Hi Claudien and everyone,
I first sent this out on 28/9 but it seems to have got lost.
Since arriving back in Arusha (from Ulaya) August 27 we have seen  
remarkably few European Bee-eaters (when compared with 2006 & 2007;  
however 2008 was not so good either) on what used to be a significant  
bee-eater flyway passing around the shoulder of Mount Meru, across  
Arusha and then out over the Maasai steppe. Typically in September  
they are heard/seen in Arusha most often in early evening; as I think  
they are coming down to roost in coffee plantations and relict  
riparian woodland; on the western edge of the Arusha urban area.

By way of contrast Madagascar Bee-eaters have been passing through the  
"Monduli" gap, (also Arusha) in good numbers; this is what I call the  
dry corridor of 'lowland' between western Mount Meru & the Monduli  
mountain block.

This lack of Europeans is 'corroborated' by our African Morning  
Thrushes who at the appropriate season repeatedly imitate any highly  
vocal (especially any fluty-sounding) migrants who might be passing  
overhead at that time (even nocturnal ones e.g Greenshank which I  
still 'need' for the garden!).

Thus: plenty of Madagscar "tree-treeeps" but very few European "pruup- 
pruups" from the AMTs in these very dusty September days.

Incidentally there were plenty of Madagascar Bee-eaters 'wired and  
foraging' over the lush green landscape of TPC Sugar Estate, 40km  
south of Kilimanjaro, during the Eidd holiday.

Also, thankfully, we are still seeing small groups (< 10 individuals  
in each) of White-fronted Bee-eater in the irrigated alfalfa and  
sports fields of Mringa-Kimemo-Burka estate; and in the adjacent  
Friedkin-Tanzania Game Trackers recreation grounds (together these  
form a well-timbered 'green' wedge between the Nairobi and Dodoma  
roads on the dry west boundary of the town).

Honey Bee numbers generally seem to be holding well here; it's  
certainly buzzing around the exotic palms flowering in our wild garden  
just now.
Neverthelesst it's hardly the Itigi thicket - where it's said the best  
honey in the world comes from!

Good Birds 'n all,
James

PS: There were at least 15 European Bee-eaters today (30/9) at a site  
near Sanya Juu in West Kilimanjaro. Where also 2 Cinnamon-chested  
(yesterday) at 1,300m.



On 28 Sep 2009, at 11:07, claudien nsabagasani wrote:

> Dear Marcell and All,
>
> Last Friday while I climbed Karisimbi (PNV) we recorded more than 40  
> individuals of European Bee-eaters and a group of more than 60  
> Alpine Swift.
>
> Cheers
> Claudien Nsabagasani
> Ornithology Researcher, Karisoke Research Center
> Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
> PO Box 105 Musanze,
> North Province, Rwanda
> Phone: +250 (0)788754615
Fax: (+250) 0252546924/3Yours,
James

+255 (0) 765-676-514

Web: http://birds.intanzania.com

Twitter: @gonolek