A KENYA RECORD
43 years of weekly Nairobi bird walks and 29 years of monthly Mombasa bird walks
Snapshot of
Nairobi National Park
Take a photo tour of the park
Vultures Rule!
Soaring over vast stretches of East Africa are the amazing vultures - learn about their diversity.
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Welcome to kenya Birding 8!
Kenya Birding is free to members of Nature Kenya (printing is made possible by advertising and projects) © Nature Kenya August 2014 Issue 8 Front Cover: Von der Decken’s Hornbill at Sagala Lodge about to consume a centipede. Photo by Pete Steward. Special Mention: Bird photographer Peter Usher Editor & Creative Design Catherine G. Ngarachu Assisting Editor Darcy Ogada Advertising Coordinators: Rodah Owako, Norman Kiboi Layout: John Mwacharo Printed Offset Litho by Colourprint Ltd. NATURE KENYA CONTACTS For enquiries, contributions and advertising write to: Nature Kenya, the East Africa Natural History Society National Museums, Museum Hill P.O. Box 44486, GPO, 00100 Nairobi Kenya Tel: (+254) (0) 20 3537568 or (0)771 343138 office@naturekenya.org www.naturekenya.org NATURE KENYA ECO-RESOURCE CENTRES - Mount Kenya, next to Bantu Lodge - Kinangop Reserve, North Kinangop - North Coast, Gede office - South Nandi Kobujoi Eco-resource Centre - KENVO resource centre in Lari Thank you to all the photographers who very kindly shared and gave permission to use their images for publication. We are also very grateful to the authors and other contributors for their invaluable support. All copyright for material appearing in this publication belongs to Nature Kenya and/ or the photographer/ author. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher–Nature Kenya. ABOUT NATURE KENYA Nature Kenya (the East Africa Natural History Society) is a non-profit conservation organization. Established in 1909 it works to promote the understanding and conservation of nature.
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don’t take for granted my everyday moments with wildlife. I am delighted to awake to the chatter of sparrows at the birdfeeder, and I often spend my tea breaks outdoors watching the myriad number of pollinators that appear when a shrub is in flower. I wonder where the dragonflies that intermittently appear will find water to lay their eggs, and hope the wasps nesting near the front door won’t harm anyone. I know there are many of you who similarly love everyday ‘nature moments’. It may not be quite the same thing, but I know this issue of Kenya Birding will also give you many reasons to pause in your daily routine - to admire the photos, find clues to your next birding adventure or learn about birds. My favourites are the record-breaking 43 and 29 years of weekly birdwalks in Nairobi and Mombasa respectively by Fleur Ng’weno and Marlene Reid pg. 29, and the entertaining vulture insights given by Darcy Ogada pg.22. There is much else besides, like the unexpected preservation of Tiriki cultural forests in Kakamega by Joel Siele and Washington Ayiemba pg. 25, the snapshot view of Nairobi National Park by Tasso Leventis and captioned by Brian Finch pg. 4., and a unique glimpse from Anthony Kuria of what the recent quail hype was all about pg. 11. Thank you to the authors and photographers for all the ‘moments’ with nature that you make possible in Kenya Birding. Happy birding
Catherine Ngarachu Editor, Kenya Birding pinterest.com/cngarachu/birding-in-kenya
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Contents
Thrush Nightingale. Photo by Peter Usher.
2. From the Executive Director 4. Snapshot of Nairobi National Park
13. Illegal killing of Migrant Birds Bird massacres: Kenya not exempted In focus
8. Mail drop
14. Go Whalewatching
11. Nature news Mapping Kenya’s Birds The Quail Rush in Kenya: Behind the Hype
15. A Surprise while Bird Ringing in Kakamega Forest
12. Tropical Biology Association celebrating 20 years of conservation
A rare Sengi (elephant shrew) in Boni and Dondori forests, Coastal Kenya Boni and Dodori National Reserves and Ol Ari Nyiro– the latest additions to Kenya’s network of Important Bird Areas
Urban birding 17. Unexpected Guests 18. Creating a Pollinator Garden Nature sites and reserves 19. Ol Donyo Sabache
Cherangani Hills
Species 21. Virtual Museum of Weavers 22. We are the Vultures
Conservation action 24. Conveying Bird Conservation using the local language 25. Tiriki Community Cultural Forests Where to watch birds 26. 84 really good reasons to go birding in the Tana River Delta
Supporting sustainable livelihoods in Tana River Delta
29. A Kenya Record: 43 years of weekly Nairobi bird walks and 29 years of monthly Mombasa bird walks 32. Birding in Laikipia at Ol Pejeta 35. Nguuni Animal Sanctuary 36. Membership
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executive director >
For over a century Nature Kenya has been about the work of studying, documenting and conserving the natural environment. To do this, we connect with members and communities for their support. But are we making a difference to species, sites and people’s lives?
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here are very good indicators in the amazing support now given to conservation by local people around Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, who previously wanted the forest converted to farmland. In the rejection by local community members of a 50,000 ha jatropha plantation planned in Dakatcha woodlands - it was to take away their land, livelihoods, and destroy biodiversity. Tribes in the Tana Delta are resolving conflicts amongst themselves and supporting the sustainable management of the delta. Farmers in the Kinangop grasslands have shown they can be sensitive to the needs of grassland species.
Dr. Paul Matiku, Nature Kenya
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Ksh 127 million earned by butterfly farmers in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest since 1994 when the first consignment of butterfly pupae was exported.
“We are making a positive difference in protecting species and sites when we have a positive impact on people’s lives.”
Over the last 15 years, we’ve been able to help enlarge the voice of local people for conservation. We have built grassroots support for conservation by creating awareness, providing training, making it possible for community members to participate in managing important natural areas, and by helping to remove poverty-related threats. In economically empowering communities, Nature Kenya has had some remarkable progress. Between 2009 and 2013 these include: 8,418 bee hives purchased for local community members, 1,608 people trained in apiculture, resulting in 1,683,600 kg of honey harvested, earning those communities an approximate income of Ksh 505 million.
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2,204,390 tree seedlings planted by people on their farms, 1,975 farmers trained, resulting in 2,204 hectares of woodlots, with a potential income of Ksh 6 billion.
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13,305 eco-tourists received, with the result of contributing nearly Ksh 13 million to local economies.
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Ksh 2.6 million that has been earned from woolspinning.
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1,087 households have had fireless cookers installed (6,010 trained). The added bonus was 1188 fireless cookers sold earning Ksh 602,800.
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Pangani Longclaw. Photo by Peter Usher.
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Life on the Tana River. Photo by Peter Usher.
Despite the incredible success we’ve had, the bigger picture is not so rosy. Even though we have a new Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013 poaching is still rampant, bushland is being decimated for charcoal production, and the balance between development and environment often seems skewed toward the former. Why is this? Policies to protect nature have largely failed, governing institutions are plagued with inefficiencies, there is little capacity at all levels of government, and high levels of poverty mean that most communities rely heavily and unsustainably on natural resources. There is little money to support conservation activities and as a result, the state of biodiversity is deteriorating. We need the work of Nature Kenya replicated at a much broader scale. We need communities, government institutions, and businesses to act for biodiversity. We need to inform more people, and then they need to make a choice—we hope that many thousands will choose, as many members of Nature Kenya have chosen—to make a difference for nature and consequently improve the conditions for living in this country that is our home.
Hewani Farmers Field School water melon nursery. Photo by Edwin Utumbi.
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SNAPSHOT OF NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK
snapshot >
Tasso Leventis spent 3 hours at this park on the outskirts of Nairobi and his amazing photos take us along for the visit.
Captions by Brian Finch, edited by Fleur Ng’weno
STOUT CISTICOLA
GIRAFFE AND ELAND
Nairobi National Park, in spite of being bordered by a large human population on three sides, unquestionably still claims one of the richest variety of bird species for its small area on the entire African continent. One of the wonderful features of birding NNP is the constant reminder that you are in Africa, and the plains game are there to remind you.
SHELLEY’S FRANCOLIN
A difficult species to observe, NNP is by far the best place to see this attractive game bird. In the early mornings and late afternoons, families can be found crossing the tracks that pass through the dense grassland, their preferred habitat.
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One of ten Cisticola species in NNP, Stout Cisticola is common in open grassland. Unlike other Cisticolas, after breeding it gathers into larger groups. Readily identified from the similar Winding Cisticola by having a streaked crown, but a bright and unstreaked rufous nape.
SUPERB STARLING
Beautiful birds that are often seen in small groups, particularly at the picnic areas of Kingfisher and Mbuni. The chestnut-breasted, red-eyed Hildebrandt’s Starling can also be found in the same areas.
WHINCHAT
Regular visitors to NNP from September to April. Twice a year these migrants from northern and central Europe, and western Asia must pass through the Middle East, where thousands may be killed by trapping or shooting. Will this bird return next year?
NORTHERN PIED BABBLER
These amusing birds stay in family groups and frequently come to the tops of bushes to make lots of noise, then fly off one-by-one to regroup in another bush.
SPEKE’S WEAVER
AFRICAN MONARCH BUTTERFLIES ON WHISTLING THORN At the onset of the rains, the Whistling Thorn Acacias burst into flower and become very attractive to pollinators.
The only weaver in NNP with an entirely golden crown and staring creamy-white eyes. There are several Speke’s Weaver colonies within the park, and in the rainy season the males hang below their nests, singing and flapping their wings to attract mates. K en ya Bi r d i n g |
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STOUT CISTICOLA One of ten Cisticola species in NNP, Stout Cisticola is common in open grassland. Unlike other Cisticolas, after breeding it gathers into larger groups. Readily identified from the similar Winding Cisticola by having a streaked crown, but a bright and unstreaked rufous nape.
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mail drop > Park Owls
These sightings first appeared on KENYABIRDSNET an email list-serve where local subscribers post interesting bird sightings, observations of unusual bird behaviour, and news about birding activities in the country.
CITY PARK February 2014 On a Saturday morning nature walk we had butterflies, monkeys and birds. The birds included Silverycheeked Hornbill, African Goshawk, Hamerkop, Sacred Ibis, and African Wood Owl. We also had an unusual encounter with a scops owl. Kiprono Chesire
Seasonal Snipes
City Surprises
NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK May 2014 I was at the Nairobi National Park today and I got this photo of a snipe at Hyena Dam. Please identify it for me. Tabitha Wafula
KAREN BLIXEN MUSEUM March 2014 It was an exciting morning for the 40+ bird watchers on Nature Kenya’s Wednesday Morning Birdwalk who saw two species rarely recorded in Nairobi.
Ed: For details on nature walks at City Park go to friendsofcitypark.org
First was the Shikra–a small goshawk with a pale front and a large red eye. In the past I have only seen Shikra at Kasarani Stadium and at Sukari Dam, both at the other end of the city.
Hoopoe-vs-Frog NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK May 2014 Towards the Hippo Pools we had some noisy Shelley’s Francolins, the only two Tawny Eagles of the day, and one Black-faced Waxbill. But the strangest sight was of a deeply tawny African Hoopoe sitting on the road ruthlessly hammering at a medium-sized frog, until eventually it flew off with it. The frog’s snout was very short and rounded. Brian Finch The frog is a Marbled Snout-Burrower Hemisus marmoratus. Known predators include fiscals, Sharp-nosed Snake, Dimorphic Egret—and now Hoopoe. Adam Scott Kennedy
The Golden-tailed Woodpecker was also heard and sighted—the spots on the forehead of the female and near the neck of the male were clearly seen. I have only recorded this species once before in Nairobi, in the same area, but within a garden across the road. Fleur Ng’weno Snipe are very difficult to identify at times, but I cannot see anything that rules out a Common Snipe. Small numbers winter in the Park and leave March/April for northern breeding grounds. Brian Finch
Photos by Adam Scott Kennedy Video image by Brian Finch
How a Golden-tailed Woodpecker with a distribution to the west in the Mara, and to the east at Kibwezi could have found its way to Nairobi is a mystery. Brian Finch
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Amur Falcons and Eurasian Rollers on migration SANGAILU, GARISSA COUNTY April 2014 I saw a flock of 17 Amur Falcons overflying Sangailu in north-eastern Kenya. The following morning on the road between Ijara and Sangailu I counted 57 more falcons heading east, mingled with Eurasian Rollers. Martin Odino
African Goshawk not a Levant Sparrowhawk
MERU NATIONAL PARK March 2014 On my trip in Meru, just before the superb sighting of the Pel’s Fishing Owl, I had spotted a sparrowhawk by the bridge over the Rojaweru River, which I think resembles a Levant Sparrowhawk. Sammy Mugo
Thanks for sending in the image of the Accipiter. I don’t believe your accipiter to be Levant, their eyes are very deep red not black, though it can be difficult to judge in the field. They rarely show anything resembling a pale supercilium as in this bird, the underparts of the young are brownspotted, never heavy black patterning across the breast. Their upperparts range between brown and dark grey in adults, but never charcoal black as in your image. An immature Levant would show brown upperparts and brown spotting below, and adults are barred. So I believe your bird an immature African Goshawk, but with unusually dark upperparts. Female Eurasian Sparrowhawks can be this dark above, but in all plumages the species shows barred not spotted or blotched underparts. Brian Finch
Is it an Ovambo? WASINI ISLAND February 2014 I encountered this sparrowhawk two weeks ago trying to catch a chicken. Mainly due to its prominent eye stripe and dark eyes I think it is a juvenile Ovambo Sparrowhawk. Could anyone help me identify it? Martin Mwema Martin, it is a juvenile Great Sparrowhawk—look at the long graduated tail, its overall size, and tear drop like markings on the belly. Brian Finch K en ya Bi r d i n g |
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nature news >
Mapping
KENYA’S BIRDS kenyabirdmap.adu.org.za
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Peter Wairasho
enya Bird Map is an internet-based bird conservation project that aims to map the distribution and relative abundance of birds across Kenya in real time. It aims to • measure the impact of environmental change on birds in Kenya, • provide a means by which participating citizen scientists can submit bird records, and • provide information for decisions where conservation action is necessary. The project is a follow-up to the book “A Bird Atlas of Kenya” by Lewis and Pomeroy (1989). The Bird Atlas of Kenya provided a ‘snapshot’ of birds in Kenya at that time and was outstanding in improving our understanding of birds and their distribution around the country. Indeed, the bird atlas book is the basis for the distribution maps in many of the field guides we use today.
Over 3,000 bird records But it has been 30 years since its publication, and in its place the new online bird atlas will help us keep up with ongoing changes. Over the past year, 170 citizen scientists—birders who are keen to use their birding for something really worthwhile—have registered. The website started to receive bird records in March 2014, and over 3,000 records had been entered at the time of writing this update. It is already possible to see a species’ distribution by clicking on its name. Register as a ‘citizen scientist’ and help us document and quantify Kenya’s birds. We need you and every concerned birder to submit your records to the bird atlas. For more information on how to get involved, write to kenyabirdmap@naturekenya.org
The Quail Rush in Kenya: behind the hype While the hype about quails has died out, what were the lessons learnt.
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cross the country last year the quail farming business raged in the news and on social media. But, as the dust settles in a business for which even senior executives left their well-paying jobs, are there lessons to be learnt? Here, I share my experience in rearing quails, and the reality of eating quail eggs and meat. First domesticated around the 12th Century in Japan, Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica are popularly kept for their meat and eggs, as pets, or for sport hunting. In Kenya this quail is farmed, but the best practices for their rearing are not well developed. For example, the recommended wooden floor cage allowed ‘poop balls’ to accumulate around the quail’s toes—a problem that limits the blood supply to the toes and leads to them dropping off.
The tale of the Japanese Emperor…
But perhaps for more than any other reason, it was the following that drew many, including me, to farm quails: the suggestion that quail meat and eggs have immeasurable health benefits and are capable of treating numerous ailments. This may have originated from the belief that a Japanese Emperor was cured of tuberculosis after eating quail meat, and also that ladies applying raw quail eggs on their skin were said to keep looking young.
Anthony Kuria meat and eggs, include a lady whose skin disease cleared after eating quail eggs. Two others said their asthma attacks ceased, though the attacks recurred soon after they stopped eating quail eggs. Being paraplegic, a prolonged regular ration of quail eggs gave me more energy, but I cannot claim any likely rejuvenation of my nervous system. With the attraction gone, and having no buyers, many farmers have opted to release their birds. This may surprise many, but most farmers find it not worth the effort to slaughter their birds. Rearing quail for their eggs is also not very attractive as the eggs go bad quickly, even in aerated storage. It doesn’t help either that except in western Kenya, many do not know how best to cook it for meals. I found quail meat too rich and hard to chew, and best only when roasted.
How should domesticated birds be managed? While Japanese Quails do crossbreed with Common Quails, the released birds are too tame and stand little chance of survival—lessening their likely ecological impact on wild birds. However, we still need greater awareness about the effect of introduced species on wild bird populations, and to develop policies and laws to guide the management of domesticated birds.
Locally it is said that eating quail eggs helps manage blood sugar levels and enhances sexual potency in men–evidenced by the fact that Kikuyu call quails ‘Kamakia arume’ (the bird that ‘startles’ men).
A variety of experience with eating quail
Persons known to me, who attest to the health benefits of quail K en ya Bi r d i n g |
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Boni and Dodori National Reserves and Ol Ari Nyiro become the latest additions to Kenya’s network of Important Bird Areas Fred Barasa
B Celebrating 20 years of
conservation capacity building in Africa
Paul Gacheru and Emmah Owidi
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n 2014, Tropical Biology Association will be celebrating 20 years of providing contemporary and practical training. By way of 68 field courses and 30 specialist workshops, TBA has trained over 1800 individuals from the global conservation community. TBA courses provide students from across sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, Asia and America with the essential skills and capacity to manage environmental resources sustainably. There are active alumni networks in 13 African countries. For more details, go to www.tropical-biology.org
A rare Sengi (elephant-shrew) in Boni and Dodori forests, Coastal Kenya Bernard Risky Agwanda
enPhoto of another sengi–the Gold rumped Elephant-Shrew, Mel Ong
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oni’s sengi is a small animal, slightly smaller than a rabbit. It is very rare, and is not yet formally described by science. It is only found in the remote coastal Boni and Dodori National Reserves, which are between the Tana River and the Somali border, and nowhere else on earth. In more than 100 days the scientists (B.R. Agwanda, S. Andanje, G.W. Ngaruiya, R. Amin and G.B. Rathbun) only succeeded in getting three individuals of Boni’s sengi. Surviving in dwindling coastal forests, it may be the most endangered mammal in Kenya. With need for conservation of the area more urgent than ever, there is a process being undertaken to assess the total biodiversity of the area and bring stakeholders together to ensure protection of the Boni and Dodori forests.
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oni (1,339 km2) and Dodori (877 km2) National Reserves and Ol Ari Nyiro in Laikipia join a list of 62 sites across the country known as Important Bird Areas. Boni and Dodori are remotely located north of Lamu near the border with Somalia. They consist of palm savannah, patches of forest with large trees, dense thickets, grasslands and seasonal wetlands. Boni and Dodori are important for coastal biome species like the Mangrove Kingfisher, Mombasa Woodpecker, Chestnut-fronted Helmet-shrike, Gorgeous Bushshrike, Little Yellow Flycatcher, and Fischer’s Greenbul. At least two near-threatened bird species - Southern Banded Snake Eagle, and Fischer’s Turaco also occur. In contrast Ol Ari Nyiro is a 400 km2 conservancy in northcentral Kenya, with a mosaic of habitats including leleshwa bush, grassland, riverine vegetation, and acacia woodlands. This woodland habitat provides habitat for many endangered vultures—Egyptian, Hooded, White-headed, Rüppell’s and White-backed. Near-threatened Palaearctic migrants including Black-tailed Godwit, and Eurasian Roller have also been recorded.
Important Birds Areas listing process
The Important Bird Areas (IBAs) programme applies internationally agreed criteria to define the importance of sites for bird conservation. For a site to qualify as an IBA, it has to satisfy any one or more of the following four criteria… • Significant number of globally threatened species, including species classified as Critical, Endangered and Vulnerable according to IUCN • Significant component of the restricted range species whose breeding distributions define an Endemic Bird Area or • Significant component of the group of species whose distribution are largely or wholly confined to one biome • Known to hold on a regular basis congregations of bird species A site suggested as an IBA will have undergone field surveys and a review of literature done to support the claim. The proposed site supporting information is assessed by Nature Kenya, National Museums of Kenya, the National Liaison Committee (governmental and non-governmental environmental organizations), and finally by BirdLife International.
More Important Bird Areas have been proposed
Four other sites have been proposed, and are being assessed. They include Hell’s Gate National Park, Kongelai Escarpment, Malkamari National Park and the Mwingi/Kitui/Makueni hilltops and river valleys.
Illegal killing of
Migrant Birds An additional threat to migratory birds’ already dangerous and challenging journey
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he indiscriminate and unsustainable killing of migrant birds in North Africa has become an issue of public concern in a growing number of countries. This includes the birding community in Kenya, where a drastic drop in the number of specific migrant species has been observed with dismay. The decline is largely seen as an effect of the widespread hunting and trapping of migratory birds in Egypt and also Libya, especially through the use of mist nets along large stretches of the Mediterranean coast. In Europe there are three migratory blackspots: Sulcis (south-west Sardinia, Italy), Ionian Islands (western Greece), and the South and East of Spain (Catalonia, Valencia and south-east Aragon). This despite an EU Bird Directive that protects the millions of birds that travel between their nesting and wintering grounds twice every year. The Directive states that only a few species can be hunted at certain times and using specific methods. In the Mediterranean, violations of this EU legislation are particularly widespread, exacerbating the already substantial decrease in migratory bird populations over the past 40 years. Bird trapping in these countries is an ancient tradition. The main target species, Common Quail, is a local delicacy. Marcus Kohler, BirdLife’s Senior Programme Manager for Flyways says, “It’s a legitimate way for local people to supplement their diet. However, the indiscriminate nature and scale of the trapping has now reached worrying proportions and is having an impact upon other species.” It’s not only quail that are caught; many other species, such as European Turtle-dove and Red-backed Shrike are also trapped in significant numbers as ‘bycatch’. Current estimates are that millions of birds are caught each autumn as they leave Europe and Asia for their wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa. BirdLife Partners in concerned countries are taking coordinated actions and working with other conservation and government agencies to create awareness and change attitudes towards migratory birds in local communities. This article has been collated from www.birdlife.org/news with the kind permission of BirdLife Africa.
Sandpipers in f light. Photo by Peter Usher.
Bird massacres: Kenya not exempted Pesticides used in the indiscriminate killing of wild birds in the country Martin Odino
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avid Simpson’s 1996 article in SWARA magazine (September/ October issue) was perhaps the first exposé of the intentional abuse of the pesticide Carbofuran, and the bird deaths it was causing. A little over a decade later during 2007-2008, a random survey I conducted across the country for the Bird Committee of Nature Kenya, revealed the wide availability of the pesticide at all surveyed sites and agrovet shops. The killer potency of Carbofuran (also known as Furadan) it seemed had been discovered by pastoralists, crop farmers and poachers, and was being used for deliberate poisoning according to many people that I interviewed. A growing number of wildlife deaths resulting from poisoning were reported, and many locally called for a ban of Carbofuran. However, the manufacturers, distributors and regulators countered with the question, “Where is the evidence?”
Evidence of the abuse of legally registered pesticides to kill wildlife
One piece of evidence came from Bunyala in western Kenya, where birds were being poisoned (with pesticides) to harvest them for sale for human consumption. Bunyala is just north of Lake Victoria and borders Uganda. This wetland draws magnificent flocks of local and wintering migrating birds from Europe (see Kenya Birding 7 2013 for article on birding at the rice scheme). A study in 2009 funded by the Rufford Foundation counted the number of birds poisoned at the Bunyala Rice Irrigation Scheme. A sample of 8,659 birds were observed coming to poison-laced bait in small demarcated areas within the rice scheme. 3186, including palaearctic migrants and intraAfrican migrants, died.
Local monitoring and awareness building
In 2012, a programme at the rice scheme setup activities to build awareness and monitor birds against poisoning with 10 locals scouts. Although they are in need of further support, they are making progress, indicated by the reduced number of incidents of indiscriminate poisoning of wild birds in the area. K en ya Bi r d i n g |
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in focus >
W
HALE WATCHING is not as big in Kenya as it is in other countries, but that is changing. Whales belong to the order Cetacea and are some of the largest mammals. There are many species that can be seen in Kenya—Dwarf Minke, Melon-headed Whale, Bryde’s Whale, Sperm Whale, Longman’s Beaked Whale, Shortfin Pilot Whale, and Killer Whale. The species most often seen in Kenya, however, is the Humpback Whale. They are found along the East African coast, where they come to breed, during the months of June to October. It is thought that they prefer tropical inner reefs, which help protect their young from predators.
Whalewatch over a beer
The best known places to spot marine mammals like dolphins and whales are at the Watamu-Malindi and
Go WHALEWATCHING Kisite-Mpunguti National Parks. Lamu and Kiunga are also hotspots for cetacae. During the peak season, July to September, whales can be seen from land. From the bars of Watamu hotels like Ocean Sports and Hemingways, you can whale watch while enjoying a cold beer! Hemingways started boat tours in 2012, and other sport fishermen followed suit in 2013.
Jane Spilsbury
Humpback whales can be 16 metres in length and weigh 40 tonnes. Photo by Chloe Corne.
The Watamu Marine Association in partnership with Kenya Wildlife Service has taken the lead in counting and
identifying cetacea, and in providing dolphin and whale watching guidelines.
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Year after Year
A SURPRISE WHILE
BIRD RINGING IN KAKAMEGA FOREST
Titus Imboma White-chinned Prinia. Photo by Pete Steward
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n early January, Adam Scott Kennedy, Copeland (son to well known guide Wilberforce Okeka), Eugene Alumasa and I ushered in the New Year 2014 with bird ringing at Isecheno in Kakamega Forest. We captured birds in mist nets in both the primary forest behind the guesthouse and the secondary forest towards the pump house. Some of the 25 different species captured, measured, ringed and released were: Buff-spotted Woodpecker, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Shelley’s Greenbul, Little Greenbul, Slender-billed Greenbul, Cabanis’s Greenbul, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, Palebreasted Illadopsis, Grey-chested Babbler, White-tailed Ant Thrush, Brown-chested Alethe, Equatorial Akalat, and Blue-shouldered Robin Chat. Jameson’s Mamba caught in mist net On the last day of ringing at 3:30 pm, when we were to close the nets and pack them up I went to one of the 18-metre nets. It had four greenbuls in it and a 3-metre long Jameson’s
Jamesons’ Mamba in mist net. Photo by Adam Scott Kennedy.
Mamba at the top-most panel of the net, about 3 metres from the ground. I had heard of such happening from other ringers, but it was still both an amazing and unnerving surprise. We removed the birds from the net and gave it a break to clear other nets before dealing with the snake. On our way to the last net another friend, the Forest Cobra, had coiled on a bush two metres from the ground along the trail. It did not make any movement to escape, instead it just raised its head staring at us as we carefully passed by. We returned the same way and it was still there. And so was the mamba. This species is highly arboreal, more so than any
other mamba species, descending to the ground only in pursuit of prey. When it twisted its head back to look at us it got more entangled. I removed the last bird, which was closest to the snake. We then slowly, but calculating and surely, brought the net down and closed both ends up to the snake. I grabbed the snake by the neck, while Adam held it by the tail, as Eugene and Copland held the net. We carried net and snake away to a flat surface on the ground near the pump house. We had to make a decision—cut the net and save the snake, save the net and kill the beautiful snake, or try to save both. We took the last option. We therefore took some time releasing the snake from the net by cutting just a few threads. Most of them were wound around the snake’s neck, head and inside its mouth. As we removed the net from its mouth, it vomited some venom. I must say it was a most interesting experience. At the beginning I had looked at it as matter of life and death, because I knew we were handling one of the most dangerous serpents. But I soon felt very comfortable as the snake proved to be notably relaxed and finally we released it back to the wild.
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Unexpected Guests
urban birding >
UNUSUAL BIRDING IN NAIROBI Peter Usher Jacana on the same pond. A Tufted Duck, common enough in Europe, made its first visit for decades to Nairobi’s sewage works in Dandora area last year. A rare and shy Lesser Moorhen also appeared at a coffee estate irrigation dam. GREY PARROTS IN THE GARDEN This author had a surprise at his Nairobi home when three Grey Parrots took up noisy residence in his garden. They stayed three months before moving on. This rare and highly prized bird can, with difficulty, be found in the forests of western Kenya and Uganda. It is safe to assume that these particular birds were escapees from the clutches of bird smugglers rather than migrants from the west.
Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon. Photos by Peter Usher.
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airobi is a cosmopolitan city of about four million people that continues to grow. Incredibly, amid all the hustle and bustle and industry, it is host to more than 600 species of birdlife - a heritage unrivalled by any major city on the globe. This is largely thanks to the foresight of city planners of yesteryear who set aside parkland and remnant forest areas where today wildlife flourishes. But even the most blasé birder can still be surprised by what Nairobi has to offer in unusual birding experiences. On Nature Kenya’s three-hour bird walks each Wednesday participants have regular sightings of the common weavers, sunbirds, bulbuls, mousebirds and raptors. But there are times, we scratch our heads and consult guidebooks before an unusual or out-of-range bird is identified, recorded and preferably photographed for final confirmation of its identity. It has been happening quite a lot lately. GOLDEN-TAILED WOODPECKER IN KAREN SUBURB On a rainy March morning in the suburbs of Karen there was a fleeting glimpse of a woodpecker high in the dark foliage. We asked ourselves–is it one of the two common woodpeckers—Brown-backed or a Nubian? But its call was unusual and unfamiliar to most observing, and it was only known to
a few. It was identified as a Golden-tailed Woodpecker, normally resident many hundreds of kilometres south and east of Nairobi. Later a pair of Golden-tailed were confirmed at the same site, and a week later in the Ngong Forest another was heard and then seen. Not then a single misplaced bird, but several, likely resident in an area never before occupied by that species. EASTERN BRONZE-NAPED PIGEON WEST OF THE CITY On another occasion a birdwatching expedition to an agricultural research station in another part of the city encountered an Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon. Its normal habitat is in the forests of western Kenya, but here it was instead, perched in open farmland. There have been previous rare sightings of this species in Nairobi forests during the cool season of July–September, but never during the long rains (MarchApril).
Explanations for these unusual sightings are not so easily come by. It may be due to climate change, but regional climate variability is so marked that it is difficult to detect evidence of a permanent climatic shift or that it is altering the known ranges of bird and animal species. ARRIVAL OF HOUSE CROWS FEARED IN NAIROBI There is one sighting however that Nairobi birders predict and look to with trepidation—that of the House Crow. For years the House Crow has taken up residence in Mombasa and Malindi on Kenya’s coast. Now, these voracious and destructive birds are migrating westward and have been sighted within 150 km of the capital. If the crows arrive, they are likely to adversely impact upon Nairobi’s resident birds as they have previously done at the coast.
Another surprise was a Purple-crested Turaco found in the Arboretum interacting with the resident Hartlaub’s Turaco. Common to Tanzania, its presence in Kenya, especially Nairobi is both peculiar and unexplained. (see Kenya Birding issue 7 pg. 16) A Western Reef Heron on a pond just outside the city was another bird to excite interest, as was the glimpse of a Lesser
Lesser Jacana.
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Acraea butterf ly. Photo by Dino Martins.
Creating a Pollinator Garden Your action can greatly help to keep nature near at hand, protect the diversity of local pollinators, and offer you hours of pleasure from visiting birds, bees, butterflies and other plant visitors. Catherine
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ocated within ten minutes’ drive of Nairobi’s downtown area, is City Park. Its 60+ hectares of green space consists of botanic gardens, historical landmarks, and an area of indigenous evergreen forest. Most of the gardens of City Park however are planted with exotic flowering plants. It was time to create a pollinator garden to: • contribute to the biological well being of the park, • reintroduce people to local flowering plants, and • provide visitors, the opportunity to learn about pollinators. Here are the steps we took that can help you to create your own pollinator garden. The site: You don’t need a large area—a pot or small flowerbed will do, it depends on what you want to plant to attract pollinators. Our site at City Park was chosen, largely due to the protection it offered from numerous Sykes monkeys and its proximity to water. Site preparation: Check to see the type of
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Ngarachu
soil you have—is it well drained, does it need loosening up, or weeding? At City Park there wasn’t much soil at the site, being mostly gravel we decided to bring in fresh soil and manure. Planting: Plants Galore (plantsgalore.co.ke) donated a diversity of local plants and spent time helping to plant them. We set them far enough apart to allow for growth, and planted each with a scoop of compost. You’ll want to do the same.
Inside butterf ly house. Photo by Vincent Otieno.
Mulching: Don’t leave soil bare to dry out or as space for weeds to grow. Park staff were very helpful, bringing in and spreading leaf debris between the plants that they had swept up.
Some of the flowers planted were Plumbago–profuse blue flowers, Crossandra or firecracker flower–grows low with apricot petals, Heliotropium–quickgrowing, scented, purple flower clusters, Whitfieldia–herbaceous, sprays of white flowers, Ocimum–aromatic shrub, purple sprays, Carissa edulis–scented small shrub or tree.
This garden project includes a small butterfly house and was undertaken with the kind permission of Nairobi City County. Many thanks also to Friends of City Park, Nature Kenya Youth committee, County staff, Plants Galore, and Rufford Foundation—we are very grateful to all for their support.
Some pollinators observed visiting: Amegilla bees, Carpenter bees, Honey bees, Belenois aurota, Butterflies: African Emigrant, African Wood White, Citrus Swallowtail; Hoverflies, Bronze Sunbirds (by Vincent Otieno)
nature sites and reserves >
Ol Donyo Sabache
–an area in Samburu that is great for raptors, hiking and scenic beauty Wanyoike Wamiti, Martin Hromada & Tina Ramme
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easuring about 14 km around and towering 1,880m, the basalt mountain of Ol Donyo Sabache is a dramatic background to the surrounding plains. The cliffs facing east are well known for hundreds of roosting and nesting vultures, and although the cliffs have little vegetation, the plateau has areas of Juniperus–Podocarpus forest, with cycads Encephalartos tegulaneus. There are hiking routes to the top on the northern side, and trails around the periphery of the mountain that do not involve climbing. It is best to take a local guide. On a three-day visit in early February 2014, our Kenyan-Slovak team (from
the National Museums of Kenya and the University of Presov, Slovakia) recorded over 50 local and Palaearctic migrant species within the Sabache Camp at the foot of the mountain. Migrants included Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Common Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher. Local species included Cut-throat Finch, Black-necked Weaver, Red-and-yellow Barbet, Northern Brownbul, Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Grey-headed Silverbill, White-crested Helmetshrike and Blackbellied Sunbird. Sabache Camp While the mountain is well conserved, there are many threats to the surrounding area including severe grazing
View with Matthews Range in the distance from the slopes of Ol Donyo Sabache, also known as Mount Ololokwe. Photo by Wanyoike Wamiti.
pressure. Sabache Camp (www.sabachecamp.com) was set up to support community projects like clean water, bursaries, health care, and famine relief. It is run by the community and offers tent cottages—each with toilets and showers, and a kitchen. There is a campground for up to 10 tents, and by mid-July solar hot water showers, flush toilets, and a cooking area will be ready for use.
Cherangani Hills
–closed-canopy forest, fragmented by areas of bush, grass, and farmland
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he Cherangani Hills in the north Rift Valley are a band of hills stretching from the Elgeyo Escarpment to the floor of the Kerio Valley, and westwards down to the Trans-Nzoia plains. They form a major water catchment. The forests are divided into 10 blocks of forest reserves with Podocarpus, Prunus africana, wild olive, and cedar as the dominant species. The forests are also important for butterflies, orchids, and giant groundsels (Senecios).
Julius Kimani The hills are home to Black-and-white Colobus, and De Brazza’s monkeys. The birds of the Yellow-whiskered Greenbul. Cheranganis are Photo by Peter Usher. predominantly Grey Cuckooshrike, Afrotropical Mountain Greenbul, Oriole highland species, and 49 Finch, Black-collared of Kenya’s highland biome Apalis, Tacazze and species occur here. Golden-winged Sunbirds, Yellow-billed Barbet, Key birds: Crowned Eagle, Doherty’s Bushshrike. Mountain Buzzard, Finebanded Woodpecker, RedContact: Paul Kaino for local fronted Parrot, Whitetours +254 (0) 724 506 108 headed Wood-hoopoe,
Sabache Camp. Photo by Tina Ramme. To book contact Tina Ramme tina@kenyalions.org, +254 726 991 597 or 726 234 905 Conservation: The local population heavily relies on forest resources and is engaged in illegal extraction of wood products, charcoal burning, overgrazing and encroachment. More recently the invasive plant species Orange Jessamine has become a problem. The local Site Support GroupChebororwa Sekemiat, Community Forest Associations, and others are engaged in a Nature Kenya project funded by the Global Environmental Facility and the United Nations Development Programme to protect the forests. Directions: Typically approached via Eldoret or Kitale, your exact route (i.e. Eldoret-ItenKapsowar-Chesoi-MaronSambalat-Chesegon-Lomut-SigorKapenguria) will be determined by the places you wish to visit, and where you are going to stay.
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ADVERTORIAL FEATURE
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species >
Virtual Museum of Weavers Helping to monitor weavers through photos of their nests H Dieter Oschadleus, weavers4africa@gmail.com
W Grosbeak Weaver. Photo by Peter Usher.
Village Weaver. Photo by Peter Usher.
eavers are perhaps best known for their engineering skills in weaving nests. They are a large and diverse bird family, ranging from granivores to insectivores, and colonial breeders to solitary nesters. Their plumage also varies—there are brightly coloured weavers and dull brown to dark weavers.
• A nest count and date • Access to the internet
As weavers are common and breed in close proximity to humans, it is relatively easy to monitor the breeding efforts of different species, their distribution, and colony sizes. To coordinate this effort the Animal Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town has setup a platform for observers, from across the globe, to submit data directly online.
The unexpected interactions
Contribute to Photos of Weaver Nests
Black-capped Social Weaver. Photo by Paul Mcdougall.
The project forms a ‘Virtual Museum’ called Pho of Weaver Nests (PHOWN). Single records may be used to examine nest site choice, while repeated photographs of a colony can track changes within a breeding season or over several years. For wide ranging species, we can also see how colony sizes vary geographically. All weavers in the family Ploceidae are included, as defined in The Handbook of Birds of the World. Your contribution will be incredibly useful as no species has enough data yet!
You will need: • 1 to 3 digital photos of a weaver colony or solitary nest • Coordinates (GPS or Google maps) • Identification of the species Holub’s Golden Weaver. Photo by Peter Usher.
You will also need to register at http://vmus.adu.org.za, before you can upload photos and submit record details. Once your record has been accepted, it will be visible on a corresponding weavers website– http://weavers.adu.org.za
PHOWN also provides the opportunity to record and study related ecological aspects. It has been seen, for example, that the White-browed Sparrow Weaver, is becoming a common bird in Nairobi. Also, associated with five PHOWN records of White-browed Sparrow Weavers, are small social spiders that build their webs near or over the weaver nests. The association may be fortuitous, but even so, it raises interesting questions—do the spiders cause the weavers to leave or do the spiders only colonise a tree where the sparrow weavers have already left? Further observation of these associations would be valuable. Another interesting record was one showing a Vervet Monkey raiding nests of Baglafecht Weavers at Lake Naivasha. So go get your cameras out and start submitting weaver nest records!
Other useful web links
Go to http://weavers.adu.org. za/phown.php for a summary of PHOWN records Go to http://weavers.adu.org. za/species.php for a weaver species list K en ya Bi r d i n g |
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We are the Vultures W
e soar over vast stretches of East Africa, searching for food with our brothers and sisters. We don’t mind sharing our meal with each other, though we may lack some table manners. But hey, if you had to fight over food with 100 of your cousins at every meal, you’d behave like us too. Then again, there is no one who cleans up after a meal better than us. You’d do well to understand us. We are proud, noble, highly specialized, and highly endangered. We are the vultures-we rule!
Photo by S. Thomsett.
Bearded Vulture or Lammergeyer
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e used to like our name, ‘Lammergeyer’. Then someone told us it was in reference to ‘lamb-catching’, which is not something we’d ever dream of doing. We are the bone breakers—we take bones from carcasses and drop them from the sky onto a rock slab or ossuary. This is how we break up bones into fragments and expose the yummy marrow inside. Are we smart, or what? You’d never mistake us for a Piper Super Cub, we are the 747’s of the airways. Simply put, we are huge. Oh, and did I mention that we are undoubtedly the sexiest vulture in all the land. Wink! Wink!
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Photo by S. Thomsett.
Darcy Ogada
Hooded Vultures and Marabou Stork at a dumpsite in Ethiopia. Photo by I. Angelov.
Egyptian Vulture
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e are a deity in ancient Egyptian nobility, but we are referred to, as Pharaoh’s chicken, and I must agree, we are rather chicken-like. We also like to hang out with our domestic namesake for freebies, like afterbirths, and poop too. Sometimes we hang out at rubbish dumps, and snack on fruits, vegetables, and other leftovers. We don’t mind the odd insect or egg either. Have I mentioned that we are very cosmopolitan? Yes, one day you might find us in Europe, but like many northerners, we prefer to head south for the winter. The African sahel suits us fine. And the muggy tropical weather does muss up our feathers, so we prefer the dry heat of places like the Afar desert. And do you know of the tricks we can do with ostrich eggs? We can give those tool-using chimps a serious run for their money.
Hooded Vulture
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e are the hippest of vultures preferring fashionable town living to the rural countryside. Our best restaurants in town include the abattoir and the rubbish dump—if we can avoid those Marabou Storks—we’ve got our meal. However, a few of our brothers and sisters still prefer bush life. Being one of the more dainty vultures, they stay on the outskirts of the usual carcass melee. From the outskirts we can ‘dine and dash’ without so much as ruffling our feathers. Oh, and did I mention our love for following lions…there ain’t nothing finer than steamy lion poop fresh from the source.
White-backed and Rüppell’s Vultures
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e enjoy safety in numbers, especially when we’re dining out. If it ain’t a rockin’ party, we ain’t comin’. We like to let down our feathers and kick up the dust. Our brawls and slugfests are legendary. In the sky we are the envy of everyone, able to climb a thermal and boy can we move! We Rüppell’s are the wandering nomads, supremely adapted for following large migrating herds for a meal. On a hot day, there’s nothing like a nice bath— we take exceptional pride in our cleanliness. A little post-bath snooze never hurt either. As we never like to be alone, a cramped rockface for us cliff-nesting Rüppell’s suits us just fine. Us White-backed vultures prefer to hangout in trees.
Rüppell’s Vulture. Photo by S. Kapila.
Photo by P. Usher.
Photo by J. Bartlett.
White-headed Vulture
Photo by S. Thomsett.
Lappet-faced Vulture
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e are not particularly social and we prefer not to rough-house like some of our more brawny cousins. Given our stature, a few struts towards the carcass usually clears out the riff raff. That way we’ll have the tastiest morsels to ourselves—the head. Despite our grandiosity, we have been known to blush. And because we are completely bald, the state of our pate reflects our mood.
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nlike our more gregarious cousins, we can find nothing worthwhile or noble in scrambling for our food. In fact, since we don’t like to share, we’ve learned to catch some of our own. That’s right, we don’t need to pussyfoot around with eagles, we can show them a thing or two about catching mongooses, squirrels and lizards. These days finding vast countryside to raise our kids is getting more and more difficult. We need our space–it’s as simple as that. Some might describe us as vain. Oooh, did you notice our head comes in three attractive colours?
Palm-nut Vulture
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e are the quirky cousins of whom no one can decide—do we really belong in our vulture family or amongst the less noble fish eagles? In the meantime, you’ll find us lounging at the beach snacking on palm nuts. What a life!
Just one more thing:
We vultures don’t do drugs! We have no tolerance for pain-killing drugs and would never use anti-inflammatories. Please do not use these on your livestock or to poison predators as we may inadvertently eat them after they die, then we die too—in droves. K en ya Bi r d i n g |
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conservation action >
CONVEYING BIRD CONSERVATION USING THE LOCAL LANGUAGE In an interview George Ndung’u Muigai reveals how he spreads his passion for birds and the environment through messages delivered in Kikuyu
Kariuki Ndang’ang’a Tell me about yourself and what got you interested in birds? I
was born and brought up near Lake Ol’ Bolossat. After high school, I got an opportunity to learn bird identification and bird guiding through a National Museums project in my area. For me it was a revelation. It revealed the life of birds, and birding as a hobby and as a way to earn an income.
What birding or conservationrelated work do you do? I do regular
survey work around Lake Ol’ Bolossat and the surrounding areas. This helps me to keep track of breeding birds, arriving migrants, and local habitat conditions. Of course, I also look out for ‘lifers’.
What else do you do for your living and for fun? I have a young family and to earn a living I farm, keep bees, and run a small business. The long-distance marathons I run also keep me busy.
Common Stonechat. Photo by Peter Usher.
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What prompted you to start giving bird conservation messages in your mother tongue? I noted the little progress in conservation despite all the efforts and my observation was that there was a language barrier.
I went ahead and wrote two volumes of a booklet titled “Nyoni na Andu” (Birds and People - Volume I & 2), in Gikuyu, with a Kiswahili translation “Ndege na Watu”. I have also produced a poster “Itemi ria Nyoni” (The Role of birds). Through support from the African Bird Club, I printed copies of these materials and give them out for free. Using them, I hold awareness campaigns at villages, schools, and community gatherings. Having also received support from NABU (the BirdLife Partner in Germany) through Nature Kenya, I will be able to reach even more people in 2014.
Do you think you are making a difference? I am proud to say that after talks with the community and those that graze their animals at Lake Ol’ Bolossat, no grass fires were lit during the dry season (2014)! This is very unusual as every year during the dry months (January-March) fires are lit over large areas of the grassland—heavily affecting grassland species like Sharpe’s and Rosy-breasted Longclaws, and Aberdare Cisticola.
My message for all is “The future is today!”
Madioli Forest beyond a tea farm. Photo by Joel Siele.
TIRIKI COMMUNITY CULTURAL FORESTS Opportunities for biodiversity to flourish in areas adjacent to Kakamega Forest The former Kakamega County Council set aside small pockets of forests as places where local communities can perform male circumcision ceremonies, harvest medicinal herbs, and hold cultural events. Most of these cultural forests are situated in the immediate area south of Kakamega Forest. These forest shrines are mostly used by the Tiriki sub-tribe of the Luhya, and are locally known as the Tiriki Cultural Forests. The Tiriki circumcise their sons every five years and in the time between each ceremony the forests remain largely undisturbed. This is due to Tiriki customs that do not allow access to the forest without the guidance of the elders in charge, and livelihood activities such as fuelwood collection, timber harvesting, and grazing are not allowed. Whoever goes against the by-laws as determined by the elders is penalized and subject to pay a fine. If the offender fails to comply or pay it is believed that they will be cursed with insanity or death. However, intensive farming and poaching of timber increasingly threatens cultural forests.
Conservation support given
Areas defined as “…natural and modified ecosystems, including significant biodiversity, ecological services and cultural values, voluntarily conserved by indigenous and local communities through customary laws or other effective means…” are now recognised by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). With support from affiliated organisations– the Global Environmental Facility and the United Nations Development Programme—Nature Kenya is assisting communities to ensure the long-term survival of cultural forests. Conservation activities have generated greater awareness of the benefits of cultural forests. Not only do they benefit biodiversity–they mitigate against climate change and improve conditions for farming, making it easier to produce maize and tea in this area of the country. Where there has been encroachment, it has been possible to support rehabilitation and 10 hectares of cultural forests that were cut down have been replanted. Environmentally-friendly activities The communities around the Tiriki Forests have gone further and
African Emerald Cuckoo. Photo by Pete Steward.
Joel Siele and Washington Ayiemba proposed the growing and sale of tree seedlings, bee keeping, and fish farming as activities that can improve their livelihoods, and that are environmentally friendly. The local county government (Vihiga) has said they will promote Tiriki cultural activities to support eco-tourism.
Bird species at Tiriki Forests
The Tiriki Forests are home to many of the bird species found in Kakamega Forest. A brief biodiversity assessment of 25 forests found: Little Greenbul, Snowy-headed Robin Chat, Mountain Buzzard, Yellowbilled Barbet, Red-chested Cuckoo, Yellow-whiskered Greenbul, Yellowthroated Leaflove, African Thrush, Double-toothed Barbet, Blackbilled Weaver, Long-crested Eagle, Lühder’s Bushshrike, Pink-footed Puffback, Black-necked Weaver, Slender-billed Greenbul, Cardinal Woodpecker, and Black-collared Apalis. More work is needed to understand how the cultural forests and the larger protected area of Kakamega Forest complement each other in providing food and shelter for wildlife, and resources for people. K en ya Bi r d i n g |
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where to watch birds >
really good reasons to go birding in the Tana River Delta Memories of a day training bird guides in January after the rains Photos by Peter Usher.
Fleur Ng’weno
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ll around us, majestic Borassus palms were outlined against a brilliant sunrise. White egrets and ibises and black herons and storks were flying across the flaming clouds on their way to the wetlands. Large, longtailed Rüppell’s Starlings fed on Neem fruit by the side of the road. A local specialty, the Collared Palm Thrush, sang sweetly from the bushes. A pair of Mombasa Woodpecker, a species characteristic of the East African Coast biome, called from across the road, foraging on a small tree in full view. It was a memorable start to our first day of training of potential bird guides in the Tana River Delta. Fortunately the six trainees, drawn from all corners of the Tana Delta, already knew some of the local birds. The training was part of Nature Kenya’s project to promote livelihoods that are based on the environment without destroying it, funded by UK Aid.
A well-placed Guest House
We started our walk at the Gamba Guest House run by TARDA – the Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority. Although the accommodation is very basic, it is ideal for
Supporting sustainable livelihoods
in Tana River Delta
John Mwacharo
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or years, the Tana River Delta region has been associated with conflicts, drought, flooding and under development. When conflicts broke out in 2012, over 200 people were reported to have lost their lives and many more were displaced. The conflicts witnessed were related to the struggle for access and use of natural resources. To empower communities to use natural resources more sustainably, Nature Kenya, with funding from the UK Department for International Development (UK Aid), initiated a suite of livelihood promoting activities.
Farmers Field Schools (FFSs)
were established in Wema and Hewani villages where farmers were taught modern farming practices by agricultural extension officers, and honed their skills at demonstration plots. Interestingly, some members of the Orma and Wardei
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pastoralist communities also enrolled at the schools. Dormant co-operative societies were revived to facilitate the disbursement of small loans for farm preparations and the purchase of seeds. To this effect, Ksh 297,400 was disbursed to 113 farmers as soft loans. To date 79 per cent of the loans have been repaid.
Tens of thousands earned
Many are now reaping from this support, and if statistics are any thing to go by, the future looks promising. As of April this year, the farmers had harvested 64 tons of rice and 27 tons of maize in Hewani and Wema villages respectively. Over Ksh 250,000 was earned from rice sales alone. The acquisition of a rice mill late in 2013 came as a major boost to farmers in Hewani who could hence process, pack and
Roadside wetland, Tana Delta.
sell their rice. Total additional earnings from the rice mill stood at Ksh. 91,351 by April. The co-operative society now packs and brands processed rice.
Benefits to Pastoralists
Pastoralists have also benefited from learning to maintain appropriate stock levels, marketing of products such as milk, and the construction of cattle dips at Walkon and Onkolde (on going). The pastoralists, as of April this year, had sold milk worth over two million shillings. Sale of manure to farmers has also provided the pastoralist community with an additional source of revenue as well as fostering good co-existence with their neighbours. Beekeeping, fish farming and ecotourism are among the other livelihood activities being promoted in the area.
African Skimmer.
birding, as the kitchen staff are willing to serve breakfast before dawn, and the trees in the compound attract many birds, including a Little Sparrowhawk nesting right outside the rooms. We walked south towards the Tana River.
mighty old ones and masses of young ones. Enormous fan-shaped leaves surrounded us. At the river’s edge, we rested for a while on a makeshift mat of dry palm leaves while African Pied Wagtails checked us out.
Lilac-breasted Rollers were doing aerobatics near their nest hole in an old Doum palm. African Green Pigeons and Brown-breasted Barbets were feeding in the fruit trees. Grey-headed Kingfisher, Common Bulbul, Zanzibar Greenbul, and Collared Palm Thrush took turns showing off on the wires.
We saw 56 different species that morning – a daunting number for trainees to absorb! And there was more! After a hearty lunch, we drove north into the rice fields. There waterbirds were packed shoulder to shoulder, feeding in the flooded fields: Knob-billed Duck, Whitefaced Whistling Duck, Yellowbilled Stork, Woolly-necked Stork, African Open-billed Stork, herons, egrets, Hamerkop, plovers, sandpipers, pratincoles…. The day’s total added up to 84 species.
Palm groves, mighty river, and colourful migrants
As we left the wooded TARDA estate and walked through acacia bushland, Red-eyed Doves gave way to Ringnecked Doves and Emerald-spotted Wood Doves. A Spotted Flycatcher, spending the Northern winter in the Delta, perched prominently on a low branch. Other migrants from the North included Barn Swallows overhead, and to our delight, a group of gorgeous Blue-cheeked Beeeaters posing on a leafless tree.
Sedge Warbler.
The sun rose higher and it became hot walking through the bush and grassland, but soon we were in the shade of a grove of Borassus Palms,
Waterbirds pack the rice fields
The Tana Delta is rich in birds, but they vary with the seasons. The roadside wetlands exploding with birdlife in January had been mere grassy hollows two months earlier, in November. Rain is the magic ingredient, but nowadays the rains do not always follow the prescribed seasons. One fairly dependable seasonal visitor is the Northern Carmine Bee-eater, an intra-African migrant. My most cherished memory from the January training is a flock of brilliant Carmine Bee-eaters following a plough in the evening sunlight. K en ya Bi r d i n g |
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Come Enjoy Butterflies At Mombasa Butterfly House you will be able to watch butterflies from close in a natural environment, designed for their health and your enjoyment. You will see butterflies from the region in all colours and shades. Enjoy them flitting about, displaying, feeding or just resting, symbols of freedom, beauty and peace. See butterfly pupae of different species and match them with their adult forms already in flight. From storyboards learn about their life cycle and go through our butterfly fun facts‌ HOW TO GET THERE The Butterfly House is located behind Fort Jesus. It is approached from the font by a footpath between the Fort, and the historic old law courts and Mombasa County buildings. For more information contact Maria Fungomeli on Tel: 0724 874 629 Email: mombasabutterflyhouse@gmail.com Post: P.O. Box 83179 - 80100, Mombasa, Kenya
NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF KENYA where heritage lives on
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nd, centre-left, holding binoculars. Photo by Peter Usher.
Participants on a Nairobi bird walk. Fleur Ng’weno is in the foregrou
A KENYA RECORD:
43 years of weekly Nairobi bird walks and 29 years of monthly Mombasa bird walks Fleur Ng’weno and Marlene Reid
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arida Wiley, a remarkable American naturalist, led weekly bird walks and monthly outings from the American Museum of Natural History in New York, USA from 1934 to the 1970s. For the then teenager Fleur, Farida Wiley’s field trips opened the door to a world of naturalists and a career in interpreting nature for the public. Being out in nature with people who share an interest in natural history became a lifelong source of joy and learning.
Farida Wiley at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Photo from Shelby County Historical Society, Ohio, USA
NAIROBI BIRD WALKS Starting up
In the 1960s, the calendar of events for the East Africa Natural History Society (now known as Nature Kenya) included monthly lectures and field trips. Bringing her enthusiasm and experience from Farida Wiley’s bird walks at the American Museum of Natural History and others in the years that followed, Fleur Ng’weno proposed weekly bird watching outings for members within Nairobi in 1970. Nairobi proved an ideal locality, as the city of Nairobi has more birds recorded than any other city, with a current total of more than 600 species. The first Wednesday Morning Bird walk took place in February 1971. Participants on the early bird walks were few, many of them expatriate housewives. Today weekly participants often number over 50, mostly young Kenyans, many of them tour guides or trainee tour guides. The face of the bird walk has changed, but the purpose remains the same: enjoyment of nature, especially birding.
Managing the bird walk
Participants on the Wednesday Morning Bird walks meet each week at the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi. The bird walks are free to Nature Kenya members, and temporary membership is available. Participants pool transport and try to visit a different site each week. The Museum was chosen because the Nature Kenya office is located there, but it turns out to be an optimal venue: it can be reached by private car or public transportation; it has spacious grounds where it is easy to see birds; and it is within walking distance of two other good birding sites, the Nairobi Arboretum and City Park, for the days where there is not enough transport. Nairobi, at about 1600m altitude, is at the meeting point of two major ecosystems–the vast grasslands to the south and the wooded hills to the north– and different habitats can be visited on different weeks. There are humid and dry forests, savanna and wetlands and built environments such as public parks, golf courses, racecourses, farms, sewage pools and private gardens with bird baths and feeders. K en ya Bi r d i n g |
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Why I love the
birdwalks
Shailesh Patel Former Kenya bird guide “I still remember my first birdwalk with Fleur–it was in 1996 at City Park. It seemed she had a world of knowledge about all wildlife—birds, trees, flowers, and animals. For many years I went on the Wednesday Morning Birdwalks and my life and career would never be the same.” Eunice Wang Manager “Mama Fleur is one of the very few wonderful ladies I have met who is quietly brilliant, beautiful and delightful. It is like an angel sent her to assist us who always feel empty and lost in the city—we all love her”.
Jairus N. Koki Lecturer “When I moved to Mombasa I joined the bird walks with Marlene. They inspired me to start a bird watching group at River Sosiani, produce the first checklist of birds for Kaimosi community forest, and ensure that students learning to guide tours also learn about birding.”
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Participants on a Mombasa bird walk. Marlene Reid is in the centre with binoculars and blue cap. Photo by Doris Schaule.
Over 40 years, some favourite sites have disappeared, victims of urban sprawl. Others have been opened to the public, such as the coffee farm with a hidden waterfall that has become a picnic site and outdoor recreation area, ‘Paradise Lost’. Many green spaces now charge entry fees, but the bird walk always tries to request free entry. In the 1980s, a Sunday Birdwatch on the third Sunday of each month, usually traveling a little further afield, was added to Nature Kenya’s schedule of events. Nature Kenya now provides important support in terms of arranging venues where advance booking is required, answering queries, and arranging leaders when Fleur is away. The UK BirdLife Partner, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, generously supports the cost of transport for the leaders, and the use of the Nature Kenya vehicle when available. This help is huge, yet in the end the Wednesday Morning Bird walk is rooted in its volunteers – leaders who turn up rain or shine, car owners who share transport, young people who spot the birds, tour guides who help the beginners.
MOMBASA BIRD WALK The Mombasa bird walk is the little sister of the Nairobi Bird Walk, started in 1985 after Marlene Reid moved to Mombasa and missed attending the Wednesday morning walks. The Mombasa bird walk is under the auspices of the Friends of Fort Jesus. Knowing little about birds in Mombasa or the places to see them at first, Marlene Reid enlisted the help of a keen birder, Dr Colin Ryall, who was familiar with the local sites and the birds.
Although it cannot claim the number of people taking part in the Nairobi bird walk, for 29 years the Mombasa bird walk has always managed to keep a committed nucleus of participants. It is held once a month on a Saturday afternoon, mostly on sites north of Mombasa, on farm land around Nguu Tatu, on the Lafarge lands around Haller Park, sometimes at the beach, occasionally in a garden – but the pervading presence of Indian House Crows at the Coast more or less eclipses garden birding. Like the Nairobi bird walks, the Mombasa bird walks are for enjoyment. Marlene Reid wants to see the birds herself, and likes to share her pleasure: helping others who know little about birds to know their names and learn a little about their habits, and enthusing in a ‘lifer’ but always appreciating the common birds seen on every outing. If anything special or unusual is seen, the information is circulated on the Kenyabirdsnet list serv so other birders are informed. Note of thanks from the authors:
Thanks to Peter Usher and Doris Schaule for the use of their photos, and to Darcy Ogada and Bettina Ng’weno for their comments. A big thank you to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds for their support of the Nairobi bird walks. Thanks to all those who helped lead the walks and keep the lists in the past, including Pat Wootton, June Dirks, Damaris Rotich, Nina Mudida, Dorrie Brass and Shailesh Patel. Many thanks to Nature Kenya (the East Africa Natural History Society) for their encouragement over the years, and for assistance to enable Fleur Ng’weno and Marlene Reid to attend the 13th Pan African Ornithological Congress in Arusha, Tanzania, where this paper was presented.
FROM FUN TO CONSERVATION In Kenya, nature-based activities such as bird watching were long considered to be the province of expatriates and visitors. Today, however, a new generation of young Kenyans is seeking challenging outdoor hobbies. Bird watching is an exciting hobby: the beginner requires no skills or equipment, there are birds wherever you are, and there is a growing community of birders who share sightings, experiences and advice. Birding is also an entry point to conservation – those who thrilled to the beauty of birds or the challenge of discovery are likely to want to conserve the environment in which birds live.
Kelvin Mazera Freelance bird guide “I first joined Marlene on the Mombasa bird walks in 1994. The birdwalks set me on the path to being a professional safari bird guide. I was encouraged as my birding improved–and I have found employment at jobs leading tours and being a bird guide.”
For 43 years, Nature Kenya’s weekly Wednesday Morning Bird walks in Nairobi have been a catalyst in the growth of bird watching and ornithology in Kenya. For 29 years, the monthly Mombasa Bird Walks of Friends of Fort Jesus have done the same at the Coast. Key to the success of the Nairobi and Mombasa bird walks is the steadfastness and enthusiasm of the leaders who meet the group rain or shine, year in and year out. The spirit of volunteering and sharing has meant that the outings have been organized at little organizational cost. Birds seen or heard on the bird walks are recorded by volunteers, and the lists entered in the data bases of the National Museums of Kenya and now the new Kenya Bird Map. Although the observations are not conducted on a scientific basis, over the years the bird walks have found and monitored pockets of natural habitats in Nairobi and Mombasa and contributed to the knowledge of bird distribution, breeding and migration patterns. Over the years, many of the young people who came on the bird walks developed their hobby into a profession as tour guides, among them well-known guides such as Nico Nalianya, Joseph Kariuki, Peter Liech, James Makau; and Kelvin Mazera from Mombasa. Some, such as Chege Kariuki of Birdwatching East Africa, have started their own companies; and Jairus Koki introduced birding into his course on tourism at Mombasa Technical Training Institute. Like ripples on a pool, the influence of the Kenyan bird walks has been felt all over the world. The late Brooks Childress, who attended the Nairobi bird walks when he lived in Kenya, became an authority on flamingoes. Leon Bennun, who became Global Director for Science, Policy and Information at BirdLife International; Munir Virani, a leading scientist with The Peregrine Fund; Wally van Sickle who founded Idea Wild to source equipment for researchers; and Hector Gomez de Silva an ornithologist in Mexico, all came on the Wednesday Morning bird walk in their youth. Nature Kenya found that bird watching can catch people’s interest and become an entry point to conservation. The bird walks have served as a model in several Important Bird Areas, where trained members of community-based organizations near the IBAs use their hobby to monitor the sites or become bird guides for visiting tourists. Regular bird watching walks are now being organized at more than 20 sites in Kenya. In closing, Fleur and Marlene would like to stress that the bird walks were organized because we wanted to go birding. They may have trained generations of tour guides and naturalists, but their essence remains the joy of being out in nature.
James Makau Guide and tour operator “I owe my guiding career to Fleur, she helped me develop my birding and nature skills. I am glad to have gone through Fleur’s tutelage. Whoever has gone through Fleur’s school would attest to what I am saying and personally I couldn’t have found a better teacher.” James Mutua Resident ornithologist “In 1996 I was recruited as a tour guide at the Bamburi Nature Trail and while birding there I met Marlene Reid. I started to go birding with the Mombasa Bird walk and found that it really widened my knowledge of birds”.
years—but never looked at a bird. On retirement, about three years ago I joined the birdwalks in Mombasa and I was introduced to a whole new life. Now I am an avid birder”.
Joseph K. Mwangi Birding tours operator “Fleur has a way of describing even the common birds, like African Palm Swift or the Common Bulbul, that makes even the beginner fall in love with birding. Birdwalks with Fleur transformed my interest in wildlife—I became an avid birder and bird guide who now runs a small, but dedicated, birding company. In short, she mentored my life in a way nobody else could have done.”
Joan Nesbitt Tour operator and rally driver “I have learnt so much on the birdwalks with Fleur.”
Dr. Paul Matiku Executive Director, Nature Kenya
The birdwalks led by Fleur for 43 years have revolutionised birding in Kenya, and a huge impact has been made on bird conservation. Doris Schaule Retired “I worked all my life in tourism, in exotic places like Sri Lanka, Thailand, Brazil, and in Kenya for fifteen
Peter Muriithi Marketing Officer
For more than 7 years I have been regularly birding with Fleur. We talk about heroes and heroines—I don’t hesitate to say that Fleur is one of them—a mentor to so many including myself. K en ya Bi r d i n g |
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Birding in Laikipia - at OL PE J ETA A huge conservancy consisting of a variety of habitats Ol Pejeta offers spectacular views of Mount Kenya and the Aberdares and makes an exciting birding destination. Wanyoike Wamiti and Joshua Wambugu Directions:
Ol Pejeta is 215 km, or about 3 hours drive, from Nairobi. One kilometre before Nanyuki Town take the signposted left and follow the murram road for about 15 km to Rongai Gate. Entry fees vary depending on the visitor’s nationality or residence, and are paid on arrival at either the Rongai or Serat gates.
Key Bird Species
Grey Crowned Crane, Shelley’s Francolin, Lesser Kestrel (in April), Jackson’s Widowbird (breeding in May-June), Saddle-billed Stork, Eurasian Bee-eater, Martial Eagle, African Silverbill and Secretarybird.
Other Wildlife
Elephant, buffalo, black rhino,
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southern and northern white rhino, lion, cheetah, reticulated Giraffe, wild dog, Grevy’s zebra and Jackson’s hartebeest (Kongoni).
Guides
Contact the Tourism Office Phone. +254 (0) 20 203 3244 Mobile +254 (0) 707 187 141 Email info@olpejetaconservancy.org The Morani Information Centre is open 07:00-18:30 hours.
Accommodation
Pelican House and a number of private campsites and tented camps are available. Researchers can book to stay at the Research Centre.
Website
www.olpejetaconservancy.org
Marsh area. Photo by Wanyoike Wamiti.
S
ituated on the eastern side of Laikipia County, Ol Pejeta Conservancy has a variety of habitats: marshes, springs, grasslands of red oat, thickets of Euclea divinorium, and riverine woodland dominated by giant fever trees. Other habitats are lightly wooded areas of Whistling Thorn Acacia drepanolobium, while extensive wheat fields make up the southern portion of the conservancy. Spend time in the different areas and you’ll be able see some of the more than 300 bird species of the area. Birding at Ol Pejeta starts right from Rongai Gate, where you will be welcomed by a colony of mostly Speke’s Weavers whose nests hang from beneath the solar panels installed above the buildings at the gate. From the gate, head east and traverse areas of Euclea thicket and open grassland until you arrive at Junction 12 and the marshes (most junctions on the eastern side of the conservancy are signposted, though not all). The marsh area is one of the most productive sites for birding. Look out for Grey Heron, Pied Kingfisher, Glossy Ibis, Black Crake, Red-billed Teal, Rüppell’s Starling, White-browed Coucal and the uncommon Knob-billed
Duck. On the dead but upright fever trees, you may find Nubian and African Grey Woodpeckers, and early in the morning, a pair of Bateleur eagles. On the north side of the marsh look out for African Fish Eagle that have successfully nested in the area. If you are in luck, African Black Duck can sometimes be seen in places with open and flowing water. The Chimpanzee Sanctuary has the Ewaso Ngiro River passing through, and you should plan an early morning visit before the area becomes busy with school groups and other visitors. In which case, it is important to contact the tourism office for entry during non-visiting hours and to request a guide. Birds that may be seen here are Hildebrandt’s Francolin, Whitebellied Tit, Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike, White-crested Helmetshrike, Yellow Bishop, Red-headed Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Green Wood-hoopoe, Marico Sunbird, Malachite Kingfisher, and Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu. After the marshes, look for Junction 4, after which keep right and the road will take you to Hippo Hide, which is also along the river. You may not see hippo on your guided walk, but you
have a good chance with species that inhabit this part of the river including, Crowned Hornbill, Black-headed Oriole, Southern Black Flycatcher, Lilac-breasted Roller, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Meyer’s Parrot, and Bearded Woodpecker. Crossing what is known as the elephant bridge at Junction 4 you’ll reach the original Ol Pejeta House, the main offices, and the research centre. The immediate area around the research centre is surrounded by an electric fence. You can leave your car to explore for Speke’s Weaver, Yellow-spotted Petronia, Northern Pied Babbler and Rufous Chatterer. Drive south from the centre and along the airstrip to see the hole-nesting Northern Anteater Chat. Past the airstrip is an expanse of short grass called Scott’s Plain— look out here for a pump and cattle dip where Kittlitz’s Plover is often seen. In the nearby woodlands, Wattled and Greater Blue-eared Starlings are possible sightings. Note that this track is almost impassable during the rains.
In the tall grass especially during the rainy season (April-June), the males of Jackson’s and Long-tailed Widowbirds in their breeding ‘black gown’ plumage can be seen displaying. Weavers may be busy collecting nesting material and you may spot Shelley’s Francolin at the grass verges. Other species expected are Harlequin Quail, Kori, White-bellied & Black-bellied Bustards, African Black-shouldered Kite, and Ostrich.
Bateleur. Photo by Joshua Wambugu.
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Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike. Photo by Pete Steward.
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Nguuni Animal
Sanctuary The most prolific birding site in Mombasa Marlene Reid
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or the birder willing to venture a short way inland from Mombasa, Nguuni is the place to go. Although wedged into an area with developments on every side, it is a safe, peaceful place—of scrub, acacia woodland, grassland, ponds, and a large man-made wetland. It is the most prolific birding site in Mombasa, with well over 100 species, and it is possible to see 70–90 species in a morning.
Take care there are giraffe and waterbuck
It must be emphasised however that despite being fenced all around, this area has giraffe and waterbuck that wander freely. For this reason, it is essential to be accompanied by an experienced guide used to dealing with wildlife. The giraffes tend to be very inquisitive, and it is somewhat intimidating to have something so large close at hand or following in one’s footsteps. Do not forget that these are wild animals! Top right: Nguuni pond. Photo by Doris Schaule.
Discover longclaws, starlings and herons
Nguuni developed into an animal sanctuary from its origins as a sheep farm, and it is still a large relatively unspoiled area. There are a great variety of species in the extensive grassland and scrub, which surrounds the ponds. It is one of the few places where both Yellow-throated and Pangani Longclaw occur, and the only place near the city of Mombasa where Greater Blue-eared and Superb Starling can be seen. The smaller ponds are home to Purple Swamphen and Allen’s Gallinule, and between May and October Madagascar Pond Heron roost in the reeds and palm trees. The colonies of nesting weavers cannot fail to delight. The best times to visit Nguuni are either very early in the morning or in the mid-to late afternoon when the birds start to move around after the heat of the day. The sunset at Nguuni is usually fabulous with the silhouette of Doum palms against the sinking sun. In the
Birds of Kenya’s Rift Valley
Adam Scott Kennedy Paperback | 2014 | 264 pp. | 6 x 8 | ISBN 9780691159072 press.princeton.edu At Text Book Centre bookstores @Ksh 2890/This is a new photographic guide to Birds of Kenya’s Rift Valley and features 320 bird species that are most likely to be encountered, in areas from Lake Baringo in the north to Lake Magadi in the south. Featuring over 500 beautiful colour photos, it has a delightful easyto-use format. Birds are grouped according to habitat, with information about each species’ ecology and behaviour.
palm trees look for roosting Verreaux’s Eagle Owls or the Leopard orchids that grow there. Sunset is also the time Slender-tailed Nightjars start calling. It is worthwhile to sit quietly on the verandah of the Sanctuary guesthouse to see what emerges from the surrounding reeds!
Resident Species:
Zanzibar Red Bishop, Malachite, Grey-headed, Mangrove and Striped Kingfishers, African Bareeyed Thrush, Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike, Palm-nut Vulture.
Migrant Species:
Red-backed and Isabelline Shrikes, various migrant waders, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Red-necked Falcon. A visit to the Sanctuary must be made by appointment. Michael the resident guide can be reached on mobile +254 (0) 724 828 046. In his absence contact Mr Sonal Singh at the Baobab Trust office +254 (0) 721 357 876. Nguuni is officially open from 7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. This is negotiable with the guide in advance. The entrance fee is Ksh 300 and 500 for Kenya residents and nonresidents respectively. Guide fees are negotiable but should not be less than Ksh 1000 for a morning or afternoon walk. Nguuni is located 5 km from Mombasa via the Mombasa-Malindi Road. Take the road going past Bamburi Cement Company to Kiembeni junction, turn right at the junction, and then left after about 500 metres. Nguuni is in the foothills of Nguu Tatu (Three Hills). K en ya Bi r d i n g |
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Common Dwarf mongoose in termite mound. Photo by Peter Usher.
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