Exciting news was released belatedly (only yesterday) to the kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com by pre-eminent Kenyan birder Brian Finch and not by anybody affiliated to the
Ngulia Ringing Group.
Ngulia Ringing Group.
A central Palearctic breeding bird that normally winters in South Asia: Blyth's Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum was caught at Ngulia, Tsavo, Kenya on 19th December.
This bird was very well examined (obviously it would have been) and all relevant images taken.
Brian believes it represents the first for sub-Saharan Africa and is thus a very exciting
record.
record.
Also of great interest during the same period the ringing group caught the first
ever Western Palearctic originating Red-rumped Swallow H.(d.) rufula for East Africa.
ever Western Palearctic originating Red-rumped Swallow H.(d.) rufula for East Africa.
The emini taxon is very different and no doubt Afrotropical forms of this swallow should 'elevated to specific rank'.
That is it should have been split long ago in line with the (relatively recent) separation of the Oriental forms of Red-rumped Swallow sensu lato.
I remember being amazed as a kid at the vast distribution of e.g. RRS (and Richard's Pipit) as mapped in Charles Vaurie's "Palearctic text books" way back in 1969.
Especially when compared with the local highly 'saturated with-rufous or chestnut' race: emini.
Form rufula has a pale buff face and paler underparts and rump; this individual had an almost whitish rump.
Brian considers these the two most exciting Kenyan migrant birds of 2009.
Of some related interest (to this Birdman anyway) via WestPalBirds@yahoogroups.com:
Vytautas Jusys reported a Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris) was trapped on December 11 at Ventës Ragas Ornithological Station, Lithuania.
Vytautas Jusys reported a Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris) was trapped on December 11 at Ventës Ragas Ornithological Station, Lithuania.
One might imgine that this might well have been a "reversed migrant" out of a "staging post" in North East Africa, since the vast majority of Marsh Warblers vacate the Baltic by late August; arriving in an area centred on the eastern Sudan and southwestern Ethiopia during September.
A picture of Lithuanian bird here: http://www.birdpix.lt/displayimage.php?pos=-7761#nav_pic
