NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 9th & 10th October 2016

Dear All,
On the 9th I spent the day in NNP with Nigel Hunter, there was an
amazing number of visitors it being a Sunday, and the Car Park was
full to bursting. It had remained dry all week and many places were
showing signs of drought with the grass dying to a dingy brown.

On the 10th, I spent the morning and early afternoon in NNP with Simon
Ball, Mike Davidson, Fleur Ng’Weno and Jennifer Oduore, with the Park
still drying and hot and sunny from mid-morning on both days.

Each visit, much the same route was followed, apart from the additions
of Rhino Circuit and exiting at Langata Gate on 9th.

Our first stop was Ivory Burning Site, there was a Spotted Flycatcher
on both days, and in each case the first of three encountered on that
date, additionally a Long-crested Eagle was present on Sunday and
there was a Northern Wheatear on the burn site and a pair of
Violet-backed Starlings on the Monday.

At Nagalomon Dam single Great and Yellow-billed Egrets, but on 10th
there was an adult Purple Heron sunning itself from the top of the
tree on the island. I thought they only did this in Madagascar where
they are a tree-nesting species! There were six Long-tailed Cormorants
which is a considerable reduction in the past few months, and over a
dozen African Darters. Even though there are begging fluffy young the
size of adults, there are still three birds incubating on nests. An
adult Fish-Eagle sat uninterestedly just above them. On 9th there was
a single Swamphen present in the sparse typha, and both days there
were three Black-winged Stilts and a pair of Spur-winged Plovers
present and up to twenty Wood Sandpipers. Strangely this year there
seems to be a dearth of Green Sandpipers. A party of Blue-naped
Mousebirds fed on the fruiting Rus along the causeway.

At Hyena Dam, a Little Grebe appeared on 9th, and there were a couple
each of African Spoonbills and Great Egrets on both dates, also on 9th
three Lanners were flying across the dam with two fighting (or
displaying) making musical calls that sounded like Common Cranes, not
a sound I had heard from Lanners before, and on 10th an immature that
was extremely blotchy below with strong buffy undertail coverts made
three unsuccessful stoops at birds along the swamp margin. A Bateleur
was overhead on 10th and an adult Fish Eagle was on the large acacia
both days, as were an extravert Swamphen, a dozen Black-winged Stilts,
an adult African Jacana, four each of Long-toed and Spur-winged and a
single Ringed Plover, the Black-tailed Godwit, five Common Snipe, a
Ruff, two Little Stint, nearly forty Wood Sandpipers (also present on
all other dams) but only one Green and two Common, and an
uncooperative Yellow Wagtail only seen in flight.
The African Water Rail only appeared on 10th. Parties of Barn Swallows
included eight Sand Martins on 9th but just two on 10th, and Banded
Martins on both dates.

At the back of the dam it was very quiet but Whinchats had returned
and we saw five on 9th and four on 10th in different places, just one
Willow Warbler on both dates and many flocks of noisy Wattled
Starlings here and along the Mokoyeti River. White winged Widowbirds
were in small parties throughout the Park, but in non-breeding dress.
Small numbers of Eurasian Bee-eaters were seen both dates, but the two
House Martins only on 10th and a Pale Flycatcher on 9th which is
unusual away from the forest.

The Run-off to Hyena Dam produced a Great Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Roller
and robust Northern Wheatear on 9th, and a Long-crested Eagle on 10th
and a party of Orange-breasted Waxbills on both dates. On 9th the
Martial Eagle watched nest-building in the crown of an acacia along
the Mokoyeti River back in August, was now incubating on the nest, and
when it sat low in the nest was invisible which accounted for no sign
of it on 10th. Continuing on the inner road to Eland Hollow was a
Black-shouldered Kite, Northern Wheatear, Common Whitethroat and two
Rosy-breasted Longclaws on 9th, and a dark Tawny Eagle and a couple of
Whinchats on 10th plus a pair of untidy looking Secretarybirds on both
days with another dapper couple seen at Athi Dam on 10th.

Eland Hollow on both dates had a pair of White-faced Whistling-Ducks
and seven African Jacanas testifying to recent breeding success and
more Orange-breasted Waxbills. Nothing was to be seen at Karen Primary
School Dam though.

The journey through the plains was uneventful, although a young male
Hartlaub’s Bustard on 9th and the only two Quailfinch on 10th. There
was just one orange White-backed Vulture at the murrum pits at the top
of Athi Basin on 9th, but there were 21 with one sparkling adult
Ruppell’s on 10th when a pair of almost white Tawny Eagles joined the
bathing session. A Common Greenshank was present both dates, and on
the 10th just up the road towards Athi Dam we had stunning views of a
White-tailed Lark that posed for us.

At Athi Dam it was quiet both days, three Yellow-billed Storks on 9th
became five on 10th, but on 9th there were also an adult Black Stork
and Glossy Ibis, whilst six African Spoonbills and three roosting
Black-crowned Night-Herons were on both dates. Unique to 10th were a
couple of adult male Knob-billed Ducks with splendid casques and a
pair of Spotted Thick-knees at the end of the causeway that were
duetting in broad daylight which is something I had not witnessed
before. The waders present were much the same for both dates with six
Black-winged Stilts, eight Spur-winged Plovers including a pair with
two recently hatched chicks, ten Kittlitz’s Plovers, four Common
Greenshank, two Common Sandpipers, four Ruff and eight Little Stints.
Another strange sight on 9th was a pair of Pied Kingfishers on the
causeway, prostrate on the ground with wings fully spread but flat
against the ground obviously enjoying a sun-bathe. Also on the 9th we
took the road to the pipeline out from the causeway finding a very
confiding pair of Black-faced Sandgrouse, and a pair of Ostrich with
thirteen small chicks and everyone the same size.
Whilst in this area I took some images of the wildlife in the area to
give an idea of how visitors photographic souvenirs for Nairobi
National Park will look in the future if the Kenya Government, Kenya
Railways and the unwanted Chinese aid continue to get their
anti-constitutional way. They are attached to this report. Along the
Rhino Circuit there was indeed a Black Rhino, maybe displaced from
losing its territory now under a railway arch! There was a good mixed
feeding flock, a Tawny Eagle, adult Common Cuckoo, Grey-headed
Kingfisher and as far as the Park is concerned, inexplicably rare
Black-headed Oriole.

Stopping at the ox-bow towards Hippo Pools there was an adult Fish
Eagle on both days and a hot Pink-backed Pelican on 10th.

On the returns, on the 9th there was a Bateleur and Long-billed Pipit
above Hippo Pools, a Yellow-billed Egret at Forest Edge Dam and adult
African Jacana Langata Dam, whilst on 10th a Pygmy Kingfisher below
Baboon Cliffs and a very impressive tight gathering on top of a small
acacia just past Leopard cliffs consisting of 39 White-backed and five
Ruppell’s Vultures that were obviously waiting for something to
happen. There were of course as always widespread nesting White-backed
Vultures seen, apart from this and the bathing group.

The plains game was impressive from “The Beacon” to the southern
boundary on both days and there has obviously been a major incursion
of Zebra and Wildebeeste into the Park. Otherwise a scattering of both
Rhinos, Hippos, frequent Bohor Reedbucks and three Mountain Reedbucks
at their usual territory.

We were out of the Park at 4.15pm exiting at Langata Gate on 9th, and
2.40pm exiting at Main Gate on 10th.

Best for now
Brian

KEY TO MONTAGE

Images in the first three rows are from inside NNP now. It is the
standard of how many wildlife images taken by visiting tourists will
be in the future. I was going to comment on each image, but then
thought better to let them tell the story themselves.

Where I will comment is that the top left is from the current work in
the Park. Being a Sunday this might just represent a skeleton staff
and maybe there are many more employees during the week. This is a
small section of the project and the work-force, now picture this
running for six kilometres through the plains of the Park, how many
people, how many Chinese eyeing the game for the pot or the birds and
mammals for traditional medicines. How will the required water for the
construction and the thirsty hordes of workers be sated, will it be
taken straight from within the Park depriving the wildlife of this
necessary intake. How much land will be destroyed constructing roads
to bring in the equipment, and storage areas on site for constructing
the viaducts, how many wild animals will leave in those vehicles each
day. How can KWS hope to police such an invasion to ensure the safety
of the native fauna. How will the construction with all the enormous
heavy machinery destroy the Park, traumatise the wildlife, reduce
tourism depriving KWS of needed revenue and support? How will the
essential donor community ever be able to trust the Kenyan Government
again, other than the puppet-master Chinese of course who are rapidly
engulfing the African Continent from all corners leaving an
unparalleled trail of environmental destruction and degradation? Where
is the EIA that will show the amount of land that is really going to
be destroyed for the railway, it is far too naïve to look upon it as a
single track, it will be a swathe of destruction either side of the
line.

BOTTOM LEFT
BLACK-FACED SANDGROUSE
This male was near the end of the Causeway at Athi Dam with a female.
This newly arrived species in NNP has still not been seen for about a
year, when a pair had chicks.

BOTTOM MIDDLE
NORTHERN WHEATEAR
This is quite a stout bird with a longish bill, the underparts are
very white not buff as would be expected on a Northern, however there
is black on the wing coverts, and the supercilium in front of the eye
is buffish not white. Some birds are not that obvious.

THIRD ROW FAR RIGHT
The extravert Purple Heron in the top of a tree at Nagalomon Dam.

BOTTOM RIGHT
VULTURES GATHERING TO BATHE
A group of White-backed in various plumages and a gleaming Ruppell’s.