lmSA84 - Big Year 2017

[Peter Connan]

Not many bird photos sport lions in them!

 

Lovely collection, but the violet-ear does stand out!

[TonyQ]

@@lmSA84

Still racing ahead!

I agree that the Waxbill is stunning.

[lmSA84]

I've fallen behind on my posting on account of generally having no internet connection but I'm now I'm back in the UK and ready to start detailing the rest of my collection from our SA road trip. First up raptors + of KTP

[lmSA84]

133. Cape Crow, Mata Mata, 02/02

 

[lmSA84]

134. Secretarybird, Mata Mata, 02/02

 

These birds are sadly becoming much lose common across SA. In KTP, we only saw them on the Auob riverbed waterholes.

 

[lmSA84]

135. Northern Black Korhaan, Twee Riverien, 02/02

 

We didn't often see these birds in KTP, with the exception of this which pair seem to be resident on the Auob road near the Samevloeiing waterhole.

 

Male

 

 

Female

 

 

Male - Marrick (Kimberley), 02/07

 

Edited March 7, 2017 by lmSA84

[lmSA84]

136. Kori Bustards, Twee Riverien, 31/1

 

These are one of the most common birds in the park and amongst the world's largest flying birds.

 

 

A displaying male - the males display at dispersed lek's during the breeding season. This one was on his own which suggests he is dominant male in the area. This was taken in the Mata Mata area.

 

[lmSA84]

137. Brown Snake Eagle, 02/02, Mata Mata

 

 

Mata Mata, 03/02

 

[lmSA84]

138. Black-chested Snake Eagle, Twee Riverien, 04/02

 

Unfortunately, you can't see the bird clearly front on but the white feathers which mark it's breast can just be seen on the edge of the bird.

 

 

I'm not a 100% but I think that this is the juvenile

 

 

Edited March 7, 2017 by lmSA84

[lmSA84]

139. Martial Eagle, Nossob Road, 01/02

 

This is the largest eagle in Africa.

 

[lmSA84]

140. Black-shouldered Kite, Auob Road near Mata Mata, 04/02

 

[lmSA84]

141. Pale Chanting Goshawk, all images on the Nossob road, 1-2/02

 

All of these images are of juveniles. We found them to be very photogenic and relaxed, where as the adults would rarely stay near the road.

 

 

On the nest

 

 

Out hunting in the early evening

 

[lmSA84]

142. Tawny Eagle, Nossob Road, 03/02

 

These are resident at a few of the waterholes on both the Auob and Nossob roads.

 

[lmSA84]

143. Lanner Falcon, Nossob Road near Mata Mata, 03/02

 

This is the Juvenile

 

[lmSA84]

144. Pygmy Falcon, Mata Mata, 03/02

 

This is the smallest raptor in the region. This image is of the male.

 

[lmSA84]

145. Bateleur, Auob Road, 03/02

 

I was hoping to get better photos of these lovely birds but we only saw them at the Dertiende Boorgat waterhole.

 

[lmSA84]

146. Common Buzzard, Nossob Road, 03/02

 

[lmSA84]

147. Gabar Goshawk, Mata Mata camp, 03/02

 

I was really struggling to find these birds when this one just started calling one evening the in the Mata Mata camp just outside our chalet. This is the juvenile.

 

 

In silhouette at Marrick, 07/02

 

[lmSA84]

148. Western Barn Owl, Nossob Road, 02/02

 

This pair is nesting in an old Social Weaver's nest on the Nossob Road

 

 

[lmSA84]

149. Spotted Eagle Owl, Nossob Road, 31/01

 

These were very common throughout the Northern Cape, seen in both the day and at night.

 

 

The juvenile

 

[lmSA84]

150. Jackal Buzzard, Auob Road, 04/02

 

 

In flight at Thendele, Drakensberg, 01/03

 

[lmSA84]

151. Cape Turtle Dove, Auob Road, 03/02

 

The last of my KTP birds

 

[PeterHG]

What a joy to see all those beautiful South African birds you posted so far @imSA84. Impressive raptor collection from the KTP. I was there some 2 weeks after you. Also saw the Barn Owl in the weaver tree, but only on a night drive, so definitely not as good a photo as yours. I do agree with you about the relative ease with whicht the juvenile PC Goshawks could be photographed. Geat cuckoo shot and what a good find!

[michael-ibk]

Great raptor collection, and welcome back. Interesting about the lack of Korhaans, I saw them a lot.

[lmSA84]

@@PeterHG - Thanks! I hope you had an excellent KTP trip. Where in the park did you go? We spent our time in the Twee Rivieren and Mata Mata camps and had an excellent time. We meet some people though who had transferred over from the Nossob area on account of the poor game viewing - the heavy rains apparently dispersed the game up there but I would be interested to hear if you saw anything similar / different.