From: Fleur Ng'weno <fleur@africaonline.co.ke>
Date: 2008-04-19 18:01
Subject: March records from Garissa and vicinity
March records from Garissa and vicinity
Greetings
Still tidying up my records from recent outings. The Easter trip with the Kenya Museum Society, March 19-24, passed through Garissa and Bura. Some highlights:
March 19
On the road between Ukasi and Garissa, migrants included Eurasian Rollers, Barn Swallows and Olivaceous Warblers.
In the Garissa Giraffe Sanctuary in the afternoon, we saw many birds including a Pygmy Falcon, two large flocks of Vulturine Guineafowl, and Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbills.
March 20
Golden-breasted Starlings flew right into the tree above our picnic site on the road between Hola and Wenje.
March 23
Rain had fallen when we returned. On the Bura-Garissa road, about 75 km south of the turnoff to Bura, we saw a Eurasian Marsh Harrier being mobbed by Spur-winged Plovers in the middle of dry thornbush country. This was odd, so we stopped and looked around. Peering under the thornbushes, we saw a small seasonal pool already full of waterbirds, including Green-backed and Black-headed Hersons, African Open-billed Stork, Sacred ibis, White-faced Whistling Duck, Egyptian Goose, Black-winged Stilt and Ruff.
March 24
An early morning walk by the Tana River at Garissa found a heronry along the river banks, including Black-headed Herons and African Spoonbill with young in the nests. Flocks of Eurasian Golden Orioles and Black-bellied Starlings were feeding in the Neem trees.
On the drive back to Nairobi on the Garissa-Bengali-Ukasi-Mwingi road, migrants included Grasshopper Buzzards, Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Rollers and Willow Warblers.
Wishing you good birding, Fleur