Dear birders,
This weekend, Dominic Chesire and I were in the Mutara Conservation Area north of Olpejeta. We covered 2 pentads that were previously unmapped on the Kenya Bird Map. We managed to do full protocol cards for both, one with 88 species and the other with 115 species. Among many interesting species, the most notable was an Orange-winged Pytilia (see attached photos). This being less than 2 weeks after Martin Wanjohi's record on Mount Kenya.
Other nice records included Somali Short-toed Lark, my first Spotted Flycatcher, Eurasian Golden Orioles, Northern House Martins and Isabelline Wheatears of the season and sizable flocks of Eurasian Bee-eaters. Northern Wheatears and Barn Swallows were all over the place. Other Palearctic migrants were Common, Green and Wood Sandpipers, Little Stint, Common Greenshank, Ruff, Yellow Wagtail and Pallid Harrier.