"White-fronted
Bee-eaters are indeed very scarce at the moment. During the period
May-July this year numbers recorded in the Naivasha area can be counted on two
hands. The feeling was that maybe large numbers had moved to Nakuru, but not so.
In Hell's Gate which has been their traditional stronghold for decades, they
have all but disappeared. Personally I have only seen two individuals in the
last three months. All traditional nesting sites, quarries where numbers are
normally see are inexplicably deserted. I have asked a numbers of
interested individuals to make a point of looking for this bird as they move
around Naivasha, will let you know what transpires, but it is indeed a worrying
development."
"I've had a skim through my readily available records.
June trips seem to have no lack of records, and they seem to be there in
reasonable numbers in all the years I have been there over the last 10 years
(have to go into notebooks prior to that!). I've been there less in July, but there
seem to be many less, although never absent. On one trip in July 2000, there was
only a single record from Gilgil. Maybe something of a trend, but hard to
tell from a snapshot of tours rather than dedicated time in the
Rift."
Neil Baker:
"bullockoides is surely resident, at least the several
pops in Tanzania are. Mt Meru, Rufiji River, Njombe Highlands (small pop this
and it might be an altitudinal migrant into the Kilombero Valley). We have
45 June records for bullockoides."
So where have they gone and why? And when will
they return? Assuming they do!
Could all observer watch out for them in Central Kenya
and post any sightings with number, date and location to this
group.
Many thanks.
David
David Fisher - Director
Sunbird, P.O. Box 76, Sandy,
Bedfordshire, SG19 1DF, United Kingdom
Tel: 01767-262522
Fax: 01767-262916
VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT: www.sunbirdtours.co.uk