NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 27th January 2014

Dear All,

On the 27th January the traffic was very light until the roundabout
turn for the Park, which was blocked for over twenty minutes, so the
gathering was not until 6.50am. It was a bright morning, hardly a
cloud for much of the morning, and little to speak of in the warm
afternoon. Mike Davidson, Heather Elkins, Jennifer Odoure and myself
were rapidly processed at the gate and in the Park by 7.00am.

Our late arrival at the KWS Mess Garden may have been the reason that
we failed to find much of interest, or it could have been that there
was nothing to find. No Nightingales, no Tree Pipits and no migrant
Warblers. One Common Buzzard was in the trees.

Nothing surprised us at Ivory Burning, and it was quite bleak at
Nagalomon Dam, highlight being a Squacco Heron, and the back road to
the new swamp failed to produce, whilst the swamp had welcoming
African Water Rails, two White and the young Black Stork, the first of
five different Eurasian Marsh Harriers seen today, twenty of the
thirty Wood Sandpipers seen, four Green Sandpipers and two Ruff.
Additionally four Eurasian Bee-eaters, three flava Yellow Wagtails,
and some thirty smart Jackson's Widowbirds in fine attire.

As people by this point were getting caffeine withdrawal, we hastened
back around to Hyena Dam, whilst we sat there we had what must be the
same Little Egret for several weeks now, the first of four
Secretarybirds were in the area, African Water Rails were noisy in two
spots, a splendid gathering of twelve entertaining Crowned Cranes, and
a few overflying Quailfinches.

Not much was happening on the drive towards Athi Basin, though we did
have a Pallid Harrier at Mbuni, and Eland Hollow produced an adult
Spur-winged Goose, the only Black-shouldered Kite of the entire day,
the African Jacana and Greenshank are still there and further down the
road was our only Whinchat of the day.

There were 32 White-backed and nine Ruppell's bathing at the flooded
murrum pits (soon to dry) above Athi Dam, and the dam itself was not
as interesting as it should be. Some thirty White Storks with two
Yellow-billed, five Black-winged Stilt, ten Spur-winged and only one
Kittlitz's Plover, a single Ringed Plover, ten Little Stints, three
each of Greenshank and Common Sandpiper, two Black-crowned
Night-Herons roosted on the causeway where the only migrant Warbler of
the day, an Olivaceous, was singing, and four Speckled Pigeons fed
along the edge.

Reconnecting with the main road we found the first of two Turkestan
Shrikes, the second being very pallid with hardly any eye-line, then
nothing until the burnt area near Kingfisher. The swathe of green
grass is growing faster than the mammals can eat it, but still
attracted a pair of Temminck's Coursers, over thirty Black-winged
Plovers, which might be a record number for the Park, a bright
Eurasian Roller, one Isabelline and two Northern Wheatears. At
Kingfisher there was a Broad-tailed Grassbird calling intermittently.

On the return we had a Saddle-billed Stork below Impala Lookout, the
two Bateleurs were flying together around Nagalomon Dam, a
Long-crested Eagle by the road and then it was time to take our leave.
We were through the gate at 4.30pm, and the traffic flowed smoothly.

Barn Swallows were fairly widespread but very small numbers today.

Seems to be quite a bit of plains game coming back into the southern
end of the Park up as far as Eland Hollow.

Best to all
Brian