Hi James,
Certainly a Pringles, unusally brown on the wings. They like mixtures
of Commiphora and the Acacia mellifera that your bird is in. As long
as the habitat is available, they follow it. The Ngong population is
entirely above 1400m as the habitat is too sparse below it, and they
are at 1600m so I should not worry about the altitude. A great record,
they are in Samburu, but only on the Sopa Hill. No doubt in other
suitable areas that are inaccessible.
Your bird-bath creature is a whydah. Young birds of all species are
very strange looking, I would imaging that this is a Straw-tailed
judging by the warn orange of the head. All the young whydahs in these
plain plumages appear to have blackish bills. I think that a
Steel-blue would not show the orange, and the face would be darker
mimicking the Black-cheeked/faced Waxbill hosts. Straw-tail immatures
look like Purple Grenadier young, which is what this is most like.
Best for now
Brian

On 10/29/11, Shailesh Kumar Patel <honeyguide_sk@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi James,
>
> Nice photos you took. The female puffback photo you took doesn't show a
> whitish loral spot. A female Pringle's would show a whitish loral spot or it
> could be a imm or juv, but i can't tell. The other photo, i don't think it
> is a Whydah as it does not show a supercillium as most females or juv would
> show or i could be wrong. The head colour looks more brown to me, the
> body size is quit small more like those in finchs family.
>
> Keep an eye on it, if it does turn up again at the birdbath in a different
> stage.
>
> Shailesh
>
> --- On Wed, 26/10/11, James Christian <jc@james-christian.com> wrote:
>
>
> From: James Christian <jc@james-christian.com>
> Subject: [KENYABIRDSNET] Pringle's Puffback in Laikipia
> To: kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Wednesday, 26 October, 2011, 17:44
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I found the following bird (attached photo) which appears to be a Pringle's.
> I got a photo of the female but I didn't get the male.  Anyway, I would love
> to hear if I got this wrong or, if it is a Pringle's where the closest known
> population is to here in East Laikipia. We are at over 1600 meters and the
> books say Pringle's only go up to 1200 meters.
>
> A few other bird observations that we have had is:
>
> Lizard Buzzard (about a week ago on the Ewaso Nyiro River across from Mpala)
>
> Alpine Swift (2 months back with some mottled swifts above our offices)
>
> Lastly, I have attached a bird that I can't seem to recognize. It has been
> coming to our birdbath and I feel like it is something common but wearing a
> plumage I'm just not recognizing. Whydah ? Thanks for any ideas.
>
> --
> James Christian
> Karisia Walking Safaris
> http://www.karisia.com
>
>
>
>
>
>