lmSA84 - Big Year 2017

[lmSA84]

171. Fawn-coloured Lark, Mokala National Park, 9/2

 

Mokala is a lark and pipit hotspot. If I was better I reckon I could clocked up 10 or so more species then I actually saw.

 

Edited March 9, 2017 by lmSA84

[lmSA84]

172. Eastern Clapper Lark, Mokala National Park, 10/2

 

These birds put on a brilliant display, periodically launching themselves into the air with a loud series of wing claps and then falling back to earth with a whoosh. You can watch 10s of them showing off all around you on the Lilydale plains.

 

[lmSA84]

By jumping to Marrick and Mokala I managed skip out Witsand which we visited on way to Marrick. I didn't get many new species and the Sandgrouse which I had hoped to see had been scattered by the heavy rains, but still it was worth it for the lovely dunes.

 

173. Wattled Starling, Witsand Nature Reserve, 5/2

 

[lmSA84]

174. Rufous-cheeked Nightjar, Witsand Nature Reserve, 5/2

 

[lmSA84]

175. Namaqua Dove, Witsand Nature Reserve, 5/2

 

At the Sandgrouse bird hide these and Southern Red Bishops were the only birds to be seen.

 

[lmSA84]

176. Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Beaufort West, 10/2

 

These images were taken at distance on a boiling hot day - 44c+

 

 

[lmSA84]

177. Three-banded Plover, Beaufort West, 10/2

 

A quite common bird which strangely I only saw once - again a heavily cropped image.

 

[lmSA84]

178. African Pipit, Wolseley (Western Cape), 12/2

 

This is the last of my images from South Africa's Capes - the next set with be from KZN and Gauteng

 

[lmSA84]

Before I move on - a few better shots of prior postings

 

I soo wanted this to be a new Lark species for me but I'm pretty sure this is another Spike-heeled Lark - image taken at Mokala National Park

 

 

Yellow Canary - image taken at Marrick

 

 

Spotted Eagle Owl - Images taken at Marrick

 

 

 

 

These aren't great images (on account of being taken through a car window) but it's interesting behaviour - these Dusky Sunbirds are fighting their own reflections in our car wing mirrors

 

 

[xelas]

Three more pages of excellent birds! Congratulation @ImSA84 !Only one remark: here on Big Year thread, we don't like to use the term "poor photo". Instead of, we prefer to use the term EBC (also ebc) .

[TonyQ]

@@lmSA84

Wonderful new additions - you are charging ahead!

The eyes of the Eagle Owl are stunning.

[lmSA84]

Three more pages of excellent birds! Congratulation @ImSA84 !Only one remark: here on Big Year thread, we don't like to use the term "poor photo". Instead of, we prefer to use the term EBC (also ebc) .

 

Thanks for the tip @@xelas - but those aren't my EBC's....I'm saving them for a special posting for when I need to pad my numbers

[lmSA84]

This next posting is one that I've been looking forward to because all of these bird are rare - listed as either near threatened, vulnerable or endangered.

 

The first is the Green Barbet, a highly range restricted bird in Southern Africa found only the 3200 ha Ongoye forest of KZN. Across Africa the species is only found in isolated montane forests in Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi and Mozambique.

 

Previously this South African species has been seen as a distinct species given that it's substantively geographically separated by from it's nearest relatives in Northern Mozambique.

 

No 179. Green Barbet, Ongoye Forest, 18/2

 

 

 

 

[lmSA84]

180. Spotted Ground Thrush, Dlinza Forest, 18/2

 

The Spotted Ground Thrush is a rare forest floor bird, distributed across the forests of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. In South Africa it is only found in a narrow coastal forest band in KZN and the Eastern Cape. Sadly this bird is listed as endangered.

 

 

 

Edited March 13, 2017 by lmSA84

[lmSA84]

181. Bush Blackcap, Thendele (Drakensberg), 1/3

 

The Bush Blackcap is listed as near threatened and is endemic to the afromontane / mistbelt forests of KZN / Eastern Cape. It's a challenging bird to find but it's quite inquisitive when you do find it.

 

This one stayed largely out of view in a dense thicket until popped out right in front of my lens and almost come right up to touch it.

 

 

[lmSA84]

182. Sooty Albatross, Rocktail Bay (Maputaland), 21/2

 

These are listed as Near Threatened and rarely seen in South Africa. Cyclone Dineo passed through a week before we arrived and it may have effected these birds normal movements.

 

It's hard to tell from these EBC's (far off and my daughter was strapped to my chest pulling on the camera cord!) but the shape of wing, wedge shaped tails and small group behaviour is diagnostic.

 

 

[lmSA84]

183. Rosy-throated Longclaw, Lake Sibhayi, 22/2

 

There are three Longclaw species in Southern Africa (the other two will follow) and the Rosy is by far the rarest, being listed as Near Threatened. In South Africa it can only be found in damp marshy habitat Northern KZN.

 

This was a great sighting but frustratingly it's a juvenile which only has a faint rosy marking on its throat. The adults are beautiful but frustratingly on this occasion stayed just out of sight and we didn't want to hassle / flush them.

 

[lmSA84]

184. Yellow Throated Longclaw, Lake Sibhayi, 22/2

 

The Yellow Throated is the most common of Africa's Longclaws.

 

[lmSA84]

185. Cape Longclaw, Lake Sibhayi, 22/2

 

The Cape Longclaw is endemic to Southern Africa. Lake Sibhayi is interestingly one of the few places where you can see all three species on a single drive.

 

Adult

 

Juvenile

 

[lmSA84]

This next posting is of common birds of Durban (although not all images were taken there).

 

186. Bronze Mannikin, Mtunzini, 20/2

 

 

187. Dark capped Bulbul, Thendele (Drakensberg), 1/3

 

[lmSA84]

187. Village Weaver, Durban, 16/2

 

Female

 

 

Female

 

[lmSA84]

188. White-bellied Sunbird, Durban, 16/2

 

 

[lmSA84]

189. Common Myna, Durban, 18/2

 

[xelas]

OK, you really have also extra EBC photos, @ImSA84

[lmSA84]

@@xelas - oh there's much more where that came from....I fear I might get thrown off this blog for flagrant abuse of all good photography rules