Afternoon tea on the Kit river

Last Sunday 6th March two friends and I went out from Juba across the bridge over the White Nile some 15 kms to the Kit river, a tributary. The river is dry apart from a few pools, but as always around Juba there were plenty of birds in evidence. A pair of Red-necked Falcons just about edged out Northern Carmine Bee-eaters as birds of the day.

Red-necked Falcon

Brown Snake-Eagle was a good bird to see - the species is rated by Nikolaus as uncommon.

Brown Snake-Eagle

I was also able to obtain decent views of Black-winged Red Bishops. The two photos below are followed by two of Northern Red Bishop taken recently (the photo of the male showing signs of breeding plumage was taken at Tuti Island, Khartoum, on 23rd February - the Tuti birds must come into breeding plumage earlier than the Juba birds). The bigger bill, larger size and longer tail of Black-winged Red Bishop can be seen - and when this species flies, the black wings are obvious.

Black-winged Red Bishop

Black-winged Red Bishop

Northern Red Bishop, Juba, February 2011

Male Northern Red Bishop, Khartoum, February 2011

Late afternoon tea under an acacia was most enjoyable, especially when a male Pallid Harrier, en route back to the Asian Steppe, landed in a tree 40 metres away (record shot only, below).

Male Pallid Harrier