Hi Tom'
Thanks for this, maybe it is moving in. Have you recorded Somali Tit,
Dark Chanting Goshawk or Grey-backed Fiscal. I think in the case of
the latter, it has probably been seen before but the relevency was
never recognised.
Any word from Quentin on Acacia tirion (do you have it on Mpala?),  I
know he is relaxing on the coast this week.
We also collected the Vepris for him,  that lives on a kopje on
Sosian, which has white fruits when ripe rather than red. It was
identified there as simplicifolia, but apart from white fruits, the
leaves are trifoliate. Any ideas. Leaves and fruit are in Nigels
fridge on Quentins instructions.
Best for now
Brian

On 8/29/12, TButynski@aol.com <TButynski@aol.com> wrote:
> Hi Brian,
>
> I read your below account with great interest!   Thanks!
>
> BTW, the Black-capped Social Weaver is, at least seasonally, a  fairly
> common bird at my feeder at Soita Nyiro Conservancy...an enclave within
> Mpala
> Conservancy...on the Ewaso Nyiro River....several kms SE of Sosian.
>
> I suspect that James Christian has found the same at his place  (Karisia
> Conservancy) a few kms up river from Soita Nyiro.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Tom
>
>
>
>
> In a message dated 8/28/2012 3:03:28 P.M. Arab Standard Time,
> UnknownSender@UnknownDomain writes:
>
> 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
>
>
>
>
>
>
>