Dear All,

A useful paper by Barry Taylor “ The field separation of Common, Ethiopian (African) and Great Snipe”  in Scopus 4 (1980) pp1-4 is well worth referring to.

Meanwhile I tend to agree that the photograph certainly suggested African Snipe.

Best wishes

Don Turner

On 4 Jul 2019, at 11:14, Brian Finch birdfinch@gmail.com [kenyabirdsnet] <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Hi Ben,
Oh I see. So I identified a Common Snipe of Washington's, I had
assumed the Kingfisher bird had come to the ground as I had not
received any photos of the bird on the bush so only commented on what
was attached.
This leaves a bit of a quandary now as I now fully agree with
Washington that the perched bird is very grey, almost certainly far
too much for a spring plumaged Common Snipe, also there is great
contrast between the cold grey upperparts and the very white
underparts... and I must go with NNP's first documented record of an
African Snipe, and of course a Pentad first... thankyou, it's made it
the 488th for the list, not sure what it is for NNP as it hasn't been
calculated for quite a while.
So I did a fairly thorough search through the literature and on the
net, and nowhere at all can I find that there has been any reference
to an African Snipe perched calling bird like this (whilst normal in
Common Snipe) off the ground. So I am going to ask the South Africans
to comment on this, with your images.
Best for now
Brian

On 7/3/19, 'Heather Elkins' rhminkins@gmail.com [kenyabirdsnet]
<kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
> Many thanks for sharing these interesting photos of such unusual birds..
> The snipe was no longer around when we looked on Sunday!
>
>
>
> Heather
>
>
>
> From: kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com [mailto:kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com]
> On Behalf Of Fleur Ng'weno fleur@africaonline.co.ke [kenyabirdsnet]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 2, 2019 1:25 PM
> To: Sidney Shema; Kenyabirds
> Cc: Ben Allen; Peter Usher; Sukhy Soin; Francis Kagema; utumbi edwin; Julio
> Mwambire
> 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
>
>
>
>
>
> On Jul 2, 2019, at 10:56 AM, Sidney Shema sidneyshema@gmail.com
> [kenyabirdsnet] <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> 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
>
> Project Manager, Kenya Bird Map <http://kenyabirdmap.adu..org.za/index.php>
>
>
>
>
> Website/Blog: <http://www..shotsbyshema.com/> www.shotsbyshema.com
>
> Facebook: Shots By Shema - Untamed Photography
> <https://www.facebook.com/ShotsByShema/>
> Instagram: @ShotsByShema <https://www.instagram.com/shotsbyshema/>
>
> Mobile: +254738290842
>
> Join the Kenya Bird Map <http://kenyabirdmap.adu.org.za/> project and
> contribute directly to bird conservation through citizen science!
>
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>