Andrew
wibble wibble
15-03-03
Location : Gede Ruins, near Watamu, Kenya.
We were very disappointed as the rough sea had cancelled a dolphin watching trip. We called on Jonathan again to guide us round the Gede Ruins. This is an old Arabic town that was defended many times in fierce battles with the Portuguese before eventually being deserted during a severe drought. The forest has since rapidly reclaimed the area and the ruined buildings have only just been excavated after spending years buried under sand. The desired bird was the Palm Nut Vulture that nests in the forest.
The gates were not even open in the early hours we had turned up at but this was sorted out soon enough and the first birds up the drive was a flock of TRUMPETER HORNBILLS moving between the trees close to us. After a short stroll we peered at the first signs of some ruins and looked up to see Sykes Monkeys carrying tiny young and quite a few EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLES darting around. Several Red Squirrels ran about the ruins, they did not seem the same as their European counterparts.
We moved at a leisurely pace into the forest with tamarinds sticking to our soles which collected dry leaves. In the initial sections of the trail were some SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS, BLACK BELLIED STARLINGS and a few passing RED EYED DOVES. Jonathan could not hear very much, and the Vultures had already departed elsewhere to feed. Yet, we did have the consolation of seeing their nests. Deeper into the woods we located some PLAIN BACKED SUNBIRDS in a short tree. They may be plain brown but the males have a wonderfully iridescent blue breast and face.
Jonathan offered me a tamarind to taste and I wished I had not as it was the most bitter thing I had ever tasted in my life! The sour and bland grapefruit juice did not help to wash the taste off either. A pair of RING NECKED DOVES could be seen passing through the dense canopy. Jonathan’s ears pricked up and I followed keenly to a thinner tree where we waited and watched. Soon a small YELLOW RUMPED TINKERBIRD popped onto a nearby twig singing away. This was a delightful short tailed yellow, black and white bird with a black head and two bold white stripes running down the sides of the head. Some AFRICAN PALM SWIFTS, HOUSE MARTINS and a few BOHM’S SPINETAILS circled overhead in a small clearing.
The day’s only other additions were a couple of COMMON BULBULS and three GREEN BARBETS. Gede Forest has not got a good reputation for birds, but I still felt cheated after some wonderful days’ birding at the beginning of the holiday. I jokingly suggested Jonathan went to the forest edge and started a fire to flush out the birds!
He got so bored of the lack of birds that he began an impromptu yet fantastic commentary of the ruins. Apparently the sea came right up to the edge of the settlement many years ago but has over time receded a long way. There was evidence of Owls in the wells as guano lined the walls below holes in the sides. The bird count was comparatively low with only fourteen species yet I had managed two lifers which was scant consolation really. I spent the rest of the day relaxing and watching the weavers by the pond in the hotel, feeding a few with one brave nipper coming to feed out of my fingers. I noticed rings on three or four of the birds.
Location : Gede Ruins, near Watamu, Kenya.
We were very disappointed as the rough sea had cancelled a dolphin watching trip. We called on Jonathan again to guide us round the Gede Ruins. This is an old Arabic town that was defended many times in fierce battles with the Portuguese before eventually being deserted during a severe drought. The forest has since rapidly reclaimed the area and the ruined buildings have only just been excavated after spending years buried under sand. The desired bird was the Palm Nut Vulture that nests in the forest.
The gates were not even open in the early hours we had turned up at but this was sorted out soon enough and the first birds up the drive was a flock of TRUMPETER HORNBILLS moving between the trees close to us. After a short stroll we peered at the first signs of some ruins and looked up to see Sykes Monkeys carrying tiny young and quite a few EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLES darting around. Several Red Squirrels ran about the ruins, they did not seem the same as their European counterparts.
We moved at a leisurely pace into the forest with tamarinds sticking to our soles which collected dry leaves. In the initial sections of the trail were some SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS, BLACK BELLIED STARLINGS and a few passing RED EYED DOVES. Jonathan could not hear very much, and the Vultures had already departed elsewhere to feed. Yet, we did have the consolation of seeing their nests. Deeper into the woods we located some PLAIN BACKED SUNBIRDS in a short tree. They may be plain brown but the males have a wonderfully iridescent blue breast and face.
Jonathan offered me a tamarind to taste and I wished I had not as it was the most bitter thing I had ever tasted in my life! The sour and bland grapefruit juice did not help to wash the taste off either. A pair of RING NECKED DOVES could be seen passing through the dense canopy. Jonathan’s ears pricked up and I followed keenly to a thinner tree where we waited and watched. Soon a small YELLOW RUMPED TINKERBIRD popped onto a nearby twig singing away. This was a delightful short tailed yellow, black and white bird with a black head and two bold white stripes running down the sides of the head. Some AFRICAN PALM SWIFTS, HOUSE MARTINS and a few BOHM’S SPINETAILS circled overhead in a small clearing.
The day’s only other additions were a couple of COMMON BULBULS and three GREEN BARBETS. Gede Forest has not got a good reputation for birds, but I still felt cheated after some wonderful days’ birding at the beginning of the holiday. I jokingly suggested Jonathan went to the forest edge and started a fire to flush out the birds!
He got so bored of the lack of birds that he began an impromptu yet fantastic commentary of the ruins. Apparently the sea came right up to the edge of the settlement many years ago but has over time receded a long way. There was evidence of Owls in the wells as guano lined the walls below holes in the sides. The bird count was comparatively low with only fourteen species yet I had managed two lifers which was scant consolation really. I spent the rest of the day relaxing and watching the weavers by the pond in the hotel, feeding a few with one brave nipper coming to feed out of my fingers. I noticed rings on three or four of the birds.
