From: Adam Kennedy <adamscottkennedy@googlemail.com>
Date: 2010-09-27 17:28
Subject: Migrants and breeders in the Mara
Hi All,
It's been a very busy season at Naibor so my bird reporting has had to take a back seat for a few months (sorry!) but here's a few highlights from the Mara over the past few weeks.
Pick of the migrants has to be a dark morph Eleanora's Falcon seen dashing over Rhino Ridge yesterday evening (26th) - quite unexpected so early in the season but it's large size and dark underwings helped with the necessary rapid ID, as it wasn't hanging around. Otherwise, two Caspian Plover just outside camp on 14th September were good records but where are the flocks of 100s? European Bee-eaters have been steadily coming through in small numbers (no big flocks) since 2nd Sept and I recorded my first House Martin near Lookout Hill yesterday, 26th. Rufous-chested Swallows have been gathering in good numbers (with flocks of 30+) and also I encountered several small groups (up to 8) of Grey-rumped Swallow and Banded Martin (35+) this week, plus hundreds of Barn Swallows passing south over the plains. On 24th, a pair of Long-toed Plovers were seen at Musiara but there were few migrant waders there, just one Ruff and a Common Greenshank. We've had many Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers along the Talek River by camp since early August and a single Little Stint for several days there around 3rd September. Nine White Storks were seen close to Somak on 20th and a male Klaas's Cuckoo has been seen several times in camp since mid-August.
An interesting breeding record is that of a pair of Woolly-necked Storks which have raised four young on a bend in the Mara river just a few km's north of the Sand River gate in the south of the park.
No migrants warblers, shrikes or wheatears here yet but it can't be long now ...
Happy Birding,
Adam Naibor Camp, Masai Mara
ps - we are now hand-feeding a Slate-coloured Boubou (Betty Boubou!!!) in the office as it's taken quite a liking to our morning biscuits!