During the morning of August 12 2006 Anabel Harries and JW counted no less than 10 Maccoa Ducks at the Eluanata-Nanja wetland.

All but one appeared to be either female or immature, as no really obvious males were present, at least within my 42X scope range from the southern shoreline.

NB: I checked carefully for differences about the head and bill: i.e. shape, pattern, tone and colouration. Only one bird stood out as different and that was at the very beginning and (he?) disappeared almost immediately.

The first shorebirds were ‘coming back from the northlands’

Little Stint - 17 incl. 5 in at least partial sum.plum.
Curlew Sandpiper - 1 a fly-through
Ruff - 8 (all males, three showing traces of their former black ruffness – yes! these are the ‘plucky ones’!!)
Common Sandpiper - 8
Greenshank - 1 ad
NO Wood Sands despite there already being one adult on 11/8 at the Prison Ponds, Arusha; where also adult and juvenile Three-banded Plover.
Also:
African Darter - one (at long last)
Squacco Heron -1 adult
There were single and confiding Malagasy Pond Herons in residence at both Burkha bamboo pools (near old Sokwe offices, Arusha) and at the Ngare Sero fish ponds Usa.
White-faced Whistling Duck - several well grown broods
Fulvous WD interestingly - two much younger broods (a few days old)
African Marsh Harrier 5 including a fairly recently fledged juvenile
Three-banded Plover - 3
Kittlitz’s Plover – 3; appear to have bred successfully at/near the site as 1 juvenile.
Blacksmith Lapwing - 12; 1 probably on eggs (sitting-close on nest on island with mate standing nearby)
Spur-winged Lapwing -1
Whiskered Tern - at least 38 including a few begging young being fed and two on a sedge island that were scarcely able to fly
Banded Martin - 47 (large group - all quite tatty)
Lots of Euplectes and Quail Finch (juvs too) coming to drink at 1300 hrs including what must have been many (80+) non-breeding/juvenile Fire-fronted Bishops.