MOUNTAIN LODGE 26th-27th October 2013

Dear All,
Mike, Nicholas, Lindsey Davidson and myself went up to Mountain Lodge
for a night.

It was a fine morning when we left Langata at 8.20am and cloudy when
we arrived at Mountain Lodge just after 1.00pm.

We had a brief stop at Mwea Rice fields. The rice over the entire area
was almost ready for harvesting, and the fields were scattered with
people acting as scarers for the birds. There were numerous
White-winged Widowbirds in non-breeding plumage and Yellow-crowned
Bishops in breeding plumage. There were no open areas for waders so we
only recorded single Wood and Green Sandpiper and a Black-winged
Stilt. There was one adult Eurasian Marsh Harrier with very ragged
wings, Barn Swallows and House Martins, and three lutea Yellow
Wagtails.

There was nothing  else of interest seen en route, apart from ten
Eurasian Bee-eaters near Sagana.

After lunch we watched from the balcony, the only migrants were a few
Barn Swallows and House Martins, the bush was devoid of anything
small.  Quite a number of Scarce and Alpine Swifts were in the area,
otherwise there was a Crowned Eagle hunting from the trees, a couple
of Sharpe’s Starlings, many Bronze-naped Pigeons but only two
Red-fronted Parrot.

Amongst the more usual mammals we were visited for a short while by a
Leopard, and in the evening seven Green Sandpipers came in to roost.

There were no migrants other than those mentioned and normally
Blackcaps should be evident, no migrant raptors and still no migrant
falcon this passage.

The next morning still no migrants apart from a couple of Barn
Swallows, and very little moving in the bushes. It was sprinkling with
light rain and very overcast for most of the time. The Crowned Eagle
was still there, but nothing else worthy of note.

Instead of leaving immediately, as the two overseas visitors had each
paid $50 to KWS, because Mountain Lodge is in Mt Kenya National Park,
we thought we would take the road that runs off through the bush near
the KWS office. Believing this would be a series of roads that led us
though the forest much like the Aberdares, we were not pleased when
after five kilometres of so we were in the midst of humanity on a well
graded road and yet had never exited through a gate. Along the road
were two Common Buzzards, a few Eurasian Bee-eaters on the wires and
five lutea Yellow Wagtails around some cattle. An Angola Swallow flew
past us at the bridge just before we joined the Nanyuki-Kiganjo Road.
They are a migrant breeders to the Mt Kenya area, but I do not know
when they are present or absent.

On the return we called in at the Savages White-Water Rafting
establishment on the Sagana. We were made most welcome and had a brief
look around the area. We did not take up the opportunity to raft or
bungee jump, but did look at the accommodation. They have several twin
bungalows that can have a third bed added. There are several rates as
the buildings are different, but it averages around Ksh 2,500 per
person. This does not include any food which can be brought in or they
can provide. The cabins are along the river, which if anywhere would
have Half-collared Kingfishers in this country this was it. There were
Hinde’s Babblers calling in the next field, and the natural bushland
is an oasis in the sea of agriculture.

The road back to Langata was without holdups, and we were back in the
early afternoon.

Best to all
Brian



NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 28th October 2013

Dear All,
Mike, Nicholas and Lindsey Davidson, Karen Plumbe and myself met at
the Main Entrance to Nairobi National Park on the clear sunny morning
of 28th October. The road had been remarkably clear of traffic until
the last couple of kilometres when the two lanes each way, became
single lanes. We were in the Park by 7.00am being expertly processed
at the gate and made our way to the KWS Mess.

On arrival we were met by four Suni and a Bushbuck, at the time not
realising that we would be encountering no less than twelve species of
antelope today. We could hear two Nightingales, and one was fairly
obliging along the hedge. There were two Spotted Flycatchers, our
first of eight today, and twenty Eurasian Bee-eaters but no sign of
any migrant warblers. The only other bird of any interest here was an
Eastern Honeybird, and although Quailfinch were not seen today they
were heard flying over.

At Ivory Burning Site there were a further three Nightingales calling
in the scrub, but again no migrant warblers. At Nagalomon Dam there
were a pair of Little Grebes still present, a male Darter, a rufous
Common Buzzard sitting on a low bush, an adult Fish Eagle but the best
bird was a Long-toed Plover. Additionally were three Green Sandpipers,
three Sand Martins and a flava Yellow Wagtail.

Taking the back road to Hyena Dam we had our first Impala, but little
in the bird line until the swampy area where there were twenty Wood
and three Green Sandpiper and a female Greater Painted-snipe. At Hyena
Dam we had three more antelope species, Eland, Hartebeest and Bohor
Reedbuck. There was also a small crocodile and five Hippo. A very tame
male Darter sat on the bank just in front of the car with an
assortment of waterbird friends. A female Darter was in the water, two
adult Swamphens each escorted a grey juvenile the same size as them,
and African Water Rails called from cover. There were another six Wood
and three Green Sandpipers, four Pied Kingfishers together, a Yellow
Wagtail flew over and the first of the Barn Swallows today. They were
in good numbers in the Park though no evidence of passage.
Intriguingly on the other side of the dam whilst we had our coffee and
bitings there was a different type of activity. We could see two
Maasai in traditional dress, and three KWS Rangers and a couple of
casually dressed Africans walking about in and behind the reeds. There
was a green thing like a tent, and a red vehicle with a flashing red
light. After speculating around many different scenarios that may have
led to such a gathering, after we had had our coffee we went round.
Amazingly the day before a car had come off the road and gone into
Hyena Dam. There was an Indian in the driving seat being toed out by
the tow truck (that was the red vehicle with a red light), whilst
another white woman was by another car watching the proceedings. How a
car managed to get into the dam is a mystery!

Back to the birding we drove all the way round and entered the run-off
at the other end, then drove back along the same route. We picked up a
distant Bateleur, a roadside Long-crested Eagle, a Rosy-breasted
Longclaw and the first of three Whinchats.  Taking the road across the
Mokoyeti we drove across towards Leopard Cliffs past the adult and
immature Martial Eagles at the nest which also had ten Eurasian
Bee-eaters flying around it. Along this section we picked up Waterbuck
as our seventh antelope species.

At Baboon Cliffs (Mokoyeti Picnic Site) there was a bathroom request
and we were all out of the vehicle, and one window was still open. A
male baboon that was not scarface came galloping across the opening
from the bush where it had remained unseen, and without losing stride
shot in the window. We were banging on the closed windows, making
faces and shouting at the animal as he went though the bags, but
failed to find anything edible. He was making faces at us, then shot
out of the window onto the roof and grimaced down at us. Then he leapt
off the roof amongst us and whilst we ran around like demented souls
he made mock charges at us and ran off into the bush. The scene must
have looked quite comical to an onlooker, but if something is not done
to heavily dissuade this animal from his gangsta attitude someone is
going to get hurt.

Along the Mbagathi there were no cattle and we saw none inside the
Park, the Pearl-spotted Owlet was in his usual place but no entourage.
We saw our first of five different Secretarybirds, another
Long-crested Eagle but otherwise it was quiet.  We also found a very
handsome Lion under a tree, and a large scarred White Rhinoceros. New
antelopes for the day were Wildebeest, Thomson’s and Grant’s Gazelles.

At Athi Dam there were a few birds but nothing startling, eleven adult
White Pelicans, two roosting Black-crowned Night-Herons, six
Yellow-billed Storks and eight African Spoonbills, ten White-faced
Whistling-Ducks including two young birds, a lutea Yellow Wagtail and
the days only Banded Martin. Also five pairs of Spur-winged Plovers,
fifteen Kittlitz’s Plovers one with a very tiny chick, a single
Black-winged Stilt, whilst migrant waders consisted of six Little
Stint, a Curlew Sandpiper, a Greenshank, three each of Green and
Common and two Wood Sandpipers. The toxic smell was still there, but
much less, and still there is no sign of anything dead or dying, and
would certainly seem to be non harmful.

We started heading back towards the main gate on the main road which
we are now confined to, and near the Ruai Dam turn-off had a stunning
male Pied Wheatear, a Lappet-faced Vulture on top of a Balanites right
alongside the road, that could have been on a nest, our eleventh
antelope was a single Mountain Reedbuck at the usual spot and the
twelfth was a Steinbok feeding by the road.
We were photographing and videoing this animal and admittedly in the
middle of the road waiting for the animal to come into view when a KWS
Water Tanker came barrelling up behind us and instead of waiting for
us to appreciate what we had paid to come and see, drove up on the
bank on the same side we were watching (i.e. off road) terrifying the
Steinbok who bolted for cover and covered us in a cloud of dust. The
passenger ranger rudely stuck his hand out of the window as to say we
had no right blocking the road. They obviously had no idea what we
were looking at nor cared a damn anyway. We reported the incident at
the gate, and the lady corporal promised to advise the warden and take
action. Just in case he gets away lightly, lets try and get the man
sacked as he is an inconsiderate son of….   no idea of who is paying
his wages, and a menace to wildlife. There is no excuse possible to
suggest any leniency. He has to go.  Shortly after this there was a
thirty km speed limit sign and he was far more than that as his cloud
of dust sped off in the distance, just before 4.00pm. Immediately
before this incident we had had a very nice Serval walking down the
road.

Taking the road back across the Mokoyeti Bridge and up towards
Nagalomon Dam we had an Eurasian Marsh Harrier. A very black
individual, silvery under the wing, but very black axillaries, and
from the upperside a grey tail. Along the road below Impala Lookout, a
male Blackcap flew across the road, soon we arrived at Kingfisher
Picnic Site. There were a good variety of birds feeding in the trees
to keep us entertained during the consumption of carrot cake.

Along the road in the area we call Migrant Alley, there has been a
fire recently, it is quite extensive and certainly breaks the monotony
of the extensive and largely uninhabited rank grassland. Fire a
natural feature of African grasslands is stifled in protected areas,
however after the fire has gone through it becomes very attractive to
birds, and as a follow on from this, birders. It’s early days yet, but
this area is worth keeping an eye on for something unusual. Amongst
the birds already using this were three Northern, and a young male
Pied Wheatear and a very handsome adult male Red-backed Shrike.

Back at Nagalomon Dam, a sleek Marsh Sandpiper was now gracing the
edge, with the Long-toed Plover. The last bird of any note was the
days only Willow Warbler in the Car Park after we had exited.

All in all a fantastic day, not just for birds but the abundance of
game as well, with huge concentrations around Athi Basin extending out
towards the Beacon, and also in Kingfisher Valley.

We were through the gate shortly before 6.00pm, and the road was
virtually empty without any hold-ups at all.

Whilst we saw a number of Black-shouldered Kites, there were maybe
fewer than last week.

Best to all
Brian