Birding Weekly 20140324

It has been a long time since I posted some news here and it has always got me as to what to write and why. However this morning I went for a birding walk around Serarou and was inspired to write something little about my weeks birding whether it be great or small short or long, with or without great photos listing species or describing habits. it would be a piece of what I saw that I enjoyed and made the week of birding. With plans uncertain and location unpredictable... even access to the "basic" need of internet may be hindering at times. However, at any given location there will be birds and thus no excuse to write a birding weekly. Although this may mean I'll be office bound for a couple of minutes and that is sometimes difficult to do... so at the moment it is an idea that I intend to pursue...

Further I will try my best to include the latin name as there is always confusion between common names, not only between languages but also within the English language. I have for the most part used the comprehensive guide "Birds of Africa South of the Sahara" by Ian Sinclair and Peter Ryan.

So lets get to the birding weekly context. A few things stood out last week and then on this mornings bird walk. 

A Long Crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis) has been circling the dam every couple of days and it was only towards the end of last week that I got a real good look at it to identify it. This is not a common site around Serarou and so it was great to see the bird and will be looking out for it more. 

Red-headed Weavers (Anaplectes rubriceps); Walking around the TWR's property with a fellow conservationist here in the North or Benin I came across a bird I had not see before. The bird looked almost thrush-like due to the heavy and large pale bill (relative of course). Yet due to the heat the bird was panting and so this deceived the normal look. How ever I had a good look at the bird and questions went through my mind as I took mental notes of where colour was situated and general shape. after a while my question was answered when the male bird flew in. It was the Red-headed Weaver (Anaplectes rubriceps leuconotus). Now everything I learnt about Red-headed Weavers birding in Kruger Park were thrown out the window. I knew that there is a Western Sub-species, that may argue a separate species to which I can now see as to why. The female does not resemble the females in the Southern Hemisphere, there is not as distinct as a yellow on the head of a female. the bill seems larger and paler and a distinct red of the folded primary wings is visible. that is what threw me off. it was like looking at a large Red-winged pytilia (Pytilia phoenicoptera) with a larger pale beak. the male Red-headed weaver gave it away and even he looked different having black in his Red head. This was a great sighting and will have to research more on their breeding habits here in WA. It was a first for me and life had they been regarded as separate species. 

African Cuckoos (Cuculus gularis); They are back, and with full vengeance. The season are changing and the birds are showing it. This is always an exciting time of year for any resident birder and although migration routes of Intra- and Inter- African migrants and relatively unknown. and few said African migrants that have been spotted this last week were Grasshoper buzzard (Bustastur rufipennis), Klaas's cuckoo (Chrysococcyx klaas). Although I am still somewhat puzzled as to why some leave and others stay...and what really drives a species from Europe to stay in the dry season of West Africa and an African migrant to head South of the continent, there was a Woodlands kingfisher (Halycyon senegalensis) that remained here throughout the dry season.