Tanzania 2019-23: An African twitch

I've made efforts to see some difficult African birds but this has always involved going to a place where the species is know to be present normally - e.g. Green-breasted Pitta in Kibale NP in Uganda, Protea Canary at Mountain Mist near Capetown, South Africa and the Rockrunner in the Waterberg Plateau, Namibia.

On Tuesday there was a report with photos from a Safari Guide and birder on Facebook of a Rosy Starling in the village of Nanja about 30km west of Arusha. Our Attraction Birding Club friends went and saw it on Wednesday and Jenny and I, with three of the chaps, went on Saturday morning. We pulled off the highway where the town dump is and within about 30 seconds, saw the bird foraging on the ground with Red-billed Buffalo Weavers and Superb Starlings in the strewn rubbish. It soon flew across the highway to the town and posed nicely in a tree while singing its heart out.

Rosy Starling is naturally found in Asia, parts of the Middle East and extending into southern Europe. It has been recorded twice in Ethiopia, once in Kenya and once in South Africa.

Having twitched the Starling we then went to explore the nearby Eluanata Dam which pulls in many waterbirds. We had planned to visit later in October when the landscape is at its driest. On this visit there were some 60 species at the dam and in surrounding bush. Highlights were Hottentot Teal, Great Crested Grebe and a Cinnamon-breasted Bunting.