We did our montly crow and tern roost count last night at Malindi and 
Sabaki River Mouth respectively and had over 2,000 House Crows going to 
roost which seems to be where the number may have levelled off. This is 
far from a total count as we're only getting a sample of birds coming in 
to Malindi. Compare this with 30-40 just five years ago when we had our 
crow control programme running smoothly...

The terns were harder to find last night being way out on the sand banks 
near the breakers - and on the southern bank (opposite side to where we 
were). But the moonlight was good and we could make them out to estimate 
40-50,000 birds though a pair of night vision binoculars would make a 
huge difference to counting them!

One Eurasian Oystercatcher was at Mida a couple of weeks back on our 
wader count, so it must have stayed over the northern winter.

A few Carmine Bee-eaters are around too, mostly heading south, but no 
other bee-eaters yet.

Worrying news about Spotted Ground Thrush in that I don't think there 
have been any observations of it this year in Arabuko-Sokoke or Gede 
Ruins (has anyone been and seen one that has not been reported?).

Colin

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colin Jackson
Director
A Rocha Kenya
PO Box 383,
Watamu, 80202
Kenya

Eml: colin.jackson@arocha.org
Tel: +254 (0)20 233 5865 (wireless)
      +254 (0)42 23 32023 (landline)
Cell: 0722 842366 / 0771 757746

For more information:
www.arocha.org
www.assets-kenya.org
www.tanariverdelta.org