Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse (Pterocles lichtensteinii)

The Eggs of White-browed Scrub Robin

@Joseph Aengwo

White-browed Scrub Robin (Erythropygia leucophrys)

@Michael Sammut

For the last two weeks, a pair of White-browed Scrub Robin have been nesting very close to my house! I have been observing them carefully and indeed I am impressed by the intelligence!!The timing of the breeding period is incredible, in the middle of a big rainy  season  and there was plenty of insect, which meant the young one will not go hungry  and I supplied them with a bath bowel in form of a modified stone which they like it a lot.The good news is two days ago, the eggs were hatched and  two chicks with a bright cream- white gape.This morning when I visited them in the nest, the chicks were developing fast and their tiny bodies were covered by feather.I wish them well as they continue with their parental responsibilities which up to now, they seem to be doing it perfectly.

Red-backed Scrub Robin, as this species is sometimes refered Lives mainly in the woodlands and savannah with thickets and tall grass. Fairly common resident in much of arid and semi-arid areas of East Africa. This small bird is light brown with darker streaks above. The rump is bright brown to orange; the tail is blackish tipped with white. Below it is white streaked with black. The eyes are reddish brown, the bill blackish brown and the legs and feet are pinkish brown it nests from September to January in building a bulky cup of course material near the ground in a grass tuft, shrub or thick clump of vegetation. The cup is lined with finer material. It usually lays three eggs, which are coloured white spotted with light brown and grey. Will foraging for its prey on the ground and takes insects in flight. The food consists of insects and spiders as well as berries and nectar.

Common in Lake Baringo and Bogoria, Tsavo West and East, Amboseli, Meru National park and Samburu National Reserve.Mostly call on top on trees parched.

Golden Pipit (Tmetothylacus tenellus)

Golden Pipit is a uniquely bright yellow underparts bird with a bold black band on the breast. Perhaps what is even unique about this pipit is that it is the only bird with a bare (featherless) tibiotarsi. On a closer look, you will observe that the bird has a bright yellow superciliary stripe and generally on flight it appears yellow with black wings.In Kenya they mostly seen singing on top of scrub bushes in Tsavo west and east, Samburu and Meru National reserve, Magadi road on your way to Lake Magadi and recently we have records of this bird in Lake Bogoria and Baringo.

White-Fronted Bee-Eater (Merops b. bullockoides)

 

White-fronted Bee-eater is such a colourful bird.It is one of that species you will spend time appreciating its beauty. The upperparts mainly green;black mask offset by whitish forehead, white chin and cheecks. The rump is deep blue with a cinnamon buff breast and belly. An easily seen and identified bird mostly confined in areas around northern part of Lake Nakuru National where it normally nest on the cliff burrows. Other than Lake Nakuru, they are also found in Hell’s Gate Park   and sometime is Lake Baringo and Kerio Valley.

crimson-rumped-waxbill (Estrilda rhodopyga centralis)

Crimson-rumped Waxbill is a typical firefinch type of a bird who most of the time prefer spending its time within the grass top close to wetland habitat.The photo above was taken in Teddy bear Island at Lake Baringo. A Red-rumped waxbill has a slate-grey or black bill. This species is monomophic. Adult bird is warm brown above, with indistinct narrow barring;rumped and upper taile-tailed coverts red;tiled dusky brown, with central feathers tinged crimson, as are the wing-coverts. Broad red streak from bill through the eye. Juvenile bird is similar to an adult bird but lacks red streak through the eye.

A Sunday bird walk in the scrub bushes in the west of Lake Baringo yielded the following species

1.Black and White Cuckoo

2.African Cuckoo

3.Black-throated Barbet

4.Red-fronted Barbet

5.Red and Yellow Barbet

6.Black-cheeked Waxbill

7.Red-fronted Warbler

8.Pale Prinia

9.Yellow-breasted Apalis

10.Buff-bellied Warbler

11.Cliff Chat

12.Brown-tailed Rock Chat

13.Hemprich’s Hornbill

14.Jackson’s Horbill

15.African Grey Hornbill

16.Northern Red-billed Hornbill

17.African Grey Flycatcher

18.Yellow-spotted Petronia

19.Speckled-fronted Weaver

20.Parrot-billed Sparrow

21.African paradise flycatcher(white morph)

22.African Pygmy Kingfisher

23.Pygmy Batis

24.Pink-breasted Lark

25.Lanner Falcon

26.Bristle-crowned Starling

27.Magpie Starling

28.Pygmy Falcon

29.Somali Golden-breasted Bunting

30.Olive-tree Warbler

31. Vetteline’s Weaver

32.Lesser-masked Weaver

33.Jackon’s Golden-backed Weaver

34.Green-winged Pytilia