Dear Friends,

On Monday 7th, me and my friend Andrew Kamiti decided
to explore Embu area, Mwea National Reserve and
Masinga Dam area. On the way from Nairobi we stopped
at the Mwea paddyfields, where White-Winged 
Widowbirds were flying everywhere in the fields.

There were a couple of brilliant pairs of
Yellow-Crowned Bishops and the Gabar Gashawk was
ambushing the Red-Billed Queleas catching them in
flight. In the afternoon we went straight to Mwea
National Reserve 
via Embu-Siakago road (the long route through a couple
of villages) and we saw several Straw-Tailed Whydah
and one time saw them together with a Steel-Blue
Whydah.

At the Reserve we explored as many corners as we could
in 4 hours, where the Eurasian Bee-Eaters were flying
all over. Besides just common species around Kamburu
dam, there were many African Golden Weavers and
Lesser-Masked Weavers as well as Black-Bellied
Sunbirds. 
The Reserve is very dense, perhaps maybe like some
sections of Tsavos and seemed very quete, as we would
drive a couple of Kilometers without anything.

After an overnight at Embu, next day very early
morning on Tuesday 8th, We explored the same road
again (Embu-Siakago-Masinga road) driving to Masinga
Dam. On the way a number of trees have fruits and 
Green Pigions are in flocks of 20-30 almost in every
tree. Also there were a great number of Northen Pied
Babblers and a Kilometer to a place signposted Gachoka
Market, a flock of Eurasian Golden Orioles,
Violet-Backed Starlings and Greater Blue-Eared
Starlings, Green pigeons all in one tree.

Further ahead past the bridge near a small town
sighposted Iramurai, Zanzibar Sombre Greenbuls were
calling everywhere, but we saw one and also Black
Bellied Sunbirds. For reptiles enthuastics, (a
positively identified) Side-Striped Chameleon, Barred
Form, which we saw three times in almost after every 1
km crossing the road along this road.

At Masinga Dam KENGEN station gate, an Adult Eurasian
Honey Buzzard, pearching on the acacias and near
Masinga Dam Resort a Little Sparrowhawk. The Masinga
Dam Resort grounds are amazing with supprisingly many
and different interesting birds, butterflies, insects
and reptile species! 

Among notable species, Variable sunbird (appeared to
have more white belly than yellow-albiventris
race-like??), Scarlet -Chested and Collared
SunbirdsRed Headed Weavers are nesting here. Marico
Sunbird 
(abudant in the compound), which looked slender and
long, head all the way to the shoulders shiny green,
very black belly, (contradicting thin maroon breast
band bordered above with a thin blue band) suggesting
Purple-Banded Sunbird. It had a considerably long
slightly curved bill and the female mottled neck all
the way to the breasts and flanks. The female also had
a half supercilium eye strip, anybody with suggestions
on any possibilities���..?

After Masinga Dam we drove back to Embu and further
north to Meru town, nothing much along the way, but
again for reptiles enthuastics, an adult Male
Jackson�s Kikuyu Three-Horned Chameleon crossing the 
road (which could be one of the contradicting
subspecies of doubtful validity at Mt. Kenya foothill
forest regions.

On Wednesday 9th set out very early in the morning
heading to Nanyuki and on the way at the locally known
Imenti forest, we saw interesting species. Less then
7kms from Makutano towards Nanyuki, a mountain 
Buzzard, Olive pigeons, Montane and Eurasian Golden
Orioles, Eastern Double-Collared Sunbird, and flocks
of Kenrick�s Starlings.

Several Kilometers ahead at the end of the forest, we
stoped at a small wetland sighposted �Nkunga Sacred
Lake Ecotourism Project�, which is basically a small
swamp on the end of Nkunga Forest-part of Mt. Kenya
forest. The local people here are removing the
vegetation 
to form a lake where they will be conducting boat
rides and fishing as a community based project. 

Here among notable species, there was a pair of
African White-Backed Duck with 5 chicks and a pair of
African Marsh Harrier carrying nest materials and
making a nest on the ground at the swamp. (Never 
thought that they nest on the ground at the reeds!)
This place seems like it would have many other
interesting species as it is about a kilometer round
and we did not manage to go all round.

Along the road again at Imenti fields, Lesser Kestrels
were perching on the wires, also along the isiolo
Junction. On the way back to Nairobi we stopped at
Narumoru River Lodge and on the ground, a Little Rock
Thrush, Purple-Throated Cuckoo-Shrike,
Sulphur-Breasted Bush-Shrike and to top up an African
Harrier Hawk that has been nesting here now has one
chick! 

The area around Embu, Mwea, Masinga and generally
Eastern Kenya needs to be well explored flequetly as
it might yield interesting and unusual records!

Wish you all a happy Easter Birding Holiday!

Thanks!
Ben Mugambi.   

BEN'S ECOLOGICAL SAFARIS,
PO.Box 5898,00100
Nairobi - Kenya.
Tel (254)722861072,
bestours@thecenter.zzn.com
Website www.tcfb.com/bestours






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