From: chege wa kariuki <chege@birdwatchingeastafrica.com>
Date: 2009-07-20 09:05
Subject: O-w Pytilia, L Jacana, R-b Buffallo Weaver & other records
Dear  all
On a fast birding trip with Govind Kumar from Dubai had some good selection of migrants including Barn Swallows at Lake Naivasha, Nakuru, Molo, Kisumu and Mara. 1 individual Eurasian Roller in Lake Nakuru, Govind and Vivek saw a single adult male Amur Falcon fly by the Lake Nakuru Lodge on 4th of July. We had a single Lesser Jacana on the wetland past Timboroa on the 5th of july also the same dam were the Hunter's and Levaillant's Cisticolas, Same day the Molo Grasslands produce Hunter's and Aberdare Cisticolas, Wattled Plover, Sharpe's Longclaw, Cape Wagtail
Other interesting birds included 2 Compact Weavers at the Sio River on the 6th of July. The bird of the trip must have been the Orange-winged Pytilia; a single individual on the hill behind the Sarova Mara Tented Camp feeding along the road and flying past the van on the 9th of July. This seems the first record for Masai Mara National Reserve and that west for Kenya.

Then in Brian's Nairobi National Farm (the herds of cattle are back and we encountered 4 large herds of over 50 plus 2 dead way up on the Embakasi plains) with Oscar Campbell on a very chilly day on 17th of July, we encountered a flock of about 15 Red-billed Bufallo-Weavers which included 5 males and all together feeding with the Superb Starling. This species is known below 1500mASL and is species recorded last before 1972 for the park and Nairobi.
There is also a giraffe kill or carcass near the Kingfisher Picnic Site which had attracted 21 Ruppell's Griffon and 70 African White-backed Vultures, 1 Palm-nut Vulture between the Hippo Pools and Athi Dam, a single Lizard Buzzard at the Kisembe Forest and behind the Kingfisher Picnic Site (not sure if the same or 2 individual) , a Giant Kingfisher before the Masai Lodge turnoff on along the tiny river. 1 Abyssinian Scimitarbill at the Hippo Pool, over 30 Banded Martins, one African Firefinch at the Hippo Pool.

18th of July in GATAMAIYU FOREST had a sit hide out in the dark forest in search of the Bar-tailed Trogon which never turned up nor hoot but instead the Brown-chested Alethe and later a single Abyssinian Ground Thrush turned up. and so calm they came feeding less than 3 meters from our sit and enjoyed their presence for about 20 min. Limuru Ponds had 2 Malachite Sunbirds

cheers and good birding
chege