Ben Wilhelmi

Birds in Tanzania, feeding d'Arnaud's barbet.

 

 

When one spends so many days in various camps or lodges one might as well develop a liking for birds. 1388 species in east Africa, 900 in Tanzania...birding activity can keep someone busy.

With the rains there has been a renewed activity, for instance in our Ruaha River Lodge, Ruaha national park. One of those many days meandering between the hills, nose up, binoculars and big lens handy, I spotted this d'Arnaud's barbet. I had initially thought he would eat its "olive" on the spot but no, it landed next to a narrow deep hole and climbed it down.

 

It reappeared quickly, see the tail over the hole, flew off and soon after it was back... this time with a big praying mantis in its beak. Quite a feat.

 

...this time with a big praying mantis in its beak. Quite a feat.

Back to that hole, again it climbed it down instead of dropping the prize.

 

 

Eyeing me briefly, I was standing in the shade of a tree.

 

 

Sadly I missed the take off picture... Quite a bright colorful bird nevertheless

Birds, Tanzania

 

Northern carmine bee-eaters (guêpier écarlate). Those magnificent birds enjoy a car moving through mud and fly around like frenzy to catch the insects that were disturbed.

 

African pardise flycatcher (tchitrec d’Afrique)

 

Goliath heron( héron goliath)

 

Below is a Broad-billed roller (rolle violet) at work in the camp pool.

 

 

The same at rest.

 

An ox-pecker (piqueboeuf) leaves its feeding station.

Birds in Tanzania

 

Hamerkop on take off with a prized fish, late afternoon(ombrette)

 

A pied kingfisher comes out of the water after an impressive dive (alcyon pie). A white-crowned lapwing (vanneau à tête blanche) pretends he is not interested.

 

Fish eagle (pygargue à tête blanche)

 

Pelican.

 

Lucky with these 2 lesser-striped swallows (hirondelle striée) emerging together from the water after a low dive.

 

Beautiful sunbird (souimanga à longue queue)

 

Saddle-billed stork (tantale ibis)

 

This used to be a red-billed hornbill (calao à bec rouge) but lately it has been decided there was a specific species for Ruaha, and the name Ruaha is added.

 

Saddle-billed storks fighting for a fish in the beak of the flying one.

Birds, Tanzania

 

Pied kingfishers hover a few seconds, then dive vertically in water for fish. It took me a while but finally I had a great day last week and got a few of them in action, like this diver here just emerging from the river. (alcyon pie ou martin-pêcheur pie)

 

African spoonbill (spatule africaine), a rare bird with a flat beak.

 

African pied wagtails, 2 young females and one young male haha (bergeronnette pie)

 

Rare beauty, a northern carmine bee-eater (guêpier écartalate)

 

More common tough hard to get a picture in flight, they’re so quick so I’m reasonably happy with this picture. Little bee-eater (guêpier nain)

 

Yellow-throated longclaw (sentinelle à gorge jaune)

 

 

Red-billed oxpeckers (piqueboeuf à bec rouge) singing on what appears to be a rock. Well I guess I was victim of target obsession as described in the air force because that rock was just a sleepy hippo and placid, lucky for me since I was on foot only 20m away...dumb me. With my spine tingling big time I humbly moved back. Too much focus on the birds and voilà.

 

Another picture I’m really pleased with. This African skimmer (bec-en-ciseaux d’Afrique) does that fishing exercise on a few dozens meters with a stunning stability all the time but never too close, at least on that river. Except that time, it did its impressive feat 20m in front of me! The muscles on the neck must so strong. I couldn’t do that with my aircraft (nose wheel type that is, tail wheel aircraft can skim with their main wheels).

 

The same skimmer at a usual distance. I didn’t notice the crocodile till I opened the picture on the computer! Target obsession again.

Some colorful birds, Tanzania

 

A red-cheeked cordon-bleu (Un cordonbleu à joues rouges)

 

Egyptian goose with goslings (une oie égyptiennes avce des oisons.)

 

A red-billed oxpecker for once not busy on some hippo’s back cleaning the wounds (un piqueboeuf à bec rouge)

 

A green-winged pytilia under the morning sun (un beaumarquet melba)

 

A female African paradise-flycatcher. I’m still waiting to catch the male which has a longer tail, by 20cm (un tchitrec d’Afrique)

 

The spectacular African skimmers fishing, a unique feat I bet. Fascinating to watch as a pilot( des bec-en-ciseaux d’Afrique)

 

Yellow-collared lovebirds (des inséparables masqués)

 

Fluffy neck for this African harrier-hawk (un gymnogène d’Afrique)

Birds in Tanzania

 

Brown-hooded kingfisher (martin-pêcheur à tête brune)

 

A rare spotting for me, a northern carmine bee-eater (guêpier écarlate)

 

Rüppell’s griffon vulture on a low flight (vautour de Rüppell)

 

Bad picture but for the show, a bee-eater (guêpier) comes out of the water, unsuccessful catch

 

Golden-backed weaver (tisserin à dos d’or)

 

That African scops-owl has chosen to sleep in that same spot which is just over a path in our camp (un petit-duc africain)

 

Fish eagle (pygargue à tête blanche)

 

The same speckle-fronted weaver (sporopipe quadrillé! Tudieu les noms parfois!)