Dear All,

I finished a two week central Kenya tour yesterday, and start a tour 
in Uganda tomorrow, so I am sorry that the better records read like 
a shopping list. I would like to go into great length about the 
total destruction of the native bush at Naro Moru River Lodge to 
make room for a new Golf Course…. But that will have to wait!

Best birding to all for now

Brian

AFRICAN DARTER  THIKA 28th June

One on the pond by the road alongside the Pineapples, that the 
African Golden Weavers breed in.

BLACK HERON 3 BARINGO 1st July

Along the foreshore south of Club

MADAGASCAR SQUACCO HERON 9 MARA 4th July

Same place as there were 19 last year, on Musiara Airstrip Pit

RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON 10 MARA 4th July

As usual on Musiara Swamp, one bird in incredibly bright breeding 
dress, very blue cast to back, bill bright pink like a young 
Piapiac, with a dark tip and prominent bare beigey skin behind eye.

WHITE STORK 2 NAKURU 2nd  July

Presumably never returned northwards

OPEN-BILLED STORK 75 MARA 4th July

A large concentration for the Mara

MONTAGU'S HARRIER 

KITENGELA 23rd June…Sub-adult Male

AMBOSELI  …Adult Male and female 24th June

NARO MORU…Female 30th June

EURASIAN MARSH HARRIER 

AMBOSELI 24th June…Young female

MARA 5th July…Young female

MOUNTAIN BUZZARD NYAHURURU 30th June

One rather tame bird with one broken leg living around hotel garden

GREATER KESTREL SOLIO 29th June

Encouraging to see three separate pairs along the Solio Ranch 
connection road. This could be one of the least common breeding 
resident raptors nowadays.

SHELLEY'S FRANCOLIN MARA 5th July

In all the time I lived in and have visited the Mara I have never 
seen nor even heard a Shelley's Francolin anywhere in the area. One 
posing bird along the roadside between Sekenani Gate and Keekerok 
cam as a bit of a surprise. Has anyone else ever seen it in the Mara?

AFRICAN FINFOOT NAIROBI 23rd June

Male sitting on log in river at Hippo Pools

BLACKSMITH/SPUR-WING HYBRID NAKURU 2nd July

I have seen this most attractive individual before, it lives in the 
far SE corner of the lake.

LONG-TOED PLOVERS NEST MARA

When I lived in the Mara this was a vagrant species I had only once 
seen at Musiara Swamp. Now two pairs have chicks on the Musiara 
Airstrip pit.

SPUR-WING PLOVER NEST MARA

As with Long-toed this used to be a vagrant to the Mara, one on nest 
at Musiara Airstrip pit.

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT 3 NAKURU 2nd July

Always some that never seem to go back.

MARSH SANDPIPER 12 NAKURU 2nd July

It is possible that some birds are early returners, as there will be 
large numbers at Nakuru in about a fortnight, if they follow the 
usual pattern.

WOOD SANDPIPER NAKURU 2nd July

Possibly a returner, I have only ever seen one wintering Wood 
Sandpiper.

COMMON SANDPIPER 

AMBOSELI  24th June 

NAKURU 2nd July 

KERICHO ARBORETUM 3RD July

Possibly all returning birds, although June seems a bit extreme. I 
have never knowingly seen a wintering Common Sandpiper (nor one in 
June before).

BLACK-HEADED GULL 2 NAKURU 2nd July

Two non-breeding laggards on Sewage Ponds.

BLACK COUCAL MARA   5th July

One male calling noisily from bushtop just east of Musiara Airstrip, 
and four more found in the same area. All in breeding dress.

NUBIAN NIGHTJAR BARINGO 1st July

One found roosting (thanks to local help), and very good photos 
taken.

WHITE-HEADED MOUSEBIRD OLOITOKITOK PIPELINE ROAD 25TH June

Many found in dense Salvadora mixed thicket.

BROWN-HOODED KINGFISHER THIKA 28th June

One at Blue Posts, calling in early morning whilst probably 
lamenting the continuing destruction of the forest under the control 
of the management.

YELLOW-BILLED HORNBILL NGULIA 26th June

A pair in the commiphora scrub near the Rhino Sanctuary. Always a 
rarity in this part of Tsavo.

GREY-THROATED BARBET MOLO  3rd July

One on a roadside tree five kilometres before the Eldoret/Kericho 
Junction near Molo was the farthest east I have seen this species.

BARN SWALLOW SOLIO 30th June

There were three blue-backed Swallows along the fence line of the 
Solio Ranch connecting road, one each of Barn, Angola and Ethiopian. 
There always seems to be a Barn Swallow somewhere by the end of June.

ETHIOPIAN SWALLOW 

SOLIO 30th June

This is the farthest south I have seen the species in central Kenya, 
it was duly digitised.

BARINGO 1st July

One bird flying around the jetty, was the first I have ever seen 
around the Lake.

LITTLE GREENBUL MARA 6th July

Whilst the species is resident in the Sabaringo Valley, a pair in 
Kichwa Tembo represented only the second time I have seen the 
species in the camp.

JOYFUL GREENBUL SABARINGO 4th July

An obliging pair, where they are resident but overlooked.

NORTHERN WHEATEAR AMBOSELI  25th June

This came as a shock. A female sitting on rocks at the Eremito Gate.

AFRICAN MARSH WARBLER AMBOSELI  24th June

One very obliging individual at the Smelly Bridge Causeway.

SOUTHERN RUSH WARBLER AMBOSELI 24th June

Several birds sitting right out in the open and singing next to the 
Smelly Bridge Causeway.

KARAMOJA APALIS 2 MARA 6th July

A pair (most certainly the original) eventually located at the site 
given in my Swara article. It was sad to see that they had no young 
trailing them, and a new manyatta springing up nearby. The sheep and 
goats are death to the fragile Drepanolobium habitat in the Mara.

PLAIN PRINIA NGULIA 26th June

There were at least three singing males in the scrub around the 
disused Ngulia Airstrip. The species appears to be fairly common 
along the road towards Tsavo Gate now.

YELLOW-BELLIED HYLIOTA NEST SABARINGO 4th July

The first Hyliota nest I have ever seen, a small cup placed neatly 
in a fork just below the canopy of a small hill-slope tree, in the 
Sabaringo Valley, Maasai Mara.

RED-NAPED BUSH-SHRIKE NGULIA 26th June

One obliging bird not far from Ngulia Airstrip, others calling that 
kept to their cover.

ABBOTT'S STARLING MTN LODGE  28th June

A marvellous show of montane starlings at Mountain Lodge, with 
Waller's, Sharpe's and Kenrick's but pride of place went to three 
Abbott's Starlings.

SOUTHERN RED BISHOP 3 AMBOSELI  24th June

Three birds of which two were male, not too far from Tortilis Camp. 
The first I have personally recorded in Amboseli.