6



C. S. Webb—Some Notes on a Collecting Trip in Kenya



Europe, and I learnt more about European birds here than I had

ever done in England. One of the commonest trees is the wild olive,

and when the berries are in season there is a sudden influx of vast

numbers of the beautiful Rameron Pigeons ( Columba arquatrix), also

Masai Red-headed Parrots ( Poicephalus gulielmi massaicus ) and

Sharpe’s Starlings (Pholia sharpei).


The latter are so numerous that any nets set in the trees are certain

to catch many of these Starlings, thus preventing anything rare

from getting caught. As soon as the olive crop falls off a little all

these birds disappear as quickly as they came, but not so the Touracos.

They continue to live on olives almost exclusively for a long period

even though they may be hard to find. So used to olives are some

species of birds that it is very difficult to get them to eat anything

else for some time after capture. The Pigeons are said to be inedible

during this season owing to the flesh being tainted with olive oil, which

is very bitter and quite unlike the refined oil from cultivated trees.


The fruits or berries are almost round, and are about the size of

a cherry. The Parrots feed on the nuts inside the stones, whereas the

Touracos swallow the berries whole and then cough up the stones after

the fleshy part has digested.


On a few occasions I saw a small flock of not more than eight of the

pretty little Black-headed Waxbills ( Estrilda atricapilla kandti), a pair

of which I brought home. They are exceedingly difficult to catch as

they are not attracted by any bait in the form of seed, and I never

once saw them feeding on seeding grasses. They follow the mountain

streams in places where there is sufficient light to allow a small species

of rush to thrive, and it is on the seeds of these that they subsist.

Supplies of this had to be given for three weeks before the birds took

to millet, and they are certainly very difficult at first, but hardy enough

afterwards. I might mention that the temperature at night at this

altitude falls tremendously, and there is frequently a frost, although

it is only about 12 miles from the Equator.


The beautiful Golden-winged Sunbirds and Tacazze Sunbirds

(Nectarina tacazze) are to be found in the more open parts of the

river beds and deserted native “ shambas ”, for it is here that their

favourite food-plant, the leonotis, grows. To be seen at their best both



