NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 14th October 2013

Dear All,
On 14th October 2013, Mike Davidson and myself, after some heavy
traffic arrived at the Main Entrance to Nairobi National Park at
7.00am. We were the only contenders and quickly processed through the
gate and on our way to KWS Mess Gardens where two Suni were awaiting
us, but hardly a bird.

It started off as a grey morning, but cleared towards mid morning to
be a fine and warm day. Ivory Burning Site was only worth a drive
through, and nothing was happening there either. Nor were there any
signs of Thick-knees on the Nagalomon Drift. Nagalomon Dam was at a
very low ebb ornithologically, admittedly we were later than usual.
There were no night-herons to be seen, and we had to make do with a
female Darter and a rufous Common Buzzard on top of a tree along the
causeway. On the other side of the dam was an adult Fish Eagle.

We took the back road to Hyena Dam, and it was so quiet, but there was
a Spotted Flycatcher in a small unidentified profusely flowering
acacia, with bright yellow flowers on peduncles.  We continued on and
arrived at the swampy piece near the road at the back of Hyena Dam.
Here there were three Wood and two Green Sandpipers, a stunning though
furtive female Greater Painted-snipe, and the Parks first reported
Yellow Wagtail of the season, a male flava. There was also an African
Water Rail.

On turning the track to Hyena Dam, we had an immature Red-backed
Shrike, however the Dam was rather quiet. Whilst we sat for the
morning coffee we saw feeding African Water Rail and Purple Swamphen.
A Speckled Pigeon came in for a drink but was seen off by the bolshie
Moorhens. There were a couple of Barn Swallows associating with the
usual flock of Plain Martins, but not that many Barn were seen today
and for the record no Lesser Striped Swallows have returned from
wherever they go.

As soon as we took the run-off road there was an adult Eurasian Cuckoo
perched on a small bush but the only other birds in this section were
a male Saddle-billed Stork and a pair of the only Crowned Cranes seen
today.