A predictable plover and a weaver unmasked

Well, a predictable lapwing actually.  This morning Lesley Henderson and I went to look at the marshes just north of Juba.  We spent a long and enjoyable time watching waterbirds by the road.  Having spent about 20 minutes at one spot, I thought we must have seen all the birds readily visible, but then saw first two and then another two Long-toed Lapwings, a species that I had expected to encounter in this sort of habitat.  I'm fairly certain they have just arrived given the numerous visits I've made here.

Long-toed Lapwing

We saw several Spur-winged Lapwings and one African Wattled Lapwing at the same place, the former being rather common in the area.

Spur-winged Lapwing

African Wattled Lapwing

Other highlights included the five Black Egrets, back in their favourite haunt (I'll resist another photo, but they are my favourite Juba bird); a group of five Spoonbills that I thought were all African Spoonbills, but from photos appear to comprise two adult and two immature African Spoonbills and an immature Eurasian - another one for Birdforum; my second Lesser Moorhen for Juba (distant views only); and some African Jacanas that allowed closer approach than most.  As usual there were a number of Long-tailed Cormorants and Black-winged Stilts; and a Common Greenshank was again present.

Adult African Spoonbill

Immature, probably African Spoonbill

Presumed immature Eurasian Spoonbill

African Jacana

Long-tailed Cormorant

Black-winged Stilt

Common Greenshank

Further along, there was at last a male weaver with white eyes in breeding plumage.  It was a Lesser Masked Weaver, calling into question my bold assertion last week that a female or non-breeding plumage male white-eyed weaver photographed then was a Heuglin's Masked Weaver. 

Male Lesser Masked Weaver in breeding plumage

Lesley and I saw a singing Winding Cisticola, which was nice to find after highlighting this species in recent posts.  I photographed a Rattling Cisticola - easy to identify on song, but a rather non-descript plumage though these birds, of the subspecies Cisticola chiniana fricki, have quite rufous streaked crowns.

Rattling Cisticola (with butterfly)

There were also plenty of starlings that I believe are Lesser Blue-eared, partly because they do not make the nasal cat-like call of Greater Blue-eared, but I may be wrong.  Possibly both are present. EDIT: this is almost certainly a Bronze-tailed Starling.

Probable Bronze-tailed Starling

We also saw a good selection of commoner bushland birds, such as d'Arnaud's Barbets, Black-headed Gonolek, White-browed Sparrow-Weavers, Vinaceous Doves, as well as some that are less easy to track down, such as Buff-bellied Warbler and White-rumped Swifts.

I should also record that at one of the checkpoints I was asked very politely by security officials what we were doing.  They were content with the photographic permit that I was carrying and waved us on our way.  A reminder that photographers must obtain this permit.