A very windy, hazy, disappointing day. Although the netting site is sheltered, the birds were very much absent. Perhaps due as much to the amount of dust in the air as the wind. Even large birds were rarely seen overhead. The sum total for our five hours in the field was 4 new and 2 retrapped birds. AS & CL did also go with a member of the park staff (who became the first person to make use of the first aid kit due to a thorn that went under a nail) to clear vegetation from around the leaking water tank across the road.
A potty solution to ring storage!
Day 7.
A much better day, in fact there were more birds from the first round than the entirety of the 14th. The morning provided a real mix that included several Village and Black-necked Weavers, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Grey-headed Bristlebill and Senegal Coucal in the 31 new birds.
AS with Senegal Coucal
MS with Grey-headed Bristlebill
Grey-headed Bristlebill
After a brief stop in the hottest part of the day, we set two nets at the water tanks where a leak has flooded the track to a nearby village and formed a temporary pond. We did a further 25, mostly various doves to finish the day on 56. Trainees took two nets down independently with no mishaps.
Day 8.
With the option of switching to the tank pond we started at the lodge, then switched to the pond when catching slowed between 9 & 10am. Bird numbers failed to reach 30 but there were some nice species all the same.
Immature female Didric Cuckoo
Immature female Common Wattle-eye
AJ & MS set a net by the pond at water tanks.
AS & BM set a second 9m, 5 panel net.
The water tanks
In the afternoon the Eco-lodge nets were open for the last 90 minutes of the day. Only four birds were caught and Western Red-billed Hornbill was a new bird for us.
Day 9.
There was no ringing today. Chris and I travelled to Kartong, hoping to see the Carmine Bee-eaters, but failed as we didn't walk quite far enough along the beach. We did, however see some stunning birds, some not usually present around the immediate area where we're staying.
Abyssinian Roller
Palmnut Vulture
African wattled Plovers
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in juvenile plumage
We also took the opportunity to check out a couple of locations that we may use for ringing in the coming weeks. In the evening we took a torch and walked a short distance from the lodge, finding two Long-tailed Nightjar.
Day 10.
A another very windy day with a lot of dust hanging in the air. The birds had quietened right down by 10am and only 14 birds were caught, but that did include two new species.
Black-crowned Tchagra
Adult female Northern Puffback
Common Wattle-eye male
An outing to Tujereng wetlands, although one small pond and some muddy patches were the last vestiges of any water that the area once held. However, that did at least mean that the crocodiles have moved out. Windy conditions were again against us, but we did catch a few birds ranging in size from Red-eyed Dove to Variable Sunbird.