Dear fellow Birders,
Over the last week on friday 18th I decided to board a public means to go and do some birding at Taita hills alone, I did arrive there at around 1500hrs and was able explore my next day site of birding at Gangao forest. With Luck I had some contact of a local chap who goes birding with researches down there from the Ornithology department and we met later and scheduled on my most important species for the day.
When we started our birding it was quite a distance walk up the hilly countryside to the forest though. As we got to the forest which is only a small remnant patch of montane forest you would never think that you are in the famous forest and a unique home to 3 globally threatened endemics-Taita White-eye, Critically endangered Taita Thrush and Taita Apalis-Apalis throracica fuscigularis i managed to see them after along and almost whole day up and down through inside and outside the forest edge. Funny enough was that even after using my local helper I had to be patient even to see the Thrush as the night before there had some rains and activities of bird were so low as compared to other forest I have ever been, In actual fact my first bird to record since early morning of 0600hrs was Cape robin at around 0930hrs and the Thrush we located it at around 1135hrs Later on at around 1245hrs is when I located the Apalis when I was about to give up and gave me 5 seconds to have a quick look at it,luckly I knew what I was up to because even my local help never managed to see this one!!!
All in All I noted the the White -eye was common and should not give any one a nag to find it, others that were still common and easy to find were Yellow Throathed Wood warbler that was quite melodious in the forest almost calling a similar call like the Uganda Woodland Warbler, Stripe Cheeked GreenBul there behaves like the Joyful Greenbul in Kakamega forest and last but not the least the Evergreen Forest Warbler was as common and singing alot.
I return back to Nairobi have managed to see my most wanted species on Sunday and with quite short time I could have not extended birding any more.
In general, if you have to go for this species there were some quite cheap accommodations at Hebron Christian Hotel that can only give you accommodation but no for at the rate of Kshs 350 per room and Kshs300 for a single accommodation, another one was Taita Rock Hill Hotel at Wundanyi Town but not good as the other.
secondly you must be prepared to hike up and down the forest as it is not anything flat terrain.
Have a happy birdng thought as you think about this forest!!