Alex & Zvezdana Big Year 2017

[xelas]

34 minutes ago, Galana said:

As has been said. Even LBJ's can look good and bring out the best of Namibia.

Check out your Spotted Flycatcher

 

Thanks, @Galana!

 

I see now, the Spotted Flycatcher is missing the white stripes on its head. But then, I am at lost. Not Pale or Dusky (round heads, black stripe over the eye), not Marico (no white underpants), 

Maybe another Chat ? Please give me more hints !

[PeterHG]

Worthy collection of pipits and cisticolas, @xelas. LBJ's like no other and therefore not my favourites, in spite of the excellent photography !

I'm a little hesitant about #194 the Long-biled Pipit and #196 Tree Pipit, but then I'm far from an expert! There markings on the head with the Long-billed Pipit appear to be more prominent and the breast paler that they should be. On the other hand the base of the pill is pinkish, which does point to the Long-billed P. With a Tree pipit the striping should extend to the flanks, I think, which they don't here. In both cases African Pipit may be the alternative. I'm curious what the real experts say.

Because of some health problems I am confined to the house, so I have nothing better to do than nit-picking on matters I'd better leave to others.. Most importantly, the photos are of an invariably high quality!

[xelas]

1 minute ago, PeterHG said:

Because of some health problems I am confined to the house,

 

Peter, so sorry to hear about it, and we all wish you a speedy recovery!

 

I will look again through Pipits but they looked different enough on first inspection ... but then, I am not even close to be a trustworthy source !

[xelas]

Two missing latin names:

 

BY 169 / NAM 093

Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler - Parisoma subcaeruleum

 

BY 191 / NAM 115

White-tailed Shrike - Lanioturdus torquatus

[xelas]

Moving on as I am eager to reach #200 .

 

 

BY 197 / NAM 121

Crimson-breasted Shrike - Laniarius atrococcineus

 

Etosha, 11 May

 

 

BY 198 / NAM 122

Red-backed Shrike - Lanius collurio

 

Etosha, 11 May

 

 

BY 199 / NAM 123

Southern White-crowned Shrike - Eurocephalus anguitimens

 

Madisa camp, 02 May

 

 

BY 200 / NAM 124

Black-backed Puffback - Dryoscopus cubla

 

Etosha, 10 May

[Tdgraves]

@xelas I think you have been too hasty in your rush for 200. Your "puffback" looks like a shrike (probably fiscal) and your "red-backed shrike" ?another fiscal

[Dave Williams]

Zvezda's images continue to astound me because there are so many that are just so damned good. 

[Galana]

2 hours ago, Tdgraves said:

@xelas I think you have been too hasty in your rush for 200. Your "puffback" looks like a shrike (probably fiscal) and your "red-backed shrike" ?another fiscal

And I agree. In fact the RB shrike is a BruBru Shrike (sometimes called the "Telephone bird"!. In the days when they went Prrr.Prrr )

And the Puffback is a Common Fiscal just beng frisky.

@Tdgraves  Should we penalise him??

[Tdgraves]

@Galana I think not, as I'll just get twice as many wrong in my next batch! ?

Edited August 7, 2017 by Tdgraves
Typo!

[xelas]

Thank you both! I am just a bit too late to correct myself the RBS into a Brubru; about Common Fiscal, well, it is 2:1 so the vote has sealed my destiny  ... but wait, no, there is 200 birds we have photographed and posted so far , Just a slight correction in names:

 

BY 198 / NAM 122

Brubru - Nilaus afer

 

BY 200 / NAM 124

Common Fiscal - Lanius collaris

 

an We Are Back On Track!

 

BTW, thanks for congratulating us on #200 ... 

[Galana]

17 minutes ago, xelas said:

BTW, thanks for congratulating us on #200 ..

Consider it said.

(but which 200 is it??)

[xelas]

Of birds or of weeks or of months ... I know 200 is not that much in comparison to what others are doing, yet I am more then happy, and at the end of this year also #300 will be reached. And that is already an achievement for such greenhorns as us. Now let me get a cold Laško to celebrate .

[michael-ibk]

Congratulations, Alex and Zvezda, already looking forward to alll the Scottish ones! You should have a Whisky to celebrate to get into the right mood.

[Galana]

Well after one of 'my' Laskos let us revert to the Pipits. I tend to agree with @PeterHG partially. Like most folks I find Pipits competing with Cisticolas as the archtyipical LBJs that won't breed true to how the books says they should look.

FWIW 194 IS a Grassveld/African P. The Plain-back could be a Buffy. 40/60 Buffy. the Tree Pipit just might be one. I can make no other fit even though the range is just a bit out. (I have that problem her at home with Tree Pipits sitting on the ground and Meadow's sitting in low trees and bushes. It ain't fair of them!)

I would like another look at that spotted fly. Looks like a skinny Flycatcher-Chat.

You still got your 200 before Scotland so keep it coming.

[xelas]

The Common Fiscal with a white eyebrow intrigued Zvezda, and as she is much better researcher then me (and she should be, in her line of duty) this is what she found:

Lanes collaris subcoronatus;  a subspecie of Common or Southern Fiscal, ready to split away from the main branch. OK, now I am really way too deep into what should only be a passatempo hobby .

[Galana]

1 hour ago, xelas said:

OK, now I am really way too deep into what should only be a passatempo hobby

I warned you a few years ago that it was addictive. Bird books should carry a health warning.

[Peter Connan]

Well, from somebody who is unlikely to get there this year, congratulations on your 200, a great achievement with many magnificent photos!

[xelas]

Dear @Peter Connan, I am absolutely assured you will get to 200! And it is not in quantity, also quality counts. Here you are way ahead of us.

[xelas]

More birds to be posted. Namibia, despite of one or two possible mismatched ID's, really surprised me with final count.

 

BY 201 / NAM 125

Pale-winged Starling - Onychognathus nabouroup

 

Madisa camp, 02 May

 

 

BY 202 / NAM 126

Violet-backed Starling - Cinnyricinclus leucogaster

 

Hoada camp, 04 May

female

 

male

 

 

BY 203 / NAM 127

Wattled Starling - Creatophora cinerea

 

Hoba, 13 May

female

 

Etosha, 05 May

male

 

BY 204 / NAM 128

Burchell's Starling - Lamprotornis australis

 

Etosha, 10 May

 

 

BY 205 / NAM 129

Cape Starling - Lamprotornis nitens

 

Palmwag, 03 May

 

Etosha, 12 May

 

The above two starlings are very difficult to tell apart, much depends on the light and sun etc. Is my ID OK?? Corrected as per Tdgraves comment below.

Edited August 8, 2017 by xelas

[Tdgraves]

@xelas I would say that they are identical! Both glossy. Greater blue-eared have bluer bellies and more obvious "ears"

[xelas]

47 minutes ago, Tdgraves said:

@xelas I would say that they are identical! Both glossy. Greater blue-eared have bluer bellies and more obvious "ears"

 

Yes, that sounds just about right to me also. Last year the Blue-eared has more distinctive blue behind the eyes. Thanks for quick reply, @Tdgraves.

[Galana]

Are you both sure? The blue-eared did not earn its name on a whim!

Cape's ears are uniformly glossy green.

 

All present and correct apart from those last two. The range fits both locations well.

Edited August 8, 2017 by Galana
additional text.

[PeterHG]

I do agree with them both looking like Cape Glossy Starling. The Greater Blue-eared has a distinct 'ear patch' and its back looks much greener. This is one I caught 3 years ago in the Northern Kruger area:

https://photos.smugmug.com/Travel/Zuid-Afrika-2014/i-XJQj88q/0/83bb1dbd/XL/IMG_1380-XL.jpg

 

To compare: Cape Glossy Starling in The KTP. 

https://photos.smugmug.com/Travel/Kgalagadi/i-fmHCh8D/0/f8f2951a/XL/7D2_4439-XL.jpg

 

 

 

 

[Peter Connan]

1Not sure i agree with your comment regarding quality. All your photos are pin-sharp and beautifully exposed.

 

Another bird that seems to like you is the Wattled Starling. I saw them in Etosha as well, moving between the tree and the waterhole at Okaukeujo. That tree right next to the waterhole, 60m from the nearest edge of the campsite...

 

Lovely Glossy Starlings. I think the first could well be Burchells, the other two Cape Glossy. According to Biodiversity explorer, the Blue ear is very unlikely for Etosha?

[xelas]

From big guys to small guys! 

 

BY 206 / NAM 130

Dusky Sunbird - Cinnyris fuscus

 

Spitzkoope, 28 April

 

 

BY 207 / NAM 131

Marico Sunbird - Cinnyris mariquensis

 

Ameib ranch, 28 April

 

 

 

BY 208 / NAM 132

Scarlet-chested Sunbird - Chalcomitra senegalensis

 

Hoba, 13 May