Hellos all.
I thought you might be interested in some news from Amani in
Am here running a Tropical Biology Association course but it is also great to be here for some good birding. The whether has been very cold and dull generally and this has certainly affected bird densities; numbers are very low and it is very possible most have moved to the lowlands where is warmer. At a mist netting session this morning we caught some very nice birds (see below). We are caught a Cabanis Greenbul with ring number A76300. The ring had badly eaten into the leg; the distal was very swollen and the toes was turned dark-blue. We inevitably removed the ring and hope the bird recovers. Otherwise, some of the special species seen so far include:
Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird
Amani Sunbird - in the nearby farmlands
Crowned Eagle - daily sighting
Southern Banded Snake Eagle
Fischer's Turaco
Trumpeter Hornbill
Fischers Greenbul (caught one and got a photo- attached)
Kenrick Starling
Forest Batis (caught a female)
Ashy Flycatcher
Orange Ground Thrush (caught one in the nets)
Red-tailed Ant-thrush
Red-faced Crimsonwing – caught 2; the female looked very like in Fanshawe than in Zimmerman: with wide clear pale eye-ring going into the lore area
White Chested Alethe – caught 2 individuals
Other fairly common species I have recorded include Olive (very common), Purple-banded, Collard and Variable Sunbirds, African Harrier Hawk (near daily sighting), Long-crested Eagle, Africa Goshawk (Mistnetted 2 (one adult and juvenile)), Palm nut vulture, African Green Pigeon, Little and, African Palm Swifts, Wire-tailed Swallow, Black Saw-wing, Speckled Mousebird, Brown-hooded Kingfisher (very common), Silvery-checked Hornbills (last year there were hundreds around and now only a few can be seen around even from roost in the morning), Green and, White-eared Barbets, Mountain and African Pied Wagtails, Common Bulbul, Cabanis and Little Greenbuls, Black-headed Oriole, White-naped Raven, Common and Square-tailed Drongos, African Dusky Flycatcher, White-browed Robin Chat, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Spectacled and Baglafecht Weavers, Black-and-white
Mannikin, and Africa Citril
Happy birding
Kuria