World Migratory Bird Day Land use changes from a bird's-eye view 2011 14 -15 MAY Each year more and more of the sites migratory birds depend on during their journeys disappear. Many aspects of human land use are extremely damaging to the birds' habitats, e g urbanization, deforestation, mineral extraction can damage entire regions along the birds’ route. Land reclamation and biofuel production remove or degrade crucial wetlands and other habitats for many migratory bird species. a While human survival depends on these transformations of natural areas, a sustainable use of land is vital to reduce the impacts on our natural resources, such as water, soil, nutrients, plants and animals - including migratory birds. naturekenya.org • May This year’s theme for World Migratory Bird Day is “Land use changes from a bird’s-eye view”. We want to raise awareness on the dramatic effects human land use has on migratory birds and the ecosystems upon which they depend. Join us and others around the world and take part In World Migratory Bird Day on May 14-15, 2011 through bird - watching and other public events. 11 Why the ‘birds people’ of Kinangop grasslands will continue singing for Sharpe’s Longdaw 'ToOfi £ 7 iCLftu/fi Joakim Kiiru can vividly remember the expansive green grasslands of Kinangop in the 1960s. Big rivers with clean water, lush green grass for livestock and thousands of beautiful birds are now a thing of the past. Out of 77,000 hectares of natural grasslands, only a small portion remains: much of the land is under intensive cultivation and continually fragmented due to population increase. Important biodiversity, including birds such as the endemic and endangered Sharpe’s Longclaw, no longer enjoy a paradise but a shrinking area, threatening their own survival. However you decide to participate, your contribution will help A view of,he Kinan 8°P Highland Grasslands with sheep grazing. mak e (hjs campaign a succeS s! Sheep rearing for wool is compatible with efforts to conserve this unique habitat of the endangered Sharpe’s Longclaw. Photo: C. Moore For more details, contact office@naturekenya.org In the mid 1990s a group of community members formed a local conservation group, the Friends of Kinangop Plateau (FOKP) to promote conservation of the grasslands and key species and try to reverse the negative trends. The local community nicknamed the group the "birds people", meaning people who did not take development seriously but concentrated on watching birds! Since then, however, the group has put in place a number of interventions: construction of an Eco-Resource centre to promote environmental education and create awareness for the local community, schoolchildren and visitors on the importance of conserving the grasslands and their biodiversity; and development of alternative livelihood options including sheep rearing, wool spinning and weaving and beekeeping to help preserve many acres of private land for conservation. As a new initiative for FOKP and Nature Kenya, two Nature Reserves were purchased. Recently, the Kinangop Leleshwa Nature Reserve, 51 acres in size, was added with support from the World Land Trust (WLT). The launch of the reserve coincided with the coni’d onpg 2 or call 020 3537568 or 0771343138 5ti\\ OTW . 1 st Annual General Meeting of the East Africa Natural History Society Wednesday 04 May 12:00 - 2.00 p.m. Louis Leakey Hall, Nairobi National Museum 12.00 -1.00 p.m. Bar-be-que 1.00 - 2.00 p.m. Meeting From 2.00 p.m Selected Film The AGM is being held at lunchtime this year, instead of after office hours because of the ongoing road construction on Museum Hill. See you there.... the inn Africa Regional Committee of BirdLife meeting at Eco-Resource centre, and was attended by dignitaries and BirdLife Partner members. It was a big moment and a beautiful morning: the gigantic Aberdare Mountains seemed to be smiling, a white mist was rising above the vegetation on the slopes, and a ray of sunlight pierced through the dark clouds. Lake Naivasha glittered in the distance. The Chairman of the BirdLife Council for African Partnership, Mourad Amari, launched the Kinangop Leleshwa Nature Reserve and thanked the World Land Trust for its crucial support. He also congratulated FoKP members for enhancing development in the area, building the capacity of its members, promoting local livelihoods and conserving grassland species. He added that Kenya was a good example of how local communities can drive the local conservation agenda with support from the national BirdLife Partner, in this case Nature Kenya. iMlinn ’.™»r Africa Regional Committee of BirdLife International and FoKP members pose for a photograph at the launch of Leleshwa Nature Reserve, Kinangop. Land was purchased through the World Land Trust. Photo: M. Nzisa. Participants birdwalk the newly Leleshwa Reserve Photo: M. Nzisa. on a around launched Nature The Variable Reed Frog: The reserve is a hot spot for unique plant and animal species. Photo: M. Nzisa. The purchase of the Kinangop Leleshwa Nature Reserve by WLT has already brought a lot of satisfaction to the local community. As I walked to the Eco-Resource Centre, I could see the joy in their faces. The local leaders and community members no longer need to be convinced that birds can bring development to the people and important visitors to Kinangop. They have found out that bird tourism is as important as the big game that Kenya is known for. Other key attractions in Kinangop include a cultural museum in the Eco-Resource centre, colonial settler houses, caves that were used by Kenya freedom fighters and mountain climbing. Kenya Birdfinder is a database, which allows you to easily record your bird records, print them as a list, and send them to your friends to show off! If you are going somewhere new and would like to see what birds you might find there, you can print off a checklist from that location. It has other useful applications such as allowing researchers to find out where a specific bird species has been found, or what birds are found in a particular location. In the future, we hope to use the records in a new Kenya Bird Atlas. Today, I am going to show you how to print out or save lists in Microsoft Word or Excel. If you have not yet registered, you will have to do that before you follow the instructions below. I have already explained in an earlier Nature Net, how to register and use Kenyabirdfinder but for those who need more information on this, please contact me on darfreid@hotmail.com. First sign into your account in Kenya Birdfinder by following this link http:// www.worldbirds.org/v3/kenya.php7aHo It is quite complicated so if you are feeling particularly untechnical you can contact me and I will send you the link and you can just click on it! Then save this link as a favourite for further use. To make a list of birds from a location you are about to visit, for example for the Aberdares National Park, follow these steps: 1. Log in and go to the main page (Visit Highlights). 2. Click on the Reports link on the left hand menu. 3. In the next page (Reports) click on Location Summary Report 4. The next page is titled Location Selection. In the Location box, type the first 3 letters of the location you want, in this case it would be abe. 5. Click search. 6. Aberdare Mountains IBA comes up as one of the choices, so click in the little left-hand box beside it to select it, and click on Run Report. 7. You will now get a Location 5ummary Report page, with all the records of the birds entered into the Kenyabirdfinder data base for the Aberdares. Above the bird list in the Location Summary Report are some options for you to work /play with. Google is fun but we can talk about that later! You can now a) Print, b) Save to Microsoft word and then print later, or c) Download to Microsoft Excel a. Click the Print option, and a complete list can be printed from your computer by following the instructions in the box that pops up b. Open a new Microsoft Word document. Click the Print option above, then right click in this print box and choose Select All. Right click again, choose Copy and then paste this into the Word document. Save as a checklist for the Aberdares National Park. (This is the way I save and send my own lists) c. Click the Download option. The list will now come up as an Excel file, which you can save onto your computer. Easy! One word of caution, however. The data found on Kenya Birdfinder is in the process of being monitored, and it may contain errors. Please report any errors you see to me and, if you feel confident enough, you can always volunteer to help monitor the records. Fiona Reid Editorial team Agatha At henry? rJe£/r An tAj&no Serah Alrroru/C , Layout CrneSt Moorsn^e/a Front banner <5. Sharoc f 300 years for nature V NatureAVm// ■Rtc East Mtm Neural Society J 1909 - 2009 Connedtln^ not it re & peop/e Leer doritrif’zetionS, adVertisina and S/.cfsc r-ipt > onS - dontadt US at P. 0. Box 44486 GPO, Nairobi Tel: 20 3749957 or 3746090 Fax: 20 3741049 office@naturekenya.org www.naturekenya.org Printed with support from: V EGP TMl Mt tntftLANtrB X BirdLife IM IRS OltlNAI. Tog*th*r for birds and people IUCN Th» Wwie Conservation Uomo DARWIN INITIATIVE or call 0720-949195 for more information. Contact the office for information on other birdwalks in Kakamega, Kisumu, and other sites Bird-ringrftg: Please note that ringing takes place on Tuesdays at 8 a.m. Bronze Sunbird on Leonotis by Peter Usher Ngong Forest walks - 1st and 3rd Saturday at 9.00 a.m. Contact Simon 0729-840715 In Loving Memory It is with great sadness that we report the death of Tim Campbell who died on 11th May in the United Kingdom. Tim and Lise have been strong supporters of Nature Kenya and are Life Members. Tim will be remembered for his botanical illustrations, some of which are on the cover and inside of Upland Kenya Wild Flowers by Andrew and Shirley Agnew and for his photographs in The Wild Flowers of Kenya by Michael Blundell. We send our heartfelt condolences to Lise. I I I Asha Owano Chief Librarian, NMK by HAND KENYA MayJ _FoCPigatureVValk PayJAFO NA Tree Walk MayJJLSunda y birdwafrh fJ a ^-Mmiing_birdwa^ birdwalk ^ a ^-2S-£QN4£uMcJ = £cture M3y-3I_M orninp hirHu/^ Bird ringing every Tuesday morning (cheek M ; U se°ms) h ° l08y SeCti °"' Nat '° nal For any inquiries Telt+254 20 3501671/2 *254 733 61 07 53, +254 733 633 988, +254 722 76 46 43 Email: Sales o'sollatek.co.ke Website: www.sollatek.co.ke Yes! Start my Nature Kenya membership Surname - First Name_ Ms/Mr/Title_ Address _ Tel _ Mobile --- Email - MEMBERSHIP TYPEs (Choose one) Ksh Per Year Full 2,000 Sponsor 6,000 Family 2,800 Corporate 10,000 Corporate Plus 30,000 Direct Debit SIGN UP NOW AND GET 3 MONTHS FREE! Inquire from office@naturekenya.org Pay by MPesa Business number 100300