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