kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com

Dear All,
I went into Nairobi NP today 14th April, just keeping to the area from 
Kingfisher to Hyena Dam. It was all in all quite disappointing for
migrants,  only seven Red-backed Shrikes, one Red-tail and no Lesser Grey
at all. Not a  Willow Warbler was encountered, nor any migrant waders.
I spent a couple of hours sitting by Olmanyi Dam which like other water 
bodies is full. There is a Red-knobbed Coot on it, which is irregular in
the  Park. Whilst sitting on the dam wall however I did see a few nice
birds  during my wait, which was aimed at photographing swifts. Amongst
these there  were a few Common Swifts with the parties of afrotropical
species. The  sedges held a few Sedge and one Great Reed Warbler, and one
smart  Yellow-crowned Bishop flew in but did not stay. A female Amur
Falcon  appeared as a spot over towards Kitengela and came in lower and
lower,  flying directly overhead, but did not stop, and a female
Monty's/Pallid also  passed over high without stopping. There was a steady
passage of Barn  Swallows in the morning all heading north (and one Sand
Martin), and after  1pm they were all mysteriously heading south! A flock
of fifty White  Pelicans passed over without pausing. On the Hyena Dam
run-off were the old  faithful pair of Saddle-billed Storks, maybe
conditions are ripe for  breeding again. There was also a female E Marsh
Harrier here.
On the Olmanyi Circuit road were a party of eight E Bee-eaters, six Lesser
 Kestrels, several Rosy-breasted Longclaws were conspicuous, and a male 
Parasitic Weaver was singing from the top of a Balanites which has been
used  for the purpose in previous years. There were a few Garden Warblers
and a Golden Oriole in Kisembe Forest, and  Nairobi Pipits were singing
and fairly easy to find. Trogons were vocalising  as well.
The only Spotted Flycatcher was one on the road from the Burning Site 
alongside Splash, and a surprise here was a Scaly Francolin. In the past I
 have only seen them in Kisembe Forest and at Impala Lookout, but not this
 far east in the Park. The three widowbirds are all cavorting and in
rather  large numbers, but Cardinal Queleas have not come back as yet.

Today Easter Sunday 16th April I again visited NNP, and the gate takings 
must have been very acceptable judging by the numbers in the Park. Because
I  had only visited the north and north-west the other day, I decided on 
entering through Langata Gate, to head directly to the south-west. There
was  a Common Buzzard sitting over the road not far from the entrance, and
not  too far from Hyena Dam where an African Rail was calling, the
Saddle-billed  Storks are indeed nest-building in the top of a large
acacia along the  Mokoyiet River. At the "Beacon" there was a very
attractive Northern Hobby  sitting on the fence-post. White-tailed Larks
were singing here, they were  also vocal at Ruai Dam, in the Athi Basin,
and were the most obtrusive bird  song at Athi Dam. Ruai was full, the
only thing of any interest was a female  Knob-billed Duck. Athi Dam was
full, and there was a very nice assortment of  waterside birds. The most
interesting amongst the assemblage being a  Whiskered Tern in breeding
plumage, the pair of Spur-winged Plovers have  returned, and a Temminck's
Stint which is the first I have seen in the Park  for several years. In an
acacia on the "Causeway" there was a male Lesser  Masked Weaver
nest-building with a female looking on, under two roosting  Black-crowned
Night-Herons. Whilst they are regular in the acacia woodlands  in the
southern end of the Park, I think this will be the first breeding  record
for the species. Other migrant waders consisted of 6 Greenshank, 1  Marsh
Sandpiper, 12 Wood Sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Little Stints  and a
Ruff. I heard a Red-throated Pipit but did not see it. The total  number
of migrant shrikes were still low for the time of year, with a dozen 
Red-backed, 2 Red-tailed and only 4 Lesser Grey. Sitting on a bush in the 
Hippo Pools car-park was a male Southern Red Bishop. This was a first for 
the Park, but also for the Nairobi Area, in fact I can locate no Kenyan 
record east of the Rift. The nearest populations are along the Ewaso Nyiro
 River south-west of Lake Magadi in Kenya, west of Arusha in Tanzania and
the  Lake Victoria Basin, with one old record from Lake Naivasha and I saw
one  once in the eastern Mara. The Hippo Pools was deadly dull, the only
migrant  warbler all day was an Olivaceous there. There was a steady
passage of Barn  Swallows, all heading in a south-easterly direction!  On
this same date in  2000 Nairobi Park had 300 Willow Warblers, 500
Red-backed and a 100 Lesser  Grey Shrikes.

In spite of the infrequency of visits to Nairobi National Park this year, 
because the drought really made the place hot, dusty and unpleasant…. and 
that the Park already has a bird list of over 500 species, I have seen
four  new species for the Park in 2006, they are Red-throated Wryneck,
Common  Teal, Taita Fiscal and now Southern Red Bishop. Even then the
neighbouring  Splash Wetland Reserve this year has produced two species
not recorded in  NNP with Spotted Crake and Barred Warbler. Nairobi still
continues to  produce new things.

Best birding

Brian