Sabaki Magic strikes again! I was doing a tern and gull count on Sunday (25th Oct 04) 
on the southern bank of the river mouth which is where the majority of them are 
roosting now and had the tide pushing them gradually closer and closer to me. An 
estimate of 3,500 birds altogether with c.1,200 Sooty Gulls, 1,500 Lesser Crested 
Terns and the rest a mix of Saunders, Common, Caspian, Greater Crested, and Gull-
billed Terns - and two White-winged Black as well. BUT most interesting of all was 
when checking for Greater C's and going through rank upon rank of Lessers, there was 
suddenly a 'Lesser' but with a black bill with pale tip - a Sandwich Tern! There were in 
fact three of them quite close together and the incoming tide pushed them to just about 
10-12m from me - in awesome lighting made it an incredible experience!! There had 
been an Af.Skimmer there the previous day as well... A couple of Crab-plovers and a 
single Black-winged Stilt were also strangers at Sabaki - normally found on Mida or 
inland freshwater pools respectively... Also the previous day a single first year Eu 
Oystercatcher was on the beach at the river mouth. A Eurasian Reed Warbler was 
again singing in the mangroves that have grown up over the past 4 years way out on 
the mud flats. 

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>