NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 11th December 2016

Dear All,
Because Alastair and Clare Newton, friends from Zambia were staying at
Emakoko in the extreme south of the Park, we decided to rendezvous at
Hyena Dam at 6.45am. On the way we had a singing Emerald Cuckoo, and a
Zanzibar Sombre Greenbul along the entrance road, as well as a
scattering of “pinking” Nightingales.

Whilst most rivers, murrum pits and dams had received water during the
week although we had had nothing at our places, Hyena Dam heavily
reliant on receiving its water from the Army Barracks rather than a
natural water conduit was the exception in that the level had dropped.
As a result it was not as good as of late.
We found a Great Egret, two African Spoonbills a pair of Red-billed
Teal, the first Western Marsh Harrier I had seen in the Park this
season, the pair of Fish Eagles in residence, one African Water Rail
along the causeway, a pair of Grey Crowned Cranes, two adult African
Jacanas, eight Black-winged Stilt, over ten Long-toed Plover, but the
surprise that it included the southern white-winged bird that had not
been seen for a while, but he was protecting three recently fledged
normal looking immatures. There were two pairs of Spur-winged Plovers,
two Marsh Sandpipers, four Green, forty Wood and two Common
Sandpipers, three White-winged Black Terns, a Yellow Wagtail and the
first of just three Whinchats, and a scolding unseen Eurasian Reed
Warbler along the causeway in thick cover.