Dear all,

As promised, here is a summary of the interesting observations 
during a trip to Western Kenya, that Brian Finch and myself made 
between the 13th and the 24th ofJanuary.
 
Going out from Nairobi (13th), we decided to check first for the 
Baillion's Crake in Peponi school (Sukari dam), and after a short 
while we found one bird at the Southern edge, in the regular area, 
near the reeds. 

The next day (14th) in Nakuru, just near the Home of the Cormorants, 
in the young Acacias, a juv Greater Spotted Eagle was sunning itself 
with the early morning sunlight.
Another few hours in the same place produced a Dimorphic Egret, a 
group of around 30 Black-headed Gulls, few Little Ringed Plovers 
(one family of 2 juv and 2 Ad. gave us a particular good views), 2
Temminck's Stint were flying around and Black-tailed Godwit was also 
in the area. Also there were one each of the thunbergi and sykesi 
ssp. of Yellow Wagtail around the channel.

A few more hours in Hippo Picnic Site produced seven Spotted 
Redshank and a trio of Common Teal (including one adult male).

On the way to Kakamega (15th) we stopped in Timboroa and found one 
Chiffchaff in the trees just around the dam. Another individual was 
found singing in the trees a few kilometres away from the dam, en 
route to Eldoret.

Out of Eldoret, in the dam just after the Airport, the usual Lesser 
Jacana pair gave us good view of possibly the first breeding record 
for this species in Kenya, the pair was mating on the water lilies 
and seemed very much at home.

All this happened when a few (at least 4) Grey-rumped Swallows were 
flying over our heads and a Black Duck floated on the still waters 
of the dam, so very different form the fast running rivers that the 
species is usually associated with.

Just before Kapsabet we stopped in the big Papyrus swamp to see what 
is in residence. To our surprise we found that Levaillant's 
Cisticolas are sharing the place with Greater Swamp Warbler!!!! This 
might be the only place in Kenya where one can see these highlands
Cisticola together with the lowlands Greater Swamp Warbler, his 
appearance out of his known distribution (just around Lake Victoria) 
would be discussed later. 
Another interesting record is of a Stonechat, that was much darker 
then the usual birds (charcoal black) and did not have any white on 
the wing! (is it a different Ssp.??)

When arriving at Kakamega, just near the Ikuywa river a female type 
Ficedula Flycatcher was keeping high in the canopy, and we could not 
say for sure which Ficedula it was.

During the next 5 (16th-20th) days in Kakamega we've seen and heard 
most of the Kakamega specials including Southern Hyliota, Hairy-
breasted Barbet, Black-billed Turaco and many more. 
But the most interesting finding in the forest was of a new 
Butterfly species to the Kenya list, Euptera hirundo lufirensis, a 
canopy species with 2 close relatives here in Kenya, it was known 
from Uganda also, but his main distribution is in Central Africa.