Hi Pete
We are going by Manyara on Saturday on our way to Eyasi and Kitangire (all 3 very important flamingo lakes) and will certainly look and count whenever possible.
I'm sending this msg to our email group and the Kenya group just in case someone can comment on lack of birds at any particular lake.
Our major flamingo count issue has always been that we never have people at all the lakes on the same day so we never know if absence from any particular lake means anything unusual.
I assume you are asking Graham and the guys in Namibia and SA.
More very soon and for sure I'll talk to folk at the PAOC.
Neil
Neil and Liz Baker, Tanzania Bird Atlas, P.O. Box 1605,
Iringa, Tanzania.
Mobiles: +255 785-311298 and +255 784-834273.
http://tanzaniabirdatlas.com
Subscribe to: tanzaniabirds-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
From: Pete Hancock <birdlifemaun@gmail.com>
To: tzbirdatlas@yahoo.co.uk
Sent: Thursday, 4 October 2012, 9:31
Subject: Flamingos in Tanzania
Hi Neil,
I hope this note finds you and Liz in good health. I’m
writing to find out if there is anything unusual going on with Lesser Flamingos
in Tanzania – we are inundated with flocks here in the Okavango Delta
where they’ve never been seen in the past 30 years. Because they are
turning up in unusual (and unsuitable) places, and because they are sometimes
seen flying during the day, I’m hypothesising that they are strangers to
Botswana i.e. birds from East Africa. I heard that Lake Nakuru is very
deeply flooded this year and that no suitable habitat for flamingos exists
there. What’s the situation in where you are – any comments?
I know a link between the southern African and East African
populations has long been hypothesised, but I don’t think these birds
move regularly – only when they have to, as when there is a major
disruption in one area. Please do me a favour and ask around at the PAOC to see
what others think – regrettably I’ll not be there.
Many thanks, and all the best
Pete
Pete Hancock
BirdLife Botswana
PO Box 1529
Maun
Tel: +267 6865618
Cell: +267 74654464
www.birdlifebotswana.org.bw
http://birdlifebotswana.blogspot.com/