Kenya Birding Issue 10

AUGUST 2016 ISSUE 10

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF KENYA BIRDING: Birdfair, magazine and bird guides

What is in a photograph?

Great tips to take better bird photos

Birding off the beaten track, in Homa Bay County

A PUBLICATION OF NATURE KENYA - THE EAST AFRICA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY

Living things are interdependent

Kenya Birding is free to members of Nature Kenya (printing is made possible by advertising and projects) © Nature Kenya August 2016 Issue 10 Front Cover: Dwarf Bittern. Photo by Jacques Pitteloud Special Mention: Bird photographer Peter Usher Editor & Creative Design Catherine G. Ngarachu Assisting Editor Darcy Ogada Advertising Coordinators: Gloria Waswa, 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)780 149200 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 - Taita Eco-resource centre, Taita Hills 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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wholeheartedly prefer to live with much greenery and wildlife around me. I’m reminded every time I step outdoors (and most apparently when the wildlife inadvertently wanders indoors) that we share our ‘space’ with so many others—creatures large and small.

They fill me with wonder and amazement and some I can admit, as with the centipedes I sometimes find in the house, can be a little scary (they are ‘mostly’ harmless I’m told). What concerns me more though is the consequences should vultures, who currently face a catastrophic future (see article by Paul Ndang’ang’a, page 29), be allowed to decline even further. Whatever you think of vultures we need them in our environment and it is important to support efforts to save them.

There is so much to admire in nature but are you are like me and you wish you could be a better nature photographer? Well, our longstanding and outstanding photo contributor Peter Usher, not only talks about the Grey Parrots that visit his garden (see page 11) in his urban birding column, but he also gives us fantastic tips on how to capture some of those special birding moments in a photo (see page 14).

For places to go birding we have some great information by James Bradley, on birding in Homa Bay County (see page 32). It is an area

by Lake Victoria in western Kenya that is little visited by birders, so an adventure awaits you.

This year we celebrate 10 years of the Kenya Birding magazine (see article by Mike Davidson, page 8). Did I think when I helped start the magazine that I would see it in its 10th issue? I don’t think I thought that far ahead. I can say that despite the difficulties in keeping the magazine going, it has been great fun. I love to hear from the birders and others who read and contribute articles and photographs—thank you for choosing to be part of this exciting journey.

Catherine Ngarachu Editor, Kenya Birding pinterest.com/cngarachu/birding-in-kenya

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Contents 3. Note from the Executive Director

Snapshot

4. Photos of Crowned Eagle rearing young

Mail drop

6. Bird sightings and observations reported by readersre News 8. 10 years of Kenya Birding at the British Birdwatching Fair 9. BirdLasser Kenya Learn how to submit bird records from your mobile phone

Urban Birding

11. Grey Parrots in my garden 14. What’s in a photograph?

Great photography tips

Species

16. Sharing in the care of young Cabanis’s Greenbul

Exciting observations of cooperative breeding behaviour 18. Birds of prey of Bunyala A photographic display 20. Common Butterflies

A report of an urban nesting site for Yellow-billed Storks and Pink-backed Pelicans

22. Lake Turkana: Does this lake have a future?

24. What it means to coordinate a course of the Tropical Biology Association 26. Saving a critical habitat for papyrus endemic birds in Yala Swamp 27. Monitoring produces game-changing results for birds and sites 28. How the community is working to save Dakatcha Woodland 29. Sheep for Longclaw

an innovative conservation approach 31. Kenyan vultures and migrants in more trouble Birds for Birds: Crete2Cape vintage air rally

Where to watch birds

32. Birding off the beaten track in Homa Bay County

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Pearl-spotted Owlet. Photo by Sammy Mugo

Conservation

Paul Matiku, Nature Kenya’s Executive Director,

on the challenges and focus of the Society

Taita Apalis. Photo by Pete Steward

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nly 150 individuals of the Taita Apalis remain.

We have a lot of work to do if we are to avoid the extinction of this species and Nature Kenya has started by taking steps to purchase the remaining suitable forest fragments in the Taita Hills. Any donation from you, large or small, greatly enables us to purchase 30 acres of forest (on private land), as well as to restore 300 acres of the Vuria community forest and provide energy saving stoves to households to reduce fuel wood demand.

This is but one intervention of Nature Kenya in protecting vitally important sites—in the last two years we’ve taken on the railway construction through Nairobi National Park, geothermal electricity generation in Hells Gate National Park, oil and gas exploration at Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, agricultural developments in Yala Swamp, and low-flying aerial photography of flamingos at Lake Bogoria.

Nature Kenya focuses on saving species and conserving habitats, which extends to working with people, encouraging them to embrace sustainability by protecting nature. By helping local Conservation Groups (called Site Support Groups) at 19 sites, we’ve seen lives improve with the setting up of beehives, tree nurseries and on-farm wood lots (8,000 beehives have been installed and trees worth millions of shillings are growing). By annually hosting 10,000 children, our resource centres are put to work contributing to a brighter future. With your support, we will continue in our important work in nature conservation in Kenya.

Become a member of Nature Kenya by visiting www. naturekenya.org K en ya Bi r d i n g |

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snapshot

OF A CROWNED EAGLE NEST Julia Fulcher took the photos of a large Crowned Eagle’s nest that can be seen atop the soaring tree right next to Rondo Retreat’s Main House in the Kakamega forest, Kenya’s only rain forest. Her splendid photos give a rare glimpse to the nesting of Crowned Eagles.

CHICK PLUMAGE STARTS TO CHANGE

In April the chick has grown enormously. It has also had a dramatic change in plumage—from the earlier snow white to a classic grey and white with hints of fawn. This though is not the full colour of the adult, which is a very much darker brown with black mottled underparts.

NESTING BEGINS

The nest was first constructed in November 2012 by a pair of Crowned Eagles who chose this spot to raise a family and certainly it is a home with a view. Again, last year (2015) they flew in branches to add to the somewhat dilapidated nest and nesting began in earnest.

In September, mother was sitting on eggs incubating them (we are informed this goes on for about 50 days). On my return to Rondo in December, the female was still in the nest, but it was hard to see if there was a chick yet.

The male was kept busy hunting and feeding the female. On 3 January 2016, I had a definite sighting of a little white chick on wobbly legs and we have observed its continued development since then. Mother was mostly in the nest and never far from it during the early days, as she watched over her young one vigilantly.

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FEEDING ON A MONKEY PAW With bated breath we viewed the early attempts to fly—there were a few (almost) crash landings. We have also watched as food is flown in comprised of what could be a small tree hyrax or Colobus monkey (or part thereof).

Mother could be seen feeding her young. Not much goes to waste, which is evident when junior was caught on camera swallowing the paw of the said monkey!

CHICK FEEDING HIMSELF

The parents are not so much in evidence now other than for a food drop, by dad. Mother still spends some time with her chick, feeding herself as well as tearing off smaller pieces for her young one. The juvenile is well able to tear off chunks of meat, but if mum is around, he plays the helpless baby role very adeptly, crying for mother’s assistance.

SEEN MOVING ABOUT

BECOMING INDEPENDENT OF PARENTS

We estimate that the juvenile crowned eagle is about 5 months at this stage. He is growing stronger, managing short flights to neighbouring trees and with more effort, back to his nest. He also plays with sticks, breaking them off tree limbs— perhaps this play is good practice for the future when he will help build his own nest.

He has just been seen for the first time carrying a monkey limb as he flew from his nest to a nearby tree—another milestone showing increased strength and confidence.

NESTING ENDS

At the end of April the parents destroyed the nest and left the juvenile to fend for himself. He made his first successful kill of a small red-tailed monkey, found his tree of choice at the edge of Rondo’s garden and is likely to be around for a few months more. This young one is definitely the star of the show for all of us at Rondo Retreat.

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mail drop

Many of 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. To join, go to Yahoo Groups, ask for Kenyabirdsnet and follow the instructions. You may need to get a Yahoo address in order to join.

Red-fronted Barbet feeding on ground NOVEMBER 2015 While up on the edge of the Rift Valley between Corner Baridi and Kajiado last week, three of us watched a Red-fronted Barbet eat, from the ground. It feed on all the dozen or so blooms of what I think was a pinky-purple Ipomea jaegeri.

The Birds of Africa book volumes mention this species as sometimes feeding on the ground. But I wonder if this individual was really after the petals, insects within the flowers, or perhaps even trying to get some sweetness out of them? It was incredibly dry in that part of the Rift.

Rupert Watson

Lake Ol’ Bolossat On 16 December 2015 George Muigai, Dominic Kimani, Samuel Bakari and I went birding on the western shore of Lake Ol’ Bolossat. We approached the lakeshore from Kasuku town, following a 7 km track off the Nyahururu-Gilgil road (C77).

It had been raining heavily for days, turning the dirt road into a slippery and soggy challenge. But we managed to get to within 1 km of the lake before our 4WD vehicle got stuck in the mud—be warned—it took 10 men nearly an hour to dig it out! Notwithstanding that Lake Ol’ Bolossat Location: Kenya, Central Province Area: 4,600 ha Altitude: 2,340 - 2,400m • • •

African Crake sighted in the Mara JANUARY 2016 Birding in the Mara North Conservancy, we were treated to surprisingly long views of an African Crake (on 20 January) darting in and out of an overgrown grassy track. We also flushed one on 23 January.

We sighted another individual walking near Elephant Pepper Camp and another between Offbeat Mara Camp and Kicheche Mara Camp. We also had a couple of individuals close at hand, calling back and forth in the main reserve, while we were eating lunch near the Topi Plains.

Nathan Dias

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small setback, we found our way to the lakeshore and in our 2-hour visit saw good numbers of waterfowl, including Northern Shoveler and Northern Pintail. Also, a few Eurasian Wigeon, Garganey and Eurasian Teal were among many Red-knobbed Coot and various resident ducks and geese.

Other migrants encountered included Western Marsh Harrier, Black-tailed Godwit (near threatened); Marsh, Wood and Common Sandpipers; Ruff, Isabelline Shrike, Whinchat, Yellow Wagtail and Red-throated Pipit.

David Fox

Key species: Maccoa Duck, Grey Crowned Crane, Jackson’s Widowbird, and Sharpe’s Longclaw

This lake is a newly designated Important Bird Area.

It is located northwest of the Aberdare mountains in the central highlands. It has floating vegetation on the lake and open grassland along the shore.

It is surrounded by farmland.

South Marmanet Forest

On 15 December 2015 Peter Karani, Dominic, Bakari and I drove to the South Marmanet Forest Station in Nyahururu, just above Thomson’s Falls.

From there we went along a forest trail for 3 hours accompanied by two armed Kenya Forest Service rangers (in case we came upon any elephants).

Not much of the forest interior is undisturbed, so we saw few forest specialists. These included Mountain Buzzard, Red-fronted Parrot, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Red-fronted Parrot, Grey Cuckooshrike, Grey Apalis and Thick-billed Seedeater.

Other species heard or seen included African Emerald Cuckoo, Narina Trogon, Cinnamon-chested Bee-

eater, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Yellowwhiskered Greenbul; Cinnamon Bracken and Brown Woodland warblers; Montane White-eye (the Kikuyu White-eye), Olive Thrush, White-starred Robin, African Dusky Flycatcher; and Collared and Eastern Double-collared sunbirds.

Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Tree Pipit were the only Palaearctic migrants seen.

David Fox

South Marmanet forest is one of a number of forest fragments remaining in the northwest of Laikipia County, situated northwest of Nyahururu town.

Photo by: Peter Usher

African Goshawk NOVEMBER 2015

The Joys of Birding, my story One morning, I was studying for an examination in my dorm room at the upper Kabete campus of the University of Nairobi. A bird flitted about outside my window twittering as it fed from the flower of a banana tree that grew nearby. My first thought was that it was a hummingbird (forgive my ignorance, I did not know that hummingbirds are only found in the Americas). I sat watching it and every once in a while, when the morning sun hit its feathers, a bronze shimmer appeared. I had never seen anything so beautiful. Then the bird landed so that it looked straight at me for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, it took leave of me. It was this seemingly insignificant encounter that ushered me into the world of birds—I was enchanted from that moment.

That was three years ago. Later, taking every possible opportunity to go birding, I came to recognise the bird as a male Bronze Sunbird. I bought myself a field guide and camera—they have become my reliable companions. I also joined Nature Kenya and often join the weekly bird walks and monthly trips. In short, birds became an important part of my life and greatly influence the decisions I make. This is made easier with the support of my loving wife. When we got married, my wife and I went to Lake Baringo, one of Kenya’s birding hotspots, for our honeymoon. We have chosen to live on the western side of Nairobi where I can pop into nearby woodlands, at least once a week, and spend time bird watching. Although this means we live some way off from the main road, my wife and I have gotten used to the long stretch. It would take something extraordinary to get us to leave our house.

My life would be an unbearable drudgery without birds. I feel like Ishmael, the character from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick who says that whenever he felt like going about the streets knocking people’s hats off, it was time to head out to sea. Yes, whenever I too feel like the world is closing in on me, I know it is time to head outdoors, to visit my feathered friends and have them cheer me up. It works every time.

After a day of clear blue skies followed a night of heavy rain, I decided to take a stroll in the area near my house. Soon, I heard alarm calls from various birds and knew there must be a bird of prey around. I had my camera in hand when I saw this beautiful African Goshawk about 20 m from me. I had but a split second for this nice shot before it flew away.

Sammy Mugo

Striped Flufftail sighted in the Aberdares JANUARY 2016 While backpacking and climbing near the Dragon’s Teeth in the northern Aberdares I flushed a flufftail twice. I had no binoculars but he flew right in front of me and I was able to clearly see his red tail. I assume that this most likely means that he was a Striped Flufftail.

Additional note: This area is accessed via the Shamata Gate or Rhino Gate (remarkably fancy new road for a part of the park few visit). The habitat is moist medium-deep tussock grass and it appears that a fire had burnt some

of the taller heather a few years back so that there was no bush story but standing dead wood in clumps.

James Christian www.karisia.com

This is a truly excellent sighting indeed.

That high altitude tussock grassland is indeed the habitat of Striped Flufftail, and there have been several historical records from there. The last was a reported sighting near Satima peak in February 1974. A flufftail that high up with an all-red tail could only be a Striped, and so after 42 years it is really great to have this.

Don Turner

Vulturine Guineafowl with juveniles at Mpala Ranch, Laikipia

Dino Martins

Evans Kosgei K en ya Bi r d i n g |

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10 years of Kenya Birding at the British Birdwatching Fair

Scenes from the Bird Fair clockwise country stands (Kenya and Peru), an optics stand and outside queuing for ice cream.

Mike Davidson

T

here is something quite fantastic about the coming together of thousands and thousands of people who are passionate about birds.

They come together at a birdfair that takes place over a summer weekend at a water reservoir called Rutland Water (near Leicester in England). Visitors to the birdfair come for the talks, exhibitions, birding tours on offer, and to look at and purchase items for their favourite pastime. These include cameras, telescopes, binoculars, books, clothing, and art—in fact anything vaguely to do with birds! Kenya is represented among the numerous stands offering the best (if not THE best) place for bird watching.

Trust and the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), and raises hundreds of thousands of pounds to support bird conservation around the world. There are over 400 stands at the birdfair and they include more than 40 country exhibits, that come from all parts of the world, all vying for the attention of visitors with descriptions of their birds and the best birding places.

The birdfair (www.birdfair.org.uk), in its 28th year, is very likely the largest birdfair in the world, receiving each summer (that is sometimes sunny, but more often rainy) around 30,000 visitors over three days. Kenya has had a stand there for the last nine years and will be there again this year, from 19–21 August.

At the Kenya Birding stand (organised

by Nature Kenya) we’ve had local bird guides and companies come talk to visitors. The Kenya Tourism Board also provides posters and actively engages in the promotions. Visitors who have been to Kenya on one or more occasion (and there have been quite a number) pass by to reminisce about their birding time there. Many others are curious and want to talk about the experience to be expected when visiting Kenya and any concerns they may have. All are eager to pick up a copy of Kenya Birding. The magazine is a well-established feature of the stand and is now much anticipated by visitors.

The birdfair is a joint venture by Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife

This annual journey to the birdfair came about as a result of discussions at the

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2006 Fundamentals of Ornithology course held at Elsamere Field Study Centre on the shores of Lake Naivasha.

This annual course, which includes several daytrips, has given many youngsters the basic practicalities of birdwatching.

The discussions reached a consensus that more effort was needed to promote Kenya as a great place for birding and many of the participants on this course needed further training to become expert guides for such visitors. The Tourism Trust Fund (a joint venture between the European Union and the Government of Kenya) funded a subsequent project proposal completed by the Bird Committee of Nature Kenya.

Latterly, the Kenya Tourism Board has provided valuable assistance.

Although the project has long since been successfully completed, Nature Kenya continues to pursue the same aspirations: to promote birding in Kenya, produce a quality magazine for such promotions, and to offer training to bird guides.

BirdLasser Kenya

Kenya Bird Map is now available freely for your Android phone.

This application allows you to log your observations of birds seen or heard and submit your list to the bird atlas.

Compatibility: Requires an Android mobile device, version 4.0.3 and above

Washington Wachira Getting Started 1.

Search for the app on Google Play Store on your Android device

2.

Click to install “BirdLasser Kenya”

3.

Allow the app to download on your phone

4.

Once installed click the application on your screen to open it

5.

Click the “Sign Up” button to register

9.

6.

Fill in the fields with your personal details A PIN will be sent to the email you provide when signing up

10. Start by going to the settings to select your preferences and enter your name and observer number in the relevant fields

7.

8.

Check your email for your PIN and proceed with the sign up

The home screen you see will be the atlasing section

11. Set the “Atlassing Mode” as the default

Note: To obtain an observer number contact the Kenya Bird Map office. Also, having your location settings, WiFi and GPS turned on helps the application function.

Photo by Catherine Ngarachu

Mapping Once on the home screen, click on the + sign to start a trip card.

Give a name (the place at which you are birding) to the trip card Click on the ✔sign on the top right section of your screen.

Once the trip is created, you can start to add species as you do your birding: when you see or hear a bird, select “log” to add your species from a list which will be auto-generated as you start to type the bird name.

When you see the species name come up, click on the NAME if SEEN or on the EAR symbol if HEARD.

On the next screen you will see the ‘Ad Hoc’ protocol indicated as the default. However, if your bird list is from birding for more than two hours, kindly change this to read ‘Full Protocol’ (to change the protocol, click the ‘ad Hoc name’ once).

For type 2, click the drop down at the top right of the screen, and then click the ‘submit field sheet’ option.

To send the card to the Kenya Bird Map: Depending on your Android version, one of the following submission screens will appear (type 1 or type 2): For type 1 devices, click the ✔ button (on the top right of your screen).

13. Uploading/submitting data to the atlas Click the share icon on your screen.

Mike Davidson (left) with renowned UK birder David Lindo, popularly known as “The Urban Birder”, during the 2015 Birdfair. Photo by Gloria Waswa Birdfair 2016 www.birdfair. org.uk 19–21 August, Rutland Water Nature Reserve —Find the Kenya Birding stand at Marquee 5, Stand Number: 3, 4 Tickets are available per day or for the whole weekend.

Then click ‘submit to BirdMap’.

Note: submission requires Internet connection.

This project, started in 2013 by the Bird Committee of the East Africa Natural History Society, aims to map the distribution of all birds in Kenya. To do this the country has been subdivided into small grid squares, called pentads, that are overlaid on the map.

A pentad represents an area of 9 km by 9 km.

A more detailed BirdLasser Kenya tutorial is available from the Kenya Bird Map office. For a copy, mapping inquiries or assistance with installing the application, kindly contact the Kenya Bird Map office at kenyabirdmap@naturekenya.org or visit the website at kenyabirdmap.adu.org.za

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urban birding Peter Usher In January, there was the unmistakable squawk of a Grey Parrot in my Nairobi garden. I might have been surprised as the Grey Parrot is mostly a bird of West and Central African forests, ranging east into Uganda and Kenya. Here it is only found resident in remnant primordial forests west of the Great Rift Valley. That I wasn’t surprised was because every January for the past three years, the parrots come to my garden.

They did not stay long at first, inspecting one of my tall garden trees, which was about to fruit and then noisily flying away. The parrots were back a week later and the week after that. In early February, they decided that the fruit was ripe enough to eat and the birds became a permanent fixture, arriving in the early morning and leaving just before sundown. Their routine is always the same; they screech and chatter and break off twigs of berrybearing fruit, hold the twig in one claw and strip and eat the berries before discarding the leafy twig. Two birds in an orgy of eating drop a wheelbarrow worth of twigs every day, much to the dismay of my long-suffering gardener.

The parrot pair come daily to the tree throughout February, March and April and as I write this they are easy to spot on the increasingly denuded branches on which they feed. Soon they will be gone. The food will also be gone, eaten or fallen off and the garden will not be worth a visit – until next year. Why they love this particular fruit is a mystery— they proved hard and tasteless when I tried eating the tiny green berries.

Where the parrots go at night or for the rest of the year is another mystery.

There have been reports of Grey Parrots in Nairobi’s Karura forest, a dozen

Grey Parrot. Photo by Peter Usher

Grey Parrots in my garden

kilometres from my Lavington home.

They might be part of that flock, but one cannot be sure. There have been occasional sightings of Grey Parrots in Spring Valley, mid-way between Lavington and Karura, but again no-one can say if these are the same birds or not.

Their origin is also unknown. The Karura forest birds were first sighted three years ago at about the same time that three Grey Parrots appeared in my garden. In the years that followed only two birds visited my home, arriving and leaving together, presumably a pair and hopefully a breeding pair, but there have been no observations of young parrots in Karura.

It is believed that Nairobi’s parrots probably escaped from their cages or were released by their owners. The Grey Parrot is a prized cage bird; it is clever, sociable and speaks with a vocabulary and understanding equivalent to that of a young child. It can learn and speak on cue up to a hundred words and can distinguish between objects, colours, shapes, materials and numbers.

Humans are by far the largest threat to wild Grey Parrot populations. According to Wikipedia.org, between 1994 and 2003, over 359,000 Grey Parrots were traded on the international market.

Around 21% of the population of wild birds are being harvested every year with high mortality rates (60-66%).

They are also hunted for meat and for body parts that are used in traditional medicine and are in danger from habitat loss. As a result the Grey Parrot is rated as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN and protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) (Appendix II), to which Kenya is a signatory party.

Perhaps the Grey Parrots seen in Karura forest, as well as those in my garden (if different), will survive and breed, and hopefully, when next my tree is ripe with fruit the parrot pair will be back with their young. Only my gardener will be dismayed.

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What’s in a photograph?

W Peter Usher The professional photographer will claim that a great photograph, as opposed to a good photograph, has to have an added dimension - an image caught at that one unlikely-to-be-repeated moment of action or ‘cuteness’. These shots are rarely obtained by accident. They require planning, patience, dedication, hard work and above all, time. I have read of the photographer who wished to capture the perfect picture of a kingfisher diving into a pond. He achieved his aim but not before he had taken 120,000 shots over six years!

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hile most birdwatchers carry binoculars I do not, finding them a hindrance to my need to have both hands free to quickly point and shoot the camera at the mostly uncooperative subjects.

I also reason that if a bird is so far away that it requires binoculars to view it, then it is also too far away to make a reasonable photograph.

My aims are modest, I have no ambition to be a professional photographer, but I want to take the best possible picture of my subjects and create a portfolio of images of which I can be proud. At the very least, pictures that are well framed, correctly exposed, and sharp. Most of my pictures are “record” shots. That is, detailed images of birds, animals, insects and reptiles that can be used as identification aids or admired as a representation of nature’s beauty.

So what does the aspiring bird photographer need?

Well, naturally a camera. A phone-camera or a pocket camera will not cut it. A Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) camera is what is usually required. These range from those that are relatively simple to operate, having plastic bodies and small light sensitive chips to the high-end aluminum

machines. The latter have sophisticated controls, ultrasensitive recording material and additional abilities needed to deal with difficult photographic situations (beyond the capacity of unsophisticated cheaper models).

The choice of lens is equally important. The standard kit lens has a variable focal length of about 18–55mm. This is adequate for portraits or landscapes, but cannot be used successfully for wildlife photography. It is necessary to fit a long telephoto lens to the camera. SLR cameras allow lenses to be changed. The photographer can unscrew his landscape or portrait lens and replace it with a long lens for wildlife work. The greater the focal length (the distance between the lens and the image sensor measured in millimetres) then the larger the image captured.

A minimum focal length for wildlife work would be 200mm. Preferably, a focal length of double this is recommended, but there is a trade-off. Long lenses increase camera shake, resulting in blurred images. Built-in lens stabilization is needed to correct this. Long lenses also limit the amount of light falling on the sensor, requiring the lens to be used at its widest aperture or for the sensitivity of the sensor chip to be adjusted to compensate for reduced exposure. This can result in image noise and degraded pictures. Better lenses compensate for these problems, but at a cost that can run into hundreds or even thousands of dollars. There are other costs too—tripods, flashguns, filters, reflectors and a host of other add-ons.

So what is the minimum that the aspiring wildlife photographer can get away with?

I have been impressed by the so-called bridge cameras with fixed lenses that zoom from wide angle to long telephoto for only a few hundred dollars. My own equipment, that includes a mid-range priced camera and 150–500mm telephoto zoom lens retails at $2000. Better kit might cost five times as much again, but won’t necessarily produce a better photo.

The most important part of any photography session is you. Know your equipment and how to use it for optimum results. For wildlife, be familiar with your subject, its habits and habitats; be prepared to pursue your quarry for long periods in inhospitable terrain, but also understand when it is better to sit hidden and patient for a shy skulking bird to emerge from cover. Shoot loads of exposures and learn from the failures that will occur far more frequently than the successes.

What other things are there to consider?

Use a fast shutter speed – not less than 1/500 second – in order to freeze a moving subject. At the same time, adjust the lens aperture and chip sensitivity (ISO) to ensure correct exposure and picture quality. Don’t worry if this sounds difficult, most cameras will automatically make the corrections when the photographer adjusts one of the exposure variables.

Bird photography in particular, allows little time for adjusting camera settings. By the time you have everything right (speed, aperture and sensitivity) the target bird could be two fields away. I find that using the ‘Basic’ rather than the ‘Advanced’ camera settings, specifically the “Sports Setting”, is often sufficient for most bird photography, including snapping birds in flight. The camera software automatically sets a fast speed, higher ISO and varies the aperture to ensure correct exposure.

So, dial in Sports, tweak the exposure compensation control if the background appears excessively dark or light, and shoot quickly and often to ensure at least one reasonable picture. If you still have time, you can reset the exposure with the Advanced controls and shoot again for the best possible result.

One other decision has to be made: that is deciding on the quality of the image you intend to capture. The choice is RAW or JPEG. RAW comprises the total digital data recorded on the sensor. Choosing JPEG allows software within the camera to make changes to the image, including discarding unnecessary pixel information in order to produce a smaller-sized image perhaps one-third of the size of a RAW file. Computer manipulation of the image is still advised for JPEG files (cropping, straightening, sharpening, colour correction, etc) in order to produce the best result, but I’ll leave those details for another article.

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species

Video recordings made at the nest revealed that at some nests, more than a breeding pair provided the chicks with food. Photo by Dries Van de Loock.

Sharing in the care of young

Cabanis’s Greenbul Dries Van de Loock & Sybryn Maes The Cabanis’s Greenbul in Taita Hills groups together with relatives and strangers in small flocks. At the nests, breeding pairs receive help from other flock members bringing food to the young. While Cabanis’s Greenbul is known to be a social bird that is found in family groups, the cooperative breeding behaviour described here has not been observed in this species before and is so far only known from the Taita Hills.

Could this be the Cabanis’s last resort to survive in these heavily disturbed indigenous forest remnants of the Taita Hills?

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t is 6:15 a.m. and the first beams of sunlight just appeared across the horizon. However, you haven’t noticed the beauty of this morning’s sunrise because you are birding in the middle of a dense humid forest, trying to avoid getting entangled in a spiny climber.

Suddenly, your heartbeat rises at the sound of a bird calling from a nearby bush, but your hopes are dashed when you see it is “just another Cabanis’s Greenbul”—a medium-sized, dull-looking brown bird. You want to turn your attention back to finding Taita Thrush, because that is after all, why you are here—to find mysterious Taita endemics.

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A female at her nest in Taita Hills is waiting for group members to bring food to the chicks. The combination of colour rings at her legs is unique and allows researchers to distinguish between individuals. Photo by Dries Van de Loock.

However, as an alert observer you notice some plastic coloured rings on the birds’ legs. More Cabanis’s Greenbuls join the party that also wear rings, but these have different colour combinations. This means you can distinguish individuals from each other. You decide to follow this flock of Cabanis’s to its well-hidden nest in an impenetrable climber, and you marvel at what you see…

Extended families

At this nest of a Cabanis’s Greenbul, you see up to five individuals feeding fresh insect larvae to begging chicks.

This cooperative breeding behaviour was observed rom video recordings at several greenbul nests in the Taita Hills. This means the breeding pair is supported by helpers in raising their chicks.

When taking a closer look at who these helpers are and where they come from, it becomes clear that they are young birds from previous breeding seasons. They are thus helping their parents raise younger brothers and sisters. But, groups can be even more numerous. There are members, beyond the breeding pair and the helpers, who don’t seem to help feed the chicks, nor do they breed themselves. Many of them are strangers who are not related to the breeding pair at all.

Safety in number

Why would birds want to live in a group, join a breeding pair, and in some cases even help with raising their offspring? Life in a group can be said to have some advantages: there are more eyes to spot danger and predators have less of a chance to strike. Also, groups can defend bigger and better territories, so they have better access to valuable resources. So, when living in a group trumps living alone, individuals might decide to join a group.

How unique is this?

It is well known that the hills are home to a number of unique animals and plants not found anywhere else on this planet. Many of these species have been the subject of studies focusing on the effects of environmental changes brought about by forest fragmentation. For the Cabanis’s Greenbul it is too soon to tell to what extent, this cooperative breeding behaviour is also linked to these environmental changes. Perhaps it is unique. But then again – though not necessarily less exciting – it might be just as common as Cabanis’s himself.

Background information on group membership and relatedness between individuals:

Helping on the other hand is costly. The individuals providing help are working double-time: they need to survive themselves and take care of others. Therefore, it is unlikely that individuals will help if they are not rewarded in some way. Indeed, birds helping relatives are rewarded indirectly. That is, they increase the success rate of rearing individuals of the same ‘bloodline’. In the end, this is the next best thing to producing offspring of their own.

Does forest disturbance trigger a behavioural change?

But why would these birds not try to breed on their own? In the Taita Hills the reason might be simple: they cannot. Cabanis’s Greenbul can only breed inside the dense forest interior. Sadly, there is very little indigenous forest left in Taita and the remaining forest fragments are small, disturbed and isolated from each other. Thus, a bird searching for a mate or a place to build its nest might fail to find a free territory or a mate in its fragment. To search farther would require moving to another fragment.

However, the risk that accompanies a crossover between fragments is too high, with no guarantee of free space or mates, so very few birds take this chance. Young birds therefore just stay at the site where they were born, raised and with which they are familiar. One day, they might be able to breed on their own, but in the meantime they do the next best thing: help others.

We know which individuals are related or not for two reasons. First, we have been monitoring the entire breeding population since 2007. We hereby search for Cabanis’s nests in all forest fragments, conduct observations, trap members of groups associated with these nests and ring any nestlings before they fledge.

As a result, ​in the majority of individuals we know exactly where they are born and who their parents were. So, in many cases we know from ring records that these birds cannot be related. The most striking example is​that of​a female bird ​that was ​born in one forest fragment and join​ed​a group in another.

Dispersal on itself is extremely rare and the breeding pair that this female bird joined was never seen outside that particular forest fragment. So, it is impossible that these birds can be related, not even in a distant way. Second, a pilot analysis (results not yet published) assessing the genetic relatedness based on micro​ satellites confirm that presumed unrelated individuals are indeed unrelated.

Acknowledgments

We want to thank Peter Kavusi, Adam Mwakesi, Lawrence Chovu, Oliver Mwakio, Sylvester Karimi and Vincent Onyango for fieldwork. Luc Lens, Mwangi Githiru, Lawrence Wagura and Peter Njoroge supported us logistically. Kenya Forest Service kindly allowed fieldwork in their forests and the Ornithology Section of the National Museums of Kenya provided helpful support.

I WANT YOU… to observe Cabanis’s Greenbuls!

Contribute in answering the question as to whether this behaviour is restricted to the Taita Hills or not. Juvenile Cabanis’s Greenbul tend to stay long with their parents. Generally, juveniles disperse just before the next breeding season. If it appears that, in other forests around Kenya, groups are really seen throughout the year (so in the breeding season as well), then this might suggest that they breed cooperatively (so help at the nest). By simply observing the Cabanis’s Greenbul wherever you encounter them, you can help in getting a better understanding.

Information on the number of birds you encountered together, location and time/date of your observation is very welcome and can be sent to dries.vandeloock@ugent.be. A short description increases the value of your observations for later use. A big thank you for your help!

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BIRDS OF PREY

of Bunyala Martin Odino

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e’ve identified 30 species of birds of prey representing over 40% of Kenya’s raptors around the Bunyala Rice Plantation in western Kenya. Observations started in 2009 during my project to reduce bird poisoning and were carried out with a team composed of members from the local community.

Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle

Most of the birds of prey are resident, and breed in the neighbourhood, while others are Palaearctic migrants, occurring during the September-May annual migration season. They are lured to the paddies by the abundance of prey — seed-eating birds (that thrive on the rice grain), wading birds, reptiles and small mammals.

Watching birds of prey though is constrained by the large flooded area that makes up the paddies, and the lack of perching trees on which the birds can rest. There are a few Euphorbia candelabrum around the paddies and tall Eucalyptus and Markhamia trees in homes along the periphery of the plantation used by birds of prey to hunt domestic fowl.

Birds of prey recorded include Common Kestrel, Grey Kestrel, Red-necked Falcon, Eurasian Hobby, Lanner Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Black Kite (& the Afrotropical race Yellow-Billed Kite), African Fish Eagle, Hooded Vulture, Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle [a ‘Vulnerable’ species as indicated in the BirdLife/IUCN Red List of threatened species], African Harrier Hawk, Gabar Goshawk, Shikra, Little Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Ayres’s Hawk Eagle, Barn Owl and Verreaux’s Eagle Owl.

Peregrine Falcon

Black Kite

Photos by Martin Odino

Shikra

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Lesser Kestrel

Black-shouldered Kite

Greyish Eagle Owl

Grey Kestrel

Long-crested Eagle

Lizard Buzzard

Western Banded Snake-Eagle

Red-necked Falcon

Black-chested Snake Eagle

Western Marsh Harrier

Little Sparowhawk

Wahlberg’s Eagle

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Butterflies are without a doubt one of the most cheerful and resilient of creatures. As one travels around East Africa, it is hard not to notice butterflies, as they flutter across roads, gather in droves ‘mud-puddling’ by streams and damp patches where animals have peed, or as they sail elegantly by with seemingly little effort.

An urban nesting site for Yellow-billed Storks and Pink-backed Pelicans in Naivasha Washington Wachira

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here is a mixed breeding colony of Yellowbilled Stork and Pink-backed Pelican in Naivasha, Kenya. This colony was first observed in April 2013, nesting on Acacia xanthophloea trees around Banda-Kihoto area.

In August of the same year, I visited the colony again and recorded nesting activity. Many broken eggshells were found underneath the nesting trees. In the following years, nesting was observed to take place at the same times of year (April & August) with the storks being more numerous than the pelicans.

In mid-April 2016, a team of birders reported that the nest site had extended from the Banda Fish Landing Beach to Naivasha town. Again, stick nests were built on the top branches of Acacia xanthophloea trees.

Urban habitats may provide greater refuge to different species in the future, as natural habitats decline.

Dark Blue Pansy

Some of our Common

Butterflies Dino J. Martins

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erhaps the most common and familiar of all our butterflies are the ‘Whites and Yellows’ or Pierids (Pieridae)—they are seasonally so abundant that some have to migrate so as to find new places to lay their eggs. After good rains the most common butterfly is the Brown-Veined White (Belenois aurota), who can sometimes be found flying in such huge numbers that they regularly feature in the news as people can’t help but notice them. A number of other related species, including the African Migrant (Catopsilia florella), Grass Yellows (Eurema spp.) and various Red, Orange and Scarlet Tips (Colotis spp.) can also be found seasonally in large numbers.

In gardens in the highlands you will quickly become familiar with the ubiquitous Blue Pansy (Junonia oenone), Yellow Pansy (Junonia hierta), Common Leopard Fritillary (Phalanta phalanta) and Little Commodore (Junonia sophia). Gardens and orchards also attract the beautiful Citrus Swallowtail (Papilio demodocus), whose caterpillars feed on the leaves of various trees in the citrus family (Rutaceae).

In most parts of Kenya, the soaring, elegant, and confident flight of the bright orange and black African

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Butterfly book POCKET GUIDE: Brown-Veined White

Little Commodore

BUTTERFLIES OF EAST AFRICA Dino J. Martins & Steve Collins

This handy, compact guide serves as an introduction to the amazing butterfly diversity of East Africa.

It introduces 246 of the more common, spectacular and interesting species found in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

KES 1,500.00 (USD 15.00) Citrus Swallowtails

Photos by Dino J. Martins Queen or African Monarch (Danaus chrysippus) is unmistakable. This enigmatic butterfly is widely distributed, even as far as China, along with its superb mimic the Diadem (Hypolimnas misippus) - female Diadems mimic the African Queen, matching its various forms.

Seasonally abundant species that appear in numbers following the rains include the lovely Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) that migrates into North Africa and parts of Europe. Another dainty globetrotter found throughout our region is the pretty Pea Blue (Lampides boeticus) that feeds in pods of legumes (it is found in many other parts of the world too).

Many members of the Pea Blue’s family, the Lycaenidae, are common, even in the hottest and driest parts of northern Kenya, where they can be found whirling frantically around lone acacia trees out in the desert.

These include some of the tiniest but veritable gems of the butterfly world, like the African Babul Blue (Azanus jesous) and its relatives.

Spend a few minutes when next out birding or on safari to appreciate the butterflies!

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Lake Turkana

Does this lake have a future?

From a 10-day trip (focused on water resources) taken at the end of November 2015, Dr. Patrick Avery recounts the birds he saw and comments on the likely impact of the Gibe III dam and other developments on the lake and its birdlife.

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lying to Lodwar, we travelled from Labolo on the western shore of the Lake, down to the southern end before heading back up to Central Island and the Ferguson’s Gulf area. We found the rains had started, unusually filling some of the big luggas in the area and making wind changes on the lake unpredictable—the lake would go from being a still mill-pond to a tumultuous ocean over the course of an hour.

The lake had declined from a several decade high point at the beginning of the year. The level would ordinarily have started to rise anytime from June onwards when the traditional Omo floods occur, but the filling of the Gibe III dam had absorbed all of the floodwater and the lake had continued to fall steadily rather than rising again as would normally have occurred. Gibe III will take at least another year to fill so the lake could feasibly fall by another couple of metres.

(The Gilgel Gibe III Dam is a concrete dam with a hydroelectric power generating plant built on the Omo River in Ethiopia and opened in October 2015.)

South Island, Turkana. Photo by Peter Usher

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Kerio River Delta We got an opportunity to visit the delta made by the Kerio river where it discharges large amounts of deep brown coloured water into the lake. There is a surprising area of papyrus and reed swamp here as well as lots of flooded Prosopsis woodland along the lakeshore. Hippo footprints on the shore here were a very pleasant surprise as they have virtually vanished from the lake and only cling on in the Omo delta and, in a few groups, near Sibiloi National Park. We had heard rumours of them at the Kerio delta and local fisherman said that there were up to 10 of them present. In the reeds were jacanas, which at Lake Turkana, I have only previously seen in the Omo Delta. There were also some warblers, which remained unidentified.

This area though certainly holds some very interesting and probably overlooked bird habitat to investigate on another trip.

Ferguson’s Gulf The fishing intensity and pressure in the Gulf is unbelievable. There are nets everywhere and we counted in excess of a hundred boats. The shallow water and

conservation Crocodile Lake in Central Island.

Photo by Patrick Avery

Grey-headed Gull.

Photo by Peter Usher Caspian Tern. Photo by Peter Usher

associated algal production make the Gulf the most productive fishing area on the lake. The high water of recent years has meant that much of the invasive Prosopsis woodland along the lakeshore has been flooded. This has been highly beneficial for the fish and other wildlife because it provides an excellent refuge for young fish, birds and crocodiles. We saw more evidence of young crocodiles around the lake than we have seen in a long time. This flooded woodland may not be a feature of Turkana again because the damming of the Omo will prevent the annual flood that has traditionally triggered the fish breeding cycles through the inundation of the shoreline. Time will tell.

The bird life in the Gulf is unbelievable. There are terns everywhere: Gull-billed and Whiskered, as well as a good number of Caspians. Lesser Black-backed and Grey-headed Gulls were also present in good numbers.

There were hundreds of Great White Pelicans as well as large numbers of cormorants, various herons, and egrets.

The cormorants seem to commute daily to the Gulf from

their roosts on Central Island. I wonder where they will all be feeding if and when the Gulf, currently less than two metres deep over its entire extent, inevitably dries up?

Central Island Central Island is an unbelievable place for birding, unlike any other I have been to in Kenya. The grass cover and wild flowers flourish in the absence of any grazers. This was my third trip to the island, a magnificent place that needs better protection than the Kenya Wildlife Service are providing with their intermittent and random visits from the mainland at Kalokol. Huge Great Cormorant breeding colonies were around Crocodile Lake on the island with nearly fledged youngsters. In addition, there were breeding Yellow-billed Storks, Sacred Ibis, African Spoonbills and Grey Herons. The bird numbers and the noise around the lake are reminiscent of some bird colonies in much colder northern climates. The only predators are the local fishermen and the ever-present Fan-tailed Ravens.

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What it means to coordinate an ecology course The Kerio Delta. A large area of papyrus swamp exists in the area on the right side to the North of the delta. Photo by Patrick Avery

A good number of White-browed Coucal are resident in the dense mswaki (Salvadora Persica) thickets on the island.

I often wonder, how on earth they made it to the island. The distance to the mainland is at least 15 km—do you think, with their haphazard flight between low bushes, a coucal could fly this distance? The only other option is that they arrived after stowing away on floating masses of reeds coming from the Omo Delta. We saw a number of such rafts on this trip, one of which was several hundred metres across and was covered with perching egrets. These rafts break away from the delta and make their way down the lake, wind permitting.

Speckled Pigeon; African Mourning and Namaqua doves are numerous on the island, as is the white-bellied morph of the Variable Sunbird (the only place where I have consistently and reliably seen this variant in Kenya). Western Marsh Harriers were also common and there appear to be year-round resident ospreys, fish eagles, peregrines and Fox Kestrels. Another bird of interest here was a Common Nightingale, seen twice, where on a previous visit, there had been a Willow Warbler in the same mswaki thicket.

The Flamingo Lake on the island was sadly very short of flamingos on this trip. In July 2014 we counted over 20,000 Lesser Flamingo, but this time there were only about 50 Greater and a couple of injured Lessers that had been left behind (injuries are likely the result of local fishermen who target the flamingos with rocks for some extra protein). Flamingo Lake is no deeper than five metres at its deepest extent. Its level is dependent on the main lake via underground hydraulic pressure. A five metre drop in the main lake level, which is quite feasible when the effects of Omo water extractions for irrigation are compounded with those of Gibe III, will mean that this valuable flamingo habitat will dry up entirely.

E

Waders around the lake included large numbers of Common Ringed, Kittlitz’s and White-fronted Plovers; Common Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Little Stint, as well as smaller numbers of Ruff. I also saw a pair of Pied Avocet and a single Curlew Sandpiper on the western shore of the lake.

The courses are specially designed for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates, researchers and conservation practitioners who are at the beginning of their careers, but have little experience in tropical biology.

Nationals of African countries attending the courses are sponsored. Students from Europe and member institutions of the Tropical Biology Association participate at a subsidised fee. A typical course has 24 students, who travel to the East African country where the course they are attending is being held.

Developments on the rivers that drain into Lake Turkana are certain to have very significant impacts on the resident and migrant bird communities that utilise the lake.

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ach year, the Tropical Biology Association runs 2-3 month-long field courses, designed to foster expertise in tropical biology and conservation. My job is to help the lecturers and students that attend the course and ensure that all arrangements are well organized. Having run courses for many years, the Tropical Biology Association has much experience to go on, and with care each course is implemented as planned. But even with meticulous planning things do go wrong: vehicles break down, participants lose their way back from fieldwork or panic on encountering wildlife. It is part of my routine each day to smooth out the complications and bring calm to nerve-wracking moments.

Gregory Maina

TBA director Rosie Trevelyan (centre with binoculars) leads a group of students through a field study in Kirindy Forest Reserve in Madagascar. Photo courtesy of TBA

Gregory (in black and red t-shirt) with students participating in the Ngogo walk at the Makerere University Field Station in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Photo courtesy of TBA

I, and the rest of the team at the Association, make arrangements for basic but comfortable accommodation and meals, and hire vans when course vehicles are not sufficient.

This means working with hosts in different countries in the region. Laikipia, Naivasha and Taita are areas of ecological interest in Kenya where the course has been held. The course in Uganda is held at Kibale National Park and is hosted by the Makerere University Biological Field Station (MUBFS).

A tropical forest, the park has over 300 birds and 13 primate species, including chimpanzees. In Tanzania it takes place at Amani Nature Reserve, home to the second largest botanical garden in the world.

For many participants it is their first travel outside of their own country or their first experience in a tropical environment. It is both exciting and uncertain, and I try to provide reassurance, help and guidance. Then there are those times that test the organisers and the participants alike - like on the hair-raising famed Ngogo walk, that takes place on the Uganda course - one of the course’s highlights.

A research project study session at Kirindy Forest Reserve in Madagascar. Photo courtesy of TBA

trail weaves through thick forests, open grasslands, steep hills and deep valleys. With each step, the sun and heat becomes more and more oppressive, and the challenging terrain soon tapers the initial optimism and energy of participants. The open grassland, a bird haven, offers breathtaking views of the cascading landscape, but it is also a favorite spot for elephants.

Groups ahead raise an alarm when they encounter elephants or aggressive chimps along the path. But turning back is never an option, and sometimes we have to devise an alternative route.

What a relief therefore is the relatively more uncomplicated challenge of taking on the local community football team, towards the end of a course. Participants talk tough and boast of their football prowess. Alas, our spirited effort always comes short, but the experience is very exciting for everyone involved.

In the end, what is the most rewarding for me is the positive reviews we get back from participants about the value of the course as a foundation for their careers in conservation.

On the Ngogo walk participants are divided into several groups, each led and guided by an armed ranger. The narrow K en ya Bi r d i n g |

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Saving a critical habitat for papyrus endemic birds in Yala swamp Emily Mateche Yala swamp and its biodiversity

Yala swamp is a deltaic wetland located in the northeast section of Lake Victoria. The swamp consists mostly of papyrus with swamp grasses around its periphery. It provides an important site for East Africa’s papyrus endemics.

Papyrus endemics include the near threatened Papyrus Gonolek, Carruthers’s Cisticola, White-winged Swamp Warbler, Papyrus Yellow Warbler (globally threatened) and Papyrus Canary.

The papyrus reeds are also home to Lesser Swamp and Great Reed warblers and Swamp Flycatcher. Flowering heads of papyrus provide quite fine nesting material for Northern Brown-throated and Lesser Masked weavers.

Waterbirds including ducks, herons and egrets feed and nest along the edges of the swamp and Palaearctic migrants like

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Lssser Swamp Warbler. Photo by Peter Usher

Barn Swallow and Yellow Wagtail are common sightings (in season October–March).

Besides birdlife, Yala swamp is also a critical habitat for Sitatunga antelope (threatened) and Haplochromis cichlid fish, which have been exterminated in Lake Victoria, but survive in Lake Kanyaboli (a lake within the swamp).

Threats to Yala swamp

The threats to Yala swamp are increasingly taking a toll.

Critical habitats are being drained, papyrus vegetation is burnt, and the land converted to agriculture.

Restoration of Yala swamp

With support from Nature Kenya, the Yala Ecosystem Site Support Group (SSG) is spearheading the planting of papyrus. The SSG has 20 constituent community groups and together they plan to plant 300 ha of papyrus within the swamp. This initiative is the very first of its kind at Yala swamp.

As part of ongoing land use planning, Nature Kenya is also advocating for the designation of Community Conservation Areas (CCAs). The proposed CCAs are to be jointly managed by the community and County governments of Siaya and Busia for conservation and ecotourism.

Bird monitoring at Yala Swamp. Photos by John Mwacharo

Monitoring produces gamechanging results for birds and sites

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here is a need to constantly and repeatedly collect information on forest, grassland and wetland areas so as to detect changes in the habitat or in the populations of plants and animals. This helps us to detect any threats, assess their impact on biodiversity, and determine the conservation actions required.

Monitoring of habitats and bird populations has been happening since 1995 and so far, 65 sites have been identified as Important Bird Areas. At these sites both basic and detailed monitoring is taking place. In addition, monitoring of common birds takes place around the country.

Basic Monitoring This involves the filling out of a simple form by members of the responsible institutions at sites (these include National Museums of Kenya, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forest Service, and National Environment Management Authority), volunteers and Nature Kenya members. This monitoring is expected to take place at all 65 IBA sites at least once every year.

Detailed Monitoring This involves the detailed collection of information on birds and their habitats. It is a more expensive endeavour and

Fred Barasa requires specialized training and equipment. It is currently being undertaken at ten IBA sites with the help of trained community members.

Common Bird Monitoring This aims to provide information to determine changes in the populations of a wide range of birds, across a variety of habitats, throughout Kenya. It also attempts to understand the factors responsible for their decline. It involves volunteers and takes place in February and August each year, at any place convenient to the observer.

Once the data is submitted, it is analysed and the results communicated by a variety of means, including reports and meetings. (Visit Nature Kenya to get a copy of the IBA Status and Trends Report published each year).

Over the years the information gleaned from monitoring has helped to influence policy, improve site management, generate new knowledge, engage stakeholders, secure resources and foster public and political support.

Despite the various challenges encountered along the way, monitoring continues to be one of the most important tools for the conservation of habitats and species.

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How the community is working to save

Actions by the community that have saved forest trees and other species:

Dakatcha Woodlands Edwin Utumbi

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akatcha Woodland forests continue to face uncontrolled logging of valuable trees, illegal commercial charcoal production, and agricultural expansion. Though rich in biodiversity, the Dakatcha forests are not protected.

The community formed the Dakatcha Woodland Conservation Group (SSG) in 2007 and, with help from Nature Kenya, have had community members trained in bird guiding, biodiversity monitoring, capacity building and entrepreneurship.

The group currently has a membership of more than ten local conservation groups. It plays a crucial role in leading A section of Dakatche Woodland. Photo by Joan Gichuki community members (over Dakatcha is an important biodiversity 300 individuals) in activities site and that it is home to local that promote the protection of the remaining Dakatcha Woodland forests. communities whose livelihoods are dependent upon it. Met with These include: some skepticism at first, the plan • conservation awareness and is now accepted by the community advocacy and endorsed by the Kilifi County • promoting community livelihoods Government and Kenya Forest Service.

• monitoring common birds and the endangered and endemic Clarke’s Part of the plan is to maintain Weaver Community Conserved Areas or CCAs. • providing conservation Nine CCAs have been mapped using monitoring data GPS and trees have been painted to depict the boundaries. They cover an To strengthen their ability to work area of 10,000 hectares and inside with the Kenya Forest Service, the two of them (Arbamkenge and Gandi group formed a Community Forest wetlands), Clarke’s Weaver have been Association. (CFAs are legally seen nesting. recognized community organizations under the Forest Act, 2005).

CCAs are managed by the community through elected management They then went on to develop a committees that are charged with management plan to guide the enforcing the CCA bylaws. sustainable utilization of forests resources. The plan recognises that

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•

In 2012 charcoal production was brought under control by requiring charcoal producers to organize themselves into community-based organizaions (CBOs).

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43 Community Forest Guards were recruited, trained and equipped with uniforms, boots and two motorcycles that are used for forest patrols

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Those suspected to be illegally extracting forest products are arrested by the community forest guards and handed over to the Kenya Forest Service or to Kenya Wildlife Service for prosecution (at least 50 arrests were made in 2015).

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Environmental education is also a major component of the conservation programme, and in 2015 succeeded in reaching out to 2080 pupils and 10 environmental clubs. The clubs were also registered with Wildlife Clubs of Kenya and 27,000 tree seedlings have been planted in various schools.

Sheep for Longclaw Stopping the decline of an endangered grassland bird on the Kinangop Plateau through an innovative sheep farming project

Mercy Kariuki and Samuel Bakari

Sharpe’s Longclaw. Photo by Peter Steward

Sheep grazing in Kinangop grasslands. Photo NK Archieves

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n 2002, it was predicted* that the grassland cover on the Kinangop Plateau, in the central highlands, would drop to less than 20% by 2010. Recent surveys and sustained long-term monitoring bears this out, indicating that grass covers less than 10% of the Kinangop grasslands today.

Why is it important to save grassland?

The highland grasslands of Kinangop provide water-holding and carbon storage services. They host unique plants and animals, and are recognized internationally as a global stronghold for the endangered Sharpe’s Longclaw—locally referred to as Gathonjo ka weeru–ini. Sharpe’s Longclaw requires tussocky grassland for feeding, roosting and nesting.

The grasslands are declining at an alarming rate primarily because farmers have reduced the scale of traditional livestock keeping in favor of crop production. There has also been an increase in the human population with a subsequent increase in land subdivision, which often results in more intensive cultivation.

Not surprisingly, there has been a corresponding decline in the number of Sharpe’s Longclaw. To slow this loss of habitat, the project is providing improved breeds of ram as an incentive for farmers to retain grassland, rather than convert the land for agriculture. We call this scheme ‘Sheep for Longclaw’.

How does the scheme benefit farmers and biodiversity?

The Sheep for Longclaw project is based on the premise that enhancing the viability of animal husbandry and integrating farmers in conservation efforts will improve support for *Ndang’ang’a, P. K., du Plessis M. A, Ryan P. G., and Bennun L. A. (2002). Grassland decline in Kinangop Plateau, Kenya; implications for conservation of Sharpe’s Longclaw (Macronyx sharpei)

grasslands that in turn support birds and other biodiversity.

Farmers benefit from better livestock farming, especially through breed management, stocking rates and paddocking.

The project provides improved breeds of ram, especially Corriedale, and advises on housing and disease control.

Livestock keeping is then more profitable, less labour intensive, and helps retains soil productivity.

In return and to ensure the long-time sustainability of the project, each farmer is committed to surrendering a male lamb, which is then provided to another farmer and the cycle continues. Engaging farmers for conservation is also a key component of the initiative, most especially the landowners.

What are the sheep used for?

The Njabini Wool Crafters Cooperative Society (NWCCS) pays local sheep farmers a fair price for their wool. The wool is used for making multi-coloured patterned rugs, mats, scarves and other goods that they produce by hand. Recently, the woolspinning efforts of the Cooperative got a boost from a UKbased donor who funded a new wool spinning and weaving workshop.

The Sheep for Longclaw project has been made possible by two projects funded by Rufford Small Grants Foundation.

Visit the Njabini Wool Crafters Cooperative Society workshop for rugs and other products hand-woven from local wool. Their new workshop is a two-storey building along the Njabini-Engineer road, about 4 km from Njabini (Kamurembo area). They are also able to organize expeditions to the Plateau to see Sharpe’s Longclaw and other grassland birds.

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Birds for Birds Crete2Cape Vintage Air Rally Paul Gacheru

Lappet-faced and Cape vultures. Photo by Andre Botha

Kenyan vultures and migrants in more trouble according to IUCN Red List Paul Kariuki Ndang’ang’a

S

ix of Africa’s 11 vulture species, five of which are found in Kenya, are among the 40 species now at a higher risk of global extinction. This is according to BirdLife International’s latest assessment of birds carried out for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The main cause of the drop in vulture populations in Kenya is thought to be the indiscriminate poisoning—a by-product of people trying to deliberately eradicate mammalian predators that attack livestock, with poisoned carcasses or baits inadvertently attracting vultures.

Elsewhere in Africa there is the use of vulture body parts in traditional medicine and the deliberate targeting of the birds by poachers because circling vultures give away the presence of illegally killed big game, such as rhinos and elephants. Other factors thought to play a role in the declines include habitat loss, human disturbance and collisions with wind turbines and electricity powerlines (as well as electrocution by the latter).

The five affected vulture species that occur in Kenya are: Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus: Endangered to CRITICALLY ENDANGERED White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus: Endangered to CRITICALLY ENDANGERED White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps

occipitalis: Vulnerable to CRITICALLY ENDANGERED Rüppell’s Vulture Gyps rueppellii: Endangered to CRITICALLY ENDANGERED Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos: Vulnerable to ENDANGERED The rapid decline of the vultures has profound consequences for people, as vultures help stop the spread of diseases by cleaning up rotting carcasses.

Other changes in status The Steppe Eagle has also been uplisted to Endangered, especially due to increasing threats it faces in Europe.

Two widespread species of wading birds that visit Kenya have seen their status raised from Least Concern to Near Threatened. Populations of the Bartailed Godwit and Curlew Sandpiper are declining in East Asia and Australasia due to intense pressure from the loss of intertidal stopover habitat.

Two migratory land bird species (Eurasian Roller and Semi-collared Flycatcher) that visit Kenya are among a total of 23 species that have been down-listed to a lower level of threat, from Near Threatened to Least Concern.

However, these changes are due to a better understanding of individual populations and a more accurate and revised picture of how the species are faring.

The importance of vultures is often overlooked. They are often perceived as being greedy creatures associated with decay. This is seen in popular culture where land grabbers and corrupt people are often portrayed as vultures.

In nature, however, vultures play a critical role in keeping the environment clean and healthy.

They are also part of the web of life which all living things – including people – depend.

Nature Kenya is working with BirdLife International to eliminate threats to African vultures and reverse their population declines.

This effort is getting support from an unusual, but not totally unrelated event, the Crete2Cape Vintage Air Rally (www.crete2cape. com). In this event, pilots and their vintage aircrafts “built before the 31st December 1939” will relive the early days of African aviation. They will attempt to fly from Crete in Greece to Cape Town, South Africa.

The rally will collaborate with BirdLife Partners (including Nature Kenya), in countries over which they will pass, to raise awareness about the extinction of vultures.

Photo: www.crete2cape.tumblr.com

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Where to watch birds

Courtesy of Google Maps

Birding off the beaten track

in Homa Bay County James Bradley The southwestern corner of Kenya, within what is now Homa Bay County, is little known birding country. There is some information from early collecting expeditions along the lakeshore at Kendu Bay but inland sites, including the Gwassi Hills and Ruma National Park, have only rarely been birded. The area is biologically rich, supports several rare and range-restricted species, and is easily accessible on a good network of recently upgraded roads—it has the makings of a very interesting “off the beaten track” birding adventure.

I’ve selected a handful of sites here from which, with four or five days, and by visiting four of the habitat types (forest, woodlands, grassland and wetlands), a list of 200-250 species is quite possible. You can also be assured that a visit in July will be quite different to one in February!

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Gembe Hills. Photo by James Bradley

1. Gembe Hills These hills form the northern rim of the Kisingiri crater. They support grassland on gravelly slopes, from near lake level to over 6,000 ft (1,829 m). They are almost completely unknown, but can be accessed very easily from Mbita or Homa Bay by way of a semi-tarmacked road leading to a radio tower near the summit (we went 80% of the way there in a saloon car in 2012). Aside from spectacular panoramic vistas over the slopes and beyond, there are some good birds to be sought.

Resident Martial Eagles prey on Oribi, which are scattered through the hills. Steep rocky sections with some scrub support Rock-loving Cisticola and Long-billed Pipit, while thicker grassy hollows are good areas for Croaking Cisticola.

Nearer the summit, be on the look out for soaring raptors, swifts and swallows (especially during the October-November and March-April migratory season). Rocky cliffs on the inside of the crater walls might turn up a Little Rock Thrush.

Although none have been reported yet, francolins are surely also here, and could foreseeably include genuine rarities such as Red-winged or even the ‘Near Threatened’ Ring-necked Francolin.

2. Gwassi Hills Forming the main massif of Mount Kisingiri, these hills rise to almost 7,500 ft (2,286 m). They support a very isolated patch of true montane forest (unfortunately now quite damaged) on the higher ridges and remnants of more lowland-type forest in the valleys below. Birding can be tough here but over 50 forest-dependent species have been recorded in the forest reserve and the avifauna of the mountain can only be considered partially known. On the southern slopes is the town of Kisaku at 5,905 ft (1,800 m). From the town head straight up the ridge to the north on a cart trail, making your way through shambas towards the forest reserve. On reaching the forest, you will then have two choices: K en ya Bi r d i n g |

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Western Citril. Photo by James Bradley

African Hill Babbler. Anywhere on higher ground in the shambas or near the forest edge, you are certain to encounter Western Citril, recently split from African Citril, currently known from nowhere else in Kenya.

To access this forest reserve you will first have to visit the Kenya Forest Service office in Magunga to arrange for a guide or to enquire about camping.

3. Gwassi Foothills

Rufous - chested Swallow. Photo by James Bradley

First track: Break from the main trail and drop down in to the valley on the western side. This is possibly the most humid forest habitat on the hills (and the only area supporting tree ferns). Brown-throated Wattle-eye and Red-capped Robin Chat are abundant; Grey-chested Babbler, Greywinged Robin and Green-backed Twinspot are all present in small numbers.

Second track: Continue up the ridge for about one kilometer to a remnant patch of forest atop a steep east facing slope.

Locating Grey Apalis, Yellow-whiskered and Cabanis’s Greenbul should be fairly easy here but keep an eye out for less common Lemon Dove, Sharpe’s Starling and Blackbilled Weaver as well.

If you’re able to find a trail all the way to the summit you should be on the lookout for very unusual form of Cinnamon Bracken Warbler and a specifically unidentified “Mountain” Greenbul, as well as Brown Woodland Warbler and

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A small area of the eastern foothills of the Gwassi Hills is easily accessible a few kilometres from the Ruma National Park northwest entrance. You will find intact woodlands on gentle to steep, grassed and rocky slopes, where you can walk at ease. Mixed flocks range through this area and at times can make for very busy birding. In season (especially October-November) these lower slopes also comprise a wellfrequented flyway for migrant raptors.

Of particular note here is the presence of Familiar Chat, which is inexplicably local and rare throughout most of Western Kenya. Chin-spot Batis, Trilling Cisticola, Red-headed Weaver, and Plain-backed Pipits should all be readily found. The habitat also appears suitable for species such as Yellow-bellied Hyliota and Green-capped Eremomela, which should be sought.

4. Ruma National Park This park is bound by the Kaniamwia escarpment to the east and the Kisingiri crater to the west, and nestled in a trench, which formed in the Miocene period. Gazetted in 1966, and

mostly below 4000 ft (1,219 m), it is drained by the Llambwe River and characterised by a vegetation cover of grassland, acacia tress and thickets that grow on thick black cotton soil. Ruma is best known for the introduced and now established herd of Roan Antelope (the only ones in Kenya) but the park also offers some excellent birding.

Open areas are easiest to bird and are known for supporting a good population of Blue Swallow (Afrotropical migrant) from July-September, now one of the rarest regularly occurring birds in Kenya. Black-backed Cisticola has also been found here recently, Rufouschested Swallow can be fairly common (Dec-Mar), and Swamp Nightjar is abundant. Practically guaranteed are Red-necked Spurfowl, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Croaking Cisticola, and Silverbird, while other gems such as Coqui Francolin, African Crake and Long-tailed Cisticola are all possible.

Camping at any of several rough sites in the park is a good way to see many of the interesting species. Also worth exploring are the dense thickets at the southern end of the park...all sorts of goodies could be lurking in there.

5. Kendu Bay to Mbita (incl. the Llambwe River mouth) Birding the shoreline areas of Lake Victoria is a must if trying for a comprehensive area list. Although stands of papyrus are often thin along here and subject to being blown away by winds, a few of the papyrus endemics can still be found. Use the lakeshore road heading west from Homa Bay to access various bays and pockets of papyrus.

Carruthers’s Cisticola and Greater Swamp Warbler should be audible from any good-sized patch, while Papyrus Gonolek and White-winged Swamp Warbler are more local and may require a thorough search. The Papyrus Yellow Warbler and Papyrus Canary have not been found in the area yet, but that could simply be due to it being littlebirded. Don’t neglect the lightly flooded sedge meadows or scrubby verges either.

Swamp Flycatcher, Red-chested Sunbird, Northern Brown-throated and Yellow-backed Weavers are all quite common, and persistent searching here and in treed areas could turn up Black-billed Barbet, Copper Sunbird, Fawn-breasted or Black-rumped Waxbills.

6. Nyangwethe Nestled against the lakeshore among the western foothills of the Gwassi Hills is the town of Nyangwethe. With ridges hemming in the town from both the north and south, the climate here is distinctly more humid than elsewhere in the foothills and the vegetation is noticeably thicker and greener. A small patch of canopy forest along the lake, only very poorly known, is also the only true lowland forest in Kenya (Kakamega Forest to the north being a more submontane forest type).

A very brief visit here recently turned up both Little and Cabanis’s Greenbuls, and both here and higher in the Gwassi Hills, are several species not yet on the Kenya list (hint: pay close attention to greenbuls, anything that sounds like a Common Bulbul, and it’s worth following siafu (safari ants) swarms to see what’s in attendance). The surrounding wooded habitats in general are rich in birds, with Western Banded Snake Eagle, Pallid Honeyguide, African Blue Flycatcher and Olivebellied Sunbird among the species present. This is also an excellent area for south-bound Palaearctic migrants (October-December), which funnel along the lakeshore avoiding both the open water to the west and high terrain to the east.

There are several compounds along the rough road leading to the lake from the town centre where one can ask for a piece of secure ground to pitch a tent.

Rock - loving Cisticola. Photo by James Bradley

Where to Stay There is some lodging in Mbita (e.g. Mbita Tourist Hotel, ICIPE Field Station and Lake Victoria Safari Village). At Homa Bay there is Homa Bay Tourist Hotel. If visiting Ruma National Park you can book to stay at the Kenya Wildlife Service guesthouse or at one of several campsites (recommended). Camping is also possible at the Kenya Forest Service compound in Magunga, as well as at local residences closer to the Gwassi Hills above Kisaku and at Nyangwethe. Petrol fuel can be found in larger centres, but for punctures and more substantive repairs you will want to head for Mbita or Sindo.

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Dark-capped Yellow Warbler. Photo by Jacques Pitteloud

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