----- Original Message ----- 
From: Don Reid 
To: kenyabirdsnet@yahoo.com 
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2005 6:36 PM
Subject: Mombasa Bird Walk


Nov. Birdwalk was in Nguu Tatu at the Huseini car track, hoping to see some migrants.  The biggest number were the barn swallows, swooping through the air and sitting in long lines on the fence of the KP&L sub station.  Only a lone spotted flycatcher but several magnificent red-backed shrikes. A black chested snake eagle hovered over our heads so we had a good look. So much for migrants.  Local specials were two purple herons at the pond, fan tailed widow birds and both pangani's and yellow throated longclaws.

A survey of the Lafarge (old Bamburi Portland Cement) lands, which we have been undertaking to support their "green policy", was also intended to count migrants.  Over 10 days there were very few. A few spotted flycatchers, 3 magnificent red tailed shrikes, again in the Nguu tatu area, 1 European roller in Vipingo area, yellow wagtails on the football field at Bamburi and a couple at Vipingo.  Barn swallows were present at all sites more evident in the afternoons. The only large number of migrants was at Vipingo beach where we counted 1000 plus waders all of which went to rest in the quarry at high tide so a magnificent view. Largest groups were curlew sandpipers, grey plovers and lesser and greater sand plovers. Fair number of little stints, ringed plovers, ruddy turnstones, whimbrels and greenshanks.  Several black winged stilts. A single Kittlitze's plover and 2 little ringed plovers, 2 wood sandpipers and a couple of common sandpipers.  The forest areas had no migrant birds at all but large number of four coloured and sulphur breasted bushshrikes calling in the early morning. Peter's twinspot at Vipingo was probably the most exciting species seen. The worrying thing about the forest area at Vipingo is the uncontrolled wood cutting by local community. While it is co. policy to allow community sustainable use of the forest it would seem that there is no supervision of which trees they are cutting so indigenous varieties are being cut instead of the innumerable neems. Hopefully the survey can hi-light this with the company. Wishing you all great birding! Marlene Reid Mombasa


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