Three excellent photographs that clearly show both male and female 
Somali Sparrows.

Kenya specimens and records all largely date back to the Van Someren 
era plus the 1912 Childs Frick expedition.   Most of Van Someren's 
1922-23 specimens from Marsabit are in Chicago, while those collected 
by Caldwell and Mearns from the Koroli Mts and near South Horr are in 
the Smithsonian in Washington.

Van Someren (1932) commented that he had specimens from the Northern 
Uaso Nyiro and Marsabit which constituted a considerable extension of 
its known range.  However no specimens of his from the Uaso Nyiro can 
be traced.  Britton (1980) referred to the race fulgens as being 
common in parts of the Lake Turkana basin, also from the southern 
edge of the Dida Galgalla, Karoli and the Northern Uaso Nyiro (no 
doubt based on Van Someren's 1932 comment).

The bird is known to wander quite considerably and following the 
2014-15 drought in northern Kenya it now seems that some birds moved 
south, and some may indeed have been truck assisted.

The photos in question do not appear to show any yellow on the cheeks 
or underparts which is said to be a feature of fulgens. Males of 
fulgens are described as having the top of the head and nape bright 
cinnamon-rufous which certainly fits the photographs.

Will be interesting to see if they become resident around Archer's 
Post.  Certainly these birds appear to be pure Somali Sparrows 
whereas the Sala Gate birds in Tsavo East appeared to have been 
hybridizing with House Sparrows (P.domesticus).

Don Turner
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