Bird Walk Sat Dec. 19th. On sat I went for the bird walk - it was just Meg, John and me - with Samson guiding us. I took my friend along too and it was a wonderful experience for her. The ponds were full so number of waders was less but we could see them from very close quarters esp the Thickknees. There were quite a few of them; we also got a very good look at a Three-banded Plover and a Spur-winged Plover which were at the edge of the water. Another interesting bird we saw was the Allen's Gallinule. At that time we identified it as a Purple Swamhen but when I had a good look at my book I thought it must have been a Gallinule as it had turquoise on its head. We also spotted a Common Moorhen, White-browed Coucal, Little Swifts, Grosbeak and Golden Palm weavers, Barn Swallows were plenty. Flocks of Yellow-billed Stork and Sacred Ibis looking beautitiful in flight. There was a pretty lone Malachite Kingfisher, a lone Grey Heron, a couple of Woolly-necked Storks, Zanzibar Red Bishop, Long-tailed Cormorant, Red-billed Quelea, Cattle Egret, Common Bulbul and to our surprise Yellow wagtails perched on acacia trees I have always seen them on the ground so I did not know that they also perched on trees. (Alka Subbarao)
Sat Jan 16th - Husseini Pond - Nguu Tatu
This area is drier than I have ever seen it but still with quite a lot of water in the large pond. There were hardly any grassland birds but plenty to see at the pond. On arrival overhead a fairly large group of Yellow Billed Storks. In the reeds and flying around about 6 Common Squacco Herons, a rare treat these days. Lots of Zanzibar Bishops. Long Tailed Cormorants fishing, 2 beautiful Purple Swamphens (we keep hoping they will breed here), African Jacana, African Black Crake, Yellow Billed and Cattle Egrets, Pink Backed Pelican flying by, many White Faced Whistling Ducks and Egyptian Geese, Three Banded Plover, Malachite Kingfisher. Migrants were absent except for a Common Sandpiper. Not even Barn Swallows around. A dearth this year of Spotted flycatchers! On the way back to the cars over the degraded grassland, a Red Faced Crombec, a pair of Black Headed Batis and a Flappet Lark. (30 species seen in all)
Other Mombasa Birding of Note:
Two stays at Tiwi beach - hardly any migrant waders, only one or two Greenshanks, several Whimbrels and Grey Plovers. A large group of Saunders Terns with a couple of Common Terns and a small group of Ruddy Turnstones. In the far distance a flock of small waders which were probably Sandplovers but was too far away to be sure.
Jumba Beach - again not many waders Whimbrels and Grey Plovers being the main ones. One small flock which I think were Curlew Sandpipers but again very swift and fairly far. This beach used to be alive with Curlew Sandpipers - where have they all gone?
Yacht Club - small flock of Eurasian Bee-Eaters - the only ones I've seen this season
Tudor Creek - Loose small flock of Mosque Swallows late evening 22/1 - used to be quite frequent here not seen for ages. Hoopoe heard but not seen by me! Seen by my neighbour, one of my fellow birders.
Happy birding to you all Marlene Reid (Mombasa)