drive east to richard toll..
harriers coasting in front of starling type mists of qualia.
. the drier landscapes…shock to see mass of people going about their daily business (after no people in Djuges)… pulling off onto dirt track….
trees surround what would have been a larger pool… now just the relicts of rushy growth… (at lunchtime flushing 3 nightjars that flew just a short distance before crashing onto ground… slit eyes staying wary).
at the pool plenty of doves and finchy things coming in as well as intermediate heron and a squacco…
2 tree pipits, yellow wagtail. speckled pigeoon, laughing dove, african mourning dove… namaquas and eventually 4 turtle doves.
dry sahel. bleached grass naples yellow, rich sand, Indian red.

the disturbed nightjars.
the last of the water.. cracked mud rendered into boulder clods… doves the focus hoping for turtles.. the big grey speckled pigeon.. dried blood mask and cracked skin breast streaks… stellar spotting arcs on the wings….
african mourning dove… a rich blue grey … red eye ring. …
some young namaqua doves… high domed forehead… spotting… whippy winged blown flight… flahs of deep bronze red flight feathers.
eventually the turtles coming down… a worn Indian red on the back … red around eyes… sore eyes… soft warm grey ground to head…. small vulnerable head… neck for wringing. blinking flight, open and shut. to stasis… stop dead wary, watchful… waddle to edge to drink.
quealia queue up in bush …. a bank of finches… they came down in a wave like a curtain… nervous hopping sips.
One cordon bleu… african silver bill a plain presence… 2 cut throat finches. the currant eyed sudan golden sparrows… sulphur yellow featureless round heads… sherbet lollipop. Rufous tan backs.
disturbed long tailed nightjars… sat on the sand… eye rims like a skinned bird… when opened a huge gelatinous seal eye… deliquescent…. outer space;….. a comb of stiff feathering arcs the eye ridge down to the upper mandible… with the throat pouch well back… engoulevant…