Tdgraves big year 2016

[Tdgraves]

Near Lower Sabie, KNP, 20/1/16

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400, ISO 800, f7.1, 1/800

 

Male

KNP, 21/1/16

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400, ISO 500, f7.1, 1/800

 

Female

 

88) Crested francolin

[Galana]

Some excellent photos here. Love the Green Pigs especially.

Not for me to point out but you do seem to be repeating yourself. Magpie Shrikes feature twice but with the same names (phew!)

But 48 Neddicky and 87 Tawny-flanked Prinia is the same photo repeated. (I confess when I saw Neddicky I did think it was not correct.)

Two that I am uncomfortable about. 18. Sure that is not an immature Martial?

Also 119. Your suspected Wahlberg. Consider Imm African Hawk Eagle perhaps? Wahlberg usually carries its tail parallel not fanned and the wing pattern fits nicely with AHE.

Thanks for an entertaining set of pics.

[Tdgraves]

Some excellent photos here. Love the Green Pigs especially.

Not for me to point out but you do seem to be repeating yourself. Magpie Shrikes feature twice but with the same names (phew!)

But 48 Neddicky and 87 Tawny-flanked Prinia is the same photo repeated. (I confess when I saw Neddicky I did think it was not correct.)

Two that I am uncomfortable about. 18. Sure that is not an immature Martial?

Also 119. Your suspected Wahlberg. Consider Imm African Hawk Eagle perhaps? Wahlberg usually carries its tail parallel not fanned and the wing pattern fits nicely with AHE.

Thanks for an entertaining set of pics.

@@Galana

 

Oh dear! I always worry about mistakes (you should see the number of errors in my 2014 big year.....)

 

1. Magpie shrike is labelled as a duplicate and not counted twice

2. I hold my hands up, I usually check by name to make sure that I haven't duplicated, but there is no way for searching duplicate images. I will delete one from the total!

3. Am assuming a typo as 18 is a swallow and #118 is a marabou stork - which one did you mean!

4. ID of BIF (59 post #92) was via SANParks birding forum and has its' tail fanned, but the tawny coloured one I was just guessing, so you may well be right...I am still new at this birding business

 

Thanks

[Galana]

No problem. So am I.

3. My error. It was POST 18. Photo 9. You have it as Crowned. No speckles on the legs etc.,

A mis ID does not detract from the quality of the photos.

[Tdgraves]

No problem. So am I.

3. My error. It was POST 18. Photo 9. You have it as Crowned. No speckles on the legs etc.,

A mis ID does not detract from the quality of the photos.

You may well be right @@Galana, however the photo does not show that it was actually quite creamy rather than white and I do have another showing a leg with some speckles on it....

[Galana]

Do they look like this?

 

NB. I only asked if you were sure!

[Tdgraves]

As you can tell from the above posts, I am never sure (unless I have been on a guided safari!)

[xelas]

Continuing to increase my own birding knowledge by following @@Tdgraves excellent photos and detailed descriptions, and @mfuwe in-depth analysis! Great job, both!

[Tdgraves]

H7 near Satara, 23/1/16

 

Canon 5D mark III, 100-400 mark II, ISO 400, f8, 1/500 EV +3

 

 

88) again - have double-posted (see #127 above) so am removing a count of 1

 

Banded martins - actually new for us, now that I can blow up the image. I think when we were there, I thought they were swallows....

[Tdgraves]

Looks like I have overlooked one...

 

Near Satara, KNP, 22/1/16

 

Canon 5D mark III, 100-400 mark II, ISO 320, f7.1 1/1600

 

 

89) Southern grey-headed sparrow

[egilio]

I think the crowned eagle from post #18 is a martial eagle.

My reasoning:

The crowned eagle has a very long tail, extending well beyond the wings when perched. This tail should have been visible in the second picture, but isn't. Martial eagle has a shorter tail barely protruding past the wings when perched.

A juvenile crowned eagle has a very light head and when it's head turns darker tends to get overall grey/brown, instead of the speckling visible in the picture.

It looks to be to lean for a crowned eagle. Crowned eagle have a wider chest compared to martial eagles.

Atypical habitat for crowned eagles. But this is just in the picture, if the picture is taken on a bush close to a riverine forest with tall trees it might perfectly well be within the habitat.

About the speckling on the legs, sometimes martial eagles have that too a little bit, and it can easily be not visible in crowned eagles.

[Tdgraves]

So I'm wrong again (sigh)

 

This birding business is not easy, is it?

[egilio]

You're right far more often!!!

Juvenile eagles can be tricky (I agree with Galana on the AHE too) as it takes them quite a few years to get the adult plumage, and each year's plumage is different, and they transition between plumages too, and sometimes there's hybrids between species too (pallid and montagu's harrier, lesser and greater spotted eagle etc).

Other groups with very difficult plumages (in my opinion) are gulls.

[Tdgraves]

Now for a non-controversial sighting and the first in the big year 2016, if memory serves....

 

Near Satara, KNP, 23/1/16

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400, ISO 400, f7.1, 1/500

 

 

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400, ISO 400, f7.1, 1/1000

 

 

Canon 5D mark III, 100-400 mark II, ISO 640, f8, 1/200

 

 

90) Southern ground hornbill

[Tdgraves]

Near Satara, KNP, 23/1/16

Canon 5D mark III, 100-400 mark II, ISO 400, f8, 1/2000

 

 

91) Crowned lapwing

[Tdgraves]

Near Satara, KNP, 23/1/16

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400, ISO 400, f9, 1/800

 

 

92) Three-banded plover

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400, ISO 400, f9, 1/800

[egilio]

That first picture of the ground hornbill is stunning!

[Tdgraves]

Sweni hide, KNP 24/1/16

 

Canon 5D mark III, 100-400 mark II, ISO 500, f7.1, 1/640 and 1/1000

 

 

 

93) Saddle-billed stork

Edited May 29, 2016 by Tdgraves

[Tdgraves]

Satara in camp, KNP 24/1/16

Canon 5D mark III, 100-400 mark II, ISO 1250, f6.3, 1/320

 

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400, ISO 1250, f5.6, 1/250

 

 

94) African scops owl

Edited May 29, 2016 by Tdgraves

[Tdgraves]

Near Sweni hide, KNP 24/1/16

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400 mark, ISO 250-320, 7.1, 1/1000

95) Yellow-billed kite

[Tdgraves]

Sweni hide, KNP 24/1/16

Canon 5D mark III, 100-400 mark II, ISO 320, f7.1, 1/500

 

 

96) Black crake

[Soukous]

some lovely sightings @Tdgraves

I work in travel and I don't get away as often as you manage

Edited May 31, 2016 by Soukous

[Tdgraves]

Given the nasty weather in the UK, I am off for a week in the sun tomorrow . Before I go, an illustration of how wet it has been in the last week, with a photo taken through my kitchen window

 

Cambridgeshire, UK, 31/5/16

 

Canon 7D mark II, 100-400 mark II, ISO 4000, 5.6, 1/250!!!!

 

 

97) Greater spotted woodpecker - looking rather soggy

[xelas]

@@Tdgraves

 

You should take that woody to the sunny side of the planet with you ... it looks like one that need some TLC & sun

[Tdgraves]

@@Tdgraves

 

You should take that woody to the sunny side of the planet with you ... it looks like one that need some TLC & sun

@@xelas haha funny you should mention that, he was back this lunchtime and looked a whole lot better dry! Maybe we'll see some new birds in Mauritius (I have packed the camera....)