Dear All,
Nigel and Julia Hunter and myself had the opportunity to have four days at Sosian Ranch on Western Laikipia. Apart from a few rainy spells Nigel and I were birding most of the daylight hours, and the mornings were always sparkling and fresh. During the two full days we managed to record just over 200 species which is not bad when there were only six palearctics included in the total. In addition there were some remarkably common species that went unrecorded.
Whilst driving about nine kilometers north of Rumuruti, I asked Nigel to stop the car as I thought I could hear Grey-backed Fiscal singing, and I had never heard of one east of the Rift before. Sure enough there was a Grey-backed Fiscal, and we had two more singles near eleven kilometers north. On the return we were keeping an eye (and ear) open for them as we bumped along the road back to Rumuruti. We saw seven birds from nine kilometers out, with the last pair literally on the outskirts of the town. Having been home I have researched the known distribution for the species and found the following… Britton lists them in the Rift at Baringo, Nakuru to Naivasha with the farthest eastern being Lake Solai. Stevenson et al. give no eastern records, Lewis and Pomeroy’s “A Bird Atlas of Kenya,” did not list Grey-back Fiscal as ever having occurred east of the Rift, but Zimmermann and Turner give the distribution much as the others but adding “occasionally east to the Laikipia Plateau.” Our findings indicate that the bird is now a common resident between Rumuruti and eleven kilometers to the north at least.
Other interesting findings were all from Sosian. We had an adult Dark Chanting Goshawk, whilst Eastern Chanting is a common species there. Again there is little recorded in the literature of this species occurring east of the Rift. Britton and Lewis & Pomeroy could not provide one instance of the species appearing east of the Rift, and Zimmermann & Turner also could not cite a record. The bird at Sosian until any further evidence comes to light, probably represents a wanderer, rather than any obvious attempt to extend the range eastwards. We had a lone Somali Tit, but later in the morning four kilometers away we ran across another. Whether this was the same individual that was at great odds relocated in another area, or there were two birds present cannot be determined. However this was the first time the species had been seen on Sosian, and at 5,800 feet is remarkably high for the species. Britton, Lewis & Pomeroy and Zimmermann & Turner all give the distribution as north of Laikipia, extending to Baringo in the Rift, and in the semi-arid Somali biome south to Isiolo then through the Tsavos. There appears to be no record from the Laikipia Plateau. There was a Black-capped Social Weaver hanging around the lodge, as much associating with Chestnut Sparrows as Grey-capped Social Weavers. None of Britton, Lewis & Pomeroy or Zimmermann & Turner can give any instance where the species has wandered outside of its range in Kenya. The closest area of occurrence to the north that is given is Barsaloi, and the closest to the east is Samburu. Again this would appear to be the first documented record of the species occurring on the Laikipia Plateau.
Other observations were some ten sightings of Buttonquails, even though the grass is long and lush no Harlequin Quails were seen or heard.
There was a single lost Pied Avocet on a small dam.
Dusky Nightjars were very common, but no nightjars of any species were calling.
Ethiopian Swallows were very numerous over much of the area, adults and immatures, and one adult was prospecting in the office.
Barn Swallows were on the move, with over 100 adults clustered together on the morning of the 26th August. No immatures were recorded.
An amazing Mosque Swallow, associating with normal coloured Mosque Swallows was photographed alongside a very much dwarfed Lesser Striped Swallow. Instead of having the throat to chest white, and the remainder of the underparts rufous chestnut, it was bright chestnut-red from chin to vent, although being early morning there was undoubtedly an influence of the low sunlight.
Just on entering the ranch I stepped out of the car and heard some Black-lored Babblers calling, but did not see them. Maybe they were vepres, but that would seem to be a long way from Mt Kenya. Something to look out for next time. Brown Babbler is there, but we did not run into it on this ocassion.
Everything else was much as would be expected. A complete list of species recorded follows.
Best for now
Brian
PS for the botanists. In Najma Dharani’s, Acacia guide, she names several new species of acacias. One of these is Acacia tirion, a very rare species confined to the area Kabarnet-Marigat-Baringo. It is unique in having equal armouries of spines and barbs, and is quite formidable. This species is abundant on Sosian in an equal abundance with mellifera and brevispica.
SPECIES RECORDED SOSIAN, 23rd – 26th AUGUST 2012
Common Ostrich
Little Grebe
Black-headed Heron
Cattle Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Sacred Ibis
Hadada Ibis
African Spoonbill
Hamerkop
White-faced Whistling-Duck
Egyptian Goose
Spur-winged Goose
Yellow-billed Duck
Red-billed Duck
Yellow-billed Kite
Black-shouldered Kite
African Fish Eagle
White-backed Vulture
Dark Chanting-Goshawk
Eastern Chanting-Goshawk
Africa Fish-Eagle
Augur Buzzard
Tawny Eagle
Martial Eagle
Long-crested Eagle
Peregrine Falcon
Crested Francolin
Hildebrandt's Francolin
Yellow-necked Francolin
Helmeted Guineafowl
Vulturine Guineafowl
Grey Crowned-Crane
Common Buttonquail
Black Crake
Red-knobbed Coot
White-bellied Bustard
Black-bellied Bustard
Kori Bustard
Greater Painted-snipe
Spotted Thick-knee
Three-banded Courser
Pied Avocet
Blacksmith Plover
Crowned Lapwing
Three-banded Plover
Common Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Common Greenshank
Wood Sandpiper
Little Stint
Whiskered Tern
Black-faced Sandgrouse
Liechtenstein’s Sandgrouse
Dusky Turtle-Dove
African Mourning Dove
Red-eyed Dove
Ring-necked Dove
Laughing Dove
Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove
Meyer's Parrot
White-bellied Go-away-bird
Klaas' Cuckoo
Dideric Cuckoo
Levaillant’s Cuckoo
Jacobin Cuckoo
White-browed Coucal
Dusky Nightjar
Donaldson-Smith’s Nightjar
Little Swift
White-rumped Swift
Nyanza Swift
Common Swift
Speckled Mousebird
Blue-naped Mousebird
Malachite Kingfisher
Pygmy Kingfisher
Striped Kingfisher
Grey-headed Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher
Giant Kingfisher
Little Bee-eater
Lilac-breasted Roller
African Hoopoe
Green Woodhoopoe
Common Scimitar-bill
Abyssinian Scimitarbill
Red-billed Hornbill
Von der Decken's Hornbill
Red-and-yellow Barbet
D'Arnaud's Barbet
Red-fronted Barbet
Red-fronted Tinkerbird
Lesser Honeyguide
Greater Honeyguide
Nubian Woodpecker
Gray Woodpecker
Cardinal Woodpecker
Bearded Woodpecker
Rufous-naped Lark
Fawn-colored Lark
Flappet Lark
Fischer's Sparrow-Lark
Red-capped Lark
Black Sawwing
Banded Martin
Barn Swallow
Wire-tailed Swallow
Ethiopian Swallow
Rock Martin
Lesser Striped-Swallow
Mosque Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Rosy-breasted Longclaw
African Pipit
Plain-backed Pipit
Bush Pipit
African Pied Wagtail
Black Cuckoo-shrike
Common Bulbul
Rattling Cisticola
Siffling Cisticola
Zitting Cisticola
Desert Cisticola
Pectoral-patch Cisticola
Tawny-flanked Prinia
Green-tailed (Yellow-breasted) Apalis
Grey-backed Camaroptera
Gray Wren-Warbler
Buff-bellied Warbler
Yellow-bellied Eremomela
Red-faced Crombec
Banded Warbler
African Gray Flycatcher
Southern Black-Flycatcher
White-browed Robin-Chat
Spotted Morning-Thrush
White-winged Scrub Robin
Chinspot Batis
African Paradise-Flycatcher
Rufous Chatterer
Black-lored Babbler
Somali Tit
Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Bronze Sunbird
Mariqua Sunbird
Abyssinian White-eye
African Black-headed Oriole
Black Cuckooshrike
Taita Fiscal
White-crowned Shrike
Brubru
Black-crowned Tchagra
Brown-crowned Tchagra
Three-streaked Tchagra
Northern Puffback
Slate-colored Boubou
Rosy-patched Bushshrike
Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike
Gray-headed Bushshrike
Fork-tailed Drongo
Fan-tailed Raven
Red-winged Starling
Wattled Starling
Greater Blue-eared Glossy-Starling
Superb Starling
Hildebrandt's Starling
Violet-backed Starling
Red-billed Oxpecker
Kenya Rufous Sparrow
Parrot-billed Sparrow
Chestnut Sparrow
Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver
Speckle-fronted Weaver
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Gray-headed Social-Weaver
Black-capped Social-Weaver
Red-headed Weaver
Baglafecht Weaver
Black-necked Weaver
Lesser Masked-Weaver
Vitelline Masked-Weaver
Speke's Weaver
Chestnut Weaver
Red-billed Quelea
Yellow-crowned Bishop
Common Waxbill
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu
Purple Grenadier
Green-winged Pytilia
Red-billed Firefinch
African Quailfinch
Gray-headed Silverbill
African Silverbill
Pin-tailed Whydah
Straw-tailed Whydah
Steel-blue Whydah
Village Indigobird
Reichenows's Seedeater
White-bellied Canary
Brimstone Canary
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting
Golden-breasted Bunting
I'de rather go birding...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Itai Shanni
Eilat & Arava region coordinator, Israel Ornithological Centre (IOC).
Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (BirdLife Partner)
e-mail: iocitai@inter.net.il
Mobile: +972-523689773
Telefax: +972-779300173
http://eilatbirding.blogspot.com/
איתי שני
רכז אזור אילת וערבה, מרכז הצפרות הישראלי
החברה להגנת הטבע
אי-מייל :iocitai@inter.net.il
נייד: 0523-689773
טלפקס: 077-9300173
http://eilatbirding.blogspot.com/
דקל דום 1, באר אורה 88810