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From: Brian Finch <birdfinch@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2009

Nairobi National Park 20th March 2009

I was through the gate before 7-00am, it was a bright and sunny
morning and these conditions continued throughout the day. Along the
drive in, no Blackcaps were to be heard unlike on previous weeks when
they have been the dominant bird song. Two Nightingale-types were
³pinking² just in from the entrance. There were three Nightingales
singing at the Ivory Burning Site, where there was the first returning
and only Red-backed Shrike seen that day, and the first of three
Spotted Flycatchers. The two Upcher¹s Warblers were noisy and very
active in the acacias, one frequently entering the dead tree in
between the two live ones, to sing from the top ­with random slurs
amongst the ³chits,² this is quite different from the
Acrocephaline-song of Olivaceous. In the scrub were two Eurasian Reed
Warblers, two Tree Pipits flew over, and a female Darter circled
overhead. Whilst trying to video the Upcher¹s Warblers, I heard a very
distinctive and familiar call, but what could sound like a Red-headed
Lovebird in Nairobi? I scanned the direction in which the tinkling
call was coming from, and found a little speck flying directly towards
me.  As it came closer and passed nearly overhead, in its curiously
distinctive undulating flight, and calling all the time, I could see
that this was a female Red-headed Lovebird indeed, the red was not as
bright on as on a male, more of a bright orange than red. Not a
feather was out of place, and the bird flew on determinedly
disappearing over Nagalomon Dam. Wow, I thought (actually the
expressed expletives were stronger than this), what on earth is a
Red-headed Lovebird, a species in Kenya restricted to the Uganda
border areas, doing in Nairobi National Park. There was nothing on the
bird to suggest an escapee, apart from its location! Does anyone know
if any Red-headed Lovebirds are kept as cage-birds in Kenya, I have
never heard of such a thing.
Continuing on the back road I found another two Nightingales, two
Garden Warblers and a Blackcap, and there was a Brown Parisoma in the
Acacia gerardii that grows right over the road. There was also a
female Eurasian Marsh Harrier working along the edge of the scrub.
At Hyena Dam there was little activity, there was an African Jacana
feeding in the gap, now occupied by a large crocodile, a couple of
Yellow Wagtails flew overhead but that was about it. The adjacent
grasslands held a Booted Eagle, singles of all three migrant harrier
species, and six Lesser Kestrels. Also here were the first each of
four widely distributed Whinchats and Red-tailed Shrikes (all
phoenicuroides), and three Red-billed Quelea in breeding plumage. The
short arid grasslands towards Karen Dam had two (of four seen)
Northern and the only Isabelline Wheatear of the day. Karen Dam was
reduced to a pool in the centre, but much visited by mammals. On the
road towards Ruai Junction a Steppe Eagle was flying with two Tawnys,
the first of a scattering of Eurasian Black Kites, and the
Lilac-breasted Roller was resident on its chosen dead tree lookout.
There was a pair of Temminck¹s Coursers on the burnt area.
On the descent to Athi Dam was a flock of twenty Athi Short-toed
Larks, but little else was flushed from the very dry grass, and six
Yellow-throated Sandgrouse were in the short stubble with one
Red-throated Pipit adjacent to the fast shrinking Athi Dam. Birds are
still being attracted to the dam in good numbers and variety, amongst
twenty Yellow-billed were five White Storks, a dozen African
Spoonbills, nineteen White and five Pink-backed Pelicans. Also singles
of Red-knobbed Coot, White-winged Black Tern, a sub-adult Fish Eagle,
and a Hottentot Teal, the only non-regular duck present. There were no
interesting palearctic waders present, two Greenshank, eight Marsh,
one Wood and three Common Sandpipers, twenty Little Stint and thirty
Ruff. Other waders were three each of Spur-winged and Kittlitz¹s
Plovers, and twenty-five Black-winged Stilts. There were six adult
Black-crowned Night-Herons roosting on the dam wall. Near Cheetah Gate
were a female Marico Sunbird and a few Vitelline Masked Weavers in
breeding dress. Also a single Olivaceous and another four of these on
the Rhino Circuit. On the river here was a single Black Stork, and
amongst a mixed feeding party a single adult Violet Woodhoopoe. After
this there was little to spark interest (apart from a sub-adult Fish
Eagle at the Mokoyiet Dip Bridge), until Olmanyi Dam. The drop in
water level has now made this attractive to birds, there were a dozen
each of Yellow-billed Stork and African Spoonbill wading in the
shallows, two Common Snipe fed along the margins, as did singles
Greenshank and Wood Sandpiper. A single African Black Swift came in to
drink. The dam on the edge of Kisembe Forest was also attracting
birds, and another dozen Yellow-billed Stork were here, plus a number
of Doves coming in to drink including quite a few Dusky Turtle Doves.
The Langata Dam had a healthy family of Crowned Cranes, interestingly
the birds are still using the nest to brood the young precious pair.
In the corner of the dam, this is the best place from about 5-30pm, to
see birds coming in to drink, especially with the use of the scope.
Residents such as various doves (although fourteen Green Pigeons
perched high in a bordering tree did not come in whilst I was there),
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, bulbuls, various estrildids and weavers,
were joined by three Blackcap and five Garden Warblers. This makes it
very easy to get outstanding views of normally skulking Garden
Warbler, and worth taking advantage of. A Common Buzzard dropped in to
the centre, and made things quiet for while, but the birds returned to
their ablutions. There was only a single Nairobi Pipit along the
forest edge. Barn Swallows were widespread but only in small numbers,
with no more that six in any one location, only four Quailfinch were
seen at water, and Cinnamon-chested Rock Buntings were restricted to a
party of six near Hyena Dam and about six between Olmanyi Dam to
Impala Lookout, but none in the drier portions of the Park.
Not a single domestic mammal was seen the entire time, but the wild
mammals were in very impressive numbers almost throughout. The only
unusual sighting was an Oribi near Hyena Dam.
Nairobi Park is still the place to go, and now the birds are passing
back through again, who knows what can turn up.



Nairobi National Park 12th March 2009

Arriving at the Main Entrance of Nairobi National Park at 7-00am,
where there were Blackcaps giving snatches of song, and Willow
Warblers calling, I made straight for the Ivory Burning Site, with no
other distractions on the way. The rains still hold off, and the place
is dehydrating quickly, thankfully there is still enough water in the
major dams to last for a few more weeks.
The Ivory Burning Site was quiet, there were about four Nightingales
in the scrub, but they were not singing with much enthusiasm, and at
last the Iranias have either disappeared or gone silent, and the two
Upcher¹s Warblers remain faithful to their tiny territories. Along the
back road were a couple of singing Garden Warblers, two more
Nightingales and a Sprosser singing in the same place as a couple of
weeks ago. Sitting by the gap at Hyena Dam I had a cup of coffee
whilst waiting to see what would turn up whilst I was there. A bird
that resembles the small Great Egret that was here last year, seems to
have returned, and single Eurasian Marsh Harrier and sub-adult Fish
Eagle hunted over the area, a Wood Sandpiper flew over as did a Yellow
Wagtail, and a Sedge Warbler was calling from the bulrushes. A bird
with flashy white outer-tail feathers dropped in to drink from the
swampy edge, I took it to be a White-tailed Lark, but on raising my
binoculars was surprised to find that it wasn¹t, but a Singing
Bushlark, maybe another dry-country refugee. It stayed for some time,
then flew across the road, sang briefly as it fluttered over the grass
then dropped into over. Obviously it was quite happy to be here. I
cannot locate my Birds of Nairobi currently, but this must be the
first for the district as well as the Park.
A pair of Saddle-billed Storks perched on top of an acacia along the
Mokoyiet, and might be thinking of settling down to nest there again.
Over the adjacent grasslands were a few Lesser Kestrels, one male
Common Kestrel, the only Whinchat of the day, and Rosy-breasted
Longclaw in breeding plumage. A Black Stork flew down the river, and
the first of eight Red-tailed Shrikes (all phoenicuroides) was found.
At Karen Dam, the water level is dropping rapidly, there was a
medium-dark Booted Eagle, and three Lesser Kestrels over the
grassland, single Greenshank, Marsh and Wood Sandpipers and a few of
the only Quailfinch recorded today, dropping in to drink.
There was little between here and the Athi Basin, where there were two
White-tailed Larks along the approach track to Athi Dam. The dam
itself continues to attract birds, no less than thirty African
Spoonbills, and a similar number of Yellow-billed Storks, five White
Pelicans, singles Great Cormorant, Red-knobbed Coot, Hottentot Teal,
female Garganey and male Southern Pochard. The palearctic waders
numbered seventy Ruff, twenty Little Stints, two Greenshank, ten Marsh
and four Common Sandpipers. Other waders were twenty Black-winged
Stilts, five Spur-winged Plovers and eight Kittlitz¹s Plovers. Four
adult Black-crowned Night-Herons are back roosting on the dam wall.
Near Cheetah Gate there were Vitelline Masked Weavers in breeding
plumage, and eight Crimson-rumped Waxbills.
On the return there was a Green Sandpiper at Nagalomon Dam (probably
close to the last one now, as they are usually the first migrant wader
to pull out), a pair of Nairobi Pipits along the edge of Kisembe
Forest, and finally great news about the Crowned Cranes that seem to
have been incubating for a long time on the Langata Dam, the eggs have
hatched and now there are two quaint chicks following the parents.
There were a few Blackcaps singing in the evening, Barn Swallows were
in very small numbers, and Cinnamon-chested Rock Buntings are
definitely decreasing.
Mammals were superb, and spread over much of the Park, and cattle were
limited to twenty in Athi Basin.


EASTERN MARA 13th/14th March 2009

On 13th March I left early in the morning with Adrian Binns to look
for Karamoja Apalis in the eastern Mara. In spite of some six hours
wandering through the Whistling Thorn scrub, there was no sign of the
species. It was very windy and extremely dry, so the birds were
probably very cryptic. It is difficult to believe that they have
deserted all four territories visited, although the original site has
been cleared of much of its cover and huge enkais have sprung up.
It was still interesting however, the abundant flowering aloes
resulted in good numbers of eight species of sunbirds, Beautiful was
very common and represented a virtual invasion into the district, and
apart from the commoner species there were several each or
Golden-winged and Malachite Sunbirds. Whilst walking through the scrub
we found a pair of the western rift outlying population of Pangani
Longclaws, numerous Taita Fiscals and a few Southern Grosbeak Canarys.
In the remainder of the southern parts of their ranges these are all
found east of the rift, apart from here. Also running around amongst
the whistling thorn were a number of Buffy Pipits, and small parties
of the pallid looking centralis race of Grey-capped Social-Weaver.
Three Silverbirds were encountered, which is away from the more normal
range on the hill slopes, and they based their territories around
isolated Balanites egyptica. There were good numbers of Northern and
Isabelline Wheatears, but no Pied, a couple of Eurasian Rock Thrushes,
and in patches of Acacia xanthophloea a few Olivaceous and Willow
Warblers, plus more Southern Grosbeak Canarys.
In spite of the dry conditions, for butterfly buffs, both species of
the hairstreak genus Leptomyrina ( gorgias and the rare hirundo) were
flying. We did not see a single reptile all the time we were there,
apart from one Leopard Tortoise.
We spent the night in a very nice tented camp at Sekenani, sadly I
have at present forgotten the name, but it was quite luxurious and
very well appointed, even with hairdryers in the tent! A short name,
but I will advise when the mind wakes up.
Next morning we had a nice walk in the Siana Valley, no sign of Magpie
Shrikes, but a few Buff-bellied Penduline Tits and Tabora Cisticolas.
Quite a few Willow Warblers, but an Upcher¹s was most unexpected, and
the first I have ever encountered west of the Rift, and a scattering
of Spotted Flycatchers. Migrant raptors were poor, a couple of
Montagu¹s Harrier, one each of Booted Eagle and Common Buzzard and
that was it.
I believe there are rumours that the road is good all the way, the
section from Mai Mahiu towards Suswa is extremely uncomfortable and
dusty, from there to the outskirts of Narok is newly paved, there is
no road to speak of passing through Narok town, but after crossing the
Ewaso Nyiro (South), the surface is good again.

Best to all

Brian


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