The rains have started here in Juba. Just listening to it beating down feels good. A trip 10 kms up the Terekeka road revealed that one immature African Spoonbill was lingering on the borrow pit where I saw several on 17 March. There was little evidence of migration of Palearctic species today, though the pit held singles each of Curlew Sandpiper and Common Ringed Plover along with a couple of Greenshank and a few Common Sandpipers. There were also more Steppe Buzzards around, one of which was more confiding that most.
Steppe Buzzard
Some African species were on the move: a flock of Spur-winged Geese, more Grey-headed Kingfishers than usual and an African Pygmy Kingfisher.
Spur-winged Geese
Some species were showing breeding activity: Grey-capped Social Weavers, Grey-headed Sparrows, Black-headed Batis and Rufous-chested Swallows all nest-building (the sparrows in a hole in a dead tree, the swallows in a corrugated iron culvert).
Rufous-chested Swallow (bird on right has mud in bill)
Some swifts that looked different turned out to be my first White-rumped Swifts since I came to Juba. The grainy photo below shows the whitish trailing edge to the secondaries as well as a glimpse of the white rump.
White-rumped Swift
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