NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 25TH JANUARY 2015

Dear All,
Nigel Hunter and myself arrived at Langata Gate at 6.45am, and it was
manned and we were expertly processed and inside in minutes. So nice
to have someone working the hours that they are supposed to.

Although there had been an inch and a quarter of rain the previous
week, we had progressively moved back to hot and dry in the interim.
Today it started off cloudy but soon burnt off for a sunny day, though
the strong wind kept it pleasantly comfortable.

We started off at the vlei on the glade track. We had our only two
Common Buzzards of the day, a Great Sparrowhawk flew over scattering
the Sacred and Hadada Ibis, which must be too large for the bird, but
they were not taking any chances. Apart from a few Green, there were
over forty Wood Sandpipers. I suspect this is a roost for the area,
and that if the number of all the Wood Sandpipers counted today on the
various marsh bodies were totalled, then the number present would be
greatly inflated. For example the Forest Edge Dam in the late
afternoon had 33 Wood Sandpipers, but another check of the vlei and
there were none!
It is also a small roost for Yellow Wagtails, but they are too far to
determine racial identities. There was also a lone Eurasian Bee-eater.
Hippogrebe Pond had just one Great Egret, and so we continued on to
Nagalomon Dam.

The Reeds have nearly all gone now, and there was little to be seen,
one adult and two immature Black-crowned Night-Herons, a couple of
Darters and that was it. There was a single Spotted Thick-knee on the
Drift. KWS Mess was useless, they have thinned out some vegetation,
and we recorded nothing except for the sudden appearance of a male
Western Marsh Harrier. Ivory Burning Site was also quiet, there were a
couple of Nightingales calling on the way, but strangely none there. A
quaint female Pied Wheatear has taken up territory on the picnic
table, this was our first of six today.

Continuing along the back to Hyena Dam was also quiet, the first of
only two Willow Warblers for the day, and a couple of African
Firefinch were the first for a while. The wetland had some water, and
a very extravert pair of African Water Rails was standing in the short
grass preening. The beema Yellow Wagtail was there, we did not see the
dombrowski, but it was probably there somewhere. The first of five
Whinchats was present and a few breeding plumaged Jackson’s Widowbird
constituted the only members of that genus today. Hyena Dam was good,
with single Yellow-billed Stork, Great and Yellow-billed Egrets, more
African Water Rails, a pair of Swamphen, one of only two pairs of Grey
Crowned Cranes today, three Long-toed Plovers including the striking
southern bird and an African Jacana. Four Lesser Kestrels were the
first of over a dozen today. The bird of the day was also here though.
For two seconds an eagle was seen as it was pursued by two
Yellow-billed Kites and disappeared into the large acacia. It was
suspected of being a Spotted Eagle, and shortly after concealing
itself it called and sounded like a Great Spotted Eagle. The problem
was that we had only seen the underparts as if shot into cover, and
that was it. We spent about an hour driving along the tracks searching
the tree, and eventually found it through a window, which was
intermittent because the wind was rocking the tree and changing
windows. With perseverance we were able to get some images, and it was
an adult Great Spotted Eagle. The pale undertail coverts might suggest
a five-year old bird, but some adults continue to show this. The
important thing is, that there is no way possible it could refer to
the immature bird last year that liked this same tree. There are a few
images attached. The white bases to the nape can be seen as the wind
ruffles the head feathers. A female Western Marsh Harrier put in a
short appearance.

The remainder of the day was ornithologically quiet, there was nothing
on the run-off, Eland Hollow could do no better than our first of two
Secretarybirds, three Greenshank, first of each of five Turkestan
Shrikes, eleven Isabelline and four Northern Wheatears.
Karen Primary School Dam was very beautiful, but not a bird, through
the grasslands we had the first of three Black-shouldered Kites, an
impressive gathering of over forty White-backed Vultures and a
Rosy-breasted Longclaw.

Athi Dam was the most barren I have ever seen it, total waders
amounted to six Spur-winged and ten Blacksmith Plovers, two Greenshank
and Common Sandpiper and seven Little Stints. Also rans were seven
White-faced Whistling-Duck, two Yellow-billed Storks, the only African
Spoonbill of the day, eight Speckled Pigeons and a nice lutea Yellow
Wagtail. Cheetah Gate provided a few drier country species as well as
two Eastern Olivaceous Warblers, a stunning Marico Sunbird and a pair
of Black-faced Waxbills. Rhino Circuit held the only Spotted
Flycatcher of the day.

It was uneventful all the way to the “Burnt Patch” where there were
eleven Black-winged Plovers including one bird incubating. As we
headed back there were a few Eurasian Bee-eaters around Kingfisher,
two Little Grebes at Forest Edge Dam where there was a Garden Warbler
in for a drink, and finally our only Banded Martins with three at the
Langata Vlei before leaving.

Other bird observations were that Barn Swallows were in low numbers,
and outnumbered by Lesser Striped, only three Quailfinch were seen,
and also only three Cinnamon-chested Buntings, whereas two weeks ago
they were widespread in large numbers.

So whilst the birds are in a temporary low ebb, not so the mammals
they are really in the flow. We felt we had never seen so many before,
especially Thomson’s Gazelle, but maybe there are even four-figures
for Wildebeest in the Park, and a number like that lies way back in
history. Also in impressive gatherings were Kongoni, Impala, Eland,
Grant’s Gazelle, Common Zebra, Giraffe and Buffalo. Of the smaller
numbers we had seven White Rhino, Hippos on three dams, a delightful
pair of Side-striped Ground-Squirrels at Langata Gate, and finally
there was a reason for building the bizarre Chinese monument at Ivory
Burning Site, as a Slender Mongoose has found it quite to its liking
and taken temporary residence!

We were through Langata Gate at 4.30pm, having had a great day,

Best to all
Brian