NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 27th OCTOBER 2018

Dear All,
On Saturday 27th October Nigel Hunter and myself met up with Fleur
Ng’Weno at Main Gate to Nairobi National Park. Being a weekend it was
quite busy, but with three desks open we only queued for twenty
minutes before we got in at 7.00am. In the meantime we had had the
first of four Willow Warblers. We first visited the KWS Mess, there
had been a little rain and the road was damp, but nothing to impede
progress throughout the Park at present. There were a few birds which
included a singing Blackcap that would not show itself. On the way to
Ivory Burning Site three Sulphur-breasted Bush-Shrikes were cavorting
and displaying, we seemed to run into the species in all corners
today, they were far more conspicuous than usual though it does not
necessarily mean that there were actually more in the Park than usual.
On arrival there was a major event planned for here today, and
incredibly enormous marquees were being erected. The entire area had
been taken over by CNN and Richard Quest to celebrate the arrival of
the first Kenya Airways direct flight from New York, but another male
Blackcap posed on top of a low shrub for a long while. It was a really
gloomy and dark overcast day with sprinkling on and off throughout the
day but nothing you would call rain. The sun made a brave but short
appearance about two in the afternoon. A flock of thirty Violet-backed
Starlings flew over but showed no signs of stopping. An African
Moustached Warbler was singing, they were singing from every corner of
the Park today (see image).

After a bird less detour around the Ivory Burning Arena, we had a look
at Nagalomon Dam, nothing off the bridge, but White-rumped Swifts were
back prospecting, and in fact were noticeable all through the area
today. A Yellow-billed Stork sat in a tree by the causeway, and the
dam really had little to offer. Yet another event was taking place on
the far NW shoreline! We only saw two Black-crowned Night-Herons but
one was nest building in Typha by the road, the days only Great Egret
was here, and the pair of adult Fish Eagles was surveying the comings
and goings. Eleven Black-winged Stilts, one Common and three Green
Sandpipers were the only migrants present. Finally the first few of a
surprising number of encounters with Blue-naped Mousebirds in the
northern part of the Park.

It was quiet along the back road to Hyena Dam, but there were a couple
of Garden Warblers and a Common Whitethroat keeping to cover. Two
Common Swifts appeared briefly and the sub-adult Martial Eagle was
perched near its nest. With the feeding birds at the feeders on the
units, was a single Red-billed Quelea, but there would be many more in
the eastern portion of the Park, but all in non-breeding plumage.
There was a Common Sandpiper on the swampy area but nothing else.
Hyena Dam was very sad, the only migrant waders being a few
Black-winged Stilts and a single Little Stint, but Long-toed Plovers
have built back up to eight along the causeway, the only other birds
of any note were a Squacco Heron, and a delightful changing
Rosy-breasted Longclaw, we would see five more today including fully
breeding adults, (see image).