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Bare, a small village 10km south of Kibungo is turning into a really good birding spot. As well as the papyrus that is oozing warblers and gonoleks, there is some good woodland both on the edge of the swamp and on the hillsides, and today I walked further south right to the end of the peninsula where I found some woodland (I think brachystegia) which was teeming with birds, and provided me with 5 new species for my Rwanda list, including 3 lifers! 73 species confirmed today (in total 114 for Bare). Several more unconfirmed including 5 raptors that eluded identification.
The day began rather unpromisingly with heavy mist. Luckily it lifted slowly, and under the cool cloud cover the birds were quite active all morning. Papyrus Gonoleks and White-winged Warblers were calling down in the swamp, but I stayed on the hill, and was rewarded with lots of lovelies: 2 African Green Pigeons (only my 2nd record for Rwanda), 2 pairs of Eastern Black-headed Orioles and a family of Mackinnon's Shrikes. Then in the overgrown agricultural land: Fawn-breasted Waxbills, Green-winged Pytilias, Red-collared Widowbirds and Yellow Bishops all common. The first `nearly' raptor was a probable African Hawk Eagle passing low, but quickly, above my head. Soon after I disturbed a Common Buzzard waiting for the winds to pick up, the first of at least 10 seen today soaring up on the thermals, migrating north. 
PHOTO BY JASON ANDERSON
As I moved from the Eucalypts into the lightly-wooded grazing land, the birds kept showing well, with Meyer's Parrot, Yellow-throated Greenbul, E. Grey Plantain-eater, Yellow-whiskered Greenbul, Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike, Black Cuckoo-Shrike and Brown-throated Wattle-eye. I was surprised to find an African Yellow Warbler calling here, and delighted to hear a Snowy-crowned Robin-chat calling from one of the thicker copses; I dived in to check my ID was correct, and it showed briefly but clearly to playback of its call. Up above, mixing with the 2nd party of Common Buzzard was a possible dark-morph Booted Eagle that didn't want to show his upperwing pattern to confirm his identity.
In the more open scrub, I got great photos of several Rufous-naped Larks displaying from bush tops, and a difficult little cisticola, that I strongly suspected as being Siffling (see other blog). Brian Finch has since kindly responded to confirm the species. I've seen and photographed this species here before.
I ate my lunch with my telescope for company, scanning the lake and the reeds from the hillside for goodies. Apart from a couple of African Jacanas and 3 Yellow-billed Ducks, the wetlands were very quiet. By now the sun was out, and the birds may have been having their lunchtime naps. A small clump of papyrus hosted a party of Blue Monkeys and Thick-billed Weavers, but no Papyrus Gonoleks or White-winged Warblers responded to call playback. I flushed a White-browed Robin-Chat from a nest in a natural hole in a tree about 1.5m above ground. The nest was lined with grass and contained one green egg.
I continued south, and as I did there were more trees. The southern part of the peninsula produced a glut of good birds, concentrated, no doubt, due to the presence of this small but precious woodland. The first new species of the day announced their presence with raucous contact calls. I looked up to find 1, then 2, then 4 splendid Splendid Starlings. They posed briefly for photos, showing a lovely combination of iridescent blues, violets, oranges (but not really any green as in S&F) then flew off. A pair of Black-necked Weavers foraging high in the swamp-side trees confirmed a species that I thought I'd seen on a previous trip to Bare. A minute later a Lizard Buzzard flew over my head and perched in the trees in front of me for photos. This was followed quickly by a delightful Levaillant's Cuckoo, and then the real treat of the day; a new sunbird! Copper Sunbird. The male showed a delicious combination of iridescent oranges, crimsons and vermillion on the rump, his rather dowdy mate following close behind as they scoured the foxgloves for nectar. There's something lovely about a new sunbird; yet another variant on one of the most diverse and beautiful families of birds in the world. I got some weak, but IDable photos of the male. All the above paragraph in just over 30 minutes. It left me with sweaty palms, feeling almost drunk!
I continued to chalk up all kinds of bits and bobs in this woodland; Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, African Harrier Hawk, Southern Black Flycatcher, Golden-breasted Bunting, Striped Pipit (my 2nd record for Rwanda) and Spot-flanked Barbet were all added to the day's list. One feeding party included a male Black-backed Puffback (present in SE Rwanda, despite the distribution map in S&F), who showed his very white wing patch well for photos. Migrants at this stage included Common Sand Martin, Barn Swallow and European Bee-eater.
By 3pm it was time to turn back. As I got to the top of the hill, I apparently bumped into several members of the Aberrant Raptor Club, all hurrying along to their Sunday afternoon meeting; a probable immature Montagu's Harrier who failed to show a white rump moving north nonchalantly, then a weird scruffy small eagle-type-thingy who didn't seem to know what he was. The last member of the club was a dark headed, brown bodied hawk that was obviously new to science. If anybody knows how to get into the meetings of the Aberrant Raptor Club, I'd pay handsomely for a ticket. I definitely need a few visits!
Still, one really can't complain with several new species and lots of good photos. A very good day. Last night I dreamt about the Copper Sunbirds. I think I need to stay in more!
I'll try to get photos of some of these onto ABID soon.
Here is a pic of the habitat, and one with the Puffback - Can anyone confirm the tree species in the two pictures?
http://kilnsey.tripod.com/bare_woodland.jpg
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at Saturday, 13 March 2010 09:55
LOL@ the Aberrant Raptor Club, especially at the "scruffy small eagle-type-thingy who didn't seem to know what he was"!
That is an impressive list and well done on the new lifers...
It is quite sad to think that birds are starting to migrate north again.
2Comment
at Thursday, 18 March 2010 14:09
Wow! great stuff! thanks for an awesome blog!
LMAO @ Aberrant Raptor Club. Would love to hear what they discuss... how to confuse the humans as much as possible methinks..
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