On 11th July 2011, I met up with Mike Davidson, Fleur Ng'Weno and
Karen Plumbe at the Main Gate of Nairobi National Park, and we were
through the gate by 6.20am.
We thought that as Fleur had to be returned to Main Gate at 2.00pm
that we would drive fairly directly to Athi Dam so that she would have
time to see the southern portion of the Park. Nevertheless our first
stop was at Ivory Burning Site, and as nothing was to be seen soon
started southwards along the main road.
Our first good sighting was a male Harlequin Quail feeding quite
openly along the roadside. The Martial Eagle sat by its nest in the
riverine acacia, there were a dozen or so Orange-breasted Waxbills and
the occasional Quailfinch in the grasslands, as well as three
White-tailed Larks sitting on the road. At Lone Tree, a pair of
Lanners looked enormous on such a small tree, and continuing along to
Karen Primary School Dam, we had a Short-tailed Lark on the track (we
managed all seven of the Parks Larks this morning), a Broad-tailed
Grassbird called from a grassy valley and there were chicks of Common
Moorhens and Blacksmith Plovers but nothing else of note on the dam
itself.
Above Athi Basin there were a few Wattled Starlings riding on the
backs of Zebra, and a Rufous-crowned Roller on the decent road to Athi
Dam, as well as a group of four Black Rhinos whose family dynamics we
could not work out. The wintering Marsh Sandpiper was still on the
pool above the dam. On the dam itself single adult White and immature
Pink-backed Pelicans, a Spur-winged Plover was showing much aggression
to the fifteen Kittlitz's and ten Three-banded Plovers present, and
the first returning migrant right on cue, a Common Sandpiper. In the
weeds were over thirty Yellow-throated Sandgrouse as well as some
forty Fischer's Sparrowlarks, and a pair of African Hoopoes far from
any cover. Along the causeway were three adult and two immature
roosting Black-crowned Night-Herons, but far more interesting was to
be seen amongst the swallow flock feeding in the area. With a group of
Plain Martins, a few Red-rumped and Lesser Striped Swallows were two
unusual Red-rumped Swallows. Unlike the normal swallows present, they
had buffy-white rumps, a broad buffy-white collar separating the dark
crown from the back, pale buffy bellies and underwing coverts.
They flew back and forth along the length of the causeway amongst the
other swallows present. Like many other residents here, Red-rumped
Swallows breed on my house, they are a common and widespread bird in
upland Kenya. I have never seen any birds look like this before.
Immatures appear to emerge from the nest looking like duller versions
of the parents, but not showing the pallid rumps and collars that are
exhibited in northern races. One odd bird could be just that, but not
two together. Delving into the literature was absolutely no solace at
all. None of the regional guides or the Handbook, mention any
different plumage for immature Red-rumps, in fact the Handbook goes as
far as to state that our local race emini always shows a dark rufous
rump. If there were such a different immature plumage in our race,
would it not be mentioned somewhere, and would we not have seen
numerous examples in the past? It was impossible to get still images
as the birds were erratic, and often flying too close, but an attempt
to record something with the video did yield a modicum of success.
Although one bird showed an almost complete broad pale collar, the
second showed a dark line running along the nape to the back. There is
no sign of any streaking on the birds, and the rump is monotoned buff,
not two toned as in European birds. Also the pale-rumped birds
appeared the same size as the normal birds present. All very odd, has
anyone seen this plumage before, or can throw any light on the matter,
please? (Snatches of video attached).
Near Cheetah Gate was a Long-crested Eagle and a good assortment of
bush birds by the Mbagathi River including a new site for Red-faced
Cisticola, likewise a good variety at Hippo Pools was overshadowed by
the presence of the adult White-backed Night-Heron still in the same
bush as last week. However the stunning views of a pair of Violet
Wood-Hoopoes feeding on branches below us, and with the sun directly
behind us, were incomparable.