Bulletin 353 - South Africa 2020 #7 - Shorebirds, rails

I was enchanted with my first visit to Africa in November 2018 and so I scheduled another trip with the same guide Casper Badenhorst. As we had done the eastern part of the country from Durban to Kruger NP, we went to the Capetown area and the famous fynbos habitat.

The western Cape region is a semi desert. You may have read last year that Capetown was suffering from a multi-year drought and was on water rationing with the possibility of no fresh water at all. Fortunately they got some rain and refilled the reservoirs. But it is on the coast, so along with a wetland outside the city, many shorebirds can be found.

The best sandpiper was the 12" African Snipe (Gallinago nigripennis). This long billed, normally secretive bird, was in a marshy puddle beside the road. The guide said it was outstanding to see it in the open about 5 meters from the car. The guide is finally starting to believe how lucky I am when go birding.  Hahhaha. Another lifer for me. All snipes are exciting to find.

African Snipe

Several migrants from Europe were present as well. The whimbrel was finally split into 2 species. The 17"  Eurasian Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) has a striped head and down curved bill. It has a white back that is not seen on this photo, I actually had photographed this bird in Galveston many years ago, before the split, when an astute birder realized this was the European species. The white back is easily seen. FYI the whimbrel in North America is now called the Hudsonian Whimbrel.

Eurasian Whimbrel

The 10"  Ruff (Calidris pugnax) is an uncommonn vagrant in the lower 48 states, although it breeds in Alaska. 

Ruff - non breeding

The 5.5" Little Stint (Calidris minuta) shown here in winter plumage is the reason I use a guide as I would never know which species this is.

Little Stint - winter

In the plover family, I finally got some close up of the African endemics. The 5" Kittlitz's Plover (Charadius pecuarius) has a black ring aroiund the head and in breeding a chestnut breast. This bird in molting into the breeding plumage and some color can be seen on his chest.

Kittlitz's Plover

The 6.5" White-fronted Plover (Charadius marginatus) is perfectly camouflaged on the beach.

White-fronted Plover

The 17" African Oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini) is all black with the typical long red bill of oystercatchers. This bird was a lifer for me.

African Oystercatcher

In the wetland along with the ducks we saw 2 weeks ago were members of the rail family. By driving on the dikes between ponds and taking photos out the window, I got my best photos of these species.

The 13" Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is a gray and brown bodied bird with a short bicolored bill.

Common Mooorhen

The 17" Red-knobbed Coot (Fulca cristata) is a typical gray colored coot with white bill and shield. He really does have 2 small red knobs on the top of the shield. I cannot imagine the purpose of those knobs. This is an endemic bird in Africa.

Red-knobbed Coot

The last was a lifer as well. It is the 18" African Swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis). This is similar to our Purple Gallinule, but it is much larger and has a red bill and shield. 

African Swamphen

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 50 of the 93 species of sandpipers

I have photos of 29 of the 67 species of  plovers and lapwings

I have photos of 4 of the 11 species of  oystercatchers

I have photos of 18 of the 138 species of  rails, coots, gallinules

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2020 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 324 - South Africa #1 - part 2 - Plovers, Sandpipers, Jacana and Mongooses

Continued from Part 1 

We also saw 5 sandpipers close enough to photograph. They were all in non-breeding plumage as they were migrants from Eurasia. Without the guide, I would not have been able to ID the birds. The 9" Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) was a life bird for me.

Marsh Sandpiper

The 8" Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) is IDed by the yellow base of the bill. 

Wood Sandpiper

The 12" Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) as the name implies has greenish legs.

Common Greenshank

The 8" Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) has yellow legs, a white shoulder patch and bobs when he walks. When we first saw the bird on a boat ride, he was standing on the back of a hippo, but the hippo submerged and he jumped onto a branch.

Common Sandpiper

Lastly is another lifer, the 5" Little Stint (Calidris minuta). The book says this is the most common of the small sandpipers in southern Africa.

Little Stint

After these dull sandpipers, the colorful African Jacana (Actophilornis africanus) was a nice change. We saw several of the on the trip. It is an easy ID with the blue bill and shield on the forehead and long legs. It is endemic to Africa and another lifer.

African Jacana

Among mammals, I was surprised that we found 4 species of mongoose. All of them are native to Africa. The first was the Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo). It is gray and brown with darker bands across the back of the animal. We saw several of these.

Banded Mongoose

The next one was the Slender Mongoose (Galerella sanguinea). It ran across the road and stopped on a log to look at us. It is yellowish in color. This was the only one of the species that we encountered.

Slender Mongoose

We saw 2 of the Yellow Mongoose (Cynictis penicillata). The first ran into his burrow before I could take a photo, but this one stood up to look around.

Yellow Mongoose

The last one is the Suricate (Suricata suricatta). It is also known as the Meerkat. You have probably seen groups of Meekats on TV shows all standing up.

Suricate
AKA Meerkat

I have put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 24 of the 67 species of plovers

I have photos of 46 of the 93 species of sandpipers

I have photos of 4 of the 8 species of jacanas

I have photos of 5 of the 35 species of mongooses



Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2018 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.