----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Brian Finch <birdfinch@gmail.com>
To: Itai Shanni <itaisha1@yahoo.com>
Sent: Sunday, 7 August 2011, 17:15
Subject: Central Kenya tour 15th - 29th June 2011

Central Kenya tour 15th-29th June 2011


Dear All,
I was on a two week tour in June that I am only just writing up now.
Here are the highlights;
Best for now
Brian



NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 15th June 2011
Spur-winged Goose Karen Primary School Dam
Great Egret Athi Basin and Hyena Dam
Yellow-billed Egret Hyena Dam
Black-crowned Night-Heron imm Athi Dam
African Darter Nagalomon Dam
African Hobby East Gate
….(Only my third in NNP)
Lizard Buzzard above Hippo Pools
Martial Eagle incubating Mokoyiet River
Grey Crowned Crane nesting Karen Primary School Dam
Black-winged Stilt Athi Dam
Spur-winged Plover three Athi Dam
Temminck’s Courser near Athi Dam
Dusky Turtle Dove eight East Gate
Lilac –breasted Roller Beacon
Broad-billed Roller Mbagathi River
Violet Wood-Hoopoe Mbagathi River
Barn Swallow Karen Primary School Dam
Chestnut Sparrow East Gate
Yellow-crowned Bishop twenty-five Ruai Dam
Zebra Waxbill six Hyena Dam

Striped Ground Squirrel Baboon Cliffs
Egyptian Mongoose nr Athi Dam
Lion two males five fems Karen PS Dam male Nagalomon Dam
Hippopotamus five Nagalomon Dam

Kenyan Striped Staapstekker dead on road

TSAVO WEST NATIONAL PARK 17th June 2011
Greater Painted Snipe 3 Hippo Pools creek
Red-naped Bush-Shrike 3 Tsavo Gate Road

KIMANA 18th June 2011
White-fronted Bee-eater 5


AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK 19th June 2011
Black Heron 1 Lake
Chestnut-banded Plover 2 males Lake
White-winged Black Tern full breeding plumage Lake
White-headed Mousebird 4 Main Gate



SOLIO RANCH 23rd June 2011
Ethiopian Swallow 1 on fence



NYAHURURU 23rd June 2011
Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk 1 perched by road
African Snipe 1 at large dam before town


NAKURU 24th June 2011
Slender-billed Starling 7 Makalia Falls

MOLO GRASSLANDS 25th June 2011
Common Quail 8 in crops
African Hobby 1 nr Elburgon
African Wattled Plover Pair behaving as if breeding
African Snipe 1
Aberdare Cisticola 8 more conspicuous than normal
Wing-snapping Cisticola 3 displaying over area
Sharpe’s Longclaw 3 in grassland

KABERGOIK ARBORETUM KERICHO 25th June 2011
Kakamega (Shelley’s) Greenbul 1

MARA 26/27th June 2011
Rufous-bellied Heron Musiara Ox-bow 1 only
Ovampo Sparrowhawk Pair Sabaringo Valley
Senegal Plover 5 Musiara plains with B-wings
Black Coucal 5 ads in sight together Serena Plains
White-fronted Bee-eater 1 on river bank nr Musiara
....Only the second time I have ever seen the species in the Mara
Golden-tailed Woodpecker 1 Musiara Hippo Pools
Magpie Shrike 2 nr Sarova Mara along main road
Black-backed Cisticola 4 Serena grasslands
Joyful Greenbul 3 Sabaringo Valley
Familiar (Red-tailed Chat) 1 Siana Valley
….I have only seen it on this side of the Mara once before
Rufous-tailed Weaver 1 Oloololo Gate with Superb Starlings
….My first on the west side of the Mara
Little Weaver 1 male Mara (South) Bridge Picnic Site
….I have never seen this species on the west side of Mara before)