NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 4th NOVEMBER 2019

Nigel Hunter picked me up from the house at 6.30am, it was going to be
a serious days bird-atlassing in Nairobi National Park, as we were
spending the day with Sidney Shema. It was also good to show him just
how good “Finch Pentad” really is, and how it really is the runaway
contender for the richest avian diversity for a 9 km sided square, on
the whole African continent. Before Nigel arrived I had recorded
Black-headed Oriole and Black-collared Apalis, two species we were
otherwise, not encountering today amongst the staggering 170 other
species we were to record just in that one Pentad. This morning (5th)
by 8.00am, in our paddock as well as the two species yesterday, I had
African Goshawk, Gymnogene, Barn Owl, our lost Golden-tailed
Woodpecker, the season’s first Blackcap, (which was the only
Palearctic apart from Eurasian Bee-eater and Barn Swallow),
Yellow-whiskered Greenbul, White-starred Robin and Parrot-billed
Sparrow and the most staggering of all the misses yesterday
Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove! I will take a few forays out during the
course of today to see if there are any more additions, as a few
common species are not revealing their presence.
Back to NNP, we covered all the accessible squares in the Park,
closing the days total for species inside the Park at 206. There were
no particularly unusual finds, but it was a very good day.

We met up with Sidney, at 6.45am and being a Monday there was no
queue, and after completing the formalities we had a walk around the
car-park before going in. Species in the car-park not recorded later
were Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Snowy Barbet, Green-backed Honeybird,
Brown-backed Woodpecker and Northern Double-collared Sunbird.

It was quiet driving down to Ivory Burning Site, and rather dull there
as well, but the Zanzibar Greenbuls were singing well and the seasons
first Black Stork flew by. Nagalomon Dam had a rise in water, and the
island appears to be getting smaller, there were only a couple of
immature Black-crowned Night-Herons, a black-billed Great Egret was
present also, ten African Darters of which a few appeared to be on
nests, an adult Fish Eagle was keeping watch and the only migrant
waders here were a couple of Black-winged Stilts, Green Sandpiper and
a Common Sandpiper. A possible Marsh Warbler crossed from the dense
scrub on one side of the road to equally dense cover on the other, but
not seen thereafter. White-rumped Swifts were flying around the
Mokoyeti bridge at the outlet to the dam, and by now, it was time to
take the back road to Hyena Dam.

We were finding a good number of birds along here, one flying eaglet
was at the Fish Eagles nest, one of just two Augur Buzzards, a
Red-faced Cisticola at the creek was important as it meant that we
finished the day with all ten Cisticola species, and this is the most
unreliable. There were male Red-collared Widowbirds in colour but with
brownish edgings to the wings, at the units the House Sparrows,
Village Indigobirds etc., were waiting for us, but also a Spotted
Flycatcher and the first Tree Pipit for the season. Just before
arriving at Hyena Dam we broke the news to Sidney that our tradition
was that we do not eat breakfast until we can leave Hyena Dam with 100
species recorded up to there, we left Hyena Dam with 115. The dam had
another Fish Eagle, eight Black-winged Stilts, a pair of Long-toed
Plovers, the seasons first Common Snipe, Greenshank, ten Wood, three
Green and two Common Sandpipers, a few Barn Swallows and a Sand Martin
resting amongst the numerous Plain Martins present, and finally three
Greater Blue-eared Starlings.

Taking the circuit along the Mokoyeti we picked up African Water Rail
at the oxbow, another Black Stork, a lone Marabou on the vlei, also
still present in the evening and it was the only one seen all day! The
first few of over a dozen Black-winged Kites seen today, the days only
Wire-tailed Swallow, a Nightingale flew off the side of the road near
the Mokoyeti Bridge and sat for a while in a bush, a seasonal first,
but no Nightingales were heard anywhere. Back at Nagalomon Dam was the
days first African Spoonbill.

We set off for Kingfisher Picnic Site, but detoured to drive through
the forest section just on top of the Kisembe plateau, in the forest
we found the first of three Tawny Eagles for the day, as well as
Narina Trogon, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Cabanis’ Greenbul, White-eyed
Slaty Flycatcher, Willow Warbler and Black-and-White Mannikin, all of
which were not encountered again. We also found a party of another
four Tree Pipits. As time was running away now we did not take the
road alongside the Kingfisher Swamp, added a few at the picnic site
but strangely not Red-throated Tit, and Banded but not Brown Parisoma!

As we passed the old burnt area there were a pair of Shelley’s
Francolins, and the season’s first Booted Eagle, a pale bird. Another
seasonal first was a young Isabelline Shrike with the only rufous
being the tail, and a second similar bird seen later near “The
Beacon.” On the road to Ololo we had a pair of Secretarybirds with one
on a nest atop a Balanites, a male Bateleur, a pair of White-bellied
Bustards, the seasons first Isabelline Wheatear and the only wheatear
of the day, a few Speckle-fronted and ten Grey-headed Social-Weavers.
Because it was 1 pm now, much later than we usually arrive at Ololo,
it was quiet but Brown Parisomas were noisy and so was a Greater
Honeyguide. Towards Leopard Cliffs were a few Eurasian Bee-eaters,

The late hour also meant no singing Pallid Honeyguide below Baboon
Cliffs although the Lesser in the same fig, was very vocal, and nearby
the young Martial Eagle was on its nest.
Climbing the hill away from the Mbagathi we had a lone Grey-headed
Silverbill, but more interestingly it was carrying nesting material
and although African Silverbill has nested in the Park, Grey-headed
has never suggested that it did though I suppose we should not be too
surprised. In the woodland above Hippo Pools we had the first Spotted
Thick-knee recorded at this site, a Long-billed Pipit and several more
Speckle-fronted Weavers, whilst along the river we found the season’s
first Steppe Eagle, and likewise first Red-backed Shrikes with two
adult males and a female, followed by the first Whinchat and another
three different birds seen around the dam near the Empakasi junction.
Whilst not following all of the Rhino Circuit because of recent
flooding we drove into the woodland as far as enough to find three
Red-throated Tits and Lesser Masked Weaver, and also entered Athi Dam
from the west side as the Pipeline road access would almost certainly
be treacherous. The water level was well up and only fragments of
margin, otherwise the water was in the vegetation. Species found
included four White-faced Whistling-Ducks, a couple of Yellow-billed
Storks were the only Storks present, a couple of African Spoonbills
and Black-crowned Night-Herons, a Striated Heron, Great Egret, a
drinking Secretarybird, adult Fish Eagle, Lappet-faced Vulture, four
Water and one Spotted Thick-knee, only four Black-winged Stilts, a
Marsh Sandpiper, three Greenshanks, two Little Stints and three Ruffs,
and the best bird being an adult Whiskered Tern. Banded Parisoma and
Lesser Masked Weavers were in the mellifera stands.

On the return which was rather hurried as we were getting late, a
Little Grebe on the Vulture Drinking Pools and a couple of Banded
Martins over the adjacent grassland, on flooded ground near “The
Beacon” were pairs of Yellow-billed Duck and Red-billed Teal, another
Shelley’s Francolin, and in another flooded area, an adult Martial
Eagle standing in water where the only prey could have been frogs!
Also a pair of Pangani Longclaws in the grasslands, at Karen PS Dam
another White-faced Whistling Duck, a male Pallid Harrier and
Rosy-breasted Longclaw when almost back to the Hyena Dam run-off where
there was a superb sight of three adult and one immature Black Storks
by the road. The first pair of Grey Crowned Cranes at last made
appearance with another pair on the way to Langata Gate, and for the
up to now missing Black Crake today we stopped back at the Oxbow along
the upper Mokoyeti, and called one out with the App!!!
It was fairly uneventful on the way to Langata Gate where we exited at 5.50pm.

Some muddy sections had not dried out after the rains last week, and
could be hazardous.

Mammals were widespread with no major concentrations, apart from Athi
Basin and adjacent river.

The Gladiolus that used to be ukambensis is having a major flowering
whilst altogether the flowers are not very impressive in spite of the
heavy rains.

Best to all
Brian


KEY TO MONTAGE

1	YELLOW-BILLED DUCK
Only one pair seen, but unusual to have them at nearly eye-level. An
underrated attractive duck.

2	COMMON WAXBILL
Very common, but the pattern in breeding is very intricate and not
often appreciated.

3	BOOTED EAGLE
Small numbers winter locally, and this is the first to arrive back in
NNP this season.

4	ISABELLINE SHRIKE
Two red-tailed shrike types were seen today and in both the patterns
were similar.  The only rufous on the bird is the tail, and the bird
is quite attractively marked.

5	BLACK STORK
These four were together where the stream that crosses the Hyena Dam
run-off crosses the road.

6	WATER THICK-KNEE
This is three of the four seen at Athi Dam.