Birding the Congo: Peregrine Falcon

Considerably more moths roosting around lights early morning, some familiar ones including Usta terpshicore and Phiala hologramma as well as a couple of new ones although the only one I have thus far identified is Teracotona trifasciata.

Teracotana trifasciata, Frontier Mine, DR Congo

Phiala hologramma, Frontier Mine, DR Congo


Usta terpshicore, Frontier Mine, DR Congo

The Plant Manager alerted me mid-morning to a Sunbird nest just outside the office so I went and had a quick look. Sure enough a rather nervous looking female Amethyst Sunbird poked a head out of the hanging structure and then flew off. A slightly disturbed location for a nest but hopefully they'll be successful. Looking over the office roof I noticed a male Red-headed Weaver also busy nest-building high in a Fever Tree. One nest already completed, he was starting work on the next.

Amethyst Sunbird nest, Frontier Mine, DR Congo

Mid-afternoon I decided to take a slow drive around the camp. Overall it was fairly quiet but I started by getting close to a nice Brown-headed Kingfisher and then getting photos for the first time of the resident troop of Malbrouck (recently afforded full species from the Vervet Monkey complex). The first young Puku of the season was also around but it kept with the herd in long grass. High numbers of Namaqua Dove were noted, perhaps swollen by birds migrating back north. Migrants in general were a little less in evidence than of late but good numbers of Red-backed Shrike were present although they were typically difficult to photograph. Back at home a female/immature type Eurasian Golden Oriole was in a large tree at the bottom of the garden. The dambo was looking fairly dry and large waterbird numbers were further reduced. As I headed back up to the house with the light failing I was pretty surprised when a Peregrine flew low overhead and perched in a dead tree in the garden. Another new species for the site, number 315. I'm pretty sure I've seen them around the mine before but always without binoculars and thus not possible to confirm.