NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 10th February 2017


Dear All,
On 10th February Karen Plumbe, Heather Elkin, and myself showed
visiting Nick Paul around Nairobi National Park.

It had been dry, and we arrived at Langata Gate where we were expertly
processed and soon inside. The birds were a little mundane to start
with, but the sight of a Spotted Hyena carrying a Suni (one of very
many seen) in its mouth near the Langata Dam certainly prevented any
reverie. Being a cloudless morning the sun was directly in front for
much of the drive around to Nagalomon Dam, and it would be better to
enter in the Main Gate.

On the Forest Edge Dam, the all so familiar Yellow-billed Egret was
present but apart from an adult Jacana and Little Grebes with one
young there was nothing else.
At Nagalomon Dam the highlight was the female Greater Painted-snipe
still present from a couple of weeks ago, and the Darters are starting
to nest build again with eight present. Other birds present included
another Little Grebe, two Long-tailed Cormorants, the first of three
Great Egrets, a few African Spoonbills, a stunning male Pallid
Harrier, several Black-winged Stilt, a scattering of Wood Sandpipers
and one Green Sandpiper.

On the Ivory Burning arena was the days only Northern Wheatear, and
the first of what is evidently quite a large incursion of Grassland
Pipits into the area, as they were all through the grasslands.
Continuing on to Hyena Dam was more fruitful although the water level
continues to drop. With the usual African Spoonbills were three
Crowned Cranes, a female Western Marsh Harrier, an adult and an
immature Fish Eagle. This suggests that the pair of adult Fish Eagles
that have been frequenting this dam and Nagalomon have bred, but
outside of the Park and have now returned with a young bird as it
certainly behaves as if it belongs to them. A Martial Eagle was flying
over as was a distant Bateleur, whilst waders consisted of ten
Long-toed and eight Spur-winged Plovers, ten Black-winged Stilt, one
Ruff, two Common Snipe, twenty of so Wood and two each of Green and
Common Sandpipers, a couple of lutea Yellow Wagtails were following
buffalo, and amongst the Barn Swallows a House Martin appeared briefly
and a Willow Warbler fed in some low scrub.
Leaving through the back way was the bird of the day, six stunning
fresh-plumaged Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters were keeping to low acacias and
were very confiding and we spent some time admiring them.

There was nothing along the back road, and apart from a singing
Zanzibar Greenbul, nor Ivory Burning Site so we headed out to Olmanyi
Dam. Here there was a gathering of seven cavorting Hamerkops which is
the most I have seen together in the Park, as were the eighteen Common
Snipe along the margin. Along the roadside was our first of six
Whinchats today and first of over fifteen Isabelline Wheatears which
are probably drought refugees.

At Karen PS Dam there was very little apart from a Common Snipe, a
Wood Sandpiper and a lutea Yellow Wagtail, and our first Black Stork
of the day was flying over Mbuni Picnic Site where we were welcomed by
the unbelievably tame Long-tailed Fiscals. Nine Speckled Pigeons flew
over, but strangest of all were two more Speckled Pigeons resting in
the acacia above the picnic table. At Eland Hollow Dam were a couple
of Jacanas and a pair or Red-billed Teal, and resting in the shade of
a small acacia drepanolobium was a very large male Kori Bustard.
Crossing the grassland as we continues towards Athi we found the first
of three Secretarbirds, two Common and one Lesser Kestrel, the only
Black-shouldered Kite of the day, four Shelley’s Francolins, the days
only Rosy-breasted Longclaw, the first of four Turkestan (Red-tailed)
Shrikes and one female Isabelline Shrike and a few Banded Martins seen
in several places.

Athi Dam was burgeoning with hundreds of Marabous, with about thirty
White Storks scattered through them, the most interesting wader was a
Temminck’s Courser, but other waders were six Spur-winged and one
Common Ringed Plover, six Little Stints, two Ruffs and the usual
sandpipers and resident species. There were 25 Speckled Pigeons
feeding on weedy growth which is a new record number, whilst along the
causeway were an Olivaceous Warbler and a pair of noisy loringi
Red-faced Crombecs giving their distinct song as opposed to the
resident jacksoni Red-faced Crombecs in the north of the Park.

On the depart we had three Black Storks soaring together near Leopard
Cliffs, and at Nagalomon Dam there was now an adult Purple Heron and
eight Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters in the tops of the trees. Ironically we
did not record Eurasian Bee-eaters today!

Barn Swallows were the commonest swallow, widespread but no
concentrations, and only two Lesser Striped Swallows were seen, and
obviously do not like the drought conditions.

Amongst the better mammals were a Steinbok near Olmanyi Dam, three
Chandler’s Reedbucks in their usual place, good numbers of Wildebeest,
and Zebra were everywhere and seemed to have dropped young. A Kongoni
had dropped a calf right on the foreshore just down from the very
large crocodile that did not seem interested. The young animal could
only have been a few hours old and was not able to walk properly yet.

We exited at Main Gate having had a very good day as always,

Best for now
Brian


KEY TO MONTAGE
TOP LEFT & TOP MIDDLE
BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER
A species not recorded in the Park every year, and a rare sight in the
Nairobi region. There was a delightful confiding group of six at Hyena
Dam and in the evening eight at Nagalomon Dam which may have contained
the same individuals. The right image shows a bird has caught a small
Amegilla bee.

TOP RIGHT
TEMMINCK’S COURSER
This bird in the parched grasslands around Athi Dam is the first in
the Park for some time.

MIDDLE LEFT
TURKESTAN SHRIKE
One of four today, this is an adult male sowing the diagnostic rusty
crown contrasting with the back. It is possible that future common
name use will revert to Red-tailed Shrike, and isabellinus will be
Isabelline Shrike.

MIDDLE
ISABELLINE SHRIKE
This is a female bird lacking the mask, and showing all grey crown and
no contrast with the back.

MIDDLE RIGHT
BANDED MARTIN
Small groups were seen on several occasions, maybe a small incursion
into the area.

BOTTOM LEFT
A visit to Mbuni Picnic Site will probably involve meeting up with the
seven very tame Long-tailed Fiscals which noisily welcome you and are
eager to help consume the picnic, but they are delightful and comical.

ISABELLINE WHEATEAR
With fifteen seen today, the dry conditions had brought birds into the
Park. This is a prime example of the supercilium being broader and
whiter in front of the eye, whereas Northern Wheatear is whiter behind
the eye and buffier in front. Only one Northern was seen today.