From: Fleur Ng'weno <fleur@africaonline.co.ke>
Date: 2008-04-13 18:55
Subject: Nairobi National Park is great!
Nairobi National Park is great!
Nairobi National Park is fantastic!
Entering the park through the main gate, with Andres Gomez de Silva, we were at the edge of the rain cloud near Kingfisher Picnic Site when the rain started. There were many mammals, standing out well on the vivid green grass, a mud terrapin crossing the track, a leopard tortoise drinking from the rut in the road, and plenty of migrant birds – Eurasian Hobby catching termites, Eurasian Bee-eaters with glowing golden backs, Eurasian Rollers, Red-backed and a few Red-tailed Shrikes, Spotted Flycatchers, Willow Warblers and a Common Whitethroat.
The southeastern part of the park was dry. At Hippo Pools a Red-chested Cuckoo was shouting that it would rain, and a presumed Eurasian Cuckoo was glimpsed in the bushes higher on the hillside. Where the Rhino Circuit meets the edge of the Athi River, an African Finfoot paddled frantically across a mudbank and a bend of the river to hide under overhanging branches.
On the way back we found the reedbuck Brian told us about, the rhinos Andres wanted to photograph, and the Lesser Grey Shrike that I longed to see again. The Hibiscus that has taken over some of the grasslands unfortunately survived the controlled burning, but its white flowers added to the beauty of the landscape.
At Hyena Dam about forty egrets were roosting in the Typha and floating vegetation. They were Yellow-billed Egrets in bright breeding plumage – fluffy plumes, orange-red beaks, green lores, crimson upper legs. Where are they planning to breed?
Wishing you good birding, Fleur