From: Fleur Ng'weno <fleur@africaonline.co.ke>
Date: 2007-05-06 20:03
Subject: Cuckoos and more

Cuckoos and more Greetings all

In the Nairobi area, we are now seeing Red-chested Cuckoos. A few other notes:

On a brief late-afternoon visit to Nairobi National Park on April 29, we saw a small group of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters at close range – a bird I do not remember seeing in Nairobi before. Also a Grey Heron that had speared an enormous catfish at “Karen C primary school dam” in the park.

Along the Magadi Road on May first, the sound of dozens of chattering birds brought Karen and Patrick Plumbe and I to a stop. Peering into the newly leafy acacias, we saw they were Chestnut Weavers. It was the same place, half a kilometre before the camel sign on a rock, where Chestnut Weavers nested two years ago.

Were the Chestnut Weavers planning to nest again at the same site? They were just singing, not weaving. On our way back about an hour later, we were met by silence. The weavers might have gone to check on other sites, or to assess the presence of weaving materials, or they had changed their minds. I hope other travelers on the Magadi Road will give us updates.

Wishing you good birding, Fleur