While I love this blog, I now pretty much only write on my other two blogs: BirdingBlogs.com and 10,000 Birds - I would love to see you there!

Tuesday 15 September 2009

Digiscoping Robins



I am going to break the "Wildlife up close" digiscoping series for a short interlude about Robins.

Robins are the greatest birds on earth. ever. you may have heard me say this before about other bird species, but this time I really mean it.

Southern Africa has a real wealth of robin species. well, at least we call them robins, but they are more like the chats and redstarts of the Palearctic. and what the north americans call robins, I'd call a thrush. but that is all just splitting feathers.

Just on this last trip to South Africa, I saw these robins:
White-starred Robin (Krantzkloof NR, KZN)
Brown Scrub-Robin (St Lucia, KZN)
White-browed Scrub Robin (Isimangaliso Wetland Park, KZN)
Kalahari Scrub Robin (near Bloemfontein, FS)
Karoo Scrub-Robin (near Bloemfontein, FS)
Chorister Robin-Chat (Magoebaskloof, LP)
Red-capped Robin-Chat (Berg-en-Dal, KNP & KZN)
Cape Robin-Chat (pretty much everywhere)
White-browed Robin-Chat (Lower Sabie, KNP)
White-throated Robin-Chat (W Swaziland)

and an Orange Ground Thrush (Swartbos, LP) - not a robin but kinda robin-like and a very very cool bird!

That is 10 robin species!


Cape Robin-Chat



White-browed Robin-Chat (aka Heuglin's Robin)



Red-capped Robin-Chat (aka Natal Robin)



Bearded Scrub-Robin




Kalahari Robin-Chat


Happy birding
Dale Forbes

5 comments:

Gaelyn said...

I never realized there are so many kinds of Robins. Hope to see some of these while in SA. Nice captures as always Dale.

Chris said...

Hi Dale,
Your blog is so wonderful! We can see birds we will never see with our own eyes, and you are more than a talented photographer... Gosh all these pictures are so perfect and beautiful!! Definitively, you got me addicted to your blog and pictures!

Dale Forbes said...

Hi Gaelyn! where are you going to be in South Africa? if you give me a rough guide, I can give you some tips about where to look for what.

Chris, thank you for the compliment. I certainly dont see myself as much of a photographer. But I do really really love nature. and I love capturing a little bit of that beauty to take home. and I really love sharing my love for nature!

Becky said...

Thanks ever so much Dale for sharing this beautiful continent and all its treasures with us. Sure hope by some miracle I would get one of your photos in the contest. Just gorgeous shots of all the wildlife!

eileeninmd said...

They are all great birds and wonderful photos!