Dear All,

I went into Nairobi Park on Sunday 6th November, and although it was 
a late start, it was still a bit disappointing for migrants. Mammals 
however were exceptional, thousands of Zebra and in the region of 
400 Wildebeeste and a similar number of Eland.... Just like the good 
all days.

A nice surprise not far from Hyena Dam was a pair of Oribi with a 
young one. I had heard that there had been an introduction programme 
into the Park but this is the first time that I had encountered them.

There was a beautiful adult Cuckoo-Hawk near the Langata entrance. 
Athi Dam was attracting a few waders, Greenshank (2), Marsh Sand 
(1), Wood Sand (2), Common Sand (2), Ruff (1), Little Stint (3), but 
ironically the best were African waders with a young Avocet (the 
first I know of in the Park since there were seven at Athi Dam on 
18th March 1996), and a Spur-winged Plover which has been around a 
couple of months. There was one White-winged Black Tern as well 
three Yellow-throated Sandgrouse.

Other migrants were two Montagu's and one Pallid Harriers, one 
Steppe Eagle, one Peregrine (calidus), one Eurasian Roller, four 
Green Sands, one Common Snipe, one Golden Oriole, Bee-eaters (h), 
two Red-tailed and one Red-backed Shrikes, three Yellow Wagtails 
(lutea), and a smattering of Barn Swallows.

The Park can only get better, but it's worth a visit just for the 
sight of the mammals.

I was going through some friends photos taken in June when they were 
staying with friends on Laikipia. Amongst these were photos of 
nesting Ethiopian Swallows on the porch. These were on a private 
property near Ol Jogi, and constitute an interesting breeding record 
(I have kept copies of the photos). This is the same period that I 
photographed an individual sitting on a fence at Naro Moru, and one 
was at Baringo.

Steven Easley called in yesterday evening having returned with a 
group from the Mara. He found a pair of Black-backed Cisticolas in 
the same area as  I have had them on two previous years. This time 
they were not at the base of the road up onto the Oloololo 
Escarpment, but a little further on across the Sabaringo Bridge just 
up on the right, and as before in short cropped grass only a few 
inches high. My previous sightings have been 30th October 2002 and 
2nd December 2003, so they might be seasonal.

Best birding to all
Brian