Greetings birders

Nature Kenya and Dakatcha Woodland Conservation Group undertook a dry season
monitoring survey in Dakatcha Woodland IBA northwest of Malindi last week.
It sure was dry!! All the Brachystegia trees had lost their leaves. From a
viewpoint, the landscape was a sea of grey ­ grey trees, grey bushes. It was
hot, with no shade. Birds sang less than usual. Most of the seasonal
wetlands were dry ...but not quite all.

Julio Mwambire of DWCG had explored far and wide in the IBA, and guided us
to three seasonal wetlands beyond Adu. Harguthu Wetland still had a little
water, and to our amazement and delight, a flock of Clarke's Weavers, males
and females, were roosting in the wetland! At 6:30am they flew off, but a
few remained, feeding on a Salvadora tree with bulbuls, greenbuls and
orioles. A female was seen feeding a flying immature.

On March 2nd, Julio guided us to another, larger seasonal wetland, much
closer to Marafa town. There were waterbirds and Barn Swallows. On the way
back to the vehicle through a woodland of mixed tree species, there was a
light drizzle. Suddenly the few trees with leaves came alive with birds,
feeding on fruits and bathing in the raindrops that collected on the leaves.

There were woodhopoes, starlings, orioles, greenbuls, weavers ...and among
them Clarke's Weavers, males and females. They perched on a leafless tree
and preened after bathing. Had they been prospecting the nearby wetland? We
look forward to more reports from Dakatcha.

Wishing you good birding, Fleur