Ringing on Tuti

For a while now I have been wanting to start a project to study Cinnamon Weavers. A few months ago I received some rings (bands) and I hope to start in earnest when the Cinnamon weavers are back in breeding plumage at my one known nest site at Wad Medani (they were not in breeding plumage when I visited with Terry on May 11th). Part of my study involves determining how to identify females and males when they are in non-breeding plumage, so for this reason I need to compare them with close relatives. Last weekend I went out to Tuti to try and net some birds at one of the Northern Masked Weaver colonies. I had some success in catching 7 birds (4 males and 3 females), plus a few other species, including Little Bee-eater, Plain Martin, Common Bulbul and House Sparrow.

 Little Bee-eater, Tuti Island 25th May 2013

Little Bee-eater, Tuti Island 25th May 2013

Plain Martin, Tuti Island 25th May 2013

Common Bulbul, Tuti Island 25th May 2013

House Sparrow, Tuti Island 25th May 2013

I was able to get plenty of measurements of the weavers; concentrating on things like bill structure, as I have the impression that Cinnamon Weavers may have slightly larger bills than Northern Masked Weavers. Female Northern Masked Weavers are supposed to have a dark eye, but I have seen several individuals with pale eyes, including one of the birds caught at Tuti (see below). However, I have the impression that Cinnamon Weavers may have pale eyes more frequently, though this will need further investigation. I also wish to determine whether age affects eye colour as in many other species.

Male Northern Masked Weaver showing its leg ring that can be read in the field,

 Tuti Island 25th May 2013

 Male Northern Masked Weaver, Tuti Island 25th May 2013

 Female Northern Masked Weaver with a pale eye, Tuti Island 25th May 2013

Female northern Masked Weaver with a dark eye, Tuti Island 25th May 2013

I have also been recording various feather and wing measurements, such as the wing formulae, which compares the lengths of each primary feather with the longest feathers. One good criterion for identification of birds in the hand is the structure of the primary feathers, such as which are emarginated (have a narrowing on the outer web) and which are notched (have a narrowing on the inner web). Unfortunately, this does not appear to be a useful feature for separating Northern Masked and Cinnamon Weavers, as all of the Northern Masked Weavers were emarginated on the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th primaries (using the British numbering system that counts the short outermost primary as number 1) and I have a photo of a Cinnamon Weaver stretching its wing that shows exactly the same pattern of emargination.

Northern Masked Weaver wing, Tuti Island 25th May 2013

 Cinnamon Weaver wing, Wad Medani October 2012

The Red Sea Resort

This is a slightly late report of a trip I made with my family to the Red Sea Resort, just north of Port Sudan, between 3rd and 5th of May. Unfortunately, I do not have internet access at home, so it is proving very difficult to keep up to date with this blog. I did not have my own transport available (we flew up from Khartoum and were picked up from the airport by the resort), so all my birding was in and around the resort itself. There were good birds present in the lagoon beside the chalets, including several Crab Plovers, which seemed to be paired up in scattered locations, suggesting local breeding. There were lots of Kentish Plovers and several small young were seen running on the mud. There were far fewer waders present than during my previous visit at the end of October, but there were still plenty of Terek Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones and a few Spotted Redshanks.

Crab Plover, Red Sea Resort 3rd May 2013

 There were some Saunder's Terns around and one bird was seen passing a fish to another, again suggesting breeding.There were also a few Lesser Crested Terns, a Gull-billed Tern and a couple of Caspian Terns. I also saw a couple of Sooty Gulls. other water birds included a Striated Heron, some western Reef herons, and a couple of Greater Flamingos.

 

Saunder's Terns, Red Sea Resort 3rd May 2013

There were plenty of other birds to look at around the resort itself, including House Crows, Brown-necked ravens, big flocks of African Silverbills, Namaqua Doves, European Bee-eaters, Black-crowned Sparrow-Larks, several Ospreys, and a fly-over Marsh Harrier.

 

Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Red Sea Resort 3rd May 2013

 

Osprey, Red Sea Resort 3rd May 2013

Namaqua Dove, Red Sea Resort 3rd May 2013

Some of the best birding was in the acacia scrub a short walk back up towards the main coastal highway. last time I saw a couple of Rosy-patched Bush-Shrikes, but this time they were very vocal and singing from the tops of the bushes, making them much easier to see.

Rosy-patched Bush-Shrike, Red Sea Resort 3rd May 2013

I know that Eurasian Collared Doves have been expanding their range into north Africa, but they have yet to be reported in Sudan. I kept a close look-out, as this would be the most likely place for them to arrive. All the birds I saw were clearly African Collared doves, as told by the white belly and vent.

African Collared Dove, Red Sea Resort 3rd May 2013

I have seen Ruppell's Weavers breeding up in the Red Sea Hills at Arkowit, but never in the coastal lowlands, so it was nice to find this colony. The ones in Arkowit had many nests in a single tree, whereas the ones here were more widely spaced, with two or three in each clump of trees.

Ruppell's  Weaver at nest, Red Sea Resort 3rd May 2013

Quite a few groups of Chestnut-bellied Sandgrous were seen flying over and on two occasions I flushed a bird up from the ground in front of me. On one of these occasions I was able to find the nest and take photographs, and I assume the other one was also nesting.

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse nest, Red Sea Resort 3rd May 2013

A few migrants were still moving trough, such as Sand Martins, Barn Swallows, Red-rumped Swallows, Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters. There was also a willow warbler and a Golden Oriole. It was not clear whether the Masked Shrikes and Southern Grey Shrike were local birds or migrants. A Greater Hoopoe-Lark was another nice bird in this area.

Exhibition of bird photos in Khartoum

I look forward to seeing the exhibition of bird photos by Julie Dewilde starting at Universal Cafe tomorrow. It will be running until April 25th and it will be possible to buy photos at the exhibition. Unfortunately, Julie will be leaving Khartoum soon to start some bird survey work in Canada. I have enjoyed birding with her around Khartoum and reading her trip reports from further afield. I'm sure we all wish her the best of luck with the exhibition and with her new job in Canada. I include a map of the Amarat district of Khartoum showing the location of Universal Cafe for those that don't know it. There is a tiny sign outside in the shape of a tea cup, so it is not easy to find unless you are looking. For those that have not been before, it is a cafe and restaurant with good quality Italian (mainly) food. It has a nice garden and is a major hang-out for expats.

Birdwatching near Al Dabaseen Bridge - By Julie Dewilde

On the 30^th of November, I went back to the al Dabbaseen bridge, a place I found very interesting when I visited it in may. I went there in the late afternoon. The Nile was a bit higher than last time : the herbaceous islands where i could obsevre ibises, egrets, ducks, were still under water, but yet there were a nice bird activity in the area, especially for waterbirds with a lot of waders, ducks and terns. Some species were the same than in may, and new ones were observed.

There were still a lot of ethiopian swallows and palm swifts flyng above the bridge.

All around the bridge (north and south) I could observe great egrets, a group of grey herons, one black-headed heron, some european spoonbills, black-winged stilt and little egrets and severals groups of black-tailed godwits.

About 100 little stint were counted in the area, and a lot of kittlitz and kentish plovers, lying and resting on the ground : their plumage was incredibly cryptic and we had to walk on them, so they moved, to notice them.

Cryptic plovers

Several common sandpipers, marsh sandpipers, common greenshanks, common ringed plovers, egyptian plovers and ruffs were also observed.

Of special interest for me were one terek sandpiper and a group of  7 pied avocets , both of them were my first ones in khartoum, although I was not here during all the wintertime last year.

Terek Sandpiper

Avocets and other waders

Regarding the terns, there were a few whiskered terns and white-winged tern, some caspian terns as well and a lot of gull-billed terns (more than 200 counted)

As for the ducks, a lot of northern shovellers, some eurasion wigeon and some northern pintail. A lot of ducks could be observed in the middle of the Nile but too far to be identified without a telescope.

Wigeon

Shovelers

I could also observe a couple of great cormorants flying which surprised me as I was more expecting white-breasted cormorants.

Great Cormorants

List of birds observed :

-       spur-winged lapwing : 30

-       great egrets : 2

-       grey herons : 43

-       black-headed heron : 1

-       european spoonbills : 4

-       black-winged stilt : 20

-       little egret : 5

-       black-tailed godwit : 50

-       little stint : 100

-       terek sandpiper : 1

-       common ringed plover : 2

-       kittlitz plover : 50

-       kentish plovers : 15

-       common sand piper : 3

-       marsh sandpipers : 3

-       common greenshank : 20

-       egyptian plovers : 6

-       pied avocet : 7

-       ruffs : 3

-       gull-billed terns : 200

-       whiskered terns : 1

-       white-winged terns : 2

-       caspian terns : 5

-       great cormorants : 2

-       eurasian wigeon : 14

-       northern pintail : 5

-       northern shoveller : 70

The day after, I went back to the same place at the same period of the day, with a group of french ornithologists : Jean-Yves, Pierre, Olivier and Clemence equipped with telescopes.

Besides the species above, we could observe a lanner falcon, common teals, and ospreys.

On the Nile, through the telescope, we could observe a large gull which really looked like a caspian gull, unfortunately too far to be identified  100% and too far to get a picture.

In the telescope again, in the middle of the nile, we could observe a few dark diving ducks identified as ferruginous ducks.

In my opinion, this place looks really interesting to visit on a regular way. It is at this same place, last year, I could observe my first hottentot teals.

Aba Island - By Julie Dewilde

Late report about trip in Aba Island

On the 15^th of November, I went with Laurent, to Aba Island north of Kosti, for camping and some birdwatching.

We decided to camp at the north end of the island : GPS : 13°22.677’ N ; 32°36.011’E.

On the Nile side of the road, it was a swampy herbaceous area, where birds were hiding, and on the other side, cultivated areas with some flooded fields. The road was protected by a small embankment.

View of the site

On the way to the north of the island, I observed a collared pratincole flying, a great egret, some squacco herons, a lot of sand martins, and some ethiopian swallows, some cattle egrets and only one abyssinian roller.

While birding in the north, in the early morning, I could observe several (about ten) white-winged terns, a few long-tailed cormorants, some purple herons, one black-headed heron and a lot of squacco herons and of course the usual spur-winged lapwings. Of special interest for water birds were a couple of long-toed lapwings that I have only seen before last january around kosti area as well. I could unfortunately only get thus blurry photo

Long-toed lapwings

There were also big colony of barn swallows chasing insects above the herbaceous swamps, and colony of northern masked weavers together with red bishops.

There were some yellow wagtails and white wagtails and a lot of shrikes : southern grey shrikes, isabelline shrikes and woodchat shrikes, probably also some lesser grey shrikes which may have been confused with southern grey shrikes from far. Some bee-eaters obsered as well : blue-cheeked and little green bee-eaters.

Woodchat Shrike

As for birds of prey, I observed several marsh harriers above the swamps and one black shouldered kite

Black-shouldered Kite

List of birds observed in the north of aba island :

-       white winged terns : ≈ 10

-       long-tailed cormorants : 5

-       great egret :1

-       purple heron : 6

-       black-headed heron : 1

-       cattle egret : 5

-       squacco herons : ≈ 30

-       spur-winged lapwing : 5

-       long-toed lapwing : 2

-       pied kingfisher : 5

-       yellow wagtail : 5

-       white wagtails : 2

-       southern grey shrike : 5

-       woodchat shrikes : 4

-       isabelline shrikes : 6

-       northern masked weaver : ≈ 30

-       red bishop : 5

-       blue-naped mousebird : 4

-       white-browed coucal : 1

-       little green bee-eater : 1

-       blue-vheeked bee-eater : 2

-       marsh harrier : 5

-       black-shouldered kite : 1

-       ethiopian swallows, barn swallows, sand martins, mourning doves, namaqa dove, laughing dove, zitting cisticolas

On the way back to khartoum, we stopped to observe a maya very rich in waterbirds. Unfortunately, they were very far and it was impossible without a telescope to be able to observe all of them.

But among them, we could see : 6 grey herons, a group of about 80 european spoonbills , among them 5 african spoonbills, 15 spur-winged lapwings, 10 sacred ibises, about 30 glossy ibises, 1 great egret, 3 curlews, 5 common grenshanks, 10 common sandpipers, a lot of little stint (more then 100) kentish plovers, and kittlitz plovers, a few caspian plovers, 6 black-winged stilt, a group of more than 200 ruffs, 2 wood sandpipers, 4 marsh sandpipers, about 60 gull-biled terns, 1 ospreys and some barn swallows.

Much more were too far to be identified

This maya was really interesting and i was a bit frustrated not to have a telescope. It worth a stop.

Spoonbills

Wadres

Info on movements of Steppe Eagles through Sudan

A recent blog on Rob Tovey's excellent site 'Birding for a Lark' has some information on the movement of Steppe Eagles through Sudan. He has reproduced some information from a recent publication in British Birds showing how birds tracked using satellites were found to cross from Arabia over the straits of Hormuz in the Autumn, then head back to the Red Sea coast and then north to cross back via the Sinai in the spring.
Back in February 2011 Mark Mallalieu posted his sightings of Steppe Eagles moving northwards near Juba in South Sudan, which seems to fit this pattern, as they were heading northwest towards the Red Sea coast (Steppe Eagles on the Move).

Tom

Quieter this week at the Sunt Forest

I visited the Sunt Forest again this week, with Terry and Chris Wood. There were still plenty of birds about, but certainly fewer that last week. This was particularly the case on the shallow pools beside the road near where you enter, where numbers were much less. One explanation might be that as the White Nile falls it exposes more mud, providing more suitable habitat for waders to feed, though there may be other explanations. The only bird of note on the pools was a Common Redshank; an uncommon species inland in Sudan and not seen the previous week. Other species were similar to last week, though generally in smaller numbers, though 28 Senegal Thick-knees was probably slightly more than on our last visit.

Black-tailed Godwits, Spotted Redshanks, Gargany, Spur-winged Lapwings and 

Yellow Wagtail, Sunt Forest

The forest was drier, allowing us to approach the birds on the flooded fields on the far side more easily. The water now reached up to the edge of the forest allowing us to approach quite closely while still partly concealed. We had seen a few Spotted Redshanks here last week, but this time there was a group of about 30 birds feeding together in a close flock. There were also about 150 Black-tailed Godwits, a few other wader species, and about 50 ducks, including Eurasian Wigeon, Gargany, Common Teal, Northern Pintail, and Northern Shoveler.  Once again, there was little on offer in the forest, though we did have our first sighting here of a couple of African Grey Hornbills. Another notable sighting was of a couple of African Skimmers that flew past along the edge of the river.