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The Quest for Herero Chat (Namibornis herero), (1 Viewer)

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The Quest for Herero Chat (Namibornis herero),

You all know the feeling, if you really „have to see a bird“, it becomes harder and harder to track it down. Once you have seen it though, they pop out everywhere around you.
Well this story nearly had a very unhappy ending. Although I have Herero Chat on my list already, my friend Andrew sent me this great pic of „his“ Herero Chat, I wanted one as well… its just the way it works.

Of we went; the desert was waiting.
The Spitzkopje, a dome shaped mountain (1700m high) protruding the flat gravel plains of the Namib desert like a sore thumb.
This is the home of one of Namibia’s most sought-after birds, the Herero Chat. Although described as locally common, it can become a considerable mission to crack them down.
And the search was a great one.
These gigantic domes of bulbous red granite have attracted people over thousands of years already and it remains a mystical and very special place for those going through the trouble of reaching it. … even if you have been there a hundred times, it always feels like…wow... the first time.
This is truly great birding territory. I had my fire going way before dawn already, since a melodic Bokmakierie (hence its name) woke me to rise and look at it.
The walk began…
Chestnut-vented Tittbabblers are common, but a Layard´s was my first this morning. This was a good start, or so I thought.
White-tailed Shrike, Monteiro’s Hornbill, Dusky Sunbird, Mountain Wheatear, Brubru, Pririt Batis and many others kept me amazed and most importantly did they keep my hopes up, but the Chat remained absent.
My eyes grazed every Acacia, Combretum or other scrub, tree or creeper next to every boulder this mountain had to deliver; my thoughts turned on what I had done wrong to “not see” this bird again.
Ok, the Long-billed Pipit really made my day... and when Augur Buzzard and Booted eagle kept circling above me I did realize how lucky I was to be there.
A truly nice experience was to discover a Pearl-spotted Owlet perching quite near me.
The wind did spoil our birding-afternoon a bit, but a glass of cold white wine next to a crackling fire ended the day just fine. Barn owl was heard and seen well.
I stood up even earlier this time and planted myself right in an undisturbed corner of granite outcrops and lower scrub vegetation… this is what they love and this is where they live.
A row of Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters sunning themselves had my attention when a chat-like jizz caught my eye – and there it was – no, sorry, let me rephrase, there they were.
As if they have never been anywhere else. As if they wanted to reward me for the previous schlep to find them. The Herero Chat couple even sat out a photo-session and gave me the best of their beautiful song… what a moment.
We did do a scenic walk after breakfast to the infamous „Bushman’s Paradise“. A place I have visited ever so often always to be the only visitor around. I guess this is what makes Namibia so special – the feeling of rediscovery and solitude – and of course great birding.

Bird list – Spitzkopje at 29+30/6/2006

Dusky Sunbird
Rock Kestrel
Mountain Wheatear (Chat)
Speckled Pigeon (Rock)
Bokmakierie
Brubru
Ashy Tit
White-tailed Shrike
Common Fiscal, please note: Lanius collaris subcoronatus with white eye-brow
Scaly-feathered Finch
Bradfield’s Lark
Black-chested Prinia
Guineafowl
Marico Sunbird
Booted Eagle
Yellow-bellied Eremomela
Red-eyed Bulbul
Pririt Batis
Pale-winged Starling
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Brown-crowned Tchagra
Grey Go-away-bird
Long-billed Crombec
Lark-like Bunting
Layard´s Titbabbler
Chestnut Weaver
Violet-eared Waxbill
Laughing Dove
Pied Barbet
Namaqua Dove
Fork-tailed Drongo
Common Scimitarbill
Rock Martin
Cape Bunting
White-throated Canary
Monteiro’s Hornbill
Black-faced Waxbill
Long-billed Pipit
Rosy-faced Lovebird
Black-throated Canary
Southern Masked Weaver
Chestnut-vented Titbabbler
Red-faced Mousebird
Cape Turtle Dove
Pearl-spotted Owl
Barn Owl
Herero Chat
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
Familiar Chat
Augur Buzzard
Cape Wagtail
Pale Chanting Goshawk
Double-banded Courser
 

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