Today Graham Farmer and myself entered the Main Entrance of Nairobi
National Park at 6:30 am. It was a cold and overcast morning, a little
moisture in the air, but no rain to speak of. There was nothing on the
entrance road, and little of note at Ivory Burning Site. There was a
Great Cormorant flying over and a Giant Kingfisher left Nagalomon Dam.
A Crested Francolin was scrapping with a Scaly Francolin on the road.
There was not much along the back road, but Brown Parrots were calling
from a tree near the road opposite Splash. They were in the same place
a couple of weeks ago. Hyena Dam was pretty dull, one each of Great
and Yellow-billed Egrets being the sum total. The adjacent grasslands
had a few White-tailed Larks and all three Longclaws, and on turning
off back towards Hyena Dam via the run-off there was a Common
Buttonquail on the track, some hundred Yellow-crowned Bishops,
numerous Jackson's Widowbird and a couple of Cardinal Queleas. Zebra
Waxbill were in pairs and threes all through the grasslands and were
very common, but Quailfinch were all through the Park and were fast
becoming the most abundant species. Along the paved road past
Nagalomon Dam was the first of seven Namaqua Doves met with today, all
but one pair were single sightings, testifying to a local influx.
There was an all black Jacobin Cuckoo not far from where there was one
a few weeks ago, and not far beyond the bridge over the Mokoyiet, a
singing Red-faced Cisticola. There was as usual nothing at Olmanyi
Dam, but there was a single male Black-bellied Bustard on the adjacent
plain heading off towards Kingfisher Picnic Site, where there were
three Black-winged Plovers of which one was a juvenile. In Kisembe
Forest there were now two immature African Cuckoo-Hawks where there
was one a week or so ago, the African Jacana was still on Kisembe
Forest edge dam where there was a Three-banded Plover with two chicks,
and at the bottom of the road below Impala Lookout, an adult Lizard
Buzzard was sitting on a low bush. As we crossed the ford on the main
road heading towards the southern parts, there was a nice Pangani
Longclaw sitting on a bush, so we turned off to get closer to it, and
also found a nice displaying Jackson's Widowbird mimicking a Maasai
Dance. Whilst watching this a small bird popped up and was an adult
female Whinchat. A pretty late date!!! Continuing round to Karen
Primary School Dam we sound the Little Grebe still there, (and another
on the small dam further down the road), another African Jacana and
well over a hundred Yellow-crowned Bishops. Along the road was a
Black-chested Snake-Eagle and a scattering of White-tailed Larks and a
nice group of some thirty Banded Martins. Athi Dam was the dullest I
have ever known it, just four Yellow-throated Sandgrouse and a pair of
Spur-winged Plovers. Along the Mbagathi was the first Grey-headed
Kigfisher for a while, and there was a good assortment of species at
Hippo Pools, nothing too outrageous but a Chestnut Sparrow flew over,
but to me the most interesting were a pair of Grey Woodpeckers bathing
in the river… something I had never seen before, or any woodpecker
bathing for that matter. There was nothing of any real note on the way
back to the Main Entrance. Mammals proved a good variety, but the
numbers are out on the short grass of the Kitengela. There were four
Mountain Reedbuck in their usual spot, but we only saw one Rhino.
There were however seven Hippos at Hippo Pools.
When we got back to the exit, Graham was curious to know how many
species we had recorded that day and so we counted them up out of
curiosity, and were surprised to find it totalled 182 species which is
not too shabby with no boost from the migrants, and so little on any
of the dams.
The Park is still turning up a few surprises,  and makes a visit very
worthwhile.

We bumped into Patrick Lhoir with his son a few times, and they were
also having a good day, and came up with the best bird that we had
apparently not long since driven past! I wonder what else we miss as
we drive along the roads.

Best to all

Brian