Afdis Ringing

Afdis has been one of my favourite ringing spots for the last couple of years, and although human disturbance has increased a bit, there are still good birds around those rather delightful-smelling ponds!
We did a quick morning's ringing at Afdis on 2 November, 2013, just one week before I flew back to Perth.

It was a pretty good morning, with roughly 30 birds caught (I don't have the numbers with me).
Highlights were warblers (Little Rush, African Reed, Lesser Swamp), Tropical Boubou, three Thick-billed Weavers, Brimstone Canary, Variable Sunbird, a Wood Sandpiper in active primary moult and four Blacksmith Lapwings, aged 5 (0-6 months old) and 7 (13-18 months old).

Brimstone Canary

Southern Masked-weaver male in breeding plumage. Interesting yellowish colouration in the otherwise red eye

Blacksmith Lapwing, age 5

Blacksmith Lapwing, age 7

We also completed an atlas card for the pentad, with some nice observations, most notably Black-crowned Night-heron and Green Sandpiper.


I didn't have a great amount of time left for birding during the last couple of weeks of my holiday, but I managed to get to Greystone Park on the 28th of October with a friend, where we found a few things such as Egyptian Goose with goslings, African Black Duck, White-browed Scrub-robin and good views of Tambourine Dove.

Male Tambourine Dove

White-browed Scrub-robin