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

#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

Incoming tide meant fly-by of #waders: 105 Crab-plover, 22 Grey #Plover, 2 Euro Curlew, only 2 Whimbrel so far but a Eu Oystercatcher has clearly stayed the northern summer. 7 Openbill Storks roosting in mangroves is unusual; pair of Mottled Spinetail not common for #ShortBeachBirds

Quieter morning for #ShortBeachBirds - high tide so few #waders other than flock of 13 Greenshank and 50 Crab-plovers flushed from roost around the headland. A lone Great Sparrowhawk crossed the creek low over the water & the Roseate Terns have built up to c.3000 over Whale Island. #birds #birding

Fairly quiet for #ShortBeachBirds though Striped Kingfisher calling from across the creek + tern colony on Whale Island still active - Roseates & Brown Noddy visible thru the scope. 1st Woolly-necked Stork in a few weeks. Timing not good for wader flyby. #birds #terns #birding #watamu #waders

Stunning morning at Short Beach in #Watamu & once again surprises... 16 Yellow-billed Egret (v infrequent here), a Black Heron doing his umbrella trick, 15 Reed Cormorant & a new species for here, a Northern Crombec in the salicornia beside me! #ShortBeachBirds #birds #birding #atlassing

Back at Short Beach after being away - few waders but 16 Black-hdd Heron & 23 Cattle Egret passing north & nicel posing Hadeda - but biggest surprise was a Slate-coloured Boubou in the bush. My 1st record for Watamu! #ShortBeachBirds #rarity #birds #birding #watamu #MidaCreek

Short rain shower at dawn, but tide good for seeing a fly by of several 100 #waders. Stunning views of Crab-plovers & a beaut Euro Oystercatcher - will it stay over the northern summer? Paradise Flycatcher in the bush behind. #ShortBeachBirds #birds #midacreek #watamu

Short Beach at the mouth of #MidaCreek, #Watamu was stunning this morning. Neap tide so no wader flocks but c.30 Lesser Crested Terns & my 1st Greater Crested there for >6 months; migration has been v poor this yr, but did have 2 Willow Warblers - but nothing more. #birds #ShortBeachBirds #birding

Standing on the headland at the mouth of #MidaCreek, #Kenya, early morning is great #birding. Today 600 Crab-plover, 300 Whimbrel, 3 Curlew, N Carmine & White-throated Bee-eaters & a Euro Oystercatcher. #Waders all heading to high tide roosts. #ShortBeachBirds #birds