tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52490362456542299032024-02-19T08:42:40.454-08:00Birding South Sudanbirds in the world's newest countryMark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-18891676188325602932012-09-02T00:39:00.000-07:002012-09-02T08:11:51.950-07:00Farewell South SudanI write this listening to Hadeda Ibis at the Fairview hotel in Nairobi. Yesterday I left South Sudan at the end of my two year posting in Juba. Being there before, during and after the birth of the new country was a privilege. It was tough, and for many months solid work, with no time to get out in the bush. Eventually, work pressures eased a bit...and that's when I started this blog. I hope to return.<br />
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My last trip had to be along the Terekeka road, the most productive easily accessible areas near Juba. I only went a few kilometres up the road - I still had to pack for my flight. Some birds posed in the morning sunshine, including a Black Coucal and a Black-and-White Cuckoo. <br />
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Black Coucal</div>
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Black-and-White Cuckoo</div>
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As predicted in my last but one post, as the marshland water levels drop, herons and waders are returning to feed in the shallower pools. There were a dozen or more Common Squacco Herons, two Little Egrets and two Long-toed Lapwings. I often see Purple Herons flying quite high, suggesting migration, though local feeding movements may be a more likely explanation. There were several birds today, including these two.<br />
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Purple Herons</div>
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One question I have been unable to resolve is whether both Western and Eastern Violet-backed Sunbirds occur. Today, I stalked a pair of sunbirds and managed a few grainy photos (the sun had disappeared behind clouds by now). The photograph below is of the female. The white, rather than yellow, under-tail coverts are diagnostic of Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird. All the violet-backed sunbirds I was able to identify have been of this species.<br />
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Female Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird</div>
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I then attempted to photograph two batis: these are attractive small flycatchers. There are two possible species here: Black-headed Batis and Grey-headed Batis. So there is an obvious plumage difference? Not so, as Black-headed Batis can show a grey crown stripe. These two birds could therefore be Black-headed even though they have the grey crown stripe. The only call they gave was a quiet "prrp", which I doubt is diagnostic (my books are all packed). The songs are very different, by the way.<br />
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Black-headed or Grey-headed Batis</div>
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Surprisingly, there were two male Exclamatory Paradise-Whydahs, and at least one female. This species parasitises Red-winged Pytilia, which I have only seen well to the east of Juba along the Nimule road. My post of 13 August commented on some of the features that distinguish this paradise-whydah from the very similar Eastern Paradise-Whydah. Male Eastern's also have a more graduated tails, whilst female Exclamatory has a pinkish-toned bill, according the "The Birds of the Horn of Africa", which is the best reference field guide for this species pair. The sister volume "The Birds of East Africa" does not include Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah (at least my edition does not).<br />
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Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah (top two: male; 3rd: female)</div>
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In the same area were nesting Grey-capped Social-Weavers, the birds being unusually confiding.<br />
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Grey-capped Social-Weaver, pair and nest</div>
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On the way back I stopped by the bridge about 3kms along the Terekeka road and walked along a path that runs west by the seasonal river. I'd always meant to explore this path but in recent weeks it was completely flooded. Today it was passable in wellies. There are a number of fig trees that were fruiting among a mixture of other trees, scrub, reeds, grasses and patches of cultivation. The fig trees were attracting numbers of Bruce's Green Pigeons and I obtained the best photos I have taken of this attractive bird with its soft shades of greens, yellows, greys and mauve: it's made for watercolour painting.<br />
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Bruce's Green Pigeon</div>
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There was also a Puffback, a bird I've seldom seen here. Then a Wahlberg's Eagle flew overhead, giving excellent views. It's "flying cross" silhouette is diagnostic, at least with practice.<br />
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Wahlberg's Eagle</div>
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Lastly, and almost inevitably, my final outing produced yet another new species: a pair of Cardinal Woodpeckers. The streaked underparts immediately ruled out other woodpecker species I'd seen around Juba (Nubian and Grey). They should be of the subspecies <em>Dendropicos fuscescens lepidus</em>. <br />
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Cardinal Woodpeckers (male has red on crown)</div>
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I would like to especially thank Tom Jenner, who was the inspiration for this blog, and who continues to blog at <a href="http://birdingsudan.blogspot.com/">http://birdingsudan.blogspot.com/</a>. We only managed one joint trip, back in April 2011 (see Tom's blog for an account of our exploits, including seeing South Sudan's first Eleonora's Falcon). </div>
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I'd also like to thank Lesley, Andrew, Richard, Laura and Martin for their company on many of the more recent outings; and Bosco, who often drove the vehicle whilst also seeing birds without binoculars that I'd struggled to find with binoculars.</div>
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I found around 330 species of birds within a 50 kilometre radius of Juba. I only twice travelled west along the Mundri road, and only once down the Yei road. I never explored the west bank of the White Nile south of Juba; I climbed Jebel Kujur but once; and made only occasional visits to Gondokoro island. I predict that another 30 species could be found by enthusiastic future birders quite easily, and another 50 or so may occur more rarely. So a species list of over 400 for the Juba area as defined above, seems quite plausible. And travelling further afield in any direction would add many more species, with the hills along the southern borders of the country being especially species rich.</div>
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I hope that this blog inspires others to follow where I leave off, and I particularly hope that a generation of keen South Sudanese naturalists will emerge in the coming years.</div>
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I may add an occasional post here if friends in Juba send interesting reports, but otherwise all the best to my readers.</div>
Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-86580511303410475272012-08-27T11:30:00.000-07:002012-08-28T21:13:01.888-07:00Bat HawkA last chance to watch by the Nile at dusk: I spent a couple of hours at Afex camp this evening. There was the usual cast of Striated and Purple Herons commuting along the river, Senegal Thick-knees, Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, African Palm Swifts, White-faced Whistling-Ducks, Long-tailed Cormorants, Cattle Egrets and Common Sandpipers. There was also an African Harrier-Hawk and a single Rock Pratincole. Oddly, there were no Bruce's Green Pigeons, normally guaranteed here. But the best bird was a Bat Hawk seen flying across the river. There are few previous records for South Sudan, though the species may be widely distributed. I saw one about 80 kms south of Juba by the Nile during a rafting trip in February this year.<br />
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Lastly, flocks of 6,5, and 3 White-winged Terns flew purposefully up river on their southbound migration.Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-88417365013549442252012-08-27T01:58:00.000-07:002012-08-27T12:08:19.237-07:00New habitat, new birdThis is almost my last post as I leave Juba permanently on 1 September. There are still a good number of species that should occur here but that I've not found. One was Plain-backed Pipit, which occurs in open shortish grassland. So this morning I was back up the Terekeka road searching the only apparently suitable piece of habitat: a large area from which all the trees have been removed (probably with future construction in mind) and now covered mainly by grasses. I not only found the pipit - a single bird - but also several Zitting Cisticolas, a species I'd previously seen just once, in January 2011. Not having found the cisticola since, I was contemplating removing it from my list. I was able to get a record shot of the cisticola, but not the pipit.<br />
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Zitting Cisticola</div>
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I tramped through a marsh hoping to flush a crake, but no luck. I did find an odd-looking cisticola that turned out to be juvenile Winding. Note how different it is from adult Winding photographed back in June.<br />
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Juvenile Winding Cisticola</div>
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Adult Winding Cisticola (June 2012)</div>
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There were flocks of Fan-tailed Widowbirds, with males not yet in breeding plumage; a beautiful Yellow-crowned Bishop; a Western Banded Snake-Eagle; two Black-bellied Bustards; and in a fig tree, two Eastern Grey Plaintain-eaters, attracting attention with their crazy laughter.<br />
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Scruffy-looking male Fan-tailed Widowbird</div>
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Male Yellow-crowned Bishop</div>
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Eastern Grey Plantain-eater</div>
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The main Terekeka road marsh just outside Juba still seems to have too much water to attract herons and waders, but when the water level falls the habitat should become superb (sadly, I'll not be here).<br />
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Terekeka road marshland</div>
Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-46727337395656594532012-08-26T10:45:00.001-07:002012-08-27T03:53:18.090-07:00And still they come!New bird species that is.....<br />
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It may seem an odd choice of walk, but this morning Andrew and I walked along a road that leads to a sand quarry about 6 kms along the Terekeka road. I'd looked on Google Maps, which showed that the road passes through a marsh just before the quarry. Early on, there were lots of lorries, but once they had all reached the quarry the walk was more peaceful.<br />
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The marsh came up trumps with a displaying warbler that I originally took to be a Fan-tailed Warbler <em>Schoenicola brevirostris. </em>However, further research online shows that it is a Little Rush Warbler <em>Bradypterus baboecala.</em> It was too distant to photograph well.<br />
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Later, we found Common Waxbill, and then a flock of Zebra Waxbills flew overhead. These were also new species for me in South Sudan, making three new birds in a day after I've lived here for nearly two years. Amazing!<br />
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Common Waxbill (taken through long grasses with 500mm lens on manual focus)</div>
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Palearctic migrants are starting to appear, with an adult White-winged Tern moulting out of breeding plumage feeding over marshland, a Common Sandpiper and several swifts that were probably Eurasian Swifts.<br />
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The indigobird mystery did not unravel at all. There were a number of Red-billed Firefinches, but the indigobirds did not have red legs and so were seemingly not <em>Vidua chalybeata</em>, which parasitises Red-billed Firefinch. I did not see any of the host species that are parasitised by other indigobird species that might occur here. The <em>viduas</em> I saw seem to have a blueish purple sheen, as shown in the second photo below (I've used colour saturation to exagerate the sheen).<br />
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Female Red-billed Firefinch</div>
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Male<em> </em>indigobird (with female partly in view)</div>
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Same indigobird [photo added in response to comment]</div>
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There were noisy d'Arnaud's Barbets, which for once I managed to photograph, albeit distantly.<br />
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d'Arnaud's Barbets</div>
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At the quarry we saw a Long-crested Eagle, which started mobbing another bird of prey. This turned out to be an immature Western Banded Snake-Eagle. In these photos its head looks very large as the feathers are fluffed out, perhaps in annoyance at the Long-crested Eagle's attention.<br />
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Immature Western Banded Snake-Eagle</div>
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Other noteworthy species included three sightings of Black-bellied Bustard; a Lesser Honeyguide that was chasing a Vitelline Masked Weaver, a species it may parasitise; Little Weaver; Grey-headed Sparrow; and a displaying male Beautiful Sunbird. There was an unexpected bonus with the sunbird photos as the female was also in the picture and reacting to the male's display.<br />
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Lesser Honeyguide</div>
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Male Little Weaver</div>
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Grey-headed Sparrow</div>
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Displaying Beautiful Sunbirds</div>
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Again we found some attractive butterflies (i.d. by Andrew).<br />
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Probably <em>Colotis protomedia </em>(three butterflies with black markings); <em>Eureme hecabe </em>(yellow butterflies); yellow and brown butterfly: i.d. uncertain</div>
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Nearly back in Juba, we noticed that White-rumped Swifts were breeding in an old concrete structure, possibly occupying old nests of Ethiopian Swallows, which I recall also seeing using this structure earlier in the year.<br />
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5 star accommodation for White-rumped Swifts</div>
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<br />Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-41927562002574977442012-08-25T09:48:00.000-07:002012-08-27T03:48:58.901-07:00Walk to the Nile at RejafI went with Lesley and Andrew down the Old Nimule road this morning. After a rewarding short walk through the acacia scrub a few kms down the road, we stopped just short of Rejaf village and followed a track for about a kilometre down to the Nile. At first the habitat was mainly short grassland and bushes, giving way to taller grasses and with a few trees and bushes, then to a more wooded area right by the Nile. By the river bank we met two men hoeing land to plant mango and orange trees.<br />
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Rejaf village, with tukuls and church in the distance</div>
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An early highlight was a Red-necked Falcon feeding on a male <em>Euplectes</em> bishop. The red in the photo below is the feathering of the deceased bishop, not blood!<br />
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Red-necked Falcon with prey</div>
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As often happens, having found African Quail-Finches last weekend, there were more today, and in almost identical habitat: mainly short grass in disturbed fairly flat ground with sandy gravel patches, surrounded by denser and taller grasses and bushes. <br />
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We found a flock of about 20 Parasitic Weavers, a species only encountered in singles hitherto. A smart bird and good to find in numbers. As we walked towards the river, we saw a Black-and-White Cuckoo, as well as several Diederik Cuckoos. <br />
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Male Parasitic Weaver</div>
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Black-and White Cuckoo </div>
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There were Ring-necked Parakeets, a Black Bishop, Violet-backed Starlings, African Moustached Warblers, Black Coucal, Croaking and Winding Cisticolas, a male violet-backed Sunbird (either Western or Eastern), a Nubian Woodpecker looking out of place in the open bush- and grassland, a Little Bee-eater, Red-headed and Cardinal Queleas and both Vitelline and Northern Masked Weavers.<br />
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Closer to the Nile, we found some beautiful Red-throated Bee-eaters, an African Pygmy Kingfisher, several Red-rumped Swallows and, over the water, two Plain Martins. Across the Nile we saw distant Eastern Grey Plantain-eaters and heard their call, 'maniacal laughter' as the field guide rightly says.
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Red-throated Bee-eaters </div>
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Red-rumped Swallow</div>
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Of interest from an i.d. perspective, there were good numbers of Lesser Blue-eared Starlings along the Old Nimule road, whilst by the river I photographed an immature starling that seems to have a much stouter bill. I wonder if this could be Greater Blue-eared, though the tail does not seem very long.</div>
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Lesser Blue-eared Starling
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glossy starling, i.d. uncertain</div>
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There was plenty of entomological interest today, with these dragonflies and butterflies [I'll add the i.d. for some later, once Andrew has commented].</div>
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<em>Odonata</em>, genus/species not known </div>
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Female yellow pansy <em>Junonia hierta</em></div>
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probable <em>junonia </em>spp</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwILSlY7e3FU9fBAniJF49sTO1GHdnbPPJu15y8uExSbVxEgxduyrxoS2WLX17qN_W4Nul0E7K9eN8vtCgOTmr9ERiAPHngls6n8dXUmPKc0VbLENvTjlJLgo5mjU4WYA6FRbSyDIHZPQ/s1600/353tsadj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwILSlY7e3FU9fBAniJF49sTO1GHdnbPPJu15y8uExSbVxEgxduyrxoS2WLX17qN_W4Nul0E7K9eN8vtCgOTmr9ERiAPHngls6n8dXUmPKc0VbLENvTjlJLgo5mjU4WYA6FRbSyDIHZPQ/s320/353tsadj.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Odonata,</em> genus/species not known</div>
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Ringlet, <em>Satyridae</em></div>
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Andrew also found this grass mantis producing an egg case (Ootheca). He notes that the egg case can contain several hundred eggs, which hatch out after about two weeks, the young mantis's looking like tiny black ants.</div>
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Praying Mantis</div>
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Andrew photographing the mantis, with Lesley</div>
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Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-71356770831939805072012-08-21T12:05:00.000-07:002012-08-21T12:05:46.910-07:00Nimule road birds, insects and a giant miteThis post predates the one below. On 18 August, Andrew and I went about 15 kms along the Nimule road - which is now tarmac all the way to Uganda. Now that we are deep into the rainy season, birding is far from easy. The road is rather busy and there are hardly any tracks off it. The one we eventually found was quite overgrown. Nevertheless, we did manage to find a selection of the characteristic birds of this habitat, which has less <em>acacia</em> than the Terekeka road and more <em>combretum</em>. We found Brown Babblers, Brown-rumped Bunting, Sun and Flappet Larks, Foxy Cisticolas and Yellow-billed Shrikes, species that are mostly absent or else less common along the Terekeka road.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JBN55sGBcXw7GLPBUndo4lE_4utPIWDb0gTTFpewRwt5DbHGorFCvF6MqLlZrbj_BtrfbUSyYzba6KAiotgAwBloSI2O7Ytp7nL_OehObUNFiaB33aeZ9xxrDuareZRHJ_0NUlUJTCw/s1600/031ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JBN55sGBcXw7GLPBUndo4lE_4utPIWDb0gTTFpewRwt5DbHGorFCvF6MqLlZrbj_BtrfbUSyYzba6KAiotgAwBloSI2O7Ytp7nL_OehObUNFiaB33aeZ9xxrDuareZRHJ_0NUlUJTCw/s320/031ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Brown-rumped Bunting</div>
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Sun Lark</div>
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This Sun Lark was giving a quiet, unexceptional song from the ground, whilst overhead we could hear the "brrrrrr" wing-clapping of Flappet Larks. The Sun Larks were on disturbed open, gravelly ground where we also saw about 10 African Quail-Finches, a species that is to be expected here, though I'd previously seen them only at Nyamlel, Northern Bahr el Ghazal.</div>
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There were some attractive butterflies and other noteworthy creatures. Andrew identified these and took all the photos apart from the first three.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnyWlBDACnIR_PU1SLggsQMP0aVueaE5_k3JHMBHb_zGegD0l5m_P1yd3I8K2rJnqhCLU7c8GbbQP7en6PR30L4aaC4QXsah6ScVEQu7RktjXZ-wqw18yXGYW6kqElgHm1xE-wtpCD1A/s1600/217ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnyWlBDACnIR_PU1SLggsQMP0aVueaE5_k3JHMBHb_zGegD0l5m_P1yd3I8K2rJnqhCLU7c8GbbQP7en6PR30L4aaC4QXsah6ScVEQu7RktjXZ-wqw18yXGYW6kqElgHm1xE-wtpCD1A/s320/217ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Male African Monarch <em>Danaus chrysippus</em></div>
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Andrew commented about the African Monarch that: 'the fourth large circular spot on the wing is actually a scent gland that releases pheromones. The butterfly is poisonous or distasteful to birds - the larvae feed on <em>Calotropis procera</em> and various of the <em>Asclepidaceae</em> and sequester the poisons.'<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMpa8PkOvAYH1ArPYB4DThCJvJ_Tni9DT7O2ser8Wwhj9-cTg6lvXvrkia19GDLg8JIPHy7GXdHbsS03nmzB7aY9Qzm0oK1aS-A0cU_q_WLftTrqCpRn0ioMuSF-Ir9gYmsXOkS97_rs/s1600/067ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMpa8PkOvAYH1ArPYB4DThCJvJ_Tni9DT7O2ser8Wwhj9-cTg6lvXvrkia19GDLg8JIPHy7GXdHbsS03nmzB7aY9Qzm0oK1aS-A0cU_q_WLftTrqCpRn0ioMuSF-Ir9gYmsXOkS97_rs/s320/067ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Colotis spp.</em></div>
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Long-tailed Pasha or related species</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKZuhhSzq2noRcOxEZNb6PJ1uAREq_ZtreSo1pPeLDEgq3rRQOGSjWMZbHLnfp4rb0mSHmhQQic3l4OqYnPT7jkA2x0ZWnnnCqrB10BusbTnGdt4ed1NUlW4HP7TeJqTFb3-cCILsHds/s1600/Crimson+tip+butterfly+-+Colotis+danae+%2528Pieridae%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKZuhhSzq2noRcOxEZNb6PJ1uAREq_ZtreSo1pPeLDEgq3rRQOGSjWMZbHLnfp4rb0mSHmhQQic3l4OqYnPT7jkA2x0ZWnnnCqrB10BusbTnGdt4ed1NUlW4HP7TeJqTFb3-cCILsHds/s320/Crimson+tip+butterfly+-+Colotis+danae+%2528Pieridae%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Crimson tip Butterfly <em>Colotis danae </em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRj2zvcBeGfyY2kjZxu3HfuMF4Tar2evAOcKs7qSYWTTEs2X70x7WMbsjjt4SoxPRjprAfeLwOxLIgz2IDeWRiRHhA2h_UVHKYuBCiQtBc5kQm1nV1ifCz7X0bci4SStzNs3CIENfdvnU/s1600/Unidentified+Acraea+spp.+butterfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRj2zvcBeGfyY2kjZxu3HfuMF4Tar2evAOcKs7qSYWTTEs2X70x7WMbsjjt4SoxPRjprAfeLwOxLIgz2IDeWRiRHhA2h_UVHKYuBCiQtBc5kQm1nV1ifCz7X0bci4SStzNs3CIENfdvnU/s320/Unidentified+Acraea+spp.+butterfly.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
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Unidentified <em>Acraea </em>spp butterfly</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQdtB2NoGs44JKjUuMIGoz7rjO4Kad7PsyCOXw08SPn-LGbXHl6ijJ4UC97dTXsWeOH4kcUY7XB9I__ed1yZwp_Z2M4EIz44kXM4N_5u5tdij7K0UGo5BJJIWMOBWhNrORDszV_Sce7Y/s1600/Pair+of+unidentified+mating+skippers+-+Family+Hesperidae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQdtB2NoGs44JKjUuMIGoz7rjO4Kad7PsyCOXw08SPn-LGbXHl6ijJ4UC97dTXsWeOH4kcUY7XB9I__ed1yZwp_Z2M4EIz44kXM4N_5u5tdij7K0UGo5BJJIWMOBWhNrORDszV_Sce7Y/s320/Pair+of+unidentified+mating+skippers+-+Family+Hesperidae.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pair of unidentified mating skippers (family <em>Hesperidae</em>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEm0QXv4L_ahAqWV0zoutFEMGVdKRpRZBCApegvYGDuVFmVyF2bNDw1jRt1n4tV0WksPDsoUgFF5Sd61ZSIS-ihM0ZtCybu_I_f-GEnwAij6QxieqQZMxE31MK9pGBMpWc3ubjN_tofPs/s1600/Giant+red+velvet+mite+Trombidium+grandissimum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEm0QXv4L_ahAqWV0zoutFEMGVdKRpRZBCApegvYGDuVFmVyF2bNDw1jRt1n4tV0WksPDsoUgFF5Sd61ZSIS-ihM0ZtCybu_I_f-GEnwAij6QxieqQZMxE31MK9pGBMpWc3ubjN_tofPs/s320/Giant+red+velvet+mite+Trombidium+grandissimum.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Giant red velvet mite <em>Trombidium grandissimum</em></div>
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Andrew noted that 'the giant red velvet mite......is believed in some parts of India to have aphrodisiac properties - from the red oil squeezed from their bodies......Trombidium grandissimum is the largest mite in the world and predates termites'.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoV8N37xHZwRsM9aQIQHbiMi6fnwOHuDD0TtETDhcpKcIewRsX8GvkOM5IQebxDtZ46wBIUGGUe6v8Sygm9pXmXPllp3ng8acjABM8pR5u-HHh6hk9J2Oom_vsTS-tq-EzS3c2b2HAyE/s1600/Robber+fly+%2528Family+Asilidae%2529+with+prey+-+Pentatomid+plant+bug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoV8N37xHZwRsM9aQIQHbiMi6fnwOHuDD0TtETDhcpKcIewRsX8GvkOM5IQebxDtZ46wBIUGGUe6v8Sygm9pXmXPllp3ng8acjABM8pR5u-HHh6hk9J2Oom_vsTS-tq-EzS3c2b2HAyE/s320/Robber+fly+%2528Family+Asilidae%2529+with+prey+-+Pentatomid+plant+bug.jpg" width="320" /></em></a></div>
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Robber fly (family <em>Asilidae</em>) with prey, a pentatomid plant bug</div>
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So a fascinating trip. Many thanks to Andrew for his identifications and other information.</div>
Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-64607806606393838542012-08-19T06:06:00.000-07:002012-08-19T10:25:50.554-07:00Terekeka road outingToday Lesley, Laura, Richard, Andrew, Bosco and me went 18 kms along the Terekeka road, revisiting a site that some of us went to last weekend. It takes you away from the main road and is easy walking (well, apart from some mud, after recent rains).<br />
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Among the many birds we found were Rufous Chatterers, Black-billed and Red-fronted Barbets, Buff-bellied Warbler, Speckle-fronted Weavers, Bateleurs, Wahlberg's Eagle, Black-headed Lapwings (near the airport), Superb Starlings, White-rumped Seed-eaters, Beautiful Sunbird, Grey-headed Kingfishers and Black-headed Gonoleks. The big marsh a couple of kilometres out of town is so deeply flooded that most waterbirds seem to have abandoned it - though there must be vast areas of suitable wetland habitat to choose from, which may also be a factor.<br />
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Some of us had reasonable views of a White-headed Buffalo-Weaver, only glimpsed here last weekend.<br />
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White-headed Buffalo-Weaver<br />
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As last week, there were Namaqua Doves; indeed they seem to have increased in number.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeA28R9ry7UKVbf07yH69WDh34Bb6Z3w53XB6kBTv4OQs1qRItundKPY5qK51YH-h0maLixooxgM3s570TbTEMZksm5Za6qo75oVW4SHKKFB7jtTNf5je6c4QP6eMVmJP5e7FK_iNxmdo/s1600/368ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeA28R9ry7UKVbf07yH69WDh34Bb6Z3w53XB6kBTv4OQs1qRItundKPY5qK51YH-h0maLixooxgM3s570TbTEMZksm5Za6qo75oVW4SHKKFB7jtTNf5je6c4QP6eMVmJP5e7FK_iNxmdo/s320/368ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Female Namaqua Dove</div>
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<em>Viduas</em> were much in evidence, with Eastern Paradise-Whydah males displaying to females and challenging other males. There were also Pin-tailed Whydahs, Village Indigobirds and another indigobird species, as yet unidentified. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-g4ahra2r5JZIZLyKarYWQCUz4WFF6HF3xPImVLMIVL7sJx39ROlhNhvaVTDUTRczTxff_wbvZTuX4_DCnIpeJ2nvvpQ_um8kVT9ATjWF6hiLWDwQ4BR-pamHISSO5BcM9z9xrEJ280/s1600/138ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-g4ahra2r5JZIZLyKarYWQCUz4WFF6HF3xPImVLMIVL7sJx39ROlhNhvaVTDUTRczTxff_wbvZTuX4_DCnIpeJ2nvvpQ_um8kVT9ATjWF6hiLWDwQ4BR-pamHISSO5BcM9z9xrEJ280/s320/138ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Eastern Paradise-Whydah</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvdoWqBHJFpIqZqnDf8bycgsazwX4tJvjQrIsbLUIqCo3_TJ7dhcLzMLq4PmXX_yJL_jsaHA4tkF7kwUXuhyphenhyphen9zl4dGP5Ar3Ft_SBaKJLL9FBlSu5DdY6ZT6eObuhU9Yu75WBqOLLmo44/s1600/152ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvdoWqBHJFpIqZqnDf8bycgsazwX4tJvjQrIsbLUIqCo3_TJ7dhcLzMLq4PmXX_yJL_jsaHA4tkF7kwUXuhyphenhyphen9zl4dGP5Ar3Ft_SBaKJLL9FBlSu5DdY6ZT6eObuhU9Yu75WBqOLLmo44/s320/152ts.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
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Pin-tailed Whydah</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0agt7US00ymwr7NoPwxpifTFxwNE_KjU5qA23tZm5noNhzOTE6mlAwHYhUlCCVqQZ55OOhgTHSwXF9zNTHWeT5ImJnK4SEQt2SklDlRimC3-5dYi0gulpoiuHElPocf5elXBDLjsaN1I/s1600/119tssat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0agt7US00ymwr7NoPwxpifTFxwNE_KjU5qA23tZm5noNhzOTE6mlAwHYhUlCCVqQZ55OOhgTHSwXF9zNTHWeT5ImJnK4SEQt2SklDlRimC3-5dYi0gulpoiuHElPocf5elXBDLjsaN1I/s320/119tssat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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unidentified indigobird</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jWEkgMt8kAMDdeQDYCehficijePqmNVewVhXLQwIepHToYyJzYZrvFD3hvg2fYQmbnAGkdhoQTp_h6jc9VRFdzJ8wihVcXVCYZ75wkHGme4TrxNDCcVkitg4VNcm1jknYqx9xjuOkps/s1600/200ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jWEkgMt8kAMDdeQDYCehficijePqmNVewVhXLQwIepHToYyJzYZrvFD3hvg2fYQmbnAGkdhoQTp_h6jc9VRFdzJ8wihVcXVCYZ75wkHGme4TrxNDCcVkitg4VNcm1jknYqx9xjuOkps/s320/200ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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unidentified indigobird</div>
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We were lucky enough to find both the main local woodpeckers, Grey and Nubian, both giving extended views. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhdev7zbHVO3yLMfB4qiyFYoY-xMfSo3ltyBnJPW_jNgY-Da0jeDlrSGKQkE8_W0n8_ihv4IFusolW_u0U5oji9DyoNEP2CFBotjSbm47vHTF2K5zPvg-DPtqn_KOVFnM5PdgDd3coCc/s1600/093ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhdev7zbHVO3yLMfB4qiyFYoY-xMfSo3ltyBnJPW_jNgY-Da0jeDlrSGKQkE8_W0n8_ihv4IFusolW_u0U5oji9DyoNEP2CFBotjSbm47vHTF2K5zPvg-DPtqn_KOVFnM5PdgDd3coCc/s320/093ts.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
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Female Grey Woodpecker</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3mijxB0clpzmQdPjBAbOpwAkyxtMpsLmjPgM-dA1y34BtPiy2J7zjkgA1OgL1_lHM95j0eYj8mwUAghjYt-cTmhX9JyB3UEFf5ja-BB4LMIdie5nUD30fBtO1jI0FEjmGLYv0nmnVCA/s1600/016ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3mijxB0clpzmQdPjBAbOpwAkyxtMpsLmjPgM-dA1y34BtPiy2J7zjkgA1OgL1_lHM95j0eYj8mwUAghjYt-cTmhX9JyB3UEFf5ja-BB4LMIdie5nUD30fBtO1jI0FEjmGLYv0nmnVCA/s320/016ts.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
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Female Nubian Woodpecker</div>
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There were several Diederik Cuckoos that showed themselves more than usual.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGx12ibYRzrUjb_3zQ8hAWkL4Iuqj6SDg7PyFQgEpziwV2KSNoiZBOjzEJKRwvgDX4TRs043YAeYkXDuqJkDupdNZoaTuSdqXZA-wc2VIo-DC0CIB4XYTNc-HEiYp9-WycNJmhuODIkk/s1600/218ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGx12ibYRzrUjb_3zQ8hAWkL4Iuqj6SDg7PyFQgEpziwV2KSNoiZBOjzEJKRwvgDX4TRs043YAeYkXDuqJkDupdNZoaTuSdqXZA-wc2VIo-DC0CIB4XYTNc-HEiYp9-WycNJmhuODIkk/s320/218ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Male Diederik Cuckoo</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsH4_naP4J6YR0ZQyNtRXOmt0qNZ3-rVRU23j6_lxBg13O9jdv8P7bp7AO5yqgxg3m-X30bq2KM7ES3ArHC8HD3cS_fWtD5q-M7TKX_gX6KC3I8PzeiZNGbinjLaztHUdkORE2AUT01Q/s1600/318ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsH4_naP4J6YR0ZQyNtRXOmt0qNZ3-rVRU23j6_lxBg13O9jdv8P7bp7AO5yqgxg3m-X30bq2KM7ES3ArHC8HD3cS_fWtD5q-M7TKX_gX6KC3I8PzeiZNGbinjLaztHUdkORE2AUT01Q/s320/318ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Female Diederik Cuckoo</div>
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Chestnut Sparrows were much in evidence. The male and female are quite different in appearance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNnSITvrWMPlkkAX_yAPM-T40apeDMsOuRJb7KlxydmxuwyePuz4X-jhSdSDLwqQGBPoTvzsN-evOS9-K2etrsm3TuQgZwaXPRfxfvcHMt_ANB1nGyjnvhDzVgZPFsRCNn-WkNJMGl6o/s1600/277ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNnSITvrWMPlkkAX_yAPM-T40apeDMsOuRJb7KlxydmxuwyePuz4X-jhSdSDLwqQGBPoTvzsN-evOS9-K2etrsm3TuQgZwaXPRfxfvcHMt_ANB1nGyjnvhDzVgZPFsRCNn-WkNJMGl6o/s320/277ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Male Chestnut Sparrow</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBry4KAJ-2QUpo3tSddNzfOU8iXHaTHDt41emXPweSJpcQXrs18wWRPWh3a_d99d-iBhgyHjTf97d00sc-XvdjYlw9kzqoU3Dz0P246pUpI5f5ym6KrT2q3kPgxhjMqfy2nImhsBott0/s1600/267ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBry4KAJ-2QUpo3tSddNzfOU8iXHaTHDt41emXPweSJpcQXrs18wWRPWh3a_d99d-iBhgyHjTf97d00sc-XvdjYlw9kzqoU3Dz0P246pUpI5f5ym6KrT2q3kPgxhjMqfy2nImhsBott0/s320/267ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Female Chestnut Sparrow</div>
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We noticed that Chestnut Sparrow males were interacting with male Vitelline Masked Weavers where the latter were nesting. A quick check online confirms that, although Chestnut Sparrows sometimes build their own nests, they also usurp weaver nests. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJs8gYF7sWmzsGWf5NX0wXnLvGtgaWvEsBg6EgRmzelSk9KlUWqWwl2UzE8mzIfrb7-1oh9A3nrk7uFkMqbSgsVU7mPoOc7jADG_2zB6DtQ1EcvLql4llOfv4J0iofZHb-FxgAvv96F0/s1600/249ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJs8gYF7sWmzsGWf5NX0wXnLvGtgaWvEsBg6EgRmzelSk9KlUWqWwl2UzE8mzIfrb7-1oh9A3nrk7uFkMqbSgsVU7mPoOc7jADG_2zB6DtQ1EcvLql4llOfv4J0iofZHb-FxgAvv96F0/s320/249ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Vitelline Masked Weaver and Chestnut Sparrow disputing nest occupancy</div>
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By contrast, there appeared to be a more amicable arrangement at the bulky White-billed Buffalo-Weaver nest found last weekend, where a pair of Grey-headed Sparrows appeared to be nesting, or at least prospecting, in part of the nest.</div>
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On the way back, we had good views of a White-browed Coucal, whilst an adult African Fish Eagle rounded off a good morning outing.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9QrL330JNuv-66jOJYSlgaf-pfXA4Onsm9WJi_qdnv3XVpM3vqXePqpRcq0hUWvWphgcks8UbW5kjU-uIwSpY_7l45oG06iogKk3vJ7O7RmCmiv4-EbFLe1nluT__NbQMrA2ef9e8P4/s1600/381ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9QrL330JNuv-66jOJYSlgaf-pfXA4Onsm9WJi_qdnv3XVpM3vqXePqpRcq0hUWvWphgcks8UbW5kjU-uIwSpY_7l45oG06iogKk3vJ7O7RmCmiv4-EbFLe1nluT__NbQMrA2ef9e8P4/s320/381ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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White-browed Coucal</div>
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I doubt that all of us will manage a trip out together again, so here's a group photo.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECeOZ3BsAr60zM_MessMBFMoDS1oMe1aoHehQXDV56Tz-j3Q9R96Thpue3lis1EU9jNiT1PV-cKUvwLuTfPXWTWwXlPfSwR72yaCWBCz4P8IxSLLTJSlc7oPgAAz18AcGmjxNe7VPzfw/s1600/391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECeOZ3BsAr60zM_MessMBFMoDS1oMe1aoHehQXDV56Tz-j3Q9R96Thpue3lis1EU9jNiT1PV-cKUvwLuTfPXWTWwXlPfSwR72yaCWBCz4P8IxSLLTJSlc7oPgAAz18AcGmjxNe7VPzfw/s320/391.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Richard, Lesley, Mark, Laura, Andrew</div>
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Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-28824812131986607692012-08-13T10:49:00.000-07:002012-08-13T21:28:24.192-07:00Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah"Armchair tick" is a well-known term in birding circles, referring to a new species added to one's list as a result of a species being split by taxonomists into two species, or more generally to a bird identified well after the initial sighting.<br />
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The latter description applies in this case. Browsing through bird books in the evening last week, I realised that I'd not seen Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah <em>Vidua interjecta</em> (yes, it is named thus because it looks like a flying exclamation mark!). This species is very similar to the Eastern Paradise-Whydah <em>Vidua paradisea</em>, but lacks the clear cut golden-buff area on the hind-collar of that species. The tail is also less tapering. The females are subtly different as well. <em>V. paradisea</em> parasitises Green-winged Pytilia and <em>V. interjecta</em> parasitises Red-winged Pytilia. Since I have only seen Red-winged Pytilia east of the Nile, I concluded that some of the birds I'd seen on that side of the river might be Exclamatory Paradise-Whydahs. Sure enough, looking through my photos I found several of a pair of Exclamatory Paradise-Whydahs. The photos below show the differences between the two species.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGCErj3Yg9rLgBeaVk5kODq5YSbffYPzGiekZYyIbA81RFcF2gw1f9872XMzH5whKKohaXdly3zQJ0yibSs2vkCXpCKJ7BBZrmRPdCnDUzK9RRAVu3Wj13KRn-cBGX5XmyHYMH2e0ZVU/s1600/Exclamatory+Paradise-Whydah%252C+Torit+rdts_20110910_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGCErj3Yg9rLgBeaVk5kODq5YSbffYPzGiekZYyIbA81RFcF2gw1f9872XMzH5whKKohaXdly3zQJ0yibSs2vkCXpCKJ7BBZrmRPdCnDUzK9RRAVu3Wj13KRn-cBGX5XmyHYMH2e0ZVU/s320/Exclamatory+Paradise-Whydah%252C+Torit+rdts_20110910_005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pair of Exclamatory Paradise-Whydahs, male showing chestnut nape with no well-defined golden-buff patch</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVO_nIrWMk7d3uHjUfGtswQqGtARl8UUIy2TK1Uxjabeoc6X-b5mtneXW5Lf7Q9u1dncDWoIWueWOjmbnPIhahLytr1TOXpFxC_5eI63zenhXibCr4ir9R5NA4_IDcse9Qa2oLba3L4w/s1600/Exclamatory+Paradise-Whydah%252C+Torit+rd_20110910_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVO_nIrWMk7d3uHjUfGtswQqGtARl8UUIy2TK1Uxjabeoc6X-b5mtneXW5Lf7Q9u1dncDWoIWueWOjmbnPIhahLytr1TOXpFxC_5eI63zenhXibCr4ir9R5NA4_IDcse9Qa2oLba3L4w/s320/Exclamatory+Paradise-Whydah%252C+Torit+rd_20110910_002.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
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Close up of female Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah showing head pattern lacking crescent markings behind eye</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxbkp6PcMCTF7N1Rt5hMKtHV1BFJSk0QG71l_RWzDQY8EjSESBmvgW9wmmzQ9Lo0yMUCoScr1cDppIs5ErBGmXe7zqnzuxH-nu6FLzYtsV9aNkle44UsBJ01nwr6fc85d7R3t_UmDib4/s1600/Eastern+Paradise-Whydah+tka+rd_20120722_020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxbkp6PcMCTF7N1Rt5hMKtHV1BFJSk0QG71l_RWzDQY8EjSESBmvgW9wmmzQ9Lo0yMUCoScr1cDppIs5ErBGmXe7zqnzuxH-nu6FLzYtsV9aNkle44UsBJ01nwr6fc85d7R3t_UmDib4/s320/Eastern+Paradise-Whydah+tka+rd_20120722_020.jpg" width="314" /></a>
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Male Eastern Paradise-Whydah in advanced moult into breeding plumage - note golden-buff nape absent in Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdo58PZXwFlLkB9eKn2CwFmHyWFDxpRojntymYXFfhzhMLoavKDZKjJcgXBZp1KeHXVQ2ZMNb6_R1l9n2fHC5MxnTXMHWnfbglIt8L0OfOc8c_Zg_SwzeAYnU6WFOsGvFj0fOfPKCcprk/s1600/AAEastern+Paradise-Whydah+tka+rd_20120722_008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdo58PZXwFlLkB9eKn2CwFmHyWFDxpRojntymYXFfhzhMLoavKDZKjJcgXBZp1KeHXVQ2ZMNb6_R1l9n2fHC5MxnTXMHWnfbglIt8L0OfOc8c_Zg_SwzeAYnU6WFOsGvFj0fOfPKCcprk/s320/AAEastern+Paradise-Whydah+tka+rd_20120722_008.JPG" width="314" /></a></div>
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Full breeding plumage male Eastern Paradise-Whydah</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JF5WKc6zyqb-f0HUp9UL7kUMf5uW7OiOufDYgDr7QSdMFG-e9JGSCGeEJgpZN6NJlpDz3jFwWmxIpRzESLqHYupWvfq6Cb8BQPMlueWaf8J_-DnJ8Du0fTRqNGjTAoDjTpet_RPsaL4/s1600/bbEastern+Paradise-Whydah+tka+rd_20120722_007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JF5WKc6zyqb-f0HUp9UL7kUMf5uW7OiOufDYgDr7QSdMFG-e9JGSCGeEJgpZN6NJlpDz3jFwWmxIpRzESLqHYupWvfq6Cb8BQPMlueWaf8J_-DnJ8Du0fTRqNGjTAoDjTpet_RPsaL4/s320/bbEastern+Paradise-Whydah+tka+rd_20120722_007.jpg" width="302" /></a></div>
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Female Eastern Paradise-Whydah showing two dark crescents behind eye, absent in female Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah.</div>
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This experience serves to demonstrate the advantages of digital photography, enabling thousands of images to be taken and stored at no cost beyond the initial investment.</div>
Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-54987139593669224712012-08-13T09:50:00.001-07:002012-08-13T09:50:05.895-07:00Jebel KujurOn Saturday I climbed part of Jebel Kujur with Andrew and a Belgian colleague of his, Tina, who was visiting from the Karamoja region of Uganda. This post predates the one below as Andrew had to email me some photos since I did not take my camera with its big telephoto lens in case it raised security concerns - though in the event I need not have worried, at least on our route.<br />
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I was looking for a partridge-type bird, perhaps Stone Partridge, that Laura had seen recently on the Jebel, as well as Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting, which Bram Piot (a birder who visits Juba from time to time) had seen. A few minutes after starting our climb, Andrew pointed out a small bird a few metres away, and sure enough this was the bunting, the only one of the day. The partridge eluded us, but at the summit we saw eight or so Red-winged Starlings, a classic bird of rocky hills in East Africa and yet another new Juba species for me. Down below there were plenty of Hooded Vultures, Pied Crows, Northern Red Bishops and some Bronze Mannekins but there were not many birds higher up. We did see a Common Kestrel and a Wahlberg's Eagle, possibly a juvenile, near a large nest in a big tree near the summit. As noted in the post below, Wahlberg's Eagle was not considered by Nikolaus to breed around Juba.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdKyjTWUn04ufQBr36APglE0a4fj-IDlLEWdm18w5il8eRUNYUB7FU0UEYKdmFPFvZoF0HUnslGVXQJf9s1QL8SQ1wefWqy_Yt4CH2ZUUJrjsPyIYChQhGlzkKkug2hwWO2pI-m7iFTc/s1600/Wahlberg%2527s+Eaglets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdKyjTWUn04ufQBr36APglE0a4fj-IDlLEWdm18w5il8eRUNYUB7FU0UEYKdmFPFvZoF0HUnslGVXQJf9s1QL8SQ1wefWqy_Yt4CH2ZUUJrjsPyIYChQhGlzkKkug2hwWO2pI-m7iFTc/s320/Wahlberg%2527s+Eaglets.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
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Wahlberg's Eagle</div>
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<br />We saw a dozen or so Vervet Monkeys and a Rock Hyrax. Andrew identified and photographed the butterflies, including Orange Tip Butterfly <em>Colotis antevippe </em>and the delighfully named Striped Policeman <em>Coliades forestan</em>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoZt-8xcb7O081y6utHimB3R1SK4gccZuOt-Z37lgQE9c7hi8R9wDm-9o47MBvOtfsHpeC4lq5MmKfsgBWq7jY4c_29lctKODq6wLqbcnfGQuv76fmvmK6XYHqa9X449UUJvwDfrJmIY/s1600/Orange+tip+butterfly+Colotis+antevippets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoZt-8xcb7O081y6utHimB3R1SK4gccZuOt-Z37lgQE9c7hi8R9wDm-9o47MBvOtfsHpeC4lq5MmKfsgBWq7jY4c_29lctKODq6wLqbcnfGQuv76fmvmK6XYHqa9X449UUJvwDfrJmIY/s320/Orange+tip+butterfly+Colotis+antevippets.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Orange-tip Butterfly</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0RdqavyCpxQ5uSEbL5HF7AsNA1EcFasiAszzr34ycvEYLUWrltBvgDPN53asgzE7kNShGvbD6t-qvunbMrUHRaEAbAC6ZHG6l5YysJ4VjOSmUjD_Gfes8h2uUNo0xmenZFGTqPYGxi4/s1600/Striped+policeman+Coeliades+forestants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0RdqavyCpxQ5uSEbL5HF7AsNA1EcFasiAszzr34ycvEYLUWrltBvgDPN53asgzE7kNShGvbD6t-qvunbMrUHRaEAbAC6ZHG6l5YysJ4VjOSmUjD_Gfes8h2uUNo0xmenZFGTqPYGxi4/s320/Striped+policeman+Coeliades+forestants.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Striped Policeman</div>
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Andrew also photographed this puffball fungus.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRRExckmTxILlHdIMIv1eeCc_RaIr0ec7oLpM7gMTBnohwFBjS8hORKspZx398mnIGchb8_lMnpXIBeHW7nMKytxDZsKe3j72-PJynli5gk-kOhqh_TJchCu2Zy_RWi_U7JEWix0MNp4/s1600/Puffball+fungus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRRExckmTxILlHdIMIv1eeCc_RaIr0ec7oLpM7gMTBnohwFBjS8hORKspZx398mnIGchb8_lMnpXIBeHW7nMKytxDZsKe3j72-PJynli5gk-kOhqh_TJchCu2Zy_RWi_U7JEWix0MNp4/s320/Puffball+fungus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Puffball fungus</div>
Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-63934215437981915122012-08-12T07:41:00.000-07:002012-08-12T07:41:37.794-07:00Oxpecker and other Terekeka road birdsThis morning, after heavy rain the night before, we went 20 kms up the Terekeka road (Lesley, Andrew, Bosco, Mark). The first area of marshland was so flooded that the usual water birds seem to have abandoned it, thought intensive fishing may be a factor. People were catching small catfish and we also saw a large Nile Perch for sale (about 8 kgs). Appropriately, almost our first bird was an African Fish Eagle, an adult.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0XBYj75xEmWC3T9xPb4vRLxmT6C0MzKmurL6NtYTBR3qrhS0XjuNYB53UJVoYyBDe8DhvBDWfEXSAotEQ_wHHYbhR-aLG-PAH5hKLKULL5zbtKnaKxtHJDwuD6UU1HNYpe2chCgf6T4/s1600/038ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0XBYj75xEmWC3T9xPb4vRLxmT6C0MzKmurL6NtYTBR3qrhS0XjuNYB53UJVoYyBDe8DhvBDWfEXSAotEQ_wHHYbhR-aLG-PAH5hKLKULL5zbtKnaKxtHJDwuD6UU1HNYpe2chCgf6T4/s320/038ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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African Fish Eagle</div>
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The conditions were rather dull as it was completely overcast to start with, but it brightened later and birding improved throughout the morning. An early find was a couple of Grosbeak Weavers, an uncommon species here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4h443GxSG5zEyTtdZ4T-h4XQFnUbUrRwzVItxPXMenMAyyRSvxrxWwQDmYt_JktwLgbxG7WDtLRUegMbf-DgP56efhG5Ewoy8splrYUXPa7DUxYj2ORN6PYchipUvB_MVZozDgkyP8oU/s1600/067ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4h443GxSG5zEyTtdZ4T-h4XQFnUbUrRwzVItxPXMenMAyyRSvxrxWwQDmYt_JktwLgbxG7WDtLRUegMbf-DgP56efhG5Ewoy8splrYUXPa7DUxYj2ORN6PYchipUvB_MVZozDgkyP8oU/s320/067ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Female Grosbeak Weaver</div>
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We found a male Vitelline Masked Weaver nest-building, whilst nearby a pair was attending a completed nest.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb30tkKgwaxZ-i4mRCkA8_oD2BJFI8BVSEMs4raWiVSlvUa9u796PhtLLQ6BAs44xMQqci89JPDDbXns2E_81Y7R120FMheI4WQOimsETRmD6Ds8h6blBB7qiuc2oRhEou_bjEVXGhxPc/s1600/133ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb30tkKgwaxZ-i4mRCkA8_oD2BJFI8BVSEMs4raWiVSlvUa9u796PhtLLQ6BAs44xMQqci89JPDDbXns2E_81Y7R120FMheI4WQOimsETRmD6Ds8h6blBB7qiuc2oRhEou_bjEVXGhxPc/s320/133ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Yx28E_zSWaUb7Vod5qJpY2IR7EauhDyjcHyjxLntPU-QEe7-Lq3_JbV8Evksp7jOzOoyTnj29PzFcmpj9YkPfyPjpPzbA9Y4bW3uHqBv2VMKTWwLBIZKgsOgSVRE3mfg6o5XJhOGWAU/s1600/136ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Yx28E_zSWaUb7Vod5qJpY2IR7EauhDyjcHyjxLntPU-QEe7-Lq3_JbV8Evksp7jOzOoyTnj29PzFcmpj9YkPfyPjpPzbA9Y4bW3uHqBv2VMKTWwLBIZKgsOgSVRE3mfg6o5XJhOGWAU/s320/136ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXbZxanGYEHHdnQgLwTdLNBzG6L4pBKLLKbx2kzNS0Du-fjqsYNIjRkPWp0sAPffMC6PWvwBEbtsT0MYFnp9T1FagVmKOs2pcdLRf13He_hrOmfyRrFHUYSu44qHJt7sOWQoce78M4UI/s1600/137ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXbZxanGYEHHdnQgLwTdLNBzG6L4pBKLLKbx2kzNS0Du-fjqsYNIjRkPWp0sAPffMC6PWvwBEbtsT0MYFnp9T1FagVmKOs2pcdLRf13He_hrOmfyRrFHUYSu44qHJt7sOWQoce78M4UI/s320/137ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06ksq3By2fgK1KqSXACP1_Z-QBRs43gt5Sjal2msJl2HABSQpt_zMap56AOXzhOKQU9cKSlk8WwXsZwzJAj0yspghuS-4kPYDc3MYZVfKqP9tBucGu1pzNIqGSrXugssW-mc2EQYf5JE/s1600/138ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06ksq3By2fgK1KqSXACP1_Z-QBRs43gt5Sjal2msJl2HABSQpt_zMap56AOXzhOKQU9cKSlk8WwXsZwzJAj0yspghuS-4kPYDc3MYZVfKqP9tBucGu1pzNIqGSrXugssW-mc2EQYf5JE/s320/138ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1yreXSYQQR1wlbi-drh6tBUwVPiydTCElKfsQiZyV-CsFv_XgyGxBo0FI5KC6Gcncw2AovmUxRNhI3_IzuYMoWunjvtolohiT0vMUFEdVS3VWd_NanpRkH-IQs49jncOuKKt26Q3QDw/s1600/139ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1yreXSYQQR1wlbi-drh6tBUwVPiydTCElKfsQiZyV-CsFv_XgyGxBo0FI5KC6Gcncw2AovmUxRNhI3_IzuYMoWunjvtolohiT0vMUFEdVS3VWd_NanpRkH-IQs49jncOuKKt26Q3QDw/s320/139ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Male Vitelline Masked Weaver, starting to build a nest<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_r2BNF9Cd-x3T2V7oEJ3rvvB3A7yLHiRm8gzp8b8Uu75viRyVcOoFZvNSpwaqDTWYU9wj9GCO2Tmmc9MWIoIrWu7IltdW0cYSaVpnPEJbY6VCNmFaEFnVEmrlN_Xja_yguLyXjfEi4c/s1600/174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_r2BNF9Cd-x3T2V7oEJ3rvvB3A7yLHiRm8gzp8b8Uu75viRyVcOoFZvNSpwaqDTWYU9wj9GCO2Tmmc9MWIoIrWu7IltdW0cYSaVpnPEJbY6VCNmFaEFnVEmrlN_Xja_yguLyXjfEi4c/s320/174.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Completed nest of Vitelline Masked Weaver</div>
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Next came a series of surprise finds. A flock of White-billed Buffalo-Weavers was unusual, but even more so was finding a nest of this species attended by a displaying bird. This bird is said to be a dry season wanderer to Juba.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkgK_IBc0dbF6SgI2QDWFTRiAmhmx6TmQ6lMOlbLU6Y_zbVr0Q2P5AYuwf08IP2uxJhctLi7LuLnROJzNcjnY-XT0fuLEd3osKLd9pC5LCcmPYFNIu9gLSSJfhkE6rEySIlD2baBxr0Y/s1600/271ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkgK_IBc0dbF6SgI2QDWFTRiAmhmx6TmQ6lMOlbLU6Y_zbVr0Q2P5AYuwf08IP2uxJhctLi7LuLnROJzNcjnY-XT0fuLEd3osKLd9pC5LCcmPYFNIu9gLSSJfhkE6rEySIlD2baBxr0Y/s320/271ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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White-billed Buffalo-Weaver, displaying below large nest<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SB0Zv2iLLV4_vHMYdKdpCmTCzv5QQhIbtVnMswGzImcc0i8bKP3ZAjREQkBd61nBVKD468nRXUDgX58hA33J4AxepMC58ljMYk3t4nlqqYDE1M8O764XzKTkq6SyJ2L2knACq4e-z4k/s1600/273ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SB0Zv2iLLV4_vHMYdKdpCmTCzv5QQhIbtVnMswGzImcc0i8bKP3ZAjREQkBd61nBVKD468nRXUDgX58hA33J4AxepMC58ljMYk3t4nlqqYDE1M8O764XzKTkq6SyJ2L2knACq4e-z4k/s320/273ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Displaying White-billed Buffalo-Weaver</div>
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Then we found two Northern White-crowned Shrikes, also regarded as a dry season wanderer to Juba, and my first here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayErbsYng8f8Qo6dh6huGmkg89lNVz_3lQ-TPblhQenfOCCFST4EhFo8mhDlQvzZmAhBx9j0Kp6XOzep6wtvuqtNuflShyphenhyphen_mm8dLNPgPtiVaFT2nq2splMN3AybqJA-MNT9hSHpaFRRc/s1600/308ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayErbsYng8f8Qo6dh6huGmkg89lNVz_3lQ-TPblhQenfOCCFST4EhFo8mhDlQvzZmAhBx9j0Kp6XOzep6wtvuqtNuflShyphenhyphen_mm8dLNPgPtiVaFT2nq2splMN3AybqJA-MNT9hSHpaFRRc/s320/308ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Northern White-crowned Shrike</div>
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Another unexpected bird was a Yellow-billed Oxpecker, again my first for the area.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAx5ti1DJUWaoNRxfyJWuKsynDDH7KGK2_I5bu8F8VQGkvRA6qvn8eDz3HMZOUDCWb961DicBNaZNxEKA1hzkaMS3QmdxgiCwoVNI8OETHdkcLMHQPPs4F08OikoOGLu7iwas4kV85mY/s1600/328ts2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAx5ti1DJUWaoNRxfyJWuKsynDDH7KGK2_I5bu8F8VQGkvRA6qvn8eDz3HMZOUDCWb961DicBNaZNxEKA1hzkaMS3QmdxgiCwoVNI8OETHdkcLMHQPPs4F08OikoOGLu7iwas4kV85mY/s320/328ts2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yellow-billed Oxpecker</div>
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This week, lots of indigobirds had arrived. The males of these species are blackish and look almost identical; the best way to distinguish them is by voice: the males of the different species mimic the songs of the birds that they parasitise. The Village Indigobird <em>Vidua chalybeata ultramarina</em>, which I photographed,<em> </em>parasitises Red-billed Firefinch, which we also saw nearby. This indigobird has red legs, unlike other local species, so is possible to identify more easily than the others; it also has purplish tones. I photographed this species, and well as other birds that had paler legs. The options for these seem to be Black-faced Firefinch Indigobird <em>Vidua larvaticola</em>, Cameroon Indigobird <em>Vidua camerunensis</em>, and/or Bar-breasted Firefinch Indigobird <em>Vidua wilsoni</em>. Oddly, I've never seen <u>any</u> of the species parasitised by these species along the Terekeka road. Cameroon Indigobird also parasitises Brown Twinspot, which should occur locally, but I've never found it. A real mystery.<br />
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Village Indigobird (purple tones, red legs)<br />
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Unidentified male indigobird<br />
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We had good views of a male Bush Petronia, a rather retiring species that is not easy to find, and plenty of sightings of the beautiful Northern Carmine Bee-eater.<br />
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Male Bush Petronia</div>
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Northern Carmine Bee-eater</div>
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Overhead, we saw a few birds of prey including this adult White-headed Vulture.<br />
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White-headed Vulture</div>
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There was also a Wahlberg's Eagle, considered by Nikolaus (Birds of South Sudan) to be only a dry season visitor. Finally, there were two Namaqua Doves, again considered a dry season visitor.<br />
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Namaqua Dove</div>Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-73256036586331543372012-08-05T03:32:00.000-07:002012-08-05T10:25:39.497-07:00Just batsI recently mentioned that I'd found some bats in my office compound. Here are a couple of photos. Any thoughts on identification would be most welcome. They look like small fruit bats. I'd never have seen them had I not been looking closely for nests of Village Weavers - none found and the weavers seem only to have been roosting in the trees. Village Weaver colonies in palm trees in Juba are very active and noisy now.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQlS-Alv0Ch4IoOlYburOmx3t9rAEdrM9E9Iesllz_xwTJPYOTe1QmTwEadNTUL5JydZpEwXI3L7XPRILaW6zGemHnVNT4NK8dIcWz7SCdbK2GWX_PWozQccK32-A6gy8HXo3sOCCHSk/s1600/002ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQlS-Alv0Ch4IoOlYburOmx3t9rAEdrM9E9Iesllz_xwTJPYOTe1QmTwEadNTUL5JydZpEwXI3L7XPRILaW6zGemHnVNT4NK8dIcWz7SCdbK2GWX_PWozQccK32-A6gy8HXo3sOCCHSk/s320/002ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Small fruit bats?</div>
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There was a modest birdy end to the day: Andrew and I had a sundowner by a channel of the Nile at the Star hotel, seeing African Harrier-hawk, Red-necked Falcon, Long-crested Eagle, Pied Kingfisher, Common Sandpiper, Bruce's Green Pigeon among others. We also heard what was almost certainly a Lesser Swamp Warbler. An Ethiopian wedding provided a joyful endnote to the day.</div>Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-1853588823769011482012-08-04T05:09:00.001-07:002012-08-04T05:30:57.709-07:00Nimule roadBirding proved quite a challenge this morning, with many birds being heard rather than seen. I went with Andrew and Lesley a short distance along the Nimule road, from where we turned off right, ending up by the Kit river, about 5 kms east of where it reaches the White Nile.<br />
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One highlight was the concentration of Black-winged Red Bishops, with many of the males now in full breeding plumage. There were far fewer Northern Red Bishops, much the commoner species north of Juba in wetter areas, and only one Black Bishop. Other good birds included Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Black-bellied Bustard, Levaillant's Cuckoo, Fawn-breasted Waxbill, Vitelline Masked Weaver, African Moustached Warbler, Tropical Boubou (heard only), Lesser Blue-eared Starling, Cardinal Quelea (only my second record for the Juba area), and Swallow-tailed Bee-eater. Cisticolas were very vocal and conspicuous: Rattling, Singing, Red-pate, Croaking, Foxy and Siffling. The last-named is clearly quite common - now that I have got to know the song.<br />
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Remarkably, there were two more male White-winged Widowbirds - a new species for South Sudan I found last week about 15 kms away from today's sites. There must be a reasonable chance that they are breeding.<br />
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Black-winged Red Bishops<br />
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Black-winged Red Bishops</div>
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Black-bellied Bustard</div>
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Flappet Lark</div>
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Levaillant's Cuckoo</div>
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Cardinal Quelea, male in breeding plumage</div>
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Cardinal Quelea, male in breeding plumage</div>
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Below, for comparison, is a photo of the very similar male Red-headed Quelea. Note that the red does not come so far down onto the breast. This species also has more extensive red on the back of the head.</div>
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Male Red-headed Quelea</div>
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There was another excellent mammal sighting today, with several small groups of monkeys. Andrew identified these as Red Patas Monkeys.</div>
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Red Patas Monkeys</div>
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We saw very few birds of prey: one Bateleur and two Dark Chanting-Goshawks. The usual Hooded Vultures were circling over Juba and there was a pair of Common Kestrels near Acacia Village.</div>
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</div>Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-53116391214802930402012-07-31T12:34:00.000-07:002012-07-31T12:34:50.587-07:00Nightjars by day onlyOn Sunday 29 July Bosco, Richard Trewby, Andrew Harberd and myself went out along the Terekeka road, seeing a good cross-section of the local birds, such as Eastern Grey Plain-eater, Red-billed Hornbill, Red-fronted Barbet, Klaas's Cuckoo and the first Village Indigobirds I've encountered this rainy season. Oddly, all the related parasitic species we found were in the same area and included Pin-tailed Whydahs and Eastern Paradise-Whydahs as well as Village Indigobird. We saw the male Pin-tailed Whydah doing its remarkable dancing flight in front of the female.<br />
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Red-billed Hornbill</div>
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Displaying Pin-tailed Whydah</div>
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[Blogging ethics compels me to say the the photo immediately above was taken last rainy season.]<br />
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There were also two specials. The best was a male Pennant-winged Nightjar flushed about three times (but evading my attempts to photograph it). What an extraordinary bird, with its long extensions to the 2nd primary feathers. The other was a singing Lesser Swamp Warbler, my first definite record. <br />
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The following evening Bosco and I looked for nightjars at dusk along the Nimule road. It soon started to rain heavily and we gave up, but not before seeing an elegant African wild cat crossing the road in front of us. Again no photo, but so good to find another African mammal species (and the next day I found a roost of bats in trees in the office compound - will try to take some photos).Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-29939962092992329102012-07-28T09:35:00.000-07:002012-07-30T01:04:20.874-07:00A new species for South SudanIn the damp overcast morning I went across the Nile and down the old Nimule road as far as Rejaf, perhaps 8 kms. The dense grasses in the open acacia woodland and cultivation were once again full of seed-eating birds. Amongst a flock of Black-winged and Northern Red Bishops, I noticed a flash of white on a long-tailed, largely black, bird. This turned out to be a White-winged Widowbird <em>Euplectes albonotatus</em> of the subspecies <em>eques</em>, which Nikolaus (Birds of South Sudan) speculated could occur along the Uganda border, and a first record for South Sudan.<br />
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White-winged Widowbird, male in breeding plumage</div>
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A non-avian highlight was this mongoose, perhaps an egyptian mongoose. It was not shy, at least of cars.<br />
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Egyptian(?) Mongoose</div>
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As last time I came along this route, there were Silverbirds with fledged young. I again found the remarkably non-descript Siffling Cisticola, though it actually rather easy to identify at the moment as it gives its distinctive song of descending notes from the tops of trees.<br />
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Siffling Cisticola</div>
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I'm at last sorting out the glossy starlings. Individual species can look so different depending on the light conditions. Today most were Lesser Blue-eared Starlings: smaller that Bronze-tailed, with shorter tails that never show any bronze hues, often rather dull yellow eyes, and a rather turquoise-blue head.<br />
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Lesser Blue-eared Starling</div>
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I managed to get very close to a White-browed Sparrow-Weaver and an African Moustached Warbler.<br />
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White-browed Sparrow-Weaver</div>
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African Moustached Warbler</div>
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On the return journey a sub-adult Gabar Goshawk perched in a neem tree over the road and glared down at me.<br />
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Gabar Goshawk</div>Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-83283737646640222102012-07-22T06:14:00.000-07:002012-07-26T12:16:21.162-07:00Crake huntingToday I went back to the site just north of Juba where I'd flushed an African Crake a few weeks ago. This time I struck lucky, flushing three birds. This does suggest they are breeding. The habitat looks fine. The only photos of the birds are blurrs, so not reproduced here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrV4Zb7raayvnPWlUUOq2IJ_C8E6k4YKjimEviGxsov7H1_lYxK9Ta7UMt64K3OVOWv2N_n1EKtkmm2zVKI1XJ6ptVfJgG4cMnakfWI8YeWx3eH_eiMhlvEEvRYNQgChg5DlqJ7BszLY/s1600/114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrV4Zb7raayvnPWlUUOq2IJ_C8E6k4YKjimEviGxsov7H1_lYxK9Ta7UMt64K3OVOWv2N_n1EKtkmm2zVKI1XJ6ptVfJgG4cMnakfWI8YeWx3eH_eiMhlvEEvRYNQgChg5DlqJ7BszLY/s320/114.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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African Crake habitat north of Juba</div>
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Other highlights included lots of Fan-tailed Widowbirds coming into breeding plumage. This species inhabits marshy grassland. Northern Red Bishops are still roving in large feeding flocks though some males are holding territory.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVsABAmc2c24ren_9djSV47u-8oqxCg7AYQRFwHAnc1dD8L7LWoY7yyP2arYnKF4Iztap3psR9fHnEcCFjStKQx5w9YAPDaJRxvbsuiF2dBhFLZ4BAK9nO1qMhYd5Ew1wjF8cU2UnAtM/s1600/145ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVsABAmc2c24ren_9djSV47u-8oqxCg7AYQRFwHAnc1dD8L7LWoY7yyP2arYnKF4Iztap3psR9fHnEcCFjStKQx5w9YAPDaJRxvbsuiF2dBhFLZ4BAK9nO1qMhYd5Ew1wjF8cU2UnAtM/s320/145ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fan-tailed Widowbirds</div>
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Eastern Paradise-Whydahs have arrived in numbers, with several flocks seen. The males are in advanced moult or in full breeding plumage. <br />
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Eastern Paradise-Whydah<br />
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Whilst looking at them, I found several Chestnut Sparrows and, very surprisingly, what appear to be two female Straw-tailed Whydahs, a species which is described by Nikolaus (Birds of South Sudan) as occuring in semi-arid acacia savanna east of Torit. [EDIT: correction - these are actually Red-billed Queleas, which I've seen here before].<br />
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Chestnut Sparrow</div>
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Red-billed Queleas</div>
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Other birds included a confiding singing male Croaking Cisticola, some Helmeted Guineafowl, an African Spoonbill perched atop a large tree (its favoured marsh was full of people fishing), a Hamerkop feeding on small fish, and a Greater Painted-snipe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3s27o2S8nD_Yiu7sxlPXdYpmz30PRhBG2w-ZQ4gURj8pif4Ff59qDpR3HqZvVVvruAB6IHbG0UjiDt89vlBhUsiAu5UhXiqJA9SLPoJgqKiOMuY3GDgpdeGuhe_T3NV5Gc0X0FQJFf1o/s1600/084ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3s27o2S8nD_Yiu7sxlPXdYpmz30PRhBG2w-ZQ4gURj8pif4Ff59qDpR3HqZvVVvruAB6IHbG0UjiDt89vlBhUsiAu5UhXiqJA9SLPoJgqKiOMuY3GDgpdeGuhe_T3NV5Gc0X0FQJFf1o/s320/084ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Croaking Cisticola</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyThY8Jztf1bg7ELIBNdimNKYIcBM1FVZo0WEhd0XNyPj9ShYN52KAXx4h5dJh_iZXRJxc9vUq_KI8JcKUDoT6WLaZo0Ks5QuGnVjUjJo0t4hxdU_eXZI3ukcbpmTw8uGBxXtIW363lx4/s1600/218ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyThY8Jztf1bg7ELIBNdimNKYIcBM1FVZo0WEhd0XNyPj9ShYN52KAXx4h5dJh_iZXRJxc9vUq_KI8JcKUDoT6WLaZo0Ks5QuGnVjUjJo0t4hxdU_eXZI3ukcbpmTw8uGBxXtIW363lx4/s320/218ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Helmeted Guineafowl</div>
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African Spoonbill</div>
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Hamerkop</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMyAq-oNv8V_P3of6OEJ3FcVWBUp5l5XKH4fR_udCn6xm7g2o-VQYgcwYKHGd55OK9KHYOCO8Ay6kPiKm3v5AYzOSmbjS7LtTsjhGuWkcrpxGgAKA3o-xdnl1Kxpl7KilCOgcGvp0AAE/s1600/532ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMyAq-oNv8V_P3of6OEJ3FcVWBUp5l5XKH4fR_udCn6xm7g2o-VQYgcwYKHGd55OK9KHYOCO8Ay6kPiKm3v5AYzOSmbjS7LtTsjhGuWkcrpxGgAKA3o-xdnl1Kxpl7KilCOgcGvp0AAE/s320/532ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Male Greater Painted-snipe (unusually for birds, the male has a much duller plumage than the female)</div>
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There was also a beautiful Dark Chanting-Goshawk with the trademark reddish cere, but also another Chanting-Goshawk with a yellowish cere. It was tempting to call this an Eastern Chanting-Goshawk, which would be a new species for South Sudan I believe, but it is more likely a sub-adult Dark C-G.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VUK4W3gElu5fR-D8y41HVdOjLOQHkL3l2CtffCVBGs63McfQ4ZoRgZiJAEfZhIS7X0SfjV0tePRgnHntW5CIsKxjW9VNlejeAVOd1UxIbGzkOBg3iz1rM2TtGuyR1rJKIjE1aIY5f-s/s1600/259ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VUK4W3gElu5fR-D8y41HVdOjLOQHkL3l2CtffCVBGs63McfQ4ZoRgZiJAEfZhIS7X0SfjV0tePRgnHntW5CIsKxjW9VNlejeAVOd1UxIbGzkOBg3iz1rM2TtGuyR1rJKIjE1aIY5f-s/s320/259ts.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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Adult Dark Chanting-Goshawk</div>
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Sub-adult Dark Chanting-Goshawk?</div>
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Lastly, some coucals. I saw another problem bird, though it should be easy. The coucal below looked quite small, so should be Senegal Coucal, but I'm reluctant to rule out Blue-headed Coucal, which Nikolaus considers to be commoner in this area.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZ-ON9WRvyZZ3U15ed8AqCv3xtkDhv1EbOe9MUle9B04RJmnAZTbnzdHNI_ym5RaSlGTfjqZ3cXsvrF3Rmt9gV6K1Q9s0hR5_DIy3GsIipXvk_ITNZLun0Y9ZFzJy0PFj4pL7f1YsgJg/s1600/349ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZ-ON9WRvyZZ3U15ed8AqCv3xtkDhv1EbOe9MUle9B04RJmnAZTbnzdHNI_ym5RaSlGTfjqZ3cXsvrF3Rmt9gV6K1Q9s0hR5_DIy3GsIipXvk_ITNZLun0Y9ZFzJy0PFj4pL7f1YsgJg/s320/349ts.jpg" width="309" /></a></div>
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Senegal or Blue-headed Coucal</div>
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By contrast, Black Coucals, which I'm now seeing in most marshland, are easy to identify.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZLa2goOS7gW7TSG6Yn846LDVjbEG_M3EYCCjpyG3TMzUJG-VzKhLMjJ5IuyVBHSxA43rGzsqSB06Glkdkmm0zMmbZA3mtVk9WD7cZ0hHo8H3aHQJosIUcu1LhtUxCrl3xnqY8iVunKs/s1600/378ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZLa2goOS7gW7TSG6Yn846LDVjbEG_M3EYCCjpyG3TMzUJG-VzKhLMjJ5IuyVBHSxA43rGzsqSB06Glkdkmm0zMmbZA3mtVk9WD7cZ0hHo8H3aHQJosIUcu1LhtUxCrl3xnqY8iVunKs/s320/378ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Black Coucal</div>Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-15459294094993134972012-07-22T06:11:00.000-07:002012-07-22T06:11:21.045-07:00Islands in the streamYesterday Laura, Martin, Liz (a colleague visiting from Dar es Salaam) and myself went across the narrow channel to Gondokoro island, which is now verdant, with lots of cultivation. The morning was memorable for some enjoyable encounters with the people who live on the island, from the Bari community. There was one particularly sprightly grandmother who was hoeing her fields with considerable energy and was great fun to talk to (her grand-daughter translated).<br />
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Helping prepare for the sorghum planting</div>
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I did not take many decent bird photographs, though these are the first I've managed of Bruce's Green Pigeons in flight.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEija6fI_3rSaCLG0I6PswCb9x4tbQe91xjXo0xHAgbc4KkXycQP9cgCtP-Y6_x-S0B86y0ONqA12xSXNTFWzU7bH41BzlUjEg5f0ZL_da0j4G0UvRaFcfFtplfh4lZmgYoAwqNlxiQU6Wg/s1600/Bruce%2527s+Green+Pigeon%252C+Gondokoro_20120721_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEija6fI_3rSaCLG0I6PswCb9x4tbQe91xjXo0xHAgbc4KkXycQP9cgCtP-Y6_x-S0B86y0ONqA12xSXNTFWzU7bH41BzlUjEg5f0ZL_da0j4G0UvRaFcfFtplfh4lZmgYoAwqNlxiQU6Wg/s320/Bruce%2527s+Green+Pigeon%252C+Gondokoro_20120721_002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKe2_klbTz5yJhSk7nBfV6a0GaXOR_kFJtsgpJfVlCtoOfd-oPkd3BiHtk35ri_7Muj2YCuA4ZHps5s1BaEcOQ3oXKifXv1k5FwmveddjEZRkmiI2MmwSDt70MKRn3kzP_-8chX8bYcH0/s1600/Bruce%2527s+Green+Pigeon%252C+Gondokoro_20120721_009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKe2_klbTz5yJhSk7nBfV6a0GaXOR_kFJtsgpJfVlCtoOfd-oPkd3BiHtk35ri_7Muj2YCuA4ZHps5s1BaEcOQ3oXKifXv1k5FwmveddjEZRkmiI2MmwSDt70MKRn3kzP_-8chX8bYcH0/s320/Bruce%2527s+Green+Pigeon%252C+Gondokoro_20120721_009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bruce's Green Pigeons</div>
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Laura found this amazing beetle, which she advises is of the family Cerambicidae, the common name being longhorn beetle.<br />
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There was a small island in the main river with a small tented camp. Looks like a good place to stay but I don't know who runs it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7d3-ScYQn5t24si6u4DyOrBNkEjebRWNjZfjfAId0HmRXbxoJVjI5If7JGe8-10NZPFhSfsNfOFW1I9bdMZ3YLUf0AHXJKdViBqxqiyHczmfTHHGEEI7QxG1Wk7RZyTUxB8c2_2wotzw/s1600/204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7d3-ScYQn5t24si6u4DyOrBNkEjebRWNjZfjfAId0HmRXbxoJVjI5If7JGe8-10NZPFhSfsNfOFW1I9bdMZ3YLUf0AHXJKdViBqxqiyHczmfTHHGEEI7QxG1Wk7RZyTUxB8c2_2wotzw/s320/204.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tented camp on island in White Nile</div>
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We had a bit of a wait on the return crossing as lots of women were taking greens and limes to market. Note how low the canoe is in the water in the photo below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGd1Mk2AyOHnOpb8n1aS6EgaP_EFD2KZd9AFhHVzKQ1iOBdYzMh6TSgGOh8u2FfY8_I6T47u6wIByKsEhHkL74Nz2PyWZ5TT_OVyV3AAo2_7liDmEPLj48u-7IbbJ6dHwpHbIzAAsze0M/s1600/336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGd1Mk2AyOHnOpb8n1aS6EgaP_EFD2KZd9AFhHVzKQ1iOBdYzMh6TSgGOh8u2FfY8_I6T47u6wIByKsEhHkL74Nz2PyWZ5TT_OVyV3AAo2_7liDmEPLj48u-7IbbJ6dHwpHbIzAAsze0M/s320/336.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ferry crossing, Gondokoro</div>
Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-68574328899936147142012-07-15T10:20:00.001-07:002012-07-15T12:08:56.568-07:00Marshland eveningA 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.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESTItpsAdF-KcJhD4rH-U3VEKSEKat1VOdFO3_uNMbs2vfugQ9lFGt_fFZ4zG5VfDl_mA0ol3g3D8FKwJ1FLgSPLh4qC8TpOk3fjv7zIezss6hZefi0tpG8P8XQApBdqTL6kOML6PuSw/s1600/089ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESTItpsAdF-KcJhD4rH-U3VEKSEKat1VOdFO3_uNMbs2vfugQ9lFGt_fFZ4zG5VfDl_mA0ol3g3D8FKwJ1FLgSPLh4qC8TpOk3fjv7zIezss6hZefi0tpG8P8XQApBdqTL6kOML6PuSw/s320/089ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yellow-crowned Bishop</div>
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Male and female Yellow-crowned Bishops</div>
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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.<br />
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Saddle-billed Storks</div>
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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.<br />
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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.Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-88881977597803007602012-07-14T07:51:00.000-07:002012-07-22T07:36:57.584-07:00Across the river and into the treesNot sure how many other Ernest Hemingway books could be used for titles of blog posts on South Sudan birds.....the 'Green Hills of Africa' if I ever get into the Imatongs maybe. <br />
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Anyway, leaving that random thought aside, today Lesley, Laura, Martin and me went with my driver and skilled bird finder Bosco across the Juba bridge and down to the White Nile opposite Oasis and Afex camps. We made slow progress along the last stretch of road to the river as there were many different birds. Almost the first one was a new species for me in South Sudan: a Black Coucal. I proclaimed that this was a really rare species here (it is so described in the literature) and we promptly saw about six more. They were occupying lush expanses of grasses and scrub among scattered cultivation of maize and other species.<br />
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Black Coucal</div>
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We then had the good fortune to find Malachite and African Pygmy Kingfishers perched close to each other and then side by side creating a perfect opportunity to see the differences between them.<br />
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Malachite and African Pygmy Kingfisher<br />
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Malachite Kingfisher</div>
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Later we had close views of Grey-headed Kingfishers.<br />
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Grey-headed Kingfisher</div>
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There were several Pin-tailed Whydahs, the breeding plumage males with their implausibly long tails. The male does a wonderful fluttering display in front of the female, though we did not see this today.<br />
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Pin-tailed Whydah male in breeding plumage</div>
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At last we reached the river and walked under the mango trees, hearing many more birds than we saw, but finding several African Thrushes. On rocks in the river there was a pair of Senegal Thicknees. I started to explain that when the water was lower, there would be Rock Pratincoles, when we noticed a pair of these birds on a rock that barely protruded above the fasting moving Nile water.<br />
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Rock Pratincoles</div>
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It was a good day for seeing that odd member of the crow family, the Piapiac. We found several flocks and some were remarkably confiding. I make no excuse for the plastic water bottle in the background of the second picture as these are sadly scattered all over Juba.<br />
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Piapiacs</div>
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The next surprise was a flock of Superb Starlings. This species is unusual as far west as Juba and I have previously only seen it in the dry season.<br />
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Superb Starling</div>
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Together with the Superb Starlings there were some glossy starlings, a group that I still struggle to identify. The reddish eye is supposed to be diagnostic of Bronze-tailed Starling, but I am being very cautious with this confusing genus. The bird below is in advanced moult from juvenile to adult plumage. [Since the original post, I have concluded that the birds were Bronze-tailed Starlings: the reddish eye, slender bill, shortish tail and uppertail pattern all point to this species].<br />
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Bronze-tailed Starling</div>
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As we walked and drove towards Rejaf we found one of Juba's most beautiful birds, a Red-throated Bee-eater.<br />
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Red-throated Bee-eater</div>
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Then we saw (they were too far away to photograph), a Serengeti-like scene of White-headed and Hooded Vultures descending on some carrion. Soon after, there were Rufous-chested and Red-rumped Swallows, only my second record of the latter species. And finally we had views of a fledged Silverbird being fed by an adult. This is a flighty species, always hard to get good photos of, and I did not do very well today. But an attractive bird. It's a type of flycatcher.<br />
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Juvenile Silverbird</div>
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Adult Silverbird</div>
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A supporting cast included displaying and nest-building male Northern Masked Weavers; lots of Village Weavers; Grey-capped Social Weavers; White-browed Sparrow-Weavers; Red-billed Firefinches; Bronze Mannikins; Black-headed Gonoleks; the usual cast of cisticolas (lots of Rattling and Winding); Dark Chanting Goshawks; Long-crested Eagles; Bateleur; Black, Black-winged and Northern Red Bishops; Red-headed Queleas, Open-billed Storks (roosting on trees in central Juba); Mourning Doves..and much, much more. </div>
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</div>Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-29531900754725446742012-07-10T11:13:00.000-07:002012-07-10T11:13:10.274-07:00Independence DayYesterday was South Sudan's first anniversary of independence and I watched the ceremonies here in Juba. <br />
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Birds were the last thing on my mind but I brought the camera to take some photographs of the events. A pair of House Sparrows were nesting in the girders of the grandstand roof. I saw one bird of this species in Juba last year, probably making yesterday's sighting the second record for South Sudan south of Malakal in Upper Nile State. A quick Google search suggests that the species has colonised Uganda. My best guess is that the birds were trapped in containers and transported here from Kenya or Uganda.<br />
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House Sparrows</div>
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A quick visit to a channel of the Nile by the Star hotel this evening revealed an African Harrier-hawk, which is uncommon around Juba, as well as my first definite Greater Blue-eared Starlings - they were giving their characteristic nasal call (no pics).<br />
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African Harrier-hawk</div>
Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-61376378319622598962012-07-07T09:16:00.001-07:002012-07-07T09:20:12.527-07:00Bustards and BarbetsToday Lesley and I went down the old Nimule road, just across the bridge over the White Nile in Juba. It was overcast, which enabled us to stay out for several hours without getting too hot, though the conditions were not so good for photographing birds.<br />
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There were two "big bird" highlights - a pair of Black-bellied Bustards flew right over our heads and a pair of gorgeous Black-breasted Barbets perched conveniently in a bare tree. We later saw a bustard in a field only 200m from a village, suggesting that the species is not hunted.<br />
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Black-bellied Bustard<br />
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Black-breasted Barbet<br />
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So distracting were the barbets that we spotted too late that there were also two woodpeckers in the same tree. These flew off before we could look at them closely. They were most likely Grey or Nubian Woodpeckers. I did take several photos of some remarkably non-descript LBJ's (little brown jobs in birders' parlance) and close examination of the pictures plus scouring the internet confirmed that they were Siffling Cisticolas, my second record for Juba.<br />
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Siffling Cisticola, is this the ultimate 'LBJ'?</div>
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In fact, we encountered almost every cisticola species that occurs here, seeing Siffling, Red-faced, Red-pate, Rattling, Croaking, Winding and Singing Cisticolas. That leaves only Foxy and Zitting. I photographed a Croaking Cisticola. This species is similar to Rattling but has a chunkier bill as well as a completely different song (actually two songs are far as I can tell, including one given in a display flight).<br />
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Croaking Cisticola</div>
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We 'unmasked' another weaver today. Some birds that were practically identical to male Northern Masked Weavers in breeding plumage had red eyes, so were Vitelline Masked Weavers, the first I have seen around Juba. Below I include photos of both species, showing the difference in eye colour - Northern Masked has a dark eye.<br />
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Vitelline Masked Weaver, male in breeding plumage<br />
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Northern Masked Weaver - spot the difference</div>
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I was surprised to see a juvenile Northern Masked Weaver begging for food from an adult female, since I've not yet seen any nests of this species this rainy season. Perhaps they are birds from Sudan that have moved south. <br />
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Juvenile (left) and adult female Northern Masked Weaver</div>
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Note how worn the adult's wing feathers are compared to the juvenile.</div>
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Other interesting sightings today included Grey-capped Social-Weavers nest-building and some attractive Chestnut Sparrows (no photos though).<br />
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Lastly, another photo of that great character, the Long-crested Eagle.<br />
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Long-crested Eagle</div>
</div>Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-75580115040229195952012-07-01T10:21:00.000-07:002012-07-24T12:46:08.962-07:00A predictable plover and a weaver unmaskedWell, 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.<br />
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Long-toed Lapwing</div>
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We saw several Spur-winged Lapwings and one African Wattled Lapwing at the same place, the former being rather common in the area.<br />
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Spur-winged Lapwing</div>
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African Wattled Lapwing</div>
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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.<br />
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Adult African Spoonbill<br />
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Immature, probably African Spoonbill<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFVu94-2_AgAwmPTh94Q_a_KmPogiHEc5HzbUMmbkFsEwQWksnyoJrY61Sf-45AkUxT-9bKhYbusZvD2tDKgIQCaHVz60l0Su1PGBWwNOLRDHc6b2QxIaEmQ_jIgDhiKhoXloXLBPwSg/s1600/Photo+D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFVu94-2_AgAwmPTh94Q_a_KmPogiHEc5HzbUMmbkFsEwQWksnyoJrY61Sf-45AkUxT-9bKhYbusZvD2tDKgIQCaHVz60l0Su1PGBWwNOLRDHc6b2QxIaEmQ_jIgDhiKhoXloXLBPwSg/s320/Photo+D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Presumed immature Eurasian Spoonbill</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilG9RFcMCz0iTKP_vrzBvWoHZdH4lCeKwGyY6Pve9b0QBtybNN6qU0BYUNybq-kqeV3vF0zu6q_bdCS0OVF-oFsl5ZrVL94lo_SII7NKgN1zMCg9BgMdH5U7T3zfY2SJGnoYrHY9nfrC0/s1600/148ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilG9RFcMCz0iTKP_vrzBvWoHZdH4lCeKwGyY6Pve9b0QBtybNN6qU0BYUNybq-kqeV3vF0zu6q_bdCS0OVF-oFsl5ZrVL94lo_SII7NKgN1zMCg9BgMdH5U7T3zfY2SJGnoYrHY9nfrC0/s320/148ts.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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African Jacana<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9840NRl7X0CCXMmegP-rUZjZJSTf04AeMoIpcYrviPL1lDmJGoF5RUsdjfUuUB9EfTjJKLY7_wz_uoku8_9vKahkorgDeaN51Pjo77GCXVq63rIaHcmZwOiMdry4C5vR4fcAHggKY4g/s1600/064ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9840NRl7X0CCXMmegP-rUZjZJSTf04AeMoIpcYrviPL1lDmJGoF5RUsdjfUuUB9EfTjJKLY7_wz_uoku8_9vKahkorgDeaN51Pjo77GCXVq63rIaHcmZwOiMdry4C5vR4fcAHggKY4g/s320/064ts.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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Long-tailed Cormorant<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-7Rnu-ydEJeb8Wp54jdDKMKb_jzzOKs2tUvYKL1EGKPGmFoIvxZK1S9E3pSTRLMMFrYA3HLoH-eJCRzpBGWnptmXnm3xSqM120odvSChGhsQk5A6dlzTjZ084NJg7f3omHYQlkIcGUw/s1600/305ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-7Rnu-ydEJeb8Wp54jdDKMKb_jzzOKs2tUvYKL1EGKPGmFoIvxZK1S9E3pSTRLMMFrYA3HLoH-eJCRzpBGWnptmXnm3xSqM120odvSChGhsQk5A6dlzTjZ084NJg7f3omHYQlkIcGUw/s320/305ts.jpg" width="309" /></a></div>
Black-winged Stilt<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAW5DFRNrO5rBjWKQjtNv5e-3-05ZN3ar6iRb-9iYOVe7b-wTyoq9BGcYTZVZcGZ7L5E2h1m9WRw1w9y8_VixE_D545f8Spp7Dqhj_W-oyV3Y0cw4exFsOWICOKeSBfeHpHKht7NPa7g/s1600/083ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAW5DFRNrO5rBjWKQjtNv5e-3-05ZN3ar6iRb-9iYOVe7b-wTyoq9BGcYTZVZcGZ7L5E2h1m9WRw1w9y8_VixE_D545f8Spp7Dqhj_W-oyV3Y0cw4exFsOWICOKeSBfeHpHKht7NPa7g/s320/083ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Common Greenshank</div>
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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. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicP-1XFgcR0xhdbmyNhuCQnAN3p7NAVGf-ctXMznTOZZ7BNCPywOHIbmxTBsdalCVar4LbAeqN_kNumQZu5Bw9unW78i28OtvB8tQ28EBisN706IUf7J5IGDrFvvEXGqW2bc_Jl92CQX8/s1600/388ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicP-1XFgcR0xhdbmyNhuCQnAN3p7NAVGf-ctXMznTOZZ7BNCPywOHIbmxTBsdalCVar4LbAeqN_kNumQZu5Bw9unW78i28OtvB8tQ28EBisN706IUf7J5IGDrFvvEXGqW2bc_Jl92CQX8/s320/388ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Male Lesser Masked Weaver in breeding plumage</div>
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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 <em>Cisticola chiniana fricki</em>, have quite rufous streaked crowns.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QeDIAlxM-tAeUw20cFpUkZGfwlNydW_U0OFV32NbizbjBGtSMKSVz08Gkp8imtPeL_itR0plGUUwkGd1vBn90bq6FjoapoKp0CXmvNOuBn1snRtHQdSFsMH2YWn_LQWkpkxK1PuumJ4/s1600/336ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QeDIAlxM-tAeUw20cFpUkZGfwlNydW_U0OFV32NbizbjBGtSMKSVz08Gkp8imtPeL_itR0plGUUwkGd1vBn90bq6FjoapoKp0CXmvNOuBn1snRtHQdSFsMH2YWn_LQWkpkxK1PuumJ4/s320/336ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Rattling Cisticola (with butterfly)</div>
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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.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3t9RlBA9aiJOPvorLEMhos5XDlVUVgNf5joDc6V5a54_QZ-QDB9gGVT73hZtsRZanCgQ5hOvszzu8o_IZ6oi09e9rA90W6we_jOqdkfiJ_WRgdH0AauNCAgU5pw116vLQRiMUuXl2k9Y/s1600/435ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3t9RlBA9aiJOPvorLEMhos5XDlVUVgNf5joDc6V5a54_QZ-QDB9gGVT73hZtsRZanCgQ5hOvszzu8o_IZ6oi09e9rA90W6we_jOqdkfiJ_WRgdH0AauNCAgU5pw116vLQRiMUuXl2k9Y/s320/435ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Probable Bronze-tailed Starling</div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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</div>Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-31151859564648389202012-06-24T06:28:00.000-07:002012-07-01T12:15:19.250-07:00An egregious bird and other marshland encountersCrakes and other rallids have been a major interest of mine during previous periods living in Africa - in Malawi and Kenya. Last Friday evening I was pondering why, with all the extensive marshland and wet grassland north of Juba, I'd seen no crakes at all. I decided to go out on Saturday in my wellies and tramp through some suitable looking habitat. I travelled about 5 kms along the Terekeka road and started walking through some damp grassland on the edge of acacia scrub. I followed a narrow trail, walking fast - if you walk slowly crakes will simply run away and not flush. After no more than 3 minutes a bird's head peaked up just ahead on the track, then the bird flushed: an African Crake <em>Crex egregia</em>. <br />
With that start, I expected to see more African Crakes, but extensive searching then and this morning have produced no further sightings. My guess is that the species is sparsely distributed over a large area, though may be locally common. However, in my experience, crakes are mostly rather demanding in terms of habitat. The composition, height and density of vegetation; the water level; and extent of disturbance and grazing are all significant factors. If birds start calling they will be easier to locate, though African Crakes were not that vocal where I've come across them in the past. Ideally, you need an enthusiastic dog to sniff out crakes and flush then - a technique I used in Kenya using a water-loving spaniel/mongrel cross called Lucky. <br />
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I was unable to photograph this bird, and the next good species, the first Black Bishop I've seen here, was very distant so this photograph is simply evidence of the species' occurence here. Note that most of the back is black in this breeding plumage male, unlike Black-winged Red and Northern Red Bishop. It is <em>Euplectes gierowii</em> of the race <em>ansorgei</em>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpCPVGc_-Z7axaJqSaqSV0ZIlEuwpVKr0i3eytOGHEPgHutuSFWUZGHtFFXljPuweEdu7Wn-4yZ2nQXe3A1mz8YI4T-LhiW6kbBVpmAKBTN7WA6D5M18q5UQLD13ON6Q1zgSRGxyYD10/s1600/025ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpCPVGc_-Z7axaJqSaqSV0ZIlEuwpVKr0i3eytOGHEPgHutuSFWUZGHtFFXljPuweEdu7Wn-4yZ2nQXe3A1mz8YI4T-LhiW6kbBVpmAKBTN7WA6D5M18q5UQLD13ON6Q1zgSRGxyYD10/s320/025ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Male Black Bishop</div>
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To compensate, I did manage to secure some decent shots of Winding Cisticola (see last post), whilst the bird was singing, so I'm now 100% sure of the identification. However, the birds have very little rufous on the crown, which is also lightly streaked and in this respect are quite different from the illustration of this species (or subspecies) in Redman, Stevenson and Fanshawe's "Birds of the Horn of Africa". They are remarkably confiding - perhaps they spend the dry season deep in the Sudd.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aiAAEN-5GBtXK7_AMMY7r41IU-Y0b7NBcdaljaTIlnLYR-vL8eNNTD4ngg_Ala3IHZ42PMg-K0jSL946CzJNw0dc4az7YA7za2h3rxHAinFO397Azjw1aPBHYMm5ehg-eN-MzFccx_I/s1600/106ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aiAAEN-5GBtXK7_AMMY7r41IU-Y0b7NBcdaljaTIlnLYR-vL8eNNTD4ngg_Ala3IHZ42PMg-K0jSL946CzJNw0dc4az7YA7za2h3rxHAinFO397Azjw1aPBHYMm5ehg-eN-MzFccx_I/s320/106ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Winding Cisticola</div>
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I then took some photos of a Red-pate Cisticola in its unstreaked breeding plumage. This bird is much more like the illustrations in the main field guides.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksQTQuNnRbXQr6rEy0NSEWlZCg5wQ5-h_9Gf4nHoBmyOZeIqChIABb_8kbA5NONwchOKqIh_u3fu-MIB1g_QfIBnHs9KI6t3eSV8aNHJYYqrwKNf8atjaj6bq6HWhZQCQW_DUdwKR2Ao/s1600/196ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksQTQuNnRbXQr6rEy0NSEWlZCg5wQ5-h_9Gf4nHoBmyOZeIqChIABb_8kbA5NONwchOKqIh_u3fu-MIB1g_QfIBnHs9KI6t3eSV8aNHJYYqrwKNf8atjaj6bq6HWhZQCQW_DUdwKR2Ao/s320/196ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Red-pate Cisticola</div>
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Spur-winged Geese were still present, feeding close to the road.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKr2idU85vXPDjJEHzAS1v-5bBZtXGlriwtiwL6EpMwDZxKTjfYU38J5kVBlBZVZpOje_i2iaFe9Se-3tUp7YhWD6wXRLSSodLlKnqrcBRDccFwUDEkdO8tZo4FS9JsCTgkbnVmpu7lw/s1600/009ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKr2idU85vXPDjJEHzAS1v-5bBZtXGlriwtiwL6EpMwDZxKTjfYU38J5kVBlBZVZpOje_i2iaFe9Se-3tUp7YhWD6wXRLSSodLlKnqrcBRDccFwUDEkdO8tZo4FS9JsCTgkbnVmpu7lw/s320/009ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7WSjD5NwY9Nd4NQnBXdI-FzwFO9FupIIRfswaFcMX-zC1BHefPYg2UGjidaT07qN4jkvc9IoqCpyDTODdY0RHj2OPAOhl89xc_pN3bU9d3F6bzLi50PvWAFCxYB0URRDq_h0z9C8Yek/s1600/002ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7WSjD5NwY9Nd4NQnBXdI-FzwFO9FupIIRfswaFcMX-zC1BHefPYg2UGjidaT07qN4jkvc9IoqCpyDTODdY0RHj2OPAOhl89xc_pN3bU9d3F6bzLi50PvWAFCxYB0URRDq_h0z9C8Yek/s320/002ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Spur-winged Geese</div>
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In the marshland the Black Egrets were still present yesterday, though not today. I can't resist posting more pictures of these birds fishing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUv9x9eHhocliTMIKoyezvrVFRMo27y_FcxjM4AyPHK-4RMiDtvTYEZY3VVKfHFjZzCnOOge0jyivrJE__TIHym1a2NfnkrKz2M-kV8yNbo2-nWwgRzUTFXLKUhJujIqXRV9xTHw7upn0/s1600/340ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUv9x9eHhocliTMIKoyezvrVFRMo27y_FcxjM4AyPHK-4RMiDtvTYEZY3VVKfHFjZzCnOOge0jyivrJE__TIHym1a2NfnkrKz2M-kV8yNbo2-nWwgRzUTFXLKUhJujIqXRV9xTHw7upn0/s320/340ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0tc97GSuegTE3uixsraXc0DKHoqzx9aLornX8voWbUZe_wI4b5cx0evQraeL-9yx3kwNbKVxhrR_QZWrFF1foJnsacsH_v-_aUcBWN1iJOcLLdIWKvPnQZZtwKw6Uj1yj0rl36GI_1E/s1600/415ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0tc97GSuegTE3uixsraXc0DKHoqzx9aLornX8voWbUZe_wI4b5cx0evQraeL-9yx3kwNbKVxhrR_QZWrFF1foJnsacsH_v-_aUcBWN1iJOcLLdIWKvPnQZZtwKw6Uj1yj0rl36GI_1E/s320/415ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Black Egrets</div>
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An immature Black-headed Heron and a Goliath Heron were hunting close to the road.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhct4WAZDjtNNEa9ZJq33Y1jh7hZHLgORgywWTPo5pQMvWZsk4W5SCM6bBmo9Ih4MJqVkMK3nEQar_OQyZYOP71P3gZjllcQM4crTkOh8O54aALBwlopyadETYI0uGYkHvEKy6LwX34B8/s1600/205s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhct4WAZDjtNNEa9ZJq33Y1jh7hZHLgORgywWTPo5pQMvWZsk4W5SCM6bBmo9Ih4MJqVkMK3nEQar_OQyZYOP71P3gZjllcQM4crTkOh8O54aALBwlopyadETYI0uGYkHvEKy6LwX34B8/s320/205s.jpg" width="214" /></a>
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Imm. Black-headed Heron</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfoOX8IJRkctzR2ZoNuaMVdIdAnsm55qkPZg6KM-Kl3W2tkIoi1vsEccY7g9k34miWQEvkLLLnvmE5baKWce9gk97gwafn8TQRxD_LQk_9e-ygY2n9jqu-CoACNuPcy9TuR_N2ou8HrA/s1600/018tsadj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfoOX8IJRkctzR2ZoNuaMVdIdAnsm55qkPZg6KM-Kl3W2tkIoi1vsEccY7g9k34miWQEvkLLLnvmE5baKWce9gk97gwafn8TQRxD_LQk_9e-ygY2n9jqu-CoACNuPcy9TuR_N2ou8HrA/s320/018tsadj.jpg" width="257" /></a>
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Goliath Heron</div>
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Yesterday, eight Purple Herons flew high northwards: this looked more like local migration than a feeding movement, but I'm just guessing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJZbQeNg73ZW7TyftPfGzwPAFyepB0dc87YjQHABbQWYUaZKCLN6LzjWdTkRH0HFTLoIaUtRQq8U9ueXgFG7tzqvPvm_eY5sNbbOS5LpHVRHtsdMVA1qHXMa9IDvWMp_Ofs-6Up6TvX4/s1600/046ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJZbQeNg73ZW7TyftPfGzwPAFyepB0dc87YjQHABbQWYUaZKCLN6LzjWdTkRH0HFTLoIaUtRQq8U9ueXgFG7tzqvPvm_eY5sNbbOS5LpHVRHtsdMVA1qHXMa9IDvWMp_Ofs-6Up6TvX4/s320/046ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Purple Herons on the move</div>
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Other noteworthy sightings in the marshland included a first Collared Pratincole for my Juba list, presumably of one of the subspecies that breeds in sub-Saharan Africa, and a long overdue Greater Painted-snipe, regarded by Nikolaus (Birds of South Sudan) as common 'from Juba south....'.<br />
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I'm still trying to identify the weavers as they attain breeding plumage. On the basis of leg and eye colour the bird immediately below is possibly Heuglin's Masked Weaver (though it could be a Lesser Masked), but the other bird has me stumped. Will try birdforum [I did, and one suggestion was Little Weaver].<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRU3kAZ_VHkhSdbHGHVe_gbZWnkTDOlzV_A5FdXaZ_VJSPuBk9xkAqohkQjgrshEow-1ZtwMjzCbfT0mHnc5Q140wSOw3zEWyKGMHz2dahUQaTI39KnX6hRxvDFb5WYpFbMK0aea8iXU/s1600/063ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRU3kAZ_VHkhSdbHGHVe_gbZWnkTDOlzV_A5FdXaZ_VJSPuBk9xkAqohkQjgrshEow-1ZtwMjzCbfT0mHnc5Q140wSOw3zEWyKGMHz2dahUQaTI39KnX6hRxvDFb5WYpFbMK0aea8iXU/s320/063ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Heuglin's or Lesser Masked Weaver</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFzn24WMN8SY2eJXYEGGXSwr0qKWK6PXKdq-UwLg22aqqHT-dzdf7Yj5DucS8Oeo7skzHQilHSHHYMi2_K1G4tQGAwMXAapmKha3Nt_6QsMrFgWG80qvw4vV-I8MA-pw_D4OdrLZP8qQ/s1600/241ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFzn24WMN8SY2eJXYEGGXSwr0qKWK6PXKdq-UwLg22aqqHT-dzdf7Yj5DucS8Oeo7skzHQilHSHHYMi2_K1G4tQGAwMXAapmKha3Nt_6QsMrFgWG80qvw4vV-I8MA-pw_D4OdrLZP8qQ/s320/241ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Unidentified weaver</div>
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Altogether, two excellent shorting outings with four new species. After 18 months of birding here, there is clearly much still to discover. Night birds (owls and nightjars especially) are a particular gap, mainly due to the security considerations here.<br />
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<br />Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-57034838345047752012012-06-17T05:40:00.000-07:002012-06-17T10:49:57.043-07:00Almost a cold day on the Terekeka roadWith more early morning rain, it felt almost cold this morning, at least driving in the vehicle with the windows down. It was probably about 22 degrees centigrade in reality. Richard Trewby and I went to see if the egrets etc from last weekend were still around. At first glance the marshland looked rather empty, with no Black Egrets in view. However the five Black Egrets flew in as we waited and although there were fewer egrets and herons present, the number of species was again high. This time there was a Goliath Heron as well as an immature African Fish Eagle, species not seen last weekend.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIm0b-7zrDQQw1opEuch1UsD8LV9ymB5nkrtXF93SmBpNUOz-3lQ-KQnF3K-61HIzAvkmIddiU9V2jCTh1xuSNw37qQUanUxWlvO1BqBVZgvVmn62D9mTEB8T9oJHYeONdx63LZTgw2lE/s1600/008ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIm0b-7zrDQQw1opEuch1UsD8LV9ymB5nkrtXF93SmBpNUOz-3lQ-KQnF3K-61HIzAvkmIddiU9V2jCTh1xuSNw37qQUanUxWlvO1BqBVZgvVmn62D9mTEB8T9oJHYeONdx63LZTgw2lE/s320/008ts.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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Goliath Heron<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUBf67NUB1-lgM_uRad5XKKHlV9eonf10b3Day1VBOjsQsZyyxkKNCScds39qPzupl0CtzTeMjTztpp5dWwVs6iAdaBK_dRVnIl2JNZzrWMmfBnhV-4GW-dZosFqfb2H26kc5a6gQiGk/s1600/024ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUBf67NUB1-lgM_uRad5XKKHlV9eonf10b3Day1VBOjsQsZyyxkKNCScds39qPzupl0CtzTeMjTztpp5dWwVs6iAdaBK_dRVnIl2JNZzrWMmfBnhV-4GW-dZosFqfb2H26kc5a6gQiGk/s320/024ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Immature African Fish Eagle<br />
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The bushland further on produced a good mix of species including Western Banded Snake-Eagle, White-billed Buffalo-Weavers, Black-bellied Bustard, White-rumped Swifts, a Diederik Cuckoo and a male Parasitic Weaver that allowed remarkably close approach - most small birds are really flighty, no doubt something to do with small boys and catapults. I've only seen two Parasitic Weavers around Juba before today. The females lay their eggs in the nests of cisticolas and prinias.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1Ayk1rok1qlQ94c8QXPvJj4OUan7Ot37eZ1aFrKZYKnl_frb5tDcyxnr-wEK8RlKH5GGGRHNBB_oIoztAS-amABpqcX4m4RIs-IEsJ90yI-YBiD9z9cNDJu2wG1TZjE3BGZavXiNih0/s1600/131ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1Ayk1rok1qlQ94c8QXPvJj4OUan7Ot37eZ1aFrKZYKnl_frb5tDcyxnr-wEK8RlKH5GGGRHNBB_oIoztAS-amABpqcX4m4RIs-IEsJ90yI-YBiD9z9cNDJu2wG1TZjE3BGZavXiNih0/s320/131ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Male Parasitic Weaver</div>
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By the way, I did not include in my last post some photos of cisticolas taken yesterday as I was unsure of the species. I am reasonably sure now that they are Winding Cisticolas <em>Cisticola marginatus </em>of the race <em>C. m</em>. <em>marginatus</em>. This race is confined to South Sudan and northern Uganda. The birds do not much resemble the painting in Fanshawe and Stevenson's Birds of East Africa, though a Winding Cisticola that I photographed here in January in non-breeding plumage is much more similar. Views welcome.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeDbsi6FOhULjBNfzc8-3XGptO3pRKk_w_v4DJwj9eaVV-NlOeSS3aw4jtqRQ-wNpPDz0sMrTYDod-eOCxn-XzWdQihFoKfuuB0rU8uUfCVdDeO3aOCAE0WrluY8n9lhTGlK3yMBGN2A/s1600/prob.+Winding+Cisticola+Old+Nimule+rd_20120616_019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeDbsi6FOhULjBNfzc8-3XGptO3pRKk_w_v4DJwj9eaVV-NlOeSS3aw4jtqRQ-wNpPDz0sMrTYDod-eOCxn-XzWdQihFoKfuuB0rU8uUfCVdDeO3aOCAE0WrluY8n9lhTGlK3yMBGN2A/s320/prob.+Winding+Cisticola+Old+Nimule+rd_20120616_019.jpg" width="293" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCU5z8P7Y9Xe8e84hzHdkcVQ6yedvwqiV-npBo8ApWCuK42LZC1WJZLrTuhxcRLIdjmRO_zgBagMPxa3luRGWHStiKVPLzqIxmQVhnbU70XHpitBGXXsK504ArK31HL2h0kZll3rOMTU/s1600/prob.+Winding+Cisticola+Old+Nimule+rd_20120616_045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCU5z8P7Y9Xe8e84hzHdkcVQ6yedvwqiV-npBo8ApWCuK42LZC1WJZLrTuhxcRLIdjmRO_zgBagMPxa3luRGWHStiKVPLzqIxmQVhnbU70XHpitBGXXsK504ArK31HL2h0kZll3rOMTU/s320/prob.+Winding+Cisticola+Old+Nimule+rd_20120616_045.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Presumed Winding Cisticolas.<br />
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Lastly, a species that does not make onto many wild bird blogs I imagine, Helmeted Guineafowl:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYVF-g1IlX_9ge_7VrVqTz_M1UFKrsc5Ntx3i9whM9cXiIG9glg7WWr7jsj4xKid93J5MhSckmAWmgbeUinwdDPvAAvKTEYyR0Gbu5B3wg6totjF3E7JljK0eFH9RzSTahMZa1zDEtoM/s1600/174ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYVF-g1IlX_9ge_7VrVqTz_M1UFKrsc5Ntx3i9whM9cXiIG9glg7WWr7jsj4xKid93J5MhSckmAWmgbeUinwdDPvAAvKTEYyR0Gbu5B3wg6totjF3E7JljK0eFH9RzSTahMZa1zDEtoM/s320/174ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Helmeted Guineafowl</div>Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-8350263311380641452012-06-16T07:01:00.000-07:002012-06-16T07:01:44.258-07:00Old Nimule road after morning rainThis morning there was a rainstorm that started just as I was about to leave the house. I had a coffee and set off an hour later, going across the Nile over Juba bridge and driving slowly down the old Nimule road, stopping frequently. Much of the habitat was scattered trees with grassland, although many areas are being cleared for cultivation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfWX8RZNh7uGQRprK2PBAqdsgSpB4_BGaBVIsMuUn_h4OtMe9Lf7NYjDKSgx5YRX-9yxGHc5X_sTa_uQxH-GjtdSl5fZST-yUklC66j4Q9J7QnSityoN10agdPvtJB7vwc6pqMDgfVvQ/s1600/412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfWX8RZNh7uGQRprK2PBAqdsgSpB4_BGaBVIsMuUn_h4OtMe9Lf7NYjDKSgx5YRX-9yxGHc5X_sTa_uQxH-GjtdSl5fZST-yUklC66j4Q9J7QnSityoN10agdPvtJB7vwc6pqMDgfVvQ/s320/412.JPG" width="320" /></a>
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The grasses were attracting flocks of Northern Red and Black-winged Bishops as well as the first Red-billed Queleas I've come across in South Sudan, and a few Red-headed Queleas, only my second record. All these species were coming into, or had attained, breeding plumage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtel56NiN0WA-8VRxjF1asgzNg6Njb3HF4IB_JqAPKOm3IH-gp9K1drXpYUxMIAh4wytRt7B4cylYhyphenhyphenpO8L4eWlzMSYFQgZrl8Djk4ADNRu4129ER0QDVTvfjo6gJ-JIsnJpxFMLmXtb0/s1600/129ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtel56NiN0WA-8VRxjF1asgzNg6Njb3HF4IB_JqAPKOm3IH-gp9K1drXpYUxMIAh4wytRt7B4cylYhyphenhyphenpO8L4eWlzMSYFQgZrl8Djk4ADNRu4129ER0QDVTvfjo6gJ-JIsnJpxFMLmXtb0/s320/129ts.jpg" width="298" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiF5przaTQIENFqPHNKNRamQowtuyLf_tUSwWEnFh-LeWCnf4DgOAzJ_vZNnJqFNDRMm7eVzVWvx1dmdxPwUegFBw5UB-wsQsobvRzov7xb-OKZOiiM2Xhyy2IdQRDAOBLLmrxdOceG0Y/s1600/214ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiF5przaTQIENFqPHNKNRamQowtuyLf_tUSwWEnFh-LeWCnf4DgOAzJ_vZNnJqFNDRMm7eVzVWvx1dmdxPwUegFBw5UB-wsQsobvRzov7xb-OKZOiiM2Xhyy2IdQRDAOBLLmrxdOceG0Y/s320/214ts.jpg" width="290" /></a>
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Male Northern Red Bishops coming into breeding plumage<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNzGORY0MamvTkHvXbQuQUm32tl9kz42GWhrdMd_pBrdL1Sb0ImWBPwCBJX5ay32WeekQEkAf6YZ7nXJOU0ag63BNWLD-1JOAsnq-qv7EpMaI26n8Hv_VbVUCnTKOrW0x5hSL3A6TqZ4/s1600/355ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNzGORY0MamvTkHvXbQuQUm32tl9kz42GWhrdMd_pBrdL1Sb0ImWBPwCBJX5ay32WeekQEkAf6YZ7nXJOU0ag63BNWLD-1JOAsnq-qv7EpMaI26n8Hv_VbVUCnTKOrW0x5hSL3A6TqZ4/s320/355ts.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKccmWlfLV-j0mI777DiL2gHW13wclGt6IOPmnX7V_jEnGp_DpH4OBPLdEOOFowIKrflFQqyfT-WXWdRWdwcyvDQl_Hpj7a63xbS5Mqr8s-fdIGIErOdrJh4lZJGN6Tz__YfV6UEZIrVo/s1600/381ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKccmWlfLV-j0mI777DiL2gHW13wclGt6IOPmnX7V_jEnGp_DpH4OBPLdEOOFowIKrflFQqyfT-WXWdRWdwcyvDQl_Hpj7a63xbS5Mqr8s-fdIGIErOdrJh4lZJGN6Tz__YfV6UEZIrVo/s320/381ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Male Red-headed Queleas<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfs8BO-ccf5JLnei_BZSf2G0Q8eRmbA7Wp9zD-CHbd_jBsGFDo97K9GZ4WFfUNitSCisiNjd8tfVzqHsVr97WOwdTwfmA_p-LWAMSm_lYLe2-_7F7kYxlk8p-4YMADPxy55nyUlitdUs/s1600/331ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfs8BO-ccf5JLnei_BZSf2G0Q8eRmbA7Wp9zD-CHbd_jBsGFDo97K9GZ4WFfUNitSCisiNjd8tfVzqHsVr97WOwdTwfmA_p-LWAMSm_lYLe2-_7F7kYxlk8p-4YMADPxy55nyUlitdUs/s320/331ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Male Red-billed Quelea<br />
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There were several weaver species, certainly Northern Masked and Village Weavers, one Spectacled Weaver (only my second), and what appears to be a Heuglin's Masked Weaver.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhV8wXXwfGb2D0vGykC5Vf9kuUISn7Ba7_gAApqEddBI78zK8sguiAm2axjqw-4rR0bH-Byd5a1Dsh0Kb0wDOjHfIYGiPXYO4fZ9PENwldLNRSRSMCzkYqCdVxlkOvPqBSmiTyZKYMBKQ/s1600/w1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhV8wXXwfGb2D0vGykC5Vf9kuUISn7Ba7_gAApqEddBI78zK8sguiAm2axjqw-4rR0bH-Byd5a1Dsh0Kb0wDOjHfIYGiPXYO4fZ9PENwldLNRSRSMCzkYqCdVxlkOvPqBSmiTyZKYMBKQ/s320/w1.jpg" width="290" /></a>
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Presumed Heuglin's Masked Weaver</div>
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I saw a Long-tailed Cormorant flying low not far off the road and went to investigate. There was a small pond that produced a good find: a Lesser Moorhen. It was extremely shy, so I struggled to get even these photos.<br />
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBYTqpVjYceE3sh4DnGL6-ADEFbbTjtvwQe7CxR3iPPhyphenhyphen57Ttggrlj6FSmjqa0A5nFNKTYYXTUnZ7Yb36Z3ZjBjjQl801tF5-WHTtIYS5WLAmAZxsU1Gz51EyMaOcWlL3n2WJJKRFUwY/s1600/148ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBYTqpVjYceE3sh4DnGL6-ADEFbbTjtvwQe7CxR3iPPhyphenhyphen57Ttggrlj6FSmjqa0A5nFNKTYYXTUnZ7Yb36Z3ZjBjjQl801tF5-WHTtIYS5WLAmAZxsU1Gz51EyMaOcWlL3n2WJJKRFUwY/s320/148ts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_juZt_v73rO1t5XB76Yl-A9dhMcW1kaVVDTnFaSHSFoifaQrw8P_84btsaeNrM3KsbPBdmJRULKtzOIxIRr2Nc6BSWYHmVcZS7lUTGfkn0R6TVWCav-b_4m6zKNe1mBkFadxE41sMVs/s1600/152ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_juZt_v73rO1t5XB76Yl-A9dhMcW1kaVVDTnFaSHSFoifaQrw8P_84btsaeNrM3KsbPBdmJRULKtzOIxIRr2Nc6BSWYHmVcZS7lUTGfkn0R6TVWCav-b_4m6zKNe1mBkFadxE41sMVs/s320/152ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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A very shy Lesser Moorhen<br />
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Whilst there was still light rain falling I came across this dejected-looking Long-crested Eagle. On the way back, once the sun was out, it was much more dignified.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-wRMD5bYiM3f8tseSrmjtrLCZg8tx5FpfE9n6Kamc0698gTcEiMZqVJ7zP9uosi_BVhLc0pWLokPgizochOPxJs-IVuBnp03TLTpwi2yxOyZkxLTD4-vmL_vB8Ygs6xA4EXWbO5CNos/s1600/171ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-wRMD5bYiM3f8tseSrmjtrLCZg8tx5FpfE9n6Kamc0698gTcEiMZqVJ7zP9uosi_BVhLc0pWLokPgizochOPxJs-IVuBnp03TLTpwi2yxOyZkxLTD4-vmL_vB8Ygs6xA4EXWbO5CNos/s320/171ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Wet Long-crested Eagle<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7Yk7GoCv0roYFoEyYPwu3JJB4xyr_Mb0Q2VbaNZZeBJ3DQjyAGpSjJV4HHPRDn6o4j_vwyfOSkSXshA20EFDbDCOI0RmSWnAiWRR0hNsKWtjrFTFu1qlu58T4f8tRuBn5574pYIq2Hc/s1600/428ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7Yk7GoCv0roYFoEyYPwu3JJB4xyr_Mb0Q2VbaNZZeBJ3DQjyAGpSjJV4HHPRDn6o4j_vwyfOSkSXshA20EFDbDCOI0RmSWnAiWRR0hNsKWtjrFTFu1qlu58T4f8tRuBn5574pYIq2Hc/s320/428ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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That's more like it...</div>
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<br />Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249036245654229903.post-61195575112776489502012-06-09T12:40:00.000-07:002012-06-09T12:40:35.542-07:00Egrets black and whiteI'm back in Juba after a long period of leave in UK, with a week in Portugal as well. Today I went a short distance north from Juba and found a mass of egrets and other large waterbirds in the now flooded open country about 6 kms out of town.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSV7QoCT_b1xKccflYKJ68wf16DKrtHy7cjaapwqvcNCpM2ZbTnnx7FkTSlk50AhuLGOycP0ACim7MzTC2k0svggOhqKcKBRuqtvxLiZWWnBst5yipwOkGX6ioZX30X6luFT7vuM1ozyM/s1600/375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSV7QoCT_b1xKccflYKJ68wf16DKrtHy7cjaapwqvcNCpM2ZbTnnx7FkTSlk50AhuLGOycP0ACim7MzTC2k0svggOhqKcKBRuqtvxLiZWWnBst5yipwOkGX6ioZX30X6luFT7vuM1ozyM/s320/375.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Egrets and other waterbirds</div>
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This gave a good opportunity to observe the feeding techniques of different species, all of which appeared to be catching small fish, and also enabled me to secure some portraits of several species at close range. Most remarkable were the Black Egrets, a rare bird in South Sudan and the first I have seen here. This species has a well-known umbrella feeding behaviour, using its spread wings to shield the water surface from glare.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5mp9c4BdAt7-vd6GVx4I62W-tvuxCC0NOMd_ubX-NaA37VGBcQufy3pAS5OmxCwD3MJhZsCbeTZLWU2WqoLj8_veYtNRXO261uH2crskczGUU62535a2aXo_O4be5Q1hhO88XhHHYxk/s1600/BE518tsaa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5mp9c4BdAt7-vd6GVx4I62W-tvuxCC0NOMd_ubX-NaA37VGBcQufy3pAS5OmxCwD3MJhZsCbeTZLWU2WqoLj8_veYtNRXO261uH2crskczGUU62535a2aXo_O4be5Q1hhO88XhHHYxk/s320/BE518tsaa.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZRz51kYukaHsGHWNK5hPhc0B4jPgg0PyLDtJrcRymQCKb-nOxxfbxieRACubPJSogmsySWMx1RX8loQCz6fBzpUCKd149mJiEpNNRv5ZkZQZckSDxssjY3PMn95KUIfgJTNXtjJiyl4/s1600/BE253ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZRz51kYukaHsGHWNK5hPhc0B4jPgg0PyLDtJrcRymQCKb-nOxxfbxieRACubPJSogmsySWMx1RX8loQCz6fBzpUCKd149mJiEpNNRv5ZkZQZckSDxssjY3PMn95KUIfgJTNXtjJiyl4/s320/BE253ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAP6EK8QAS_lnwRem0IUrxseRMQ8nARLem9lw-B60gmvYzj-DXL2D70ayqXjEGPQA3Qg3mx0r0Ji4P9-Q09BqpzD-IhXYRMSXx6kdGX9996LcXC5gM7i4yy5DGYLQsUEF-ANLWRash9f8/s1600/BE353ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAP6EK8QAS_lnwRem0IUrxseRMQ8nARLem9lw-B60gmvYzj-DXL2D70ayqXjEGPQA3Qg3mx0r0Ji4P9-Q09BqpzD-IhXYRMSXx6kdGX9996LcXC5gM7i4yy5DGYLQsUEF-ANLWRash9f8/s320/BE353ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBdvdc9G2uy8I9HM1xOAUL_7LsetUqGw9mVQ_2t-y91HEJbYgmrbJo_U8mj56YrA4H1s97T1sT3PxFDKhnqwSeiRYAKsUt7O_XlQRpXqlT2_XX8vHtQo44BsiQeViGQ1UhOefbb-pfOc/s1600/BE494ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBdvdc9G2uy8I9HM1xOAUL_7LsetUqGw9mVQ_2t-y91HEJbYgmrbJo_U8mj56YrA4H1s97T1sT3PxFDKhnqwSeiRYAKsUt7O_XlQRpXqlT2_XX8vHtQo44BsiQeViGQ1UhOefbb-pfOc/s320/BE494ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Black Egrets using the "umbrella" fishing technique</div>
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The Little Egrets used a slow stalking technique, often extending their bodies forward in a snake-like manner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiJ6idW3nv1vcnBLY54YHsL7MKtOSuflj777f3yc_t6tuNIkH2svGdRdJXIjZO4HJHjK-erfOVcAJi0jayUU_DA1FFMra2KYvSTkaVFZ-fHzgTMNLQ1Kry_MXsuPOwuAr2M3P1m29Syk/s1600/363ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiJ6idW3nv1vcnBLY54YHsL7MKtOSuflj777f3yc_t6tuNIkH2svGdRdJXIjZO4HJHjK-erfOVcAJi0jayUU_DA1FFMra2KYvSTkaVFZ-fHzgTMNLQ1Kry_MXsuPOwuAr2M3P1m29Syk/s320/363ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNqTCCmF6nvPZvXORaslsmIIOot3j8kezn6JFQ8Wpcw7-faaUzAkYkjjRjpBZPtvSeCrXOekfq7P2ueeL3m3T1PiUD4lBsSUefFk9WXiiIphPxP5qsn1ObeFsUlFeKHNudI5-sYpuLm0/s1600/410ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNqTCCmF6nvPZvXORaslsmIIOot3j8kezn6JFQ8Wpcw7-faaUzAkYkjjRjpBZPtvSeCrXOekfq7P2ueeL3m3T1PiUD4lBsSUefFk9WXiiIphPxP5qsn1ObeFsUlFeKHNudI5-sYpuLm0/s320/410ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2VvTR-74odDT__iSc3CE2yEE9M_ChUILs5EeiBLRQxjjt4pSsWpyJXirXq9EL6peYnmXtd-1Gt4AUBlOMGBBx4ze6JR5HaOMxPg9DR3_eCiceckKwf8yfekuiIoGAgiHglnswetMPX0/s1600/456ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2VvTR-74odDT__iSc3CE2yEE9M_ChUILs5EeiBLRQxjjt4pSsWpyJXirXq9EL6peYnmXtd-1Gt4AUBlOMGBBx4ze6JR5HaOMxPg9DR3_eCiceckKwf8yfekuiIoGAgiHglnswetMPX0/s320/456ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Little Egrets</div>
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The Great Egrets were also using a stalking technique.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlJOVeiyZTj0USrwqdJkruPPk3-dZCVS1QldUzS2FkWBdOPr-Cb-CTM-CtC2rT3RYWKrkdWZJ8Hs2U5ziJ0tVO8MVVI3ho5SphEvKJqZ1sksmbKoNQaND4-Tm61HHvQXD5PEsJArVvFQ/s1600/044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlJOVeiyZTj0USrwqdJkruPPk3-dZCVS1QldUzS2FkWBdOPr-Cb-CTM-CtC2rT3RYWKrkdWZJ8Hs2U5ziJ0tVO8MVVI3ho5SphEvKJqZ1sksmbKoNQaND4-Tm61HHvQXD5PEsJArVvFQ/s320/044.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV06Ft2DtRnUXR6vXEHUxJwGZcDlbVVVS95q0XXZVRIZR1UP8le8NeZ1VMNY2sfsGMgec3PD8L7bRLcKhbxBl1TDQb_429XCAsYbePMcE7TAcx5LZg1osalOnTyTrKGSNgiYkwNOgsss/s1600/459ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV06Ft2DtRnUXR6vXEHUxJwGZcDlbVVVS95q0XXZVRIZR1UP8le8NeZ1VMNY2sfsGMgec3PD8L7bRLcKhbxBl1TDQb_429XCAsYbePMcE7TAcx5LZg1osalOnTyTrKGSNgiYkwNOgsss/s320/459ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Great Egrets<br />
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There were a number of Yellow-billed Egrets, a species which I have seldom seen in the Juba area. The shorter gape, not extending behind the eye and the shorter bill, are distinctive, though the species is very similar to Great Egret, despite belonging to a different genus.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOLVqyxxq8etxwjVzVX5HFQESjEa3K9aAexSxF_037mgLMSSaScZNRUOnv63OapOpoMD-9em7mwVr0YCZyPNR-IctsnSNsIFT9jpryf4OPyAi7M6A-tl6VSO62OtPwYhJ0qQ_Ol73ROI/s1600/424ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOLVqyxxq8etxwjVzVX5HFQESjEa3K9aAexSxF_037mgLMSSaScZNRUOnv63OapOpoMD-9em7mwVr0YCZyPNR-IctsnSNsIFT9jpryf4OPyAi7M6A-tl6VSO62OtPwYhJ0qQ_Ol73ROI/s320/424ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Yellow-billed Egret<br />
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Squacco Herons are considered to be uncommon at this season and not to breed. However, there were well over 50 present, some in full breeding plumage. Hunting birds waded in water up to their underparts and extended their necks and bodies forward prior to striking.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBmF8QyzeDYIedwKDAaGG3-C36DC_iSc1juQphpdO8X2WymRWJCU-3lbTaEgQFuGMqzA8NK0jK_NIr8_KglDDl26cEIYzSBgGoBXI-iwaiA5e_bGb0gNBhxzYK4BITUUJhaxfVZaN4Mw/s1600/514ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBmF8QyzeDYIedwKDAaGG3-C36DC_iSc1juQphpdO8X2WymRWJCU-3lbTaEgQFuGMqzA8NK0jK_NIr8_KglDDl26cEIYzSBgGoBXI-iwaiA5e_bGb0gNBhxzYK4BITUUJhaxfVZaN4Mw/s320/514ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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There are at least 40 Squacco Herons in this photo<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnD49PHmiwMEElh04aHST-b3c2U04RbA9FcsxUm5Rbn4m475YzaQXEYlOZFRr_oZw-agTIkzYqHYkCkhkElKFpLrW9s4ywXJUMlQTiuDBpyvLH2bYQuqH4Gszecln1Sj0QaxOhGg12bvU/s1600/399ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnD49PHmiwMEElh04aHST-b3c2U04RbA9FcsxUm5Rbn4m475YzaQXEYlOZFRr_oZw-agTIkzYqHYkCkhkElKFpLrW9s4ywXJUMlQTiuDBpyvLH2bYQuqH4Gszecln1Sj0QaxOhGg12bvU/s320/399ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Hunting Squacco Heron<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3wlowx0Qq_OEsMFlx3KKQhTuZaVkHTba9RZL9NUMaSzpfn2VIU4f_zZ8bOoaiW6Cz1M-gs1lL-pkhj523agv8LSp2yOdlwa7-lfmKpIPgWOh9N9g7jaTszKMxUAvqChLUeT6ocT6XVY/s1600/461ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3wlowx0Qq_OEsMFlx3KKQhTuZaVkHTba9RZL9NUMaSzpfn2VIU4f_zZ8bOoaiW6Cz1M-gs1lL-pkhj523agv8LSp2yOdlwa7-lfmKpIPgWOh9N9g7jaTszKMxUAvqChLUeT6ocT6XVY/s320/461ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Squacco Heron in full breeding plumage</div>
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By contrast, an adult and juvenile Yellow-billed Stork tended to stand still for periods, submerge their partially-open bills and wait for fish to swim into the trap, presumably relying on feeling the fish moving.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zf3OlayD6vJlkXBPipKIgjUT9OVf0gNgLnZO7nQMF09d16CgMTQBV-uaaXwgsfLT3YPePiCJnC6sWSSrDT16GBhpMH-kq61xqkDV5o5JV14wfY4ZfAEav04VTLi9pXL5RJVo3GU4kIg/s1600/086ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zf3OlayD6vJlkXBPipKIgjUT9OVf0gNgLnZO7nQMF09d16CgMTQBV-uaaXwgsfLT3YPePiCJnC6sWSSrDT16GBhpMH-kq61xqkDV5o5JV14wfY4ZfAEav04VTLi9pXL5RJVo3GU4kIg/s320/086ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FbI3RDnRLIhBjwTjwcZIXHE2huB1W1UH9ux6AWNF11rlcf5-dcHoYTKdRE6BE8mJuT1dAX-iHG5tLBqtDPvvDelfmdk175ldKrbt8PWclv2-7aqyVtx3VWjvuRz0PSWVLVUYNayuF_4/s1600/420ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1FbI3RDnRLIhBjwTjwcZIXHE2huB1W1UH9ux6AWNF11rlcf5-dcHoYTKdRE6BE8mJuT1dAX-iHG5tLBqtDPvvDelfmdk175ldKrbt8PWclv2-7aqyVtx3VWjvuRz0PSWVLVUYNayuF_4/s320/420ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Yellow-billed Storks, adult and juvenile<br />
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Two immature African Spoonbills used the usual technique of this species to locate prey, a sideways motion of their partly-submerged bills.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_HsxvvRE-bJADaaI0c9jNJxx4zzkbvUbyWtbcOm0unZr7GaeX0y2Q8vYhaxDhYKUFoR3TymD1BgSeiBI5WnPLpnSYifcOQTOA2qy5aeb8HIRW2YFPC8mNn0FmfriGi4KY03p5pzDNNQ/s1600/137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_HsxvvRE-bJADaaI0c9jNJxx4zzkbvUbyWtbcOm0unZr7GaeX0y2Q8vYhaxDhYKUFoR3TymD1BgSeiBI5WnPLpnSYifcOQTOA2qy5aeb8HIRW2YFPC8mNn0FmfriGi4KY03p5pzDNNQ/s320/137.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<br<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw30KBuid9uymcsLZPD84IVv3HKNyWYroZ1Ojziu2DZTT_39DcW6sVqS053ssgmHMvIh72i7ZT8ynFeNb2WXDe-ywO-z4mv3Yf6H3DyrtxpTRlYRRl06IpptLX9A64NMSuqM9wRvg_LJk/s1600/501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw30KBuid9uymcsLZPD84IVv3HKNyWYroZ1Ojziu2DZTT_39DcW6sVqS053ssgmHMvIh72i7ZT8ynFeNb2WXDe-ywO-z4mv3Yf6H3DyrtxpTRlYRRl06IpptLX9A64NMSuqM9wRvg_LJk/s320/501.jpg" width="320" />
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Immature African Spoonbills</br<a></div>
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This Night Heron had no doubt been fishing the previous night, but just flew in and perched in low vegetation among Squacco Herons.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiay0KByPg-8CtJg18E-A3uVTfuq4wjfneRV72hxIsp9vLhQemMpTqN03OaY2s_kKwwy9o__ZzHcNYNW22yd9cQz3tKxBy9f2LpQ4Z7NdTkP6AGh6POJ77nfDxHzUh4taDmCn19Yjh0mTc/s1600/187ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiay0KByPg-8CtJg18E-A3uVTfuq4wjfneRV72hxIsp9vLhQemMpTqN03OaY2s_kKwwy9o__ZzHcNYNW22yd9cQz3tKxBy9f2LpQ4Z7NdTkP6AGh6POJ77nfDxHzUh4taDmCn19Yjh0mTc/s320/187ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Immature Night Heron<br />
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Other species present, including smaller birds, included two Grey Herons, Long-tailed Cormorants, Black-necked Stilts, over 100 Spur-winged Geese, Knob-billed Ducks, White-faced Whistling-Ducks, African Jacanas, 1-2 Greenshanks, Spur-winged Lapwings, Pied Kingfishers and Northern Carmine Bee-eaters.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bMryTcA_opXQIw4LVobLejIgOqMIRqhPvhEAWEQt3N4BAeEEvaUzDospU6YijzroKiGSflulmwpGRs39BaKxFjrzLnTmb-guqPz5zhRT63kYMuChOU9Y03uCNI80lfM0I_FK2gV7eZc/s1600/653ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bMryTcA_opXQIw4LVobLejIgOqMIRqhPvhEAWEQt3N4BAeEEvaUzDospU6YijzroKiGSflulmwpGRs39BaKxFjrzLnTmb-guqPz5zhRT63kYMuChOU9Y03uCNI80lfM0I_FK2gV7eZc/s320/653ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Northern Carmine Bee-eater</div>
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The spectacle was absorbing and I lingered for an hour or so. Afterwards, I worked through two areas of bush, locating a Black-bellied Bustard in typical grassland habitat (it flushed too fast for me to photograph it) and many other species, including several Yellow-billed Shrikes, a rather unpredictable species to track down, and a Green-winged Pytilia.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HWClWjJ1om1_g_jQz92a3DusGKI2rzlsCHxY_Ce1XTV2JwIZiA81_i7nXz-kFPi4kBOX9cNEsyuIyKZ1O2pncLmM0U_FbdNPg4D-ocqSE7iDaRYVkc2zFG9m5nrhNv-0cV4_mFKT1q0/s1600/550ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HWClWjJ1om1_g_jQz92a3DusGKI2rzlsCHxY_Ce1XTV2JwIZiA81_i7nXz-kFPi4kBOX9cNEsyuIyKZ1O2pncLmM0U_FbdNPg4D-ocqSE7iDaRYVkc2zFG9m5nrhNv-0cV4_mFKT1q0/s320/550ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Yellow-billed Shrike<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcpIU3bbRT_rWakmCWIzj775NwuAxN0W9htwW00fHcw4nMSA9iTHrHa9RGB8rOJhN0p6WScdUEZSO3W5GIbrQ7yh-MPqSV1MhSHCIC-HQJBQxTYjJy_dpZBIPX2K27aAuBkXkZvqRA-8Q/s1600/569ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcpIU3bbRT_rWakmCWIzj775NwuAxN0W9htwW00fHcw4nMSA9iTHrHa9RGB8rOJhN0p6WScdUEZSO3W5GIbrQ7yh-MPqSV1MhSHCIC-HQJBQxTYjJy_dpZBIPX2K27aAuBkXkZvqRA-8Q/s320/569ts.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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Green-winged Pytilia<br />
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Referring back to my last post, male Northern Red and Black-winged Bishops were only starting to assume breeding plumage, whilst male Black-headed Weavers had almost completed their moult into breeding dress.</div>
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Mark Mallalieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13850744502014461959noreply@blogger.com3