NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 22nd & 23rd March 2015

Dear All,
I was in NNP on two consecutive days, and have combined the two
reports together, as it shows just how rapidly things change in such a
short period and the two days were quite different apart from the
gathering of waterbirds at Hyena Dam.

On 22nd March (Sunday) I was with Nigel Hunter and Mike Evans, we
arrived at Langata Gate to find no-one had arrived, which is so
annoyingly the norm on Sundays. So we high-tailed it round to Main
Entrance and luckily had the same situation as last week as whilst the
place was a zoo of vehicles and people they were all occupied with
Smart Card Issues and we were able to go straight in. Our route was
Ivory Burning Site-Nagalomon Dam-Hyena Dam-Kingfisher-Maasai Gate
Road-Rhino Circuit-Athi Dam-back to Langata Gate for a check of the
Vlei and exited at 4.45pm.

On 23rd March (Monday) I was with Salma Watt, Mike Davidson and Karen
Plumbe. We arrived at Langata Gate and were rapidly processed. Our
route was the nearby Vlei-Forest edge dams-Nagalomon Dam-Hyena
Dam-Olmanyi Dam-Kingfisher-Masai Gate Road-across to Karen Primary
School and Eland Hollow Dams-back past Hyena and Nagalomon Dams and
straight to Langata Gate exiting at 4.45pm.

Weather on both days dry, cool mornings and overcast, brightening
mid-morning with increasing wind. Water levels dropping rapidly
everywhere, Karen Primary School Dam probably will hold water for just
a week before it is gone.


IVORY BURNING SITE-BACK OF HYENA DAM
Only Sunday, some five Nightingales and a couple of Willow Warblers
and a Tree Pipit were all that was present, but on the back road to
Hyena Dam were a Secretarybird, Eurasian Roller, Whinchat, female
Red-backed Shrike (first for season), Pied Wheatear but the surprise
was an African Cuckoo.

On Monday no visit to Ivory Burning Site, but on the back road we had
a Secretarybird, Turkestan Shrike and a pair of Nairobi Pipits.

HYENA DAM
On both days there were two Squacco Herons, one Great and two
Yellow-billed Egrets, female Saddle-billed Stork, two each of immature
Yellow-billed Storks and African Spoonbills, four or more African
Water Rails, a Black-winged Stilt, three each of Long-toed Plovers and
African Jacanas, the confiding Eurasian Reed Warbler and three Yellow
Wagtails.

Sunday alone produced six Lesser Kestrels, pair of Lanners, Martial
Eagle, four Swamphens, a Speckled Pigeon, Sedge, Olivaceous and three
Willow Warblers, Common Whitethroat, male Common Rock Thrush and six
Jackson’s Widowbirds.

Monday alone produced a White-faced Whistling Duck, two Wood
Sandpipers and a pair of Common Snipe, pair of Glossy Ibis, Great
Sparrowhawk, female Western Marsh and male Pallid Harriers, single
male and female Red-backed Shrikes, ten Sand Martins, five Wattled
Starlings, and Marsh Warbler in the bush with the Eurasian Reed
Warbler.

NAGALOMON DAM
This was disappointing, the adult Purple Heron was there both days,
but just one Black-crowned Night-Heron on Sunday when there was a
maximum of seventy Reed Cormorants and four Darters but on Monday just
four Reed Cormorants and two Darters, a single Spotted Flycatcher
hunting on the edge of the reeds both days was a bit odd, Nightingale
on both days.

OLMANYI DAM
Was only visited on Monday when it had three each of Black Storks and
Yellow-billed Storks, six African Spoonbills and five Wood Sandpipers.

KINGFISHER ENVIRONS

On Sunday, a Black Stork, eight Lesser Kestrels, Black-chested
Snake-Eagle, six Turkestan Shrikes, five Isabelline and five Northern
Wheatears, and two Whinchat.

Monday three Lesser Kestrels, three Eurasian Rollers, two Common
Swift, eight Turkestan, two Isabelline and the first Lesser Grey
Shrike.

MASAI GATE ROAD
Sunday Black-winged Plover, two Turkestan Shrikes, two each of
Isabelline and Northern Wheatears, and the surprising gathering of 35
Grey-capped Social-Weavers and 30 Chestnut Sparrow with males in
breeding plumage, these are surely drought refugees.

Monday a pair of Temminck’s Coursers, two Turkestan Shrikes, two
Northern and an Isabelline Wheatear.

VLEI NEAR LANGATA GATE
On Sunday afternoon there were fifteen Wood Sandpipers, a Eurasian
Roller and ten Yellow Wagtails, whilst Monday over twenty Wood
Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper (not seen yesterday and have presumably
departed) and just two Yellow Wagtails.


OTHER INTERESTING BIRDS ON SUNDAY
Sub-adult Fish Eagle on Rhino Circuit, at Athi Dam a Great Egret,
immature Black-crowned Night-Heron, adult Eastern Chanting Goshawk,
Steppe Eagle, six Spur-winged, eight Kittlitz’s and two Ringed
Plovers, two each of Greenshank, Common and Wood Sandpipers, three
Ruff and a dozen Little Stints, an Open-billed Stork, pair of
Yellow-throated Sandgrouse with single large chick and a
Lilac-breasted Roller (first for a long while).

OTHER INTERESTING BIRDS ON MONDAY
A pair of Little Grebes and a Yellow-billed Egret on Forest edge Dam,
two Yellow-billed Duck at Eland Hollow where there was another Black
Stork an African Jacana and 25 Wood Sandpipers and a male Kori Bustard
nearby, and the male Saddle-billed Stork and female Montagu’s Harrier
at Karen Primary School Dam.



OVERALL PALEARCTIC PRESENCE
As far as land migrants it would be true to say that almost all were
in the north, and nothing much at all in the south.


BLACK STORK
Sunday – One near Kingfisher
Monday – three Olmanyi Dam, one each Eland Hollow and near Kingfisher.

LESSER KESTREL
Sunday – At least twenty widely spread
Monday just five or so around Eland Hollow and Olmanyi Dam.

WESTERN MARSH HARRIER
Monday – a single female plumaged bird at Hyena Dam.

PALLID HARRIER
Monday – and adult male Hyena Dam.

MONTAGU’S HARRIER
Monday – a female Karen Primary School Dam.

STEPPE EAGLE
Sunday – one near Hippo Pools.
Monday – one near “The Beacon.”

COMMON RINGED PLOVER
Sunday – two at Athi Dam.

COMMON GREENSHANK
Sunday – two at Athi Dam.

WOOD SANDPIPER
Sunday – two at Athi Dam, fifteen on Langata Gate Vlei.
Monday – Fifteen Langata Gate Vlei, one Nagalomon Dam, two Hyena Dam,
five Olmanyi Dam, 25 Eland Hollow Dam.

GREEN SANDPIPER
Monday – one Langata Gate Vlei was the only bird recorded.

COMMON SANDPIPER
Sunday – two at Athi Dam.

LITTLE STINT
Sunday – twelve at Athi Dam.

RUFF
Sunday – three at Athi Dam.

COMMON SNIPE
Monday – two at Hyena Dam.

COMMON SWIFT
Monday – two low over grass near Olmanyi Dam.

EURASIAN ROLLER
Sunday – widespread in north with six recorded.
Monday – apart from one at Hyena Dam there were four around Kingfisher area.

RED-BACKED SHRIKE
Sunday – female Hyena Dam.
Monday – male and female Hyena Dam.

TURKESTAN SHRIKE
Sunday – ten seen in grasslands.
Monday – Over a dozen in grasslands.

ISABELLINE SHRIKE
Monday – just two in grasslands.

LESSER GREY SHRIKE
Monday – an early bird near Olmanyi Dam.

SAND MARTIN
Monday – ten at Hyena Dam.

BARN SWALLOW
On both days common, but no large numbers moving yet.

SEDGE WARBLER
Sunday – two at Hyena Dam.

EURASIAN REED WARBLER
Both days, same individual at Hyena Dam.

MARSH WARBLER
Monday – one Hyena Dam.

OLIVACEOUS WARBLER
Sunday – single Hyena Dam, two Rhino Circuit.

COMMON WHITETHROAT
Sunday – one Hyena Dam, two in grasslands.

WILLOW WARBLER
Sunday – about ten encountered.
Monday – just three seen.

COMMON NIGHTINGALE
Sunday – five Ivory Burning Site, two back road to Hyena Dam, one Rhino Circuit.
Monday – two Langata Forest, one Nagalomon Dam.

WHINCHAT
Sunday - nine seen in grasslands.
Monday – ten seen in grasslands.

NORTHERN WHEATEAR
Sunday – nine widespread.
Monday - eight widespread including the strange sight of one inside
Langata Forest.

ISABELLINE WHEATEAR
Sunday – eleven widespread.
Monday – seven widespread.

PIED WHEATEAR
Sunday – three widespread.
Monday – four widespread.

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER
Sunday – four widespread.
Monday – five widespread.

COMMON ROCK THRUSH
Sunday – one male Hyena Dam.

YELLOW WAGTAIL
Sunday – widespread over twenty, all referring lutea or flava.
Monday – only ten seen all lutea or flava.

TREE PIPIT
Sunday – one Ivory Burning Site.

(Between then and preparing this to send it out (Wednesday 25th),
additional migrants in the garden have been a couple of Common
Buzzards, a party of seven White Storks, many groups of Eurasian
Bee-eaters including one party of 35 birds, one Eurasian Golden Oriole
Tuesday and two Wednesday. On Wednesday morning there was a good
movement of Common Swift with several hundred involved, and visible
migration of Tree Pipits and Yellow Wagtails).

Plains Game very widespread, large numbers of many species especially
Eland. Two Lions Athi Basin, one nr Karen Primary School Dam, Servals
at Langata Gate Vlei and Masai Gate Road where the was also
Side-striped Ground-Squirrel. Slender Mongoose in the Chinese monument
celebrating Lego Constructions, White Rhinos near Eland Hollow and
three Kingfisher. Hippos Nagalomon, Hyena and Athi Dams. Nearly twenty
Suni Monday morning around Langata Forest.


KEY TO IMAGES
TOP LEFT
AFRICAN JACANA
Still a record three together at Hyena Dam, and the long term resident
at Eland Hollow.

SECOND RIGHT FROM TOP LEFT
YELLOW-THROATED SANDGROUSE
This male is shielding the large chick in the grass behind him near Athi Dam.

SECOND LEFT FROM TOP RIGHT
NILE MONITOR
This very large lizard was sunning itself at Hyena Dam.

TOP RIGHT
TURKESTAN SHRIKE
This phoenicuroides was one of twenty observed over the two days. This
represents a high number for NNP.

SECOND ROW FAR LEFT
KITTLITZ’S PLOVER
This stage in with pallid plumage and pale grey-green legs is not
found nor actually mentioned in any regional guides. The species is
always depicted with blackish legs, and far less white on the
flight-feathers than shown on this individual This birds general
appearance is far more confusable with other small plovers, and quite
unlike a breeding adult or a normal scaly and dark-backed  immature
Kittlitz. Although it might be taken as an immature, I believe this is
the non-breeding plumage of adult, not immature birds and the guides
do not treat the species in having very distinct breeding and
non-breeding plumages like small palearctic plovers, but unlike small
African plovers (although very minor change in White-fronted), which
might give some indication to its origins.

SECOND ROW SECOND FROM LEFT
LESSER KESTREL
This hovering adult male was on of about twenty seen on Sunday, though
numbers appeared to have dropped dramatically on Monday.

SECOND ROW THIRD FROM LEFT
AFRICAN WATER RAIL
One of the individuals at Hyena Dam which has abandoned its normal
skulking habits, and a pair were even seen walking down the road on
the causeway!

SECOND ROW FOURTH FROM LEFT
RED-BACKED SHRIKE
The first male of the return was on Monday at Hyena Dam.

SECOND ROW SECOND FROM RIGHT
RED-BACKED SHRIKE
The first female of the return was at Hyena Dam on Sunday.

SECOND ROW FARTHEST RIGHT
ISABELLINE SHRIKE
Much rarer than Turkestan, with only two birds seen on Monday accounts
for a tenth of the Red-tailed Shrikes.

THIRD ROW FAR LEFT
LION
This female was proving that “Never has anything on it dam” actually
sometime does. Another pair were seen in Athi Basin.

THIRD ROW SECOND FROM LEFT
SERVAL
With were lucky to find two very open individuals, the first near
Maasai Gate, and the second on the Vlei near Langata Gate.

THIRD ROW THIRD FROM LEFT
STEPPE EAGLE
Single birds seen on both days.

THIRD ROW SECOND FROM RIGHT
LESSER GREY SHRIKE
An early bird and the first for the season.

THIRD ROW FAR RIGHT
NORTHERN WHEATEAR
We found this individual actually in the closed forest along the
Kisembe River, and it looked very out of place.

BOTTOM ROW FAR LEFT
AFRICAN CUCKOO
This was the most peculiar bird seen in the two days, and was on
Sunday on the back road to Hyena Dam.
It was a small individual, but the most extraordinary feature was how
pallid it was, whilst grey on the head to sides of face, the throat
and upper-breast that are normally grey like the rest of the head,
were so pale as to appear all whitish. The barring on the underparts
was very fine and indistinct, and completely missing across the centre
of the breast, only being obvious along the flanks. The blackish
chevrons on the white undertail coverts were also extremely delicate.

FOURTH ROW SECOND FROM LEFT
AFRICAN CUCKOO
Same individual in flight.

BOTTOM ROW SECOND FROM LEFT
EURASIAN ROLLER
Like most other bush migrants all birds were in the area west of a
line from Masai Gate Road to Hyena Dam Six were found on Sunday and
five Monday.

BOTTOM ROW THIRD FROM LEFT
Three birds on Sunday and four Monday, but only one individual was a female.

BOTTOM ROW SECOND FROM RIGHT
BLACK STORK
There were three birds here at Olmanyi Dam, with yellow-billed Storks
and six African Spoonbills. There was only one Black Stork sighting on
Sunday, but five on Monday.

BOTTOM RIGHT
SADDLE-BILLED STORK
On both dates the male and females were found in different areas, they
might have had a tiff.