Yesterday we were counting cranes on Del Monte as part of the ongoing survey.
We started at the big dam off Garissa road on the way to Ol Donyo Sabuk. There were 100 or so barn swallows on the power lines. A single Black-crowned Night Heron was a nice surprise, but was too far away for a decent photo. We also found our only cranes of the day, a group of 4 that feeding in the recently cut grass. Though we recorded two more this morning. There was a Lesser Swamp Warbler on the edge of the dam, some Reed Cormorants and a spoonbill. The water was much higher than I expected. We also found our first of many migrants, Eurasian Bee-eaters and a Western Marsh Harrier. There was also a Brown-hooded Kingfisher on our way out.
We did a circuit near our previous house in Gatuanyaga where the Wahlberg's Eagles were happily still nesting in the same tree as when we left in 2015. A nest that has been continually active for probably the past 10 years. We also had a Lesser Kestrel (below), Eurasian Roller and another harrier.
At the sewage ponds on Del Monte there was a stilt, Sacred Ibises, and a couple of African Jacana. A handful of White Storks passed to the north. At another dam there was a curiously large group of what I believe were all Intermediate Egrets, more than 70. I had never seen such a congregation. There were also a few darters, at least one was an immature. A bit further along the road was a single Red-tailed Shrike.
The Ayres' Hawk Eagle is nesting again. The size of their nest is amazing and not what you would expect from this species.
Cheers, Darcy
Darcy Ogada
Assistant Director of Africa Programs
+254-722-339366
P.O. Box 1629-00606
+254-722-339366
P.O. Box 1629-00606
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Nairobi •
Kenya