Simon Thomsett

Category: Raptor Expedition | Date: Feb 14 2009 | By: Laila Bahaa-el-din

We got some welding done on the car in a little town outside Samburu called Archer’s Post and camped there for the night. We went to Shaba, another small reserve, first thing in the morning. We drove through the majority of Shaba without seeing much until we reached a kopje which we drove around. On that small area, we saw a Shikra, a Eurasian Sparrow-hawk and a Marsh Harrier.

We were driving past one spot where there happened to be mobile phone coverage when Simon got a phone call. We were next to a small marsh and I stopped the car and waited while Simon chatted. A Eurasian Marsh Harrier came down and caught something which a Tawny quickly came down to pinch. Then a Shikra flew overhead. All the small birds around the water started alarming and we looked up to find a Peregrine flying overhead. It seems we had found the right spot.

Peregrine overhead

We had heard good things about a lodge called Joy’s Camp. It took us a while but we finally found it in a beautiful spot next to a marsh. We stayed for a while and chatted with the manager who told us all the issues in the area. Back to our raptor search.

We were on our way towards the river when I noticed a falcon perched in a tree. Simon saw it too, and we approached it to find that it was a Red-necked Falcon, just what we had been looking for! It was eating a small bird that it had obviously just killed. As we watched, it flew off to a nearby palm and we heard the cries of youngsters. We went nearer to the tree and saw the chicks in the nest, being fed by the adult. Simon was particularly excited as it was his first time seeing Red-necked Falcon chicks on a nest.

Adult Red-necked Falcon with food

It was getting late and we had to rush back to pick up our guards for the night. They took us to our campsite which happened to be right next to the marsh where we had seen all those birds earlier in the day. In the morning, we went back to the Red-necked Falcon nest where we saw the two adults with a kill. The smaller male falcon was having his share of the bird, then plucked it and flew it to the nest for the chicks. We watched for a while, then left the park as we had to get to the base of Mount Ololokwe. We intended to climb the mountain the following day and had to arrange a guide and guards.

Tags: peregrines, red-necked falcons