I agree entirely with Chege's comments. It always annoys me when tour leaders play & play & play. This may be in areas that get a lot of birders, so you can imagine the harm it does.

Another point. Birds often do come close silently, but not necessarily in front of you. Look behind you as well because they may be there!

Clive Mann

On 17 May 2017 at 10:20, 'chege wa kariuki' chege@birdwatchingeastafrica.com [kenyabirdsnet] <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

Hi Sidney

I would have loved to reply this to you privately, but it may be important info for others. So I apologize to reply on public.

 

The bird may have been only one in the area you played back but often some of these birds you may call them and they reply by appearing closer to you without them necessarily calling back. I have Hinde’s Pied Babbler in my garden and that has happened before and not once.

 

It’s no doubt that playing back is one of the most important way and easier way of seeing birds easily, quickly and closer. However, minimal and shortest period of use is the best way to protect their welfare, like in bird ringing they say the welfare of birds first not ringing. Over 10min of play back is more worse for the welfare of that single bird or the flock than not recording the presence of the species in an area. Personally, I find about 5-30sec of calling (that depending on the length of a species song or contact call) then about 2 to 4min of pause and trying again like thrice more than enough assuming if the species was close enough it would appear…..and like I said sometimes they will appear without calling back so wide open-eyes all around helps.

 

This may not be a conservation concern currently, but considering birding being one of the fast-growing hobby even here locally and the advent of smartphones complimented by of Brian’s app on bird calls for sure would be in the near future if not now. Even more worse when a rarity is discovered in a single new spot like that in Nairobi. Since those who haven’t seen the bird before will want to visit the site and highly want to call them.

 

And unlike Hinde’s B that is not common in Nairobi, try calling once twice and if there is no reply try on the next territory rather than same spot. During this time of long rain birds are breeding and I find it the easiest season in a year when birds reply quickly on playbacks and therefore must be the time of the year when birds get easily psychologically tortured from our playbacks.   

 

I however do accept that there’s probably no any existing method of telling how significant the disturbance is from our playback and might mean we just need to be cautious by personal instincts.

 

While am writing this an Africa Emerald Cuckoo is calling by the river which is new for my patch in Thika.

Cheers and best birding

chege

 

 

From: kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com [mailto:kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Sidney Shema Kamanzi sidneyshema@gmail.com [kenyabirdsnet]
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2017 8:05 PM
To: Kenyabirds <kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [KENYABIRDSNET] Hinde's Babbler still around at UoN U. Kabete

 

 

Hi all,

I had a sighting of 1 Hinde's Babbler today at the University of Nairobi Upper Kabete field station, in the same general area as where we saw them in March during the Nature Kenya bird walk. Last time we saw 3 but today there only seemed to be a single one. I played a recording of their call for over 10 minutes to see if any others respond but to no avail. So whether the other 2 are still around is uncertain for now. 

Jackson's Widowbirds in full breeding plumage are also around. I counted at least 4 males and 2 females. Red-collared and White-winged W were in large numbers all over. 

Best regards,
Sidney

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Dr C F Mann FLS