North Kordofan - by Hakim Abdi

There is very little information available about the birds of North Kordofan, so when I received a list of species seen by Hakim Abdi I was interested in posting his sightings. Hakim is a PhD student studying remote sensing of Net Primary Productivity in the Sahel. Although birds are not the primary focus of his work, he is interested in how diversity-related aspects of NPP sustain palearctic migrants. I was particularly interested in his sighting of such a large flock of Lesser Kestrels, plus the numbers of locusts. I look forward to seeing more of his research and hearing more about his bird sightings in this little-known area. I thank Hakim for permission to post his records. Tom Jenner

Lesser Kestrel, North Kordofan (Hakim Abdi)

Part of a large flock of 200 Lesser Kestrels, North Kordofan (Hakim Abdi)

Location: In a marshy area to the east of the road between Khartoum and Kosti on 17 January 2014

1 Squacco Heron 

Location: El Obeid on 22 January 2014

2 Long legged Buzzard

1 Black Kite

Location: Near Demokeya Village in North Kordofan on 23-26 January 2014
7 Masked Shrike

4 Woodchat Shrike

27 Isabelline Wheatear

200+ Lesser Kestrel

3 Hoopoe

2 Dark Chanting Goshawk

1 Marsh Harrier

5 Black-eared Wheatear

2 Little Bee-eater

3 Blue-naped Mousebird 

2 Abyssinian Roller 

1 Common (Steppe?) Buzzard

1 Black Kite

1 Aquila sp. (too far to ID)

1 Lanius excubitor sp. (a quick glimpse, no ID)

1 Sunbird sp.

I stopped counting these because there are so many here.
Namaqua Dove
African Collared Dove

African Silverbill

Common Bulbul

Man disturbing locusts, North Kordofan (Hakim Abdi)

Locusts, North Kordofan (Hakim Abdi)

Hakim Abdi

Red-knobbed Coots breeding at Khartoum Sewage pools

Back in November Marwa and I had the first confirmed records of Red-knobbed Coots in Sudan. We also saw them on subsequent visits and wondered whether they might be breeding birds as they were in full breeding plumage. Today I made a brief evening visit with Stephen, and we were lucky enough to find a pair with two young, thus proving their status as breeding birds in the country.

Red-knobbed Coot with chicks, Khartoum Sewage pools 24th January 2014

Viewing conditions were not ideal, but there were lots of ducks on one of the pools, with most seeming to be Gargany and Shoveler, though other species may well have been present.

Gargany, Khartoum Sewage pools 24th January 2014

Marsh Harrier, Khartoum Sewage pools 24th January 2014

Escape Resort at Jebel Aulia Lake

yesterday I visited the Escape Resort at Jebel Aulia Lake for the first time in three years. It was a visit with family and friends mainly to socialise and eat some amazing lamb, roasted whole on a spit by the resort owner Pantelis. I only made a short trip out to look at birds, but as always there were plenty of around as the vegetation is particularly good in this part of the lake - probably because it is fenced off and looked after. I have rarely seen many Little Weavers in Sudan, and when I have they have always been in ones and twos. Today there were several around, with one group of about ten birds.

Little Weaver, Jebel Aulia 10th January 2014

There were lots of lesser whitethroats around, though as always it was difficult to check through them for less common species. A Barred Warbler was a good sighting, especially as it is the first I have seen that has the barring. Another good bird was Grey Woodpecker.

Grey Woodpecker, Jebel Aulia 10th January 2014

Moulting Nile Valley Sunbird, Jebel Aulia 10th January 2014

There were quite a few Sand Martins around, plus lots of Yellow Wagtails, suggesting the migration may already be starting.

A late report of a brief visit to Khartoum Sewage works

I made a brief visit to Khartoum Sewage Works on December 16th, just before heading off to the UK for my winter break, hence the late write-up. Observations were difficult with the light mostly behind the birds making accurate counts quite difficult. The most interesting observation for me was a couple of Ferruginous Ducks, which is a species I have not previously seen in Sudan and classified as rare by Nikolaus. There were still 8 Southern Pochards present, plus there were some Hottentot Teals. As always there were many Common Moorhens, including some juveniles, plus some Crested Coots.

Ferruginous Duck with Southern Pochards, Khartoum Sewage Works 16th December 2013

Hottentot Teals, Khartoum Sewage Works 16th December 2013

Ruff, Khartoum Sewage Works 16th December 2013

Juvenile Common Moorhen with adults, Khartoum Sewage Works 16th December 2013

Crested Coot, Khartoum Sewage Works 16th December 2013

Locations of some birding sites around Khartoum

Recently, I said I would make up some maps for a birder, Jan from South Africa, who is visiting Khartoum while I am away in the UK for a couple of weeks. I then thought it would be a good idea to post them on the blog to help others who do not know of these locations. I hope they are useful.

Tuti Island

This is probably the best known site in Khartoum. It is best during migration, but a good place to visit any time of year as it provides good lush habitat right in the middle of the three main cities of Khartoum, Bahri and Omdurman. It is an island lying right where the White Nile joins with the Blue Nile to make The Nile. You access it from Khartoum in the south, from a bridge beside the Corinthia Hotel. Google Earth shows a circuit road going right around the west side of the island. I have normally driven further north on the road marked, but it is very difficult to explain this route as it is complex. Note that the circuit road would be flooded in the wet season. Hopefully the map is enough to help you find it.

Tuti Island

Sunt Forest

Another well-known location in the middle of Khartoum is the Sunt Forest. This site is located on the White Nile close to Tuti Island and is best accessed from that direction - at least the part that I know. Note that the forest is flooded throughout the wet season and is only accessable from about October. The forest itself can be quite good for birding, but the best area for birds is the pools that form as the Nile falls. There are also many birds on the Nile as well as on the thin island, Um Sheguira, that lies about 100m out. Although the site is right beside a major road, it cannot, to my knowledge, be accessed from that side. Instead you should access it from the north as shown on the map. As you approach the junction you need to take the underpass under the main road, then as you drive around the slip road onto the main road you will see a gap in the wall on your right. Turn right here and double back, following a dirt road down to the banks of the White Nile and a picnic area that attracts lots of people at weekends. Drive slowly round the slip road as the right turn is not obvious.

Sunt Forest

Khartoum Sewage Treatment works

I was recently shown this site in the south of Khartoum by Marwa and there is some good birding to be had. There is easy access without permission. It might be possible to access from anywhere, but I am always wary of birding in areas with lots of people, so I like to do my birding from the section separating the two main areas of pools (which are actually separated into 4 pools that can be viewed separately). Follow the road as shown on the map, then turn left on a dirt track towards the main buildings of the treatment works. Just as you reach the main entrance, turn left and it will take you to a dirt track between the two main pools. You do not need 4-wheel drive.

Location of Khartoum Sewage works

Access to Khartoum Sewage Works

Soba Hospital sewage pools

Another location that I have visited frequently is the small sewage pools near Soba Hospital. This is not a major birding site, but worth visiting for an hour or so if you are close. Take the Wad Medani Road from the southern end of Khartoum. Turn left when you reach a big advertising board (you will be passing Fenti Golf Course on your right, which is behind a mound, but you will see the big floodlights). After a few hundred meters the road bends to the right and after another 200m you will see the pools (or rather the reeds that fringe the pools) on your right.

Location of Soba Hospital sewage pools

Route to Soba Hospital sewage pools

Talk on Tuesday 10th by leading Sudanese ornithologist

I teach at Khartoum International Community School (KICS) and the school regularly invites outside speakers to talk to the students and wider community. Next week we are excited to have Dr Elsadig Awad Bashir giving a KICS Community Lecture entitled 'Empowering Children on Aspects of the Environment'. He worked for the Sudanese government for 15 years studying the effects of crop damage by birds. He then worked for UNDP and FAO in various countries throughout Africa and Asia, before settling in Qatar, where he is director of Qatar Birds Project, Chairman of Qatar Bird Club and coordinator of the Hima Fund which provides funds to support Important Bird Areas in the Middle East.

It is open to the general public and free of charge, but we need to know in advance who is coming. If you are interested, please send me an e-mail (jennertom1@gmail.com) and I will you add you to the list. I will be able to send you directions to the school if needed. The school is located in the south of Khartoum near the southern end of Road 60 (Bashir El Nefeidi St.). I hope that some of you can come.

A brief return visit to Khartoum Sewage Works

Yesterday I popped in after work to have a quick look at the birds at the Khartoum Sewage Treatment site. I was mainly interested in checking on the duck resembling a Cape Teal that I had seen previously. There were plenty of Gargany and, as mentioned in the edit to my previous post, this is probably the species I had confused with Cape Teal due to the bill appearing red in the photo. There was a similar selection of birds, with the addition of a female Southern Pochard. All my previous sightings have been males, making me wonder if they were the only birds to venture this far north. Another good sighting was a Long-legged Buzzard. They are supposedly fairly common around Khartoum, but this was my first sighting in the area.

Long-legged Buzzard, Khartoum Sewage Works 2nd December 2013

Female Southern Pochard, Khartoum Sewage Works 2nd December 2013