with my trusted Nikon SLR camera and 300mm lenses.
Female Black-faced Sandgrouse
Pterocles decoratus
Male Black-faced Sandgrouse
Pterocles decoratus
Many years ago, I purchased a set of books Nicolls "Birds of Egypt" and they contained some superb coloured plates by George Lodge on the Sandgrouse in Egypt, this wetted my appetite and I have therefore always wanted to see any new Sandgrouse on my trips abroad.
In Kenya there are five species of Sandgrouse present and during our two trips we saw four of these five species. Black-faced is locally common in dry bush and shrubby grassland below 600m and during our two trips we saw 20 at Nairobi N.P. and up to 50 seen on 3 dates at Amboseli and 100 at Samburu
Adult male Chestnut-banded Plover
Charadrius pallidus venustus
Delighted to see this attractive plover as it was a new bird for ourselves, and on our must-see list. The only ones we saw were two at Lake Magadi which is a regular site in Kenya for this plover.
It has an estimated global population of just 17,500 and breeds in alkaline and saline wetlands but can also be found on inland saltpans. Outside the breeding season, it will move up and down the Rift Valley lakes.
Crab Ploverlads
Dromas ardeola
When Doreen and myself spent a week on the coast at Malindi, our most wanted bird was the Crab Plover and after searching a number of potential sites we found 20 out at a distance at Midas Creek.
We therefore talked two young local lads to take us out the following day in their small boat with an outboard motor to the sand banks where the Crab Plovers were feeding and the following day we found a total of 60 feeding here. On the journey back, the engine ran out of petrol which was a worry for me being a non-swimming, but the lads soon found two pieces of wood which they used as oars and safely got us back to our car. The Crab Plover is a migrant from breeding grounds on the NE African and Arabian coasts with the largest numbers present during August to April.
Non breeding Saunder's Tern
Sterna saunders
Another species which we were hoping to find on the coastal area was the Saunder's Tern, and we found odd birds at Malindi harbour but on our boat trip with the two lads we saw 15 in Midas Creek and obtained some excellent views. At times they can be an abundant migrant from their breeding grounds in the Southern Red Sea. In Kenya, they visit coastal areas especially between Malindi and the Sabaki River mouth mainly during October-April.
Bohms's Spinetail
Neafrapus boehmi sheppardi
This tiny almost tailless Swiftlet is a local but uncommon resident of woodland and forest edge. Most frequent in coastal lowlands. We recorded it on the drive from Malindi along the road on three dates to Sokoe Forest with a daily maximum of 13 being seen, and was one of our much-wanted birds of the trip.
