Dear All,
I have been the past six days (2nd-7th November, and will be leaving tomorrow 8th) all in Samburu-Buffalo Springs exploring the reserves with friends. Whilst dry there has been rain in one small area of greenery on the Buffalo Springs side not far before the Ewaso Nyiro bridge. As at the end of 7th we have recorded 245 species in the two reserves, so the variety is to be had.
Migrants have been really poor, however it would appear that the scarcer species are in well before the arrival of the more common visitors.
Firstly the more interesting Afrotropicals have been…..
Glossy Ibis…. One flying downriver on 3rd
Great White Pelican…. A dozen flying over on 4th
Pink-backed Pelican…. One on the river on 7th
Palm-nut Vulture…. Pair of adults constantly present in bridge area.
Black-and-White Cuckoo…. Several fresh-plumaged birds in the "green area."
African Cuckoo…. Two territories in the "green area."
Alpine Swift…. Several with mixed swifts along the river on 6th.
Northern Carmine Bee-eater…. One flying over Buffalo Springs on 2nd.
Friedmann's Lark… Two males on territories, calling both in flight and perched on 7th in the "green area," they were both videoed and photographed. The first I have ever seen in Buffalo Springs, although they are in neighbouring Shaba.
Pringle's Puffback… Three pairs on the Samburu Sopa hill, much calling and display.
Pied Crow…. A pair with vultures on 4th, 5th and 7th, I cannot recall seeing them here before.
Pale Prinia…. Present and very noisy in unprecedented numbers all over Buffalo Springs and Samburu. I have never seen such abundance here before.
Yellow-vented Eremomela… Far more numerous than usual, but perhaps because they are so vocal.
Somali Long-billed Crombec…. A pair in Sopa gardens, some nice photos at last. 
Hildebrandt's Starling…. A pair in the "green area." They are singing birds apparently on a territory, I cannot remember them from here before.
Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling…. A pair on a couple of dates near the river.
Magpie Starling…. Only one male seen on 6th.
Gambaga Flycatcher…. Taking the small road from the Sopa road up to the GSU camp along the rocky ridge, there were a pair of adults with one and probably two immatures. They have obviously bred here, and in spite of having young, the male still sang. They were of course digitised.
Shining Sunbird… One male in Samburu Lodge, and other males in two of the small valleys on the Samburu side.
Golden Pipit… In large numbers all through the "green area." Both singing and displaying males plus pairs with already flying young.
Other interesting notes, we have not been able to find one Yellow-billed Oxpecker in all the time here. Vuturine Guineafowl are in extraordinary numbers and have obviously had good breeding success virtually throughout. The same goes for White-headed Mousebirds particularly along the river.
Lesser Masked, Vitelline Masked and Golden Palm Weavers are in breeding plumage, yet there is not one Red-billed Quelea in the region! Large numbers of Chestnut Sparrows are in the active Black-capped Social-Weaver colonies.
Apart from five Wire-tailed Swallows there are no african swallow species present!
Palearctic Migrants
Northern Shoveler …. Twelve flying along the river on 6th.
Eurasian Kestrel… One at Buffalo Springs on 4th.
Eurasian Hobby…. Very poor only five sightings up to 6th, then six after rain on 7th.
Montagu's Harrier… Very poor only two sightings in all.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk…. One bird hunting in the "green area," on 6th.
Greater Spotted Eagle… One adult over the Sopa road on 4th.
Steppe Eagle… Not a good passage about fifteen sightings.
Eastern Imperial Eagle…. One third-year bird over the Sopa road on 4th.
Little Ringed Plover… Two on the River on 5th.
Common Greenshank… Three sightings only, all single birds.
Green Sandpiper… Two single sightings only.
Wood Sandpiper…. Two nead the bridge on 7th.
Common Sandpiper… Common along the river.
Little Stint… Only two single sightings.
White-winged Black Tern… One flying upriver on 3rd.
Common Cuckoo… One in the "green area," 6th.
Common Swift… Small numbers along the river.
Pallid Swift….Some ten birds both drinking along the river, and feeding low down over a small hill in "green area," on 6th and 7th.
Eurasian Roller… only two birds and a single on 4th and 5th, then three after rain on 7th.
Eurasian Bee-eater… A few birds on 3rd and fifteen on 5th, were the only birds.
Red-backed Shrike… Some eight sightings.
Red-tailed Shrike… Fairly common in the drier scrub, up to thirty seen in a day.
Eurasian Golden Oriole… One female in "green area," area was the only individual, amazingly none in the riverine forest.
Sand Martin… Five individuals seen with Barn Swallows.
Barn Swallow… Fairly steady passage and presence.
Grey Wagtail… One at Intrepids on 3rd, I cannot ever recall seeing them in the area before.
Olivaceous Warbler…. Only one bird in acacias along the river was very surprisingly low numbers for a normally common species.
Upcher's Warbler…. A single bird in scrub along the river in the same place on 4th and 6th, one in low scrub in "green area," on 7th.
Olive Tree Warbler…. A single at Buffalo Springs spring on 5th and one in "green area," on 7th.
Barred Warbler…. One on Sopa Road on 4th was the only bird.
Greater Whitethroat… only three individual sightings.
Common Nightingale…. At least six in Intrepids throughout 2nd-8th, not one Sprosser seen anywhere!
Irania… A male and a pair on the Sopa Road 5th and 6th.
Rufous Bush Chat… Some ten observations in all.
Isabelline Wheatear…. Common and widepspread, maybe forty in a day max.
Northern Wheatear…. Only three individuals.
Pied Wheatear….Common and widespread, maybe twenty in a day max.
Common Rock Thrush… Frequent with some ten sightings.
Spotted Flycatcher… Single birds throughout, but no more than five on any one day.
 
LAKE NAKURU MIGRANTS
8th and 9th
Northern Shoveler 80 
Northern Pintail 3
Garganey 10
Lesser Kestrel 1
Eurasian Marsh Harrier 5
Pallid Harrier 1
Common Buzzard 5
Steppe Eagle 12
Ringed Plover 6
Common Snipe 2
Marsh Sandpiper 12
Greenshank 10
Green Sandpiper 4
Wod Sandpiper 25
Common Sandpiper 3
Little Stint 40
Curlew Sandpiper 1
Ruff 200
White-winged Black Tern 50
Eurasian Bee-eater 40
Red-backed Shrike 1
Red-tailed Shrike 1
Sand Martin 30
Barn Swallow 10000
House Martin 2
Willow Warbler 5
Northern Wheatear 1
Pied Wheatear 1
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Yellow Wagtail 25
MAASAI MARA MIGRANTS MAX/DAY
10TH TO 12TH MARA CONSERVANCY ONLY
 
Black Stork 1
Eurasian Kestrel 2
Common Buzzard 2
Lesser Spotted Eagle 10
Steppe Eagle 8
Booted Eagle 1
Eurasian Roller 2
Eurasian Bee-eater 2
Red-backed Shrike 1
Eurasian Golden Oriole 3
Barn Swallow 20
House Martin 2
Willow Warbler 2
Blackcap 1
Garden Warbler 2
Isabelline Wheatear 1
Northern Wheatear 3
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Yellow Wagtail 7
Tree Pipit 2
Other observations of interest
Ovampo Sparrowhawk…. A pair terrorising the local inhabitants of Kichwa Tembo, especially canaries.
Wahlberg’s Eagle… nest along Sabaringo used now for over twenty years!
Rufous-bellied Heron… Six in Little Governors Swamp
Pallid Honeyguide… One feeding using rapid sewing-machine motions on twigs, first I have ever personally seen in Kichwa Tembo or the Mara
Rock-loving Cisticola… very low down the Oloololo Escarpment at two sites along the Sabaringo Road
Tabora Cistiocla… Three on top of the Oloollo Escarpment, where scarce over past few years.
 
After an evening at home I started a November central Kenya tour with coast extension.
 
14th November NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK
There was a single Saddle-billed Stork near Hyena Dam, five Black-crowned Night-Herons were at the roost at Athi Dam, where the most surprising bird was a Chestnut-banded Plover, the first for the NNP and the Nairobi area,. Wattled Starlings were in unusual numbers, and many good sized flocks were seen. Both Red-collared and Jackson's Widowbirds were in breeding plumage, but White-wings were only just showing signs of change. 
In the migrant line, two Black Storks were in the area, two Pallid Harriers and one imm Montagu's Harrier, singles of Lesser Spotted and Booted Eagles, The only migrant waders being a handful of Little Stints and Greenshanks, plus a couple of Common Sandpipers. Only single Red-backed and Red-tailed Shrikes, few Barn Swallows, meagre Willow Warblers although about ten Spotted Flycatchers. Single Whinchat and Pied Wheatear, a few each of Northern and Isabelline Wheatears. A couple of Red-throated Pipits and Yellow Wagtails were on burnt ground near Hyena Dam. All in all very disappointing palaearctic representation.
15th November
Calling in at Lukenya on our way to Tsavo, there was little to be seen. A single Hobby, was the only migrant apart from a couple of Spotted Flycatchers and a few Barn Swallows.
An adult Sooty Falcon was perched near the Mtito gate. Good numbers of Eurasian Nightjars before arriving at Ngulia, (as well as Dusky, Plain ad Donaldson-smith's), only a couple of Eurasian Rollers, good numbers of Barn Swallows all along the road, a solitary Upcher's Warbler in a petrol station at Mtito was the only migrant warbler recorded all day, a few Spotted flycatchers were conspicuous, 
Otherwise a couple of pairs of Black-headed Plovers on entering Tsavo West, and a pair of Black-bellied Sunbirds at the museum just in from the gate. African Golden Weavers were in breeding action at Hunter's Lodge, and there were several Southern Grosbeak Canarys at Lukenya.
16th November
We spent all day in Tsavo West, visiting the road towards Tsavo Gate in the morning, and back down to the Hippo Pools in the afternoon.
Harlequin Quail were in small numbers crash-landing on the lawn at the Lodge in the night, but a White-browed Coucal winging past the balcony in the wee hours was a bit of a surprise. The light mist revealed passerines passing in small numbers, but clearing too early so most of these had moved on by morning. Several Common Buzzards were scattered, but only singletons. Eurasian Nightjars were in good numbers again in the night and during the day there were two roosting in the restaurant. Only four Eurasian Rollers were to be found, and a similar number of Eurasian Bee-eaters and two Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters. In the morning there were some thirty Red-tailed and Red-backed (mostly) Shrikes around the lodge but they were scarce away from here. There was a steady passage of Barn Swallows, the bushes around the lodge had some twenty Marsh Warblers, one each of Eurasian Reed and Basra Reed, several Olivaceous and a single Olive Tree Warbler. Whitethroats in
 slightly smaller numbers than Marsh Warbler, a single Willow Warbler, and several Sprossers and Rufous Bush Chats though only a couple of Iranias. Spotted Flycatchers were well distibuted all throughout, and the most conspicuous bush migrant. 
There were a couple of male Painted-snipe at the Hippo Pools with one Green Sandpiper, a few Black-and-White Cuckoos looked fresh enough to be arriving local breeders rather than northern migrants, and were calling. The presence of an African Cuckoo supporting this, as well as widespread Diederic Cukoos. As is normal at this time of year, several breeding plumage Madagascar bee-eaters were around the Ngulia airstrip. Several Red-naped Bush-Shrikes were calling but could not be coaxed into view, in fact the dry scrub was very quiet. However there were far more Pale Prinias obvious than I have seen on the Tsavo Gate road before. They certainly are increasing in this area. 
17th November
A morning on the Tsavo Gate road revealed obliging Red-naped Bush-Shrikes, much more reasonable than the previous day.