Birds Show Birds

[BBW]

Wow, Bill - I can't wait to see this one of the Ibis in a larger size! Stunning - and what a fantastic trip you've been on!

I always enjoy this thread for the photos, the banter and, yes, now thanks to John - "ornithology".

 

[BillN]

Barrie

Day_6

The ID I wanted earlier is a Familiar Chat - obviously not familiar with me..... they never get to SW France or SO23 ..... but it's a "first" so I'm happy
I am having a debate about Lanius collars versus Sigelus silent at the moment so the image I posted of the Common Fiscal, (also called the Southern Fiscal), could be a Fiscal Flycatcher...... obviously the b!!eaks are very different but I'm still not convinced ...... but "they" are correct I'm sure
I have had a Fiscal day as they breed in every month of the year out here.
So here are Fiscals - first two images at least - as you know fluffy balls are not what they seem .. and turn out to be Jackie Hangman or Butcher Bird
A few Juveniles - the first two are definitely Shrikes - but the last three, I am told are Sigelus .... but I am waiting for a consensus, (you know how it is)

Sorry about the "noisy" image - it is quite a small bird

The Southern Fiscal (Lanius collaris) is a member of the shrike family found through most of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is also sometimes named Jackie Hangman or Butcher Bird due to its habit of impaling its prey on acacia thorns to store the food for later consumption. It was previously lumped together with the Northern Fiscal (Lanius humeralis). Together they were known as the Common Fiscal.

BUT the last two images are Flycatchers ........ now I see it in the head shape, (as well as the beak) - "what a fool I've been"!!!!

 

[grebeman]

Barrie

- "what a fool I've been"!!!!

Bill, you shouldn't have taken the corks off your hat!

Barrie

 

[BillN]

Bill, you shouldn't have taken the corks off your hat!

Barrie

I was going to watch them at Port Elizabeth tomorrow, final day, but the Proteas finished them off this evening - great result 1 all - now all they have to do is stuff the Aussies in Cape Town - I'm sure they will prepare (another) really soft wicket to slow Johnson down who was bowling at 97mph in the first test

 

[Lawrence A.]

Great shots, Bill. I love the second in particular, though no one would suspect from it that the beast is heartless and homicidal.

 

[BillN]

Day_6_Bird

Greater Double-Collard Sunbird, (Cinnyris afer)

Sunbirds are small , 12cm long and weighs 6 to 10grams.
This is a male .
They are common in Southern Africa with just over 20 different kinds, each with their own geographic area, with some of course overlapping..
All the males are very colourful but unfortunately that’s not true of the females. They are “as dull as dishwater” – sorry ladies!!!
Apparently the nest of the Greater Double-Coloured Sunbird is regularly parasitised by Klaas Cuckoo, the Dutch again!!

I took maybe 8 shots today of this bird. It is important to focus on the eye, particularly when it’s head is in front of the rest of its body

I’ve tried to illustrate this in the three images that I have posted
The first two images are good; I’ve posted the image plus a crop of the eye from that image.
The 3rd image not so good.

All shot are at f5.6 and 1/1000th ish with circa ISO 400 on a tripod. I used a long lens, plus a x 1.4 TC, giving 820mm, (300mm x 1.5 x 1.3 x 1.4) – then I cropped the final image to give a sparkling result!!!.

The eye is the soul of every living creature, (did I just make that up or read it somewhere?) ………. Live long and enjoy nature

 

[BillN]

Day_7_Bird

Hadada Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)
Sub species - B. h. hagedash- S Africa S of Zambezi Valley.

Sea Fret for most of the day - sunny spell when the following flew into "the garden"

Mother and offspring

 

[Lawrence A.]

Great birding journey for all of us. Thanks Bill.

 

[BillN]

Day_9 Bird

Jackal Buzzard, (Buteo rufofuscus)

Subspecies T. a. aethiopicus.

A strikingly coloured Buzzard and it is a pity I could not get a shot in flight. I waited around around an hour in fading light and eventually heavy rain, but he, (I think that it is a young male), just would not move off his perch. There are quite a few baby Guinea Fowl on the Reserve and they run around on the ground and I think he was just waiting for the right opportunity, but they eat small mammals up to the size of rabbits/Hares as well as birds, reptiles with the odd frog for dessert..
This Buzzard only is found in Sothern Africa.
I was very lucky, I saw one last year but only very briefly in flight.

The last image was taken first before the storm and the heavy rain came in.

The 2nd image I tried to frighten the bird off his perch by using a flash - but he would not move, (I wanted some shots in flight)

he is there again today only much higher up on an electricity pylon with the sun behind him

 

[CM_SK]

Pretty birds - Australia

In the spirit of Bill's wonderful sunbirds, here are two colourful birds from a rainy day today in Australia. Both almost as common to Australians as robins in NA, but none the less fun to watch.

Rainbow Lorikeet - rainy feeding

Galah - lunch in the casuarinas

 

[BBW]

Colin, it must be pretty cool to look at and see these "common" birds...the way we see Robins! Great shots - that first one in the rain is wonderful with such direct eye contact!

 

[BillN]

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Quite a dull overcast day but this Little Egret “shone” with it’s bright white plumage.
Taken from some distance away and difficult to get the exposure correct because of the bright whites and the dark shadows, plus I wanted to get shots of the bird using it’s wings. Almost impossible to focus accurately on “the eye”

Here are a few shots

 

[BBW]

Super, Bill - lovely to see this little egret in action!

 

[BillN]

Today's offering

African Spoonbill (Platalea alba)

First for me, I have seen the Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) but this is the first p. alba I have seen
Only saw a solitary bird, the ones that I have seen in france were in groups of 2 or more.

D7100 + 300mm f4 AF-S + Nikon x 1.4TC

 

[theoldsmithy]

Couldn't get very close with the RX100. Storks are nesting all over the Algarve.

Storks nesting in Silves by theoldsmithy, on Flickr

 

[BillN]

Couldn't get very close with the RX100. Storks are nesting all over the Algarve.

Storks nesting in Silves by theoldsmithy, on Flickr

They will get to be a problem, although they are silent birds, (no voice), they make quite a noise with their beaks.
Martin - are people finding them to be a nuisance?

 

[theoldsmithy]

They will get to be a problem, although they are silent birds, (no voice), they make quite a noise with their beaks.
Martin - are people finding them to be a nuisance?

Hi Bill, I can't really say I as was only there for 3 days and didn't ask anyone about it. I would guess that the storks would find it a problem if people started lighting their fires, as an awful lot of them seem to be nesting on chimneys!

 

[BillN]

Today’s offering, which is another “first” for me is

The Three-banded Plover,(Charadrius tricollaris)

It is a small wader and a master of disguise

 

[BBW]

I can't tell you how much I enjoy this thread! I get to vicariously bird and see some fantastic birds I'll probably for sure never, ever see in my life!

Martin, those storks are so cool! Though I'm sure I wouldn't want them pecking on my roof...and Bill those Plovers are lovely. They always appear "dressed for dinner" with their simple, yet sophisticated markings. Yet fo the uninitiated, some shorebirds can be quite difficult tell apart.

I'll never forget the first experiences I had going birding with two serious birding guys at "the shore" near New York City. The place we went to is called Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. For you die-hard birders, you might enjoy clicking on the link and reading about this place if you're not familiar with it. When in The Big Apple this is a birder's paradise. It turned out to be a very cool experience because I was with two extremely knowledgable birders with great spotting scopes and it was just the three of us with the naturalist for three or four visits.

I need to find some friendly birders up here in time for spring migration.

Again - my thanks to you all for your photographs. I'm afraid I can't offer any good photos with my camera equipment. I can't catch the Bald Eagles or the Great Blue Herons as they glide up the river, or the others...but I do appreciate them when I see them.

Here's my addition to the pictures.

Camera Roll-95 by BBW: BB Wylie Walden, on Flickr

 

[BillN]

I'll never forget the first experiences I had going birding with two serious birding guys at "the shore" near New York City. The place we went to is called Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. For you die-hard birders, you might enjoy clicking on the link and reading about this place if you're not familiar with it. When in The Big Apple this is a birder's paradise. It turned out to be a very cool experience because I was with two extremely knowledgable birders with great spotting scopes and it was just the three of us with the naturalist for three or four visits.

Thanks BB - looks like you get some amazing birds there - I've Bookmarked the link, you never know I may get there some day!!