The Theme of The Week for this week is.."The Bogey Bird, the one that kept getting away from the camera.."

You can submit your photos in either the Trekkie's Forums or in the relevant GBT Flickr Group Discussion . Remember a winner is selected each month end. 

Chinspot Batis8527 by jackie.during, on Flickr

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COMMON POTOO BY JOSE IVAN CANO MARIN

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ABOUT THE PHOTO...

"Dragoncito / Little Dragon" - Nyctibius griseus
Location: COLOMBIA, CE Los Andes, 1300 masl, near to Manizales (Caldas)
ARALCAL™ The Coffee Forest
www.aralcal.org

ABOUT THE BIRD SPECIES...

The Common Potoo, Grey Potoo or Lesser Potoo (Nyctibius griseus), is a nocturnal bird which breeds in tropical Central and South America from Nicaragua to northern Argentina and northern Uruguay. The Northern Potoo (N. jamaicensis) was formerly classified as a subspecies of this species.

This potoo is a large cypselomorph bird related to the nightjars and frogmouths.

It is a resident breeder in open woodlands and savannah.

This nocturnal insectivore hunts from a perch like a shrike or flycatcher.

Source; Wikipedia

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INDIAN RUFOUS TREEPIE BY SANDEEP

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ABOUT THE PHOTO...

This photo was taken on August 5, 2012 in Kannur, Kerala, INDIA.

ABOUT THE BIRD SPECIES...

The Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) is a treepie, native to the Indian Subcontinent and adjoining parts of Southeast Asia. 

It is found commonly in open scrub, agricultural areas, forests as well as urban gardens. 

The Rufous Treepie is an arboreal omnivore feeding almost completely in trees on fruits, seeds, invertebrates, small reptiles and the eggs and young of birds; it has also been known to take flesh from recently killed carcasses. 

The breeding season in India is April to June. The nest is built in trees and bushes and is usually a shallow platform. There are usually 3-5 eggs laid.

Source; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufous_Treepie

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YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR VOTE IN THE COMMENT BOX HERE, OR IN THE GLOBALBIRDTREKKERS FLICKR DISCUSSION.

#1 LESSER FLAMINGO BY PEET VAN SCHALKWYK

#2 CUT-THROAT FINCH BY ELAINE FISHER

#3 SOUTHERN RED BISHOP BY ROBERT WIENAND

#4 DOWNY WOODPECKER BY DAVID WHITE

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CONGRATULATIONS TO JAY STOTTS FOR WINNING THE JULY 2012 THEME OF THE WEEK CONTEST!!

GREBE BY JAY STOTTS

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KLAAS'S CUCKOO BY PEET VAN SCHALKWYK

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ABOUT THE PHOTO...

Taken in Sabie Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

ABOUT THE BIRD SPECIES...

The Klaas's Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx klaas) is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. It is found in Angola , Benin , Botswana , Burkina Faso , Burundi , Cameroon , Central African Republic , Chad , Republic of the Congo , Democratic Republic of the Congo , Ivory Coast , Equatorial Guinea , Eritrea , Ethiopia , Gabon , Gambia , Ghana , Guinea , Guinea-Bissau , Kenya , Liberia , Malawi , Mali , Mauritania , Mozambique , Namibia , Nigeria , Rwanda , São Tomé and Príncipe , Senegal , Sierra Leone , Somalia , South Africa , Sudan , Swaziland , Tanzania , Togo , Uganda , Yemen , Zambia , and Zimbabwe .

Source: Wikipedia

Mainly insectivorous, specializing in butterflies and caterpillars.

It is a brood parasite, meaning that it lays its eggs in other birds nests.

Source: Biodiversity Explorer

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WILLOW OR ALDER FLYCATCHER BY LARRY DE WITT

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ABOUT THE PHOTO...

Larry says...

Haley Farm State Park,
Southeastern, Connecticut USA
Found more info: Up until 1975 the Willow and Alder Flycatcher was called the Trail's Flycatcher. They are all most identical but there song is different.

ABOUT THE BIRD SPECIES...

 Scientists are just catching up to the Alder Flycatcher. Based largely on differences between songs, the Alder was separated out as a species from the nearly identical Willow Flycatcher in 1973.

With 63% of its breeding population in Canada's boreal region, the Alder Flycatcher's future depends on the wise management of the great northern forests and their wetlands.

With the same basic appearance as other members of its genus, the Alder Flycatcher is difficult to identify, even under good conditions. Certainty depends on plumage, habitat, and voice.

Source: Audubon

The Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) is a small insect-eating bird of the tyrant flycatcher family.

At one time, this bird and the Alder Flycatcher were considered to be a single species, Traill's Flycatcher.

This bird competes for habitat with the Alder Flycatcher where their ranges overlap. The southwestern subspecies of this bird, (E. t. extimus) is declining due to habitat loss and is considered to be endangered. The San Pedro River Preserve was purchased by the Nature Conservancy to preserve habitat for this subspecies.

Source: Wikipedia

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE APRIL 2012 THEME OF THE WEEK WINNER, JAY STOTTS WITH HIS BEAUTIFUL PHOTO OF A BELTED KINGFISHER!

#4 BELTED KINGFISHER BY JAY STOTTS

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NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL  CHICKS BY TRISH SWEETT

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ABOUT THE PHOTO...

Trish says...

Ron & I drove to Beaumont Alberta and met up with Corey and Richard "The Owl Guys" www.flickr.com/photos/richarddmann/collections/7215762568....
We had a chance to meet some really cool owls. Thanks guys , it was awesome!! The saw-whet owlets are so fricken cute!!

ABOUT THE BIRD SPECIES...

They can weigh from 54 to 151 g (1.9 to 5.3 oz) with an average of around 80 g (2.8 oz), making them one of the smallest owls in North America. In relative size to other owls they are close to the size of an American Robin.

The Northern Saw-Whet Owl makes a repeated tooting whistle sound.

Their habitat is coniferous forests, sometimes mixed or deciduous woods, across North America. 

They mainly eat small organisms with a focus on small mammals in their diet. In a test done by Swengel and Swengel they found that the Northern Saw-Whet Owls most often eat deer mice, 67% and voles, 16% of the time in Wisconsin. In a similar test done by Holt and Leroux in Montana found that these owls ate more voles than other mammal species.

Source: Wikipedia

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SNOWY-BROWED FLYCATHCER BY DANIEL RUYLE

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ABOUT THE PHOTO...

Daniel says...

Taken on March 13, 2012 on Angka Nature Trail at the summit of Doi Inthanon, the tallest mountain in Thailand, famous for its variety of birds.
Camera: D700
400mm
ISO 3200
f/4.0
1/320 sec

I caught a glimpse of this bird on my first visit to the trail, but it retreated into the forest before I could get a shot. A couple days later, I returned hoping to see it again. Although I found Green-tailed Sunbirds, Rufous-winged Fulvettas, Chestnut-crowned Laughing Thrushes, White-browed Shortwings, Dark-backed Sibia, Ashy-throated Warblers, etc., I caught no sight of this little flycatcher until I started heading back. I was happy that it didn't flit away so soon this time!

ABOUT THE BIRD SPECIES...

The food of the Snowy-browed Flycatcher consists mainly of small insects, spiders, small earthworms and some berries.  It searches for food at the lower levels of forest edges and clearings, and may run mouse-like over the ground in undergrowth and along fallen branches.  It often flicks its tail and holds its wings slightly drooped but may also sit motionless on a perch for long periods.  Outside the breeding season, this species is usually solitary.  Its quiet song consists of three or four wheezy high-pitched notes, “tsit-sit-si-sii”

The nest is a cup or oval with a side entrance made from moss, fine plant fibres and feathers, and is built by both sexes.  It is usually placed in a hole in a tree trunk or stump, or on the ground in a hollow between tree roots or boulders.  Both sexes incubate the 2 to 4 eggs and feed the young.

Source: Birding in Taiwan

The Snowy-browed Flycatcher (Ficedula hyperythra) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.

It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Source: Wikipedia

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 Raptor Quest, March 2012

Some casual birders probably have a romanticised view of birding for a living, in terms of being a birding tour leader anyway. It’s good fun for the most part, but does involve a lot of hard work. Try getting 12 individual birders onto each bird seen, explaining branch-by-branch how to move up the tree to find the bird – after explaining tree-by-tree how to find the right tree, that is. Then do that 990 times in 13 days… After doing birding safari upon birding safari, one doesn’t quite get bored or ‘gat vol’, or fed up, as our wonderful South African saying goes, but it’s still nice to set little challenges to keep things interesting.

On my last safari, from 4^th to 16^th March, I laid down the challenge of seeing more than 32 diurnal raptor species on the safari. This wasn’t an arbitrary figure, as Nic Squires (who was co-leader on this trip with me) and I had seen 32 raptors on a previous safari in March 2008, and in fact on a one-vehicle safari this February, of only seven days’ duration, I managed to see 31 raptors. So 32 seemed to be the figure to beat, and I informed my group of 12 UK birders at the start of the safari of my goal and soon had everyone keenly looking out for raptors.

On day one, on our way from Johannesburg to Dullstroom, we logged number one with a Black-shouldered Kite, a small rodent-hunting raptor common along the N4 Highway, where they hunt in the grassy verges and adjoining fields. Turning off the main road to Dullstroom onto a dirt road for some afternoon birding we saw two other common raptors, Steppe Buzzard and Amur Falcon, both visitors from Europe and Asia, with the Amur being the most abundant raptor of the trip. On day two, which we spent in the beautiful high-altitude grasslands of the Dullstroom region, we logged ten different raptors, including two endemics (Cape Vulture and Jackal Buzzard); the enigmatic Secretarybird; the ubiquitous African Fish Eagle, which has spread thanks to man’s damming of small rivers; Black-chested Snake-Eagle atop a electricity pylon near Tonteldoos; Long-crested Eagle, a hunter of the grassland / plantation edge; and the superb Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk with a fresh kill to finish off the day.

On day three, which took us from the highlands to the montane forest of the escarpment and on to the rocky crags of the Blyde River Canyon, we logged a further three species to take the total to 13, the highlight being a Black Sparrowhawk in flight over the canyon. On day four the list began to grow rapidly as we headed into the superb raptor country of the Kruger National Park. 7 new species were seen, the highlight of which was the Taita Falcon, South Africa’s rarest resident breeding bird. A pair of these bullet-like Falcons nest high above the road on the Abel Erasmus Pass, and on this occasion we got great in-flight views of one of the pair chasing Speckled Pigeons flying to and from their perches high on the iron-oxide stained cliffs. Day five took the list all the way up to 24 with five new species, including Martial Eagle, the Lion of the bird world; a massive ‘flock’ of several hundred eagles (most likely Steppe, Tawny and Lesser-spotted Eagles, though only the latter two were counted) circling over an enormous Red-billed Quealea nesting colony; both normal and melanistic forms of Gabar Goshawk; and Lesser Kestrels hovering over the Mavumbye Plains north-east of Satara Rest Camp. On day six we found all four savannah Vultures (White-backed, Hooded, Lappet-faced and White-headed Vultures) occupying the trees around a kill site, as well as African Hawk-Eagle (the Leopard of the bird world) and a superb male Montagu’s Harrier to take the list to within sight of the 30 species barrier. On day seven we recorded a sub-adult African Goshawk being mobbed by Bulbuls, Starlings and Puffbacks along the Sabie River and we saw the season’s last Yellow-billed Kite as we left Skukuza for Pretoriuskop. The Kite was the only new species for the day, showing the typical ‘decreasing marginal returns’ theory of birding. On day eight we bagged the two raptor specials for the broadleaf savannah around Pretoriuskop – Lizard Buzzard and Dark Chanting Goshawk, to level the score at 32, with five days still in hand. While sorting out luggage and getting settled into our chalets at Maguga Dam, Swaziland, in the late afternoon of day eight we recorded a couple of European Hobbies hawking insects overhead to push us into the lead at 33 species.

Day nine, a travelling day, didn’t bring any new species, while day 10, spent exploring Mkuze Game Reserve in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, delivered one of our ‘big three’ raptors in the form of an African Crowned Eagle in display high overhead. On the other end of the scale we had a brief view of a Little Sparrowhawk late in the afternoon to take us to 35 species, and at a marsh in the back country between Utrecht and Wakkerstroom we recorded African Marsh-Harrier to take us to a final total of 36 diurnal raptor species. Throw in the four Owl species (Pearl-spotted Owlet, African Scops-Owl, Verreaux’s and Spotted Eagle-Owls) and you have a sum total of 40 species of predatory birds seen on one safari!

All in all it was a very rewarding trip, with some superb bird species seen. The highlight for me was a massive flock of several thousand Amur Falcons gathering on the last afternoon of the trip in anticipation of their imminent departure for Asia via the Indian Sub-Continent. By any accounts 36 is a fantastic number of raptors, representing more than 10% of the total number of birds seen on the trip. I’m looking forward to my next late-summer safari to see if 36 can be beaten!

Below is a slideshow of a few of the species seen (though the photographs are from my archives, except the Amur Falcon, which was take in Wakkerstroom on the safari).

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NORTHERN HARRIER BY CINDY HANSEN

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About the photo...

 Taken 14 March 20102, using a Nikon D90.

A bout the bird species...

The Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) or Northern Harrier (in North America) is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA, and in northern Eurasia. This species is polytypic, with two subspecies. 

The female gives a whistled piih-eh when receiving food from the male, and her alarm call is chit-it-it-it-it-et-it. The male calls chek-chek-chek, with a more bouncing chuk-uk-uk-uk during his display flight

This medium-sized raptor breeds on moorland, bogs and (in Europe) farmland. The nest is on the ground. 

This is a typical harrier, with long wings held in a shallow V in its low, contour-hugging, flight. Hen Harriers hunt small mammals and birds, surprising them as they drift low over fields and moors. This harrier tend to be a very vocal bird while it glides over its hunting ground

Source: Wikipedia

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People here is a wonderful opportunity being offered from Africa Geographic Expeditions along with our very own Vanga as a guide

The small landlocked nation of Malawi has to be one of the top birding destinations in Africa. Added to the diverse avian life is a wonderful blend of culture, wildlife and scenic landscapes that makes safe travelling through this country a pleasure. Malawi further affords incredible birding opportunities and is home to several Southern Rift endemics and many species restricted to south-central Africa.

A special 8-day trip has been put together for this December to explore the extraordinary montane area of Nyika National Park in the north of the country with its wide range of birding habitats, from miombo woodland, wetlands and montane forest pockets to high-altitude grasslands.  "Rolling, folding grass-covered country; deep in the heart of Africa and filled with animals of Africa, yet covered with the grasses, the flowers, the colours of Europe"...This is how Lauren’s Van der Post flamboyantly described the scenic splendour of the Nyika Plateau in his 1949 expedition to Malawi, documented in his book Venture to the Interior. Anyone visiting today will find that very little has changed. Three full days are available to explore the delights of Nyika. Notable summer grassland species present include Montane Widowbird, Blue Swallow (largest breeding population in Africa with around 300 pairs!), Black-lored and Churring Cisticola, Angola Swallow, White-headed Saw-wing, Hildebrandt’s Francolin, Mountain Yellow Warbler and Montagu’s Harrier. Other specialities include Augur Buzzard, Red-winged Francolin (endemic sub-species), Bar-tailed Trogon, Dusky Turtle Dove, Southern Mountain Greenbul, Chapin’s Apalis, Scarlet-tufted Sunbird, Moustached Tinkerbird, Fülleborn’s Black Boubou, White-chested Alethe, Rwenzori and Pennant-winged Nightjar, Malawi Batis, Wallers Starling, Tree Pipit, White-winged Black Tit, Jackson’s Pipit and Olive-flanked Robin-Chat to mention just a few! In miombo woodland areas of Nyika chances are very good in finding specials such as Rufous-bellied Tit, Souza’s Shrike, Collared Flycatcher, the stunning White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Pale-billed Hornbill, Woodland Pipit, Spotted Creeper, Whyte’s Barbet and Miombo Pied Barbet. Birding is interspersed with ample mammal viewing and photographic opportunities of impressive herds of eland and roan antelope, Crawshay’s zebra, bushbuck, bushpig, side-striped jackal, spotted hyaena, leopard, serval and even possibly elephant! In summer, the botany is an added highlight. Nyika is one of Africa’s hidden gems!

Nyika is not the only exciting birding destination on this trip however. We will also visit the Viphya Plateau – part of the second largest montane complex in Malawi. Although much of this region is commercial plantations there are still some wonderful tracts of miombo and mixed woodland as well as open wetlands and forest at Luwawa itself. The birding is extremely productive and target species are many here and include Short-winged Cisticola, Moustached Grass-Warbler, Evergreen Forest-Warbler, Bronzy Sunbird, Cabanis’s Bunting, Bertrand’s Weaver, Red-rumped Swallow, Eurasian Marsh Harrier and White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher.

After the heady heights of Nyika and the Viphya then travel down to the central lakeshore of one of Africa’s Great Lakes – Lake Malawi. Bird watching in lowland forest is very productive and can produce many new species on this itinerary. These could include Blue-spotted Wood-dove, East Coast Akalat, Narina Trogon, Green Twinspot, Palmnut Vulture, Green Malkoha, African Barred Owlet and African Broadbill. A juvenile Pel’s Fishing-Owl was even recently seen in the large trees of the lodge where we will be staying here! Snorkelling amongst the Lake’s equally famous cichlids is another possibility. Interesting mammals could include four-toed elephant shrew, mutable sun squirrel and samango monkey.

After the main trip an optional 5-day extension takes in the Zomba Plateau and the lush lowlands of Liwonde National Park. Zomba Mountain, a huge granite outcrop rising to over 2000 metres offers open mountain grassland, pristine forest and tranquil streams. Target species include Scarce Swift, Mountain Wagtail, European Blackcap and the highly localised White-winged Apalis and Tchyolo Alethe. Undoubtedly another top birding spot in Malawi, Liwonde’s wide range of habitat includes the languid Shire Rive with its extensive floodplains, deciduous thicket, riverine forest, seasonal wetlands and mopane woodland – over 350 bird species have been recorded here. The park simply abounds with specials including Lilian’s Lovebird, Brown-breasted Barbet, White-backed Night-Heron, Spur-winged Lapwing, Bat Hawk, Dickinson’s Kestrel, Pel’s Fishing-Owl, Gull-billed Tern, Speckle-throated Woodpecker, Collared Palm-thrush, Eastern Nicator, Bohm’s Bee-eater and Livingstone’s Flycatcher. There is even a shot at African Pitta depending on the rains!! This Park also boasts good mammal densities including healthy numbers of African elephant, waterbuck, sable antelope, buffalo and black rhino. Two full days are allocated to explore the tapestry of habitats and ecotones found here. Activities include walking, birding and game viewing drives in open 4X4 vehicles and boat trips on the Shire River itself.

Malawi is very different to birding other regions in Africa. Prices for this trip are also very reasonable considering where we are staying! Drop a mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for a detailed itinerary and prices. Group size is limited to six people only and three have confirmed already so space is rather limited! Hoping you can join us for this very special exploration of Malawi!

All photos and text by Martin Benadie

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