Back to the Pivots

Week 24; 15 June 2019 - Pivot Fields

I had a fantastic and hectic 5-days in Ethiopia racking up 206 species with 65 lifers and many endemics seen. That along with great scenery and a few new mammals including Ethiopian Wolf on Sanetti Plateau, Gelada Baboon and confiding Black and White Colobus Monkey's.

With not many options available, it was a reality check going back to the Pivots after being at altitude for most of last week.

One of the Pivot Fields

Today I was solo and through the gate at 6am and just headed straight to the pool. With the intense summer heat, the big pool has almost evaporated and should be gone in the next week or so. The smaller pool with reed habitat, looks like it is still retaining it's water. Black-winged Stilt is still the most abundant species

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

Caspian Reed Warblers

Caspian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus s. fuscus)

Love the reed framing the Warbler in this image

And Indian Reed Warbler were quite vocal to start, but didn't take long to quieten down and head back into the reeds

Singing Indian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus s. brunnescens)

This morning, only one Sedge Warbler was seen

Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)

Again, while patiently waiting and sweating for birds to show themselves, I entertained myself with the Darters, using my 600mm as a 'macro'

Darter sp,

Darter sp.

Not much else was around, so I retreated to my Blazer and some AC and did a circuit around the farm. This was productive, as I found Steppe Buzzard

Steppe Buzzard (Buteo b. vulpinus)

Six juvenile Cream-coloured Courser

Juvenile Cream-coloured Courser (Cursorius cursor)

a dark phase Booted Eagle

Dark phase Booted Eagle (Aquila pennata)

and an Isabelline Wheatear with what seems to be a deformed upper mandible

Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina)

I had 30 species in just over 2-hours which was encouraging for this time of year