From: Fleur Ng'weno <fleur@africaonline.co.ke>
Date: 2019-07-02 13:24
Subject: Re: [KENYABIRDSNET] Interesting May-June atlas records
Greetings birders,
Thanks Sidney for sharing these exciting records. Below are a few more:
1. On behalf of Ben Allen, Jennifer Oduori and myself, a Common Snipe – which should be thousands of miles away on its breeding grounds in Northern Europe and Asia – singing (if repeated, monotonous pip pip pip pip can be called singing) from an Acacia at the swamp near Kingfisher Picnic site on 23 June 2019. Photo by Ben Allen.
2. On behalf of Peter and Ann Usher and Sukhy and Jaytinder Soin, the fabled Quail-plover in hiding. Photo by Peter Usher.
3. Finally on June 29, with the Nature Kenya and Dakatcha Woodland Conservation Group team, we visited Bura oxbow lake and Gandini wetland, north of River Galana-Sabaki near the town of Garashi. At Bura oxbow lake there were expanses of white water lilies and thousands of ducks – at least 500 White-faced Whistling Ducks and 500 Fulvous Whistling Ducks, as well as Spur-winged Geese and Knob-billed Ducks – many African Open-billed Storks, and a variety of other birds, including Squacco Heron, African Fish Eagle, Black-winged Stilt, Jacobin Cuckoo, Brown-headed Parrot and Mangrove Kingfisher. At the smaller, shallower Gandini wetland, the birds were fewer but almost entirely different, and included Pink-backed Pelican, Yellow-billed Stork, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Glossy Ibis and African Spoonbill. In the forest and bush Black-bellied Starlings gathered in noisy flocks and we had brief views of gorgeous African Golden Orioles.
Wishing you good birding, Fleur
Dear birders,
Those of you who are registered on the Kenya Bird Map will already have seen this is yesterday's email update, but I would like to share with the rest who aren't. Here are some interesting bird records that we received on the KBM during May and June:
- Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture) Gypaetus barbatus - An adult and immature seen flying in pentad 0140c3520 (Mt Mtelo, West Pokot) on 07 May by Robert Muchunu, Jagi Gakunju and Timothy Mwinami. This is the first record of the species on the Kenya Bird Map.
- Dickinson's Kestrel Falco dickinsoni - An adult seen and photographed in pentad 0120_3645 (aka the 'Finch Pentad') in Nairobi National Park, on 18 May by Mwangi Gitau. This the first record of this species in Nairobi on the KBM.
- Striped Crake Amaurornis marginalis - A bird found at Ngangao Resource Centre (pentad 0320_3820) unable to fly well on 31 May by Nathaniel Mkombola.
- Quail-plover Ortyxelos meiffrenii - Seen in Tsavo East by Sukhy Soin and Peter Usher on 04 June. Exact pentad yet to be determined.
- White-backed Night Heron Gorsachius leuconotus - Seen by Wilson Tiren and Peter Wairasho in pentad 0040c3600, Lake Baringo, on 19 June.
- Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia - Seen by Peter Wairasho in pentad 0045_3620, Lake Naivasha, on 20 June.
- White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa - Seen by Mustafa Adamjee in pentad 0415_3935, Diani, on 28 June.
Regards,
Sidney Shema
Mobile: +254738290842