Arabuko sokoke forest 31st Dec 2012

We did a three-hour early morning walk in the forest starting from the KWS post, through the bamboo and plantations, and then moving on into the mixed woodland before finally finishing up in the brachystegia forest.

We saw a pair of green barbets nesting in a dead tree at the KWS HQ. There was a group of 5 african golden orioles feeding alongside several white throated beeaters in the eucalyptus trees at the HQ.  We saw two tambourine doves in the plantations along with several groups of sykes monkeys. In the mixed woodland we called in a pair of noisey forest batis's with some young fledglings. We heard little yellow flycatchers and fischer's greenbul and spooked an immature crowned eagle from its roost in a tree next to a large group of yellow baboons, just inside the elephant fence. There were also fresh signs of elephant from the night before.

Inside the fence there was a group of at least 10 very vocal trumpeter hornbills. We then entered the brachystegia woodland where we saw grey backed cameropteras and immediately heard an eastern nicator although we didn't manage to get visual confirmation until later in the walk. There was a scaly-throated honeyguide calling repeatedly in an attempt to get our attention. We saw a small flock of chestnut fronted helmet shrikes on several occasions and it was mixed in amongst one of these that we saw the nicator, along with a pair of ashy flycatchers and a pale batis. There were two or three bohm's spinetails flying high over the forest.  An amani sunbird was heard although we were unable to get visual confirmation. There was a little grebe on a small pond at the fence's edge and we spooked a single golden rumped elephant shrew. There were black-bellied starlings in all areas.  We heard fischer's turacos but didn't see them on this occasion. On previous trips into the forest we have seen east coast akalat, babblers, retz's helmet shrike, sokoke scops owl, and red tailed ant thrush.

Kieran Avery