Dear All,
I have just completed the 26-Day Rockjumper Kenya Mega-Tour for 2011,
co-leading with David Hoddinott. This was not a hard-core trip, there
were no ridiculously early starts, and for the best part we were in
the accommodations in the late evenings, which is why the Nightjar
list is pretty abysmal! We had mixtures of dry birdless places to
those overflowing with avian life, the irregularity of the rainfall
these long rains has left places inundated whilst others are dry and
appear lifeless. We only had rain fall on us once in the whole tour,
although there was often complete cloud cover.  A summary of
conditions as we found them, in the order we visited them, Shimba had
had rain, Sokoke was bone dry and both Arabuko and Jilore Swamps
non-existent, Tsavo East has had patchy rain but there was water in
Aruba Dam, Taita Hills was dry and lifeless, Lukenya had had some good
rain as had the Magadi Road. Thika was quite lush but the rivers very
low, Kieni was parched and Kinangop dry for this time of year,
Naivasha was healthy on the southern side and the lake looked good,
Mutubio and the Aberdare Moorland was dry for the time of year and the
rivers and tarns very low, and Mt Kenya in the same dry state with
dusty roads up to the Met Station. Samburu and Buffalo Springs were
parched with no water in the river, yet Shaba was much greener with a
flowing river, Naro Moru was dry and the river very low, Solio also
looked very dry for the time of year and Mweiga much the same.
Nyahururu was very dry with very low water levels, whilst Nakuru was
green with a fairly high but falling Lake level. Baringo was dry but
the lake was still high and the Kerio was dry, and the river very low.
Iten dry with low levels in the swamps, and much the same could be
said of the Kitale district. Kakamega was fairly dry with very little
water in the rivers, but it rained whilst we were there, Busia very
dry for the time of year. Kisumu looked healthy, the lake was probably
lower than it should have been. Across to Lolgorien the environment
was green but again the rivers very low, the Musiara area of the Mara
very parched, the Mara ridiculously low, the swamps in a bad way with
only small remnant pools, eastern Mara lush and healthy as far as
Keekerok then short grass and bare ground becoming more and more arid
towards Narok, but greener on the western slopes of the Rift.

THE TOUR….

Whilst all interesting observations are detailed, emphasis has been
given to the return passage of the palearctic migrants, rather than
the regions residents.

MOMBASA    SHIMBA HILLS
2nd April 2011
After the group assembled in Nairobi, it flew to Mombasa where we were
met and transferred to our first birding destination. As we waited for
the Likoni Ferry we were entertained by a pair of local Peregrines
that appeared to be nesting on an adjacent building and six Northern
Carmine Bee-eaters on wires near Ukunda. The birding officially
started in Shimba Hills in the early afternoon. On arrival at the
lodge we were welcomed by a flock of very unconcerned Crested
Guineafowls. In the afternoon we went into the National Park, it was
still hot and steamy but there were a few species of interest seen.
Back at lunch we had been entertained by several local mammals, which
included Angola Colobus and Red-bellied Coast Squirrel. In the evening
the night shift took over and we had Civet, Small Spotted Genet and
Small-eared Galagos. A Striated Heron was feeding in the floodlights,
I had always thought that they slept at night like most herons.
Similarly the Yellow-bellied Hinged Terrapins, Nile Monitor,
White-headed Dwarf Geckos of the day were replaced by Tree and Brook's
Geckos in the evening.

SHIMBA HILLS    MOMBASA    SOKOKE    JILORE
3rd  April 2011
After a good nights rest, we had an early morning look at Shimba Hills
National Park before returning for breakfast. Driving the tracks we
found a nice pair of Ayre's Hawk-Eagle, a couple of Sooty Falcons with
eight Northern Hobbies, an arctic Peregrine, ten Eurasian Rollers
heading north, and a considerable movement of Barn Swallows.
Shortly after watching a stunning male Sable Antelope, we found a
group of active birds feeding around a small bush in the grassland,
presumably attracted by insects that were emerging  after a shower the
previous night. Amongst the more usual species we were attracted by a
flashy bird flycatching in the same place, and were absolutely amazed
to see a first summer Semi-Collared Flycatcher. A nice bird in itself,
but this bird was the first ever coastal record to the best of my
knowledge, there having been none seen east of Nairobi. Sadly it was
too far out for a good image.
At Makadara Picnic Site there was an Elephant, but it kept to itself,
we found a selection of coastal species including a pair of Fischer's
Turacos, both Mombasa and Little Spotted Woodpeckers, and three
Green-headed Orioles.