From: Colin Jackson <colin.jackson@arocha.org>
Date: 2009-11-23 21:30
Subject: Ngulia & Lions Bluff
Just back from 10 days or so at Ngulia in Tsavo West NP followed by
three days at Lions Bluff in the Lumo Conservancy where I had suspected
from a visit earlier this year that it might have the same effect as
that of Ngulia in Nov / Dec, i.e. misty nights with bright spotlights
bringing in large numbers of migrants.
The first session of Ngulia is finishing today and I haven't had the
report of the last three nights but while I was there we had totally
clear nights throughout until my last night (last Tues night / Weds
a.m) when we caught a reasonable 700 or so birds though nothing much
unusual. From there Titus Imboma (NMK) and myself joined a handful of A
Rocha volunteers and Albert Baya (A Rocha research assistant) in Voi to
go to Lions Bluff just adjacent to the Saltlick Sanctuary just south of
the Taita Hills to test my theory that it would work like Ngulia. This
is all reported in more detail with photos etc on the A Rocha Kenya blog
but in summary...
The first night there was no mist to speak of and so we caught very few
birds; the second (20th) was a different story with great mist and
within a few minutes of switching on the spotlights we had birds
dropping out of the sky. We ended up with 314 birds ringed by 10am
including Olive-tree Warbler, several Garden Warblers and Basra Reed
Warblers. Totals will be posted on the blog... The third night was
again totally clear so in the morning we only caught 16 birds - but the
first bird was none other than a Eurasian Scops Owl!
It's an awesome place for birding with great habitats, a lot of game as
well and stunning views from the lodge - I'll write more about it in
detail with what birds we saw and post it on here too.
Colin
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Colin Jackson
A Rocha Kenya
Christians in Conservation
PO Box 383
Watamu, 80202
Kenya
http://www.arocha.org / http://www.assets-kenya.org
Blog: http://arochakenya.wildlifedirect.org
eml: colin.jackson@arocha.org
M: +254 (0)722 842366
O: 042 23 32 023 / 020 233 5865 (wireless)