Dear birders:

On 15 July 2009, the Wednesday Morning Bird-walk group (WmBW) visited the Windsor Golf & Country Club (WG&CC), Nairobi .

It was a big shame to see the grounds men of the club literally washing the tarmac road and irrigating the lawns when, there is an on-going and acute water shortage in the country!

The group was big so we divided into two. The group I led had excellent views and courtship displaying of the Hartlaub’s Turaco Tauraco hartlaubi. Other highlights of the day included: Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, the Weavers – Grosbeak, Baglafecht, Spectacled, African Golden Weaver, and Speke’s. The raptors and the counted numbers included the Marabou Stork Leptoptilus crumeniferus c.3, Black Kite Milvus migrans c.30, African Harrier Hawk Polyboroides typus c.1, Great Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus c.1, Long-crested Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus c.1.

Having worked as a naturalist at the WG&CC (1995-200), I digged out my records and noted that the following two bird species were new records for the area Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius c. 1, and Long-toed Lapwing Vanellus crassirostris c.2.

The only Palearctic migrant recorded was the Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos. Therefore, this raised question if the bird was an early migrant returnee and/or non-migrant returnee. Following a recent posting by Brian finch et al on a trip to L. Baringo, they saw a Common Sandpiper. They reported it was an early migrant arrival. I do question their theory, as my records of WG&CC have reflected the same species appearing all the months during the 5-years tenure! Perhaps, these are “resident” birds.

On Saturday, 18 July, 2009 at L. Nakuru National Park, Kenya, bird-counters were treated to a dusk feeding  spree by a single Bat Hawk Macheiramphus alcinus c. 1.

Have a great week!

Yours in birding,