Dear All,
This morning I went into NNP with Rupert Watson, it was a very gloomy overcast early morning, but brightened up to a warm and sunny day toward mid-day.
We were not through the gate until 7.15am, and made for Ivory Burning Site. There was a waterlogged Rufous-crowned Roller here, an Eurasian Hobby flying overhead, and a handful of Violet-backed Starlings whose numbers had dropped as fast as they had increased. Along the back road we found a Nairobi Pipit but little else until Hyena Dam. Here there were an adult Fish Eagle, a dozen Wood and three Green Sandpipers, and the first of four Northern Wheatears and first of four Whinchats. Water Rails were calling at the dam, and at the run-off we found three Yellow-billed and one Great Egret, a pair of Saddle-billed Storks, three Yellow Wagtails, a couple of Rosy-breasted Longclaws and a gathering of Barn Swallows. The three species of widowbirds were in breeding plumage. A Red-faced Cisticola was singing at the Mokoyiet bridge.
Towards Karen PS Dam there were the seasons first Red-throated Pipit and an adult male Pied Wheatear on the road, whilst there was nothing at the dam apart from a Little Grebe, the opposite dam was attracting aerial feeders who were drinking. Amongst the swallows, mainly Barn were several Sand and a single House Martin, and quite a few Black and one Mottled Swift with the numerous Little, White-rumped and Palm Swifts. Also we were surprised to find four African Silverbill here. A few Eurasian Bee-eaters were also passing overhead.
At Eland Hollow there were quite a few Tringa attracted to the margins, the Black-winged Stilt pair were there and pairs of Yellow-throated Sandgrouse and Shelley's Francolins. and the first of four Isabelline Wheatears.
Above Athi Basin was another male Pied Wheatear and  a pair of Long-billed Pipit, but the Athi Dam was disappointing with a pair of Fish Eagles, one Black-winged Stilt, two Spur-winged Plovers, ten Kittlitz's, five Little Stints, four Greenshank and one Marsh, a few Wood and Common Sandpipers. At the end of the causeway was a single Temminck's Courser. Along the Mbagathi was an adult Brown Snake-Eagle and a different individual towards Hippo Pools. A walk at the Hippo Pools was quiet with only a couple of Willow Warblers, but there was a very nice posing male Finfoot sitting on a dead branch in the water. Below Leopard Cliffs there was a pair of Speckle-fronted Weavers along the river, and the count of Grey-headed Silverbills near Kingfisher Picnic Site reached an impressive thirty-two. In the afternoon there was a Cuckoo-Hawk flying over the Kisembe Forest, and a single Pale Flycatcher. 

We left through Langata Gate at 5.00pm.

It was a day of contrasts between the lush north and desertifying south of the Park. Migrants were slow, but a few more new "firsts for season" were seen. 

Mammals were in large numbers Karen PS Dam towards Athi Dam, but there were also good numbers all through the Park. A Steinbok was at Lone Tree, but otherwise nothing out of the ordinary was seen.

Best to all
Brian