8 November 2015 Dear All, Recently Nigel Hunter and I went to stay with Tom Butynski on Lolldaiga Hills Ranch. Whilst there we were joined by Paul Benson, and Eleanor Monbiot for the 31st Oct, Chris Thouless joined us on 1st Nov in Mukogodo, and he and Caroline kindly put the three of us up at their house for the nights of 31st Oct and 1st Nov., and for both these dates we enjoyed the company of Lawrence, the bird-guide at Borana Lodge. For our full day on Lolldaiga on 2nd Nov., Paul spent the entire day with us. The more interesting observations follow, but this is far from the full list which exceeded 200 on Lolldaiga alone in spite of the relatively short time we were there. Best for now Brian BIRD SURVEY OF SOUTH-EASTERN LAIKIPIA: LOLLDAIGA RANCH, OLE NAISHU RANCH, BORANA RANCH, AND MUKOGODO FOREST RESERVE ITINERARY 30th Oct 2015 Drove Nairobi to Lolldaiga, birded as far as old Maize Paddock in late afternoon. 31st Oct Drove from TB house out through Ole Naishu Ranch and across Borana arriving at Mukogodo Forest in early afternoon. 1st Nov All day in Mukogodo Forest, and just 5 kilometres down the main descent road in afternoon. 2nd Nov All day on Borana, back across Ole Naishu to Lolldaiga. 3rd Nov All day outing on Lolldaiga to Black Rock, Ngainitu Kopje (North Gate), Sinyai Lugga, and evening near the Monument. 4th Nov Morning on descent road to Main Gate, Lolldaiga and forest along Timau River, leaving 11.15 AM for Nairobi. On 30th October 2015, Nigel Hunter and myself visited Lolldaiga to stay with Tom Butynski for a few days, with a visit to Mukogodo Forest for two of those days. We returned to Nairobi on late morning on 4th November. During the six days we recorded the birds on Lolldaiga, Ole Naishu, Borana and Mukodogo Forest Reserve. A number of new species were found for the area, and equally importantly some records given in the past for the Forest were found to be erroneous and require correction, before they sneak into historical repetition. Migrants were poor, apart from Wheatears but there were some interesting species. A summary of the more interesting observations are as follows: STONE PARTRIDGE One party called late afternoon from scree slopes on the descent road through Mukogodo Forest, but recorded by multiple observers there in the past. A party calling mid-morning at Black Rock on Lolldaiga was the first confirmed record of the species on that ranch, although TB thought he had heard them there before, which is why we were visiting that site. LESSER KESTREL As we left Borana there were just three birds feeding over the grassland. EURASIAN HOBBY In five days, only four birds were recorded in the area. TAITA FALCON A major surprise whilst we were waiting for Stone Partridge to call at Black Rock on Lolldaiga. There was a small falcon perched on an overhanging bush at quite a distance and attempts were made to get some images (attached). This bird flew off and was replaced by another bird that was entirely white below. Immature Taita Falcons can be white below, but lightly streaked, however this bird was plain white with no markings. The first bird was also pale, but the trousers and belly were cinnamon washed, and this too was otherwise unmarked below. Both the views were distant, and the images not clear, but the features include very short tail, with tail and wings the same length, the tail slightly shorter in length than the width of the wing at the base, and taking the distance between the start of the undertail-coverts at the middle of the tail, and the tip of the centre of the tail, the undertail-coverts account for between 60-65% of that length. All of the regional guides only depict Taita Falcons with deep rufous underparts, but a check on the internet shows images that are almost whitish below, and the underpart colouring is far more variable than the literature would have us believe. The images in the top left area show the small male bird on top of the bush, and the larger and whiter female, under the bush (upper left-most two). The flying bird has just taken off and is flying through the branches, which is why it appears broad-winged at this time. This image is a blow up of the bird flying through the bush, bottom middle of the falcon section, which gives an idea of the distance from us. The three insets of good images are there for comparison. The identification of very pale and a white breasted Taita Falcon has come about by a process of elimination for all other falcon species, accipiters and other small birds of prey. Firstly other falcons with yellow legs, all have tails longer than wing projection with the exceptions of the much larger Sooty and Eleonora’s Falcons, which extend beyond the tail in the first, and are equal length in the latter. Most falcons have prominent dark markings on the underparts. Every Accipiter has the tail projecting well beyond the wing tips. BROWN SNAKE-EAGLE Only a recent addition to the Lolldaiga list, one was perched in the north-east. EURASIAN SPARROWHAWK This very nice individual was soaring over the Monument on Lolldaiga. In the morning one was seen from Tom’s lawn flying south following the valley but very high. So few East African records, only recorded with anything like regularity at Ngulia. LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE Small numbers were mixed with Steppe Eagles flying over Lolldaiga and Mukodogo Forest. A new species for Lolldaiga. STEPPE EAGLE Commonly seen, but fifty sitting together in the early morning near the farm on Lolldaiga. WAHLBERG’S EAGLE One pale-ish bird on the edge of Mukogodo Forest was a bit unexpected there. HARTLAUB’S BUSTARD One seen in the evening, and on the second morning, a bird some kilometres away on Borana not far from the large dam. It’s really beginning to look like Hartlaub’s is the commoner of the two black-bellied type Bustards on Laikipia in spite of past observations. COMMON RINGED PLOVER Three were on the large dam on Borana. COMMON SNIPE Four were on the large dam on Borana. COMMON GREENSHANK One was on the large dam on Borana. GREEN SANDPIPER Scattered in small numbers on various water bodies. WOOD SANDPIPER Five were on the large dam on Borana, and singles elsewhere. COMMON SANDPIPER One was on Lolldaiga, and two were on the large dam on Borana. LITTLE STINT Four were on the large dam on Borana. RUFF One was on the large dam on Borana. COMMON SWIFT Small numbers over Lolldaiga, Borana and Mukogodo Forest. NYANZA SWIFT Flying around the sheer wall at Black Rock on Lolldaiga, in aerial chases with the more numerous African Black Swift, returning again and again. This was a new record for Lolldaiga. AFRICAN BLACK SWIFT Noisy parties at Black Rock on Lolldaiga flying around the cliff. EURASIAN ROLLER One bird in northern Lolldaiga was the only individual. EURASIAN BEE-EATER A party of thirty near the North Gate on Lolldaiga were the only birds recorded there, also heard on Borana. VIOLET WOOD-HOOPOE Whilst this is resident along the lower Ewaso Nyiro in Samburu region, all records on Laikipia appear to list Green Wood-Hoopoe. Personally I have never seen Green on Lolldaiga only Violet, and attached are images to support this, showing that this is not the northern race marwitzi of Green. It would be interesting to see other images of either species for Laikipia, because the Green must be close by. It appears that in the absence of Green, the Violet have not restricted themselves to riverine and are wide ranging right up to the tall Cedar woodland. SPOT-FLANKED BARBET We saw several on the descending road through Mukogodo Forest. Interestingly O’Brien in his study of the area in 2011 failed to record it in twelve days of bird survey in the area, however Coverdale et al 2009 did also record it. RED-THROATED WRYNECK It’s abundance on Lolldaiga after the rain when it becomes very vocal, is impressive. THREE-STREAKED TCHAGRA North Gate on Lolldaiga, is the lowest elevation on the ranch at 1700m (5,577 feet) which is still quite high for many species. Here in a short space of time we had five species not recorded on Lolldaiga before. There is a large granite kopje there called Ngainitu where Acacia mellifera and Commiphora species are the dominant cover. On this hill were a pair of Three-streaked Tchagras, the habitat looked suitable in spite of the altitude. The usual ceiling given for the species is 1,100m, but on NW Laikipia at Sosian they extend much higher than this. This was a new species for Lolldaiga. NORTHERN PUFFBACK A common species from most of Lolldaiga including the Timau River woodland. Numerous in Mukodogo Forest, where mis-identified as Black-backed Puffback in O’Brien et al 2011 (Northern not recorded), but identified correctly as Northern by Turner 1983 & Coverdale et al 2009. Black-backed should not be anywhere near the forest, although with Northern on the Timau River and on Lelwel, and only Black- backed in Mt Kenya forests, this suggests that the two species might indeed meet. BLACK CUCKOO-SHRIKE Widespread but several in Mukodogo Forest where Coverdale 2009 and O’Brien 2011 failed to record it, but both did see Grey Cuckoo-shrike, which we also recorded.