Southern Malawi header: Lilian's Lovebirds

Systemmatic list - part 6: Waders (Shorebirds), Gulls and Terns

 

Water Thick-knee (Water Dikkop) Burhinus vermiculatus [4]

1-2 each day Liwonde 25th-27th.

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Water Thick-knee, Liwonde, 26th May 2011

 

Long-toed Plover (Long-toed Lapwing) Vanellus crassirostris [1]

8 Lake Chilwa 15th.

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Long-toed Plovers, Lake Chilwa, 15th May 2011

 

Blacksmith Plover (Blacksmith Lapwing) Vanellus armatus [6]

3 Liwonde 26th and 3 Johannesburg Airport 28th.

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Blacksmith Plover, Liwonde, 26th May 2011

 

Spur-winged Plover (Spur-winged Lapwing) Vanellus spinosus [c6]

2-4 Liwonde 25th-27th.

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Spur-winged Plover, Liwonde, 27th May 2011

 

Wattled Lapwing (Senegal Plover, African Wattled Plover) Vanellus senegallus [2]

1 Liwonde 27th and 1 Johannesburg Airport 28th.

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Wattled Lapwing, Liwonde, 27th May 2011

 

Kittlitz's Plover (Kittlitz's Sandplover) Charadrius pecuarius [10]

10 Liwonde 26th. When I pointed these out to the guide I don't think he believed me at first - he had apparently not seen this species before.

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Kittlitz's Plovers (and Collared Pratincoles), Liwonde, 26th May 2011

 

Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris [1]

One flew over the track calling as we drove through the sugar cane plantations on the way into Lengwe on 20th.

 

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus [1]

1 Lake Chilwa 15th.

 

Lesser Jacana Microparra capensis [2]

2 Lake Chilwa 15th - an adult with a chick. I enjoyed seeing Lesser Jacanas at Lake Chilwa last trip but this time it was all the better for seeing a chick as well.

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adult and chick Lesser Jacanas, Lake Chilwa, 15th May 2011

 

African Jacana Actophilornis africanus [40+]

Always a favourite!

About 30 Lake Chilwa 15th, 2 Mangochi 19th, 2-6 Liwonde 25th-27th.

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African Jacanas, Lake Chilwa, 15th May 2011

 

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African Jacanas, Liwonde, 26th May 2011

 

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African Jacana, Liwonde, 27th May 2011

 

Small Buttonquail (Kurrichane Buttonquail) Turnix sylvaticus [4]

Perhaps the highlight of the holiday was the totally unexpected sighting of not just a Small Buttonquail, but a Small Buttonquail with 3 tiny chicks, on the way out of Dzalanyama. They were along the middle of the three main exit routes, in an area of cultivated land.

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Small Buttonquails, way out from Dzalanyama, 24th May 2011 - photographed through a dusty windscreen as they ran down the track in front of us

 

Bronze-winged Courser (Violet-tipped Courser) Rhinoptilus chalcopterus [1]

1 Lengwe 20th. After dark and having lost the track we were attempting to return to the camp along, we were forced to turn round and take the longer route back - this proved fortuitous as this Courser appeared on the track in front of us, illuminated by our headlights.

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Bronze-winged Courser, Lengwe, 20th May 2011

 

Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola [2]

2 Liwonde 26th.

The African races, including fuelleborni which occurs in Malawi, are darker than Palaearctic pratincola.

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Collared Pratincoles, Liwonde, 26th May 2011

 

Grey-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus [c120]

Common, and the only gull seen:

6 Johannesburg Airport 14th, 6 Lake Chilwa 15th, up to 30 Liwonde 25th-27th and c50 Johannesburg Airport 28th.

 

Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida [30]

About 30 Lake Chilwa 15th.

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Whiskered Terns, Lake Chilwa, 15th May 2011

 

 

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