From: Washington Wachira <washingtonwachira@gmail.com>
Date: 2015-03-29 16:41
Subject: Re: [KENYABIRDSNET] birding in Thika after some rain

Lucky day Darcy,
Many species seen there, kindly share on Kenya Bird Map (kenyabirdmap.adu.org.za).

I recorded a Beautiful Sunbird at Kenyatta university last year. It has been seen twice this year at the National Museums, Nairobi, by Peter and Jacinta. Thika is drier and with the delayed rains, we can expect to see them there.
Quite a delayed or early Black Cuckoo-shrike, I have not seen any this year.

Happy birding.
Washington.

On Mar 29, 2015 2:26 PM, "Darcy Ogada darcyogada@yahoo.com [kenyabirdsnet]" <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

Hi all,

I snuck out for some birding this morning and wasn't disappointed.  I only got started at 9am and managed two and half hours.  I recorded 68 species in the Imani Compound at Del Monte. 

Of note was a beautiful sunbird.  I don't know if this is particularly unusual in Thika, but I've never seen one around here in 10+ years.  I saw a male in full breeding plumage, and another not quite in breeding plumage. 

One African pygmy kingfisher was a nice bird to see.  And a couple of Eastern Honeybirds. 

Migrants were: many willow warblers, common nightengale, two Eurasian golden oriole, two tree pipits, many spotted flycatchers and one steppe buzzard. I couldn't confirm a possible sprosser, but it was similar to a nightengale, but not.  The head and wing covert were more grey, but it otherwise looked similar to a nightengale.

Good birding to all,
Darcy

Here's the list:
marabou stork
hadada ibis
long-tailed cormorant
wahlberg's eagle
african fish eagle
steppe buzzard
yellow-billed kite
great sparrowhawk
red-eyed dove
african green pigeon
tambourine dove
emerald spotted wood dove
red-chested cuckoo
little swift
african palm swift
unknown large swift
speckled mousebird
african pygmy kingfisher
grey-headed kingfisher
cinnamon-breasted bee-eater
white-headed barbet
spot-flanked barbet
yellow-rumped tinkerbird
eatern honeybird
lesser honeyguide
tree pipit
red-rumped swallow
lesser-striped swallow
common bulbul
eurasian golden oriole
pied crow
black cuckooshrike female
tropical boubou
common fiscal
spotted flycatcher
african paradise flycatcher
southern black flycatcher
olive thrush
white-browed scrub robin
rueppell's robin chat
cape robin chat
common nightengale
willow warbler
winding cisticola
yellow-breasted apalis
tawny-flanked prinia
grey-capped warbler
dark-capped warbler
white-bellied tit
bronze sunbird
beautiful sunbird
variable sunbird
green-headed sunbird
scarlet-chested sunbird
grosbeak weaver
white-browed sparrow weaver
pin-tailed whydah
white-winged widowbird
yellow bishop
african golden weaver
baglafecht weaver
holub's golden weaver
red-cheeked cordon bleu
purple grenadier
red-billed firefinch
bronze mannikin
streaky seedeater