Dear All,
On 7th April 2010 I was at the Main Entrance at 6.45am and made
straight for the Ivory Burning Site. It was most disappointing, single
Olivaceous (four today) and couple of Garden Warblers (five today) was
it! Along the back road there was the first of three Red-tailed
Shrikes and the first of five Willow Warblers and first of four
Spotted Flycatchers. The Water Rail was on the small swamp at the back
of Hyena Dam which could only muster up two Wood Sandpipers. On the
run-off there was the pair of Saddle-billed Storks and they later were
seen in the top of an acacia, maybe a prelude to breeding. There was
also a Squacco Heron, and a pair of Crowned Cranes with two chicks,
making breeding pair number six. Otherwise several Rosy-breasted
Longclaws and Cardinal Quelea which were seen at several swamps.
Nearby were a pair of Zebra Waxbills and the first of only five Lesser
Grey and first of over twenty Red-backed Shrikes. It looks as if a gap
has been deliberately cut in the bulrushes at Nagalomon Dam, giving a
good view of two active nests of Long-tailed Cormorants and three
active nests of Black-crowned Night-Herons with others probably
concealed. Hidden Swamphens called from the reeds and there was
another Wood Sandpiper. Little of note at Kingfisher, but a group of
seventeen Black-winged Plovers was the largest assembly I had seen in
the Park. Several Sedge Warblers were singing from Olmanyi Dam, and
back on the junction with the paved road was the only Whinchat of the
day. Just where the tarmac ends a Corncrake ran across the road, but
no amount of coaxing or ten minutes of playing crex-crex recordings
had any affect in drawing it out. A little further was a Common
Kestrel, the only palearctic raptor of the day which is rather poor.
Nothing else of note all the way to Athi Dam, in spite of no evidence
of recent rain elsewhere, the level has climbed again and the water
will soon be inundating the grass verge. An adult Pink-backed Pelican
came in whilst I was there, a single Red-knobbed Coot was present,
waders reduced to a pair of Spur-winged Plover, seven Black-winged
Stilt, three Little Stint, a Greenshank, four Wood and one Common
Sandpipers. The Lesser Masked Weavers were busy at their nests on the
Causeway, and many Mottled Swifts came in to drink.White-tailed Larks
were singing in flight and a pair of Athi Short-toed Larks were in the
grassland. The only thing of any interest near the cement factory were
the pair of d'Arnaud's Barbet still present. Taking a road through
Athi Basin was rewarded by a pair of nesting Lappet-faced Vultures on
a Balanites, and the only African Hoopoe of the day. On the return
there were three Kori Bustards two of which were displaying males, and
Yellow-crowned Bishops at three swampy areas. Eland Hollow is the only
dam that has not had a good injection of water and the reeds on the
edge have all died back. There were a new pair of Crowned Cranes here
with two advanced chicks. That's breeding pair number seven, all still
with two chicks and in two cases three. So far very good breeding
success. Near Langata Gate were ten Violet-backed Starlings and I was
all through by 16.45pm.
Barn Swallow passage was quite heavy in the afternoon, with most SE
and many due South out on to the Kitengela. Red-collared Widowbirds
were very widespread and very common, there could be up to a thousand
male territories, the birds are buzzing about all over the place.
Jackson's are also widespread but in much smaller numbers, and
White-winged only at a few damp areas. Quailfinch were only recorded
in small numbers but very widespread.
Mammals were virtually all in Athi Basin, which had both variety and
numbers. A total of five White Rhinoceros were seen but nothing else
of note.