From: Rupert Watson <rupertwatson48@gmail.com>
Date: 2015-11-09 15:01
Subject: Re: Red fronted barbet and Ipomea
While up on the edge of the Rift Valley between Corner Baridi and Kajiado last week, three of us watched a red-fronted barbet eat, from the ground, all the dozen or so blooms of what I think was a pinky-purple Ipomea jaegeri. Birds of Africa mentions this species as sometimes feeding on the ground, but I wonder if it was really after the petals, or insects within the flowers, or even trying to get some sweetness out of them? It was incredibly dry in that part of the Rift.
On another note, I try and do a bird count in our Langata plot about this time of year, spending most of the day in the plot, and allowing anything seen in or from the plot. The tally for the last two years has been around 65 (last year with B FInch's afternoon assistance) but yesterday I could only muster 52. The only migrants were overflying Eurasian Bee-eaters and there was a real dearth of swifts and swallows. I put the low total down to the fact that the only rain record we seem to be breaking here is for the lowest rainfall for the start of the short rains. Many of the trees have no leaves on them and insect life is sparse. Also affecting the tally would be the fact that the widows, whydas and weavers are not in breeding plumage, as they usually seem to be at this time of year, and so harder for me to identify!
Best salaams, Rupert Watson
Rupert Watson
P O Box 24251
Nairobi 00502
Kenya
Tel (254) 0722 237 138