Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Exotics good for birds?
Dear All,
Just to be an agent provocateur.... I am not convinced that Lantana
camara is all that bad, as compared to other exotics. Whilst it does
cover good swathes, it is providing a very secure breeding habitat for
a huge number of native birds, and migrants like it when passing
through. It may have been the saviour for our endemic Hinde's Babbler
which now has a very close association with it, having lost the native
habitat previously found in the area and this has allowed the bird to
hang on in extremely heavily gardened areas where it certainly would
have otherwise died out. At certain times of year the flowers attract
a very great assortment and huge numbers of butterflies, hawk-moths,
beetles and a host of other insects which precious few of the
indigines can compete with, the closest being the Vernonias.
Brown-backed Scrub-Robin is another bird that would have disappeared
from the degraded areas were it not for the cover of Lanana camara.
All Mexican Poppys and of course Eichhornia (Water Hyacinth) and the
likes... have to go.
best to all
Brian Finch
Just to be an agent provocateur.... I am not convinced that Lantana
camara is all that bad, as compared to other exotics. Whilst it does
cover good swathes, it is providing a very secure breeding habitat for
a huge number of native birds, and migrants like it when passing
through. It may have been the saviour for our endemic Hinde's Babbler
which now has a very close association with it, having lost the native
habitat previously found in the area and this has allowed the bird to
hang on in extremely heavily gardened areas where it certainly would
have otherwise died out. At certain times of year the flowers attract
a very great assortment and huge numbers of butterflies, hawk-moths,
beetles and a host of other insects which precious few of the
indigines can compete with, the closest being the Vernonias.
Brown-backed Scrub-Robin is another bird that would have disappeared
from the degraded areas were it not for the cover of Lanana camara.
All Mexican Poppys and of course Eichhornia (Water Hyacinth) and the
likes... have to go.
best to all
Brian Finch
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Mystery Bird Sound from Dar
http://www.xeno-canto.org/africa/discussion.php?snd_nr=1203
Do you know what bird this is? Go to xeno-canto and listen!
Please comment!
Stein
Do you know what bird this is? Go to xeno-canto and listen!
Please comment!
Stein
Saturday, October 30, 2010
This one are we waiting for!!
This DVD-R features high quality MP3 recordings of more than 1350 species of birds in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi). Both songs and calls are given where relevant, together with notes on the recordings and illustrations from the Helm Field Guide: Birds of East Africa.
Once the recordings have been loaded onto your PC or laptop, they can be downloaded onto an iPod or MP3 player for use in the field. The recordings are a companion to the field guide and can be used in conjunction with it.
Almost every species ever recorded in the region is featured in this extraordinary collection and it will be a magnificent resource for all birders and ornithologists visiting the region.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Yellow-legged Gull - New for Tanzania!
Hi all,
I can't wait to show you my today's sighting! Photos here.
http://www.valeryschollaert.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1082&Itemid=387
Of course, any comment are welcome. First answers I got from european gull specialists confirm it is a Yellow-legged (red eye-ring, yellow legs, pale mantle, red of bill extending to upper mandible...).
I also hope Neil will confirm it is well the first in Tanzania (even East Africa?).
Cheers
Valéry
Mobiles: +255 776-360876 and +255 776-360864.
I can't wait to show you my today's sighting! Photos here.
http://www.valeryschollaert.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1082&Itemid=387
Of course, any comment are welcome. First answers I got from european gull specialists confirm it is a Yellow-legged (red eye-ring, yellow legs, pale mantle, red of bill extending to upper mandible...).
I also hope Neil will confirm it is well the first in Tanzania (even East Africa?).
Cheers
Valéry
All
This is quite a wow and totally unexpected, it was not on my wish list of country additions. I got to know these birds quite well in Libya in the late 70s but for one to turn up in Tanzania, what to say. Pushes us ever closer to 1150 species.
Valery, please prepare a note for the EARC, all the usual information and your excellent photos.
Cheers and many congratulations. If you are revisting Lukuba in the next few months do look out for Slender-bills, only two previous records for TZ, the first was from Victoria. There is also a pending claim of a Pallas' (Greater Black-headed) but the image quality from a video clip was poor.
The Ugandans and Kenyans now need to be aware of Yellow-legs to add this bird to their country lists.
Neil
Neil and Liz Baker, Tanzania Bird Atlas, P.O. Box 1605, Iringa, Tanzania.Mobiles: +255 776-360876 and +255 776-360864.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Save the Serengeti
Please sign the petition not to build a highway through Serengeti!
See more at:
Save the Serengeti
http://www.savetheserengeti.org/issues/stop-the-serengeti-highway/#axzz10nwret70
See more at:
http://www.savetheserengeti.org/issues/stop-the-serengeti-highway/#axzz10nwret70
Friday, September 24, 2010
Blue Swallow report
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
2 day trip to Isunkaviola
We just got back from a short 2 day trip to Isunkaviola, 20th-22nd Aug we were at our Top Forest camp. (S07 75335 E034 71730) alt 1812 m. We had a fab time and good birding. our birding highlights for the past few days are as follows;The evening before we left our Magangwe camp we saw this Senegal Plover in a burned area very close to camp.
On the drive up there (which is roughly 50km from us along a small track
through miombo and mbugas). we saw quite a few Racket tailed rollers. On the
top forest area our highlight was seeing about 5 Hill Babblers (nominate race),
there was a Rhus, bush with loads of berries on it that Whytes Barbets,
Black-backed Barbets, Yellow rumped tinkerbirds , Black headed orioles, YVB and
Yellow belllied green bulls were really gorging on. Rob managed to get some
pics of the Babbler, they are not great but they are a record. We saw the
'different' miombo grey tit that has a thin grey strip down its face not the
white blobby marking, and is much blacker than the 'normal' miombo tit. There
were loads of Miombo bearded scrub robins too,
Another highlight was in the evening we witnessed about 60 crowned hornbills
flying over the valley from one section of forest to roost in our section of
forest. They must have bee feeding over there, It was an amazing stream of
hornbills . The morning we left we had two pairs of Grey whistling hornbills fly
over camp, with one of the pair carrying sticks. So I guess they were off to
breed somewhere up there. Maybe thats part of their movements that we witnessed
from Jongomero. We have the Grey hornbills with us at Magangwe now so maybe
they come up to the miombo areas to breed. The Olive pigeons were also
displaying to each other. The thick billed Cuckoo was here again, and on the way
up in a rocky area we saw the Pearl breasted swallows as well as a Miombo Rock
thrush. The African Broadbills were there as usual plus Peters twinspots, Lead
coloured flycatcher and loads and loads of Dusky flycatchers. etc. In total we
saw 87 species in about 11 hours of birding. Later on in the year is clocks up
to over 100 species in the same area.
When we came up here in early (10th- 14th) August 2 years ago we saw lots of
Cabanis and Golden breasted buntings displaying to each other, now there were
non so we suspect they may have been on eggs.
What we did not see which is interesting, was no sunbirds, only one Collared
sunbird and one scarlet chested. Later on in the year we can see 10 different
sunbird species in the same area. So the Copper sunbirds do not come up here
when they leave us at Magangwe in June, (they return to us in November). We
also did not see any raptors, just a Bateleur, a Lizard buzzard, and an African
Goshawk. Also, slightly later on from mid September we have seen endless
African golden Orioles but on this trip we only had a fleeting glimpse of one on
our way back in the lower miombo area.
The area had not been burned which was good, the miombo was just beginning to
change, with a couple of species throwing out new leaf and some flowers (B.
floribunda, B taxifolia,) and some flowering trees too (Dalbergia Nitidula,
Craibia ) , and plenty of trees in fruit ( Croton, Garcinia etc). But our
observations over the years tend to show that from mid September onwards they
variety of species increases dramatically not only due to migrants but due to
bird breeding up there. This co-incides with when the Miombo is in full change
with new leaves and flowers, All species seem to enjoy the dudus around the new
leaf buds and flowers on the miombo.
Finally, on the way home, when we were just turing into our drive to camp we
saw an Ayres Hawk Eagle which was flying by the car being chased by Dongos we
stopped as it perched not too far away I got pics of it but it was into the
light so they are not so good but you can see what it is.
The photos below are a few samples of the trip.
Sue and Rob
View from our Top Forest camp
Senegal Plover
Hill Babbler isunkaviola - nominate race
Hill Babbler (nominate)
The valley the Crowned Hornbill flew over
Ayres Hawk eagle Magangwe August 2010 - 7
Ayres Hawk eagle Magangwe August 2010 - 9
Sue@ruaha.com
www.suestolberger.com
www.robertglen.com
Ruaha National Park
Po Box 369,
IRINGA
Tanzania
On the drive up there (which is roughly 50km from us along a small track
through miombo and mbugas). we saw quite a few Racket tailed rollers. On the
top forest area our highlight was seeing about 5 Hill Babblers (nominate race),
there was a Rhus, bush with loads of berries on it that Whytes Barbets,
Black-backed Barbets, Yellow rumped tinkerbirds , Black headed orioles, YVB and
Yellow belllied green bulls were really gorging on. Rob managed to get some
pics of the Babbler, they are not great but they are a record. We saw the
'different' miombo grey tit that has a thin grey strip down its face not the
white blobby marking, and is much blacker than the 'normal' miombo tit. There
were loads of Miombo bearded scrub robins too,
Another highlight was in the evening we witnessed about 60 crowned hornbills
flying over the valley from one section of forest to roost in our section of
forest. They must have bee feeding over there, It was an amazing stream of
hornbills . The morning we left we had two pairs of Grey whistling hornbills fly
over camp, with one of the pair carrying sticks. So I guess they were off to
breed somewhere up there. Maybe thats part of their movements that we witnessed
from Jongomero. We have the Grey hornbills with us at Magangwe now so maybe
they come up to the miombo areas to breed. The Olive pigeons were also
displaying to each other. The thick billed Cuckoo was here again, and on the way
up in a rocky area we saw the Pearl breasted swallows as well as a Miombo Rock
thrush. The African Broadbills were there as usual plus Peters twinspots, Lead
coloured flycatcher and loads and loads of Dusky flycatchers. etc. In total we
saw 87 species in about 11 hours of birding. Later on in the year is clocks up
to over 100 species in the same area.
When we came up here in early (10th- 14th) August 2 years ago we saw lots of
Cabanis and Golden breasted buntings displaying to each other, now there were
non so we suspect they may have been on eggs.
What we did not see which is interesting, was no sunbirds, only one Collared
sunbird and one scarlet chested. Later on in the year we can see 10 different
sunbird species in the same area. So the Copper sunbirds do not come up here
when they leave us at Magangwe in June, (they return to us in November). We
also did not see any raptors, just a Bateleur, a Lizard buzzard, and an African
Goshawk. Also, slightly later on from mid September we have seen endless
African golden Orioles but on this trip we only had a fleeting glimpse of one on
our way back in the lower miombo area.
The area had not been burned which was good, the miombo was just beginning to
change, with a couple of species throwing out new leaf and some flowers (B.
floribunda, B taxifolia,) and some flowering trees too (Dalbergia Nitidula,
Craibia ) , and plenty of trees in fruit ( Croton, Garcinia etc). But our
observations over the years tend to show that from mid September onwards they
variety of species increases dramatically not only due to migrants but due to
bird breeding up there. This co-incides with when the Miombo is in full change
with new leaves and flowers, All species seem to enjoy the dudus around the new
leaf buds and flowers on the miombo.
Finally, on the way home, when we were just turing into our drive to camp we
saw an Ayres Hawk Eagle which was flying by the car being chased by Dongos we
stopped as it perched not too far away I got pics of it but it was into the
light so they are not so good but you can see what it is.
The photos below are a few samples of the trip.
Sue and Rob
View from our Top Forest camp
Senegal Plover
Hill Babbler isunkaviola - nominate race
Hill Babbler (nominate)
The valley the Crowned Hornbill flew over
Ayres Hawk eagle Magangwe August 2010 - 7
Ayres Hawk eagle Magangwe August 2010 - 9
Sue@ruaha.com
www.suestolberger.com
www.robertglen.com
Ruaha National Park
Po Box 369,
IRINGA
Tanzania
Monday, August 23, 2010
Trumpeter Hornbill Map
This map to be read alongside that for the highland forest Silvery-cheeked.
still zillions of gaps out there for you all to help with.
Neil
Here's the Nov 2010 gaps
For those of you birding in Tanzania in November, have a look at these gaps to the maps!
Send your triplists and GPS-locations!
Send your triplists and GPS-locations!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Western Banded Snake Eagle and Bronze-winged (Violet-tipped) Courser pics.
From: Fred Hodgson
Good Morning Mr Baker,These pictures may be of interest to you.
Some of the clearest I have seen of Violet-tipped Coursers.
The Snake Eagle bothers me. Banded yes. But the bandwidth seems neither one or the other.
Location apart, I would appreciate your views on this. It was in TZ.
Rubondo was great. What was the "Rufous winged " bird we were meant to look out for? Apalis?
Regards
Fred
Cheers Fred, much appreciated. Banded most definately, what books are you using ?
rufous winged bird is a batis, potential spp nov.
Neil
Neil and Liz Baker, Tanzania Bird Atlas, P.O. Box 1605, Iringa, Tanzania.
Mobiles: +255 776-360876 and +255 776-360864.
http://tanzaniabirdatlas.com
Subscribe to: tanzaniabirds-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
NEW Birdspecies for Tanzania!
 |
| Ruaha Chat "Myrmecocichla collaris" Artist: Sue Stolberger |
Ruaha Chat is the proposal for the new name of this species
Thanks (again, she also found the Ruaha Hornbill) to the artists eye of Sue Stolberger we now officially have yet another addition to the birds of Tanzania
and
thanks to all of you who contributed the atlas records that greatly enhance this map.
IT'S WORTH THE EFFORT. NDIYO ?
and I still think this should be called Stolberger's Chat !!
Find the article as pdf HERE!
Neil
Thursday, August 12, 2010
4th Sept. International Vulture Awareness Day 2010
 |
| White-headed Vulture, Serengeti Photo: Stein Ø. Nilsen |
Please consider participating in this year’s International Vulture Awareness Day
(IVAD), which is on September 4th.
There is not a set programme of events on the day – IVAD works by everyone doing
their own activities to increase general awareness of vulture conservation,
wherever they are.
Some people give talks, others jump out of planes, some run around dressed up as
a vulture! Whatever gets people’s attention about vultures.
You can register at www.vultureday.org and also see what other
people/organisations are doing.
Thanks for your support and interest.
Kind regards,
Campbell Murn
(Hawk Conservancy Trust)
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Yellow-bellied Greenbul ID
From: "Mark Johnson" >> Hi Neil,
>> Please could you give us a hand identifying this bird?
>> Cheers,
>> Mark
Hi Mark
>
> Looks like a young to me. That split eye ring might be diagnostic.
pale gape and pale iris also suggest a young bird, can't see the tips of the
tail but this is surely a juvenile rather than an immature. Lack of colour
(yellow) on underparts also suggests a very young bird.
Are adults quite common with you ? in the coastal lowlands this bird is
characteristic of forest and thicket, "up country" it occurs in quite dry
bush (prefers the thicker stuff) and further west in riverine thicket in the Miombo belt.
> See map.
> Neil
August safari notes
Hi…
some safari bird notes:
Aug 3-9: 2 game drives in Manyara, then to Serengeti Serena and all around Seronera for 2 days, then 2 crater tours, yielded:
2 Secretary birds (1 was 16km S of Seronera, 1 on nest at SNP/NCA border x main road)
Many Kori bustard in Crater (guess at least 50) and on plains
Many Crowned cranes in Crater (guess > 200). Lots of pairs accompanied by grown chicks. Am going back next week and will try & count better.
Ostriches mating in Crater.
David Bygott
Would be good to count those Crowned Cranes, numbers for both adults and young please.
Does anyone have any ideas where these 100 or so pairs of Grey Crowned Cranes are breeding ? we have VERY few records of pairs with chicks.
Neil
some safari bird notes:
Aug 3-9: 2 game drives in Manyara, then to Serengeti Serena and all around Seronera for 2 days, then 2 crater tours, yielded:
2 Secretary birds (1 was 16km S of Seronera, 1 on nest at SNP/NCA border x main road)
Many Kori bustard in Crater (guess at least 50) and on plains
Many Crowned cranes in Crater (guess > 200). Lots of pairs accompanied by grown chicks. Am going back next week and will try & count better.
Ostriches mating in Crater.
David Bygott
Would be good to count those Crowned Cranes, numbers for both adults and young please.
Does anyone have any ideas where these 100 or so pairs of Grey Crowned Cranes are breeding ? we have VERY few records of pairs with chicks.
Neil
Monday, August 9, 2010
Hunter's Cisticola
the latest map for this species.
lots of basic questions here, amazing what we don't know and has no one been up Lolkisale since 1981 !!!
why not ??
cheers
Neil
lots of basic questions here, amazing what we don't know and has no one been up Lolkisale since 1981 !!!
why not ??
cheers
Neil
Iringa Barn Swallow in Ukraine
at long last we have a control of one of our Iringa Barn Swallows.
ringed by us on 1st April 2007 at 7.73299 South / 35.71691 East
5,984 straight line km and a heading of 175 degrees, dam near due south.
this adds to our controls in Iringa of birds ringed in Poland, Bulgaria & Kazakhstan.
Neil
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RING NUMBER K42168
FINDING DATE 25.07.2010
PROVINCE Ukraine, Mikolayiv O.
FINDING PLACE Kinburn, Pokrovka
FINDING COORD. 46.26 N 31.41 E (Google earth put this in the Black Sea !)
FINDING DETAILS Hirundo rustica, female
controlled
ringed by us on 1st April 2007 at 7.73299 South / 35.71691 East
5,984 straight line km and a heading of 175 degrees, dam near due south.
this adds to our controls in Iringa of birds ringed in Poland, Bulgaria & Kazakhstan.
Neil
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RING NUMBER K42168
FINDING DATE 25.07.2010
PROVINCE Ukraine, Mikolayiv O.
FINDING PLACE Kinburn, Pokrovka
FINDING COORD. 46.26 N 31.41 E (Google earth put this in the Black Sea !)
FINDING DETAILS Hirundo rustica, female
controlled
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Identification of Tanzanian starling required
We have 3 different reference books here but cannot be sure of the exact ID of some birds.
Location: we are presently living in Tanzania, photos taken along the Katuma river – either at the river or on the Katisunga plains. The National Park is called KATAVI NATIONAL PARK and is slightly South West of Tanzania.
I have blown up the photos – so could be out of focus and tried to enhance to get the colours to stand out.
First is a Starling….. First book (Birds of Africa – Ian Sinclair and Peter Ryan) says MIOMBA BLUE EARED – as it has a distinct magenta breast – but the other books BIRDS OF EAST AFRICA (Terry Stevenson & John Fanshaw) does not have a Miombo but does have a SOUTHERN BLUE-EARED which is restricted to Miombo woodland, but under GREATER BLUE-EARED has that bird with Magenta breast and flank.
Geoff and Colleen Mullen
See PHOTO
Location: we are presently living in Tanzania, photos taken along the Katuma river – either at the river or on the Katisunga plains. The National Park is called KATAVI NATIONAL PARK and is slightly South West of Tanzania.
I have blown up the photos – so could be out of focus and tried to enhance to get the colours to stand out.
First is a Starling….. First book (Birds of Africa – Ian Sinclair and Peter Ryan) says MIOMBA BLUE EARED – as it has a distinct magenta breast – but the other books BIRDS OF EAST AFRICA (Terry Stevenson & John Fanshaw) does not have a Miombo but does have a SOUTHERN BLUE-EARED which is restricted to Miombo woodland, but under GREATER BLUE-EARED has that bird with Magenta breast and flank.
Geoff and Colleen Mullen
See PHOTO
Friday, July 30, 2010
PHOtos of Weaver Nests
something here for most of u..go get Tz on this particular map, although most of you will have to wait until the next rains.
Neil
From: Dieter Oschadleus
PHOWN (PHOtos of Weaver Nests; rhymes with "own") is a new ADU Virtual
Museum project, where weaver nests or colonies may be photographed and
submitted. To take part in this project, you need to register as a
virtual museum participant. Then find weaver nests and take photos and
count the nests. It is currently the top item of Latest News on several
ADU websites (eg http://www.adu.org.za).
You can view submissions already made (without being registered) at
http://vmus.adu.org.za
and clicking on "Photos of Weaver Nests" --- There are different search
possibilities - explore these yourself! There are already 23 records of
a variety of southern African weavers in PHOWN.
To take part and submit your own photos, you need to register. Read more
details here: http://weavers.adu.org.za/phown.php.
Any weaver species (Ploceidae family) may be photographed.
To register, go to http://vmus.adu.org.za , click on "Registration" down
the left hand side menu, and fill in your contact details (if you have
an ADU number, use this and your email to obtain your password). Your
password is emailed to you. You use your email address and password to
"LOGIN" (the bottom item on the same left hand side menu). Once you have
done the LOGIN, the left hand side menu gets longer, and you can do
"Data upload".
PHOWN (PHotos Of Weaver Nests) is a monitoring project aimed at
determining the distribution of colonies or nests of all weaver species
globally. Counting weaver nests and taking photos allows tracking of
changes in weaver breeding effort. Many weavers are common and this
project provides an easy way of monitoring them, while some weaver
species are threatened and this project would help their conservation.
The software for the ADU Virtual Museum projects were written by Rene
Navarro and the current software allows users to submit photos directly
to the web, rather than emailing photos as was the case with the first
project (SARCA, Southern African Reptile Conservation Assessment). PHOWN
is the fourth Virtual Museum project and is being launched in time for
the 2010 breeding season. In the Western Cape Southern Masked and Cape
Weavers have started to build nests.
So take your camera while birding!
Dieter
--
Dr H. Dieter Oschadleus
Dieter.Oschadleus@uct.ac.za (or doschadleus@gmail.com)
Bird-ringing Coordinator, SAFRING
Animal Demography Unit, Dept of Zoology tel: (021) 650-2421
University of Cape Town fax: (021) 650-3434
Rondebosch 7701 RSA After-hours: 083-285-6889
SAFRING: http://safring.adu.org.za
Weavers: http://weavers.adu.org.za
Neil
From: Dieter Oschadleus
PHOWN (PHOtos of Weaver Nests; rhymes with "own") is a new ADU Virtual
Museum project, where weaver nests or colonies may be photographed and
submitted. To take part in this project, you need to register as a
virtual museum participant. Then find weaver nests and take photos and
count the nests. It is currently the top item of Latest News on several
ADU websites (eg http://www.adu.org.za).
You can view submissions already made (without being registered) at
http://vmus.adu.org.za
and clicking on "Photos of Weaver Nests" --- There are different search
possibilities - explore these yourself! There are already 23 records of
a variety of southern African weavers in PHOWN.
To take part and submit your own photos, you need to register. Read more
details here: http://weavers.adu.org.za/phown.php.
Any weaver species (Ploceidae family) may be photographed.
To register, go to http://vmus.adu.org.za , click on "Registration" down
the left hand side menu, and fill in your contact details (if you have
an ADU number, use this and your email to obtain your password). Your
password is emailed to you. You use your email address and password to
"LOGIN" (the bottom item on the same left hand side menu). Once you have
done the LOGIN, the left hand side menu gets longer, and you can do
"Data upload".
PHOWN (PHotos Of Weaver Nests) is a monitoring project aimed at
determining the distribution of colonies or nests of all weaver species
globally. Counting weaver nests and taking photos allows tracking of
changes in weaver breeding effort. Many weavers are common and this
project provides an easy way of monitoring them, while some weaver
species are threatened and this project would help their conservation.
The software for the ADU Virtual Museum projects were written by Rene
Navarro and the current software allows users to submit photos directly
to the web, rather than emailing photos as was the case with the first
project (SARCA, Southern African Reptile Conservation Assessment). PHOWN
is the fourth Virtual Museum project and is being launched in time for
the 2010 breeding season. In the Western Cape Southern Masked and Cape
Weavers have started to build nests.
So take your camera while birding!
Dieter
--
Dr H. Dieter Oschadleus
Dieter.Oschadleus@uct.ac.za (or doschadleus@gmail.com)
Bird-ringing Coordinator, SAFRING
Animal Demography Unit, Dept of Zoology tel: (021) 650-2421
University of Cape Town fax: (021) 650-3434
Rondebosch 7701 RSA After-hours: 083-285-6889
SAFRING: http://safring.adu.org.za
Weavers: http://weavers.adu.org.za
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Palm-nut Vulture juvs in Dar
25 July 2010 10:59
Yesterday at Jangwani Beach we watched two adults with two recently fledged
young interacting. The juvs were fully independent in terms of flight but
may well still have been attached to the parents for food / feeding
opportunities. We watched one adult make a somewhat half hearted attempt to
catch a crab. It would have made great video, a bright green crab running
with claws raised and this clown of a bird bouncing after it.
Inevitably the House Crows interfered and we were perhaps too close for the
palm-nut's liking.
Checking the data this is the first breeding season record for the Dar atlas
square yet surely these birds are breeding residents along this stretch of
coast.
As ever (for all raptors), pleeeeeze find time to watch any active nests for
evidence of breeding.
Neil
Yesterday at Jangwani Beach we watched two adults with two recently fledged
young interacting. The juvs were fully independent in terms of flight but
may well still have been attached to the parents for food / feeding
opportunities. We watched one adult make a somewhat half hearted attempt to
catch a crab. It would have made great video, a bright green crab running
with claws raised and this clown of a bird bouncing after it.
Inevitably the House Crows interfered and we were perhaps too close for the
palm-nut's liking.
Checking the data this is the first breeding season record for the Dar atlas
square yet surely these birds are breeding residents along this stretch of
coast.
As ever (for all raptors), pleeeeeze find time to watch any active nests for
evidence of breeding.
Neil
Wattled Crane Lukula
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 3:16 PM
Hi Neil,
Well I have some good news for you, on the 26/07 at 15:00 I managed to spot some of those wattled cranes from the camp on the other side of the river, so you will have to use the GPS co-ordinates for the camp,as we are not allowed to cross the river. Here is a photo, I had to crop it so the detail is not that great.
Cheers,
Mark
You are all aware that I often mention how little we know about our
birdlife.
this msg is clear testimony to that statement and it sadly reflects how
little our wildlife authorities know or care or take any interest in our
birdlife.
here is a population of one the rarest and most majestic birds on the
continent yet it has remained "unknown" to science and conservation despite
being seen by hundreds of game scouts and other Wildlife Division staff as
well as numerous professional hunters for rather many years.
that a population of this bird can remain hidden for so long is testimony to
how poor "birds" are taught in Tanzania at all levels.
there are quite a few Tanzanian "professionals" on this group but few bother
to participate.
Brent Leo-Smith is credited with finding these birds along the Luwegu River
in the SW of the Selous GR.
Nice pic Marc, do what you can to pima as many as possible as you work the
Luwegu Valley.
Neil
Friday, July 23, 2010
Scaly Chatterer
Neil
Neil and Liz Baker, Tanzania Bird Atlas, P.O. Box 1605, Iringa, Tanzania.
Mobiles: 0776-360876 and 0776-360864.
http://tanzaniabirdatlas.com
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Blackcap
Onesmo, as you can see from this map there are VERY few records away from wintering forest edge habitat.
More on this species after we look at the ringing records.
DAY dates important if we are to understand any potential changes in arrival and departure times.
Neil
How to find Usambara Eagle-Owl?
Hi Tanzania birders,
Ara Monadjem, zoology lecturer, ornithologist and keen birder from
Swaziland, is teaching at the Tropical Biology Course in Amani at the
moment. Does anyone have any info for him on how to find Usambara
Eagle-Owl, or a guide there to contact, or perhaps even a call? He's
not on this list, but can be emailed on aramonadjem@gmail.com. If you
reply to the list, I can forward any info to him.
Thanks!
Callan
Ara Monadjem, zoology lecturer, ornithologist and keen birder from
Swaziland, is teaching at the Tropical Biology Course in Amani at the
moment. Does anyone have any info for him on how to find Usambara
Eagle-Owl, or a guide there to contact, or perhaps even a call? He's
not on this list, but can be emailed on aramonadjem@gmail.com. If you
reply to the list, I can forward any info to him.
Thanks!
Callan
Northern Pied Babbler
Hi all
There are indications that several species are "moving", expanding their ranges in response to "environmental" change. While this may well be related to underlying changes in the climate it may also be due to an opening up of habitat due to human encroachment, perhaps both factors influencing each other, the drier climate slowing down the natural recovery of the habitat.
Whatever the cause there is evidence that several dry country species are expanding their ranges westwards, both directly west and also both SW and NW.
This may well be one of them.
PLEASE take a note of this and day date and georeference all records that will add to our understanding of any range expansion.
thanks
Neil
Neil and Liz Baker, Tanzania Bird Atlas, P.O. Box 1605, Iringa, Tanzania.
Mobiles: 0776-360876 and 0776-360864.
Igombe dam, Tabora
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Where to stay in / near Lushoto ?
what's the latest info for backpack birding in the Usambara mts.
where to stay in / near Lushoto ? daladalas to Magambo FR and even to Shagyo and Shume ??? what about Mazumbai, must still be good birding there.
then where to stay near Amani and how to get to the lowland forest in the Sigi-Segoma area such as Kambai.
any contacts at Muller's or another lodge that would appreciate Valery training their bird guide(s).
answers please from those of you that know.
Neil
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of August I'll be in the Usambaras for holidays with a friend coming for birding from Europe. Any place you can advise me where I can stay (low budget) and walk daily (we'll be there 10 days) to the forest is search for specials? All endemics (from Long-billed Tailorbirds to Usambara Eagle-Owl) and forest birds interest me, as I need most of them in photo (for the theoretical lessons of my training).
Valery.
where to stay in / near Lushoto ? daladalas to Magambo FR and even to Shagyo and Shume ??? what about Mazumbai, must still be good birding there.
then where to stay near Amani and how to get to the lowland forest in the Sigi-Segoma area such as Kambai.
any contacts at Muller's or another lodge that would appreciate Valery training their bird guide(s).
answers please from those of you that know.
Neil
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of August I'll be in the Usambaras for holidays with a friend coming for birding from Europe. Any place you can advise me where I can stay (low budget) and walk daily (we'll be there 10 days) to the forest is search for specials? All endemics (from Long-billed Tailorbirds to Usambara Eagle-Owl) and forest birds interest me, as I need most of them in photo (for the theoretical lessons of my training).
Valery.
Aliens are tough adversaries
Please be warned: This is, without a shadow of doubt, what Tanzania will
face if the government does not act immediately against Parthenium and
chromoleana, both recently found in the country. We urgently need an early
detection rapid response initiative to prevent the disaster that is facing
Swaziland.
Regards
Sue
MBABANE, 8 June (IRIN) - The effects of Cyclone Demonia are still being
felt a quarter of a century after it ripped through landlocked
Swaziland. The once-in-a-generation storm system swept in from the
Indian Ocean and across neighbouring Mozambique, devastating
infrastructure and sowing death among the Swazis, but its lasting legacy
was the alien plant seeds that the winds carried.
Unnoticed at first, the demonia weed (Parthenium hysterophorus),
colloquially named for the cyclone, has decimated indigenous hunting
areas that people relied on for game, as well as the recently
established community nature reserves that hoped to use wildlife as a
tourism drawcard.
Demonia is native to Mexico, Central and South America; on the Indian
Ocean island of Reunion, where the Swazi seeds are thought to have come
from, demonia is known as camomille z'oiseaux.
It grows up to 1.5 metres tall and can create severe allergic
reactions among humans. "The Demonia weed releases an irritating
chemical that animals find repellent; wherever the weed has taken root,
game animals vacate," botanist Linda Dobson told IRIN.
The invasive plants are worsening food insecurity in a country where
about one-fifth of the roughly one million people depend on food aid.
"Areas which were pristine twenty years ago have been overrun by
invasives," Dobson said. This pushes up the costs of agriculture because
resources are diverted to keep clearing arable land.
"We have a huge alien invader problem here in Swaziland. They bring
with them an increased risk of catastrophic events, such as floods and
landslides; they are hindering farmers' ability to produce crops and
raise cattle," Dobson said.
The Natural History Society of Swaziland has noted invasive plant
species, such as the triffid weed - Chromolaena odorata, an invasive
species from Central America that spreads rapidly, smothering local
indigenous plants - has colonized the country's lowveld, leading to
regions becoming devoid of indigenous antelope.
The noxious triffid weed, known locally as sandanezwe, has been the
subject of government information campaigns. "The problem with
sandanezwe is that it is toxic to cattle, but it has taken over grazing
areas. With nothing to eat the cattle starve," Andrew Dlamini, a field
extension officer in charge of community education at the Ministry of
Agriculture, told IRIN.
In 2009 a programme was launched to eliminate sandanezwe from
government-owned farms, but it became mired in allegations of corruption
and was suspended in late 2009, but others have pointed to the
stubbornness of the triffid as the cause.
"It is not enough to cut it [the triffid weed] - it has to be dug out
and burned; otherwise, it is like a zombie that keeps coming back to
life again and again. Some people in government did not understand this,
and when the weed returned to crop-growing areas that had supposedly
been cleared of sandanezwe, they blamed it on incompetence or
corruption," an agriculture ministry researcher, who declined to be
named, told IRIN.
"Its seeds are viable for a half a century, and are brought to life by
fire - that is why the triffid weed has been so successful at taking
over the northern highveld, because those hills are burned by bush fires
twice a year."
Cultural historian Jabulani Ndwandwe commented: "Swazis ... were
unprepared when nature started behaving in ways no one understood, and
strange plants took over the grazing lands and waterways."
The water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), originally imported into
South Africa from South America to beautify artificial ponds, found its
way into the ecosystem and spread across the border into Swaziland.
"These 'water weeds' literally choke rivers by removing nutrients,
because as they spread out they block sunlight. Everything below them
dies. Their seeds are viable for up to 30 years, and can lie dormant.
You look at a lake covered by hyacinths and it appears as a green field;
the fish are gone, which further reduces Swazis' food supply, and the
water quality is affected," Dlamini said.
Zinde Mthimkhulu, Senior Water Engineer and Hydrologist at the
Ministry of Natural Resources, told IRIN that invasives like eucalyptus
trees, which can consume 1,000 litres of water each day, were a threat
to the water table. "The deep-rooted invasives pose a problem because
Swazis depend on boreholes during the dry months and the invasives
compete for aquifers."
Mthimkhulu said a national policy was needed to police invasive plants
in the water supply, but the necessary surveys and studies to inform any
such policy were lacking.
jh/go/he[ENDS]
© IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis:
http://www.irinnews.org
face if the government does not act immediately against Parthenium and
chromoleana, both recently found in the country. We urgently need an early
detection rapid response initiative to prevent the disaster that is facing
Swaziland.
Regards
Sue
MBABANE, 8 June (IRIN) - The effects of Cyclone Demonia are still being
felt a quarter of a century after it ripped through landlocked
Swaziland. The once-in-a-generation storm system swept in from the
Indian Ocean and across neighbouring Mozambique, devastating
infrastructure and sowing death among the Swazis, but its lasting legacy
was the alien plant seeds that the winds carried.
Unnoticed at first, the demonia weed (Parthenium hysterophorus),
colloquially named for the cyclone, has decimated indigenous hunting
areas that people relied on for game, as well as the recently
established community nature reserves that hoped to use wildlife as a
tourism drawcard.
Demonia is native to Mexico, Central and South America; on the Indian
Ocean island of Reunion, where the Swazi seeds are thought to have come
from, demonia is known as camomille z'oiseaux.
It grows up to 1.5 metres tall and can create severe allergic
reactions among humans. "The Demonia weed releases an irritating
chemical that animals find repellent; wherever the weed has taken root,
game animals vacate," botanist Linda Dobson told IRIN.
The invasive plants are worsening food insecurity in a country where
about one-fifth of the roughly one million people depend on food aid.
"Areas which were pristine twenty years ago have been overrun by
invasives," Dobson said. This pushes up the costs of agriculture because
resources are diverted to keep clearing arable land.
"We have a huge alien invader problem here in Swaziland. They bring
with them an increased risk of catastrophic events, such as floods and
landslides; they are hindering farmers' ability to produce crops and
raise cattle," Dobson said.
The Natural History Society of Swaziland has noted invasive plant
species, such as the triffid weed - Chromolaena odorata, an invasive
species from Central America that spreads rapidly, smothering local
indigenous plants - has colonized the country's lowveld, leading to
regions becoming devoid of indigenous antelope.
The noxious triffid weed, known locally as sandanezwe, has been the
subject of government information campaigns. "The problem with
sandanezwe is that it is toxic to cattle, but it has taken over grazing
areas. With nothing to eat the cattle starve," Andrew Dlamini, a field
extension officer in charge of community education at the Ministry of
Agriculture, told IRIN.
In 2009 a programme was launched to eliminate sandanezwe from
government-owned farms, but it became mired in allegations of corruption
and was suspended in late 2009, but others have pointed to the
stubbornness of the triffid as the cause.
"It is not enough to cut it [the triffid weed] - it has to be dug out
and burned; otherwise, it is like a zombie that keeps coming back to
life again and again. Some people in government did not understand this,
and when the weed returned to crop-growing areas that had supposedly
been cleared of sandanezwe, they blamed it on incompetence or
corruption," an agriculture ministry researcher, who declined to be
named, told IRIN.
"Its seeds are viable for a half a century, and are brought to life by
fire - that is why the triffid weed has been so successful at taking
over the northern highveld, because those hills are burned by bush fires
twice a year."
Cultural historian Jabulani Ndwandwe commented: "Swazis ... were
unprepared when nature started behaving in ways no one understood, and
strange plants took over the grazing lands and waterways."
The water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), originally imported into
South Africa from South America to beautify artificial ponds, found its
way into the ecosystem and spread across the border into Swaziland.
"These 'water weeds' literally choke rivers by removing nutrients,
because as they spread out they block sunlight. Everything below them
dies. Their seeds are viable for up to 30 years, and can lie dormant.
You look at a lake covered by hyacinths and it appears as a green field;
the fish are gone, which further reduces Swazis' food supply, and the
water quality is affected," Dlamini said.
Zinde Mthimkhulu, Senior Water Engineer and Hydrologist at the
Ministry of Natural Resources, told IRIN that invasives like eucalyptus
trees, which can consume 1,000 litres of water each day, were a threat
to the water table. "The deep-rooted invasives pose a problem because
Swazis depend on boreholes during the dry months and the invasives
compete for aquifers."
Mthimkhulu said a national policy was needed to police invasive plants
in the water supply, but the necessary surveys and studies to inform any
such policy were lacking.
jh/go/he[ENDS]
© IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis:
http://www.irinnews.org
Friday, July 9, 2010
Coucals - do they meet?
Bit of duplication here but what to do. Having looked at the two coucals and raised a few questions I thought I should look at them all and send them to our group in search of answers, there are, as ever, quite a few required.So..here are the latest White-browed and Burchell's to begin with. Because burchelli was treated as a race in Britton (1980) we still have to move quite a few coastal records from superciliosus to this species.
Neil
The nightjars - measuering Primaries
From the just sent paper please note the "easy" separation of the poliocephalus , ruwenzorii , guttifer by measureing the P's!!!
P10-P8 are all long in guttifer and the (P7 and) P6 are shorter.
P10 P9 P8 P7 P6
C. poliocephalus 143.6±4.5 (129-153) 60 152.3±4.1 (139-162) 57 152.3±4.3 (137-162) 59 145.6±4.7 (132-158) 60 124.5±4.1 (115-134) 60
C. r. ruwenzorii 145.3±4.8 (130-155) 40 154.5±4.9 (141-163) 40 154.8±4.7 (144-163) 40 147.3±4.9 (136-156) 40 126.8±5.0 (116-139) 39
C. r. guttifer 146.5±2.9 (141-150) 8 155.6±3.1 (151-162) 8 156.1±2.6 (151-161) 9 145.6±3.5 (139-151) 8 123.0±3.3 (116-127) 9
Louis
P10-P8 are all long in guttifer and the (P7 and) P6 are shorter.
P10 P9 P8 P7 P6
C. poliocephalus 143.6±4.5 (129-153) 60 152.3±4.1 (139-162) 57 152.3±4.3 (137-162) 59 145.6±4.7 (132-158) 60 124.5±4.1 (115-134) 60
C. r. ruwenzorii 145.3±4.8 (130-155) 40 154.5±4.9 (141-163) 40 154.8±4.7 (144-163) 40 147.3±4.9 (136-156) 40 126.8±5.0 (116-139) 39
C. r. guttifer 146.5±2.9 (141-150) 8 155.6±3.1 (151-162) 8 156.1±2.6 (151-161) 9 145.6±3.5 (139-151) 8 123.0±3.3 (116-127) 9
Louis
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
MORE FOR THE OLIVE/MOUNTAIN THRUSH COLLECTION.
Dear Neil and Liz,
Here are some more thrushes for the fast growing collection.
Listen to the sounds from Uluguru, by Brian Finch
1. ROEHLI from the Magamba Sawmill Road, West Usambaras.
2. Now this bird is an OLDEANI from Sopa Lodge, Ngorongoro. If you
read the description of Oldeani from the Handbook, you will find that
it has little in common with this bird. Either Oldeani is a suspect
race, or birds on the Crater Rim are not oldeani.
3. This is a nominate from 10,000 feet on Mt Kenya in the bamboo zone.
Not a great difference between this and the bird from the Crater Rim.
4. This is the form around Nairobi, it is richer than the Mt Kenya
birds though they are the same race.
5. These are three different calls from the bird on the Ulugurus,
treated in the Handbook as Nyikae. The bird was almost black head to
chest, hardly any relief on the throat. Dark below but somewhat
browner. In flight the rusty flanks were very conspicuous on the
almost uniformly dark bird. I can find no illustrations or images of
nyikae. Whilst roehli is dark, “nyikae” on Uluguru appears as black as
helleri from Taita Hills. I hope that someone can find a use for this.
As you can hear it is very strong and melodic.
Best for now
Here are some more thrushes for the fast growing collection.
Listen to the sounds from Uluguru, by Brian Finch
1. ROEHLI from the Magamba Sawmill Road, West Usambaras.
2. Now this bird is an OLDEANI from Sopa Lodge, Ngorongoro. If you
read the description of Oldeani from the Handbook, you will find that
it has little in common with this bird. Either Oldeani is a suspect
race, or birds on the Crater Rim are not oldeani.
3. This is a nominate from 10,000 feet on Mt Kenya in the bamboo zone.
Not a great difference between this and the bird from the Crater Rim.
4. This is the form around Nairobi, it is richer than the Mt Kenya
birds though they are the same race.
5. These are three different calls from the bird on the Ulugurus,
treated in the Handbook as Nyikae. The bird was almost black head to
chest, hardly any relief on the throat. Dark below but somewhat
browner. In flight the rusty flanks were very conspicuous on the
almost uniformly dark bird. I can find no illustrations or images of
nyikae. Whilst roehli is dark, “nyikae” on Uluguru appears as black as
helleri from Taita Hills. I hope that someone can find a use for this.
As you can hear it is very strong and melodic.
Best for now
Brian
Friday, July 2, 2010
African Bare-Eyed Thrush in Ruaha
From: David Erickson
Hello,
I was doing fieldwork for my masters in and around Ruaha.
Part of the project I was working on involved camera traps (Targeting Mammals). I am currently sorting through all the photos. I came across a picture of a Turdus Thrush, and from the book I have it looks like an African Bare-Eyed Thrush. The "Birds of East Africa" book I have does not show this species in the Ruaha area so I thought I'd pass it along to the TZ bird atlas for a look (Two pics are attached to this email). Hopefully it's useful.
Cheers,
Dave Erickson
tks David
as you can see from this latest map there have been records from the Ruaha ecosystem but not many so yours are most welcome.
this bird is moving, expanding its range westwards. climate change...who knows !!!!
Neil
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