LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK 10th March 2013


Dear All,
On 10th March 2013, Nigel Hunter and myself spent from early morning
to 2.30pm in Lake Nakuru National Park.
We stayed in the Kunste Hotel and had arranged an early breakfast to
arrive at the Main Entrance Gate first thing.
The water level has started to recede, but none of the roads that were
drowned have appeared above the water yet. The extensive marsh lagoons
at the northern end have shrunk markedly, and there is now much mud
amongst the drowned trees whereas some six weeks ago it was all water.

We started off just around the corner to the left as we entered the
gate. Here there were many birds along the causeway and in the
marshes. Better birds included a white-headed Spotted Redshank, and
breeding plumaged Little Ringed Plover which was the only example
seen, a strange short-billed snipe of which image attached and the
first Woodland Kingfisher I have ever seen in Nakuru. In fact I have
never seen one closer than Baringo.

Along the northern shore we were not to find anything of great
interest. There was a beautiful Black-headed (feldegg) Yellow Wagtail
amongst seventy Blue-headed (flava) Yellow Wagtails (all other Yellow
Wagtails seen today being this race). Thousands of Barn Swallows and
Sand Martins were feeding around Buffalo and the plains.

Another Spotted Redshank with a dusky head and chest was on the
inundated-road in the south-west corner. There was a Black-headed Gull
here, only two were seen today. At Muyas Causeway there was the only
Temminck’s Stint seen, although so much suitable habitat abounds. A
(callidus) arctic Peregrine flew overhead.

The prize bird was an Imperial Eagle found in the forest near Lake
Nakuru Lodge. Judging from the plumage it is probably a 4th year bird.
Images are attached.

In more detail, these should be compared to the two previous reports
in December and January as the numbers are always changing.

LITTLE GREBE
Numbers well down, perhaps no more than a few hundred seen and no
large rafts. Nor any sign of Black-necked.

WHITE PELICAN
Only about sixty birds seen.

PINK-BACKED PELICAN
Thirty birds recorded.

GREAT CORMORANT
This is curious, there are none at all in the entire northern half of
the lake. There is no breeding anywhere on the Lake, and yet there
were several thousand on the south end. Have all the fish moved?

LONG-TAILED CORMORANT
No more than fifteen seen, mainly near the Main Entrance.

LITTLE EGRET
Big reduction, maybe no more than three-hundred seen.

YELLOW-BILLED EGRET
Five birds only.

GREAT EGRET
Perhaps around forty birds.

SQUACCO HERON
Twenty birds on the northern end.

GREY HERON
No more than thirty birds. No Purple or Goliath.

WHITE STORK
Eight in forest back of Muyas Causeway.

BLACK STORK
Two fine adults with the White Storks.

YELLOW-BILLED STORK
Certainly no more than thirty.

GLOSSY IBIS
About a hundred, one concentration of forty in southern end.

AFRICAN SPOONBILL
An increase to 150, with seventy together roosting on the northern lagoon.

GREATER FLAMINGO
About two hundred, keeping offshore and none in the lagoons.

LESSER FLAMINGO
Five-hundred with no concemtrations.

CAPE TEAL
Major incursion with groups up to twenty scattered around the lake
with group displays, but one solid flock of over five-hundred in the
south-west corner. I have never seen such a large and mono-specific
flock before. Well over a thousand on the Lake.

NORTHERN SHOVELER
One group of fifteen along the north shore.

NORTHERN PINTAIL
The only other palearctic duck, a fine drake at Muyas Cuaseway.

HOTTENTOT TEAL
Barely two-hundred recorded, but in many scattered corners.

IMPERIAL EAGLE
A probably fourth year bird in forest back of Muyas Causeway. The only
migrant eagle seen.

COMMON BUZZARD
Eleven birds recorded in forest around the lake, including one bird
that was almost all black.

WESTERN MARSH HARRIER
An adult male at the northern end, and what was probably the same bird
at the southern end.

PEREGRINE
A fine large individual of the arctic race callidus passed over Muyas
Causeway causing local