Southern African Forum (3 Viewers)

alan carr said:

That is a lovely pic Sal!

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Thanks Alan. (My goodness, I must have typed that quickly - waws takin etc!)

As you can see from the pic below, there was quite a breeze that day and this guy, in spite of us being parked almost below him, was determined to cling on and stay right there!

alan carr said:

If you haven't used the card since you lost the pics, you can recover them with PC Inspector's File Recovery or Smart Recovery. Saved me a couple of times. Of course if you have used the card since then... :-C

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Thanks for that - I have downloaded the recovery file and will attempt rescue on my return from an evening meeting! Talons crossed.

Oh I am online again at home....new pc is wonderful!
My blog has begun......too.

Sal said:

There is little worse that that happening after a special holiday. I am so sorry - but maybe you will be lucky and they will be found. Hope so.



Great that you liked Hluhluwe, yes I agree, the views are stunning. Hope you added to your bird list there; did you drive into Umfolozi at all? I always take 15 - 30 litres of local water when I go to any of these places because I cant stand the taste of that awful brackish stuff - especially as I drink black tea!

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That water upset my stomach a bit! It was such a contrast.
We drove into Umfolozi on the Game Night Drive on the second night, and properly on our way to St Lucia the next morning. Will fill in further details later!

Thanks all,

I have now just about completed my trip report- I might just add a list of all the birds and mammals we saw but by and large it is all there. I have posted it in the trip reports section.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=127804

I also have a few birds I could use some help IDing if you don't mind. I think the bird of prey is an african harrier hawk and the one on the right is a non-breeding or female pin tailed whydah- but the legs are pink and in my book the legs are shown as blueish so I'm not sure. There is also this sunbird:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8773601@N03/3049978936/sizes/l/

Taken at the Sedia hotel in Maun. Males that we saw in the area were marico and white bellied. I think this might be white bellied but it has those yellow facial markings which make me unsure.

ETA: Dryocopus I really hope you manage to recover your pictures!

Dave: Hope you have a great time in Okavango! Sadly I didn't get a photo of the slaty Egret, but we saw them at Xaxanaka. The parrots were right in our campsite at the same location eating the sausage tree fruit.

Thanks,

Jo

Hi Jo

Thanks for giving us a link to your trip report, I shall go there next. But first, your pics.

The first one could be a female Village weaver.
The second could be a female Cape Weaver.
The raptor is a juvenile Fish Eagle. I have added a pic of one I took in Kruger this year - similar poor light, similar pose!!
The fourth one I think is a female Southern Brown-throated Weaver
You're right, the last one is a female Pin-tailed Whyda.

Hi everyone,

Biodiversity Explorer (http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org) is an educational website, hosted by Iziko Museums of Cape Town (which includes the SA Museum), on the life encountered in southern Africa. It has a well developed section on birds and thanks to the contributions of more than 150 different photographers, we now have images of nearly 95% of the 951 or so species. Some of the photographs were taken outside of southern Africa (especially vagrants). Each image is credited and copyrighted to the photographer with a link to his/her website. Text has been written for many species and we are starting on inserting bird calls (supplied by the Transvaal Museum).

We need your help in supplying images of the following difficult-to-photograph species:

Turnix hottentottus (Hottentot buttonquail)*
Turnix nanus (Black-rumped buttonquail)*
Indicator meliphilus (Pallid honeyguide, Eastern honeyguide)
Prodotiscus zambesiae (Green-backed honeybird, Slender-billed honeyguide)*
Pogoniulus simplex (Green tinkerbird, Green tinker barbet)*
Cercococcyx montanus (Barred long-tailed cuckoo, Barred cuckoo)*
Pachycoccyx audeberti (Thick-billed cuckoo)*
Neafrapus boehmi (Böhm's spinetail)
Schoutedenapus myoptilus (Scarce swift)
Tachymarptis aequatorialis (Mottled swift)*
Columba delegorguei (Eastern bronze-naped pigeon, Delegorgue's pigeon)*
Sarothrura ayresi (White-winged flufftail)*
Sarothrura boehmi (Streaky-breasted flufftail)*
Falco concolor (Sooty falcon)*
Falco fasciinucha (Taita falcon)*
Circaetus cinerascens (Western banded snake-eagle)*
Ardeola idae (Malagasy pond-heron, Madagascar squacco heron)
Fregetta tropica (Black-bellied storm-petrel)*
Oceanodroma matsudairae (Matsudaira's storm-petrel)*
Pelagodroma marina (White-faced storm-petrel)*
Diomedea dabbenena (Tristan albatross)*
Phoebetria fusca (Sooty albatross, Dark-mantled sooty albatross)*
Thalassarche eremita (Chatham albatross)
Lugensa brevirostris (Kerguelen petrel)*
Pachyptila salvini (Salvin's prion)*
Pterodroma incerta (Atlantic petrel)*
Pterodroma lessonii (White-headed petrel)*
Procellaria cinerea (Grey petrel)*
Puffinus assimilis (Little shearwater)*
Psalidoprocne orientalis (Eastern saw-wing)*
Pseudhirundo griseopyga (Grey-rumped swallow)*
Phyllastrephus debilis (Tiny greenbul, Slender bulbul)
Erythrocercus livingstonei (Livingstone's flycatcher)*
Elminia albonotata (White-tailed crested flycatcher, White-tailed flycatcher)*
Sylvietta ruficapilla (Red-capped crombec)
Acrocephalus griseldis (Basra reed-warbler)*
Acrocephalus rufescens (Greater swamp-warbler)*
Hippolais olivetorum (Olive-tree warbler)
Hyliota australis (Southern hyliota, Mashona hyliota)*
Hyliota flavigaster (Yellow-bellied hyliota, Yellow-breasted hyliota)*
Apalis chirindensis (Chirinda apalis)*
Apalis melanocephala (Black-headed apalis)*
Calamonastes stierlingi (Stierling's wren-warbler, Stierlings barred warbler)*
Cisticola pipiens (Chirping cisticola)*
Euryptila subcinnamomea (Cinnamon-breasted warbler)
Oreophilais robertsi (Roberts's warbler, Brier warbler)*
Mirafra cheniana (Melodious lark)*
Monticola angolensis (Miombo rock-thrush)*
Pinarornis plumosus (Boulder chat)*
Lamprotornis acuticaudus (Sharp-tailed starling)*
Cinnyris neergaardi (Neergaard's sunbird)*
Cinnyris shelleyi (Shelley's sunbird)*
Quelea cardinalis (Cardinal quelea)*
Quelea erythrops (Red-headed quelea)*
Paludipasser locustella (Locustfinch)*
Pytilia afra (Orange-winged pytilia, Golden-backed pytilia)
Vidua codringtoni (Twinspot indigobird)*
Anthus longicaudatus (Long-tailed pipit)*
Emberiza cabanisi (Cabanis's bunting)

Regards
Duncan Robertson
duncanr19 [at] gmail [dot] com

Sal said:

Hi Jo

Thanks for giving us a link to your trip report, I shall go there next. But first, your pics.

The first one could be a female Village weaver.
The second could be a female Cape Weaver.
The raptor is a juvenile Fish Eagle. I have added a pic of one I took in Kruger this year - similar poor light, similar pose!!
The fourth one I think is a female Southern Brown-throated Weaver
You're right, the last one is a female Pin-tailed Whyda.

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Thanks Sal. It was the small head of the raptor that caused us confusion on that score. I'll have to remove harrier hawk from my list in that case, pity. Southern brown throated weaver was not on my list so that's great. Do you get Cape weaver in Maun? My book (Sasol) indicates their range should be limited to South Africa. I can say for certain that we definitely saw male southern masked, lesser masked, and village weavers at the hotel in Maun. Thanks again! :t:

kittykat23uk said:

Thanks Sal. It was the small head of the raptor that caused us confusion on that score. I'll have to remove harrier hawk from my list in that case, pity. Southern brown throated weaver was not on my list so that's great. Do you get Cape weaver in Maun? My book (Sasol) indicates their range should be limited to South Africa. I can say for certain that we definitely saw male southern masked, lesser masked, and village weavers at the hotel in Maun. Thanks again! :t:

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Yes, I should have looked at the map! I just looked at the bird. I cant swear that my weaver ID's are 100% sure, so the one that I thought might be a Cape Weaver could easily be something else. If it is a masked it would be the Southern Masked as the Lesser has a very pale eye. And I think the breeding females do go a bit more yellowish in colour. Maybe someone else will correct me.

I have had a nice weekend so far, on Friday night we heard the errie screech of the Barn Owl again. It is the first time we have heard them for a number of months. I was beginning to think they had left the area. It is such a haunting call. I have only seen them a couple of times at dusk flying between tress looking for a suitable place to hunt from. We have plenty of rhodents on the plots and so they do have plenty to eat.
Then just now as we were sat under the shade of some trees I heard and eventually spotted a pair of Paradise Flycathers. Again we havent seen them for a while. It is lovely to see them in the garden again.
Maybe it is because of all the rain we have had in JHB that the birds are very happy at the moment?

Martin

Martin Hobbs said:

I have had a nice weekend so far, on Friday night we heard the errie screech of the Barn Owl again. It is the first time we have heard them for a number of months. I was beginning to think they had left the area. It is such a haunting call. I have only seen them a couple of times at dusk flying between tress looking for a suitable place to hunt from. We have plenty of rhodents on the plots and so they do have plenty to eat.
Then just now as we were sat under the shade of some trees I heard and eventually spotted a pair of Paradise Flycathers. Again we havent seen them for a while. It is lovely to see them in the garden again.
Maybe it is because of all the rain we have had in JHB that the birds are very happy at the moment?

Martin

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Yes I think you're right about the rain. Its a real foodie paradise for birds at the moment. We have all the termite alates coming out every evening around seven. And every morning early there are masses of birds - thrushes, barbets, bulubuls etc feeding on the wingless pairs all over the ground. Then of course everything is flowering so there is masses of nectar, lots of food for insects, a nice solid food chain in fact. The birds are so noisy now, too - have you noticed that? I really envy you your barn Owls. I was in Botswana once camping at Nxai Pan at Baines Baobabs and one of the baobabs was hollow. We slept in the open under a full moon, and we went to sleep listening to the bubbling of barn owls in the tree - sounded like a mass of boiling kettles!
I hope the paradise Flycatchers are nesting on your plot?

Sal said:

Yes I think you're right about the rain. Its a real foodie paradise for birds at the moment. We have all the termite alates coming out every evening around seven. And every morning early there are masses of birds - thrushes, barbets, bulubuls etc feeding on the wingless pairs all over the ground. Then of course everything is flowering so there is masses of nectar, lots of food for insects, a nice solid food chain in fact. The birds are so noisy now, too - have you noticed that? I really envy you your barn Owls. I was in Botswana once camping at Nxai Pan at Baines Baobabs and one of the baobabs was hollow. We slept in the open under a full moon, and we went to sleep listening to the bubbling of barn owls in the tree - sounded like a mass of boiling kettles!
I hope the paradise Flycatchers are nesting on your plot?

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Sal,
I am sure the good rains have something to do about it, I haven't seen so many flowers on the Inyati Flat Thorns and Sweet Thorns for many many years.
The sweet scent of the Sweet Thorns sitting under the shade this morning was very strong.
I have noticed how much noisier the birds are at the moment, sat there this morning the calls of all the birds were at times filling the air, and the Cape Glossy Starlings, Cape Robins, Crested Barbets and Olive Thrushes are coming so close, all of them look in such good condition. It is great to see.
I have looked for the Paradise Flycatchers nest, however, it is so small, locating it would be difficult anyway, and I dont see them often enough for me to think they are nesting here.

Reading these messages lately it seems everybody has been, or is going to, Northern Botswana. I used to regularly go up to Maun, unfortunatley only on business, not enough time to loook for birds. I love the area though, even though I liked the early visits to Maun better when it was one dirt road, a Shell garage, a Hotel and not much else, now it is bigger and more like most other towns in Botswana.
It is however my wish to visit the Okavango for the sole intention of a birding holiday......one day...
At least I have many people to call upon for advice where and when to go when I finally go.

I will wait for Dave's feedback reports when he returns from there as they are bound to be detailed and informative.

Martin

alan carr said:

If you haven't used the card since you lost the pics, you can recover them with PC Inspector's File Recovery or Smart Recovery. Saved me a couple of times. Of course if you have used the card since then... :-C

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Alan

Well I have had ago with your recovery file...thanks but I need some more technical advice as it came with no instructions - I have sent you a pm.

Showed some friends the record pics and some ok photos that were in my nikon (through the camera) - they enjoyed them...its a shame when you put them on a pc they arent as good. Terrified of losing them as well I will have to transfer them from my old pc (in the IT hospital) onto a memory stick and thence to my new pc. Then i can share a few with you all (you will have a few laughs!)

Jo I am impressed that you have already post your trip report!
Ouch those Leopard photos hurt! Brill really!

Still my cheetahs.....

Thanks! I hope all goes well with your file recovery. Fingers crossed! I like cheetahs, there's a few shots in my Kenya set on Flickr. But I must say that tigers are still my favorite big cats, closely followed by leopards.

kittykat23uk said:

Thanks! I hope all goes well with your file recovery. Fingers crossed! I like cheetahs, there's a few shots in my Kenya set on Flickr. But I must say that tigers are still my favorite big cats, closely followed by leopards.

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Well thanks to Alan I tried recovering my pics. I had a glich with the smart recovery - but I tried another program which I had to pay for but only after I knew it had recovered most of my pics...I was still very scared it was all a big windup but lo and behold i have most of my pics! Saved onto the hard drive in read only mode so it will take some time to sort em! Do I mind not at all but if it hadn't been for Alan I might still be in deep despair!

Perhaps I'd look a bit like this bop ....wary?

Dryocopus said:

Well thanks to Alan I tried recovering my pics. I had a glich with the smart recovery - but I tried another program which I had to pay for but only after I knew it had recovered most of my pics...I was still very scared it was all a big windup but lo and behold i have most of my pics! Saved onto the hard drive in read only mode so it will take some time to sort em! Do I mind not at all but if it hadn't been for Alan I might still be in deep despair!

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Glad you got something to work for you

Dryocopus said:

Perhaps I'd look a bit like this bop ....wary?

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bop = Brown Snake Eagle Nice pic, but a bit on the dark side. Search for MV's plugins and get his Contrast Mask plugin - it works wonders for lightening shadows. Just add it to your photo editor's plugin folder (well, I hope .8bf plugins work with your photo editor).

Dryocopus, so glad you have your pics back, look forward to seeing them. Yes, very nice Brown Snake Eagle, fiddled with it a bit and it looks good.

hooray! glad you got your pics back!

Forgot to add - at present I do not have any photoshop or other software to fiddle with my pics.

But I just chose an Eagle to say here they are!

I am now really happy as the pics were saved safely...I did worry over night!

CD Discs are being purchased for back up!

Phew!


If you want to post what you made of my Brown Snake Eagle I would be happy Sal.

PS I did know what the bird was .....just so excited forgot to label the pic!

Dryocopus said:

If you want to post what you made of my Brown Snake Eagle I would be happy Sal.

PS I did know what the bird was .....just so excited forgot to label the pic!

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Sorry, I deleted it after I'd had a good look at it and when I tried to pick it up again tonight, for some reason clicking on it had no effect! Don't know what has happened. I liked the way it was looking over its shoulder at you and how clear the eye is, and also that it shows the rather large head clearly.

I'm off to the Drakensberg for the weekend tomorrow, hope I can pick up a bit of a bird list there. It depends a bit on the weather. Storms predicted for Friday and Sunday afternoons, and rain for Saturday afternoon. :eek!: