Some interesting records from the Wednesday Morning Birdwalk:

Barn Owl, pair and two feathered young, in old Hamerkop nest by the Nairobi
Snake Park, National Museum grounds.  Visible from road above Kikuyu
homestead, best seen from inside the Snake Park.  Found by Muoki Kioko on 15
April 2003, seen by WMB participants on 16 April.

Young Brown-chested Alethe, Karura Forest, 9 April 2003.  James Kiptoo first
noted a bird on the forest floor that appeared "brown with some streaking
below".  Five of us searched for it, and found the small robin-type bird
perched on a branch just over the ground.  It seemed to be covered with pale
spots, and we called it an immature White-starred Robin.  However, when
Johanna studied the bird books, she realized that the browner overall tone
of this bird made it more likely to be an immature Brown-chested Alethe.
Both the alethe and the robin are found in the forest, but the sighting was
on a dry slope where we normally see the alethe.

Mystery Cuckoo at Paradise Lost, 16 April 2003.  A morning with scattered
showers and surprising birds.  A grey bird with drooping wings was first
spotted perched on a fencepost near the riverine trees above the waterfall.
Was it a bird of prey, a dove, a cuckoo?  It was grey all over, paler below,
no obvious yellow anywhere.  The large wings were open and drooping, hiding
part of the fencepost.  Some observers thought they saw faint barring below.
The bird flew and landed low in a large tree.  From that angle we could see
pale underparts and a very large, rounded, blackish tail.  Then the bird
disappeared. 

Later Muoki saw it again, and described it as grey all over, paler markings
below, large rounded bluish-black tail with white band at the tip, flight
undulating, with one wing-flap followed by a glide. On our return some of us
checked the National Museum's bird gallery, but no luck there.  What I saw
best fits the picture and habits of the Thick-billed Cuckoo in Birds of
Africa, but Nairobi is outside its range.  Was it a Eurasian or African
Cuckoo with extremely faint barring?  Any advice welcome.

Wishing you good birding (and there's a Sunday Birdwatch on Sunday 20th),

Fleur 


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