From: Fleur Ng'weno <fleur@africaonline.co.ke>
Date: 2011-10-17 14:38
Subject: Lake Naivasha levels up
Lake Naivasha levels up
Greetings birders
Nature Kenya's Sunday Birdwatch had a fabulous day at KWS's Hippo Camp on Lake Naivasha on October 16, despite some hiccups with transport and entry fees. Lake levels are up following months of scattered rains in the central Rift, with the water approaching the base of the landing jetty (the mound with a small white structure). The belt of emergent vegetation that ran from the shore almost to the tip of Crescent Island earlier this year had disappeared.
Raptors were prominent in the skies: Displaying African Fish Eagles, of course, but also a hovering Osprey and rapidly soaring Rüppell’s Vultures (2), Common Buzzard (4) and Booted Eagle (one, pale phase). A Tawny Eagle was perched in the acacias.
The most abundant birds were Yellow-billed Storks, at least 250 of them on the KWS land and the property to the southeast, some of them immatures. There were also many Pink-backed Pelicans, some in breeding plumage and others immatures.
Migrants included Common Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Ruff and Gull-billed Tern; Eurasian Bee-eaters, Barn Swallows and a Northern Wheatear. Breeding birds included Wire-tailed Swallows feeding two begging flying young and a Buff-bellied Warbler building a nest in the acacia next to the white structure.
Wishing you good birding, Fleur