Backyard birds in Lilongwe, Part 2

As amazing as it was to see the masked weaver I showed you yesterday, it wasn’t the only weaver to visit the guesthouse backyard in Lilongwe. I also spotted a Holub’s golden weaver (Ploceus xanthops), aka African golden weaver a couple of times, …

and this super shy spectacled weaver (Ploceus ocularis) just once and for only a moment.

Another shy visitor was this tropical boubou or bell shrike (Laniarius major) that I also only saw once.

In contrast, these gray-headed sparrows were quite common. I can’t quite be sure if they were northern (Passer griseus) or southern (Passer diffusus), and their ranges overlap in Malawi. Here’s one crowding a hoopoe.

Speaking of hoopoes, and while we’re still at the guesthouse backyard, here’s one more look at one.

And here’s another look at a pied crow who stopped in for a moment.

If you ever doubted that American robins were thrushes, here’s the missing link that should convince you. This Kurrichane thrush (Turdus libonyana) as a red breast almost like a robin, and “with a broad black moustache” like many thrushes, such as the hermit thrush we see in Estabrook Park.

I spotted this next bird on the morning we left the guesthouse, and it led me on quite a goose-chase in those bushes before I could get a decent picture. Once I had a good look, though, I could hardly believe my eyes. Say hello to a boisterous little black-throated wattle-eye (Platysteira peltata)

Here’s another look at that bright red wattle above its eye.

Finally, here’s a stunning scarlet-chested sunbird (Chalcomitra senegalensis) in the early morning light, who I am sure stopped in just for a second to wish us safe travels.