
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