From: chege wa kariuki <chege@birdwatchingeastafrica.com>
Date: 2013-01-08 17:26
Subject: TDC..new year eve
Visited Dr. Mwangi Githiru at Wildlife Works that used to be Taita
Discovery Centre on 31st Dec and 1st Jan
Harlequin Quils were JUST every where calling every where during the day
and at all night long.....pretty 24 hrs singing. After the midnight toss
both Harlequin Quil and Donaldson Smith Nightjar sang and couldn't
figure out which was one was my first bird for 2013.
3 different Friedmann's Larks kept calling but never saw any. Ashy
Cisiticola were quite common too in opens.
A male Red-billed Hornbill has a nest barely a meter from Mwangi's house
and at eye level when seated and seemed not much bothered by our presence
as he fed the jailed female or and juvs.
Never before had i seen two pairs of Pigmy Falcon in less than 200m apart
and one pair was courtship displaying like the d'Anaurds Barbet do
flicking tail straight up and down
Pangani Lonclaw were present, Fire-fronted Bishop very common in breeding
plumage and one male in the middle if Maungu Trading Centre, a single
male Hartlaub's Bustard
NOT any way sure...but saw a crombec in seconds carrying nesting material
but never saw any rufous chestnut on the bird or any major eye stripe.
Never had any view of the bill length thou.....but thought i might have
seen a Somali Crombec.... she called and i tried to call the bird but
never re-appeared. Also never looked at it through my bins but the camera
as i was trying to photograph another birds. However, got a photo of the
back and blurred face......... which might not be enough to tell. When
Mwangi has chance will check it out
cheers
chege