Weekly Photo Challenge: H2O of Life

We are approaching the end of the dry season here and have the odd storm – but water still remains scarce away from the Lake. This summer we have had constructed a bird bath, comprising a wheel hub, pole and some metal prongs it resembles a hat stand but the bind lid sitting upon the prongs reveals it’s true purpose. It took several weeks to attract it’s first customers but is now in use by birds of all sizes including the Yellow-billed Black Kites which swoop in for a drink.

Other birds include house sparrows, yellow-vented bulbuls, african thrushes and red-billed fire finches, a grey-headed kingfisher- all seeking H2O

Weekly Photo Challenge: (Saturday) Morning (Tanzania)

A contribution to this week’s photo challenge : Morning

A typical Saturday Morning in Tanzania involves a pot of fresh brewed coffee in a Cafetière – sat on the Verandah and watching the birdlife.

Red-chested Sunbird

Grey-backed Camaroptera

Spotted Morning Thrush

Purple Grenadier

Black-headed Gonolek

White-browed Robin-chat

I’ll Miss…. The Birdlife

Term’s over, school’s out and soon we’ll be out of Africa.

Not for ever ….. but for a couple months whilst we return to the UK. Here is a short series on some of the things I’ll miss whilst we’re gone.

It may not be a surprise to those who follow this blog regularly that the birdlife has been a major part of the experience here. You can find out more by clicking on the link below and working forward. A Bird a Day in June

Red-chested Sunbird

Variable Sunbird

Laughing Dove

Lilac Breasted Roller

Klaas’s Cuckoo

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater

Swamp Flycatcher

Grey-headed Kingfisher

Green-winged Pytillia

Spectacled Weaver

Yellow-billed Black Kite

Speckled Mousebird

White Browed Robin Chat (Orange)

Scarlet-chested Sunbird

Black-headed Gonolek

Marabou Stork

Eastern-grey Plantain Eater

Hadada Ibes

Pied Kingfisher

Little Egret

Bronze Mannikin

Grey-capped Warbler

Mourning Doves

Red Bishop

Purple Grenadier

Redbilled Firefinch

Speckled Pigeon

African Thrush

African Paradise Flycatcher

Spotted Morning Thrush

House Sparrows

White Throated Bee-eater

Grey-backed Camaroptera

Dimorphic Egret

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu

Pied Crow

 

A Bird A Day (The ones that got away) – Day 35 : House Sparrow

Day 35 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Sadly there weren’t enough days in June – so here are some of the birds which got away. This is an apt one to finish with – a regular visitor we never expected to see here in Tanzania.

House Sparrow

House Sparrows

Other Sparrows

A Bird A Day (The ones that got away) – Day 32 : Speckled Pigeon

Day 32 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Sadly there weren’t enough days in June – so here are some of the birds which got away. This is a recent visitor to our garden but is found widely locally

Speckled Pigeon

Speckled Pigeon

 

African Green Pigeon 

This one is not local but found in along the Indian Ocean coast.

 

A Bird a Day in June: Day 30 – Bronze Mannikin

Day 30 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden including this one.

Bronze Mannikin

A Bird a Day in June: Day 29 – Southern Red Bishop

Day 29 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden – but this one is not but from close by.

Southern Red Bishop

Red Bishop

A Bird a Day in June: Day 28 – Black-backed Puffback

Day 28 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden including this one.

Black-backed Puffback

A Bird a Day in June: Day 27 -Northern Carmine Bee-eater

Day 27 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden – but this is the another one from elsewhere in Tanzania and further afield.

Northern Carmine Bee-eater

Other Bee-eaters

White Throated Bee-eater

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater

Weekly Photo Challenge: (Feathered) Partners

A submission to this week’s photo challenge: Partners this one focus on the birds seen in our garden – part of my bird a day in June series

Mourning Doves

A Bird a Day in June: Day 26 – Red-billed Firefinch

Day 26 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden – this in one of them

Red-billed Firefinch

Red-billed Firefinch

Female Red-billed Firefinch

Red Billed Firefinch

Redbilled Firefinch

Firefinch (Red)

Firefinch

Red-billed Firefinch

A Bird a Day in June: Day 25 – Swamp Flycatcher

Day 25 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden – but this one is not but from close by.

Swamp Flycatcher

A Bird a Day in June: Day 24 – African Mourning Dove

Day 24 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden.

African Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove and White Bellied Canary

Mourning Doves

Other Doves – Laughing Dove / Red-eyed Dove / Ring Necked Dove

A Bird a Day in June: Day 23 – Lilac Breasted Roller

Day 23 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden – but this is the first one from elsewhere in Tanzania.

Lilac Breasted Roller

Lilac Breated Roller

Lilac Breasted Roller

Roller Close Up

Roller Landing

Close Up 2 Roller

A Bird a Day in June: Day 22 – Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo

Day 22

of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden – this was a very rare visitor indeed.

Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo

Other Cuckoos- Klaas Cuckoo

Klaas’s Cuckoo

 

A Bird a Day in June: Day 21 – African Thrush

Day 21 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden.

African Thrush

African Thrush

African Thrush

A Bird a Day in June: Day 20 – Nubian Woodpecker

Day 20 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden – this was a one time visitor.

Nubian Woodpecker

A Bird a Day in June: Day 19 – Grey-backed Camaroptera

Day 19 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden including this one. This is quite elusive – so difficult to photograph.

Grey-backed Camaroptera

Grey-backed Camaroptera

A Bird a Day in June: Day 18 – Speckled Mousebird

Day 18 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden including this one.

Speckled Mousebird

Speckled Mousebird

A Bird a Day in June: Day 17 – Yellow Vented (Common) Bulbul

Day 17 of a series illustrating some of the fantastic birds we see here on Lake Victoria and across Tanzania. Many of these are seen in our garden including this one.

Yellow Vented (Common) Bulbul

Common Bulbuls