Dear all

Since mid May I’ve been  to be out in the field every
other day, well,just but another way of learning more
more the Kenyan bushes, forests among other habitats
hold for us as well as visitors. In deed the two trips
earned me over 10 lifers. Some of the life birds are
as common or easy birds to find in the mind of client.
For instance when a client put his scope on a pair of
birds and she say "just another Red-necked Falcon". In
the first she thinks that I’ve seen it before and she
goes ahead to the say “they seemed common on our last
trip to Gambia” 

Otherwise, on the 15th of May in Nairobi National Park
had Violet Wood Hoopoes nesting at the Hippo Pool seen
in and out of the nest cavity and one Grey-rumped
Swallow flying around the Kingfisher Picnic Site. 
Pair of African Darter on the dam near the Ivory
Picnic Site while perched near the main gate was a
pair of African Crowned Eagle. Quail-Finches along
every other road feeding by the drainage on short
grass.

On the 16th of May at Manguo Ponds only a single
female Maccoa Duck for sometime after the draught the
spp was gone. Glad at least a female is around and
might attract a male. But Manguo as other habitats is
also threatened…..there has been a big number of the
Ankole cattle and weirdly they are feeding half
submerged and others on the island where some of these
waterfowl have been nesting. However, kids around will
swim and collect eggs from these island and may be the
NMK, NK the KWS and the community around should think
of what they can do. There is nearly always a big
population of waterfowl urging the need for protection
of this site.  While in Gatamaiyu Forest a single
Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk.

On the 17th May had about two groups of Grey Olive
Greenbul at the Blue Post, Thika, Banded Snake Eagle,
African Golden Weaver, Zanzibar Sombre Greenbul at the
Sagana Bridge (KenGen Power Station).

Mwea Rice Scheme was filled with Yellow-crowned
Bishops a few Long-toed Plover while search for
Hinde’s Babbler in Kianyaga proved us wrong that day.
Kenrik’s Starlings a km or two from Meru Town and a
group or two of nearly a 100 individual Red-winged
Starling at the Izak Walton Hotel in Embu during the
lunch.

On the 18th of May in Samburu a single Knob-billed
Duck and a Palm-nut Vulture.
The dam between Iten and Eldoret had Grey-rumped and
Angola Swallow, the Western race of the Little Rush
Warbler and the Levaillant’s Cisticola. Also common
(like always it’s there) is the Kenyan endemic
Elmentaita Rock Agama check through the rocks lying
and the farm edges.

In Saiwa Swamp National Park a Mountain Illadopsis,
Grey-winged Robin and my first de’Brazza Monkey

In Kakamega Forest on the Isecheno or southern
circuit…..only a question. Is it known how much
firewood is collected from the forest in day? If
anytime I spend in Kakamega town and have to meet my
clients to start at 0600hr in the morning it means I’m
on my way to Rondo between 4 and 5 in the morning. The
road is full of huge number of pple carrying firewood
on the way back. Severally clients have asked me a
question similar to this while birding in the forest
and while they watch the number of persons with
firewood,,,,,,, “chege you want to mean the forest can
regenerate all the wood going out at this rate?”

On the 29th of May 2 Black Coucal in Masai Mara near
the Olololoo Gate both vocal 

A pair of the Red-necked Falcon North of Malindi on
the 4th of June

On the 5th of June at Nairobi National Park again the
Violet Wood Hoopoe this time feeding fully fledged
young ones. An African Water Rail near the Kingfisher
picnic, 1 African Darter, a Saddle-billed Stork

On the 6th of June at the Mwea Rice Scheme
Yellow-crowned Bishop still in breeding plumage. Try
them here since the population at Lake Baringo was
probably moved somewhere else as the sedges and
cyperus have been fed on by goats and cows.
Yellow-crowned Bishop and the Northern Red Bishop
aren’t breeding outside the Baringo Club as they did
so try the first one at the Mwea. Another nice one at
the scheme was a single Saddle-billed Stork

On the 12th of June at Lake Nakuru National Park had a
1 Glossy Ibis and a White-naped Raven. On this notable
was a narrow white breast ring which the field guide
doesn’t show, a single Cape Teal, Eurasian Hoopoe of
the local race webeli

13th June at Lake Baringo was a Shikra and a
Lead-collared Flycatcher nesting in a tree cavity by
the dry mudflats at the base of the cliffs.

On the 15th of June at the Kongelai Escarpment had a
single Parasitic Weaver

On the 18th June at the Kisumu town in the evening at
around ¼ to seven, a single Abdim’s Stork flying and
roost on eucalyptus near the Kisumu Hotel.
  
In Kakamega Forest as usual Black Cuckoo and
White-spotted Flufftail calling every where but no
where to be seen. However, good views while in between
a pair of African Broadbill calling and answering to
the other.

On 21st June in Mara had several Angolan Swallow.
Zimmerman shows they are present between Nov and
April…
The same Angolan Swallows are nesting (seen feeding
youngones) at the bridge at Keekorok Lodge.

3 Brown-chested Plover also near the Keekorok Lodge
and a UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) which figured
to me as a Violet-backed Starling but but all the
violet has been replaced by blue color. Anyone has
ever seen this or is it possible?  

Then on a way to Naivasha the same day, about 20km
outside the Sekenani Gate a Straw-tailed Whydah and
the Paradise Whydah. The later seems far out of it’s
range of it’s distribution

On 23rd June at the Manguo Ponds again but this time a
pair of Maccoa Duck. 5 Glossy Ibis at the Limuru
Sewerage Ponds 

On 24th of June along the Magadi Road about 6
Malachite Sunbirds by the many Leonotis just before
you get to the Kisemese. At the same were a few
Short-toed Lark, Horus Swift were not present by the
bridge past Olepolos but several at the Olorgeasilie
Pristoric where the Nature Kenya Youth Committee group
had been camping/hiking/birding. Also several Singing
Bush Larks, no Ashy Cisticola seen. 

At Ngutuni Lodge this place you can tale night
gamedrive though we had very little on offer a Bush
Pipit at night roosting on the grass near the road. No
any nightjar though before we have had Donaldson
Smith’s Nightjar. However, there were Red-fronted
Warbler, Tiny Cisticola, Pringle’s Puffback,
White-crested Hemet-Shrike, Golden Pipit, Verreaux’s
Eagle at the Ngutuni Hills

On the 31st of June at the Ngangao Forest in Taita
Hill 2 Sharpe’s Starling, a single African Crowned
Eagle, 2 Striped Pipits

wishing all the best in the field
cheers
chege






        chege kariuki
   
      Please visit www.worldbirds.org/kenya
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