@arochakenya
We are a Christian conservation organisation based in Watamu on the north Kenya coast. As one of 23 A Rocha organisations around the world we focus on biodiversity research, community conservation and environmental education.
Beautifully still morning at #ShortBeachBirds- great for hearing #birds from across the creek mouth: East Coast Boubou, Mouse-coloured Sunbird, Mangrove Kingfisher, Crested Francolin. 3 Swift Terns + 2 Turnstone passing are uncommon here; 200+ Whimbrel, 50 Grey Plover. Glorious spot #birding #Watamu
Great to be back for more #ShortBeachBirds. The usual herons, terns & Crab-plovers but also v out-of-season Mangrove Kingfisher calling from across the creek + a Sooty Gull is not common yo see. #birds #birding #Watamu
Such beautiful patterns on these v dry #fungi in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest near #Watamu, Kenya
Arabuko-Sokoke Forest is known for its threatened &rare #birds - & we found c.250 endemic Clarke's Weavers in a swamp at the w/e... but also this beaut Hesperid #butterfly & some stunning #fungi. Always SO much to enjoy in that #forest! #arabukosokoke #kenya #magicalkenya #insects #biodiversity
Marsh Warblers are really not common along the #Watamu coastline on southward migration, so to catch this 1st year today was a delightful surprise! Had a group of 30+ visitors who also enjoyed E. Nicator & Dodson's Bulbul. #birdringing #birds #conservation #science #kenya
#ShortBeachBirds Tide is out & #waders feeding at the far side of the creek. Scope v needed! A few Barn #Swallows + Carmine Bee-eaters migrating, Crab-plovers in good nos, Bare-eyed Thrush heard from across creek. Always beaut here. #birds #birding #Watamu #Kenya
....a few minutes later on 25th Nov at #nguliaringing... #birdringing #birds #TsavoWest #Ngulia #KWS
Dawn yesterday on the last morning at #nguliaringing for 2025... #birdringing #birds #kws #ngulia #TsavoWest
Morning of 25th Nov. All quiet at Ngulia at 3:30am. No mist. Night nets up for nightjars and 1 Euro, 2 Donaldson-Smiths and 1 Dusky ringed so far. Eles at the waterhole... #nguliaringing #birdringing #birds #ngulia #TsavoWest #kws
The Star of the Show for today - caught by Adrian & a beaut of a tiny Owlet is the Pearl-spotted. Also lots of discussion about working out the age of #birds from plumage features. Pictured are shots of Little Swift wing. So much to learn! #nguliaringing #birdringing #ngulia #TsavoWest #lws
It's time to wrap up at #nguliaringing for another year... bush nets are down & packed away, just lamps & book 1 still awaiting hoped for mist overnight - & #birds. Over 8,000 ringed this year w several new species & interesting data. Pearl-spotted Owlet today was the star. #birdringing #kws
Last morning at #nguliaringing for 2025. No mist at night though 11 nightjars caught + 1 Marsh W, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Sprosser. Hoping for a splash of colour or something unusual... #birds #KWS #birdringing #TsavoWest #Ngulia
Totals 23rd #birds:
Sc 519
Ll 103
Ap 251
Bn Sw 116
Irania 40
Eu Ntjr 5
Rbk Sh 17
Trk Sh 12
Upch W 25
Rfs Bcht 17
Spt Fly 7
Brrd W 16
Wllw W 12
Rvr W 5
Ntgle 4
Olv T W 13
E Olvcs W 9
Trippt 2
Gdn W 2
Isab Whtr 1
Pd Whtr 1
Rck Th 3
Gldn Or 1
Bsra RW 2
Rdrmp Sw 1
Eu Rllr 2
#nguliaringing #birdringing
The mist produced some good results for 23rd despite heavy rain and dim lights. Total caught at #nguliaringing was 1,186 w Whitethroat yet again dominating at c.50% of catch. Highlight was 3rd Euro Red-rumped Swallow for Kenya caught randomly in swallow nets late a.m.! #birdringing #birds #TsavoWest
2nd last full morning ringing at #nguliaringing and we've got mist!! ...and rain... hoping the mist thickens and the #birds pour in... #ngulia #KWS #birding #birdringing #TsavoWest
As predicted, a quiet day for Palearctic #birds at #nguliaringing - just 285 ringed of which 93 were Swallows. However, Afros really performed with star of the show being the 1st ever VIOLET WOOD-HOOPOE ringed at #Ngulia! Also Cinnamon-breasted Bunting (5th), Greater Honeyguide (20th). #birdringing
#nguliaringing #birds #ngulia #KWS #TsavoWest the video that didn't load this morning...
Dawn came cool and w low cloud at #nguliaringing but not low enough to qualify as mist - as it had been all night. 15 nightjars caught from 2am incl Dusky, Don-Smiths, Plain & Euro.
A graph of the top 3 species caught at #NguliaRinging (Marsh Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Sprosser / Thrush Nightingale) since the start of the project in 1969. We have a few days to go this year, but the % to date for this year (51%) is vastly different to previous years (av 22%). #birdringing #KWS
Totals for the surprise 1049 #birds on 21st:
Sc 666
Ll 84
Ap 93
Brn Sw 32
Irania 51
Euro Ntjr 11
Rdbk Sh 8
Turk Sh 7
Upch W 13
Rfs Bshcht 19
Spot Fly 16
Brrd W 9
Willow W 8
Rvr W 2
Nghtgle 6
Olv Tree W 9
E Olvcs W 9
Trippt 3
Gdn W 1
N Whtear 1
Rck Th 1
#nguliaringing #birds #birdringing #KWS
The most exciting thing with #birdringing is having one of your birds reported from somewhere far away. In Oct we heard of a Marsh Warbler ring# XB00652, ringed 7/12/2024 at #Ngulia & re-captured on 19/7/2025 at #Hornborgasjön, Västergötland, Sweden! (7,133 km & 7 months, 11 days). #nguliaringing
Well... that was a surprise! It felt quiet & there was no stress but final day total was 1,050! And swallow nets are still open. No dull ring yet & plenty of discussion on ringing techniques & ageing!
#nguliaringing #birds #birdringing #KWS #TsavoWest #ngulia
Night time ringing is a trademark of #nguliaringing - if the mist comes in early we can start at 11pm. Today nets were up for nightjars (15 of 3 spp ringed) at 01:30 w low cloud overhead which became mist at 04:50 & pulled in small #birds. 280 ringed by dawn. #birdringing #KWS #TsavoWest #ngulia
Palearctic total so far: 4,482. Afro spp continue to trickle in - 14th ever Spotted Morning (Palm) Thrush the star. Fantastic movement of Amur Falcons (>300) & Euro Rollers (>500) on 21st; & 25+ Steppe Eagle, 5 Steppe Buzzard, Lesser & Common Kestrel #nguliaringing #birds #birdringing #TsavoWest
Final day total for 20/11: 875
Sc 410
Ll 128
Ap 115
Brn Sw 57
Irania 48
Euro Ntjr 15
Rdbk Sh 15
Turk Sh 12
Upch W 11
Rfs Bsh Cht 11
Spot Fly 9
Brrd W 7
Willow W 7
Rvr W 6
Nghtgle 6
Olv Tree W 6
E Olvcs W 4
Trippt 3
Hse Mtn 2
Euro Rllr 1
Gldn Orle 1
Rck Th 1
#nguliaringing #birds #birdringing #KWS
800+ #birds ringed this morning at #nguliaringing. Felt quiet compared to yesterday but still good. Rock Thrush, Golden Oriole, 12+ nightjars... and LOTS of Whitethroats still. Celebrated 57 years of ringing w a huge cake! #birdringing #ngulia #KWS #TsavoWest #celebration
A reasonable night at #nguliaringing with just over 200 #birds ringed but good numbers of nightjars incl Dusky, Donaldson-Smiths, Plain and Euro. Quieter 1st round of nets... #ngulia #birdringing #KWS #tsavowest
Another highlight at #nguliaringing today was a magnificent passage of Eurasian Rollers... we counted 1,014 #birds but know we missed some. Potentially 1,200+ went through in about 2 hours. Fantastic sight! 10 Steppe Eagle, 1 Monty Harrier too. #visiblemigration #birdmigration #ngulia #KWS
#nguliaringing day totals (Latin name abbreviations- can you work them out?):
Sc 1,017
Ap 213
Ll 186
Hrust 63
Igut 53
Holive 39
Ptroch 29
Mstriata 22
Lcoll 14
Lisab 11
Ipal 11
Snis 10
Lmeg 10
Hlang 10
Lfluv 6
Ceuro 5
Cgal 4
Sborin 3
Atriv 2
Agris 1
Oplesch 1
Mflava 1
#birdringing #birds #KWS #Ngulia
Nets up at 2:30am for nightjars & mist arrived 5 mins later! 280 #birds ringed by dawn incl 5 nighjars; a busy though steady morning & 2 ringing tables started by 6:30am and kept going til 11am. Final total was 1,706 w record day catch of Whitethroats: 1,017! #nguliaringing #birdringing #KWS #ngulia
