Dear All,
I arrived at the entrance at 6-40 am, the first birds of any interest were at the Ivory Burning Site, there were a pair of Crested Francolin, which is the first time I have seen them in the far north of the Park. A couple of Yellow-bellied Waxbills were also present, which I normally associate with the cold season. A female Montagu’s Harrier was quartering the grassland, the first Nightingale was in the scrub and a Spotted Flycatcher was in residence. Interestingly of all the recent palearctics, this may be the only bird that has possibly been present in the Park for more than one day. The changes from day to day suggest a rapid transience through the area. Another interesting (but not surprising) fact is that most birds so far are adults.
On leaving here there were no birds of note until the back of Hyena Dam, where the pair of adult African Water Rails were performing well. Hyena Dam itself still had the Squacco and the Great Egret, and two Green Sandpipers. Also a couple of Northern Wheatears, whilst a male Pallid Harrier was hunting over the reedbeds.
Passing Nagalomon Dam there were now five Black-crowned Night-Herons at the old nest site, and a Giant Kingfisher was calling but not seen.
Turning to climb the escarpment towards Impala Lookout, there was a Nairobi Pipit sitting on a tree used as a song-perch on many previous years, but it was not singing. On the edge of Kisembe Forest were four Eurasian Golden Orioles of which three were fully adult males, and an adult female Red-backed Shrike.
At Kingfisher Picnic Site there was nothing much of note apart from a pair of White-browed Sparrow-Weavers, which I had never before seen away from the Entrance Gates (apart from one at Hippo Pools). Driving through the grasslands on the way to Olmanyi Dam was very quiet, two Common Swifts and one Mottled flew over. There was a single Parasitic Weaver male, much more advanced breeding plumage than the individual seen a few days before in the same area.
Returning back to Hyena Dam, there was a Booted Eagle feeding on a dove, whilst perched on a whistling thorn, a Eurasian Hobby was mobbing a Yellow-billed Kite, a single Black-chested Snake-Eagle was hunting over the area, there are now a pair of Saddle-billed Storks which hopefully means that they will breed soon, a pair of adult Black Storks were at the back of the dam where there was a female Red-tailed Shrike. Finally there were two sub-adult Fish Eagles, they are probably the same birds that hang around Athi Dam. In the grassland three Athi Short-toed Larks flew by but continued flying away from the area, small numbers of Quailfinch and Zebra Waxbills are still in this area. Strangely at the back of the dam there was a Hartlaub’s Bustard, the furthest north I have seen those in the Park. Cinnamon-chested Rock Buntings were a prominent feature along the roads, and undoubtedly have moved into the Park from outside. This seems to be a seasonal thing. They don’t breed, and are never heard singing away from the rocky hills on the southern side of the Mbagathi River. Barn Swallows were in reasonable numbers, but the most abundant swallow seen virtually all through the areas visited was Rock Martin. Possibly seventy of more were met with, mainly paired…. Where do they come from? On the way out there were two Black Storks seen very briefly near the Langata Gate, probably the same birds that were at Hyena Dam. Having only looked at the northern section, I left at 3-00 pm. As can be seen most interesting species are around Hyena Dam.

I was not alone in the Park, Mark and Stratton Hatfield were also birding, and additionally visited the southern end and Athi Dam. Undoubtedly they will be sending in a report of what they saw.

Best to all

Brian