CIRCUIT.. KISEMBE-NGONGS-KISAMESE-NGONG TOWN-KISEMBE 20th April 2013.

Dear All,
On the early morning of 20th April, Simon Ball, Mike Davidson and
Nigel Hunter met up at my house. There were single Red-backed Shrike
and Willow Warbler in the garden so migrants were still going through.
We all set off for a day in the rift below the  Ngong Hills. There had
been very heavy rain on the Ngongs, and places were flooded and the
rivers very full. On Leakey’s Road lookout, just before Corner Baridi,
Simon suggested we stop as he had seen migrant raptors using this
valley as a fly way in the past. We got out, and there were numerous
White-rumped Swifts flying back and forth along the slopes below us,
with them were twenty or so Barn Swallow, a few resident Red-rumped
Swallows, but the best was a very small palearctic Red-rumped Swallow
of the race rufula, (Strangely whilst there are several races of
daurica, there does not appear to be a nominate daurica daurica!).
The only East African record to date, for the palearctic race was one
trapped at Ngulia on passage in the autumn of 2011.
Other migrants here consisted of one Eurasian Hobby, two Lesser Grey
and one Red-backed Shrike, several Willow Warblers, two Tree Pipits
and a Sand Martin.

Barn Swallows were really on the move most of the morning and we saw
many on our circuit. Also a few more Willow Warblers, but just two
more Lesser Greys and one more Red-backed Shrike. Corner Baridi failed
to produce anything but the Lyne’s Cisticolas were very vocal. At the
bottom of the hill below Kisamese the road had washed away, but we
negotiated our way across, with some local “volunteers” trying to
charge Ksh500 to help us across! That’s what I call inflation! At the
large Dam, the water had flooded all the margins and it was not
possible to walk along the shore, there were a couple of Common
Sandpipers, and nominate White-headed Barbets calling from the figs.
Circling around to the Ngong road, there were many very noisy and
extravert Lynes’ Cisticolas, and of much interest a pair of
White-headed Saw-wings investigating some Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
nesting holes in the bank of the road. All records of this species
east of the Rift Valley are interesting, but if these birds do choose
a hole and raise a family as it looks like they have every intention
of doing so, it may be the first ever case of proven breeding east of
the Rift in Kenya, but at present they are prospectors. The site is
about 100m down from the Savannah Club, in the road bank.

The only other bird of interest was a male Harlequin Quail flying low
past the Karen Roundabout whilst we were on it!

Best to all,
Brian