SHARON AT NOBEL SQUARE, V&A WATERFRONT, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

VIEWS FROM HIGHWAY TO TABLE MOUNTAIN, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

NONBREEDING GREY-HEADED GULL, STRANDFONTEIN SEWER WORKS, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

LITTLE STINT, STRANDFONTEIN SEWER WORKS, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

   Yea!  This is the 500th species of our Photographic Life List.  Sharon and I started birding two years ago; we have species on the list from the U.S., Canada, Panama, Costa Rica, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.  There are about 10,000 species of birds in the world, so our 500 species is 5% of the known species.  We think that's pretty good for two years.

   We only add a species to our Life List if we have a photograph that can really help us identify the bird.  To help us ID a bird, we do use visual characteristics which the photo doesn't normally show, such as size, location, habitat, movement habits, etc.  If in the field someone helps us ID a bird, we always confirm that identification using the photo.  Sometimes the ID in the field turns out to be incorrect. 

   We can ID this shorebird as a nonbreeding Little  Stint by its small size, slender black bill, black legs, grey-brown streaks on sides of breast and grey-brown upperparts with black patches on feather shafts.

   The Little Stint is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 500.

WHITE-FACED WHISTLING DUCK, STRANDFONTEIN SEWER WORKS, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

   We can ID this duck as a White-faced Whistling Duck by its black head and neck, white face and throat, chestnut breast and erect stance.

   The White-faced Whistling Duck is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 499.

RED-BILLED TEAL, STRANDFONTEIN SEWER WORKS, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

   We can ID this duck as a Red-billed Teal by its dark cap, pale cheeks, red bill with a dark saddle and dark brown plumage on the upperparts.

   The Red-billed Teal is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 498.

LEVAILLANT'S CISTICOLA, STRANDFONTEIN SEWER WORKS, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

   We can ID this bird  as Levaillant's Cisticola by its rufous tail, heavily black streaked back and rufous wings and cap.

   Levaillant's Cisticola is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 497.