239 | BIRDSCONTOUR REPORT (18.03.-06.04.'14)

239

Art. # 239

BIRDSCONTOUR REPORT

(18.03.’14 – 06.04.’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

Have a quick look if your name or business is included in this scientific informational work (alphabetically arranged):

Allgemeine Zeitung (Wiebke Schmidt, Namibia)

Bester Mianka

Clark Jamie-Ann

Connie (Connie’s Restaurant, Namibia)

Connie’s Restaurant (Klein Aub, Namibia)

Delta Kindergarten (Windhoek, Namibia)

Dietz Horst (Etendero Gästefarm, Namibia)

Dresselhaus (Heja Lodge)

Esterhuizen Ean

Etendero Guestfarm (Omaruru, Namibia)

Fischer Sonja

Geschke Kayla

Gocheganas

Goldbeck Megan

Heja Lodge (Dresselhaus)

Irmi Nolting (Irmis Kinderecke)

Irmis Kinderecke (Irmi Nolting)

Krauer Jörg

Kroll Regine (Etendero Gästefarm, Namibia)

Lesar Ayumi

Lesar Fenja

Liebenberg Charlot & Bennie (Seabreeze Guesthouse)

Omandumba Farm (Deike & Harald Rust) (Omaruru, Namibia)

Pack Peter (Pack Safari) (Namibia)

Pack Safari (Windhoek, Namibia)

Piehl Marcel

Pinsenschaum Askan

Rust Deike & Harald (Farm Omandumba, Namibia)

Rust Leni

Schmidt Wiebke (Allgemeine Zeitung, Namibia)

Seabreeze Guesthouse (Charlot & Bennie Liebenberg)

Solitaire Guest Farm

Sonnleiten Farm

Starke Liana

Toshari Lodge

Von Hundelshausen Raphael

Sites and countries visited during this period incl. amount of species per site:

(0-0 - Haven’t been there myself)

(single letter – indicates several sites per day)

22.03: (A) Olympia garden, Windhoek (8 species)

24.03: (A) Road from Windhoek to Onjala Lodge (6 species), (B) Onjala Lodge (48

           species)

25.03: (A) Onjala Lodge (34 species, additional to yesterday)

26.03: (A) Onjala Lodge (1 species, additional to yesterday), (B) Road from  

           Onjala Lodge to Toshari Lodge (27 species), (C) Toshari Lodge (4 species)

27.03: (A) Toshari Lodge (2 species, additional to yesterday), (B) Etosha NP. (42

           species), (C) Toshari Lodge (20 species, additional)

28.03: (A) Toshari Lodge (2 species, additional to yesterday), (B) Etosha NP. (16 species,   

           additional to yesterday)

29.03: (A) Road from Toshari Lodge to Etendero Guestfarm (Regine Kroll & Horst     

           Dietz) (21 species), (B) Etendero Gästefarm (45 species)

30.03: (A) Etendero Guestfarm (5 species, additional to yesterday), (B) Road from 

           Etendero Gästefarm to Omandumba Farm (Deike & Harald Rust) (22 species), (C)

           Omandumba Farm (13 species), (D) Etendero Guestfarm (7 species, additional)

31.03: (A) Etendero Guestfarm (1 species, additional to yesterday), (B) Road from

           Etendero Guestfarm to Sea Breeze Guesthouse, Swakopmund (18 species), (C)

           Swakopmund (22 species), (D) Sea Breeze Guesthouse (5 species)

01.04: (A) Sea Breeze Guesthouse (2 species, additional), (B) Swakopmund (1 species),

           (C) Walvisbay Lagoon (20 species), (D) Road from Walvisbay Lagoon to Solitaire

           Guestfarm (11 species), (E) Solitaire Gästefarm (19 species)

02.04: (A) Road from Solitaire Guestfarm to Sossusvlei (4 species), (B) Sossusvlei

           (9 species), (C) Sesriem Canyon (5 species) (D) Solitaire Gästefarm (17 species,

           additional)

03.04: (A) Solitaire Guestfarm (12 species, additional)

04.04: (A) Solitaire Guestfarm (2 species, additional), (B) Road from Solitaire Gästefarm

           to Heja Game Lodge (7 species), (C) Road from Heja Game Lodge to Hosea

           Kutako Airport (30 species)

05.04: (A) Sonnleiten Farm (7 species)

Total Distance traveled:

2 801 km

Personal Highlights:

BIRDSCONTOUR AND PACK SAFARI

DELTA KINDERGARTEN

GREATER SPOTTED EAGLE-OWL

LESSER SWAMP-WARBLER

RUFOUS-EARED WARBLER

18.03.'14  Windhoek, Namibia  Birds in Words  Heute erschien im Selbstverlag eine liebevoll und kindgerecht erzählte Geschichte über den Vogel des Jahres 2014 in Namibia mit einigen Sachinformationen über seinen Lebensraumverlust. In dieser Reihe hat das BirdsConTour Birds in Words Projekt im selbigen Rahmen vier kombinierter Aktionen, nämlich Young Birders, Birds in Art, Bird of the Year und Environmental Management, auch das Kinderbilderbuch „Eine Straussengeschichte“ über den Vogel des Jahres 2013 in Namibia publiziert.

20.03.’14 Connie from Connie’s Restaurant, Klein Aub, Namibia  Sad news  Only 18 days ago BirdsConTour wrote about two nestlings of the Speckled Pigeon that are in a nest under the verandah roof at Connie’s Restaurant near Klein Aub. Connie, the owner of this special country like restaurant, proudly pointed out the nest with the chicks to the guests that very same day. One could feel the love she carried in her heart for those birds.

Today, at about 18:00, news reached BirdsConTour that Connie was involved in a car accident and is in the hospital in Rehoboth. By 21:00 o’clock a phone call informed that Connie died.

BirdsConTour expresses heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of Connie. Connie’s delicious food, friendliness, laughter and care for animals and especially birds will not be forgotten.

20.03.'14  Wiebke Schmidt from the Allgemeine Zeitung, Namibia  Bird & Birder Friendly Award  For the second year in a row Wiebke Schmidt was rewarded with a two penguin-rated Bird & Birder Friendly award for the support she gives BirdsConTour with the opportunity of publishing monthly articles. Once a month, BirdsConTour publishes an article on a certain bird species in the Allgemeine Zeitung. This activity is a combined attempt of the Birds in Words and Birding Training project to nurture interest in bird life and to create awareness about conservation issues about the specific species.

20.03.'14  Delta Kindergarten, Windhoek, Namibia  Young Birders and Birding Training  In a combined effort of BirdsConTour’s Young Birders and Birding Training projects, 13 young children from the Delta Kindergarten, participated in an 1,5 hour session getting introduced to different bird conservation projects offered by BirdsConTour. These included BirdsConTour for a cleaner Bird Habitat, Bird & Birder Friendly Habitat, Birds in Art, Anti-Poaching Crusade, Environmental Management and Bird of the Year. Each child was awarded with a one penguin-rated Bird & Birder Friendly Award and can call itself a Young Birder, namely:

Jamie-Ann Clark, Mianka Bester, Askan Pinsenschaum, Ean Esterhuizen, Sonja Fischer, Megan Goldbeck, Kayla Geschke, Ayumi Lesar, Fenja Lesar, Marcel Piehl, Raphael Von Hundelshausen, Liana Starke and Jörg Krauer.

Read more about this exciting program in article 233 in Birds in Words, www.birdscontour.blogspot.com.

20.03.'14  Pack Safari, Windhoek, Namibia  Travel gives Wings  Thanks to an immense interest in BirdsConTour and a constant growth of interest in bird life and the conservation thereof, BirdsConTour listed a positive growth in the past two years, leading to an overload work, especially in the Travel gives Wings (Tourism) division. This required plans for a strategy to keep the head over water. What this plan is about is clearly explained in Birds in Words, www.birdscontour.blogspot.com, article 234.

22.03.'14  Olympia Garden, Windhoek, Namibia  Scaly-feathered Finch (3) Although this is a small bird, a mere 10-11 cm, it can reach an age of up to almost 5 years.

24.03.'14  Onjala Lodge, Windhoek, Namibia  White-backed Vulture (6) Only about 30% of fledglings survive their first year of life. Many nestlings are lost to Leopards Panthera pardus, Servals Felis serval and Honey Badgers Mellivora capensis. Crows or ravens sometimes prey on the eggs.

25.03.'14  Onjala Lodge, Windhoek, Namibia  Desert Cisticola (1) In today’s times of ever increasing bush encroachment, it is appraisable what Mr. Peter Pack from Onjala Lodge did with deforesting a large area, thereby allowing grass growth to recover, leading to certain grass habitat birds to return. One species is the Desert Cisticola, it needs perennial desert grasslands that are dominated by stipagrostis grass.

25.03.'14  Onjala Lodge, Windhoek, Namibia  Anti-Poaching Crusade  Part of the eastern and southern border fence of the Onjala Game Reserve was patrolled, searching for possible game traps at the fence. Herewith the BirdsConTour Anti-Poaching Crusade project anticipates in the endeavor to fight poaching crime.

26.03.'14  Turnoff B1/D2404, Namibia  BirdsConTour for a cleaner Bird Habitat  Members of a twelve German speaking guest group participated in collecting litter around a termite mount where a break was arranged to marvel at this wonder in the animal kingdom.

More under Birds in Words, www.birdscontour.blogspot.com, in article Cleaning the routes traveled.

27.03.'14  Etosha NP., Namibia  Secretarybird (2) A pair was observed on its nest. Usually these territorial secretarybirds occupy an area of about 50-60 km2 around their nest.

28.03.'14  Toshari Lodge, Outjo, Namibia  African Scops-Owl (1) Although being southern Africa’s smallest owl, it is a very useful bird in keeping arthropods under control, such as woodlice, millipedes, centipedes, dragonflies, bugs, grasshoppers, beetles, moths, caterpillars, mantids, crickets, cockroaches, spiders, sunspiders and scorpions.

29.03.'14  Etendero Guestfarm, Omaruru, Namibia  African Cuckoo (1) Little is known about their general habits because mostly they are solitary and shy. Their host is the Fork-tailed Drongo.

29.03.'14  Outjo, Namibia  BirdsConTour for a cleaner Bird Habitat  Today a street in Outjo was cleaned while some guests were busy shopping in the supermarket.

More under Birds in Words, www.birdscontour.blogspot.com, in article Cleaning the routes traveled.

30.03.’14 Farm Omandumba, Omaruru, Namibia  Chestnut Weaver (100’s) They breed in colonies. The males are present during the nest-building phase but leave the colony with a nomadic flock as soon as the females start incubating.

31.03.’14 Water works, Swkopmund, Namibia  African Purple Swamphen (1) It is assumed that frequent disturbance, such as removal of riparian vegetation and wetland drainage, forces this species to expand its range into dry areas.

01.04.’14 Sea Breeze Guesthouse, Swakopmund, Namibia  Bird & Birder Friendly Award  Charlot & Bennie Liebenberg from the Sea Breeze Guesthouse were the happy recipients of a two penguin rated Bird & Birder Friendly Award from BirdsConTour. With the comfortable guesthouse they not only serve their respected guests but also the birds in the garden.

02.04.’14 Sossusvlei, Namibia  Lappet-faced Vulture (4) Of the estimated world population of 8 500 birds, there are about 40-50 breeding pairs in the Namib Naukluft Park. Little is known about their movements. Non-breeders can move up to 1 100 km, but it is unknown whether this is natal dispersal, nomadism or both.

03.04.’14 Solitaire Guestfarm, Sossusvlei, Namibia Bird & Birder Friendly Award By traveling directly with BirdsConTour or making use of a guide from BirdsConTour you support bird conservation and create an economic platform for local livelihoods. Sometimes travelers also participate in another BirdsConTour project. To say THANK YOU, every tour participant receives a Bird & Birder Friendly Award at the end of the tour.

Today twelve German-speaking guests were rewarded with one penguin-rated Bird & Birder Friendly Awards:

Bölli Alice, Eisel Erika & Maik, Hess Christina, Maigre Elfriede, Moder Peter, Paul Sebastian, Riebold-Urbano Ala Da Costa Renate, Schatz Beate, Ulfig Johanna & Peter, Weingard-Moder Ulrike

Please note that all award recipients are listed in an alphabetical order in article 71 “Congratulation” under www.birdscontour.blogspot.com.

04.04.’14 Heja Lodge, Windhoek, Namibia  African Spoonbill (1) Artificial wetlands help numbers to increase dramatically and they are present in protected areas such as at the Heja lake.

05.-06.04.’14 Windhoek, Namibia  Birdequip  Leni Rust shows how useful an old Mercedes Benz wheel hub cap and a broken plant pot can be. Read article 238 under Birds in Words, www.birdscontour.blogspot.com.

06.04.’14 Farm Sonnleiten, Namibia Southern Pied Babbler (4) This in Namibia and Botswana common bird is an endemic species to southern Africa.

Index to bird species observed in this period:

(English names and date when seen)

(*  - See text about species on according date above)

(A or B – Appears when species is recorded at different sites on same day, specifying where on according date beneath species list)

-Abdim’s Stork   27.3.(B) /

-Acacia Pied Barbet   24.3.(B) / 27.3.(B) / 29.3.(B) / 01.4.(E) /

-*African Cuckoo   *29.3.(B) /

-African Grey Hornbill   27.3.(C) / 29.3.(A) /

-African Hoopoe    04.4.(C) /

-African Palm-Swift   26.3.(B) / 30.3.(B) /

-African Pipit   28.3.(B) /

-*African Purple Swamphen   *31.3.(C) /

-African Red-eyed Bulbul   24.3.(B) / 26.3.(B)(C) / 27.3.(B) / 29.3.(A)(B) / 01.4.(D)(E) /

-African Reed-Warbler   26.3.(B) / 31.3.(B) /

-*African Scops-Owl   *28.3.(A) / 29.3.(B) /

-*African Spoonbill   *04.4.(C) /

-Alpine Swift   04.4.(C) /

-Ant-eating Chat   24.3.(B) /

-Barn Owl   24.3.(B) / 04.4.(A) /

-Barn Swallow   24.3.(B) / 01.4.(C) / 03.4.(A) /

-Barred Wren-Warbler   24.3.(B) / 27.3.(B) / 30.3.(D) / 03.4.(A) / 04.4.(C) /

-Black-chested Prinia   24.3.(B) / 27.3.(B)(C) / 29.3.(B) / 30.3.(C) / 31.3.(B) / 01.4.(D) / 02.4.(D) /

-Black-chested Snake-Eagle   25.3.(A) / 26.3.(B) / 28.3.(B) / 04.4.(C) /

-Black-faced Waxbill   25.3.(A) / 30.3.(B) /

-Black-headed Heron   27.3.(B) /

-Black-shouldered Kite   26.3.(B) /

-Black-throated Canary   24.3.(B) / 27.3.(C) /

-Black Cuckoo   25.3.(A) / 28.3.(A) / 29.3.(B) /

-Blacksmith Lapwing   26.3.(B) / 27.3.(B) / 29.3.(B) / 31.3.(C) / 04.4.(B)(C) /

-Blue Waxbill   22.3.(A) /

-Bokmakierie   02.4.(D) /

-Brown-crowned Tchagra   24.3.(B) / 30.3.(A)(B) /

-Brubru   25.3.(A) / 30.3.(D) / 02.4.(D) /

-Burchell’s Starling   29.3.(A)(B) /

-Cape Cormorant   31.3.(C) / 01.4.(C) /

-Cape Crow   26.3.(B) / 27.3.(B)(C) / 01.4.(D) /

-Cape Eagle-Owl   03.4.(A) /

-Cape Glossy Starling   24.3.(A)(B) / 26.3.(B) / 27.3.(B)(C) / 29.3.(A)(B) / 30.3.(B)(C) / 31.3.(B) / 02.4.(D) /

-Cape Sparrow   31.3.(B)(C) / 02.4.(B) /

-Cape Teal   31.3.(C) / 04.4.(C) /

-Cape Turtle-Dove   24.3.(B) / 26.3.(C) / 27.3.(B) / 29.3.(B) / 30.3.(B)(C) / 31.3.(B) / 02.4.(D) /

-Cape Wagtail   24.3.(A)(B) / 26.3.(B) / 31.3.(C)(D) / 01.4.(C) / 03.4.(A) / 04.4.(C) /

-Capped Wheatear   28.3.(B) /

-Cardinal Woodpecker   04.4.(C) /

-Caspian Tern   01.4.(C) /

-Cattle Egret   27.3.(B) / 01.4.(C) /

-*Chestnut Weaver   27.3.(C) / 30.3.(B)*(C) /

-Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark   28.3.(B) / 01.4.(D) / 02.4.(A)(D) / 04.4.(B) /

-Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler   24.3.(B) / 03.4.(A) / 04.4.(C) /

-Cinnamon-breasted Bunting   29.3.(B) /

-Common Fiscal   26.3.(A) / 27.3.(B) / 29.3.(A) / 02.4.(B)(D) /

-Common House-Martin   25.3.(A) /

-Common Moorhen   25.3.(A) / 29.3.(B) / 31.3.(C) /

-Common Ostrich   24.3.(B) / 28.3.(B) / 30.3.(C) / 01.4.(D) / 02.4.(A)(B) / 04.4.(C) /

-Common Quail   03.4.(A) /

-Common Sandpiper   31.3.(C) / 01.4.(C) /

-Common Scimitarbill   24.3.(B) /

-Common Swift   27.3.(B) / 02.4.(C) /

-Common Tern   31.3.(C) / 01.4.(C) /

-Common Waxbill   31.3.(C) /

-Common Whimbrel   01.4.(C) /

-Crimson-breasted Shrike   24.3.(B) / 30.3.(D) / 04.4.(C) /

-Crowned Lapwing   28.3.(B) / 29.3.(B) /

-Curlew Sandpiper   01.4.(C) /

-Damara Hornbill   29.3.(B) /

-*Desert Cisticola   *25.3.(A) /

-Diderick Cuckoo   24.3.(B) / 26.3.(B) / 27.3.(B) / 04.4.(C) /

-Double-banded Courser   27.3.(B) /

-Dusky Sunbird   25.3.(A) / 27.3.(B) / 29.3.(B) / 30.3.(B) / 31.3.(B) / 01.4.(E) / 02.4.(C) /

-Egyptian Goose   26.3.(B) / 27.3.(B) / 30.3.(D) / 31.3.(C) / 04.4.(C) /

-European Bee-eater   27.3.(B)(C) /

-Familiar Chat   27.3.(C) / 29.3.(B) / 01.4.(E) / 02.4.(B) / 06.4.(A) /

-Fawn-coloured Lark   27.3.(B) /

-Fork-tailed Drongo   24.3.(B) / 27.3.(B) / 29.3.(A)(B) / 30.3.(B) / 04.4.(C) /

-Freckled Nightjar   24.3.(B) / 31.3.(A) /

-Gabar Goshawk   29.3.(A) /

-Golden-breasted Bunting   24.3.(B) / 27.3.(C) /

-Great Sparrow   24.3.(B) / 27.3.(B) / 29.3.(B) /

-Great Spotted Cuckoo   25.3.(A) / 29.3.(B) /

-Great White Pelican   26.3.(B) / 31.3.(C) / 01.4.(C) /

-Greater Flamingo   01.4.(C) /

-Greater Kestrel   28.3.(B) /

-Greater Striped Swallow   24.3.(B) / 01.4.(E) / 04.4.(C) /

-Green-backed Heron   25.3.(A) /

-Grey-backed Camaroptera   25.3.(A) / 26.3.(C) / 30.3.(B) /

-Grey-backed Sparrowlark   28.3.(B) / 31.3.(B) / 01.4.(D) / 02.4.(A)(D) / 04.4.(B) /

-Grey-headed Gull   31.3.(C) /

-Grey Go-away-bird   24.3.(B) / 26.3.(B)(C) / 29.3.(A)(B) / 30.3.(B) / 04.4.(C) /

-Grey Heron   01.4.(C) / 04.4.(C) /

-Grey Plover   01.4.(C) /

-Groundscraper Thrush   29.3.(B) /

-Hartlaub’s Gull   31.3.(C) / 01.4.(C) /

-Helmeted Guineafowl   26.3.(A)(B) / 27.3.(B)(C) / 29.3.(A)(B) / 01.4.(E) / 04.4.(C) /

-House Sparrow   26.3.(B) / 29.3.(B) / 31.3.(B) / 01.4.(A)(B) /

-Jacobin Cuckoo   25.3.(A) / 29.3.(A) /

-Kalahari Scrub-Robin   24.3.(B) / 30.3.(B) / 31.3.(B) / 03.4.(A) / 06.4.(A) /

-Kelp Gull   31.3.(C) / 01.4.(C) /

-Klaas’s Cuckoo   01.4.(E) /

-Kori Bustard   27.3.(B) /

-*Lappet-faced Vulture   27.3.(B) / 02.4.(B)*(D) /  /

-Lark-like Bunting   01.4.(D)(E) / 02.4.(B) /

-Laughing Dove   27.3.(B) / 29.3.(A)(B) / 30.3.(C) / 31.3.(B) / 01.4.(E) / 04.4.(C) /

-Lesser Flamingo   31.3.(C) / 01.4.(C) /

-Lesser Grey Shrike   24.3.(B) / 27.3.(B) / 29.3.(A) / 30.3.(B) / 02.4.(D)

-Lesser Masked-Weaver   30.3.(A)(C) /

-Lesser Striped Swallow   27.3.(C) /

-Lesser Swamp-Warbler   26.3.(B) /

-Levaillant’s Cuckoo   25.3.(A) /

-Lilac-breasted Roller   26.3.(A) / 28.3.(B) / 29.3.(A)(B) / 31.3.(B) / 04.4.(B) /

-Little Egret   31.3.(C) /

-Little Grebe   25.3.(A) / 31.3.(C) /

-Little Sparrowhawk   27.3.(B) /

-Little Swift   22.3.(A) / 24.3.(B) / 26.3.(B) / 29.3.(B) / 30.3.(B) / 31.3.(B) /

-Long-billed Crombec   25.3.(A) /

-Long-billed Pipit   03.4.(A) /

-Long-tailed Paradise-Whydah   30.3.(B) /

-Marabou Stork   28.3.(B) /

-Marico Flycatcher   24.3.(B) / 27.3.(B) /

-Marico Sunbird   25.3.(A) / 29.3.(B) / 04.4.(C) /

-Monotonous Lark   28.3.(B) / 29.3.(A) / 30.3.(D) /

-Monteiro Hornbill   30.3.(B)(D) / 31.3.(B) /

-Mountain Wheatear   24.3.(B) / 01.4.(D) / 02.4.(C)(D) /

-Namaqua Dove   25.3.(A) / 29.3.(B) / 30.3.(B) / 01.4.(E) /

-Namaqua Sandgrouse   03.4.(A) / 04.4.(B) /

-Northern Black Korhaan   24.3.(B) / 27.3.(B) / 04.4.(B) /

-Orange River Francolin   24.3.(B) /

-Pale-winged Starling   24.3.(B) / 30.3.(C) / 01.4.(E) /

-Pearl-breasted Swallow   28.2.(B) /

-Pearl-spotted Owlet   25.3.(A) / 27.3.(A) / 29.3.(B) /

-Pied Crow   22.3.(A) / 27.3.(B) / 01.4.(D) / 02.4.(B) /

-Pririt Batis   25.3.(A) / 27.3.(C) / 29.3.(B) / 30.3.(C) / 01.4.(E) / 04.4.(C) /

-Purple Roller   25.3.(A)(B) / 29.3.(B) /

-Pygmy Falcon   02.4.(D) /

-Rattling Cisticola   24.3.(A) /

-Red-backed Shrike   25.3.(A) / 27.3.(C) /

-Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver   25.3.(A) / 26.3.(B) / 29.3.(A)(B) /

-Red-billed Hornbill   27.3.(C) /

-Red-billed Spurfowl   24.3.(A) / 26.3.(B) / 29.3.(A)(B) / 04.4.(A)(C) / 06.4.(A) /

-Red-billed Teal   04.4.(C) /

-Red-breasted Swallow   27.3.(B) /

-Red-crested Korhaan   24.3.(B) / 27.3.(A)(B) / 29.3.(B) / 06.4.(A) /

-Red-faced Mousebird   25.3.(A) /

-Red-headed Finch   22.3.(A) / 24.3.(B) / 28.3.(B) / 03.4.(A) /

-Red-knobbed Coot   31.3.(C) /

-Rock Kestrel   25.3.(A) / 31.3.(B) / 01.4.(D)(E) / 04.4.(B) /

-Rock Martin   24.3.(B) / 26.3.(B) / 27.3.(B)(C) / 29.3.(B) / 01.4.(E) / 02.4.(C) / 04.4.(C) /

-Rockrunner   25.3.(A) / 29.3.(B) /

-Rosy-faced Lovebird   30.3.(C) / 02.4.(D) / 04.4.(C) / 06.4.(A) /

-Ruddy Turnstone   01.4.(C) /

-Rüppell’s Parrot   29.3.(B) /

-Rufous-eared Warbler   02.4.(D) /

-Rufous-naped Lark   25.2.(A) /

-Sabota Lark   24.3.(B) / 27.3.(B) / 30.3.(A)(B) / 31.3.(B) / 02.4.(D) /

-Sanderling   01.4.(C) /

-*Scaly-feathered Finch   *22.3.(A) / 24.3.(B) / 02.4.(B) / 03.4.(A) / 06.4.(A) /

-Scarlet-chested Sunbird   24.3.(B) /

-*Secretarybird   27.3.(B) /

-Shaft-tailed Whydah   25.3.(A) / 26.3.(B) / 29.3.(A) / 30.3.(B) / 31.3.(B) /

-Sociable Weaver   27.3.(B) / 01.4.(D) / 02.4.(D) /

-South African Shelduck   31.3.(C) /

-Southern Grey-headed Sparrow   24.3.(B) / 27.3.(B) / 29.3.(B) / 30.3.(C) / 04.4.(C) /

-Southern Masked-Weaver   22.3.(A) / 24.3 (B) / 26.3.(B) / 27.3.(B) / 01.4.(A)(E) / 04.4.(C) /

-Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk   24.3.(A)(B) / 26.3.(B) / 27.3.(B) / 29.3.(A) / 31.3.(B) / 02.4.(A)(B) /

-*Southern Pied Babbler   25.3.(A) / 29.3.(B) / *06.4.(A) /

-Southern Red Bishop   26.3.(A) /

-Southern White-faced Scops-Owl   30.3.(A) /

-Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill   24.3.(B) / 27.3.(C) / 28.3.(B) / 29.3.(A)(B) / 30.3.(B) /

-Speckled Pigeon   30.3.(A) / 01.4.(E) / 02.4.(C) / 04.4.(C) /

-Spike-heeled Lark   25.3.(A) /

-Spotted Eagle-Owl   24.3.(B) /

-Steppe Buzzard   25.3.(A) /

-Swallow-tailed Bee-eater   25.3.(A) / 27.3.(C) / 29.3.(B) / 30.3.(B)(C) / 01.4.(E) /

-Swainson’s Spurfowl   30.3.(D) /

-Tawny Eagle   25.3.(A) / 29.3.(A) /

-Temminck’s Courser   28.3.(B) /

-Three-banded Plover   27.3.(B) / 29.3.(B) / 31.3.(C) /

-Tractrac Chat   02.4.(D) /

-Violet Wood-Hoopoe   29.3.(B) /

-Violet-backed Starling   27.3.(C) /

-White-backed Mousebird   24.3.(B) / 01.4.(E) /

-*White-backed Vulture   24.3.*(B) / 27.3.(B) /

-White-breasted Cormorant   26.3.(B) / 01.4.(C) /

-White-browed Sparrow-Weaver   24.3.(A)(B) / 26.3.(B) / 27.3.(B)(C) / 29.3.(A)(B) / 30.3.(B)(C) / 31.3.(B) / 01.4.(E) / 04.4.(C) /

-White-rumped Swift   22.3.(A) / 25.3(A) / 31.3.(B) /

-White-tailed Shrike   30.3.(B) /

-White-throated Canary   03.4.(A) /

-White-throated Swallow   28.3.(B) /

-Yellow Canary   24.3.(B) /

-Yellow-billed Egret   28.3.(B) /

Total number of species identified:

185

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)