Peter B's Second Big Year 2023

[BRACQUENE]

44/308 Eastern grey Plantain-eater ( Crinifer zonurus - Bandstaartbananeneter ) Akagera NP Lake Rwanyakizinga 15th of December 2023 : 

 

 

Never seen this one before ; common breeding resident in the savanne of eastern Rwanda 

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Last but not least in this family : 

 

45/309 Ross's Turaco ( Musophaga rossae - Lady Ross' Toerako ) Akagera NP Magashi Concession 13th of December 2023 : 

 

 

Taken from quite a distance but reasonably clear ;  my first sighting  was last year in Malcolm Lodge Harare ...

[BRACQUENE]

An important family now especially in Rwanda : The Ploceidae 

 

In Kenya I saw the Baglafecht , the Grey-capped social , the Northern Red-headed , the Speckle-fronted and the White-headed Buffalo Weaver ; only the Baglafecht is a double and all the others are new for 2023 .

 

46/ Baglafecht Weaver ( Ploceus Baglafecht - Baglafechtwever ) The Retreat Kigali 9th of December 2023 : 

 

 

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47/ 310 Thick-billed or Grosbeak Weaver ( Amblyospiza albifrons - Dikbekwever ) Akagera NP Lake Rwanyakizinga 14th & Magashi Camp

15th of December 2023 : 

 

 

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48/311 Slender-billed Weaver ( Ploceus Pelzelni - Dunbekwever ) Akagera NP Ruzizi Tented Lodge 10th & Lake Rwanyakizinga 15th of December 2023 : 

 

 

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49/312 Spectacled Weaver ( Ploceus ocularis - Brilwever ) Akagera NP Lake Ihema & Rwanyakizinga 10 & 15th of December 2023 : 

 

 

 

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50/313 Black-necked Weaver ( Ploceus nigricollis - Zwartnekwever ) Akagera NP Ruzizi Tented Lodge 10th of December 2023 : 

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51/314 Holub's Golden Weaver ( Ploceus xanthops - Saffraanwever ) Akagera NP Ruzizi Area 9th of December 2023 : 

 

 

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52/315 Lesser-masked Weaver ( Ploceus intermedius - Kleine Textorwever ) Akagera NP Magashi Concession 14th of December 2023 : 

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53/316 Village Weaver ( Ploceus cucullatus - Grote Textorwever ) Akagera NP Ruzizi area 10th & Magashi Concession 15th of December 2023 : 

 

 

 

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54/317 Black-headed Weaver ( Ploceus melanocephalus - Zwartkopwever ) Akagera NP Lake Rwanyakizinga 14th of December 2023 : 

 

 

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55/ 318 Cardinal Quelea ( Quelea Cardinalis - Kardinaalwever ) Akagera NP Ruzizi Area 11th of December 2023 : 

 

Taken from "very" far .... 

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56/319 Red-billed Quelea ( Quelea quelea - Roodbekwever ) Akagera NP Kiyonza Gate 11th of December 2023 : 

 

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57/320 Fan-tailed Widowbird ( Euplectes axillaris - Roodschouderwidavink ) Akagera NP Lake Rwanyakizinga 14th & 16th of December 2016 : 

 

Very common resident throughout Rwanda and in the extensive marshes of Akagera NP this bird occurs in permanent floating meadows with low sedges and ferns .

[BRACQUENE]

58/321  White-winged Widowbird ( Euplectes albonotatus - Spiegelwidavink ) Akagera NP Ruzizi Area Lake Ihema 9th, 10 & 11th of December 2023 : 

 

 

 

 

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The first picture of the Fan-tailed Widowbird didn't pass so here it is again ! 

 

 

 

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A few Bucerotidae : 

 

Like in Kenya we saw very few and in far from perfect conditions with bad light but at least a new one ...

 

59/ 322 Crowned Hornbill ( Tochus alboterminatus-Kuiftok ) Akagera NP Hippo Bay Area 15th of December 2023 : 

 

 

[BRACQUENE]

60/ African Grey Hornbill ( Lophoceros nasatus-Grijze tok ) Akagera NP Magashi Concession 14th of December 2023 : 

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Next the Meropidae : 

 

61/ Little Bee-eater ( Merops pusillus - Kleine bijeneter ) Akagera NP Magashi Concesssion 13th of December 2023 : 

 

 

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62/323 Blue-cheeked Bee-eater ( Merops persicus- Groene of Blauwwangbijeneter ) Akagera NP Magashi Concession 14th of December 2023 : 

 

 

 

 

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63/324 European Bee-eater ( Merops apiaster - Bijeneter ) Akagera NP Ruzizi Area 10 & 11th of December 2023 : 

 

 

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Only one Babbler of the Leiothrichidae seen already in Kenya :

 

64/ Black-lored Babbler ( Tardoides Sharpei - Taborababbelaar ) Akagera NP Magashi Concession 13th & 14th of December 2023 : 

 

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An interesting one of the Platysteiridae ( we didn't see the Chinspot Batis like in Kenya ) : 

 

65/ 325 Brown-throated Wattle-eye ( Platysteira cyanea - Bruinkeellelvliegenvanger ) Akagera NP Magashi Camp 15th of December 2023 : 

 

 

 

 

The best I could obtain as this one , a fairly common breeding resident , is very difficult to photograph always hiding in lush and dense exotic vegetation , close to where I saw the Blue Malcoha ! 

 

 

[Dave Williams]

An extremely respectable score and I have a feeling there are more to come. . 

[TonyQ]

Beautiful photos @BRACQUENE - a lovely set of Bee-eaters.

Well done on racing past 300 - a wonderful bird to get that total. I really like that you had a more distant shot surrounded by Papyrus as well as the closer one. Good to see where the bird lives.

It looks like Rwanda was very productive.