The migration is really kicking in down here now (probably somewhat later than in 
Western Kenya..) with the first Yellow Wagtail at Sabaki on Sunday and 4 Eu Golden 
Orioles over Mwamba yesterday. 

Last week at Mwamba we hosted the first  formal Waterbird Ringing Course apparently 
for Africa - funded by AEWA (African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement) and organised by 
the Avian Demographic Unit in the Uni of Cape Town. We had participants from Kenya, 
Tanzania, Uganda and even two from Ghana and put them through a fairly intensive 
training in wader ringing and ringing techniques in general. In total we caught ** waders 
and in two bush netting sessions at Mwamba a further ** birds. Birds of note ringed 
were a Pallid Honeyguide at Mwamba on the 20th - first record for the Observatory - 
and a Broad-billed Sandpiper at Mida - my first record of it at that site tho' I know of 
others who've seen them there on rare occasions - and in fact the first I've ever handled 
(a species I've wanted to catch for a loooong time!). We also caught 4 Barwits which is 
an unusual number to net as there are often only 2-3 present at Mida anyway and just 
the one Crab-plover. At one session on a seasonal wetland just inland we saw but 
unfortunately didn't catch, a Common Redshank. 

Other birds of note recently have been 2 Brown-headed Parrots at Lake Chemchem a 
week ago - they used to be there all the time but these were the first I've seen there in 
5 years. At Sabaki on Sunday we had a single Caspian Plover and one African 
Skimmer. Wader numbers are picking up with piles of Curlew Sand but fewer Ringed 
Plover than expected - maybe they arrive in force later? A Little Stint with a ring on it at 
Sabaki was very tantalising - I guess it probably is one of mine either from the 10 I 
ringed there 2 years ago, or from the ringing at Mida - both of those would be of interest 
anyway, but it COULD have been one with 'MOSCOW' or s'thing written on it....!

Afrotrop migrants are still around - Pygmy Kingfisher, Red-capped RC, Blk Cuckoo-
shrike, Yellowbill etc... tho' will be beginning to move off over the next month. Clarke's 
Weavers are being very hard to find in the forest at present - maybe off in Marafa 
currently?

Colin-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - -- -- -- 
Colin Jackson
Mwamba Bird Observatory & Field Study Centre,
A Rocha Kenya
PO Box 383
Watamu, 80202
Kenya

Tel: +254-(0)42-32023 (O), 32037 (H)
Mobile 0722-842366
eml: colin.jackson@arocha.org
<www.arocha.org> 
see also <www.assets-kenya.org>