Beschreibung
The area between the north of the Amani Tiwi Beach Resort and the Kongo River (also known locally as the Mwachema) is part of the Kenyan coastline south of Mombasa. On this coastline are several hotels with beautifully landscaped gardens and fresh water are located. The hotel grounds are great for migrant birds during both the spring and autumn migration and the gardens can be full of surprises. Common (local) species that appear here are African Green-Pigeon , Hadada Ibis , Pied Crow , Red-cheeked Cordonbleu , and the African Pygmy-Kingfisher.
The coastline itself is great for waders, gulls and herons. Twice a day at low tide, the sea retreats far, leaving the rocky subsoil dry. This acts as a magnet for the birds that come to forage and rest. With rising water, the birds come closer and closer to the beach, which offers good photo opportunities. Common species are Grey Plover , Tibetan Sand Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Sanderling , Curlew Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Sooty Gull and Lesser Crested Tern. Often singular or pairs, Woolly-necked Stork, Black-headed Heron, Western Reef Egret, Medium Egret and Little Egret forage near the shoreline for fish. The Pied Kingfisher often sits on the rocks and with a bit of luck an Osprey will fly by.
Details
Zugang
The Kongo River is located north of Diani Beach. The area is of course accessible if you are in one of the adjacent hotels, but there are also public beach entrances on the northern and southern side of the river. On the map, it looks like the north and south sides of the beach are separated by the river. But the beach is so high that in practice you can easily cross without getting wet.
Terrain und Habitat
Meer , Strand , FlussBedingungen
Flach , Sandig , Hochwasser möglichRundweg
JaIst ein Spektiv nützlich?
Möglicherweise hilfreichGute Beobachtungszeit
GanzjährigBeste Beobachtungszeit
Frühjahrszug , HerbstzugRoute
unbefestigte StraßeSchwierigkeitsgrad der Tour
EinfachErreichbarkeit
zu FußBeobachtungshütten oder -türme
NeinZusätzliche Informationen
To extend your birding experience in this area, it is a good idea to hire a local man to take you up the river in his canoe. Most of the hotels also offer this boat trip, but it is easy to hire a canoe on site (see 1 on the map for the place where you can hire a canoe) and it is is much less expensive. This way you will be able to spot the birds of the mangrove area (like the Water Thick-knee). It is best to do this at low tide. The canoes don't have motors; they're pushed by a man with a stick. This makes it wonderfully quiet. Keep in mind that it gets very busy at sunset, with many boats on the river. For birdwatching, a morning trip is a better choice. You can only go up river with a boat, walking is not possible.


