From: Brian Finch <birdfinch@gmail.com>
To: itai <itaisha1@yahoo.com>
Sent: Sat, 4 December, 2010 11:48:53
Subject: BIRDS RECORDED CENTRAL KENYA AND MARA 17th-30th November 2010.

BIRDS RECORDED CENTRAL KENYA AND MARA 17th-30th November 2010.



Dear All,
I have just returned from a two week bird-tour from just Central
Kenya, and am posting this just before I start another tour in a
couple of days time… so it is a bit rushed.
We started the tour on Nov 17th, in Nairobi NP, which was a bit
ovelwhelming for clients who had over 100 new birds on their first
day. The Park was moist from early morning misty showers but not wet.
The highlights were a Black Stork, pair of Saddle-billed Storks, and a
Nairobi Pipit. Although we recorded over 150 species in the Park,
there was nothing locally exciting. The highlight for me was the four
metre Rock Python at Hyaena Dam, a magnificent beast. We also started
the tour early with Lions.
The next morning (18th), we investigated Lukenya, which was green and
lush, and there were lots of birds. The Verreaux’s Eagles have
successfully raised a nearly independent young, which is great news.
The are also provided African Penduline Tits, Southern Grosbeak
Canarys, and a Bush Pipit which seem to be a regular feature there
nowadays, whereas it is a long time since I have heard a squeak from
Lyne’s Cisticolas although I can see no reason for their
disappearance. From here we took the Machakos road, there was an
active colony of Black-headed Herons, Cattle Egrets and Sacred Ibis,
just near the Makuyuni turn-off. We had Lizard Buzzard which was
unexpected, and a Booted Eagle which was not a surprise. Before
entering Tsavo West, we visited the pool along the road to the Tsavo
East entrance at Mtito Andei. There were a number of birds here, but
the pool is not a magnet as there is much standing water in the area.
A Mottled Spinetail came in for a drink though. At the Museum/Picnic
area were a host of species, and amongst them an Olive Tree, a Basra
Reed, and a couple of Barred Warblers. The Black-headed Plovers were
there as always, and just along the road we encountered our first
adult Sooty Falcon. The road was dripping in nightjars as we
approached Ngulia, some forty Eurasian, six Plain, and one each of
Dusky and Donaldson-Smith’s mean a very slow progress towards the
lodge! Such a poor showing for the last two may be related to the
moister conditions than usual this relatively early in the season. Who
knows the vagaries of nightjar movements. There was as usual Eurasian
Nightjars on beams in the restaurant.

The morning of the 18th was a misty start, but the near full moon
meant that the migrants had not been attracted by the lights. At
breakfast we had a Eurasian Sparrowhawk in the area, and an Upcher’s
Warbler feeding in a bush. Otherwise it was quiet. We descended into
the lowlands, where things were different. Bushes were pulsating with
Sprossers and Whitethroats, but other migrants were very low in
numbers. We only found two Grasshopper Buzzards, and one Eurasian
Cuckoo whereas more would have been expected by now. Even more
surprisingly we only had one Marsh Warbler the whole trip! Eurasian
Rollers by contrast were in large numbers and clustering on many
bushes. The damp conditions bought numbers of Vulturine Guineafowl out
onto the road, and of the resident species it was a case that they had
bred and many were with their flying young, so quite silent. Not so
the numerous Pringle’s Puffbacks and Red-naped Bush-Shrikes however,
although not as easy to see as usual. There was a scattering of
Madagascar Bee-eaters in the scrub, which is quite a regular feature
at this time of year. They were in breeding plumage but still their
obviously local nesting site remains a mystery. We gradually picked up
other local specialities such as Scaly Chatterer and Pale Prinia as
well as many more widespread Somali-biome species. There were also
some pallid Red-faced Crombecs that may well be leading to a
mis-reporting of Somali Long-billed Crombec.
In the afternoon we tried our luck at the Hippo Pool near Ngulia.
There was a good number of species attracted to the water, and whilst
we were there a Leopard was slaking it’s thirst in broad daylight. A
Black-crowned Night-Heron was hiding in a bush that Golden-backed
Weavers were showing an interest in.

We were due to leave on the 19th, and returned to the lowlands for the
final morning, circling around to exit through Chyulu Gate. In the
grasslands we stopped for a posing Red-winged Lark by the road, and in
doing so heard Friedmann’s Lark and after some searching located three
birds in the area, coaxed into more song by playback. At the gate were
a number of species which included Black-headed Batis and
Black-bellied Sunbird. The skies were darkening, and there was
obviously some heavy rain ahead. As we arrived at the drenched site,
we could not believe our eyes, the sky, ground and bushes were
literally dripping in falcons and rollers. There were birds not only
all around us, but similar swarms could be seen in the distance, and
the birds continually arrived from the north to join in the feeding
frenzy on emerging termites. It is so difficult to estimate large
concentrations of independently (as opposed to dense flocking) flying
birds, but we estimated that there was something like 2500 Amur
Falcons at the location not too far from their traditional transit
roost on the slopes of Kilimanjaro. That would have been quite a
spectacle tonight, I hope that there was someone there to enjoy it and
count the birds. Diligent searching revealed amongst them, three
Eleonoras, two Sootys but unbelievably only one Hobby!!! The roadside
wires were a writhing mass of resting Barn Swallows gathering in their
thousands and completely obliterating the wire as if they were
migrants moving north not south. Nearing the end of the Shaitani Road
there was a very active colony of about thirty pairs of White-fronted
Bee-eaters, and possibly more. At the forest for the greater part
felled for tomato production we still managed to find Brown-hooded
Kingfisher, Red-capped Robin-Chat and Grey-olive Greenbuls. Eventually
we arrived at the Kimana Gate to Amboseli. Here there was a not too
pleasant character that said that although I had my citizens KWS
Smart-Card, if I did not produce either an Identity Card or Passport,
I would be charged Ksh6000 to enter. Once again we have to pay for KWS
stupidity in having omitted the personal photo on the card, and have
the inconvenience of having to produce further identification. I did
not like this mans attitude and he seemed quite put-out when I
produced my Kenyan Passport!!!

Whilst the night had been quite clear, the morning of the 20th was
gloomy, cold and grey with no mountain in sight. We left in the
morning, checking out the car-park where there was an activity in the
Taveta Golden Weaver colony, with displaying males under the nests,
and as in other years the worlds most extravert Nightingales. Then we
spent a further fifteen minutes studying a piece of disturbed ground
that was an attraction for birds. There was a Eurasian Hoopoe feeding
with relatives, and a White Wagtail with several Yellow Wagtails, a
few Pangani Longclaws and a variety of waders. It was disappointing to
see that there was no Causeway Lagoon, it was long dry and a grassy
swathe. On the lake was a good assortment of swamp birds with a few
Shoveler and Garganey and a variety of waders that included a single
Little Ringed Plover. There were a few migrant Harriers of three
species, but otherwise single Hobby and Peregrine. On the way to the
main gate we had extremely close-up views of Short-tailed, Athi
Short-toed and Singing Bush Larks, and two Rufous Bush-Chats in
roadside scrub. At the gate, which had just been washed (!), leaving a
puddle was wild activity with a good variety and impressive numbers of
birds swarming in to slake their thirst. This included both
Silverbills, Cut-throats and Chestnut Sparrows. In the afternoon we
only added a few species, Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters were in the
bulrushes, and two Black Herons were feeding along the marsh. A lone
male Amur Falcon looked a bit sad after the concentration of the
previous afternoon!

Mount Kilimanjaro was spectacular, and had a shroud of snow. Before
flying off to Nanyuki in the morning (21st), we drove out towards the
main gate again to look for White-headed Mousebirds and found three.
Also large numbers of sandgrouse were in the air, and we had all three
local species on the road. Then off to Nanyuki via a change in Nairobi
and we were soon enjoying freshly brewed coffee at Barney’s on Nanyuki
Airstrip, and afterwards whisked away to Mountain Lodge.
In the afternoon we birded from the roof, but it was so quiet apart
from a trio of Oriole Finches.

We had another look from the roof on the morning of 22nd, enjoying the
beautiful morning complete with snow-clad top to Mt Kenya. After
breakfast we left for the Met Station above Naro Moru. We spent the
day on the mountain seeing an amazing twenty-two Jackson’s Francolins.
Many had chicks, and were as low as two-kilometres from the gate.
Otherwise it was the usual suspects with Mountain Buzzards, Hill Chats
and Tacazze Sunbirds.

On the 23rd another look at the roof before leaving added more montane
species, and a very nice displaying Cuckoo-Hawk. Before reaching the
gate there was a Doherty’s Bush-Shrike calling at some distance, but
it remained a frustrating voice. We descended finding still nice
montane species like Kandt’s Waxbill, and Long-tailed Widowbirds in
full regalia in the fields (with some nice Jackson’s and Red-collared
for company).
After lunch at Naro Moru we set off along the road crossing Solio
Plains. Falcons were in evidence but not numerous, very approachable
Amurs and Greater Kestrels, as well as Eurasian and Lesser Kestrels,
the three migrant Harriers, a very nice gathering of some 150 Caspian
Plovers (the first I have seen here), a poor showing of Yellow
Wagtails, Wheatears and Whinchats whilst migrant shrikes non-exisent.
It was nice to see that really the presence of the IDP’s was not
having as yet, a drastic affect on the birds.

Another beautiful morning awaited us on 24th, as we had a morning look
around the gardens. We found a few birds, but migrants were almost
non-existent. Surprises were a very noisy flock of 15 Athi (maybe even
Somali) Short-toed Larks flying over, but the vepres Black-lored
Babblers are now a feature of the place.
Back across Solio Plains there were five Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters
sitting on the fence, but it appeared that all of the Caspian Plovers
had gone. We met up with Paul Murithi with two Mackinder’s Eagle-Owls
and a Red-throated Wryneck before continuing for a picnic at Ndaragwa.
The swamp near Nyahururu was not too lively but there was a group of
Common Snipe. We birded towards Baringo with stops at the Falls where
there were Slender-billed Starlings, Golden-winged Sunbirds in
roadside Leonotis finally arriving at our destination.

It’s always nice to see the dawn at Baringo as we walked the gardens
on the morning of the 25th. The Lake was close to the wall, not a
trace of the Prosopis forest remains, no shoreline which reduces the
species, and Hippos sitting on the submerged jetty which cannot be
good for it! The gardens showed a dearth of migrants apart from
Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters and a few swallows. The nice lone African
Scops Owl has relocated, but was still waiting for us. The bird-table
at breakfast was entertaining. Northern Masked Weavers still being in
full breeding dress, whilst all others were a bit on the patchy side.
We set off to find Francis who was out staking the shopping-list out
for us. We went unaccompanied to the escarpment first seeing all the
usual residents (never see Yellow-billed Hornbill there nowadays), as
well as a nice pair of Lead-coloured Flycatchers and a group of real
northern Black-cheeked Waxbills (as opposed to the kiwanukae mess we
have along the southern border). Suddenly I noticed a silvery bird
flying above the cliff, I watched it for a while thinking what on
earth is that falcon with its white underwings, staggeringly
contrasting black wing tips and a long black protrusion from the
second primary along the leading edge. I am not sure how long it took,
but a sudden realisation suddenly hit me. Levant Sparrowhawk I blurted
out wondering if I had done the right thing, but it was, a superb
adult male in all its glory in the bright morning light. A photo was
hurriedly taken but I was more interested in enjoying this, my first
ever adult male Levant. Suddenly a resident Shikra took offence and
flew after it, with the broad non-contrasting wing-tips of aggressor
weaving at the streamlined streaking intruder, it was a great
comparison as they wheeled and dipped along the cliffs, before the
Levant left the area. I had always considered that it would be a
problem identifying a male Levant from a male Shikra, there is no
doubt when you see a male Levant. The beautiful silvery underwing and
that arresting black tipping intruding along the leading edge. The
almost falcon-like pointedness to the wings, what a bird! I have
attached an image to this posting. We left the escarpment and met up
with Francis and William at the Greyish Eagle-Owls which peered
disinterestedly down on us. There was a large Olive Tree Warbler in a
bush nearby, and a family of Heuglin’s Coursers under the same bushes.
Francis told me that two days before he had found a Star-spotted
Nightjar, but although they searched for it the previous day they
could not relocate it. We planned to have a go and left for a school
ground some two kilometers back up the road towards Marigat. On
stepping out of the vehicle we soon found Slender-tailed Nightjars,
and another two Heuglin’s Coursers. Soon we flushed a broad-winged
nightjar. It was very beautiful with delicate orange secondaries
contrasting with a silvery-grey back, white corners to tail and white
across the primaries of course. A most attractive Nubian Nightjar. The
bird was very flighty and although we watched it on the ground, it
would not let us approach too closely. We left it and continued our
search and soon up went an extremely dark nightjar with small white
corners to the tail. It landed and was more approachable than the
Nubian, there it was, a Star-spotted Nightjar and a lifer for Edwin
who was grinning ecstatically. We watched, digitised and videod the
bird for some time before leaving it. An image of the bird is attached
to this. I must admit, I was always rather sceptical of previous
claims from this area. Really, whilst it was in lava, it used the
bushes for cover, unlike birds I am familiar with in the north of the
country where they are on open black lava ridges. I went on to the net
to see if there were any good images out there, and came across a nice
photo of one taken by Moses of the Birding Club of Baringo who posted
it to a forum. I actually don’t know of either Moses of the Baringo
Birding Club. It is possible that Baringo may have Star-spotteds on
more regular basis than the records suggest. Next we had three
Liechtenstein’s Sandgrouse relying on camouflage rather than flight
and in the same place a pair of Northern White-faced Scops Owls peered
at us from an acacia. We returned for lunch, there were a couple of
Northern Carmine Bee-eaters on the jetty and we left shortly
afterwards. I think this has to me my best ever day at Baringo and yet
the lake is so disappointing as it is too full. A year ago I never
thought I would write that a lake was too full! We arrived in the
evening at Nakuru.

Back to the gloomy and cool mornings on the 26th. It lifted early to a
grey day, but then no heat haze on the Lake which was an advantage,
although mid morning the sun won through. The lake is so high, and old
roads are now part of it, but there is so much habitat for birds much
of which is inaccessible. There were a couple of hundred Cape Teal,
with a few Shoveler, Pintail and Garganey amongst them. Several
hundred Black-necked Grebe are at the southern end, where they are in
very close to the shore. We had one out of water preening on a grassy
bank. It looked for all the world as if it belonged in Europe, as it
was in what appeared to be typical northern winter plumage, the only
colour being the improbable red eye. All of the other Black-necks we
looked at were in the typical permanent breeding dress that we are
used to. There is not supposed to be a non-breeding dress in the
sub-saharan race, but I have photos to prove that this can occur as I
doubt if a palearctic has made it this far down. Lesser Flamingo
numbers were not disappointing and as spectacular as ever, there were
over a thousand Greater Flamingos with them. White Pelicans are back
as an impressive spectacle, and a lone Pink-back was roosting in a
tree! A sprinkling of migrant raptors, very few Harriers and only five
Aquilas with nothing of note. Muyas Causeway is full, and bordered by
lush grass. Birds were using it, but not too much that was noteworthy.
There was an adult Lesser Moorhen here and over forty Long-tailed
Widowbirds. The usual swallows were not at all in evidence. Pied
Avocets were only in one flock on the north shore, where there were
some 150, otherwise waders were in very good numbers but not the
variety. Not more than fifteen Ringed Plover were seen, but there were
two Little Rings in the freshwater soak on the south shore. What is
presumably the same Ruddy Turnstone was still present from two weeks
earlier. Ruff were really hard to estimate, numbers were between 5 and
15 thousand, the flocks must be seen to be believed, whilst the next
commonest was Little Stint with over a thousand, whilst we could only
muster three Curlew Sandpipers. Marsh Sandpipers were over a hundred,
and Wood Sandpipers were commonly scattered throughout. Whiskered and
Gull-billed greatly outnumbered White-winged Black Terns, and
Grey-headed was the only gull species present. Away from the lake we
found a single Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, a lone Broad-billed Roller,
five suspect Grey-crested Helmetshrikes, a solitary female
Slender-billed Starling bathing at Makalia Falls, and a Grey Wagtail.

We left for our long drive to the Mara on the 27th, unlike the
previous day this one was beautiful and birds were very vocal as we
left Nakuru. Our first stop was a breeding colony of Angola Swallows
in a church at Njoro, then we stopped for Levaillant’s Cisticolas at a
swamp near the railway bridge. On the Molo grasslands we found several
each of Sharpe’s Longclaws, Aberdare and Wing-snapping Cisticolas,
whilst Common Quail were calling from the fields of crops. At Chagaik
we had our picnic with a few westerner’s with dapper Luhder’s
Bush-Shrikes and a surprising number of Stuhlmann’s Starlings. A stop
near Litein for the extralimital Yellow-backed Weavers, then it was
off to Kichwa Tembo, where we arrived, ate then slumped into the
luxury of the tents.

A Mara morning greeted us on 28th, big fiery ball, opening scene fro
Lion King and all that. It was all there, plains full of assorted
mammals, and the birds did not disappoint as we ambled along in the
gardens. After breakfast we looked at the forested slopes of the
Sabaringo. The biggest surprise here was a group of eight Crested
Guineafowls. It is some twenty years since I have seen or heard them
here. Some twenty-five Grey-throated Barbets were gorging themselves
in a feeding frenzy in a fruiting tree. There were a few
Yellow-bellied Hyliotas, Trilling Cisticolas, Green-capped Eremomelas,
Pale Wren Warblers and Red-tailed Chats in exactly the same spot.
It was on the descent that we heard a scub-robin singing. “That’s a
Brown-backed Scrub-Robin,” says Edwin. “It does sound like one but
they are not in the Mara,” I said. Edwin replied that he had seen them
on a few occasions recently. So we tried to see the bird that was
singing like a Brown-backed and had another replying with identical
phrases at some distance. We watched the bird and sure enough Edwin
was perfectly correct it was a Brown-backed Scrub-Robin. I had never
come across them in all my birding in the Mara, but here they were on
Kichwas doorstep. In the lodge I mentioned them to the birding
management, and they said that recently they have been coming into the
camp itself! In the afternoon we went through Oloololo Gate, where
they are wasting money on a Kaps Barrier across the road where you
have to get a Transit Ticket to enter through Oloololo Gate where you
still have to have the usual tickets. The reason for Kaps being in the
Mara is definitely eluding me. Trans Mara are getting a bad, and
seemingly deserved press which is bringing about a tour-operators
boycott on the area. It is very birder unfriendly at present with all
the roads to the Serena Oxbows being blocked off, with a heavy fine
for transgressing. The most alarming tale is that some drivers from
Kichwa found a group of Lions and showed them to their clients.
Another vehicle turned up and another and another until there were
quite a number present, but behaving considerately. There is a limit
of five vehicles now at any animal with a three minute allowance to
stay with any animal. Every vehicle got an on the spot fine of Ksh
10,000 for being in excess of five vehicles, included the ones that
found the animals in the first place!!!! Is that a crock or what? We
drove on for some fifteen kilometers to the Hippo Pools, the
grasslands were like a nuclear winter, there was absolutely nothing.

With the tour getting close to the final day, on the morning of  29th
we had a long period walking the gardens. It was superb with niceties
like a couple of very showy Golden-tailed Woodpeckers, the now
resident pair of Black-headed Gonoleks and the equally resident
Red-capped Robin-Chat. After leaving Kichwa we headed out towards
Musiara Swamp. There were Steppe Eagles dotted all over the plain
where they were eating emerging temites, we estimated over 150. So it
was good to see the numbers back at last. There were five
Saddle-billed Storks on the swamp, which included three juveniles,
some eight Rufous-bellied Herons, an adult Sooty Falcon, an African
Water Rail feeding openly, and in the freshly inundated areas waders
including Common Snipe and five Long-toed Plovers. Thousands of Common
Swifts preceded a downpour, and out on the open plains en route to
Intrepids were a hundred Caspian Plover, and something I had never
seen before… a Rufous-naped Lark with a rufous nape. I have attached
that to this email as well. There were a few Athi Short-toes but no
sign of any White-tailed Larks. The Wildebeeste have certainly cropped
this area. In the evening we arrived at Siana Springs and it rained
and rained, which cancelled our planned night-drive.

Our final morning on the 30th saw us in the Siana Valley which was
birdy as usual. There were some fifteen Magpie Shrikes and they were
very vocal, and a pair of Buff-bellied Penduline-Tits were found at
their nest, and a number of Tabora Cisticolas were present in mixed
assemblages. After a very nice early morning, we flew back to Nairobi
closing the tour of just Central Kenya (and Mara) at over 600 species,
and some great birds amongst that figure.

Best to all
Brian