Karen Country Club bird walk, 23 January 2015

 

On a glorious, sunny, mild morning, myself, Alastair Campbell, Karen Plumbe, Sarah Chiles and Barb Schlegel set off to explore the avian delights of Karen Country Club. The first sighting was a Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, and other “big birds” were to follow.

 

The wetlands were alive with birds, and it was hard to know where to look next. We had clear views of Tropical Boubou, Rueppell’s Robin Chat, Willow Warbler and African Citril, and a good sighting of a Grey-headed Kingfisher was soon followed by a Giant Kingfisher flying across the reedbeds. Two Grey Crowned Cranes flew past emitting their distinctive call. The highlight, though, was an immature Purple Heron, the first sighting of that species for Karen Club.

 

At the dams, the usual Reed Cormorant, Common Sandpiper and Three-banded Plovers were joined by three Black-winged Stilts, which treated us to a flying display, and a single Green Sandpiper, the first of the season at that site. And intriguingly, there were two Yellow-billed Ducks sitting next to each other in perfect light, at the same angle to the sun, one with an obvious green speculum and the other with an obvious blue speculum. I am convinced there are real differences out there, and not just tricks of the light.

 

On our walk, a number of the “usuals” were strangely absent – no Yellow-whiskered Greenbul, or Hamerkop, or Great Cormorant, or barbets, or Streaky Seedeater. But we did get excellent views of a flock of 20+ Rock Martins mixed with some Plain Martins, as well as Hartlaub’s Turaco, Cape Robin Chat and Pale Flycatcher.

 

The total of 48 species was very satisfying, and we thoroughly deserved our bacon and egg baps washed down with coffee.

 

Birds seen and heard on Karen Club bird walk, 13 February 2015

Egyptian Goose

Yellow-billed Duck

Little Grebe

Sacred Ibis

Hadada Ibis

Purple Heron

Reed Cormorant

Black Kite

Black Crake

Grey Crowned Crane

Black-winged Stilt

Three-banded Plover

Green Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Red-eyed Dove

Hartlaub’s Turaco

Speckled Mousebird

Grey-headed Kingfisher

Giant Kingfisher

Silvery-cheeked Hornbill

Black-backed Puffback

Tropical Boubou

Black-headed Oriole

African Paradise Flycatcher

Pied Crow

Plain Martin

Rock Martin

Lesser Striped Swallow

Singing Cisticola

Yellow-breasted Apalis

Grey-backed Camaroptera

Common Bulbul

Willow Warbler

Olive Thrush

Cape Robin Chat

Ruppell’s Robin Chat

White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher

Pale Flycatcher

Collared Sunbird

Bronze Sunbird

Variable Sunbird

Kenya Rufous Sparrow

Grosbeak Weaver

Baglafecht Weaver

Spectacled Weaver

Holub’s Golden Weaver

African Pied Wagtail

African Citril

(48 species)