Dear All,
Nigel Hunter and myself had a days outing to Naivasha KWS Hippo Camp, then went on a small exploration of Kinangop for new Sharpe's Longclaw habitat.

We left Nairobi at 6.30am, and took the top road arriving in a little over an hour at Naivasha. Black Swifts were flying around the buildings and are no doubt nesting close by. The water level at Hippo Camp was well up, in fact the irony is that after the terrible droughts, there is now too much water, and it leaves only herbaceous edge which few species of waders appreciate. The only migrant raptors were a few Common Buzzards, but three Garganey had returned and were on a small patch of inundated grassland. There were large numbers of Whiskered, and also good numbers of Gull-billed Terns, but only three White-winged Blacks to be seen. African Ducks were very limited with only a few Yellow-billed, Red-billed and Hottentot Teal. There was a sprinkling of Glossy Ibis, larger numbers of Yellow-billed Storks but no surprises in the waterbird line. The palearctic waders totalled four Greenshank, two each of Common and Marsh,  and fifteen Wood Sandpipers, eight Black-tailed Godwits and ten Ruff, the seasons first Common Snipe and that was it. Apart from a couple of Willow Warblers in the acacias and a few Yellow Wagtails there was little else to suggest what time of year it was.
Just on the other side of the railway track on the other side of the road, there is a rocky scarp, and as we had time we thought we would check it out for Lyne's Cisticolas as it looked so suitable. There were several Lyne's Cisticolas here, and also nesting Schalow's Wheatears.
Taking the signposted road to the Aberdares NP (from behind the petrol station on the main road) via North Kinangop, turning left from the paved road onto the awful 14kms of miserable murrum past the small patch of grassland that always has Sharpe's Longclaws, as well as Levaillant's and Wing-snapping Cisticolas etc., we came out onto the super highway Ol Kalou (left) and Njabini (right). Exactly opposite that junction is the most astounding area of montane tussock/swamp grassland, and it is a very extensive area. We remained in the vehicle, but not surprisingly there were several displaying Sharpe's Longclaws, but also African Snipe were giving short display flights as well. I thought that this might be the Birdlife reserve for the Longclaw, but it appears that it is not, and it is such a fantastic piece of Sharpe's Longclaw habitat. Does anyone know what the status is of this very extensive, totally unspoilt piece of fenced of land is?

Best to all
Brian