Need confirmation but we think that this is a Green sandpiper – seen this morning at the Darvill Sewerage Works outside Pietermaritzburg. Note the prominent eye-ring with no supercillium behind the eye (not a Wood Sandpiper); the barring on its tail; the lack of a white shoulder patch (thus not a Common Sandpiper); the dark back with white speckling faintly visible. When it took off the rump only was white (not up the back) and there was distinct barring on the end of its tail.
Peter Steyn has asked me to share photos of a raptor taken on the Kafue River at Mayukuyuku Safari Camp on 13 August 2014 because he is not certain about it. The co-ordinates to the safari camp are: S 14 deg 57.2′ E 26 deg 02.4′.
Some points are:
It was buzzard-size, like a JB. I thought it was a buzzard but according to some maps there are no buzzards there. Peter has excluded buzzard.
It seemed to stick to the riverine area, as though that was its natural habitat.
The “feathering” on the legs is very fine and almost absent.
Some feathers on the nape and towards the crown have distinctive marks on.
I think there was barring on top of the tail. I did not detect a white rump.
The whitish feathers on the sides of the head and neck seem notable.
Please click on the photos below to enlarge them. Leave your comments beneath the photos at the end of the post.
Help please to try to identify the following raptor seen over Mount Moreland from the King Shaka airport – Durban. Photos taken from a mur of a long way a way.
Unidentified species seen at Hilton College NR which eluded all our attempts to get a great sighting. Full grey head to just below the eye, white throat, greeny-yellow stomach and green back. Anyone got any ideas? If so please have your say below this post. The closest we came to identifying the bird was that it could be a Bar-throated Apalis without the bar or a KarooEremomela way out of range.
Unknown Species. The beak points down just to the left of the green leaf. It’s eye can be seen just behind the twig running across its face.
Please help with ID of these two sets of Sunbirds. Both sent to me by a resident of Le Domaine here in Hillcrest, Durban.
Click on the picture and add your comments below the enlarged Photo.
The First set:
The Second set:
The first 2 pictures in this sequence were taken on 4th April and the last one on the 19th April. Looking up at what? Scouring above could yield no clues – maybe you have an idea?
Please enter your ID for each bird with reasoning by clicking on the image and writing your comments in the box below the enlarged image.
The following 4 birds were seen in the Satara area in March.
Greater Blue-eared Starling?
Cuckoo – which juvenile/female is this?
Cuckoo – which juvenile/female is this?
Common or African Cuckoo?
Common or African Cuckoo?
Common or African Cuckoo?
Common or African Cuckoo?
Grey-headed Sparrow but which one?
The birds below were seen at Lake St Bernard above the St Bernard Peak Hotel, just south of Underberg – a Chat? or….. what?. it was seen in the company of another Chat – second picture below.
Have your say. Identify each of the sunbirds in the following photos. All seen in Hillcrest, Durban. When you enlarge each photo there is a box below it where you should write that bird’s ID.
Even with Faansie Peacocks LBJ book I have doubts on a number of LBJ’s.
Could we post these on our website for comment from folk in the know please. To reply please add your comments at the end of this post or on the photos as you enlarge them.
While birding at the Eston Sugar Mill ponds this week I focussed a little on the LBJ’s skulking in the dense water grass just above water level. Three of these have me doubting my labelling them with certainty.
These are:
Mystery Bird No. 1
Mystery Bird No. 1
1. Two photo’s of a warbler at the waters edge, very elusive, and moving in amongst the broad leafed water grass and sedges. My thinking, with it’s very distinctive white / cream circled eye, steep crown at times and dark legs is that it could be:
a. Marsh Warbler – the habitat at waters edge in broad leafed vegetation; its steep crown seem to say yes, but it does not have yellow legs.
b. African Reed Warbler – but lacks dark stripe from eye to beak. The habitat is right. Many of the photo’s on Roberts Multi-media of this bird lack the dark stripe. (This is my 1st choice)
c. Lesser Swamp Warbler – but lacks conspicuous white eye brow.
d. Why not a Eurasian reed warbler?
2. The next photo (753) below is of a warbler which was with another bird which had awesome clear distinct markings and which I ID’d as a Sedge Warbler (no photo unfortunately). Both birds were together. Could this photo attached be the same but just drab?
Mystery Bird No. 2.
3. And finally, photo 766 below has light coloured legs, a white eye brow and distinct stripes on breast. Not too many warblers have striped breasts.
Could it be:
a. Lesser Swamp Warbler
b. Marsh Warbler
c. A Cisticola???
One of the residents at le Domaine – Di Wayne, took the following photo of a mystery duck seen on the property. The photo was taken 7 years ago and I thought it might still be of interest to our followers.
Sally and I have puzzled over its ID and believe it to be a female Wood Duck – native to North America.
Help required to identify the bird in the following picture taken in Cumberland Private Nature Reserve (near Pietermaritzburg) this past weekend. We thought it was a flycatcher but the rufous wings puzzle us. Very like a Common Whitethroat?
This guy was perched on a termite mound in fairly dense woodland near Crocodile bridge in KNP in December this year. I would like to hear opinions as to ID. My first thoughts were Wahlbergs Eagle and did not unfortunately take any side view pics. On closer examination the bird does show characteristics of a young Lesser Spotted Eagle (brown eyes) in the whitish patches on the upper wings, no crest evident and fairly “stovepipe” leggings. Perhaps other members can throw some light.
Waders have always been a problem for me and some should be classified as LBJ’s.
Will it be possible please for readers to assist with positive ID’s for the following with reasons.
I believe is a Common Sandpiper but then what is the bird on the next Slide?
Its beak appears to curl upwards. The photo is very poor quality.
Slide 6: This should be a common Cattle Egret with both beak and legs yellow BUT it was a single bird mixing with gulls, plovers, terns etc with all the above which seemed unusual.
All the above photos were taken at the Umgeni River mouth this past week.
Slide 7: An LBJ at Nshongweni – any takers??
Slide 8: An Eagle just on Hella Hella side of Richmond. (an immature female Jackal Buzzard??)
Slide 9 and 10:
A Canary also just outside Richmond. The “grey” neck is I think what is throwing me with an ID.
Attached are pictures of a juvenile sunbird resting on our deck at Le Domaine, Hillcrest. It sat there for quite a while (at least 5 minutes). I initially thought that it had flown into the glass door or window and had injured itself as it sat very still and hardly moved allowing us to get very close for a good photo opportunity.
When I attempted to try and pick it up it flew away with a little cheep call.
The size is around 10/11cm and with a yellow gape we thought that it could be either a juvenile White-bellied or a Greater Double-collared Sunbird, which are the most common at Le Domaine. The Amethyst being a lot larger at 14 cm. The width of the wooden boards in the photos are 7 cm – giving you a good size comparison.
Juvenile Sunbird Resting on deckJuvenile Sunbird Resting on deck
Looking forward to your comments. Enter them below this post please.
These photo’s, taken in our Gillitts property this week, I think is an African Wood-Owl (perhaps immature) because of the dark eyes and also the yellow bill and feet BUT it lacks the dark crown and general dark head surround. My second guess would be the Marsh Owl but beak and feet are not black. Please can someone ID for me positively. It is residing on our property and usually keeps fairly low (+/- 1 to 2 metres from ground level.)
Mystery Owl – GillittsMystery Owl – Gillitts
Please enter your opinion in Comments below. Your reasoning would be most valuable.
