PC's Better year

[Elsa Hoffmann]

@xelas Funny you should mention Klaas. I got ONE shot yesterday morning - and then yesterday afternoon found it again in my tree while being fed. It was here again this morning - and as I told Peter earlier - then there were THREE! Never seen them before - nevermind 3 sitting within 2 feet of one another. I very much doubt they will be around but who knows?? But I have a Pied Kingfisher here every day - thats kind of guaranteed

[Peter Connan]

@xelas, i doubt it. Hopefully there will be another, as they apparently breed for quite a long seaon.

[PeterHG]

Great photos of the Diederick Cuckoo, @Peter Connan ! 

[Peter Connan]

Thank you very much @PeterHG.

 

@xelas, I can almost guarantee that once you have visited Elsa, and experienced her guiding skills, I will not be "hired" as a guide again.

[Peter Connan]

200 at last) Woodland Kingfisher

 

Bosveldvisvanger

Halcyon senegalensis

 

The campsite was filled with them. Their calls filled the air almost constantly, and I often saw three or more in a single tree. As usual though, I struggled to get close...

 

 

 

17/18 November, Rust de Winter

[Peter Connan]

201) Bearded Woodpecker

 

Baardspeg

Dendropicos namaquus

 

 

17 Nov, Rust de Winter

[Dave Williams]

Well done on hitting the 200.Living in South Africa has it's disadvantages when it comes to BY.... why would you want to travel anywhere else!

 

[Peter Connan]

Thanks @Dave Williams

 

Considering that some of the places I go to have got bird lists far in excess of my count in very small areas (Marievale for instance is a couple of square kilometers and have a bird list in excess of 350), I should probably be able to do better even without travelling,

 

Whatever the case may be, I do enjoy the time spent searching for new birds, and the challenge of trying to get decent photos to share.

 

202: Pearl-spotted Owl

 

Witkoluil

Glaucidium perlatum

 

Walking around in the campsite early in the morning (still before sunrise), I came across a tree with some unknown noises eminating from the upper branches. Searching and sercahing, I noticed about four little fluff-balls rather high up. A few high-ISO, low SS shots gave me an inkling, and I waited right there untill the sun came up, taking a couple of shots every 5 minutes or so. Of course, they buggered off before the sunlight caught up with them...

 

 

18 November, Rust de Winter

Edited December 3, 2017 by Peter Connan

[TonyQ]

@Peter Connan

well done on reaching the magic 200! It has been a real pleasure following your progress with beautiful birds an excellent photos throughout.

[Peter Connan]

Thank you very much @TonyQ

[michael-ibk]

Congratulations on #200 Peter - the Woodland Kingfisher is one of my favourites. An excellent choice for this post. I also have enjoyed your thread a lot over this year.

[Peter Connan]

Thank you very much @michael-ibk, I appreciate the kind comment.

 

 

[Tdgraves]

Well done on 200 - I hadn’t even noticed!

[Galana]

Well done on the #200. Nice bird to do it with too.

[xelas]

Congratulations on #200; I know there will be more  ... 

[Peter Connan]

Thank you @Tdgraves, @Galana and @xelas

 

Indeed...

203) Red-chested Cuckoo

 

Piet-my-vrou

Cuculus solitarius

 

This year is only the second time I have seen this bird, but I saw it twice, in different locations. Neither time was it being particularly co-operative  though.

 

 

 

18 Noivember, Rust de Winter

 

 

24 November, Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens, Roodepoort

[Galana]

You got enough for a positive ID and that's what counts. It is often the 'easy' birds that prove so darned hard when you want them. Twice to Africa this year and I have not even heard one!

[Soukous]

Congratulations on breaking 200 @Peter Connan 

I'm still a bit behind you but there are 3 weeks to go.

[Peter Connan]

Thanks @Galana and @Soukous.

 

That is true, and with me only re-visiting places I have visited fairly recently, you probably stand a good chance of beating me.

 

 

[Peter Connan]

Another set of somewhat marginal shots. The D3 is still a fantastic camera if you can get close, but a bit marginal if you can't...

 

204) Violet-backed Starling

 

Witborsspreeu

Cinnyricinclus leucogaster

 

Male:

 

 

Female:

 

18 November, Rust de Winter

Edited December 5, 2017 by Peter Connan

[xelas]

A little bird whispered that D3 will soon be relegated to "second violin" role .

[Peter Connan]

Indeed @xelas, just another handful of D3 birds to come first!

[Galana]

Nothing wrong with that Violet-backed Starling. Great colouring. Nice female too. I remember puzzling for ages what the heck they were when I saw my first ones.

[Peter Connan]

Thank you @Galana.

 

Caught me out a couple of times too.

[Peter Connan]

And now, for post #400, I am going to allow myself one true EBC. Just because it's a bird I have never seen before.

Unlike all the other birds from this location, this was not shot in the campsite, but was on the actual 4x4 trial. As a result, I had the wrong lens (24-120) on the camera, and no time to change. The sighting itself wasn't actually that bad.

 

205) Jacobin Cuckoo

 

Bontnuwejaarsvoel

Oxylophus jacobinus

 

 

18 November, Rust de Winter