Dear All,
I visited Nairobi National Park on 26th March 2010. I arrived at
6.30am and kept to the north and west of the Park. There had been no
rain overnight, but the previous evening there had been 1 ½ inches. It
was a cloudy and cool morning but brightened towards mid-day. There
were some good numbers of butterflies in the forested areas,
Green-veined Charaxes were in unsual numbers and I had one gathering
of fifteen on the same damp patch.
The first port of call as usual was Ivory Burning Site, there was a
Fish Eagle calling from Nagalomon Dam,  fifteen Eurasian Bee-eaters,
Red-fronted Tinkerbirds were feeding young in the nest, there were
only a couple of Nightingales feeding in low scrub by the road, most
seem to have deserted us,  single Spotted Flycatcher, Marsh Warbler
and Whitethroat, two each of Eurasian Reed Warbler, Olivaceous Warbler
and Garden Warblers. A large warbler was seen in flight only that was
probably Barred. Along the back road there was an obliging African
Water Rail at the small swamp, a couple more Spotted Flycatchers, the
first of five Red-tailed Shrikes representing males of both Red-tailed
phoenicuroides  and Isabelline isabellinus (remember these are treated
as two different species in the latest IOC world checklist), and
nothing at all at the dam apart from more calling Water Rails.
On the run-off there was a Squacco Heron, immature Purple Heron, pair
of Saddle-billed Storks, a male Montagu's Harrier, the only Lesser
Kestrel of the day, five Rosy-breasted Longclaws (and others
elsewhere), the first of five Whinchats and plenty of Red-collared and
Jackson's Widowbirds. At Olmanyi Dam there was an adult Black Stork
and a couple of Sedge Warblers. The drive across the plains towards
Kingfisher was quite disappointing, there was a group of forty-eight
White-backed Vultures, and a pair of Parasitic Weavers. Kingfisher
Picnic Site area had two Northern Wheatears and the only Willow
Warbler and the nearby swamp had another calling African Water Rail,
two Zebra Waxbill and the only White-winged Widowbird seen today. The
Kisembe Forest concealed many singing Garden Warblers, whilst there
was a large mixed flock of just Mottled and Little Swift which
provided quite a contrast. There were three House Martins with a few
Barn Swallows over the clearings. The forest edge dam provided the
only Eurasian Hobby and fifteen Eurasian Bee-eaters, and more parties
of similar size on other parts of the plateau. There was a Nairobi
Pipit flushed off the road which sang very briefly, and on the Kisembe
Valley road another bird that was rather well marked and may have been
immature. Young Little Grebes were on the same two stretches of water
as the other day, but now deserted by their parents. The breeding
success of Crowned Cranes still goes well, near Kingfisher a pair have
two medium-sized young, Forest Edge Dam pair have two recently hatched
young, as have the pair on Langata Dam and the pair on the Kisembe
Valley dam are still incubating. There was a scattering of Quailfinch,
but no numbers and a small passage of Barn Swallows.
A pleasant day restricted to the north-west corner, but no surprises.
Likewise no unusual mammals, but quite a lot around Kingfisher area.