Primates..

Chimpanzees

I have been seeing chimps(1or more) almost every day for the last few weeks.  They have been quiet, but can usually be seen most mornings at our boundary with the forest.

Other monkeys

Am seeing more than I want of baboons the last month.  As well as the guavas, they are also interested in the fruit of bridelia micrantha, which, I admit, is quite tasty.

Birds

Have added 5 new species to the Cuckooland bird list in the last month or so. These are:

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Thick-Billed Honeyguide

African Cuckoo Hawk

African Marsh Harrier

Icterine Warbler (I think that is what it is!)

This must bring the total to almost 300.  Not only the baboons, but also many birds have been attracted to the fruit of bridelia micrantha.  That is where I saw the Oriole and Icterine warber, as well as many greenbulls, speckled tinkerbird and many others.  Other notable sightings included:

• Lizard buzzard
• Blue-throated brown sunbird
• Buff-spotted Woodpecker
• Black-cap
• White-browed Crombec
• Double-toothed barbet
• Willow warblers still resident for, as are European bee-eaters, flying overhead.
• Lots of cuckoos, including African emerald, Dusky long-tailed,Bar-tailed, Black, and Levaillant’s
• Mountain masked apalis
• Black-throated apalis still resident at the moment
• Mountain greenbull
• Shelley’s greenbull
• White-throated greenbull
• Yellow-throated greenbull
• Blue-headed sunbird
• Petit’s Cuckoo shrike
• Grey Cuckoo-shrike
• Splendid Starling
• African Broadbill
• African Citril
• Olive Pigeon
• Dusky-Blue Flycatcher
• White-bellied Robin-chat
• Banded Prinia

Fruit of the Land

Guavas  are now getting ready, but don’t tell the baboons.  Some pineapples in the garden and lemons on the trees.

In the garden, we  have leeks, turnips, a few carrots, celery, pumpkins, tomatoes as well as salad veg.

Trees

Am waiting to plant some more forest trees, but the rains have not been as much as usual for this time of year, so am still waiting.

Philip

March 20, 2019