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Saturday, September 6, 2014

Spring 2014 Birding continued

As a follow-up to this morning's post here are the rest of the birds seen in Mwadui earlier this week.

On the way to New Alhamisi Dam, we spotted our first Dik-dik of the season! 
Dik-dik

On the road through the bush seperating us from the dam on our right, we saw a flurry in the grass near the road. 

Green-winged Pytilia (Melba Finch) 

And on the bank above the dam, we saw this common, but pretty dove:
Namaqua Dove (Male) 

Driving along the dam wall now, with the water on our left, we were blessed with many sightings of water birds.
 A small flock of Hamerkop

Hamerkop
African Jacana and juvenile

The African Jacana is a rich chestnut bird with a white next and yellow upper breast. Its contrasting black-and-white head highlights the blue frontal shield. The Jacana has very long legs and extremely long toes and nails that enable it to walk on floating vegetation. The female is the larger, dominant sex; male incubates and cares for the young. The juvenile is paler with a white belly. It lacks the blue frontal shield (See above)
 African Jacana with Red-knobbed Coot 

African Sacred Ibis (Juvenile)

The African Sacred Ibis is a large ibis with a heavy, decurved black bill. The adult's head is naked, wrinkled and black. Its feathers are black with white wings that are also black-tipped. The juvenile white-feathered neck (see above) and slightly grey cast to white plumage. 

 Yellow-billed Stork  (juvenile) resting with Hamerkop nearby

The Yellow-billed Stork juvenile is brownish above and washed with grey-brown below, becoming white with age. The stork near the Hamerkop is juvenile with the one on the far side a little older, but not yet an adult - an intermediate bird.
Reed (Long-tailed Cormorant)

Leaving the dam wall, we drove along the bush road once more. Grant stopped for me to photograph a common bird in the area. 
Yellow-billed Kite

Grant dropped me at home and as I walked into our yard, a lizard scurried up a large tree root.
 Agama Lizard (Breeding Male)

I'm linking this post to Saturday Critters with Eileen which you can access by clicking here




16 comments:

  1. That lizard is hilarious. It looks like it has pyjamas on.It sure is colourful like all African animals. The water birds are all interesting too. The ibis and cormorant look the same as ours.

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  2. all so awesome! the storks are cool. i was intrigued by the hamerkop!

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  3. What a beatiful finch and dove, both unknown to me. The lizard is gorgeous, so colourful.
    Regards from Portugal.

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  4. Very neat coloring on the lizard!

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  5. thanks for all the birds and critters. i love the exotic names of your birds, or at least they sound exotic to me... the stork is so different than ours but the same as is the ibis....

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  6. What a wonderful collection of birds, critters and such a colorful lizard!!! Thanks for sharing, Jo! Hope you have a great new week!

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  7. Fantastic sightings! Love the dik dik and the last colorful lizard.

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  8. I really like the colouring of the Melba Finch and Agama lizard. The cormorant sure does have a long tail!

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  9. I love the lizard shot as well as the storks.

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  10. Great shots - that place is teeming with wildlife!

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  11. Wonderful shots of the dik dik and the birds. Love the long legs and thick bill of the hamerkop.
    The lizard is awesome. It looks like Spiderman in disguise.

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  12. Jo, wonderful series of birds and critters. I love all the pretty birds, they are all awesome! The lizard is cool too! Awesome sightings! Enjoy your weekend and thank you for linking up!

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  13. That was one totally full day of birding. Love the brilliant Agama too.

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  14. Great looking birds - the Hammerkop is a very strange looking bird!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  15. Lots of interesting critters again. I love the handsome lizard.

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  16. Interesting set of birds, most unfamiliar to me.

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Thank you for visiting my blog and taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate your feedback. Jo