Mombasa Bird Walk

Having had a productive walk in the shale quarry, at the southern end of Nguu Tatu in August we decided to revisit. The recently planted trees are growing up fast but are mostly eucalyptus and pine (to be used for bio-gas) so don't seem to attract many birds. Before we started on the walk we went to see the young Verreaux Eagle Owl which had fallen from the nest, couldn't fly and was being harassed and attacked by Indian House Crows in the Nguuni Sanctuary. Despite it necessarily being caged it was probably the hi-light of the walk, just so fluffy and cute, blinking its bright pink eyelids at everyone, it was hard to persuade the birders to leave it alone. First pond was fairly quiet, not even much weaver presence, just a few Golden Palm and Grosbeaks. A lone African Black Crake, no sign of the Allen's Gallinule. The star of the pond being a Purple Heron hunkered down in a central patch of reeds obviously under the impression that he/she was invisible but affording us a superb view. Migrants not in great numbers, one immature Red Tailed Shrike, several Spotted Flycatchers, Barn Swallows flyiing over, circling and dropping into their roost inside Nguuni later in the walk. Three Common Sandpipers at the second pond with a lone Greenshank. Crested Francolins on the pathway, 2 Woollyneck Storks flying over the quarry, their favourite place. One Little Egret. At the end of the walk, before another quick goodbye visit to the owl, now stomping round the floor of the cage looking for the dead mice he gets for supper, there were Northern Brownbuls in the hedge and a Slender Tailed Nightjar calling. Last bird walk for 2007. Wishing you all happy and enjoyable birding for 2008. (Marlene Reid - Mombasa)