Mfuwe's Year.

October 23, 2017

Congrats on 300

October 23, 2017

@Galana, #300 is a one giant leap for us, one small step for you! I am waiting for #500 !

October 24, 2017

Well done on 300!

Some really great birds along the way!

October 24, 2017

Well done on reaching 300. A great achievement and so many beautiful bids!

October 24, 2017

Thanks everyone. Yes I am pleased at hitting 300. Not certain to progress much further though what with the only "M" being Munia, Malimbe and Moorhen. Only tow of the first, none of the second and have already 'spent' the third.

@Dave Williams Was this you? I did call out "Ich y da! Dai boy" but you jumped in the pond.

October 24, 2017

Da awn diolch !

October 24, 2017

Lark's (and Pipits), Mousebirds and Munias complete the first half.

310. Pink-breasted Lark. Tsavo East. Kenya.

311. Red-capped Lark. Kitulo NP. Tanzania.

This next one caused us grief. Emmy called Long-billed Lark. There ain't no such thing in East Africa.

312. Long-billed Pipit. Kitulo NP. Tanzania.

Also stress inducing is:-

313. Buffy Pipit. Kitulu NP. Tanzania.

314. Yellow-throated Longclaw, Kitulo NP.

315. Bush Pipit. Kitulo NP.

316. A miss-sort from Cs. Pectoral Patch Cisticola. Kitulo NP.

317. African or Grassveldt Pipit. Katavi NP.

318. Speckled Mousebird. Hotel Troy. Nairobi.

319. Blue-naped Mousebird. Lake Chala, Tanzania.

320. Black& white Mannikin (nigriceps), Hotel Troy, Nairobi.

321. Bronze Mannikin. Botanical Gardens, Entebbe.

October 25, 2017

Away with those LBJ's for a while.

O & P.

We have seen this before but its a good introduction to Owls.

### Spotted Eagle Owl and Lesser Kudu. Ithumba Camp. Tsavo, Kenya. (This camera breathed its last while on Safari but

those nice people at Hawke (DEBEN) sent me a new one for half price yesterday.)

But luckily some Owls are not strictly night birds:-

322. Verreaux's Eagle Owl at nest. Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

323. Pearl-spotted Owlets. First in Ithumba and second at Tarangire. We saw plenty of these cute birds as they often responded to our calls which were being used to lure in other small birds to mob 'us'. Hence the deep and disapproving frowns at our behaviour.

324. African Barred-Owlet. He just looked surprised to see us. Kibwezi Forest. Kenya.

325. African Orange-bellied Parrot. Ithumba, Kenya and Lake Chala, Tanzania.

326. Meyer's (Brown) Parrot. Tandala Camp. Ruaha, Tanzania.

327. African Grey Parrot. Botanical Gardens, Entebbe, Uganda. So nice to see these in the wild where they are meant to be.

328. Yellow-collared Lovebird. Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

329. Red-headed Lovebird. Botanical Gardens, Entebbe, Uganda.

October 25, 2017

I just KNEW I had a photo of the Flying Banana without relying on the group shot at #295.

Here it is..

October 26, 2017

Rs First brings us to Raptors of which there quite a few so I have split into two parts..

Many I have named but if anyone feels able to put a name to the mystery birds at the end of Part TwoI would be very much obliged.

Part one. Vulturines, Eagles, Buzzards etc.,.

330. White-backed Vulture. Kibwezi Forest. Kenya.

331. Ruppell's Griffon. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

332. Hooded Vulture. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

333. White-headed Vulture. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

334. Palm-nut Vulture. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

335. Bataleur Eagle. Tarangire NP. Tanzania..

##16. Martial Eagle. (Imm) Tsavo East. Kenya. Included for completeness.

336. Crowned Eagle. Kibwezi Forest. Kenya. BIF to show distinctive underwing pattern.

337. Ayre's Hawk Eagle. Kibwezi Forest.Kenya.

338. African Hawk Eagle. Katavi NP. Tanazania. An open country bird and more attainable.

339. Brown Snake Eagle. Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

340. Long-crested Eagle. Kitulo NP. Tanzania.

341. Wahlberg's Eagle. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

Now these darn LBJ's. Large Brown Jobs!

Which are Tawny and which Steppe? The book says the gape on Steppe goes to back of eye and the Tawny stops below mid eye.

Should be easy if only they kept their bloomin' heads straight.

So.....

342. I count these as definitely Tawny. Tsavo East, Kenya.

## This one is marginal. Ithumba Camp. Tsavo. Actually drinking from the bird bath.

##. A longer gape? Tsavo East. Kenya.

## Longer still and I just love those booted legs. Same day, same tree as the one above.

343. Steppe Eagle. The 'eyes' have it.

Buzzards are 'easier' they say.

344. Auger Buzzard. Kitulo NP. Tanzania.

344b. Auger Buzzard. Dark Phase. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda.

345. Mountain Buzzard. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Kenya.

346. African Harrier Hawk. Gymnogene. Kibwezi Forest. Kenya.

347 Black-shouldered Kite, Kitulo NP, Tanzania.

348. Black Kite. Botanical Gardens, Entebbe. Uganda.

End of Raptors Part One. There are more to come.

October 26, 2017

Short refreshment break over so to Raptors;- part two.

Falcons:-

##29. Shikra. Ithumba Camp, Tsavo East. Kenya.

349. Lanner Falcon. Ithumba. Tsavo East, Kenya,

350. Pygmy Falcon. Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

351. Grey Kestrel. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

352.. Lizard Buzzard, Lake Chala, Tanzania.

353. Eastern Chanting Goshawk. Tsavo East NP. Kenya.

354. Dark Chanting Goshawk. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

355. Gabar Goshawk. Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

355. These are also immature Gabar Goshawks. Ithumba where they preyed on birds using our birdbath.

356. Little Sparrowhawk. Using our bird bath at Ithumba Camp to freshen up after eating Quelea..

Also seen at the stockades where they took insects from the elephant browse.

356.

357. African Goshawk. Tandala Camp Waterhole. Ruaha Tanzania.

Now that concludes the Raptors I have put a name to without much difficulty BUT what about these:-

I did say there were some UFO's.

The first batch seem to be all 50 shades of imm.

African Goshawk.

Or are they??

And.........

A Buzzard but not as we know it OR and this is my guess Ayre's Hawk Eagle fledgeling.

It was seen as we climbed through Mpanga Game Reserve on Hamsini na Saba Pass. (Poroto Mountains TZ)

That wraps up the Raptors unless I find a missort.

October 26, 2017

I actually scored quite well on ID's in the first section, not so good on the second.A great learning curve aid. Thanks.

oh and 357.....maybe in the lead now!?

October 27, 2017

@Galana - a fantastic collection. So many priority birds on lifer list. Apologies if I have missed it from your earlier posts but what was the context of these photos? Was it a specific bird watching tour?

Thanks

October 27, 2017

@Dave Williams Glad you found them useful. As you know my intention when I sorted them into 'folders' was a simple attempt to prevent duplication but I found it also useful to show similar birds together so the differing field marks etc., could be highlighted. Well that's the theory.

@lmSA84 Thanks. The trip started as an outing visit "my" DSWT Orphans in Umani/Ithumba in Kenya but as we were to accompany Emmy and car back to Uganda we chose the circular scenic route. I had been to those parks before but my companions had not. Not particularly bird orientated but you can't help looking.

October 27, 2017

Shrikes.

A more colourfull bunch starting with one of my two lifers and undoubtedly star bird of the trip:-.

358. Red-naped Bushshrike. Ithumba, Tsavo East, Kenya. It came out of nowhere whilst we were watching something else, passed through the viewfinder and was gone.

##32. For old times sake. Magpie Shrike. Tarangire.

359. Slaty Boubou. Ithumba, Tsavo East, Kenya.

360. Northern White-crowned Shrike. Umani, Kenya and Katavi, Tanzania.

361. Black Cuckoo-Shrike. Kibwezi Forest. Kenya.

362. GREY Cuckoo-shrike. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda. OH how I wish it was Blue!

363. Retz's Helmet Shrike. Umani, Kibwezi Forest, Kenya.

364. White crested Helmet Shrike. Ruaha NP Tanzania.

365. Pringle's Puffback. Tsavo East NP. Kenya.

366. BruBru Shrike. Tandala Camp, Ruaha, Tanzania.

367. Sulphur-breasted BushShrike. Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

368. Grey-headed BushShrike. Tandala Camp, Ruaha, Tanzania.

369. Taita Fiscal. Lake Chala, Tanzania.

370. Long-tailed Fiscal. Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

371. Uhehe Fiscal. (marwitzi). Kitulo NP. Tanzania.

372, Black-headed Gonoleck. Airport Guest House, Entebbe. Uganda.

Edited October 27, 2017 by Galana
Re-numbered due error.

October 27, 2017

Another impressive collection, those shrikes! Beautiful!

October 27, 2017

1 hour ago, PeterHG said:

those shrikes! Beautiful!

Thanks. I agree. I am happy whenever I get a good view of a Bush-Shrike. If I get a decent photo, my trip is made.

October 27, 2017

A great selection of shrikes. In fact a great selection of birds altogether! Your African trip was very productive. Getting very close to 400.....

October 27, 2017

You're flying now!

October 27, 2017

2 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

You're flying now!

I can cope with the flying. It's the darn subjects that do the flying that slows progress.

October 27, 2017

Starlings and their relatives.

373. Hildebrandt's Starling. Sultan Hamud. Kenya.

374. Superb Starling. Ithumba Camp. Tsavo East, Kenya.

375. Red-winged Starling. Ithumba and Voi, Kenya.

376. Fischer's Starling. Ithumba Camp, Tsavo East, Kenya.

377. Golden-breasted Starling. Ithumba, Tsavo East, Kenya.

378. Ashy Starling. Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

379. Greater Blue-eared Starling. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

380. Southern Blue-eared Starling. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

381. Violet-backed (Plum-coloured) Starling. Katavi NP. Tanzania.

382. Ruppell's Long-tailed Glossy Starling. Entebbe, Uganda.

383. Red-billed Oxpecker. Tarangire NP. Tanzania,

384. Yellow-billed Oxpecker. Tarangire NP. Tanzania.

October 28, 2017

Some really stunning birds in the last couple of posts!

That golden-breasted starling is a beauty i had previously been completely unaware of. A fit candidate for the Supermodels thread i reckon!

October 28, 2017

5 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

That golden-breasted starling is a beauty i had previously been completely unaware of. A fit candidate for the Supermodels thread i reckon!

You are not alone. Ian Sinclair writes "Arguably the best looking Starling!" and yet even the illustration in his book does not prepare you for the bird in the field. Starlings are amongst my 'top birdies' to see but the competition is close..Bushshrikes are up there with them too.

Thanks for your comments.