On July 2nd Albert and I did a waterbird count at Sabaki River Mouth 
with Joseph from the Sabaki Conservation Group where numbers of birds 
were as expected pretty low. However there were a few surprises with two 
Little Stints in full breeding plumage and three Common Sandpipers - 
which is a pretty early date for both. A week later we were back but 
there were no Little Stint though we saw five Common Sand.

Madagascar Prats have been in good numbers at Sabaki and this morning I 
had 45 overhead just in the patch behind Turtle Bay Beach Club - exact 
same spot I had the Greater Short-toed Lark 18 months ago - you would 
never have thought it much of a birding site but it's actully 
surprisingly interesting. Today there were good numbers of Violet-backed 
Starlings, some stunning full plumaged male Black-winged Bishops, all 
three common Accipiters (Af, Little and Great), plenty of African Golden 
Orioles and Mouse-coloured Sunbird.

We've got the Masked Booby in a spacious enclosure just off the beach 
together with the Bridled Tern which is taking ages to moult out the 
totally hammered primaries that won't help it go anywhere. The booby, if 
anything seems like it was hand-reared as he just does not seem 
interested in leaving to go anywhere. We released him once only for him 
to end up begging fish off some kite-surfers a couple of days later 500m 
down the beach!

Carmine Bee-eaters are moving through in reasonable numbers - the first 
seen that same day at Sabaki on 2nd July. There are also reports from 
Juma, the bird guide at the Mida Bird Hide, of White-crested Helmet 
Shrikes in the mangroves along by the hide - a species I've never 
recorded from the coastline. At Sabaki on 10th July we also had my first 
Shikra for the seafront and again two Af. Grey Hornbills. A day later 
during our monday staff meeting we had four Af Grey Hornbills pass 
across infront of the A Rocha Kenya centre mid-morning - very bizarre.

Clarke's Weavers have been very apparent in ASF but no sign of breeding 
activity. Malindi Pipits are still numerous around Arabuko Swamp next to 
the northern edge of the forest.

Lots going on... and the migration from the north beginning to set in at 
least with waders and bee-eaters!

Colin

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colin Jackson
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