Mombasa Bird Walk

Sept. walk was one of highs and lows. Firstly most of the regular birders were either away, looking after sick dogs, at weddings, sick themselves or out Msa. Secondly having decided to go to the car track in Nguu Tatu we arrived to find it had all been fenced off and there was no access. Hastily revising the plan we went down to the nearly dry swamp on the other side of the track where we saw nice Black Bellied Starlings, Superb Starling, lots of Zanzibar Bishops, Namaqua Doves and about 20 other more common species. We were then joined by Kevin who managed to get us some access to the shale quarry (being on good terms with the askari) where everything started to be a high. Small pond turned up Allen's Gallinule, Black Crake, African Jacana, Green Backed Heron and Great White Egret as well as enthusiastically nest building Village Weavers. At the wetland Three Banded Plover, Common Sand Piper and then a Bat Hawk trying to catch the bats which were by this time flying around. The bats seemed to be much cleverer than the hawk and it was only after several misses and one that got away that it was successful. Flying into roost were Woolly Necked, Yellow Billed and a lone Open Billed Stork, on the ground Water Dikkops, White Faced Tree Ducks and a Long Tailed Cormorant. Little Grebes in the water and a Madagascar Squacco moving out from a tree. A Malachite Kingfisher came onto the fence just where we were standing and then as a first time ever (for me) in this area, sitting on the sandbank and flying up to catch a grasshopper, a Madagascar Pratincole. Only one so maybe wandered down from where I have always seen them in large flocks, around Sabaki and on the Lamu Rd. Migrants seem to be still absent apart from a few Barn Swallows. On a walk that did not seem to be very promising we had a list of 38 species. Birds are so unpredictable, never know what you will see. Join us if you are in Mombasa. (Marlene Reid -Mombasa)