Dear All,
Attached is an update of the First Dates as at the 27th November 2016.

It seems that a few weeks ago warblers, flycatchers, chats and pipits
were more numerous. This might suggest that these arrivals have come
from mainly northern Eurasia, but not these later birds that might be
from farther to the east having greater distances to travel, and the
majority passing further east than Nairobi. I don’t think the Ngulia
ringing recoveries would support this however, but there seems to be a
several weeks gap suggesting for Nairobi a greater first wave, then a
lesser second wave… all hypothesis however.

The past ten days have been quite miserable. Cold, often windy and
there has been here just over four inches of rain. This has cut down
on watching time.

On 16th November, the palearctics were a very few Barn Swallow, two
Blackcap, one each of Whitethroat and Nightingale and just two Tree
Pipits.

The 18th November was equally quiet, just the usual rufous Common
Buzzard, 6 Eurasian Bee-eater, three Barn Swallow, single Willow
Warbler and Nightingale.

What was probably the same Peregrine from a few days ago was hunting
over the valley again, and a very few African Black Swift were about.

The 20th November remained quiet, what is probably the local Booted
Eagle, a Lesser Kestrel S but not high, one Eurasian Hobby around, 6
Eurasian Bee-eaters, five Barn Swallow and three Tree Pipit.

A few African Black Swift are still in the area.

On 22nd I was in NNP. Cloudy start having had rain. No numbers of
migrants but good variety, totals recorded being Black Stork 1, Common
Ringed Plover 1, Black-winged Stilts 20, Common Snipe 3, Green
Sandpiper 15, Wood Sandpiper 70, Common Sandpiper 5, Marsh Sandpiper
3, Common Greenshank 4, Little Stint 8, Ruff 3, White-winged Black
Tern 6, Eurasian Honey Buzzard 1, Pallid Harrier 1, Montagu’s Harrier
2, Common Buzzard 2, Steppe Eagle 3, Eurasian Hobby 1, Common Swift 5,
Eurasian Bee-eaters 15, Barn Swallows 30, Common Nightingales heard
all over the north, Isabelline Wheatear 3, Northern Wheatear 3, Pied
Wheatear 4, Whinchat 1, Common Rock Thrush 1, Spotted Flycatchers 2,
Willow Warbler 4, Blackcaps 4, Garden Warblers 2, Common Whitethroat
4, Icterine Warbler 1, Marsh Warbler 1, Red-backed Shrikes 2,
Turkestan Shrikes 2, Red-throated Pipit 2, Tree Pipit 2 and Yellow
Wagtail 1.

On 23rd November there was an improvement, a flock of 55 White Storks
came up from the valley and circled for some time over the paddock as
if they were going to come down, but then went higher and circled off
W towards the Rift, some Black-winged Stilts were heard after dark but
this year they are extremely irregular, the usual pale Booted Eagle,
the first six Amur Falcons of the season came in at dusk and flew W
along the valley towards the Rift, a Eurasian Hobby in the area, an
adult Sooty Falcon flew SSW in the afternoon, eight Eurasian
Bee-eaters were probably just local wintering birds, though their
presence this year seems low, two Barn Swallows and a House Martin,
three Willow Warblers, two Blackcap and a Whitethroat in the trees,
and 5 Tree Pipits moving about the area.

Single Mottled and Nyanza Swift were flying around and a Lesser
Striped Swallow flew over calling as it went S without stopping, so
probably was nothing to do with our birds returning.

On 25th November, the rufous Common Buzzard fed over the gardens, what
was probably the same Lesser Spotted Eagle seen on 13th Nov was
soaring over the valley (this bird was also seen by Simon Ball on
Mukoma Road on 14th), two Eurasian Hobby in the area, five Eurasian
Bee-eater probably wintering, a couple of Barn Swallow, two Willow
Warblers and a Nightingale.

A Secretarybird flying fairly low over the paddock was only the second
ever, and continued circling W towards the Rift.  The Lesser Striped
Swallows are now back!

It’s quiet again and on 26th November just the rufous Common Buzzard
and single Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Nightingale.

After dusk the first Black-winged Plover flew over, the first since
23rd January.

Fairly quiet 27th November, usual rufous Common Buzzard, at 4.30pm
whilst watching a White-backed Vulture through the telescope, I could
see interference in the background, but on focusing on this found that
is was over twenty Amur Falcons very very high. When Amurs pass over
they are usually flying direct unless they are feeding, this is the
first time I have seen them spiral and they continued SSW. Only a few
Barn Swallows, a single Willow Warbler and two Tree Pipit.

Quite quiet on 28th November, rufous Common Buzzard, two Lesser
Kestrels heading S, Eurasian Bee-eaters heard but not seen, two Barn
Swallows, two Willow Warblers, three Tree Pipit, and a surprising
evening flock of 30 Yellow Wagtails heading NNE. The maximum I have
see in NNP this season is two!

Usual cloudy start, in the early morning of 29th November, a
female-type Western Marsh Harrier was circling low in the valley, two
Eurasian Hobbys were about, a surprise number of 60 Eurasian
Bee-eaters circling around before going NW but quite low, one Eurasian
Golden Oriole flying E towards NNP and a single Willow Warbler.

Just for the record, the following first common to regular palearctics
are still unreported…. Northern Pintail, Eleonora’s Falcon, Eurasian
Sparrowhawk, Corncrake, Pacific Golden Plover, Little Ringed Plover,
Great Snipe, Spotted Redshank, Sanderling (inland), Temminck’s Stint,
Broad-billed Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Lesser
Cuckoo, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Eurasian Hoopoe, Lesser Grey Shrike,
River Warbler, Basra Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler,
Eurasian Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Wood Warbler, Barred Warbler,
Irania, Semi-collared Flycatcher, and White Wagtail. Most of these
should have representatives already here.


Best for now
Brian