From: Nigel Hunter <nigelhunter@timbale.org>
Date: 2012-12-03 17:37
Subject: Visit North of Athi River

Brian Finch and I were invited by Andrew Cameron to visit his farm, which lies approximately 6 kilometres north of Athi River, yesterday in order to help with his bird list.  The habitat is largely riverine acacia with a few small dams lying at an altitude of 1500 m.  I have attached a list of the species we recorded (List A) but a few highlights are worth mentioning, particularly in regard to the migrants.  1 Steppe Eagle and 7 White Storks were seen overhead.  Nightingales were in good numbers in the thickets.  Several Spotted Flyctachers were seen as was 1 Garden Warbler, 2 Willow Warblers and 1 Yellow Wagtail.  Rupell’s Robin Chat would appear to be an isolated population.  But perhaps the most unusual finding was having both Olive Thrush and Bare-eyed Thrush in the same location.  All in all we observed 104 species on the farm.  Between the main road and the farm is open grassland interspersed with bush acacia.  The 35 additional species we recorded are provided in List B.  Of special note were 4 Lesser Kestrels, 4 Black-faced Sandgrouse, 1 male Irania, Several each of Northern, Pied and Isabelline Wheatears and 4 Common Rock Thrushes.  All in all this was a better day for migrants than we have been experiencing lately.