I am happy to add a new post and
apologies for absence since end of last September due to my travel to Tanzania
to participate in the 13
th Pan-African Ornithological Congress , the
most excited ornithological congress I ever attended with participation of more
than 200 ornithologist from world wide countries who did researches in Africa
.The conference held every four years (
www.paoc-africa.org)
and next time hope to see many Sudanese Ornithologists there. After that I spent some
days in my village Diem Elgarray for Eid vacation.
In early morning 15/11/2012 I
headed towards the agricultural farms around Elhalfaya bridge which is not too
far from my house in Eldroshab looking for some migratory species as the time
for fall migration had been already began with winter onset. The area is mainly
agricultural lands which all covered with water during flooding time adding new
fertile soil to the land used by farmers to grow some different crops and
vegetables.
My first sight was two common
kestrels soaring above the trees with black kite and some passerines perching
on the electric wires such as desert wheatear, village indigo bird and African
silverbill. My not professional camera makes it difficult for me to have good
clear pictures of birds especially those moved very quickly and I realized that
birding need equipped birder.
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| Male village indigobird - Halfaya bridge 15/11/2012 |
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I continued walking down to water stream
blocking my way to the Nile where there were
few waterbirds such as Egyptian plover and spur-winged lapwing. I forced to
change my way and headed towards the bridge to cross to the other side and in
my way I saw group of common bulbul , white-headed babbler , red-billed
firefinch while house sparrows ,
mourning dove and laughing dove every where constitute the abundant species
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| Spur-winged lapwing - Halfaya Bridge 15/11/2012 |
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| Egyptian Plover- Halfaya Bridge 15/11/2012 |
When I reached the bridge , I
noticed some waterbirds such as the
local nomad kittlitz’s plover and the palearcitic migrant little stint . Also
group of egrets probing the mud for food mainly great white egret and little
egret. The shaded area under the bridge provided suitable roosting site for
Ethiopian swallows flying there and sometimes perched on the electric wires
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| Great White Egret- Halfaya Bridge 15/11/2012 |
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| Ethiopian Swallow-Halfaya Bridge 15/11/2012 |
Then, I
climbed the bridge to cross the small khor and left again the bridge to walk
through the farm while the Nile still far west and only few species were seen
included African silverbill, yellow wagtail, common bulbul and masked shrike . Old
unoccupied weaver colony on acacia nilitica tree was observed and some house
sparrows moved between the nests
The Nile
shores were not as I expected regarding to the number of species and habitat
composition too. The shore in the southern side of the bridge was sandy cliff
with no space for waterbirds as the water was deep . the sandy cliff
extended two hundred meters north the
bridge where I saw some Ethiopian swallows roosting there and on the way north I
saw two little bee-eater on the small shrub and pied king fisher
.
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| The Sandy cliff- Halfaya Bridge 15/11/2012 |
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| Little Bee-eater - Halfaya Bridge 15/11/2012 |
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| Pied Kingfisher- Halfaya Bridge 15/11/2012 |
The sandy shallow shores extends far north from
the bridge with presence of desert wheatear , yellow wagtail, white wagtail
and crested lark with few waterbirds
such as common green shank , Egyptian plover, kittlitz’s plover, little egret
and great white egret
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| Desert Wheatear- Halfaya Bridge 15/11/2012 |
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| the sandy shore- Halfaya Bridge 15/11/2012 |
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| Yellow Wagtail -Halfaya Bridge 15/11/2012 |
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