Drove to Athi River through Nairobi National Park only to find that 
KWS had closed Cheetah Gate without telling anyone. Not a wasted trip 
though cos there was a lot of game down there and we saw Red backed 
and Red –tailed Shrikes, Northern Wheatear and a Black Stork
 Conditions on arrival in Tsavo were very dry and hot but the first 
rains fell while we were there. In 3 days we saw just 70 sp, but 
admittedly we didn't travel too far. We haven't birded in Tsavo for a 
long time and were not sure of what we should find so comments are 
welcome!
The most obvious birds were:
•	hornbills (Red billed, Von der Deckens, Yellow Billed and  
Grey) 
•	Swifts and swallows ( White-rumped , Horus, Little Swift , 
Striped, Angola,  Red-rumped, Rock Martin, Eurasian, Mosque, Wire-
tailed Swallow) ??Horus because of the large white throat patch and 
slightly forked tail and Angola cos of very blue back, white in 
tail..but happy to be told not possible!  
•	Also starlings, G Blue eared, Golden Breasted, Fishers. Also 
pretty sure we had all three starlings Superb, Hildebrandts and 
Shelleys (darker solid belly and orange eyes) ... 

Some other observations 
•	Migrants..lots of steppe eagles, a Golden Oriole, Eurasian 
Beeeaters and Northern Wheatears.
•	African hoopoes in numbers...probably 7 by the warden's house 
and a lot of calling going on from prominent positions in the tallest 
trees.
•	BOPs: adult and immature of Martial, Bataleurs and African 
Hawk eagles. 
•	Also Grasshopper Buzzard, Pygmy Falcons, Shikra. Perregrine. 
One unidentified falcon...seemed uniform brown with a pale 
rump ..about 30cm. ..immature Lanner?
•	Notable absence of vultures.
•	The three banded plover didn't turn up at the waterholes 
until the rain had come.
•	Marico, Hunters and Beautiful sunbird..all on one flowering 
plant (thevetia like) by the house. 
•	One male ostrich with one female and 3 egg shaped chicks. 
•	Hildebrandts francolin at Ngulia
•	Red and Yellow billed oxpeckers common in about same numbers.
•	Didn't see a Bulbul until the last day!

Fiona Reid