Dear All,
Because the last montage really concerned itself with the uncommon
species in NNP this weekend, as I had taken many more images during
the course of the day of more common or still interesting things I
thought I would send in another batch. Nairobi National Park has to be
up there amongst the best places for bird photography on the planet.
The variety, the scenery and the calmness of the birds is
extraordinary, and NNP needs all the promotion it can muster with the
arrival of the railway. Incidentally on this matter the Chinese
invaded the plots on Kitengela adjacent to the Park, where the line
will pass having exited over the Mbagathi River from inside the
Park….. no advice of arrival ever given, no compensation received and
no authorisation ever issued. They then proceded to astonish the
title-deeded owners of the land by digging holes, erecting rock piles,
excavating trenches and carving out new roads. One person who had
nurtured a Baobab successfully for thirty years in their garden
(Nairobi-ites will appreciate what an achievement this is), watchedi
as it was bulldozed over. The maximum adverse publicity we can
generate for this Chinese invasion and blatant destruction of private
property the better. This is all true and it doesn’t show that they
are going to respect NNP any more than private property, in fact it
looks like they are going to ride roughshod!

Anyway the images…..

1	RED-TAILED SHRIKE SP
This is the palest individual I have ever seen, nor have I been able
to find an image of anything resembling this from the African region.
It is as silvery as a grey shrike. Expert opinion has been sought!

2	COMMON RINGED PLOVER
Adults are always dapper, and this bird at Athi Dam is no exception.

3	OLIVACEOUS WARBLER
The arrival of the species not until after Christmas is extraordinary
but now they are fairly common. This one is in the East Gate Tree
Nursery keeping an eye on us.

4	WOOD WARBLER
There were images of this bird also from the East Gate Tree Nursery in
the last posting. This one clearly shows the underparts as all white
apart from yellow on the chest, in fact the bird was too close to fit
in the frame!

5	LION
Also in the last posting I mentioned that David Guanieri and myself
were surrounded by five nervous Black-backed Jackals, but we thought
it was us they were nervous of but it turned out to be a lion next to
us we had not seen… and this is it.

6	SADDLE-BILLED STORK
I wanted to take one mammal photograph (forgetting I had taken the
lion) and thought a bird over the top of a buffalo would satisfy this!

7	COMMON KESTREL
We are told that the only way to conclusively separate female Lesser
and Common Kestrels is that Lesser have white claws and Common black.
It is so very difficult to see this when the birds are perched and the
foot is buried in foliage. On the wing Lesser Kestrel to me appear to
have a shorter looking more rounded wing, whilst Common look longer
and more pointed wing. If this appears in flight, then surely a
perched bird should show a different ratio of wing projection against
the tail. This is still to be researched. This is a lone bird (which
Lessers very rarely are) near Kingfisher, and the wings look long
against the tail and I believe this a female Common Kestrel but am
open to suggestion.

8	SUPERB STARLING
In the last posting I mentioned that a group of Superb Starlings were
feeding on flesh of a recent kill and that this had not been recorded
in the Handbook of Birds of Africa. Fifty metres away from this action
of the other side of the road, a Superb Starling was poking around in
a decapitated Wart Hog!

9	STEPPE EAGLE
This is a nice immature showing the pale tips to the underwing coverts.

10	EURASIAN ROLLER
These birds perch prominently and are invariably against a sky
background, it was so nice to actually have the picture framed!

11	PINK-BACKED PELICAN
This bird is nearly adult but there are still signs of mottling on the
back rather than clear grey. It was at Athi Dam.

12	CROWNED PLOVER
Most Crowned Plovers are in short grass and lower than the camera, it
was nice to look up to one and see the feet.

13	KITTLITZ’S PLOVER
Only ever seen at Athi Dam, even though other dams appear suitable.
Numbers fluctuate presumably with to-ing and fro-ing from Dandora.

14	FISH EAGLE
Half of the pair that frequent Athi Dam, this bird still shows some
black streaking so is not fully adult whereas its companion is fully
adult.

15	SECRETARYBIRD
This red-data bird still holds on well in the Park, and is always a
pleasure to see (unless you are a locust).

16	NORTHERN WHEATEAR
Maybe as a result of the drought, Isabelline Wheatears are now
outnumbering Northern at three to one. This is a male that will
presumably colour-up soon.

17	AFRICAN BLACK DUCK AND CROCODILE
This bird at Hyena Dam has found a small Crocodile and it seems it
does not know what to make of it….

18    AFRICAN BLACK DUCK, AFRICAN SPOONBILL,
           EGYPTIAN GOOSE AND CROCODILE
	….so calls on some friends for advice!


19    MALACHITE KINGFISHER
This is a young bird coming into adult plumage, the bill is already
mainly red but still shows a dark tip.

20    YELLOW-BILLED EGRET
A bird at the back of Hyena Dam. Clearly shows short bill and lack of
the dagger mark of bare pale-green skin that Great Egrets show.

Best for now
Brian