191
Art. # 191
BIRDSCONTOUR
REPORT
(01.01.’14 – 17.01.’14)
Text and photos from Stefan Rust
2014
(In terms of the Geneva Convention the copyright of these
texts belong to Stefan Rust)
Dear birding friends,
as birdwatching is a relatively new and one of the fastest
growing and a most popular pursuit, it attracts people of all ages around the
world. There can hardly be a better place than southern Africa (Namibia,
Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, South Africa) to nurture an
interest in birds as it supports almost 1000 bird species, which is about 10
per cent of the world's entire bird. Taking birding to new heights,
Hobby-Ornithologist Stefan Rust together with BirdsConTour represents some of
the ontour bird sightings and several other interesting birding aspects to
showcase the fun of birding, promote citizen science, highlight conservation,
indicate where to view what birds and raise awareness of southern Africa's
(sometimes international) birds and their habitats.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WORK GETS DISTRIBUTED
INTERNATIONALLY
Countries visited during this period:
Namibia
Total Distance traveled:
620 km
Have a quick look if you, your site or neighborhood is
included in this scientific informational work (alphabetically arranged):
Allgemeine Zeitung (Namibia)
Farm Gauchas (Argo Rust) (Namibia)
Farm Sonnleiten (Andrea Giel)
Giel Andrea (Farm Sonnleiten)
Gillmann Martin (Namibia)
Hähner Wilfried (Hitradio Namibia)
Hitradio Namibia (Wilfried Hähner)
Kempinski Estates (Namibia)
Leicher Birgit (Namibia)
Müseler Harald & Heidi (Namibia)
Namibia
Rust Argo (Farm Gauchas) (Namibia)
Rust Heidi (Namibia)
Windhoek (Namibia)
Wittmann Elisabeth (Namibia)
Personal Highlights:
ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG PUBLICATION
BIRD & BIRDER FRIENDLY AWARD RENEWALS
BIRD OF THE YEAR 2014
BIRDS IN WORDS
Index to bird species observed in this period:
(English names and date when seen)
(* - See
text about species on according date beneath species list)
(A or B – Appears when species is recorded at different
sites on same day, specifying where on according date beneath species list)
Acacia Pied Barbet 3.1. / 7.1.(B) / 11.1. / 17.1.
African Red-eyed Bulbul 7.1.(B) / 9.1.(A)(B) / 11.1.
Ashy Tit
7.1.(B)
Barn Swallow
7.1.(A)(B)
Black-chested Prinia 7.1.(B)
Black-shouldered Kite 7.1.(A)
Black-throated Canary 3.1. / 7.1.(B) / 9.1.(B) / 17.1.
Blue Waxbill
9.1.(B) / 11.1.
Brown-crowned Tchagra 7.1.(B)
Brubru
8.1.
Cape Glossy Starling 7.1.(A) / 8.1.
Cape Sparrow
7.1.(B)
Cape Turtle-Dove 7.1.(A)(B)
Cape Wagtail
11.1.
Capped Wheatear 7.1.(B)
Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler 7.1.(A)(B)
Common Scimitarbill 8.1.
Common Swift
7.1.(A)
Crimson-breasted Shrike 8.1.
Diderick Cuckoo 7.1.(B)
Dusky Sunbird
7.1.(B) / 9.1.(A)
European Bee-eater 9.1.(A)
Familiar Chat
7.1.(B)
Fork-tailed Drongo 7.1.(A) / 8.1.
Great Sparrow
7.1.(A)(B) / 9.1.(A)
Great Spotted Cuckoo 7.1.(A)
Greater Striped Swallow 3.1. / 7.1.(A)
Green-winged Pytilia 7.1.(A)
Grey-backed Cisticola *7.1.(A)(B)
Grey-backed Sparrowlark 7.1.(A)
Grey Go-away-bird 3.1. / 7.1.(A)(B)
House Sparrow
9.1.(B) / 11.1.
Jacobin Cuckoo
*8.1.
Jameson’s Firefinch 11.1.
Kalahari Scrub-Robin 7.1.(A)(B)
Klaas’s Cuckoo
8.1.
Kori Bustard
*1.1. / *7.1. / 8.1.
Lark-like Bunting 7.1.(B) / 9.1.(A)
Laughing Dove
3.1. / 7.1.(A)(B) / 9.1.(B) / 11.1. / 17.1.
Lesser Grey Shrike 7.1.(A)(B)
Lilac-breasted Roller 9.1.(A)
Little Swift
7.1.(A)
Long-tailed Paradise-Whydah 3.1. / 17.1.
Marico Flycatcher 7.1.(A)(B)
Mountain Wheatear 3.1.
Namaqua Dove
7.1.(A)(B)
Namaqua Sandgrouse 7.1.(A)(B)
Northern Black Korhaan 7.1.(A)(B)
Orange River Francolin 17.1.
Pririt Batis
7.1.(B)
Pygmy Falcon
8.1.
Red-billed Spurfowl 3.1. / 8.1. / 17.1.
Red-crested Korhaan 7.1.(B) / 17.1.
Red-headed Finch 9.1.(B) / 11.1.
Rock Martin
3.1. / 7.1.(A)(B) / 17.1.
Rosy-faced Lovebird *3.1. / 17.1.
Rüppell’s Parrot *9.1.(A)
Sabota Lark
3.1./ 7.1.(A)(B) / 17.1.
Scaly-feathered Finch *7.1.(A)(B) / 11.1.
Shaft-tailed Whydah 3.1. / 11.1. / 17.1.
Sociable Weaver 7.1.(A) / 8.1.
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow 7.1.(B)
Southern Masked-Weaver 7.1.(B) / 9.1.(B) / 11.1.
Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk 7.1.(A)(B)
Southern Red Bishop 9.1.(B) / 11.1.
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill 7.1.(A)
Speckled Pigeon 17.1.
Steppe Buzzard
7.1.(A)
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater 8.1.
Village Indigobird *6.1. / 9.1.(B) / 11.1.
Violet-eared Waxbill 7.1.(B)
Wattled Starling 7.1.(A)
White-backed Mousebird 9.1.(B) / 11.1.
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver 7.1.(A)(B)
White-throated Swallow 7.1.(A) / 9.1.(A)
Yellow Canary
7.1.(B) / 9.1.(A)
Yellow-bellied Eremomela 17.1.
01.01.'14 Farm Gauchas, Schlipp, Namibia
Kori Bustard (1 Female) Mr. Argo
Rust contacted BirdsConTour to inform about a female Kori Bustard nesting on
his farm. He was capable of photographing the two eggs that were laying in the
nest, a scrape in the soil.
02.01.'14 Von Falkenhausenstr., Windhoek, Namibia
Bird & Birder Friendly Habitat The question to ask is not ‘Why should
we create a bird friendly garden?’ but more ‘How can we create a bird friendly
garden?’ Because of the speed of urbanization every garden owner should
construct his/her little piece of wildlife area. Satisfying as many needs birds
have as possible, the bigger the reward:
Nestbox, grass nest, fine seed feeder, rough seed feeder,
porridge feeder, nectar feeder, fruit feeder, meat feeder, water bath, dust
bath, insect feeder, nest material supplier, trees and shrubs.
03.01.'14 Kempinski Estate, Windhoek, Namibia
Rosy-faced Lovebird (4) In areas
where drinking water is scarce these birds associate with humans as in
Oranjemund, Lüderitz and Walvis Bay.
04.01.’14 Windhoek,
Namibia Bird of the Year
2014
This is one of BirdsConTour’s annual projects under the conservation
(input gives wings) and tourism (travel gives wings) divisions. In choosing a
bird species public awareness about the species and its (and others) habitat is
created.
The Bird of the Year 2014 in Namibia is the Kori Bustard (Ardeotis
kori kori).
Find more info
under Birds in Words (www.birdscontour.blogspot.com)
article no. 183. Info on the Bird of the Year 2013 can be found in Birds in
Words (www.birdscontour.blogspot.com)
under article # 43.
05.01.'14 Windhoek, Namibia Birds in Words
Proudly BirdsConTour announces a new cover page for the official
BirdsConTour news Birds in Words. It shows a photograph of the
Bird of the Year 2014 Namibia, the Kori Bustard, taken by Birgit Leicher.
06.01.'14 Von Falkenhausenstr., Windhoek, Namibia
Village Indigobird (1 female)
Again a few of these birds are observed in Windhoek gardens. Its registered
distribution area is a few 100 kilometers northwest from Windhoek. Only the
male of the okavangoensis subspecies has the white bill,
restricted to breeding season. Find out more under Birds in Words
(www.birdscontour.blogspot.com) in article no. 20, Fremde Vogelart in Windhoek
gesichtet.
07.01.'14 Allgemeine Zeitung Namibia, Windhoek,
Namibia Birds in Words The official BirdsConTour news wrote an
article for the Allgemeine Zeitung about the Bird of the Year 2014 – the Kori
Bustard. Allgemeine Zeitung published this article today under the heading “Die
Riesentrappe – Flaggschiff für den Erhalt der Grassavannen”. BirdsConTour
translated this article into English. Both, the English and German version are
accessible in the electronic Birds in Words (www.birdscontour.blogspot.com)
articles # 183 and 184.
07.01.'14(A) B1/D1254 Windhoek – Farm Gauchas
(Schlipp), Namibia Grey-backed Cisticola (1) Africa wide one finds six subspecies and all of
them are represented in southern Africa. Five of them are endemic to southern
Africa whereas the sixth (Cisticola subruficapilla newtoni) is
responsible that this species is classified only as near-endemic to southern
Africa. Subspecies C. s. windhoekensis
is endemic to Namibia, found only in the central and central western part of
Namibia.
07.01.'14(B) Farm Gauchas, Schlipp, Namibia
Scaly-feathered Finch (5) On Farm
Gauchas these birds build a nest in an acacia tree right in front of the
veranda, about 2.2 m. above the ground. The nest is often built of green stems
of aromatic bushes (eg. Pentzia) and completed with flowers. This possibly
serves as a fumigant to repel ectoparasites.
07.01.'14 Farm Gauchas, Schlipp, Namibia
Bird & Birder Friendly Award It is remarkable how the bird life on
Farm Gauchas improved within one years period of sustainable management by the
owner Mr. Argo Rust. No pesticides at all are used, sustainable soil management
is activated in an effort to support the grass savanna, water spots are
rearranged to also being bird friendly and the garden is established to being a
heaven for birds. Consequently BirdsConTour again awarded Mr. Argo Rust with a
two penguin-rated Bird & Birder Friendly Award. Further reading in
published article # 49 ‘Vogelschutz auf Farm Gauchas’ and article # 161
‘Farming for birdlife on Farm Gauchas’ in Birds in Words
(www.birdscontour.blogspot.com).
08.01.'14 Farm Gauchas, Schlipp, Namibia
Jacobin Cuckoo (2 black morph) In
this area their hosts are Common Fiscal, African Red-eyed Bulbul,
Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler and Golden-breasted Bunting. While the male draws
the attack from the host, the female slips briefly onto the nest and lays 1 egg
within ±10 seconds. Thereafter she flies off after the male.
09.01.'14 B1/D1254 Turnoff, Karkrand, Namibia
BirdsConTour for a cleaner Bird Habitat With the clean-up project
BirdsConTour for a cleaner Bird Habitat under the divisions
conservation and tourism BirdsConTour assists the Governments of countries in
which the organization travels in addressing the problem of litter. Litter is
waste that has been misplaced by people. BirdsConTour is aware of that the
regular clean-up actions do little in sorting out the masses of litter. But the
point is that awareness about the litter problem is being created because it is
not the litter itself but human beings and their attitude to litter that are
the fundamental problem.
Today the turnoff B1/D1254 has been cleaned from glass and
plastic. Read more in Birds in Words (www.birdscontour.blogspot.com)
article # 185.
09.01.'14(A) D1254/B1 Farm Gauchas (Schlipp) -
Windhoek, Namibia Rüppell’s Parrot (2) Unfortunately these birds are regularly captured in the wild for
cage bird trade. About 600-1 000 are exported annually to South Africa and
Europe, especially Germany. A loss of about 70-80% occurs during transit. Most
capture takes place by labourers on commercial farmland. This is a scary fact,
given that about 64% of the Namibian population lives on commercial farmland.
In addition this species is near-endemic to Namibia, 80% of its world range
(170 000 square kilometer) is located in Namibia.
09.01.'14(B) Olympia Garden, Windhoek, Namibia
Village Indigobird (1 male) Again
a few of these birds are observed in Windhoek gardens. Its registered distribution
area is a few 100 kilometers northwest from Windhoek. Only the male of the okavangoensis
subspecies has the white bill, restricted to breeding season. Find out more
under Birds in Words (www.birdscontour.blogspot.com) in article no. 20, Fremde
Vogelart in Windhoek gesichtet.
11.01.'14 Olympia Garden (Heidi Rust), Windhoek,
Namibia Bird & Birder Friendly Award For
her disciplined maintained bird friendly garden the 2 penguin-rated Bird &
Birder Friendly Award of Mrs. Heidi Rust was renewed. Further reading in Birds
in Words (www.birdscontour.blogspot.com)
articles 127 ‘BirdsConTour salutes heroes in …’ and 71 ‘Congratulation’.
14.01.'14 Elizabeth Wittmann, Harald & Heidi
Müseler, Wilfried Hähner (Hitradio Namibia), Andrea Giel (Farm Sonnleiten),
Windhoek, Namibia Bird & Birder Friendly Award Thank
You for the continuous support in bird conservation! All got a renewed 2
penguin-rated Bird & Birder Friendly award.
17.01.'14 Martin Gillmann (Kempinski Estates),
Windhoek, Namibia Bird & Birder Friendly Award Thank
You for a year of wild bird support on the property of the Kempinski Estate!
For disciplined keeping the wild bird feeding station in tact, Mr. Martin
Gillmann got his Bird & Birder Friendly Award renewed.
Enjoy Birding,
Stefan Rust
Please note: Most scientific information has been taken
from Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, V11th edition!
(For further reading see www.birdscontour.blogspot.com)
(For more information contact Stefan Rust
on +264 (0)81 129 8415 or birdscontour@iway.na)
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