Birding Updates
Wednesday Morning Birdwalks in Nairobi.
3rd July – Museum Grounds / Michuki Memorial Park. Meet at 8 am in the open space in front of the entrance to the museum galleries.
10th July – Meet at 8.30 am at the junction of Magadi Road and Bogani East Road for a walk in Langata.
17th July –– Ondiri Swamp. Meet at 8:30am at the Ondiri Wetland Information Centre. Directions: Coming from the city centre, take Waiyaki Way towards Kikuyu. Turn left at Gitaru onto Southern Bypass. Slip left onto Kikuyu overpass. Take first left turn at overpass and drive straight to the Information Centre. Ondiri Swamp is the only quaking bog in Kenya, a presumed source of the Nairobi River. Thanks to Friends of Ondiri Wetland for welcoming the birdwalk.
24th July –– Karen Blixen Museum. Meet at 8.30am in the Karen Blixen Museum’s Car Park area. Directions: Coming from the city centre, take Ngong Road towards Karen. Turn left at Shell Petrol Station onto Karen Road. The Museum is about 1.5Kms after Karen Country Club.
31st July –– Paradise Lost. Meet at Paradise Lost Main Gate at 8:30 am. Directions: Take Kiambu Road. Turn Left at Paradise Lost junction in Thindigua after Runda Greens before Quick Mart Supermarket. Turn right at Kencom Apartments just after Kasarini Primary School. It’s about 500m to the main gate. Thanks to the management for welcoming the birdwalk.
21st July. Sunday Birdwatch – Kapiti Plains. Meet at 8.30am at the ILRI Kapiti Research Station Gate on Mombasa road. Directions: Coming from the city centre, take Mombasa Road. Pass the Makutano/Kyumvi junction to Machakos and continue towards Mombasa. After 9 km there is a green sign on left “Kapiti Plains”. Turn right to the gate and barrier with the sign “ILRI Kapiti Research Station”.
Matatus to Sultan Hamud and Emali will stop at “Kapiti stage”. Better still is to hire a Machakos matatu for all those coming by public transport.
This is a day trip; bring a packed lunch and water. There are ticks on Kapiti Plains, but they are not known to carry diseases.
If you have questions, please write < news@naturekenya.org> or phone 0780-149200.
Bird Ringing at Nairobi National Museum grounds usually take place on Tuesday mornings. Please confirm with Titus Imboma <Imbomati911@gmail.com> Phone 0721-649452.
Thursday Birdwalks in Malindi
Please note time changes: Most Thursday bird walks meet at 7am. On 4th July, meet at 9 am. On 25th July, meet in the evening, 4 pm.
4th July – Malindi Museum Ground and Buntwani. Meet at Malindi Museum outside the Heritage Complex near the Nature Kenya Membership Office at 9.00am. (Feel free to come 30 minutes earlier to tour the Museum and enjoy the temporary exhibition together with cultural display of the Mijikenda, Swahili and Taita community in an 1890s building once known as kwa Balozi).
11th July – Malindi Airport. Meet at 7:00am at Malindi Airport – at the Cafeteria after the main gate. Our host will meet us there. Thanks to the Kenya Airports Authority ground control department for welcoming the bird watch. We will help to monitor birds through citizen science. Kindly send your ID or passport number to our email <malindimembers@naturekenya.org> before 9th July and bring it with you on the bird walk day.
18th July – Mtangani via Afya Hospital. Meet at 7:00am at the Afya Hospital near the entrance gate. Directions: Drive to Lamu road then branch towards the Red Cross offices. Continue straight up the murram road until you get to an iron sheet shade for local bikes on your left. Best way is to take a boda boda from Malindi town.
25th July – Sabaki River Bridge – Meet at 4:00pm at Malindi Museum outside the Heritage Complex near the Nature Kenya Membership Office. The fare to Sabaki River Bridge will cost between Ksh 100–150.
27th July. Saturday Birdwatch – Lake Jilore. Meet at 6:10am at Gede stage on the Malindi-Mombasa Road. We can offer space for 6 people only. To book a place, reach out to us before July 22nd.
For those with transport, Lake Jilore is located north-west of Arabuko Sokoke Forest via Tsavo East tarmac road to Sala Gate. Drive past Kakuyuni market and Jilore market. Turn left onto the red soil murram track with Araucaria columnaris plantation. Meet at the village on the right after the plantation at 7:30am.
It will be a half day trip, bring drinking water and snacks.
For more information, email: <malindimembers@naturekenya.org > or phone 0725 223042.
Mombasa Birdwalks by Friends of Fort Jesus are held the 3rd Saturday of each month. To check meeting time and place, check Facebook page:
<https://www.facebook.com/groups/FFJmombasa/>
Or contact: Taibali Hamzali <thamzali@gmail.com> / 0733-980540
or Kelvin Mazera <klvnrua@yahoo.com> / 0720-928783