NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 14th MARCH 2019

Nigel Hunter and myself met up with Fleur Ng’Weno and David Fox, an
ex-resident who had been helping with the Crowned Crane survey
throughout Kenya. The rendezvous was in the Park Entry Office, and
Fleur and David were already in a queue which dwindled rapidly and we
were soon entering the Park.

With no rain since the previous visit things were very quiet, with
scarcely a sound from the scrub or forest as we entered. Ivory Burning
Site was too tranquil and so we tried to continue to Nagalomon Dam.
However the road was entirely blocked by traffic as some forty
vehicles jostled for position to view Lion cubs playing on the road
sign. So with Nagalomon Dam not accessible we went straight for Hyena
Dam. The drying edges continue to attract wading birds, the Goliath
Heron was not to be seen but numerous Black-headed and a few Grey
Herons were joined by a couple of Yellow-billed Storks, a few
Marabous, three African Spoonbills, single Great and Yellow-billed
Egrets, and in the wader line five Long-toed Plovers with the usual
Blacksmith, Spur-winged and Three-banded, a dozen Black-winged Stilts,
three Common Snipe, two Green, twenty Wood and three Common Sandpipers
and single Little Stint and Ruff. Whilst we were there the Greater
Spotted Eagle flew in and dropped down into a sedge bed behind the
dam, so it had still not departed in spite of not being seen on the
last visit. The first of well over ten Black-winged Kites appeared,
and first of three Augur Buzzards, and a stunning male Pallid Harrier
was also hunting in the area whilst a Great Sparrowhawk flew past. The
first of ten Whinchats appeared and a flava Yellow Wagtail was feeding
along the edge. We circled along the back road to Ivory Burning Site
but it was none too productive, there were single Common Swift and
House Martin and the first of three Turkestan Shrikes.

At Nagalomon Dam there was a Nightingale on the Causeway but no other
migrants in the bushes, the Goliath Heron was on the spit with a
couple of Yellow-billed Storks, six African Spoonbills which might
nest soon, and a Great Egret. Eight Darters were on the island and a
few coming in had beak-fulls of nesting material. A Fish Eagle perched
on the island and a female-plumaged Western Marsh Harrier sat not far
away. A species not seen in a while was a Bateleur cruising past over
the forest. Now retracing back to drive along the Mokoyeti we had a
flock of twenty Parasitic Weavers and another Yellow-billed Egret on
the ox-bow but not much else. So we looped back past Nagalomon on the
way to Kingfisher finding a Common Buzzard. The picnic site was fairly
quiet but a few regular features showed up and we continued on to
Ololo.

A pale Booted Eagle appeared and disappeared into a valley, they have
been extraordinarily sparse this season, and a Secretarybird was on
parade striding over the plains. By the Mbagathi there was a Fish
Eagle, an obliging Brown Parisoma, the days only Spotted Flycatcher
and two African Firefinches. At the quarry was the days only
Isabelline Wheatear, and at the Mokoyeti crossing a handsome Mountain
Wagtail was feeding on the rocks and a Lesser Honeyguide in the fig.
Further along the Mbagathi was the days only Tawny Eagle, and the
woodland above Hippo Pools provided us with the seasons first Upcher’s
Warbler which was low down in an Acacia mellifera waving its tail
gracefully in all directions. The usual Speckle-fronted Weavers were
also on site.

Rhino Circuit was quiet, but we did find Abyssinian Scimitarbill,
Red-throated Tits, a couple of Willow Warblers, and a few Lesser
Masked Weavers. The Pipeline produced only two Northern Wheatears, so
off to Athi Dam. The falling water level has left a wide margin, but
was not as bountiful with birds as hoped for. Some twenty
Yellow-billed Storks were here, but only fifteen White Storks, about
four-hundred Marabous, a flock of fourteen African Spoonbills, five
Black-crowned Night-Herons at their roost, the only two Crowned Cranes
of the day, a Ruppell’s Vulture came in to drink, and several Spotted
Thick-knees lurked under the bushes. Waders on the shoreline included
ten Black-winged Stilts, three Common Ringed Plover, a Common Snipe,
five Greenshank, one Green, fifteen Wood and five Common Sandpipers,
ten Little Stint, and a Ruff. Resident waders were the usual
Spur-winged, Blacksmith and Three-banded Plovers but no sign of
Kittlitz’s today. On the Causeway were the only Eastern Olivaceous
Warbler today, Banded Parisoma and three Crimson-rumped Waxbills.

Crossing the plains there was a male Kori Bustard, several Banded
Martins, a pair of Little Grebes at Karen Primary School Dam, whilst
Eland Hollow Dam offered up another Yellow-billed Egret, a male
Ashy-headed Wagtail and Quailfinch coming in to drink. Nothing new had
come in to Hyena or Nagalomon Dams, but along the Mokoyeti were
several Eurasian Bee-eaters.

We exited Main Gate at 5.15pm having recorded 181 species. Barn
Swallows were in small numbers but Lesser Striped Swallows were
virtually throughout.

Mammals were widespread with the majority and greatest variety being
in Athi Basin..

Best for now
Brian


NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 24th MARCH 2019

Dear All,
I met up with Pete Steward at the bottom of Mukoma Road at 6.05am, and
we drove to the Main Gate of Nairobi National Park. When we arrived at
the Office for processing the entry, the queues were outside the doors
and into the car park. For a change there were three desks open, and
we were finished and actually through the entrance before 6.30am. It
was still pretty dark.

There had been no rain, and the awful drought and heat continues. The
early morning though was pleasantly cool and there was hardly a bird
calling apart from pinking and churring of unidentified Sprossergales.
The silence was virtually matched at Ivory Burning Site, although
there was a slight waking, which included Crested Francolins, and
birds were leaving the roost at Nagalomon Dam. Through the gap on the
hedge at the bottom all hell was breaking loose, there were cars along
the bottom road, along the entrance road and out in the direction of
Hyena Dam, the cars had made a large surround of two lions who were in
an arena with vehicles on three sides, but sharing this arena were two
Buffalos that seemed oblivious of the lions. We left them and have no
idea of the outcome! We made for Nagalomon Dam.

As we arrived, birds were still leaving and this included six Black
Storks who had probably spent the night here. We watched them flying
off down to the south of the Park, later on when we came back to the
dam, there was a lone Black Stork dropping in from a height, there
were more singles over Kingfisher, Maasai Gate and five roosting in a
tree along the Rhino Circuit (see image). We know there were at least
six, but it seems likely that more than this were involved. The dam
was entertaining with a Yellow-billed Stork, four African Spoonbills,
female Little Bittern where seen with young recently, a breeding
plumaged Squacco Heron which might suggest a returning Palearctic
bird, a Great Egret, two Little Egrets, an adult Purple Heron which
arrived whilst we were there, some seven Darters with males returning
with much nesting material, the Fish Eagle was on the island but
concealed, not on its usually prominent perch, a female type Western
Marsh Harrier, an adult African Jacana was the first in NNP for over a
year, apart from four Black-winged Stilt the only other Palearctic
wader was a Common Snipe. The Causeway usually reliable for a few
warblers at this time of year, produced nothing.

Hyena Dam was more interesting with five Yellow-billed Storks, four
African Spoonbills, the first of ten Black-winged Kites, fifteen
Black-winged Stilts, six Long-toed Plovers, three Common Snipe, three
very smart Green, twenty Wood and four Common Sandpipers, eight Little
Stint and two Ruff. Around the edge were the first of four Whinchats,
and first of three Turkestan Shrikes, and a very dark crowned flava
Yellow Wagtail (see image). Nearby we watched a young Gabar Goshawk
picking at something small in the grass, which must have been very
small insects, which seemed unusual (see image). From here we took the
back road back to Ivory Burning Site, but the road was so quiet
although the usual commensal species were at the units there was
nothing of any note, we did have the first of four Augur Buzzards, and
continued along the Mokoyeti to the Ox-bow.

A small collection of birds feeding in a remaining swampy patch
consisted of a young Yellow-billed Stork, a Great Egret and up to
then, the missing young Goliath Heron. It was good to find that the
African Water Rail still holds ground here. There appeared to be no
birds of interest on the run-off nor as we crossed the bridge and
returned back towards Nagalomon Dam were it not for two Eurasian
Rollers (see image).

Along the road at the base of Impala Lookout we stopped at a marsh at
the base of the hill where many mainly concealed Parasitic Weavers
were making much noise, but not singing. Females and immatures were
seen, but there was no sign of any adult males. Also here were a few
White-winged Widowbirds in non-breeding plumage, and the only members
of that genus seen today. The road along the side of Kingfisher Swamp
gave us one of the most interesting observations of the day, where two
Eland were feeding on the Opuntia Cactus leaves, and appeared to be
enjoying it even though the leaves consumed were still armed with
spines. This is evidently a dry season forage, and something I have
never witnessed before (see images).

Kingfisher Picnic Site had a few people but was very quiet in the bird
line, as it was from here all the way to the Maasai Gate turn-off. We
continued to Ololo, picking up another Fish Eagle, Red-faced
Cisticola, Marsh Warbler, a Common Nightingale that was probably the
same bird as had wintered here, flew across the river to challenge a
playback, the days only Spotted Flycatcher, Grey-capped Social-Weaver
and Black-faced Waxbill. At the nearby quarry was the first of only
two Isabelline Wheatears, and along the road was a Secretarybird and
the first of two Pangani Longclaws, and in fact these were the days
only Longclaws. At the Mokoyeti causeway the only bird was a cryptic
Green Pigeon.

As we passed the Mbagathi we found both Tawny and Martial Eagles, and
Abyssinian Scimitarbills with Violet Wood Hoopoes at three different
parts of the river. In the woodland above Hippo Pools were a few
Speckle-fronted Weavers but little else. Along this section of the
Mbagathi there was an immature Lappet-faced Vulture in a spiral of
Marabous, and a skulking but singing Common Whitethroat. The Rhino
Circuit failed to satisfy but the Pipeline faired better. First
looking along the Mbagathi we followed the first of four Northern
Wheatears into a low Acacia mellifera, and in the field of view when
we looked at it were a dancing Upcher’s Warbler and a Banded Parisoma.
A very noisy Eastern Olivaceous Warbler was near here and a pair of
Vitelline Masked Weavers with the singing male in full breeding
plumage. Now following the Pipeline towards the turn off for Athi Dam
we had a few more Northern, just our second Isabelline and the only
Pied Wheatear for the day.

Whilst the water-level is dropping fast, Athi Dam was still attractive
to birds, with eight Red-billed Teal being the only waterfowl today
that weren’t Egyptian Geese, an impressive cluster of thirty-three
Yellow-billed Storks probably the largest assemblage of the species
seen in NNP, amongst the Marabous were a paltry three White Storks,
some ten African Spoonbills were scattered around the edge, at least
ten Black-crowned Night-Herons were in their roosting tree, the days
only Hamerkop and an adult Pink-backed Pelican, about five Spotted
Thick-knees, but a surprise of the Water Thick-knee roosting in the
same place as six months ago for several months, which had disappeared
for the past two months (see image), and the waders consisted of
fifteen Black-winged Stilts, four Common Ringed and three Kittlitz’s
Plovers, five Common Greenshank, three Green, a dozen Wood and five
Common Sandpipers, and a dozen Little Stints. There were four Willow
Warblers feeding in the mellifera flowers and were the only ones seen
today, and more Banded Parisoma. The most astounding sight was a solid
flock of thirty-four Spur-winged Plovers, with another fifteen on the
spit. Nothing like this has been seen before and represents a major
incursion of the species (see image). Our final nice bird was a
breeding plumaged Red-throated Pipit feeding along the edge (see
image).

Climbing out of the basin we found a male Hartlaub’s and a group of
three White-bellied Bustard (see images), heard some unseen
Quail-finch and had a female lutea Yellow Wagtail with a herd of
herbivores. Eland Hollow Dam did not produce anything surprising, a
Yellow Wagtail seen briefly in the same spot as the previous visit may
have been the same Ashy-headed Wagtail. Time was against us having
left Athi Dam after five o’clock, and after a brief look at Hyena Dam
we exited through Main Gate.

Barn Swallows were in low numbers, and the whole situation regarding
Palearctic migrants was horrifically poor, the only migrant raptor was
the one Western Marsh Harrier. We still managed to close the day with
178 species, which was amazing when much of the day seemed to be
birdless, the plains being particularly bleak but thankfully we still
have action on some of the dams.

Good numbers of mammals in the Athi Basin, though a scattering
throughout the Park,
Best to all
Brian


KEY TO MONTAGE

1	RED-THROATED PIPIT  (Image Pete Steward)
This bird showing spring colours was at Athi Dam, gone are the days
when parties up to forty were not an uncommon sight most of the
northern winter but this is hardly surprising when well over a
thousand Red-throated Pipits were seized at the Italian border bound
for Italian Restaurants.

2	AFRICAN JACANA
A nice adult at Nagalomon Dam was the first recorded in NNP for over a
year since the drying out of Hyena, Langata and Eland Hollow Dams sent
them packing to find alternative accommodation.

3	GABAR GOSHAWK
This interesting juvenile near Hyena Dam was picking up small things
from the ground and swallowing them. Whatever it was it was enjoying
it and this behaviour not seen before.

4	YELLOW WAGTAIL
This bird at Hyena Dam looks like a Blue-headed (flava) Wagtail, but
the colouration of the head is much darker and bordering on grey. It
has the white supercilium of flava, but the throat is whitish and not
yellow. This is a male of the form dombrowski which comes from
Roumania, a few years ago we had a male spend several months but that
until now was the only record from NNP.

5	SPOTTED-FLANKED BARBETS
This pair was at the back of Hyena Dam and definite posers.

6	TURKESTAN SHRIKE
The only migrant shrikes today were three Turkestan; they used to be a
common sight with over a dozen or more in a day. Many small-minded,
pathetic Arabs who believe they are “macho” to have slaughtered the
birds ceaselessly when they are tired and land in their countries to
rest and feed, most of this is a sick sport for deranged people with
too much throw away income, and they are not for the table to feed
starving peasants. The heads of these nations should be ashamed for
not taking measures to stop, or at least control this senseless
murder.

7	EURASIAN ROLLER
Only two near Nagalomon Dam, but it’s better than none!

8	ELAND
We were riveted by this couple of Eland along the road alongside the
dry Kingfisher Swamp, the reason being is that they were plucking
leaves of Opuntia cactus and seemed to be relishing them spines and
all. It’s good to see something native is deriving a form of
sustenance from Opuntia vulgaris.

9	BLACK STORK
We don’t know whether we saw six up to fifteen Black Storks in the
Park today. This five at Rhino Circuit could be most of the six that
flew off Nagalomon in the morning but maybe not!

10	WATER THICK-KNEE
On 18th October 2018, I found a bird in under exactly the same bush as
this one at Athi Dam, during November this became two birds in
association, in early December they were absent, and now what it
certainly one of these same birds is back again in the SE corner of
Athi Dam.

11	HARTLAUB’S BUSTARD
This attractive male was on our way out of Athi Basin.	

12	WHITE-BELLIED BUSTARD
These three were not that far past the Hartlaub’s Bustard.

13	WHITE STORK
An abysmal showing of just three White Storks at Athi Dam, and
somewhere birds seem to be getting covered in oil like this
individual.

14	SPUR-WINGED PLOVER
Up in the NE corner of Athi Dam was an extraordinary congregation of
Spur-wings, this is most of a gathering of 33 birds, we were not the
only visitors surprised to see so many as there was already a Lion
there counting them. On the sandy spit opposite was another fifteen
and other individuals scattered in various parts of the Dam putting
the total here well past 50 individuals. The largest number ever
recorded before has been fifteen. So where have they all come from and
why?