From: James Wolstencroft <gonolek@gmail.com>

Date: 2011-05-22 15:05

Subject: Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrikes on their EA flyway in April 2011.

This April I travelled with a very keen Asian birder, Rob Tizard, on a "rapid transect across "the entire shrike route". 

Firstly from Arusha west to Lake Victoria back to Arusha and then from Arusha to Ushongo, Pangani and back - Pangani is on the East African coast just south of the Kenya/Tz border.

We went down to the coast on April 17 along the main NBI-Dar road passing Mount Meru, Kilimanjaro, Same, Segera and Muheza (East Usambaras).

We returned west on the same route during April 18/19/20 via a stop-over near Nyumba ya Mungu reservoir o/n on 19th. 

There were no migrant shrikes visible on the way east to the coast even though [unusually] we had seen many, our first ones, at Ndutu (>30) way out in the steppes at the western Ngorongoro CAA/Serengeti NP boundary on April 15/16. 

Their total absence along the main highway on April 17 was a remarkable and disturbing fact, as 'usually' there are scores and scores along this roadside by mid-April.

Early in the week, right on the Indian Ocean coastline, we had three significant rain storms, especially on 18/19, during which there were nice falls of both shrikes and also Spotted Flycatchers 

On the slower return trip west and inland through good habitat (April 25-28) we saw a small number of female Red-backed Shrikes but, I thought, very few males 'and late for the time of year'.

In summary: 

Red-backed Shrikes, especially males who come through first, appeared to be in very small number and peaked well over a week late. They were much very concentrated in areas where there had been recent heavy yet isolated showers. Especially west of the Rift at Ndutu, and south of Pangani at the coast. There were very few birds in much of the central 200km wide part of their 'normal flyway route'. This northbound route is through the savannas of eastern Tz between Kilimanjaro and the coastal strip i.e. just south of Amboseli and the two Tsavo parks in Kenya. Thankfully a few males (day max. 15) reappeared at the coast with a flurry of females (day max.30) on April 18, 19 & 20.

Lesser Grey Shrikes, however, seemed to be in more normal numbers and occurred throughout our route with e.g. >50 on the edge of the teeming short grass plains (bucket loads of dung beetles here!) at Ndutu on April 16 and >20 on April 27/28 at Lark Plains, Mount Meru. And in the northern Maasai steppe south of Arusha. Albeit I would guess that LGS's might have peaked about a week later than average - over the past five years.

May they arrive north very soon.

Cheers, 

James

The U Ted Tizard ITY:

April 10: arrival at a rather dry Kilimanjaro International Airport

April 11: Arusha to Manyara NP in the Rift Valley first LGS in Toyota LC

April 12: Rift Valley to Ngorongoro Crater to Ndutu