NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 13th AUGUST 2017

Dear All,
On 13th August, Nigel Hunter picked me up at 6.30am, by 6.40am we were
at the Park, and by 6.45am we were through the gate. It was a gloomy
and cold morning and slow to get light, there had been no rainfall of
late and by mid-morning the clouds dissipated although it was always a
hazy sunlight. There were no tourists in the Park early, but by late
morning both tourists and residents were coming in in fairly good
numbers.

We started off at Ivory Burning Site where there was nothing on offer,
and Nagalomon was a bit quiet. Just at the junction to Nagalomon was a
Croaking Cisticola sitting on a shrub calling, which is an unusual
place for one. The activity in the Sacred Ibis colony was quite low,
and there were no other species seen to be breeding with them. There
were eight Darters, no Night-Herons but a Squacco, no Spoonbills, a
Fish Eagle called from somewhere but not on its usual perch. A
Swamphen fed in the margins, no migrant waders and the bushes were
full of Bulbuls.

On the back road to Hyena Dam again not much activity, unseen Crested
Francolins called, and the usual species were waiting for their feed
on the balconies of the neighbouring apartments. Indeed our only
Red-billed Firefinch of the day was on the second storey! Hyena Dam
looked naked with barely any cover, there were a few birds, single
Great Egret, African Jacana, Black-winged Stilt, which is in all
likelihood a returning palearctic, and two each of Wood and Common
Sandpipers certainly were. From the causeway was a beautiful
Lilac-breasted Roller, a rare species in NNP.

We then set off for Kingfisher area, an African Water Rail called in
the nearby swamp, there were a few White-winged Widowbirds the only
examples of that ilk seen today, and the Picnic Site had all of its
local niceties with Brown Parisoma, Red-throated Tit etc. A surprise a
little further up the road was a Banded Parisoma which is the first
this far into the west of the Park. On the inside road to Maasai Gate
was a solitary adult Temminck’s Courser.

The Mokoyeti crossing produced a pair of Mountain Wagtails but nothing
else. They have been much scarcer in the past few years. Just one
Speckle-fronted Weaver posed in the scrub above Hippo Pools and the
riverine forest was very quiet. Just before the Rhino Circuit turning
there was an adult Lizard Buzzard (see image), which is also the first
in some years, and is the fifth rarely reported raptor in NNP in these
winter months, the others have been Verreaux’s Eagle, Shikra, Palm-nut
Vulture and Greater Kestrel, all but the last along the Mbagathi. The
Rhino Circuit was also not too lively with a Common Sandpiper on the
river and a calling Greater Honeyguide.

The dry scrub towards Cheetah Gate was very quiet, but the Pylons were
not and they were noisily buzzing, as power is now surging through
them for the first time. Athi Dam looked quite empty, but careful
searching and it held, three adult Pink-backed Pelicans, one roosting
adult Black-crowned Night-Heron, an immature Open-billed Stork (see
image), so far the only African Spoonbill of the day, usual
Spur-winged Plovers, and moulting adults of Little Stint, Ruff, two
Common Greenshank, and single Wood and Common Sandpipers. Feeding in
the weeds were over seventy Yellow-throated Sandgrouse (see image),
and along the exit road three photogenic Blue-naped Mousebirds (see
image).

We stopped for lunch at Embakasi Dam which still has water, there was
a Common Greenshank there, a pair of Grey Crowned Cranes was the only
ones seen today, and a number of Marabous were coming in to drink. In
the corner of the dam a lioness rested next to her Zebra kill, keeping
cool in a shade-less place with her paws in the water!

In the plains it was slim pickings with single Secretarybirds,
Black-shouldered Kite and Banded Martin. There were some small
Cisticolas that were finding it difficult to hide in the sparse ground
cover. (See images of Desert, Zitting and Pectoral-patch attached).
But back at Hyena Dam things had changed a bit, with the arrival of an
adult Yellow-billed Stork, pair of Red-billed Teal, now five Wood and
my first Green Sandpiper of the season. The swampy area along the
Mokoyeti had a couple of Great Egrets and a Grey-headed Kingfisher,
and Nagalomon Dam additionally produced three African Spoonbills and
an adult African Jacana.

In the Kisembe Forest we picked up a few things, an adult Bateleur
posed near the traditional nest site, the most rewarding though being
at Hippogrebe Dam where there was water, and birds were coming to
drink in the afternoon sun. Fine performers on the stage included
Hartlaub’s Turaco, a couple of Tambourine Doves and Holub’s Golden
Weaver. From here we exited Langata Gate at 4.30pm.

White-backed Vultures were very prominent today, not just sitting in
the trees, but also in groups of over thirty wheeling around the Park.
There were only two Augur Buzzards seen, few hirundines the most
numerous being Rock Martin with Wire-tailed Swallow a close second.
Palm and Little were the only swifts.

Mammals were just everywhere, large numbers of Buffalo, seemingly more
Kongoni than usual, very good numbers of Thomson’s Gazelles scattered
throughout the plains. Eland common but in smaller numbers but large
assemblages of Impala. Four White Rhino near Hyena Dam, very
unpleasant and fearless Syke’s Monkeys have virtually displaced Olive
Baboons as the most obnoxious mammal of Baboon Cliffs! I have long
suspected that there was something odd about Waterbuck in the Park,
and today took note of what I was seeing. There are two areas in NNP
with Waterbuck, along the Mbagathi basin the animals are Common, but
around Kisembe Forest and not coming down off the plateau they are all
Defassa. Could other people please take note of what Waterbucks they
see where?

It was a coldish start, slow birding but still we left with 162
species recorded.

Best to all
Brian

KEY TO MONTAGE

F I R S T ROW

FAR LEFT
BATELEUR
Adult near old nest site in Kisembe Forest.

SECOND FROM LEFT
GIRAFFE