Dear All,

I visited Nairobi National Park on 9th February. There had been a
couple of fairly insignificant showers, and the early morning was cold
and grey with a little drizzle. It stayed cold until quite late in the
day.
On both arrival at the Main Gate, and departure at Langata Gate there
was a good serenade of Blackcaps. It's difficult to say whether there
are birds moving through yet, or that they are easier to record
because of the exuberant singing. First visit was to the Ivory Burning
Site, African Firefinches trilled from the bushes along the access
road, but up to three Nightingales and the Irania were singing well. A
second Irania called from across the clearing, and the two Upcher's
Warblers were in residence. There were no new additions to this
currently stable population. Proceeding along the back road, I heard a
couple of Nightingales at the closed dense scrub immediately before
the old pump-house clearing. I stopped and whilst looking at the
Nightingales, a male Irania hopped into view, not as bright as the
Ivory Burning Site male, and no interest in singing. Two African Black
Duck flew low over the pump house clearing, and disappeared towards
Nagalomon Dam. On the other side of the clearing, I stopped again
under the large Acacia gerardii that forms a canopy over the road,
there were another couple of Nightingales calling here. Whilst waiting
to see what else might be hiding in the scrub, I found a Great Reed
Warbler feeding quietly in a small shrub. This is a very unusual
record for this time of year, as not being a local non-breeding
resident, we don't usually see them here until well into April. This
individual has probably been secreting itself in this dense scrub for
some time. Shortly after a Eurasian Reed Warbler appeared, this is
where a bird was singing but not seen a few weeks ago. Continuing
along the back road until roughly opposite Splash, there were a couple
of Cinnamon-chested Rock Buntings and stopping to look at them, there
was another bird feeding with them…. a Somali Golden-breasted Bunting.
This is quite outrageous and a first for the Park. I got some
photographs through the windscreen as the bird hopped onto the track.
This would have been new for Nairobi district, had not the first been
seen by Fleur and a number of local birders, on the road to Tony
Church's Dam in Langata, just a few weeks ago. It really does seem so
unlikely that this cold be the same bird, what are the chances? There
was an African Water Rail feeding at the marshy area before turning
off to Hyena Dam. The Dam itself was not that productive, it's
resident female Eurasian Marsh Harrier was still present and so was a
sub-adult Fish Eagle.
On the circuit road, there was a Black Stork flying over, a male
Pallid and two Montagu's Harrier and a very dark Eurasian Marsh
Harrier. There were a few Lesser Kestrels, and they were widespread in
the Park with up to fifteen seen. A lone Yellow Wagtail was trailing a
group of Zebra. Just past the turn off at the "Beacon" up to twenty
Athi Short-toed Larks were feeding in the same place as the last
visit, even on the road itself. The short grass had attracted a pair
of Black-winged Plover. The first of only three phoenicuroides
Red-tailed Shrikes was found, and the first of only two Northern
Wheatear.
Just at the junction to Ruai Dam, there has been a small fire, there
was a grand male Kori Bustard, and the burnt area attracted all three
species of palearctic Harriers. On the descent to Athi Dam there were
two White-tailed Larks, the water level at Athi Dam was still dropping
and had been unaffected by any recent shower activity. Amongst the
irregular visitors were singles Great Cormorant, Pink-backed Pelican,
Red-knobbed Coot, and White-winged Black Tern. Additionally one Black
and fifteen White Storks, seventeen Ruff, twenty Little Stints, only
one Marsh Sandpiper, one each of Wood and Common Sandpipers and two
Greenshank. It would appear that the same pair of Spur-winged Plovers
have raised another two chicks which are already quite large, and this
is only after a couple of months from the first brood. There were five
including the two young birds. Black-winged Stilts remained stable at
seventeen, but there was a compact group of twenty-three Kittlitz's
Plovers. Red-throated Pipit has now been reduced to a single
individual. The strange female Eurasian Marsh Harrier is still
present, readily recognisable by prominent rectangular whitish patches
on the forewing. An adult Fish Eagle was also in the area, and a
single Eurasian Black Kite. Ducks were reduced to the common resident
species, Red-billed, White-faced Whistling and of course Egyptian
Geese. It was very dry along the Rhino Circuit, and correspondingly
quiet, the better birds being three Violet Wood-Hoopoes one of which
was carrying food, and two female Von der Decken's Hornbills. The only
migrants being a Common Sandpiper and a couple of Olivaceous Warblers.
Kingfisher Picnic Site was quiet with a Montagu's Harrier and the
reliable male Pied Wheatear, a Common Buzzard was seen along the edge
of the forest on the way out, and a Crowned Crane was incubating on
the small dam near the Langata Entrance. Only two Barn Swallows were
seen all day, whilst both Red-rumped and Lesser Striped were numerous.
Quail Finch were common enough, but only in the north of the Park
where they come in to drink at the dams.
Mammals were in good numbers, but nothing of any note was seen.

Best to all

Brian