Thanks Colin. To me this is quite stunning news, considering how rare we assumed them to be in the past.

On 14 February 2017 at 10:04, Colin Jackson <colin.jackson@arocha.org> wrote:

Just a delayed response to your query, Clive - from the waterbird counts A Rocha Kenya has been doing on Tana delta since 2006. For seven out of ten of those years (2014 & 2015 , due to the clashes in the delta, no boat was available to count the freshwater sections so we were not able to visit the usual site for the plovers), we have had PGPs in numbers ranging from 2 to 252 with four years where over 100 were counted.

I have also had one flock of about 200 flying south over our field study centre in Watamu during the southward migration - I'll need to confirm exact date and number for that from my notebooks which are currently still in storage. I wondered if they might not be heading for somewhere like the Rufiji Delta...

The overall suggestion is that there is clearly a small population of PGPs that spend the non-breeding season in Tana River Delta - I'll try and put something together to publish on this.

Colin

 

On 27/01/2017 16:56, Fleur Ng'weno fleur@africaonline.co.ke [kenyabirdsnet] wrote:

 

Hello Clive

In February 2010 we saw a flock of over 150 at Lake Mbililo in the Delta. In January 2014 we estimated between 50 and 100.

In 2015 we went there in March and they had already left; and I have not been back since then.

Good birding, Fleur


On 1/27/17 9:05 AM, "Clive Mann" <clivefmann@gmail.com> wrote:

Most definitely Caspian.

Fleur, are there really large flocks of Pacific Golden Plovers in Tana River Delta?

Clive

On 27 January 2017 at 11:06, Fleur Ng'weno fleur@africaonline.co.ke [kenyabirdsnet] <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 
 
 
   

Dear all

In the Tana River Delta, large flocks of both Caspian Plovers and Pacific Golden Plovers gather on the mudflats of the river’s edge.

Good birding, Fleur


On 1/27/17 4:45 AM, "Brian Finch birdfinch@gmail.com <http://birdfinch@gmail.com>  [kenyabirdsnet]" <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com <http://kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> > wrote:

Dear All,
I agree this is a Caspian and not a PGP. Whilst it is very unusual on
a tideline, it is regular on grassy areas on the coast such as
Gongoni,
Best for now
Brian

On 1/27/17, James Bradley jalopyjamo@gmail.com <http://jalopyjamo@gmail.com>  [kenyabirdsnet]
<kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com <http://kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> > wrote:
> Nice photo Nate - did you consider Caspian Plover?
>
> Best,
>
> James
>
>
> On 26 January 2017 at 11:01, Nate Dias offshorebirder@gmail.com <http://offshorebirder@gmail.com>
> [kenyabirdsnet] <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com <http://kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> I have never seen a PGP with such a needle-tipped bill but I did not
>> see any features to really deter me from identifying it as such.
>>
>> Good birding,
>>
>> Nate
>>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> James Bradley
> Sidney, BC
>