Peter B's Second Big Year 2023

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123° Violet-backed starling ( Cinnyricinclus leucogaster - Amethistspreeuw ) Mara North Conservancy 15th of August 2023 : 

 

 

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124° Wattled Starling ( Creatophora cinerea - Lelspreeuw ) Mara North Conservancy 16th of August 2023 : 

 

[TonyQ]

A fine collection of starlings to start us off!

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125° Yellow-billed Oxpecker ( Buphagus africanus - Geelsnavelossenpikker ) Laikipia Ol Pejeta Conservancy 9th of August & Mara North Conservancy 14th of August 2023 : 

 

 

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Continuing with the Kingfishers !

 

126° Giant Kingfisher ( Megaceryle maxima - Afrikaanse reuzenijsvogel ) Mara North Conservancy Kicheche Camp 14th of August 2023 :

 

 

 

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127° Grey-headed Kingfisher ( Halcyon leucocephala - Gestreepte ijsvogel ) Mara Naboisho Conservancy 11th of August 2023 : 

 

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128° Malachite Kingfisher ( Corythornis cristatus - Malachietijsvogel) Mara North Conservancy 14th of August 2023 :

 

 

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129° Pied Kingfisher ( Ceryle rudis- Bonte ijsvogel ) Mara North Conservancy 14th of August 2023 : 

 

 

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130° African Pygmy Kingfisher ( Ispidina picta - Afrikaanse dwergijsvogel ) Mara North Conservancy 16th of August 2023 :

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131 Striped Kingfisher ( Halcyon - Gestreepte ijsvogel ) Mara Naboisho Conservancy 12th of August 2023 : 

 

[PeterHG]

A beautiful collection of starlings and kingfishers!

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The scientific name for the Striped kingfisher should have been " Halcyon chelicuti " of course and here is the last kingfisher and one of my favorites ; apart from the Brown-hooded which is rare on the Laikipia Plateau I have been lucky to see all present species ... 

 

132° Woodland Kingfisher ( Halcyon senegalensis - Senegal-ijsvogel ) Mara North Conservancy 14th of August 2023 : 

 

 

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133° Coqui Francolin ( Campocolinus coqui - Coquifrankolijn ) Mara Naboisho Conservancy 11th of August 2023 : 

 

 

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134° Crested Francolin ( Ortygornis sephaena - Kuiffrankolijn ) Mara North Conservancy 11th of august 2023 : 

 

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135° Red-necked Spurfowl ( Pternistis afer - Roodkeelfrankolijn ) Mara North Conservancy 13th of August 2023 : 

 

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136° Yellow-necked Spurfowl ( Pternistis leucoscepus - Geelkeelfrankolijn ) Laikipia Ol Pejeta Conservancy 6th & 9th of August 2023 : 

 

 

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One thing I noticed when birding in Laikipia Ol Pejeta and Mara Naboisho & Mara North Conservancies was the few numbers of Hornbills whilst on all of my past safaris they were abundant : I had to wait until the 9th of August to see actually the first in the far distance , a Crowned Hornbill ( the picture is so bad I will not publish it and perhaps in December I might have a better one in Rwanda ); No Southern Ground Hornbills either and I read that numbers have decreased severely because of agricultural development .

In the Mara I managed to get a picture of the Grey one , but only in flight : 

 

137° African Grey Hornbill ( Lophoceros nasatus - Grijze tok ) Mara Naboisho Conservancy 12th of August 2023 : 

 

 

 

 

 

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But I was really looking forward to find that other famous one,  I had seen before in 2017 in Ruaha National Park : the "Von der Decken's "  named after the German explorer Baron Karl Klaus von der Decken (1833–1865) who attempted to climb the Kilimanjaro but failed 

In the Kicheche Valley Camp I heard a couple was often seen and I didn't rest before finding them in good light if possible even if I had to wait until the last day of our stay ! 

 

138° Von der Decken's Hornbill male and female ( Tockus deckeni - Von der Deckens Tok ) Mara Naboisho Conservancy Valley Camp 12th of August 2023 : 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

A great start to your Africa collection! 

[Galana]

Looks like somebody had a  great time in Kenya with an excellent collection building up.

 

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139° D'Arnaud's Barbet ( Trachyphonus darnaudii - D'Arnaudts Baardvogel) Mara Naboisho Conservancy 12th of August 2023 : 

 

 

 

 

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140° Spot-flanked Barbet ( Tricholaema lachrymosa - Rauwbaardvogel ) Mara North Conservancy 15th of August 2023 : 

 

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141° Red-fronted Tinkerbird ( Pogomiulus pusillus- Roodvoorhoofdketellapper ) Mara Naboisho Conservancy 12th of August 2023 : 

 

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142° Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos goertae - Grijsgroene specht ) Laikipia Ol Pejeta Conservancy 8th of August 2023 : 

 

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143° Cardinal Woodpecker ( Dendropicos fuscescens - Kardinaalspecht ) Mara North Conservancy 15th of August 2023 :