13/07/2024
JULY 2023 BIRDWATCH OUTING WITH JOS BIRD CLUB
Trip: Zarazong Dam
Date: 2024-07-13
Species: 46
I miss birding, and for the first time this year, I feel strong both physically and mentally to hike once again. This month's outing took us to the mini dam at Zarazong, hidden in plain sight between the Zarazong community and The Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) Permanent site.
Sunrise greeted us as early as 7 AM, but the clouds soon dimmed the sky, providing perfect weather for birding. We recorded different species as we moved, spotting some water birds by the dam. We then ventured a few kilometers further to a forest gallery, where we recorded even more varieties of birds.
The outing was fun and relaxing as usual, with beautiful weather and an amazing landscape. The land here is mostly flat, less rocky, and good for farming. We passed a couple of farms on our way and I was surprised to see baobab trees in this part of Jos. Unfortunately, the leaves were high up, or else I would have plucked some for a delicious fresh miyan kuka this evening.
I recorded three lifers: the African Grey Woodpecker, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, and the Grey-headed Oliveback, which was unanimously voted bird of the day. The Grey-headed Oliveback, also known as the White-cheeked Oliveback, is a common species found in sub-Saharan Africa.
I thoroughly enjoyed this outing, even though it was a bit tiring since I haven't hiked for months. My joints are aching now. All the same I thank the ornithologists and fellow JBCites for always coming through and for making this outing a delightful experience.
There are two bird photos in the album, the breathtaking shot of the Grey-headed Oliveback in flight was taken by Dr. Pantong Davwar. The amazing shot of the same bird on nest-building duties, which we saw this morning, was taken by Longji Bako.
