Project Update: August 2005

The Nairobi Ringing Group members at Watamu with their trainer, Colin Jackson (2nd right), during the second training session in June 2005, while visitors look on. (Photo credit - Mwamba).

Thursday morning training sessions at the Nairobi Botanic Garden, National Museums of Kenya are still going on well. Majority of the participants are 6 University students on field attachment as well as other Interns at the Department. We have also not missed a session at the monthly ringing and training at A Rocha Kenya’s property in Karen, Nairobi. The number of participants has increased from 7 to 9 per session. We have also been lucky to welcome visitors both kids and adults alike. Until August, we have had 206 new birds and 48 recaptures.

In late May, we received an invitation to demonstrate bird ringing and deliver a lecture on birds’ research and conservation in Kenya at the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya’s Centre for Tourism Training and Research in Nairobi. The two day vent was attended by about 200 students and 4 staff members. A total of six birds were captured including a Grey-backed Camaroptera first ringed in 2002. A group of 5 trainees attended training at A Rocha Kenya’s Mwamba Field Study Centre and Bird Observatory at Watamu in June. Two members have completed a computer training course in MS Access and PageMaker. At the moment, we are in the process of releasing our second issue of the Merops Newsletter this year. In august, a team of 3 members participated in the on-going ornithological research projects in one of Kenya’s most endangered habitats, Taita Hills Forest at Ngangao fragment. We have also replenished our ringing data books with 29 books.

During the last quarter, we look forward to holding a demonstration at Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute, a trip to Kikuyu Escarpment Forest, participating in Ngulia Palaearctic migrants study, trying raptors at Athi River and waterbirds in one of the Nairobi wetlands.