Cape Verde - Day 2

Day 2 After a largely fruitless walk along a former river estuary and a Pizza lunch we were on the move again. A short midday flight took us to Santiago, where again after a brief visit to our hotel we drove to a reservoir. On the way we made an unscheduled stop to look at a Grey headed Kingfisher perched in a roadside tree. At the reservoir we enjoyed a Heron fest. with no less than 9 species. The highlight though was undoubtedly a pair of Black Herons doing their 'umbrella' fishing technique. Other species seen were Western Reef Heron (Pale and dark morphs), Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Great White Egret, Grey Heron, Night Heron, Squacco Heron and Bourne's Heron, a sub-species of Purple Heron.

Grey headed Kingfisher, Santiago

Grey headed Kingfisher

Egret Roost

Western Reef Heron with Little Egret

Rather distant image of Black Heron fishing

Other birds seen during the rest of the afternoon included: Waxbill, Cape Verde Swift, Spectacled warbler, Black winged Stilt, Greenshank, Common Snipe and Moorhen.

Waxbill

Waxbill