavo East. There are better ones but I must not have bothered with the improvements.

 

This obliging subject had me fooled for some time until the penny dropped.

It is of course a juvenile..

304. Greater Honeyguide. Tsavo East for the Juv. Don't recall where the adult was seen.

 

305. Ruppells Long-tailed Starling. Tsavo East. Everywhere. I can't believe I only took one shot, but that's what Big Year does to you. "Gottya. Next please."

 

 

Come out yer beggar!

306. Three-streaked Tchagra.  Tsavo East. Gotcha.

 

307. Abyssinian Scimitarbill. Tsavo East.

 

308. Red-billed Hornbill. Tsavo East.

 

309. Northern Brownbull. Tsavo East.

and finally for today...How about a BIF?

310. Lanner Falcon tempted me to throw caution to the wind. Tsavo East. Just as well as we never saw one perched .

Nothing too contentious in that batch. You wait.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Galana]

Nothing very contentious in today's offering even assisted by my friend Willy Makeit as we drive the full length of Tsavo East (north to south) on our way to our next stop at Shimla Hills.

Here goes.

 

311. Little Swift. Ithumba Hill, Tsavo East. Well I know how much you like BIF.

 

 

312 Lesser Spotted Eagle. Tsavo East.

 

313. Fischer's Starling. Tsavo East.

 

314. Black-headed Lapwing. Tsavo East. I always keep a lookout on this track for them. A regular sighting. Sorry for the through the windscreen quality but they just would no move sideways.

 

315. Taita Fiscal. Tsavo East.

 

316. Pink-breasted Lark. Tsavo East.

 

 

317. Golden-breasted Starling. Tsavo East.  The only one of the whole trip.

 

318. Somali Courser. Tsavo East. Another regular around the Galana river.

 

319. African Pied Wagtail. So common and often overlooked. This one was feeding young at the Bchoma Exit gate as ended our drive down the park. A note to those who may follow. As your start to drop to Lugard falls this is a good spot for seeing the enigmatic Gerenuk. Never failed yet. This is about birds but we also saw a very nice Cheetah.

 

Finally we are out of Tsavo for the forests of Shimla Hills.

320. Silvery-cheeked Hornbill. Seen from my balcony at Shimla Hills Lodge. I did have two other photos to post but when I looked closer just now they were both Trumpeters and not really decent photos due to rain.

Note the balcony reference. I am a founder member of the Balcony birders club. Why go traipsing through drk forest getting a stiff neck when the birds will come to visit you.

As will other creatures.

Indeed keeping them out is harder.

I think this is a Bushy Red-footed Squirrel.

 

This is a Cross banded Tree Snake.

 

That's it for now.

More balcony visitors tomorrow. It rained a bit and we were awaiting a fair damsel riding to the rescue.

 

[pedro maia]

Good to see you back Fred, and you raced past 300, congrats on that, keep them coming!

[xelas]

Congratulations on passing by #300 of this year, Fred!

[Galana]

Ever onwards and we are climbing in Shimla hills.

Adverse weather and a commitment to meet a fair damsel riding to our rescue kept us on the balcony most of the day.

 

321. Green Barbet.Shimla Hills Lodge Balcony. Shimla Hills NP Kenya.

 

322. Black-headed Apalis. Balcony. Shimla Hills Lodge.

 

323. White-eared Barbet. You guessed it. Balcony birding gets better.

 

324. Black-bellied Starling. Shimla Hills Lodge.

 

325. African Hawk Eagle. Raptor dampiness. Same day same tree same viewpoint. I said it was inclement.

 

326. Fischer's Turaco. Undeterred by rain. Shimla Hills Lodge.

 

327. Little Yellow Flycatcher. Shimla Hills Lodge.

 

328. Black-backed Weaver. Taking shelter. EBC Shimla Hills Lodge.

 

329. Trumpeter Hornbill. Same balcony different tree. Shimla Hills and the sun has come out.

 

So we went out too.

330. Zitting Cistcola. Zitting in the sunshine. Shimla Hills National Park.

 

Gotta get back . The Damsel is near bearing gifts (and a much needed Battery charger left at home. Not me honest.)

 

 

[TonyQ]

Fantastic balcony birds in Shimla Hills (is it Shimla or Shimba?)

 

The Turaco is really stunning!

Edited September 6, 2023 by TonyQ

[Galana]

2 hours ago, TonyQ said:

(is it Shimla or Shimba?)

Shimba but it really depends on how good a lunch you had.

[Galana]

We now leave Shimba Hills  and cross over into Tanzania for our next location in the East Usumbaras  in the fabled forests of Amani where we had been before once or twice.

Some fable birds are there so will we get lucky?

Lodged at the very nice Emau Hill Camp the tents don't have balconies to bird from so it means hours staring up into tall trees which is not my favourite pastime. But.....I was allowed to find some birds lower down too.

 

Here are the daily dozen decimalised to 10 to aid my brain.

 

331.  Black and White Mannikin. Amani. TZ Round here they are not content with 'bicolour'  so sport a red back just to fool you.

 

332. Pale or Mouse-coloured Flycatcher. East Usumbaras.

 

333. Ashy Flycatcher. East Usumbaras.

 

334. African Dusky Flycatcher. Outside my tent most mornings. Emau Hill. East Usumbaras.

 

335. Olive Sunbird. Emau Hill, Usumbaras.

 

336. Mustached Green Tinkerbird. Staring at me staring at him. Usumbaras.

 

Controversy reigns supreme.

337. Usumbara White-eye.  Emau Hill, East Usumbaras. TZ.

 

A short walk saved my neck strain with

338. Half-collared Kingfisher. A pond.  Emau Hill, East Usumbaras. TZ.

 

Eye strain warning..

 

339. Yellow throated Woodland Warbler.  East Usumbaras.  A long name for a short bird. BUT I nailed it.

 

340. Dark-backed Weaver.  Emau Hill. East Usumbaras, TZ.

What can one do when they won't show their Dark Back and when they do you can't see the bird?

 

Three species of Chameleon here too. More to follow....

 

 

[TonyQ]

Beautiful kingfishers!

[PeterHG]

A great set again, most of which would have been lifers for me.

[BRACQUENE]

Some special ones in the Usumbaras I would have loved to see like that White-eye  !

[Kitsafari]

congrats on the 3rd century @Galana! what a stunning bird that golden-breasted starling is! ;much enjoying the african feathered  ones.

[Galana]

@TonyQYes. I was surprised to find them in Forest but seeing is believing.

@PeterHGI got a couple of lifers to but not yet. Had seen the little stuff in Usumbaras but it was photos I went back for. See what BY does to you?

@BRACQUENEMe to. I did not know it existed until we saw it. A new split so a lifer.

@KitsafariTrue. I have better photos from previous trips but that scruffy one was our only sighting this year.

 

Spoiler alert. The next batch follows shortly. The quality starts poor but gets better with a lovely lifer. I need to check. Even if not a lifer it is as stunning little bird. (And it's not from Amani Forest.)

 

[Galana]

Just added the first page of my TR under TZ even though it starts and ends in Kenya. 

 

Duly forewarned, here are today's batch of ten.

 

341. Yellow-streaked Greenbul. Emau Hill. East Usumbaras.

 

342. Mountain Greenbul. Emau Hill. I do have better later offerings if needed.

 

It now gets a bit better.

 

343. Square-tailed Drongo. East Usumbaras.

 

We now leave the Eastern Usumbaras for the Western and to my driver's surprise we don't head for Lushoto but drive 50km north to Mtae and the lovely Mambo View Eco Lodge where there has been a change of ownership abd we hear of possible problems. Oh well. We are booked in. Lets go and see.

First we stop at a small wetland by the main road for R&R and some birds...

 

344. African Reed Warbler. A swamp. Near Msambiazi. Happy to be told it is some other denizen of the Reeds. Not the next one though.

Bang to rights..An indulgence follows..

 

345. Taveta Golden Weaver. Same swamp wherever that may be.

 

346. Black Saw Wing. Mtae forest path. West Usumbaras.

 

 

347. Olive Woodpecker. Same forest somewhere east of Mtae.

We birded this forest track twice and it was quite rewarding. (We also bought fresh Avocados from ladies going to market. They completely changed my view on Avacado's edibility.

 

348. Sharpe's Starling. Forest trail. West Usumbaras.

 

349. Bar-throated Apalis. West Usumbaras.

 

350. Common Fiscal. Mtae. West Usumbaras..

 

More?

 

 

 

 

[Galana]

Moving on after a slight hiatus in subjects. Whilst scanning some photos for a report and gallery I hit one that I thought I had missed. So some shuffling was needed to keep it in sequence.

Done.

 

351. White-naped Raven. Mtae. Mambo View.West Usmbaras.

 

351. Red-capped Forest Warbler. (African Tailorbird). Mtae. West Usumbaras. (Emmy was calling Mrs Moreaux's Warbler, but it does not occur.) Definitely the stress on EVERY Bird Counts.

 

353. Variable Sunbird. Mambo View Eco Lodge. I posted the under wing shot as the quickest and most reliable way to avoid confusion with 'Collared' from the yellow bellied version of Variable.

 

354. Red-rumped Swallow. Mambo View.

 

355. Waller's Starling. Mtae Forest. Rotten portraits but cannot be helped.

 

356. Eastern Double collared Sunbird. Mtae Forest Reserve.

 

357. African Stonechat. Descent road from Mtae.

When we dared raise our eyes from the sheer drops.

 

See the prey's legs?

 

358. Giant Sparrowhawk. Mtae descent track. No idea what the prey was but it looked like Chicken.

 

This was the road where we got stuck last visit. Do try it.

 

359.Streaky Seedeater. Meru View Lodge.

 

360 Scaly Francolin. Arusha NP. It vanished before we could stop the car..

 

[Galana]

Before we go back to The birds we had a visit to our beach outside that may interest you. Added to my Lounge list this morning.  Not often they come close to shore. Thought to be mother 'Moonlight' and daughter "Starlight'  aged 4 now but my photos are rubbish and over exposed as they were still on ISO3200 from photo graphing full moon this week.

 

But I did see them.

[Galana]

Today's batch includes an EBC to rival the best.

 

361. Trilling Cisticola. Arusha National Park.

 

362. Hildebrandt's Starling. Naabi Hill.

 

363. Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon. Arusha NP/

 

364. Cinnamon-breasted BeeEater. Arusha NP.

 

365. Narina Trogon. Arusha NP.

 

Wait for it.....

366. Hartlaub's Turaco. Arusha NP.

 

367. Crowned Eagle. Arusha NP. Camera must have played up as this looks OK to me.

 

368.Southern Pochard. Arusha NP.

 

369. Yellow-billed (Intermediate) Egret. Arusha NP.

 

370 Sacred Ibis. Arusha NP. BF.

[Galana]

Onwards we can complete our collection in Arusha and set off west once more..

 

371. Black-wingedStilt. Arusha National Park.

 

372. Lesser Flamingo. Arusha NP. (just counting the Lesser in the flock.)

 

as

373. The Greater gets its own slot. Arusha NP.

 

374. Cape Teal. Arusha NP.

 

375. Lizard Buzzard. Meru View Lodge. Usa River, Arusha. A nice birdy place to stay (and drink a few beers with our good friend Achmed when he called.)

 

376. Amethyst (Black) Sunbird. Meru View Lodge. Usa River.

 

377. Black-chested Snake Eagle. Overflying Meru Lodge gardens. Does this count??

 

378. Baglafecht's Weaver. Meru View Lodge.

 

379. Tropical Boubou. Meru View Lodge.

 

and driving west to Karatu.

 

 

380 Fisher's Lovebird. At a broken down Toilet block by the road to Karatu. A tick is a tick.

Location is mere background!