Dear All,

On Friday 23rd May, Fleur Ng’weno, Mike Davidson and myself visited Karamaini Estate at Juja. Although so relatively close to Nairobi there are a number of special birds that occur here, that are absent from the capital district. There were several Flappet Larks displaying in a huge vlei when we arrived. Also Singing, Red-faced, Zitting, Croaking, Stout, Winding and Siffling Cisticolas were very vocal here, as there had been some rain the previous night. Quail-finch, Zebra Waxbills and other estrildids were active in the area, Broad-tailed Warblers called very infrequently and eluded us. Brown-backed Scrub-Robins were in the scrubby patches, and the whole of the marshy depression was buzzing with birds. I would imagine that with a good number of people organised in a line, that the very elusive and undoubtedly under-recorded Blue Quail will be found here.
We crossed with Brian and Vanessa Williams who were heading off to Olorgessailie, and they advised that as they left there was a Purple-crested Turaco calling from their plant nursery. We departed rapidly and on arrival the bird was screaming it’s presence from a mango. The bird was present for the next two hours as it patrolled its territory very noisily but never had a reply from a second bird. Never have I had such wonderful open views of this species before and for as long as we were there.
The dam held a Darter, Giant Kingfisher and African Golden Weavers were in breeding plumage and showing interest in nesting in the typha. Lesser Swamp Warblers have already nested and were feeding young in the nest. In the dense scrub around the dam, we called out a pair of Grey-olive Greenbuls and they behaved most extravertly, even flycatching from the scrub out over the reeds. There was one Trumpeter Hornbill in this area. There were many other species in the scrub, including Black-collared Apalis, which for a forest species seemed a little out of place, but perhaps historically the region was heavily forested and connected to the highlands, Ruppell’s Robin Chat also are here.
This is an extremely rich bird area, and I feel that we only scratched the surface.

On Sunday 25th May, I went into Nairobi National Park, still very green and over the past week maybe the levels in the dams have risen a little. With the departure of the northern migrants apart from a lone Barn Swallow at Hyena Dam and a couple of Ruff at Athi Dam, the interesting species now are all afrotropicals. There were African Water Rails calling at Hyena Dam, but the main attraction in this area are the grassland species, all three widowbirds being very numerous, but seething with White-winged with perhaps over a thousand around here, Cardinal Queleas were numerous, amongst the estrildids, Zebra Waxbills were quite common and Quail-Finch have moved into the area in large numbers, and are all through the park. There was one Harlequin Quail, the first of the season and a male lion. At Nagalomon Dam there was one Great Cormorant, the first for some time, but there are no signs yet of young Long-tailed, with birds still sitting on nests. Olmanyi Dam hosted a Hippo, and strangely a Yellow Bishop defending a territory in the sedges, something I had not seen before. The only dam holding Yellow-crowned Bishops was Karen Primary School Dam with three males and a number of females.
Athi Dam however had a number of fluffy pink-billed Sacred Ibis chicks in their thriving colony. There were a pair of Spur-winged Plover, but little else of any note.
One lone acacia near Cheetah Gate held single Immature Great-spotted and Black-and-White, and a female or immature Diederic Cuckoos.

On Monday 26th May, Mike Davidson and myself went up to Mutubio Gate, Aberdares to look for the pair of Olive Ibis that were seen last week by Adam Wood literally on the road up to the entrance. We looked at the old nest site, but there was no sign of nest or birds. We encountered Black-headed Waxbills in pairs, a number of times, not usually seen frequently here, and a pair of Tacazze Sunbirds were feeding on Giant Lobelia. Jackson’s Francolins and Hill Chats were seen before the gate, but Aberdare Cisticolas were not encountered until we had paid our entrance and entered the Park. I have never managed to find the species on the “public” side of the gate! Nothing surprising was seen in the Park, but a black Serval was a great find on the road.

The intention was to be looking at Collared Larks at Haberswein over this period, but we failed to confirm a second vehicle up to the last moment. This has now been pushed forward to July 26th to the end of the month, which enables interested parties to set these dates aside, and of course wet roads should be no problem.  Mike Davidson on davidson@africaonline.co.ke is eager to hear from interested participants, and hopefully the number of living persons who have seen Collared Larks in Kenya will rise from two to a dozen!!!

Best to all

Brian