Wildlife - Summer, Autumn 2008

[Maggi Young]

And aren't we glad about the wonders of digital phtography, Peter, that enable you to bring us these pctures?

The last shot of the harrier swooping off with his prey was very lucky, surely? You could sit for weeks waiting for a shot like that?! Is "lunch" one of the bush-squirrels?  Looks a bit like it.

We have a bizarre fondness for (some) pigeons here, so it is fun to see how the "green pigeon" does exactly "what it says on the tin" 

[ranunculus]

Wonderful shots Peter.

My wife's work involves trips to Halifax and Rawtenstall (not in the same league as Tanzania I'm afraid)!   

Was going to make a comment about lucky Kirk (see image titles), but, unusually, thought better of it...

[Peter Maguire]

Cliff,

This is the topic for putting one's foot in it...... (see page 1)

[ranunculus]

I usually jump straight in with two Peter!
Has anyone been banished from the forum yet?

[Peter Maguire]

A few more birds
White-browed Coucal (Centropus superciliosus) - Arusha NP (an immature bird, hence the lack of white brow. It's a cuckoo relative)
Yellow vented bulbul (Pyconotus barabatus) - Dar es Salaam
Red eyed dove (Streptopelia semitorquata) - Zanzibar (no, it's not a collared dove in our back garden, honest. Note the bleary-eyed, morning after look).

Maggi, the harrier eagle was carrying the small furry thing on a savannah-like area, the bush squirrel was photographed several hours later in some high altitude rain forest on the rim of a small crater (Ngurdoto, not it's larger relative Ngorogoro in the Serengeti), so I'm assuming it's a different small furry beastie.
Arusha National Park has scenically very varied from savannah to dry woodland to soda and freshwater lakes and rainforest. More than a day's worth of viewing really, we were rushing to finish before sunset to see a good part of the park. It was my first African experience, and as my dream job as a small boy was to be a game warden (this was even before my engine driver phase) I was as 'happy as a pig in muck', to use the polite form of the old expression.

[Peter Maguire]

A final few varied creatures from Tanzania:
Yellow headed dwarf gecko (Lygodactylus l. luteupicturartus) - Dar es Salaam
Same gecko, but just moulted
Tropical house gecko (Hemidactylus semitorquata) - Zanzibar
Unkown millipede - Zanzibar (13-15mm diameter, 250mm in length) *probably Archispirotreptis gigas, the giant african millipede - well named!*
Similar, slightly smaller millipede with many stockings on - Zanzibar
Ghost crab - Zanzibar

When I was offered the chance to go to Tanzania, I thought 'have to go, could be the trip of a lifetime' . Now I'm going to have to save up and go back.

Peter

[art600]

Just magical

[Lesley Cox]

Wonderful pictures Peter. Many, many thanks. I do admire the millipede's natty red legs and the yellow head of that most attractive gecko. And I've always loved giraffes, such gentle faces and stunning eye-lashes.

We have a fiscal shrike here too. Otherwise known as the Minister of Finance.

[Paul T]

Very cool pics!!  Thanks for showing us Tanzania.

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

Not exactly wildlife itself, but rather evidence of wildlife.  This is the bower of the Satin Bower Bird..... it's place of courting of potential mates.  It collects blue things to adorn the bower surrounds (the bird itself is a deep blue-black when fully mature), as well as the occasional yellow or white item.  The males reach maturity at 3 or 4 years of age, but only take on the blue-black colouration once they get to 7.  The green males (they are a bright olive green before they go black) will build and maintain bowers themselves, or borrow the dominant male's bower when he is elsewhere so that they can practice.  I have a couple of rather dodgy photos of a green male I took a couple of months ago at this bower if anyone wants to see them.  A bit dark to be perfectly clear unfortunately.  This pic I took yesterday didn't do too badly in capturing the bower and surrounds at least.

Enjoy.

[fermi de Sousa]

Wow, Paul, is that bower in your garden or nearby? Something I've only seen on nature documentaries before!
Do post some pics of the bird if you can.
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

No, we don't get them in my suburb YET, but they're slowly moving this way.  They used to only be in the Weston Creek area of Canberra, but now have spread both north and east of there.  They're in the ajacent suburb to us now, or at least in the south easterly areas.... still a little way to go until they get to us.  I don't think my garden has enough cover yet to offer a space for a bower, but it would be SO nice if they did.  The bower shown was in central Canberra, not far from the lake.

[Lesley Cox]

That's the little brute that ate all the fruit of a lovely blue-berried coproma that was nicely ripening for me in NSW.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Sounds about right, although he may not have eaten them but rather carried them back to his bower to add to the display.  They are attracted to blue items.... you have to watch your blue pegs on the washing line, or else they won't be. 

[Paul T]

Fermi,

As requested, here are a couple of very poor, fuzzy pictures from back in May when I was watching a green male practicing at the bower.  They give the idea, even if they are awful pictures.