Hi Fleur,
Thanks for this, we are all learning something. Although your records
fall into the normal window for the species, Boni-Dodori might even
have a separate population as is suggested for southern Somalia, or
both the Kingfisher and the Robin-Chats were all southerners  and left
shortly after you did!
Best for now
Brian

On 8/30/19, Fleur Ng'weno <fleur@africaonline.co.ke> wrote:
> Coming into this discussion a bit late….
>
> Museum researchers and ringers caught a Mangrove Kingfisher in early
> November 2013 near Mangai in the Boni-Dodori area. What a bird to see up
> close! The same ringing session caught a netful of Red-capped Robin Chats.
> Mangrove Kingfishers were also recorded in riparian forest in the
> Boni-Dodori area in the first half of April 2014.
>
> Mangrove Kingfishers are often seen in Dakatcha Woodland, a good distance
> from the sea. (There are fresh-water crabs, but only obvious in the rainy
> season.) I did not realize these kingfishers were migrants from the south
> and wondered why sometimes we do not see them in Dakatcha forests. Now I
> understand.
>
> Good birding to all, Fleur
>
>
>> On Aug 30, 2019, at 3:43 PM, Nate Dias offshorebirder@gmail.com
>> [kenyabirdsnet] <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Fascinating conversation everyone.
>>
>> I did a species search for Mangrove Kingfisher records in eBird and zoomed
>> in to look at Kenya reports.   There are many reports (some with photos)
>> besides those mentioned thus far.
>>
>> To view them, visit this web link to a Mangrove Kingfisher search on eBird
>> - check the "Show Points Sooner" box on the right of the screen to display
>> better:
>> https://ebird.org/map/mankin2?neg=true&env.minX=&env.minY=&env.maxX=&env.maxY=&zh=false&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=all&byr=1900&eyr=2019
>> <https://ebird.org/map/mankin2?neg=true&env.minX=&env.minY=&env.maxX=&env.maxY=&zh=false&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=all&byr=1900&eyr=2019>
>>
>> One can alter the search for specific months by clicking the "Date"
>> pull-down in the menu near the top of the page.   For what it's worth,
>> changing the search to only the months from March-April still yields quite
>> a few results in coastal Kenya.
>>
>> Since Don's breeding record at Gede was in August, I looked for eBird
>> reports from late July-September.    There are quite a few:
>>
>> Sunday August 10, 2008 Brad Bergstrom photographed a Mangrove Kingfisher
>> on the Lower Tana River Delta between Anasa and Kibokoni:
>> https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S37155792
>> <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S37155792>
>>
>> Other eBird reports of Mangrove Kingfishers at the Lower Tana River Delta
>> Hotspot are:
>> February 3rd and 4th 2017 - Doris Schaule
>> April 9th 2019 - Mustafa Amanjee
>>
>> Tuesday September 20, 2011 Fiona Reid observed a Mangrove Kingfisher at
>> Che Shale (Kenya Birdfinder historical record entered into eBird).
>> https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S39111039
>> <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S39111039>
>>
>> There are several eBird checklists reporting this species from the Sabaki
>> River mouth, including:
>>
>> August 15, 1989 - David Holyoak.  Notes say "S. shore of estuary"
>> https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S19612770
>> <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S19612770>
>>
>> August 1, 1986 - Per Smith.   https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S28007306
>> <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S28007306>
>>
>> July 20, 1989 - Steve Lister.   https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49966029
>> <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49966029>
>>
>>
>> Friday, September 12 Jesse Ham observed a Mangrove Kingfisher at Lake Chem
>> Chem west of Malindi.  (Kenya Birdfinder historical record entered into
>> eBird)   https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S39110990
>> <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S39110990>
>>
>>
>> Monday September 7, 2009 Doug Macaulay observed one at Lake Jilore's north
>> edge
>>
>> Monday September 7, 2009 Doug Macaulay also observed one in the northern
>> Arabuko-Sokoke Forest.  Mouth-watering checklist with Mangrove Kingfisher
>> photo:  https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S7299010
>> <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S7299010>
>>
>> There are multiple other eBird reports of Mangrove Kingfisher in
>> August-September from the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. A sample:
>>
>> August 10, 2004 Sue Talbot.  https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S35472521
>> <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S35472521>
>> August 10, 2015 - Noah Stryker.
>> https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S24567192
>> <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S24567192>
>> August 23, 2000.  Steve Aversa.
>> https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S21084063
>> <https://ebird..org/view/checklist/S21084063>
>> September 19, 2011 - Byron Swift.
>> https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46274412
>> <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46274412>
>> September 25, 2001 - Carol MAsterson.
>> https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S20359559
>> <https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S20359559>
>>
>> Saturday October 6, 2018 Albert Baya observed one at Lake Jilore
>>
>> There are multiple September-October eBird reports from Gede Ruins.
>>
>> There are multiple reports from multiple sites around Watamu and further
>> inland on Mida Creek from August-October.
>>
>> Also a couple of October reports from Kalifi, a couple of August reports
>> from Vipino Ridge, and numbers of reports from the Mombasa area (Mamba
>> Vilage Crocodile Farm, Haller Park, Bamburi, etc)
>>
>> There are also numbers of eBird reports from Shimba Hills in late July,
>> August and September.
>>
>> Plus various other reports from coastal areas.
>>
>> Good birding,
>>
>> Nate
>> --
>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/offshorebirder2/
>> <https://www.flickr.com/photos/offshorebirder2/>
>>
>> "These days I prefer to hunt with a camera.  A good photograph demands
>> more skill from the hunter, better nerves and more patience than the rifle
>> shot."    -- Bror Blixen
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 30, 2019 at 7:23 AM Don Turner don@originsafaris.info
>> <mailto:don@originsafaris.info> [kenyabirdsnet]
>> <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com
>> <mailto:kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com>> wrote:
>>
>> Dear Brian. The Ngulia bird I think was caught in the early morning (no
>> doubt arriving in the night).
>>
>> Other dated records that we have are:
>>
>> Historical specimens from Mombasa area Sept-October 1900.
>>
>> 50+ in mangroves around Vanga (Lunga Lunga) 29 April 1990. Certainly
>> suggestive of a movement ( returning north maybe ??)
>>
>> Malindi August 1984; Sabaki early November 1989.
>> My breeding record at Gede was in August.
>> Very vocal around Witu and the Kipini conservancy during October 2006, but
>> gone by late November onwards.
>>
>> Mombasa area: present June-August. Also a single November record.
>>
>> There are NO RECORDS from Sunbird Tours to the north Kenya coast during
>> January and February which would point to it being absent from the coast
>> late November - March /April.
>>
>> So it seems to be largely present on our coast from April - mid November.
>>
>> Reportedly resident all year at Dar-es-Salaam and on Pemba, but on
>> Zanzibar largely October - February only.
>>
>> Only a couple of nest records cards that I know of, one of which was is
>> unreliable. The other points to an early October breeding (Kenya coast).
>>
>> Hope this helps. It certainly points to it being a migrant to our coasts
>> April-October.
>>
>> Best wishes
>> Don
>>
>> > On 30 Aug 2019, at 13:01, Brian Finch <birdfinch@gmail.com
>> > <mailto:birdfinch@gmail.com>> wrote:
>> >
>> > Thanks for this Don,
>> > That Ngulia bird was certainly a migrant, can you remember if it was
>> > caught at night because it's likely that's when they move but if late
>> > November it's getting pretty late. It also begs the question why it
>> > would be so off course if it were going south, if coming north it has
>> > plenty of space in which to deviate, but going south it can't have
>> > started moving from very far north of Ngulia anyway! Ngulia is 180km
>> > from the nearest piece of coast which is strangely equidistant all the
>> > way from Kilifi to Mombasa! In Horn of Africa it states it occurs in
>> > Somalia north to the Jubba and Shabeelle Rivers where it is "a
>> > presumed resident."
>> > Do you know of any completed nest record cards for Kenya?
>> > Two interesting kingfishers in succession!
>> > Best for now
>> > Brian
>> >
>> > On 8/30/19, Don Turner don@originsafaris.info
>> > <mailto:don@originsafaris.info> [kenyabirdsnet]
>> > <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com
>> > <mailto:kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com>> wrote:
>> >> Dear Brian. All very interesting. All I can offer is one year I recall
>> >> finding a Mangrove Kingfisher nesting in the hole of a tree in the
>> >> middle of
>> >> Gede Forest. It was going to the edge of the forest (thick bush) and
>> >> taking
>> >> food back to the young. Certainly not crabs !!
>> >>
>> >> Remember the one ringed at Ngulia on 01 December 2003. Long way from
>> >> any
>> >> crabs for sure.
>> >>
>> >> Worth calculating in a straight line how far that was from the nearest
>> >> known
>> >> locality at the coast.
>> >>
>> >> Best wishes
>> >> Don
>>
>>
>> 
>
>