White headed Buffalo Weaver - Dinemelia dinemelli
I am not paying enough attention to finches in Africa because they are too difficult. It is no surprise that I have g'dozens of Storks, Herons, Hornbills and even Pelicans but have bounced off the finches a touch. Four things I should do. Write down the names of what I photograph in a book in the field. Re-identifying a yellow and green bird or just brown bird two weeks later amongst 4,000 photos is impossible. Also I could declare nothing larger than a pigeon day - my promises of walking the camp on safari for the small stuff never materialised as I was happily watching the view, editing photos or just drinking a beer every siesta time. It also would be useful to have a record of what I do have photos of with me - on at least two occasions I have given up on a photo in the belief I have a pre-existing record only to discover that I don't ! I should also be a bit tougher about stopping the van until I have the photo I want - even if it is a small brown bird. That would be hard on the kids though and they do very well.
These weavers escaped the purgatory of the "don't know" file or Misfits as its handily called by stepping up and adopting a very natty plumage altogether. Its smart, its unmistakeable - its the kind of small bird we like on Daily Bird. That great big finches bill must be for cracking quite tough seeds and nuts - they look almost Hornfinch like. They were generally ground feeding and then swept away up into the Acacias as we approached.
Its Sunday and the start of a new work week so I am going to dip the longer post in view of just cranking out the numbers. I will try and post up a longer post about a bird and then do a piece on elephants this week. I am saving up some gorgeous big cat pictures and stories. I still haven't waded through the hundreds of pictures of some of the moments and wittled them down to the Ibook few.
I can see 300 approaching ! Another retrospective top 10 or perhaps even 15 now ?? A few broken promises about making 1,000 before I am 50. I have 3 more weekends before I am going back to the UK for 10 days to see family and to catch up with some stuff in our London office. I am wondering whether I can fit in a "Summer Special". A 48 hour silly flight with nothing but a change of pants and the long lens. It will soon be the rugby season and the family will back so I might have a think about a quick trip. The ideal is something an hours taxi drive away from an airport - that makes life doable with a overnight or late night flight. Is it still raining in India ?? I have my leach socks though. I have just come off Malarone ! The idea of sticky birding in 45 degree heat here just does not appeal. I will sort something out but in the meantime I have a fair few Ruaha pictures to post up - and of course the UK to look foward to which is an overseas birding destination for me although August is not the best unless you are on a wader scrape. Takes dedication this world birding lark. Sri Lanka appeals, Ethiopia appeals, Uganda, Burma - It would really be a 60 hour Summer Special though.
Time for the pool !
White-heaed Buffalo Weaver, Dinemellia dinemelli
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
29 June - 5 July 2013
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