bird ID book(s) for east africa

Will be traveling to Tanzania this January mainly to photograph
wildlife, including birds. Probably going to Kenya the year after.
Would like to pick up a good bird ID book that's reasonably light
weight yet still complete, something with accurate field ID info like
the Peterson series or the Sibley book for the USA. There are numerous
books listed so if you know of a good one on African (or just east
African) birds that fits my criteria I'd appreciate the info.

Bill

In message .com
"Bill" wrote:

Will be traveling to Tanzania this January mainly to photograph
wildlife, including birds. Probably going to Kenya the year after.
Would like to pick up a good bird ID book that's reasonably light
weight yet still complete, something with accurate field ID info like
the Peterson series or the Sibley book for the USA. There are numerous
books listed so if you know of a good one on African (or just east
African) birds that fits my criteria I'd appreciate the info.

No problem at all:
Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania by Zimmerman, Turner, Pearson,
Willis and Pratt.
There's a paperback edition, which will satisfy the 'reasonably
lightweight' requirement.

If you're going to the southern Tz parks (e.g. Ruaha or Selous), a few
of the birds you see won't be in this book, but the guides at most of
the camps really know their stuff and will be able to help out.

(A lot of the lodges/camps in both Kenya and Tz have bird guides who
are excellent for pointing out the birds in the vicinity of the
lodgings, and will take you bird walks (for a fee) to help you to 'get
your eye in'. If you're on a brochure safari, you might only have two
game drives a day (check the details carefully if this matters), so
the bird walks are usually timed for after breakfast, which is 'down'
time on that scenario. Then you will know where to look for what and
you can go back and photograph them later.

Slainte

Liz
--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
Photo blog of Make Povery History rally in Edinburgh 2 July 2005:
http://www.v-liz.com/g8rally/protest.htm

Liz writes ...

Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania by Zimmerman etc

Thanks Liz, it's available in the US from Amazon and if no one else
objects strongly I'll get this one ...

If you're going to the southern Tz parks (e.g. Ruaha or Selous)

Nope, not this time ...

If you're on a brochure safari, you might only have two
game drives a day

It's a custom trip just for hard-core photographers, with two well
known professionals (one of them well-known bird photographer Arthur
Morris) leading and 10 clients in four vehicles with our own drivers,
photographing pretty much all day every day as the light permits. I'm
sure Art and the other pro (who was born in Tanzania) know all the
species but we won't be in the same vehicle with one of them very
often.

Bill

In message .com
"Bill" wrote:

[snip]

It's a custom trip just for hard-core photographers, with two well
known professionals (one of them well-known bird photographer Arthur
Morris) leading and 10 clients in four vehicles with our own drivers,
photographing pretty much all day every day as the light permits. I'm
sure Art and the other pro (who was born in Tanzania) know all the
species but we won't be in the same vehicle with one of them very
often.

I looked at one of their trips (in Kenya) out of interest a couple of
months ago.
It was *very* expensive for what they were offering!
I hope breathing the same air (sometimes!) as AM is worth the price
hike!

(I very muich doubt that they 'know all the species' of birds, but
I'll be interested to be proved wrong - try them out on cisticolas!)

Safari njema

Liz
--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
Photo blog of Make Povery History rally in Edinburgh 2 July 2005:
http://www.v-liz.com/g8rally/protest.htm

Liz writes ...

I looked at one of their trips (in Kenya) out of interest a couple
of months ago.
It was *very* expensive for what they were offering!

Hopefully it will be worth it if we are in position to take great
photos.

I hope breathing the same air (sometimes!) as AM is worth the
price hike!

We're going to try and take great images, not share breathing space
Here are some pics from Todd from last year in Tanzania and some pics
from you from your 1998 trip for comparison (same three parks except he
was also at Ndutu). If I went all the way to Africa and got the pics
you got I'd be sorely disappointed regardless of the price was.

Todd's pics ...
http://meowcat.simpli.biz/~amorris/toddtanzania/
http://www.birdsasart.com/toddgustafson.htm

Liz's pics ...
http://www.v-liz.com/safari/tanzania...ire/tarang.htm
http://www.v-liz.com/safari/tanzania/ngorong/ngoron.htm
http://www.v-liz.com/safari/tanzania/lmanya/manyar.htm

Bill

In message .com
"Bill" wrote:


We're going to try and take great images, not share breathing space
Here are some pics from Todd from last year in Tanzania and some pics
from you from your 1998 trip for comparison (same three parks except he
was also at Ndutu). If I went all the way to Africa and got the pics
you got I'd be sorely disappointed regardless of the price was.

My aims in travelling aren't solely to take pics, but I need (for my
own reasons) to get a *lot* of different images. Also, my best pics
aren't on that site.

I can't see how paying twice the going rate will get you better
photos: if *you* get great photos, you'd have got exactly the same on
a safari costing half as much, so long as you booked a private safari
so's you could go when and where you liked.

On the page I looked at on AM's site, he specifically said it wasn't a
photo-instruction trip, so I fail to see what the price hike is for.

I'm not denying that AM and TG have a few great pics on their site:
I'm just questioning the price hike, but if it isn't a problem to you,
it isn't a problem.

:-)

Slainte

Liz


--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
Photo blog of Make Povery History rally in Edinburgh 2 July 2005:
http://www.v-liz.com/g8rally/protest.htm

[Posted and mailed]

In message
Liz wrote:

In message .com
"Bill" wrote:
If I went all the way to Africa and got the pics
you got I'd be sorely disappointed regardless of the price was.

My aims in travelling aren't solely to take pics,

Sorry, I should have been more specific.
We've only geen to northern Tanzania once.
It was just after an El Nino event: the rains had stopped, but the
skies were totally leaden all through the ten days we were there. The
grass was very high and the water levels were so high that the game
was thinly dispersed, not concentrated round the rivers as they would
usually be in July. (And it was *cold*!)

Under these circumstances a photo tour would probably abort the game
drives and look for macro-style shots around the camp using flash set
ups and so on. At least, that's what the landscape specialist photo
tours do in these circumstances AIUI.

Personally, I'd be disappointed if I went all the way to Africa and
didn't see the wildlife, ymmv; also my husband is an artist, so the
light doesn't bother him, as he has a well-used artistic licence,
which which he can also 'edit out' annoying distractions. (Neither
does distance bother him: he often draws things he can see through a
telescope: maybe I should get into digiscoping).

As you well know, getting good photos depends on five things, only one
of these is not dependent on luck, which is your own personal skill.

The others a

The light.

How close the animals/birds are (you must stay in your vehicle on the
designated tracks; the animals might be right next to the track or a
long way away) and how obscured or otherwise they are).

Whether they are doing anything interesting (lions, for example, sleep
most of the day).

Technical considerations. (Don't talk to me about that: I'm just back
from a trip where my CD burner, checked the day before I left,
repeatedly showed an error, and wouldn't work, and my main camera
developed a fault I was unaware of until it was too late: I got my
first fifteen boxes of slides back today and eight of them are blank -
a visit to a repairer confirmed a big repair is necessary. Sadly, that
means the effort I put in finding a trip which included Genovesa has
come to naught photographically: I noticed the fault late on that day,
and because of the CD fault I only have about 20 'normal' quality
shots from that day in digital form as I was 'saving' card space.
But the trip was fantasic anyway.)

Doubling the money you pay on a trip can't possibly help with the last
four, or indeed with your own skill and fast reactions when necessary.
The biggest factor which will make a difference is your driver/guide -
you will really rely on his ability as a spotter, and his ability to
get you into the right position.
By the way: you have twelve people in four vehicles: are you going
round in convoy? If so, good luck in the inevitable jostling for the
best position. If not, be prepared for jealous sulks when one group
has a fantastic sighting that the others missed - I experienced that
on a trip to India (birding, not photographic) where the group was
split and our group of four saw a tiger and the other group didn't
(the light was *awful* - thick mist - you probably wouldn't have
minded not seeing it).

I'm also a bit concerned (on your behalf!) that the info about the
bird book wasn't included in your pre-trip information, and that you
didn't feel that you could email the leaders for the info. The first
edition was published in 1996 and other books which have been
published since then, though cheaper, don't come near; although the
book was published by a British company, the main author is American,
so it should be well known 'over the pond'.

The pre-tour info on my recent trip contained a well-annotated list of
several recommended books, general and specialist. It specified one
bird book as being best, but as it went rapidly out of availability
after publication, other suggestions were given, with a note of the
relative strengths and weaknesses. Similarly, all the other tours I've
been on have given this kind of info as standard.

However, after you've done your trip, I'll be *very* interested to
hear your account of how things went. I'm sure you'll have a fantastic
time, but I'll be interested to hear what added value you feel you
got, and especially how *your* photography particularly benefitted, by
being in this group rather than having a private tour with a partner
or friend for half the (land) price. I'm always open to being proved
wrong.

Slainte

Liz

--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
Photo blog of Make Poverty History rally in Edinburgh 2 July 2005:
http://www.v-liz.com/g8rally/protest.htm

In message , Liz
writes
[Posted and mailed]

In message
Liz wrote:

In message .com
"Bill" wrote:
If I went all the way to Africa and got the pics
you got I'd be sorely disappointed regardless of the price was.

My aims in travelling aren't solely to take pics,

Sorry, I should have been more specific.
We've only geen to northern Tanzania once.
It was just after an El Nino event: the rains had stopped, but the
skies were totally leaden all through the ten days we were there. The
grass was very high and the water levels were so high that the game
was thinly dispersed, not concentrated round the rivers as they would
usually be in July. (And it was *cold*!)

Under these circumstances a photo tour would probably abort the game
drives and look for macro-style shots around the camp using flash set
ups and so on. At least, that's what the landscape specialist photo
tours do in these circumstances AIUI.

Personally, I'd be disappointed if I went all the way to Africa and
didn't see the wildlife, ymmv; also my husband is an artist, so the
light doesn't bother him, as he has a well-used artistic licence,
which which he can also 'edit out' annoying distractions. (Neither
does distance bother him: he often draws things he can see through a
telescope: maybe I should get into digiscoping).

As you well know, getting good photos depends on five things, only one
of these is not dependent on luck, which is your own personal skill.

The others a

The light.

How close the animals/birds are (you must stay in your vehicle on the
designated tracks; the animals might be right next to the track or a
long way away) and how obscured or otherwise they are).

Whether they are doing anything interesting (lions, for example, sleep
most of the day).

Technical considerations. (Don't talk to me about that: I'm just back
from a trip where my CD burner, checked the day before I left,
repeatedly showed an error, and wouldn't work, and my main camera
developed a fault I was unaware of until it was too late: I got my
first fifteen boxes of slides back today and eight of them are blank -
a visit to a repairer confirmed a big repair is necessary. Sadly, that
means the effort I put in finding a trip which included Genovesa has
come to naught photographically: I noticed the fault late on that day,
and because of the CD fault I only have about 20 'normal' quality
shots from that day in digital form as I was 'saving' card space.
But the trip was fantasic anyway.)

Doubling the money you pay on a trip can't possibly help with the last
four, or indeed with your own skill and fast reactions when necessary.
The biggest factor which will make a difference is your driver/guide -
you will really rely on his ability as a spotter, and his ability to
get you into the right position.
By the way: you have twelve people in four vehicles: are you going
round in convoy? If so, good luck in the inevitable jostling for the
best position. If not, be prepared for jealous sulks when one group
has a fantastic sighting that the others missed - I experienced that
on a trip to India (birding, not photographic) where the group was
split and our group of four saw a tiger and the other group didn't
(the light was *awful* - thick mist - you probably wouldn't have
minded not seeing it).

I'm also a bit concerned (on your behalf!) that the info about the
bird book wasn't included in your pre-trip information, and that you
didn't feel that you could email the leaders for the info. The first
edition was published in 1996 and other books which have been
published since then, though cheaper, don't come near; although the
book was published by a British company, the main author is American,
so it should be well known 'over the pond'.

The pre-tour info on my recent trip contained a well-annotated list of
several recommended books, general and specialist. It specified one
bird book as being best, but as it went rapidly out of availability
after publication, other suggestions were given, with a note of the
relative strengths and weaknesses. Similarly, all the other tours I've
been on have given this kind of info as standard.

However, after you've done your trip, I'll be *very* interested to
hear your account of how things went. I'm sure you'll have a fantastic
time, but I'll be interested to hear what added value you feel you
got, and especially how *your* photography particularly benefitted, by
being in this group rather than having a private tour with a partner
or friend for half the (land) price. I'm always open to being proved
wrong.

Slainte

Liz

Liz,
hello, sorry to hear you had so many problems with your camera which I
know is an important component to your holiday. I hope you enjoyed the
safari anyway.
Birds: I`m told that the highest number of bird species to be found is
close to the Tana river in Kenya. Whilst we were there over a long
period of time one friend claims he documented (right word?) at least
140 different ones. This was on the lower Tana, which comes under Coast
Province.
Pat.
--
Pat Anderson

In message
Pat Anderson wrote:


Liz,
hello, sorry to hear you had so many problems with your camera which I
know is an important component to your holiday. I hope you enjoyed the
safari anyway.

Oh yes, but new slides arriving today suggest the problem must have
started late on day four. :-( Why I didn't notice it until late on
day eight is a mystery: I had a spare (old but functional) SLR with
me!

Birds: I`m told that the highest number of bird species to be found is
close to the Tana river in Kenya. Whilst we were there over a long
period of time one friend claims he documented (right word?) at least
140 different ones. This was on the lower Tana, which comes under Coast
Province.
Very interesting: I've never been there - for a while it wasn't
recommended to go there, but I'm not sure why (increased malria risk
maybe, I can't really remember). The Tana river is also said to be
very good for primates, IIRC. Must pencil it in for the future.
:-)

Places I have been which are particularly bird-rich are Arabuko-Sokoke
cloud forest near the coast and Kakamega Forest, near the Ugandan
border. It's best to get local bird guides for these areas: there are
too many species, but it's very easy to miss them!

Slainte

Liz


--
Virtual Liz now at http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
Photo blog of Make Povery History rally in Edinburgh 2 July 2005:
http://www.v-liz.com/g8rally/protest.htm

Bill wrote:

Liz writes ...

I looked at one of their trips (in Kenya) out of interest a couple
of months ago.
It was *very* expensive for what they were offering!


Hopefully it will be worth it if we are in position to take great
photos.


I hope breathing the same air (sometimes!) as AM is worth the
price hike!


We're going to try and take great images, not share breathing space
Here are some pics from Todd from last year in Tanzania and some pics
from you from your 1998 trip for comparison (same three parks except he
was also at Ndutu). If I went all the way to Africa and got the pics
you got I'd be sorely disappointed regardless of the price was.

Todd's pics ...
http://meowcat.simpli.biz/~amorris/toddtanzania/
http://www.birdsasart.com/toddgustafson.htm

Liz's pics ...
http://www.v-liz.com/safari/tanzania...ire/tarang.htm
http://www.v-liz.com/safari/tanzania/ngorong/ngoron.htm
http://www.v-liz.com/safari/tanzania/lmanya/manyar.htm

Bill



so we can look forward to seeing all of your fantastic photos???