> Dear All,
> 
> I had the opportunity of spending two days in Mt.
> Elgon National Park. I was not travelling with
> birders, so the records are limited to a couple of
> hours at Rongai Campsite in the mornings, and along
> the road, right to the top of the roadhead.
> Nevertheless it was very interesting, and a number
> of good species were seen.
> 
> The road from the turn-off from the tarmac Kitale
> Road is in excellent condition, and although dirt is
> very smooth and takes only five to ten minutes to
> the Park Entrance.
> 
> The Bandas were full, and the staff say that they
> are becoming very popular now, and recommend that
> any reservations should be directed at them, 
> (menp@swiftkenya.com) and not KWS in Nairobi.
> 
> We only saw a couple of other campers during the two
> days, but there were tourists taying at Mt. Elgon
> Lodge, and daytrippers were coming in from Kitale.
> 
> The roads have been well maintained, although a
> two-wheel drive might have problems getting up to
> the alpine grassland.
> 
> The trails were remarkably birdy, although we were
> not stopping on the way to the top, however in the
> grassland we had three Montane  Francolins walking
> towards us down the road, and I was so astonished at
> having such good views of this species that I forgot
> to photograph them.
> 
> We stayed in Rongai Campsite, beautifully located in
> a grassy glade, with a river at the bottom. There
> was a substantial amount of firewood already in
> place, running water, cold showers, clean
> long-drops, an open band-like grass-roofed kitchen
> area, benches and table. But for birders the most
> important would probably be the pair of extravert
> Red-chested Owlets that leave the forest in the
> evening to call noisily from the trees above the
> kitchen. Their presence also makes birding much
> easier because by imitating the calls the other
> birds in the area come in to investigate. In the
> short time in the campsite I recorded the following
> species; AFRICAN BLACK DUCK. AFRICAN GOSHAWK.
> EURASIAN BUZZARD. COMMON OLIVE PIGEON. DUSKY
> TURTLE-DOVE. RED-EYED DOVE. BLUE-SPOTTED WOOD-DOVE.
> TAMBOURINE DOVE. RED-FRONTED PARROT. ROSS'S TURACO.
> HARTLAUB'S TURACO. RED-CHESTED OWLET. MONTANE
> NIGHTJAR. SPECKLED MOUSEBIRD. CINNAMON-CHESTED
> BEE-EATER. AFRICAN SCIMITARBILL. BLACK-AND-WHITE
> CASQUED HORNBILL. GREY-THROATED BARBET.
> YELLOW-SPOTTED BARBET. GOLDEN-RUMPED TINKERBIRD.
> YELLOW-BILLED BARBET. FINE-BANDED WOODPECKER.
> CARDINAL WOODPECKER. BARN SWALLOW. ANGOLA SWALLOW.
> BLACK SAW-WING. GREY WAGTAIL. AFRICAN PIED WAGTAIL.
> MOUNTAIN WAGTAIL. EURASIAN TREE PIPIT. GREY
> CUCKOO-SHRIKE. AFRICAN BLACK CUCKOO-SHRIKE.
> PURPLE-THROATED CUCKOO-SHRIKE. COMMON BULBUL.
> YELLOW-WHISKERED GREENBUL. CABANIS GREENBUL.
> NORTHERN PUFFBACK. BROWN-HEADED TCHAGRA. LUHDER'S
> BUSH-SHRIKE. TROPICAL BOUBOU. GREY-WINGED
> GROUND-ROBIN. CAPE ROBIN-CHAT. NORTHERN OLIVE
> THRUSH. CHUBB'S CISTICOLA. BLACK-THROATED APALIS.
> CHESTNUT-THROATED APALIS. GREY APALIS. GREY-BACKED
> CAMAROPTERA. BROWN WOODLAND-WARBLER. WILLOW WARBLER.
> BLACKCAP. WHITE-EYED SLATY FLYCATCHER. DUSKY
> FLYCATCHER. SEMI-COLLARED FLYCATCHER. CHIN-SPOT
> BATIS. BLACK-THROATED WATTLE-EYE. BLUE FLYCATCHER.
> AFRICAN PARADISE-FLYCATCHER. WHITE-BREASTED TIT.
> COLLARED SUNBIRD. OLIVE SUNBIRD. GREEN-THROATED
> SUNBIRD. VARIABLE SUNBIRD. NORTHERN DOUBLE-COLLARED
> SUNBIRD. AFRICAN YELLOW WHITE-EYE. STREAKY
> SEEDEATER. THICK-BILLED SEEDEATER. GREY-HEADED
> NEGRO-FINCH. YELLOW-BELLIED WAXBILL. BRONZE
> MANNIKIN. BLACK-AND-WHITE MANAKIN. BAGLAFECHT
> WEAVER. BROWN-CAPPED WEAVER. SHARPE'S STARLING.  and
> MONTANE ORIOLE.
> 
> Additionally along the roads and up to the
> moorlands, the following were recorded;
> 
> AUGUR BUZZARD. CROWNED EAGLE. LANNER FALCON. MONTANE
> FRANCOLIN. SCALY FRANCOLIN. CRESTED GUINEAFOWL.
> WHITE-HEADED WOOD-HOOPOE. PLAIN MARTIN. RED-RUMPED
> SWALLOW. GRASSLAND PIPIT. DOHERTY'S BUSH-SHRIKE.
> COMMON FISCAL. WHITE-STARRED ROBIN. RED-CAPPED
> ROBIN-CHAT. STONECHAT. ALPINE CHAT. NORTHERN
> ANTEATER CHAT. CINNAMON BRACKEN WARBLER. MOUNTAIN
> YELLOW WARBLER. HUNTER'S CISTICOLA. CHIFFCHAFF.
> GOLDEN-WINGED SUNBIRD. MALACHITE SUNBIRD.
> GOLDEN-BREASTED BUNTING. YELLOW-CROWNED CANARY.
> ABYSSINIAN CRIMSONWING. RED-CHEEKED CORDON-BLEU. and
>  GREY-HEADED SPARROW.
> 
> KWS have constructed an electric fence, which is
> having an effect on the poaching, however 700 metres
> have already been stolen, and we can guess what that
> would be used for.
> 
> On the down side, in the two days we saw no recent
> evidence of Elephant, no dung anywhere, there were a
> few Red Duiker along the roads, and small numbers of
> Buffalo, Waterbuck and Bushbuck. Black-and-White
> Colobus were numerous with slightly less Blue
> Monkeys.
> 
> Mt. Elgon is certainly well worth spending some time
> investigating, and at present there is a phenomenon
> taking place that occurs about once every fifty
> years, the bamboo has seeded, and is now dying from
> the  higher altitudes downwards.  Surprisingly the
> abundant seeds that must be underneath are not
> particularly attracting large numbers of any bird
> species.
> 
> Something that may be worth looking into, the Yellow
> White-eyes on Mt. Elgon have broad white eye-rings,
> getting on for Montane in size, rather than the
> narrow eye-ring of more typical Yellow.
> 
> I have included a very bad photo with a typical
> Yellow, and the difference is quite obvious.
> 
> Best for now 
> Brian

=====
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Itai Shanni                    
itaisha1@yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/itaisha1
           
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