Karen Country Club bird walk, Wednesday 21 February 2018

 

On a beautiful sunny morning, the biggest group ever set out on the Karen Country Club bird walk – myself, Alastair Campbell, Karen Plumbe, Shirley Scroggie, Alex Duncanson, Ros Dempsey, Annalisa Bernardi, Vanessa Mallinson, Steve & Alison Foster, Kim Griffiths, Christina Cole, Linda Cuthbert and Kamweti Mutu – 14 in total.

 

Even as we set off there was a busy display of aerial insectivores, including Rock Martin, Lesser Striped Swallow, Black Roughwing and Palm Swift. At the wetlands a few Yellow-billed Ducks, Black Crake and Moorhen were present, and both Singing and Red-faced Cisticolas were in good voice. A fruiting fig tree was attracting numbers of Speckled Mousebirds and African Citrils, and we got excellent views of Hartlaub’s Turaco and Willow Warblers (gleaning in an acacia). The Purple Heron was still in residence.

 

As is often the case these days, bird life at the lakes was sparse, though there were good numbers of Black-winged Stilt, Three-banded Plovers and Common Sandpiper, along with Little Grebe and Reed Cormorant. The pair of Wire-tailed Swallows were perched in their usual spot on the pier railings, and a Grey Crowned Crane flew gracefully over the scene.

 

The low acacias and other trees around the 7th green once more proved interesting, with White-starred Robin, Abyssinian White-eye, Collared Sunbird, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, African Pied Wagtail and a largish busy flock of White-bellied Tits.

 

Other noteworthy sightings included African Green Pigeon; Eurasian Bee-eaters, always pleasing on the eye and the ear; and female Black Cuckooshrike, surely on of the most strikingly attractive birds in Kenya.

 

The total of 54 species seen or heard (see full list below) was quite impressive, considering that many birds are less active in the hot weather. Let’s see what the rains bring. Even more impressive was the turnout of birdwatchers – hope to see you all again next time (probably in April)!

 

John Dawson

 

Birds seen or heard on Karen Club bird walk, 21 February 2018

 

Yellow-billed Duck

Little Grebe

Hadada Ibis

Purple Heron

Reed Cormorant

Black Kite

Black Crake

Common Moorhen

Grey-crowned Crane

Black-winged Stilt

Three-banded Plover

Common Sandpiper

Red-eyed Dove

African Green Pigeon

Hartlaub’s Turaco

African Palm Swift

Speckled Mousebird

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

Eurasian Bee-eater

Silvery-cheeked Hornbill

Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird

Black-backed Puffback

Tropical Boubou

Black Cuckooshrike

White-bellied Tit

Black Saw-wing

Wire-tailed Swallow

Rock Martin

Lesser Striped Swallow

Red-faced Cisticola

Singing Cisticola

Black-collared Apalis

Yellow-breasted Apalis

Grey-capped Warbler

Grey-backed Camaroptera

Common Bulbul

Yellow-whiskered Greenbul

Willow Warbler

Abyssinian White-eye

Olive Thrush

White-starred Robin

Ruppell’s Robin Chat

White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher

Collared Sunbird

Amethyst Sunbird

Bronze Sunbird

Variable Sunbird

Baglafecht Weaver

Spectacled Weaver

Holub’s Golden Weaver

Red-billed Firefinch

Bronze Mannikin

African Pied Wagtail

African Citril

(54 species)