I have been really lazy in communicating so here goes:

Most of our walks are done in the Nguu Tatu area around the Huseini Car Track as we are now barred from our old haunt in Nguuni Farm which is now an animal sanctuary with Giraffe etc roaming around.

The area is in two halves to the right and left of the main road. 

Husseini Track, on the left, has one pretty good pond. On the right is  one large swampy, weed filled area which used to be a good habitat for waders, jacanas, crakes etc The land around is very erroded and trees if not totally chopped are being denuded of their branches every day. 
The rest is grassland, bush, reeds, acacia and dust track. Making the car track has helped to establish a more stable area with less chopping etc by local people. The tracks have also opened up what was previously fairly impenetrable grassland. As long as one does not try to bird on racing days it is a good habitat.

Both these areas are good for migrants. Oct we saw one Red-tailed Shrike missing most of its tail unfortuantely, whether hors de combat or trials of the migration impossible to know. Other birds of note were Allen's Gallinule, several Wood Sandpipers, Mosque swallows, Mangrove Kingfisher, Barn Swallows.

Nov saw a big influx of Yellow Wagtails and Red-Backed Shrikes (about 5 or 6 bird seen). Weavers, Golden Palm and Gros Beak were all busy nest building and the Pin Tail Whydah was just growing his tail in readiness. Other migrants were Spotted Flycatcher, Greenshank., Common Sandpiper and hundreds of Barn Swallows.  No Wheatears which are sometimes fairly common in this area. A Black Shouldered Kite was being chased by Indian House Crows. A few years ago this bird was hardly ever not on our bird list from this area. It is now a rare treat for us to see it. I don't think the Crows are  totally to blame as the Kite survived their attack unscathed and in fact saw them off. Black Kite which was common in past times is now hardly ever seen. 

A usual bird list for this area is 35-40 species seen late afternoon oin about 1 1/2  - 2 hrs

Anyone visitng Mombasa is welcome to come on the monthly bird walk. Every third Sat in the month. Call me on 491648 or 0720 949 195 to ascertain meeting place (usually Ratna Square). 

I am also trying to buy a hard backed new copy of Zimmerman which seems to be out of print. Anyone know where I can get one?

Happy Birding Marlene Reid




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