From: Fleur Ng'weno <fleur@africaonline.co.ke>
Date: 2009-04-18 12:51
Subject: Urban waterbirds
Urban waterbirds
Greetings Birders
There seems to have been a shift in urban waterbirds on the southern side of Nairobi.
After more than a dozen years of nesting comfortably over Uhuru Highway between Nyayo Stadium and Nakumatt, the marabou seem to have moved out. There were hardly any to be seen on April 11 and 18, 2009.
What happened? Did the trees become sparse and weakened from continuous nesting? Are the adjacent businesses using secret weapons? Did the drought and global financial crisis reduce food availability? Or are there greener nesting pastures somewhere else?
Meanwhile, Black-headed Herons are seen more often flying from the golf courses to the general direction of the railway yards or industrial area. Is a heronry building up again? It would be interesting to hear what the Cattle Egrets and Sacred Ibis on the Mombasa Road are doing.
Wishing you good birding, in the field or in the city, Fleur