NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK  11th July 2015

Dear All,
On 11th July, Nigel Hunter and I went to Nairobi National Park. The
Langata Gate was already to receive us at 6.40am and we were soon
checked in. It was a cold morning, and remained cool all day with some
sunshine mid-morning and in the afternoon the skies were quite
cloudless.

We started with the dams, nothing on the Langata Gate Dam, but a
Madagascar Pond Heron was on the forest edge dam, with incubating
Crowned Crane and four Little Grebes.

At this time of year the bush is quite quiet, and most interest is
going to be at water. At Nagalomon Dam the Sacred Ibis rookery was in
full swing, there were over a dozen Black-crowned Night-Herons, two
very attractive Great Cormorants but just one Darter and one Swamphen.

Ignoring Ivory Burning Site we continued along the back road to Hyena
Dam, where there was African Water Rail and the more usual species. It
has quite a bit of water but is not attracting any Paintedsnipe, or
that we could see. Hyena Dam holds on to a few birds, single Purple
Heron and Great Egret, two Yellow-billed Egrets, African Water Rail,
three Swamphens and two African Jacana. The pair of Hottentot Teal was
present, but no sign of the ducklings. Also here was a strange raptor
which defied identification and its images are attached. It was shaped
like a Black Kite, and twisted its tail whilst flying. It was also of
similar size, however it had a rounded, almost wedge-shaped tail. The
bill was grey with a black tip. The upperwing had a curios white mark
present on both wings, this was located across the wing-coverts rather
than the margin, and the inner edge of the wing-coverts was paler than
the leading edge. The tail like the back and wing-coverts were
considerably paler than all of the dark flight-feathers. The
underwings were as dark as the upper side of the flight-feathers, but
the head appeared paler than the breast and the rest of the
upperparts. It is a mystery any suggestions as to what it was most
appreciated, but also the reasons why you think it is what you
suggest.

We took the run-off which had flocks of Cardinal Quelea,
Yellow-crowned Bishops and Orange-breasted Waxbills all enjoying the
seeds, curiously the Rhino watch tent still had the flock of
Wire-tailed Swallows on it. On to Eland Hollow which hosted a Little
Grebe, two nice Lesser Moorhens and another Madagascar Pond Heron.
Karen Primary School Dam was much more quiet. In the grasslands as we
headed south-east we had a pair of young Kori Bustards, Rosy-breasted
Longclaw and on a detour to Empakasi Dam found a female Hartlaub’s
Bustard, and many Yellow-crowned Bishops gorging on seeds, with a pair
of African Silverbills with them. Passing the nearby small valley,
seven Mountain Reedbucks were present and a strange sight of ten
Chestnut Weavers. Not far from here was a solitary Lion.

On the short cut across to the murrum pits known as the Vulture
Drinking Ponds at the top of Athi Basin were a pair of Secretarybirds,
and at the pits the Greater Flamingo was still present, with five
Ruppell’s and 28 White-backed Vultures enjoying the water.
Athi Dam was a bit better than on Thursday, with three African
Spoonbills, a Great Egret, two Pink-backed Pelicans which flew in
whilst we were there, seven Spur-winged Plovers, the second of the
seasons Common Sandpipers and a Common Greenshank that was in full
winter-dress, showing neither any trace of breeding plumage or
immature plumage, so maybe summered not too far away unlike Common
Sandpipers which never do. We could hear a pair of Fish Eagles calling
to each other but did not see them.

On the Cheetah Gate Road we had a nice male Black-faced Sandgrouse, a
quiet mixed feeding party on Rhino Circuit though nothing unusual
apart from a beautiful red-capped female Diederic Cuckoo which is
something I see so very rarely.

Further along the road were some swallows that were present in the
same place on Thursday. Red-rumped but with whitish collar,
underwings, underparts and rump. There is definitely something we do
not know about Red-rumped Swallows, distant images are attached on the
montage.

Then it was unbelievably dull along the entire southern portion of the
Park, the dam near Kingfisher Picnic Site had a pair of White-faced
Whistling-Ducks with no less than fourteen ducklings, on the way to
Olmanyi Dam were our second flock of non-breeding Jackson’s Widowbirds
for the day, but there has been a major withdrawal by this species.
Finally an adult Fish Eagle back at Nagalomon Dam.

We were through the gate at 4.30pm having had a great day. Although
only two days apart, Thursday and Saturday were far from identical.
Quail-Finch have moved back in numbers and Purple Grenadiers seem far
more numerous than usual.

Apart from the seven Mountain Reedbucks and solitary Lion already
mentioned we had a Slender Mongoose near the Hippo Pools, a White
Rhino at the Vulture Drinking Ponds, whilst most of the plains game is
in the southeast in Athi Basin area, particularly Zebra.

A Bat Hawk came into the garden again at 8.00am today (12th).

Best to all
Brian

KEY TO MONTAGE

TOP ROW

Farthest left and immediate right of it, Madagascar Pond Heron at Eland Hollow.

Third from left, pair of Hottentot Teal and immediate top right of it,
with a hazard for ducklings at Hyena Dam.

Third from right, Red-billed Teal with successful brood Hyena Dam.

Farthest right, three images of Pink-backed Pelican at Athi Dam.

SECOND ROW

Three farthest left, Common Sandpiper at Athi Dam. The breast is very
finely dark streaked, and there are no buff tips to dark feathers on
mantle, coverts and sides of breast indicating this is a returning
adult bird and not as immature, which should arrive later.

Third from right, head of Fischer’s Sparrowlark.

Second from right, the Polkadot    Pardopsis punctissima, uncommon in
the Park, in fact I don’t really recall seeing it before.

Farthest right conglomeration of nine images, the strange raptor at Hyena Dam.

THIRD ROW

Farthest left, Hamerkop at Eland Hollow, this one should be a Clawed Hamerkop!!!

Second from left, Lesser Moorhen adult at Eland Hollow.

Second from right, right of raptors, White-browed Coucal but I cannot
identify what the bird has caught.

FOURTH ROW

Farthest left and immediate to right, African Silverbill at Empakasi
Dam. The spread tail shows the elongated central tail feathers, a
feature not so obvious in the field.

Third from left, and next two immediately right of it, different
Yellow-crowned Bishops at Empakasi Dam, showing stages in moulting out
of breeding plumage.

BOTTOM ROW

Farthest left and next four immediately right of it, Red-rumped
Swallows along Mbagathi River showing pallid plumage with whitish
collar, underparts, underwings and rump.

Second from right, Red-rumped Swallow normal adult but still pallid on
underparts.

Farthest right, Greater Flamingo immature on Vulture Drinking Pits
above Athi Basin.