Second visit to Ntashat seasonal wetland

Following the visit by Nature Kenya to the seasonal wetland at Ntashat on 18th May,  a second visit was made on 31st May to try to find the elusive crakes reported by Mark Mallalieu in Kenya Birds in 1999. The water level had dropped considerably in the last two weeks; there were many Common and Lesser Moorhens but only a handful of Whiskered Terns. The water was too deep to wade across and we were restricted to frustrating glimpses at a distance of 40 metres of possible crakes/water rails flying up briefly from the flooded stands of grass. Positive identification was impossible. However after several hours patrolling the margins we were rewarded with stunning views of a Dwarf Bittern, preening itself in a semi-flooded acacia. We had previously seen what we thought were Green-Backed Herons flying into trees but these turned out to be the bitterns. We may have been confused by the fact that Zimmerman describes the Green-Backed Heron as 'shy and solitary', compared with Dwarf Bittern which is 'unobtrusive, scarce and secretive' ! Through the scope we noticed the slate-grey head and back, dark red eye, pale yellow beak, yellow-orange legs and very pronounced black line down the throat and black striations on the neck and chest. 
Flocks of Cardinal Queleas were in the swamp, along with the brilliant Yellow-Crowned Bishops. 

Chris Hill





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