A short evening trip out to the marshes along the Terekeka road outside Juba produced another surprise: good numbers of Yellow-crowned Bishops had arrived, the males in well-advanced moult into breeding dress. The birds were feeding in seed-rich tall grasses that cover a huge expanse of marshland.
Yellow-crowned Bishop
Male and female Yellow-crowned Bishops
The open areas of water are now rapidly drying out though some egrets, ducks, geese, jacanas, stilts and Pied Kingfishers remain, as well as one Goliath Heron. In addition, in the distance were two Saddle-billed Storks.
Saddle-billed Storks
Mysteries remain: there was a bird singing in the grasses that I could not see or identify, and I'm not even sure where to start looking in on-line sound recordings. Maybe next time I'll see it.
A pleasant evening, though I questioned by both CID and someone from the Wildlife Service (both in plain clothes) about what I was doing. The Wildlife person said I needed a permit to photograph birds, though this presumably could only apply in protected areas. I will check however. As always, having a Press permit is essential for anyone wanting to take photos in South Sudan.
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