Dear All,
On the morning of 18th August, I went into Nairobi National Park
passing through the Main Gate at 6.50am. It was cold and overcast and
remained so all day, with intermittent very light drizzle, until I
left at 1.00pm.
There was absolutely nothing to be seen in these bleak and dark
conditions until reaching Hyena Dam. The Lesser Moorhen was feeding in
the dry short grass around the dam, and seems totally oblivious to any
presence now being much tamer than any Common Moorhen. A pair of
African Water Rails were poking along the edge of the swamp, an
agitated Swamphen was glowing in the dull light, calling from a
platform of reeds, and a Madagascar Pond Heron was also here. The only
migrant waders were two Wood Sandpipers, in fact the only ones of
their kind all morning (and no Green).  In the Hyena Dam run-off area
were a male Saddle-billed Stork, more noisy African Water Rails and
about five Rosy-breasted Longclaws plus the usual single Yellow-billed
and Great Egrets.
There was an adult Black-chested Snake-Eagle near Karen PS Dam
otherwise nothing different until Athi Dam. Here there were two adult
White Pelicans, a couple of adult Black-crowned Night-Herons on the
causeway, two Black-winged Stilt, fifteen Kittlitz’s and one
Spur-winged Plover, but the only palearctics (apart from two Barn
Swallows), were five Little Stint and two Common Sandpiper. There was
a group of seven Hamerkop which is an unusual concentration. The most
remarkable observation was no less that one-hundred and fifty-five
Yellow-throated Sandgrouse around the edge of the dam. Not only the
largest flock recorded for Nairobi, but an impressive gathering
anywhere.
Continuing to Cheetah Gate there was a Grey-headed Kingfisher on a
fence-post, and a couple of Speckle-fronted Weavers. At Cheetah Gate
on the track to the Mbagathi River there was little of note apart from
a few Lesser Masked Weavers, however a woman working in a vegetable
field flushed a small francolin which flew right past me into the Park
and dropped down amongst small acacias. I could see that it had a red
tail and a buffy face with a crescent mark and was no doubt a female
or immature male Coqui Francolin.
This seemed completely outrageous, because the last family known for
any vagrancy are the francolins, not that they are not strong and fast
fliers (especially Coqui), but historically the bird used to be
resident in the Machakos area, in fact it was widespread to the East
of Nairobi. The population died out over much of the range, and the
species has not been reported from Machakos for many decades to the
best of my knowledge. It is possible however that a few undetected
birds hang on tenaciously on some of the ranches. The closest I have
seen the bird to Nairobi is in the Whistling Thorn scrub in the Kedong
Valley. Nevertheless, Coqui Francolin is not only a new bird for
Nairobi National Park, but Nairobi City region.

The cold weather not only made birds reticent to move, but the only
mammal of note was a Black Rhinoceros at Athi Dam. This area boasted
most of the plains game, and Thomson’s and Grant’s Gazelles were
numerous from there to the “Beacon.”

Best to all
Brian