Foxy has a cunning plan onwards and upwards.

[Galana]

Many happy returns if a little late.

Looks like a worthwhile visit and love the Water Vole too. The "Ratty" of Wind in the Willows but no relation really.

[Peter Connan]

Belated happy birthday!

 

I would have been perfectly happy with that shot.

[michael-ibk]

Would love to see a Buff-Breasted Sandpiper, great photos.

[Dave Williams]

I originally posted this photo as a 591)White-browed Fantail but for the record it's now a species in its own right . You can't tell the difference on this shot which is why no one challenged it perhaps!

White-spotted Fantail.  Goa 2023 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

So correctly titled here is 591)White-spotted Fantail with spots clear to see!

White-spotted Fantail.  Goa 2023 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

One of the things that participating in the BY threads has brought about is my longer term interest in seeing how many species I have recorded over the years which to me is more interesting than just repeating the same year after year. I have resurrected my old web site and in the process of updating it all. Something to do on a miserable wet Sunday afternoon here in North Wales!

[Galana]

7 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

which is why no one challenged it perhaps!

Naturally.

[BRACQUENE]

Also a bit late but happy birthday Dave ! 

[Soukous]

Good to catch up with you & Claire Dave.

 

Congrats on the 2 Sandpipers - which I missed .

I know I should have made the effort. 

 

 

[PeterHG]

On 9/24/2023 at 1:58 PM, Dave Williams said:

One of the things that participating in the BY threads has brought about is my longer term interest in seeing how many species I have recorded over the years which to me is more interesting than just repeating the same year after year

I do agree with you on that one, Dave!

[Dave Williams]

Not an addition but another correction from my Big Years. 261 was not a Bronze Mannikin as posted but a Red-backed Mannikin which is/was  a lifer and a bit more special for me. I have checked but don't seem to see any one else posting one either. According to Sasol they are common were found. This was seen at the Kumasinga Hide in Umkuze reserve.

[michael-ibk]

Red-Backed is recognized as a good species by IOC but not by Clements, that´s why you have not found it here. I have listed it in several BYs as Black-and-White Mannikin, from the Aberdares in Kenya, Entebbe and Bigodi (Uganda) and the Udzungwas (Tanzania).

[Galana]

Same here.

#331 for 2023 (last trip.) B&W Manikin - Fanshawe late 279.

But given as Red-backed (nigriceps) in SASOL RSA

But not as good a photograph of course.

[Dave Williams]

Roberts App also calls it Red-backed Mannikin I see.

[Dave Williams]

If anyone is bored or want's to hone up on their ID's prior to a Southern Africa trip here is a link to my newly finished South African bird album on my website.

I'm looking for confirmation that my ID's are correct with particular attention to Starlings,Weavers and Woodpeckers!

https://pbase.com/davidwilliamsphotography/birds_of_south_africa

[Galana]

Not bored but curious. Now I know is there is such a thing as Woodward's Batis.

 

ID's look OK but you seem to have confused your computer's sorting ability with a couple of names or misplaced commas.

African Hawk Eagle. (Not Eagle Hawk) and you really went to town with your White-browed Scrub Robin(s). So good they (you)  named it twice and different each time.

Should not Buffalo Weaver come under 'B'? It does in my indices. And it is a Black-headed Oriole not hooded in my book.

A true labour of love.

[Kitsafari]

@Dave Williams a great effort and a great result. It certainly highlights some species we have not seen at all in South Africa. 

[Dave Williams]

8 hours ago, Galana said:

Not bored but curious. Now I know is there is such a thing as Woodward's Batis.

 

ID's look OK but you seem to have confused your computer's sorting ability with a couple of names or misplaced commas.

African Hawk Eagle. (Not Eagle Hawk) and you really went to town with your White-browed Scrub Robin(s). So good they (you)  named it twice and different each time.

Should not Buffalo Weaver come under 'B'? It does in my indices. And it is a Black-headed Oriole not hooded in my book.

A true labour of love.

Thanks Fred, much appreciated. I have now actioned your suggestions which I must say I had had thoughts about but was trying to think of the best way to sort them. It's an incredibly tortuous task re-organising them in a recognisable alphabetic order when you have over 200 in a group. Computer won't do it for me unfortunately so you have to re number them individually to sort them in to the order of your choice.

That's the beginning though, I have to dig out the original files and see if I can improve their appearance with improved post processing. Yes, I can read your thoughts on that!! Still, another wet day ahead!

[Dave Williams]

8 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

@Dave Williams a great effort and a great result. It certainly highlights some species we have not seen at all in South Africa. 

 

It would be good to see a combined ST effort to photograph every African species and put a location on too but it might take a lot of memory space and organising that in order even more problematic!

[Galana]

59 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

Computer won't do it for me unfortunately so you have to re number them individually to sort them in to t

I am no tech savvy ace but have found that most systems should do this. Is it unique to your pbase programme?

In my BY spreadsheet I run two pages. 1 in order of count which I then duplicate on page 2 and then hit A-Z button (designed to throw up duplicates but that depends on me spelling them the same.)

 

A recent conflict with 'file' numbers caused me to want to change the whole recent trip batch (3700 of them). A friend pointed me to "Better File rename" which did the job in seconds. Well maybe 10 seconds as it won't do more than 999 at a time.

 

As for ST library of all Species, African Bird Club has yet to achieve 100% Have you seen it?

[Dave Williams]

@Galana Spreadsheets are easy to sort by comparison Fred .Alphabetically you still need to decide which name comes first though. Numerically very simple indeed. I also use colours for each country too so if you find one some time later it can easily be distinguished from the rest in a numerically sorted batch.

Re the African Bird Club...no I haven't but I'll take a look.

[Galana]

I think we both have crossed lines. My reference to spreadsheet was just to illustrate the A-Z thingy. I was wondering why your photo editing could not sort files by name as  mine can.

Obviously all will hinge on your own naming system being consistent . Taking Accipters you would have to split Sparrowhawk and Goshawk into the two words Sparrow Hawk without hyphen to get them in one group and similarly African Hawk Eagle must be like that to keep it out as a hyphen will put it with the Accipters. Same with Snake Eagles. I leave the Honey Buzzard to you. I know I am telling you what you know already but it's good to talk.

[Dave Williams]

624) A Lapland Bunting has been hanging around the local reserve for the last couple of days so at last I motivated myself to take a look. 90 minutes of waiting and it left the long grass it had been feeding in for a brief moment just in time before the sun went down!Lapland Bunting.    

BY 624 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Edited October 22, 2023 by Dave Williams

[Tdgraves]

Beautiful Dave

[Peter Connan]

And even had it's head in the sun! Perseverence paid off.

[PeterHG]

A very good sighting and worth the wait, I’m sure. That would have been a lifer for me.

[Kitsafari]

Your patience had a lovely reward!