From: Brian Finch <birdfinch@hotmail.com>

Dear All,
On Tuesday 4th April I went to Splash, but sadly it was another porzana-less
day. There were a few migrants, numerous Sedge, at least 8 Great Reed, two
each of E Reed and Marsh Warblers, 3 Garden, 4 Whitethroat and thirty or so
Willow Warblers. One each of Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrikes.

The 6th April I went down Magadi Road. It was gloomy until Corner Baridi,
and from there it just got gloomier and wetter. I stopped at the Camel
Road,and walked around in the pouring rain, returning after twenty minutes
like a drowned rat. The rain continued until 11-45am when it started to get
a bit brighter. After that I walked around until 3pm. The three dry-country
Whydahs were about in full regalia, Steel-blue as is often the case here,
was the most numerous. I recorded virtually all of the normal bush birds, as
the place was a hive of activity. Migrants were still a feature, three
Northern Hobbies with a most attractive Sooty Falcon, 15 E Rollers, 25 E
Bee-eaters, 2 E Tree Pipits, of migrant warblers there were in this small
area 40 Willow, 4 Garden, 15 Whitethroat, 2 Olivaceous and 1 Olive Tree.
Fifteen Spotted Flycatchers, three Red-backed Shrikes were a pretty low
total for the time of year, and there were no migrant shrikes along the road
on the return. They must still be heading up here. Afrotrop cuckoos have
moved into the area with Diederik, Klaas', Black-and-White, African, Black
and Red-chested, and all were calling.
Magadi Road can only continue to get better, and quite a number of
butterflies were flying once the rain had stopped.

Today 7th April I went to Naivasha with Nigel Hunter. Our first stop was the
KWS Hippo Point. In the open grassland before the entrance were a number of
migrants. Numerous E Bee-eaters were passing overhead, and three E Golden
Orioles in the surrounding acacias. There was a fairly late female Northern
Wheatear, and a young male E Rock Thrush. Some half-dozen Lesser Grey, a few
Red-backed and two Red-tailed Shrikes. A couple of Red-throated Pipits flew
over, and amongst the fifteen dazzling Yellow Wagtails, most were lutea,
though flavissima were only slightly less, and one cinereocapilla. In the
woodland were well over fifty Willow Warblers with one Wood Warbler amongst
them, ten or so Olivaceous, three Garden and a Whitethroat, three Spotted
Flycatchers and all three migrant Swallows were on the move. Our arrival at
the shoreline was most alarming, even with all the rain that has been in the
area, the shoreline is still way in the distance, and is in a far far worse
state than back in January. Many migrant waders had obviously left, one of
the most numerous being Black-tailed Godwit with over a hundred present and
most in chestnut plumage. These were outnumbered by Avocets. There were some
eighty Curlew Sandpipers, a few of which were in breeding plumage, and a
sixty Little Stints nearly all of which were in breeding plumage. Probably
about a hundred each of Ruff and Marsh Sandpiper, five Wood, three Common
Sandpipers and two Greenshank. There were groups of terns, with plenty of
White-winged Blacks present. In the palaearctic Duck line were sixty
Shoveler, fifteen Garganey and one lone drake Pintail. One E Marsh Harrier
flew down the shore in the morning.
At Lake Naivasha Club we additionally picked up a Northern Hobby and a
Black-headed Gull, with a dapper party of nine Ringed Plover.
Of the more interesting Afrotrops there were unusually large numbers of
Yellow-billed Duck, good numbers of Whiskered Tern but only one Gull-billed
Tern. Sixty Common Pratincoles were along the shore and a few were
displaying. Six Black Swifts were behaving very strangely around the KWS
offices, flying low between the buildings, and investigating the eaves. I
have never seen Black Swifts show any interest in buildings before. In the
acacias we found eight Brown Parisomas, five of which were associating
together. Plain-backed Pipits of the race zenkeri were quite common in the
open grassland. Black, African, Red-chested, Diederik and Klaas' Cuckoos
were all present, and a Wahlberg's Honeybird put on a spectacular show
sitting on a high exposed branch and calling (a species that is usually
remarkably silent) a monotone rattle rather like a Dusky Nightjar or Crested
Barbet but softer toned, and of course not as loud.


Best Birding
Brian

------ End of Forwarded Message