TonyQ: Big Year 2023

[TonyQ]

154.SA17 African Stonechat  Saxicola torquatus           

 

(M) Karkloof Conservation Centre            05.07.23    

       

(F) Saint Lucia      12.07.23

Very common

[TonyQ]

155.SA18 Black Crake           Zapornia flavirostra           

Karkloof Conservation Centre            05.07.23

Karkloof Conservation Centre            05.07.23

[TonyQ]

156.SA19 Hadada Ibis            Bostrychia hagedash       

Karkloof Conservation Centre            05.07.23

Very common and very noisy. They do look nice in the sun though

[TonyQ]

157.SA20 Jackal Buzzard      Buteo rufofuscus           

Midmar Dam Nature Reserve 05.07.23 

        

Sitting by the side of the road, Sani Pass        07.07.23

 

Midmar Dam is close to Howick

[TonyQ]

158.SA21 Black-headed Heron          Ardea melanocephala           

 Midmar Dam Nature Reserve           05.07.23

[TonyQ]

159.SA22 Pied Crow  Corvus albus  

Midmar Dam Nature Reserve 05.07.23

[TonyQ]

160.SA23 Black-shouldered/winged Kite            Elanus caeruleus       

Midmar Dam Nature Reserve 05.07.23

Midmar Dam Nature Reserve 05.07.23

[PeterHG]

Excellent photos of the trip, @TonyQ! Seeing wattled cranes was very special.

[michael-ibk]

Beautiful photos Tony! Good to see you and Sheila returned to Africa, when was your last time? I'm looking forward to the report - and the BY additions just as well of course. 

[xelas]

Great photos, Tony! Love the BIF shots.

[Soukous]

We loved Sani Valley Lodge and could have stayed much longer. Hope you enjoyed too.

How many species on your Sani Pass excursion - apparently 100 is par. We only managed 95 due to poor weather.

[TonyQ]

@PeterHGthank you - we were very pleased to see the Wattled Cranes!

@xelasthank you

@michael-ibkthank you. Our last time in Africa was September 2019 in Kenya. We had a trip booked to South Africa in 2020 (including some of the places on this trip) but had to cancel due to the COVID situation.

This was our first long-haul trip since Malaysia in February 2020.

@Soukouswe really enjoyed the Sani Valley Lodge -  we thought we would after reading your comments on it. I don't have a total yet for Sani Pass. I only keep a record of those we photographed that we didn't get earlier in the trip. However it was nowhere near the numbers you mention - I would be surprised if we got much more than 30 photographed with an identifiable bird. But we both thought it was a wonderful day of birding with an excellent guide. It was the middle of winter so numbers probably would be lower - and we are very slow

 

A few more

161.SA24 Spur-winged Goose  Plectropterus gambensis      

Midmar Dam Nature Reserve 05.07.23

Distant but identifiable

[TonyQ]

162.SA25 Goliath Heron  Ardea goliath        

Midmar Dam Nature Reserve 05.07.23

[TonyQ]

163.SA26 Flappet Lark  Mirafra rufocinnamomea           

Midmar Dam Nature Reserve 05.07.23

A hurridly grabbed bad picture. I am not great on Larks, but there are not many to choose from in this area. No crest, reddish colur. (Also considered the Rufous-naped Lark but tha has a crest)

[TonyQ]

164.SA27 African Marsh-Harrier  Circus ranivorus           

Midmar Dam Nature Reserve 05.07.23

Another great photo!. Pattern of flight was much like our Marsh Harrier and the markings match

[TonyQ]

165.SA28 Blue Crane  Anthropoides paradiseus           

Midmar Dam Nature Reserve 05.07.23

 

Midmar Dam Nature Reserve 05.07.23 

 

Himeville         09.07.23

Another bird we were keen to see, though with this one we did see it on our Cape trip a few years ago. The work done by Karkloof is also aimed at protecting these. The ones at Himeville were just outside the town in a field in the morning fog. They were calling loudly to each other so we pulled over to the side of the road to watch and listen.

[TonyQ]

166.SA29 Common/Southern Fiscal  Lanius collaris

(F) Midmar Dam Nature Reserve 05.07.23      

   

(M) Sani Valley Lodge       08.07.23

[TonyQ]

Little Fields Cottage was our base in Howick for a couple of nights. Very productive gardens

 

167.SA30 Red-billed Quelea  Quelea quelea           

Little Fields Cottage    04.07.23

It was getting dark as we sat outside with a "just arrived" cup of coffee. These were roosting in a tree above our heads

I posted out of order to put it with the other Little Fields birds.

Edited August 21, 2023 by TonyQ

[TonyQ]

168.SA31 Speckled Mousebird  Colius striatus           

Little Fields Cottage    06.07.23

       

Mkhuze           16.07.23

I like Mousebirds - the length of the tail is amazing.

We spent a couple of hours in the grounds of Little Fields on the morning we left. Really nice and very productive

[TonyQ]

169.SA32 Cape Canary  Serinus canicollis  

Little Fields Cottage    06.07.23

Little Fields Cottage    06.07.23

Edited August 21, 2023 by TonyQ

[TonyQ]

170.SA33 Cape Robin-Chat  Cossypha caffra           

Little Fields Cottage    06.07.23

[pedro maia]

Nice pictures Tony, I particularly like the one wit( the spoonbills.

[TonyQ]

Thank you @pedro maia

 

A few more

171.SA34 Red-eyed Dove  Streptopelia semitorquata  

Little Fields Cottage    06.07.23

We saw this species a few times, but we probably didn't spend enough time looking at doves. I am sure we missed a few

[TonyQ]

172.SA35 Cape White-eye  Zosterops virens           

Little Fields Cottage    06.07.23

Little Fields Cottage    06.07.23

[TonyQ]

173.SA36 Greater Double-collared Sunbird  Cinnyris afer   

Little Fields Cottage    06.07.23