Hi Chege,
This is all very interesting, was it at Bulisa you found the Starling
and Masked Larks. The Starlings there are the closest I know to
Marsabit,
Best for now
Brian

On 11/9/19, 'chege wa kariuki' chege@birdwatchingeastafrica.com
[kenyabirdsnet] <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
> Dear all
>
> Greetings hoping this finds you all well.
>
> This morning, Edwin Gichohi, two British birders (Chris and Denise Lamsdell)
> and I while birding north of Marsabit came across an individual Masked Lark
> carrying food. We tried to follow but never got a clue where the nest was.
> Not far later an individual took off about 2mtr from my foot and there was a
> nest with two eggs. About 3cm deep and 3 wide (internally) attached is the
> foto of the nest.
>
>
>
> Then later during the day while photographing Bristle-crowned Starlings
> feeding together with White-crowned Starling realized one wasn’t super
> active like the others and never flew away while others did. I checked just
> to find the immature bird was full of ticks only on the head. I extracted
> about two dozens of ticks and there were quite a lot of tiny ones that my
> fat fingers would not remove. Never seen a bird before infested by the large
> “cow” tick. And the bird looked petty weak.
>
>
>
> Other nesting records includes last year in Nov an Abbort’s Starling nesting
> on the same tree with Silvery-cheeked Hornbill in Castle Forest, 3 weeks ago
> while catching white-eyes for research work was another nest of
> Silvery-cheeked Hornbill in Castle Lodge and one seen along the road
> collecting mud and flying a different direction from the current nest
> meaning there must be another pair breeding.
>
> Many thanks and best regards
>
>
>
> chege
>
>
>
>
>
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> From: kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com <kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com> On
> Behalf Of Brian Finch birdfinch@gmail.com [kenyabirdsnet]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 5, 2019 7:15 PM
> To: kenyabirdsnet <kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com>
> Cc: birdfinch@gmail.com
> Subject: [KENYABIRDSNET] NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 4th NOVEMBER 2019 [4
> Attachments]
>
>
>
>
>
> 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 runawayst
> wishes
>
> chege
>
>
>
>
> 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.
>
>
>
>