Dear All,
Rather than facing the frustration of yet another day with none of the worlds most expensive power, and having had the monthly bill of Ksh 33,000 of which only Ksh 7000 was power used, and the remaining Ksh 26,000 fuel levies, taxes and 18% VAT which is the additional tax on the taxes…… I decided to go into the calm of Nairobi National Park for the last day of October.

There had been some light drizzle during the night, but over the past five days several inches had fallen. The dams were very healthy, Eland Hollow has climbed considerably, although the Black-winged Stilts that were constructing a now submerged nest site, are still there. Olmanyi Dam has returned from the dead and looks attractive, the drinking pool on the Langata side has come back, so the Park is looking well. I stayed the entire time in the north, so cannot say what has been happening in the southern portions.

I was through the gate at 6.20 am, there were Willow Warblers singing at the entrance, the first of four Spotted Flycatchers just inside the gate, as was a Common Buzzard. I thought I would make the first call at the KWS Mess garden, as the woodland should prove attractive. As I pulled up there were three Sunis feeding in the open on the lawn, and another behind the building. Immediately on stepping out from the car I heard a metallic tinkling. That's strange it sounds like a Sharpe's Starling calling from a tall Croton. It took a search, but I finally located the male starling calling from near the crown, and even breaking into series of sleighbell tinkling, so it was happy to be where it was. This was a great and very unexpected start, with a completely new bird for NNP, and very few records for the Nairobi district, although I did see one at Karen Club two years ago at this time of year. I could hear Tree Pipit, but did not see it, and there were the first three of eight Garden Warblers, a Blackcap and  a couple of Willow Warblers. There was also a Long-crested Eagle, I haven't seen one in the Park for a while. Leaving here for the Ivory Burning Site, I found the area had been a wedding venue, the tents were still up as was the rubbish, but most alarmingly some inconsiderate ****'s had driven countless times across the new tree plantings there. I did not see anything of interest, although it was a great attraction for Kites and Crows. 
Along the road to the back of Hyena Dam I found an immature Black Stork, and what was almost certainly the same bird was seen two more times during the day, a Brown Parrot feeding on Rus fruits with a great swathe of Bulbuls, and the most interesting bird to fly over from the direction of Hyena Dam and pass directly overhead, a male Red-headed Lovebird. There has not been a record for three years when there was a single, and then later a party of six at Ivory Burning Site. A Swamphen was feeding along the edge of Hyena Dam, no sign of mate or chick, Water Rails were calling, a pair of Saddle-billed Storks were feeding on a dead catfish, and there was a tight cluster of 29 Wood Sandpipers. Overall the number recorded from all over the area more than doubled this figure. The first of eight Green Sandpipers was also here and the first Whinchat of the day. A remarkable total of eight were seen which included three together on the Hyena Dam run-off. Even more surprising when not a single Wheatear was seen all day! Also here were a female-type Pallid Harrier, an adult and sub-adult Fish Eagles, the parks first Common Snipe, with a wisp of eight birds, several stunning Rosy-breasted Longclaws, five Yellow Wagtails and White-winged, Red-collared and Jackson's Widowbirds in breeding plumage. There were a few Barn Swallows, but there were not many passing through the Park today.