Bogoria: photos, sightings, rare birds (?), identification, list... (1 Viewer)

Hi all,

I'm now in East Africa for a Birding School project (Kenya) and local bird guide training (Tanzania), a work I do volunteerly. It started in Kenya; I just spent 12 says at Lake Bogoria which was extremely good for photographying the birds.

Here are 51 photos I select for they beauty and not for they scientific interest. I hope you'll enjoy.
http://www.valeryschollaert.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=996&Itemid=387

I have, however, some questions.


1° Is there a comprehensive checklist of the birds seen at this site? If yes, please sen it to me (or the link).

2° I've seen a Long-tailed Nightjar; is it a "normal" bird here? Some local guides told me it occurs at Baringo, but this doen't match range given in field guides.

3° Can you check the photos I placed for identification, mainly Grey Woodpecker? I thought African Grey-headed Woodpecker (D. spodocephalus) was just the Eastern population of Grey (D. goertae) but I discover in Birds of Africa South of the sahara (the only field guide I've with me now) than both occur in East Africa but in different habitat.

The bird I saw in Bogoria have wide red belly, are golden-backed and plain faced like Grey-headed, but well barred on wings and occur in savannas... so? There is a good photo on the page.

4° Do you know which Grey-headed Sparrow occur here? They have big billed like Parrot-billed, but rufous backs like Northern Grey-headed...

Thanks for you help.

Valéry Schollaert

Lake Bogoria is quite a bird paradise and the area around the campsite just outside the main gate is very birdful. There is a Checklist of birds of Lake Bogoria at Nature Kenya offices.
Long tailed night jar is quite common and that is it range-i would suggest you also use the Birds of East Africa and Northern Tanzania by Dale A Zimmerman and Also birds of East Africa by Fanshawe.
Grey woodpecker D g centralis is a common species in that region. Grey headed sparrow newly split to parrot billed sparrow is also common.Id suggest you also visit Kapendo Valley [Almost 100 km From Bogoria].Tugen hills might also give you some white crested Turacos.Good birding!

Lake Bogoria is quite a bird paradise and the area around the campsite just outside the main gate is very birdful.

Click to expand...

I stayed in a house near the gate and indeed it is really productive and beautiful!

There is a Checklist of birds of Lake Bogoria at Nature Kenya offices.

Click to expand...

I'm now in Tanzania... any chance to get an electronic version? All lists I received were full of mistakes.

Grey woodpecker D g centralis is a common species in that region.

Click to expand...

So how do you explain the red belly? Look at my photos... abd compare to the field guides...

Grey headed sparrow newly split to parrot billed sparrow is also common.

Click to expand...

It is splitted since a long time and I know well both species. However, Bogoria bird (on the photo: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=173713 ) show a mantle of Nothern Grey-headed

Id suggest you also visit Kapendo Valley [Almost 100 km From Bogoria].Tugen hills might also give you some white crested Turacos.Good birding!

Click to expand...

I'm now out of Kenya but I saw the White-crested Turaco at Emsos (south of Bogoria) then I visited Samburu/Shaba/Buffalo Springs. I'll post a message when photos are online.

Cheers

I saw nothing new from the Grey woodpecker imagehttp://www.valeryschollaert.com/images/stories/bogoria/dendropicos_goertae1.jpg
Zimmerman text explain it well.