Nairobi National Park

To complement yesterday all of the birding was from the Main Entrance
keeping to the east and south. This is still the more interesting area
to visit at present.
I met up with Patrick Lhoir and his son Johann at the Main Entrance at
6.30am, and we proceeded to Ivory Burning Site. There was a Suni on
the way.
There was a good variety of migrants but no numbers, a single Tree
Pipit, two Spotted Flycatchers (about eight today), one growl from a
Nightingale was the only indication of the species continued presence,
one Marsh, two Olivaceous, two Garden, a Barred and four Willow
Warblers, and three Whitethroat. Also there were ten Eurasian
Bee-eaters, and a Nairobi Pipit flew over singing and disappeared in
the direction of the Army Camp, a Giant Kingfisher called from
Nagalomon Dam.
On the back road there were two more Spotted Flycatchers, Willow
Warblers and Whitethroat, the African Water Rail was on the small
swamp, and the first of a dozen Red-tailed (of both forms) and an
attractive nominate male Red-backed Shrike. There was nothing at Hyena
Dam, but on the run-of were the pair of Saddle-billed Storks and the
usual Rosy-breasted Longclaws, interestingly along the Mokoyiet was
the first Black-winged Kite since the drought ended. On the inside
road towards Karen Primary School Dam we found a female Western Marsh
Harrier, a Hartlaub’s Bustard displaying, and amongst the Cattle
Egrets was one with a bright red-bill and orange-yellow tip, red
facial skin with bright purple-lilac patch below eye which was red.
The legs were all carmine-red, but the only buff was a very small
patch on the crown which was completely crestless. I have never seen a
Cattle Egret as colourful as this before, I wonder how long it lasts.
Also there we found the only Whinchat of the day, several singing
White-tailed Larks were only a part of the chorus of large numbers of
grassland species, numerous Pectoral-patch with plenty of Desert and a
few Zitting Cisticolas, (and Stout and Winding of course), all three
Longclaws, innumerable Rufous-naped Larks and Grassland Pipits. At the
dam were an adult Black Stork with pale pink legs, and a male
Yellow-crowned Bishop, finally a pair of Blacksmith Plovers had two
chicks. Continuing along to Athi Basin we had a male Kori followed by
the female and the fast growing chick, the only Eurasian Roller of the
day and a dozen Chestnut Weavers all in non-breeding dress. Last week
there were over three-hundred Wattled Starling and flock after flock
of Speke’s Weavers, today there were only five Wattled Starlings seen,
and the weavers have vanished from the south of the Park. Entering the
basin there was a female Northern Wheatear, the first returning Lesser
Grey Shrike, a nice adult but only pinkish on the flanks, eighteen
Lesser Kestrels, incredibly yet another Red-and-Yellow Barbet (that’s
the fourth time already this year), some very obliging Long-billed
Pipits, hordes more Cisticolas including a few noisy Croaking, and
even though the area is quite open, clusters of bushes manage to
support Siffling. As we descended to Athi Dam we could see that there
had been a great transformation. The huge rain than had dropped on
Muthaiga (I heard 6 inches), also fell in the dams catchment and the
dam is back and healthy. The grassy-topped island is an island again,
the whole basin is under and this might only be the start of the long
rains! Birds have trickled back in, there was a Little Grebe already,
but the poor Black-crowned Night-Herons on the causeway have lost much
of their roosting area, and there was only one adult, there was a
Great Egret in breeding dress; all black legs and bill, whilst the
facial skin was blue-green not yellow contrary to Stevenson &
Fanshawe. Otherwise an immature Black Stork paid a visit but did not
stop, with the ten African Spoonbills were two Glossy Ibis, sixteen
White-faced Whistling Ducks and two Red-billed Teal were the only
waterfowl apart from pairs of Egyptian Geese one of which had a tribe
of goslings. There was an immature and two adult Fish Eagles, under a
bush by the causeway an immature Spotted Thicknee. I used to see these
on most visits to the Park in many different locations, they then
mysteriously vanished and this is my first in the Park for over three
years. Of the usual waders, there were three Black-winged Stilt, no
less than five Spur-winged Plovers (which is the largest number to
date), the Kittlitz’s Plovers (one pair with a large chick) had been
joined by a couple of Ringed Plovers, other migrants were poor with
just eight Little Stints, one each of Wood and Common Sandpiper and
two Greenshank. Towards the “Orange” Tower there were a pair of
Temminck’s Coursers, a happily solitary singing Athi Short-toed Lark,
the only Isabelline Wheatear of the day and a second Lesser Grey
Shrike, this bird still having a grey cap and forehead. At the tower a
pair of Lanners looked very comfortable, the days only Common Buzzard
flew over, the highlight here was flushing, relocating and getting
some very nice images of a female Plain Nightjar. This is the third
time I have seen them in the Park, all late March but the other two
were both road-kills. Migrants consisted of a two each of Olivaceous
and Willow Warblers, two Whitethroat and three Spotted Flycatchers and
one Sand Martin flying by with Barn Swallows.
On checking the dry scrub near Cheetah Gate there was an African
Hoopoe, couple of Tree Pipits, two Spotted Flycatcher, three
Olivaceous and Willow Warblers, a Whitethroat and two Marico Sunbirds.
I heard something familiar that should not have been in the area, we
tracked it down and secured photographic evidence of Nairobi NP’s and
the whole Nairobi districts first ever record of Bare-eyed Thrush!!!
It even started to sing whilst we were there. Another wanderer from
the dry, there have been so many since the start of the drought. Rhino
Circuit was very wet and treacherous, there were some Eurasian Golden
Oriole noises from down the healthier looking river, but with so many
mimics pouring forth we could not be sure. At Hippo Pools the place
was so green and attractive there was a Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl calling
all the time we were there, but it was only on leaving that Johann’s
sharp eyes located it in a tree on the other side of the river from
the car-park. Other nice birds were no less than seven African Hoopoes
in a flock, a male Von der Decken’s Hornbill, another Tree Pipit, two
more Spotted Flycatchers and a similar number of Olivaceous and Garden
Warblers, three Willow Warblers but no sign of last weeks bird,
Red-faced Cisticola still here, three Eurasian Golden Orioles with
some stunning males, five Speckle-fronted Weavers, two male and a
female Village Indigobird and plenty of White-winged Widowbirds along
the river.
On the drive back out of the Park, the only bird of interest was a
male koblyni Red-backed Shrike whose entire back was greyish with the
rufous only along the edge of the wings, and the edges of the
secondaries. The tail was black, a very strange individual.
Birds once again exceptional, mammals in large numbers in Athi Basin,
movement of Zebra back into Park. Better species were White
Rhinoceros, Hippos in Nagalomon Dam, two at Hippo Pools and the
strangest site of one running through the grassland above Leopard
Gorge, the Suni already mentioned and seven Mountain Reedbuck in a
valley before the more usual site.
Some species of migrants have already left us, but the variety is
still good. There was a reasonalble Barn Swallow passage all day
mainly to the east, whilst Quailfinch were fairly common in the
grasslands and we saw nest material being collected again.

An average day in Nairobi National Park is an extremely good days bird
and mammal viewing, today was above average. Having not been in the
park for over five weeks, it was good to spend an entire day in the
confines, although there were not enough daylight hours to cover it
all. I was at Main Gate at 6:20am and there were already tourist
vehicles ahead of me.
My first call was Ivory Burning Site, some half-a-dozen Nightingales
were exuberant in their welcoming of the new day, and a Spotted
Flycatcher was busy looking for insects. Warblers were skulking in the
bushes, but as the dawn light intensified and took the chill off the
air, were more obliging. There were single Whitethroat, Garden Warbler
and a female Blackcap, the distinctive ratchet-like churr led me to
two handsome Barred Warblers and there were a couple of Olivaceous
Warbers. Along the back road were a Jacobin Cuckoo, another
Nightingale and another couple of Barred Warblers. The back of Hyena
Dam had the only Wood Sandpiper of the day, as well as the only
Red-backed Shrike and the first of eight Red-tailed Shrikes. There
were large numbers of Barn Swallows feeding over the grasslands but
apart from parties of Red-collared Widowbirds there was nothing at all
at the dam. The Hyena Dam run-off revealed a handsome pair of
Saddle-billed Storks (maybe winter breeding soon), a Squacco Heron, a
few Rosy-breasted Longclaws, a couple of very handsome Whinchats, a
male Yellow-crowned Bishop displaying to a single female and a number
of plumaged Jackson’s Widowbirds. Along the back road to Karen Primary
School Dam were some thirty Lesser Kestrels, a Pallid Harrier, Steppe
Eagle, a few singing White-tailed Larks, the first of six Isabelline
and first of four Pied Wheatears and a scattering of Quailfinch. The
dam was as sterile as Hyena Dam, though very full. Continuing on to
the Athi Basin was rather uneventful, a quick look at Empakasi Dam
showed that it was full, but as far as birds were concerned, empty!
The approach track to Athi Dam gave up a Hartlaub’s Bustard (the only
bustard all day), a few Athi Short-toed Larks, and the dam itself had
improved in water area, but still very low, the islands still being
joined to the mainland. The waterbirds were a disappointment, a single
adult Pink-backed Pelican, two roosting adult and one immature
Black-crowned Night-Heron, an adult migrant Black Kite dropped in to
slake its thirst, whilst the waders had dropped to a meagre three
Black-winged Stilts, a pair of Spur-winged Plovers, an impressive
group of forty Kittlitz’s Plovers, a dozen Little Stints still in
winter dress, as were two Greenshank and three Ruff. A dazzling lutea
Yellow Wagtail brightened up the assemblage. At the end of the
causeway was a Temminck’s Courser with a chick, and before arriving
out on the Cheetah Gate road another pair of coursers with a juvenile.
Also there was a Capped Wheatear on the plains. It was lunch time now,
and I stopped for a snack at the “Orange” Tower. On arriving I heard
an Icterine Warbler, and after a while tracked down this bright yellow
gem in the profuse flowering Acacia mellifera which are putting on a
fine show at present. This is the first Icterine in the Park for some
seven years or so. The only other bird here of any note was an
Olivaceous Warbler. Just before arriving at the Cement Factory I
spotted a Red-and-Yellow Barbet in another mellifera, and whilst
watching it could see tail wagging frantically, deeper inside. The
bird was the most dish-washing Upcher’s Warbler I had seen, and came
briefly to the edge swinging its rear end wildly before fading back
into the depths. I continued on towards Cheetah Gate checking out the
roadside thickets, there was an African Hoopoe, and I was videoing an
eclipse Marico Sunbird when I heard a rasp “tlllllt” like an
Acrocephalus but lasting a little longer. I spished frantically (I had
done a lot of very rewarding “spishing” today), and an Olive Tree
Warbler hopped into view. That was all four Hippolais warblers in a
few hundred metres! This is the first time that I have heard any call
that could be called specifically distinctive from this species,
(other than the song of course). Further spishing showed that
Olivaceous Warblers were in the area in numbers, many silent. The only
other migrant was another Spotted Flycatcher. Checking the Rhino
Circuit would have been little return were it not for a male Paradise
Whydah. This is only my second in the Park, the last being more than
ten years ago. Also there was a young Red-chested Cuckoo with all
charcoal hood and chest, and widely spaced barring, the only Fish
Eagle of the day was here as were a couple of Tree Pipits. Heading
towards the Hippo Pools there were a Long-crested Eagle, a flattened
male Dusky Nightjar on the road and the second Whitethroat of the day.
At the Hippo Pools was the days only Common Sandpiper, and a couple of
Rufous-tailed (Eurasian) Rock Thrush, another Nightingale and Spotted
Flycatcher, a Eurasian Reed Warbler singing and feeding along the
margins, more Olivaceous Warblers and at last a few Willow Warblers,
and a Red-faced Cisticola was singing announcing it was still residing
here. I crossed the bridge and meandered along the river on the other
side as far as being opposite the car-park. This side has thick scrub,
and a growth of young acacias on a sea of verdant grass. This opens up
into more open meadows. The area turned out to be far more interesting
and revealed a whole host of species, the more noteworthy being a pair
of African Hoopoes with two young, the first of four Northern
Wheatears, three Wattled Starlings, five Speckle-fronted Weavers,
numbers of nesting Vitelline Masked Weavers, a couple of Village
Indigobirds, but pride of place went to an adult male Straw-tailed
Whydah. Only my second in the Park the last being seven years ago.
Three Whydah species in one day in Nairobi National Park, who would
ever have thought it? Interestingly the only White-winged Widowbirds
seen all day were along the river where there were many territories.
Continuing on to the end of the main track I was rewarded by a
Finfoot. It was late afternoon now and time to head back to the north,
there was an immature Black Stork flying over near Baboon Cliffs and a
Common Kestrel near Leopard Cliffs. Kingfisher Picnic Site was full
and on a Friday evening, so I did not call in and went to the nearby
swamp. There was a Crowned Crane with two chicks and two separate
Black Crakes each with a chick in tow, a couple of Black-winged
Plovers, the only Banded Martin of the day, three Whinchat and a Sedge
Warbler making the eleventh palearctic warbler of the day! A party of
twenty-two Long-tailed Cormorants flew over to a roost site, but it
was not Nagalomon Dam as there was nothing at all here. As a point,
Long-tailed Cormorant is a solitary animal when feeding. How do
twenty-two get into a flock. Does a bird fly off then as it passes
over a swamp picks up another then another at another location en
route, and so on until a flock forms, like an avian bus-service? !!! At
the Kisembe Forest Edge Dam there was a Crowned Crane on a nest,
sharing the dam with a Hippo, my first ever in Langata! Langata Dam
had another incubating Crowned Crane, and the only Little Grebe of the
day was here.
So I exited the gate having had a very full and very exciting days
birding, once again in our own back-yard!
Mammal wise, in the Hyena Basin area it was almost all Kongoni,
however the Athi Basin had a great variety and numbers, there were
four White Rhino at Empakasi Dam, and the aforementioned Hippo on
Kisembe Forest Edge Dam. Kingfisher area also had a nice selection of
plains game as did the plains below Impala Lookout, and on leaving
Lions chorused from somewhere along the Kisembe River.

I had my first bird-outing for 2010, and visited Nairobi National Park
on 6th January arriving at 6-20am. It had been dry for the past few
days, although since I had been there last, there had been good rain.
There was nothing in the car-park and I went straight to Ivory Burning
Site seeing nothing en route.
At this time of year, most migrants encountered should be on their
wintering grounds, and not continuing further south although there
probably is still light passage. There were over half-dozen
Nightingales, the only Spotted Flycatcher of the day, two Garden,
single Upcher’s and Marsh Warblers and that was it. Along the back
road where the acacia forms a canopy, there were three each Blackcaps
and Garden Warblers, singleWhitethroat, Eurasian Reed Warbler and
Willow Warblers, and two more Nightingales. Scaly Francolins called
from the scrub and a few Blue-naped Mousebirds fed amongst the acacia
blossom. On the track into Hyena Dam there were an adult Fish Eagle,
the first of five Whinchats and first of six Red-tailed Shrikes all in
the north of the Park. There was nothing at all at the dam, and on the
run-off a female Eurasian Marsh Harrier, two Steppe Eagles, several
Rosy-breasted Longclaws in both good voice and plumage, six breeding
plumaged male Yellow-crowned Bishops, and a few Jackson’s Widowbirds.
From here to Nagalomon Dam there was a single Parasitic Weaver. At the
dam there were a single adult Great Cormorant, four Green Sandpipers
and a Swamphen calling from the bulrushes. Olmanyi Dam was very full
and a pair of Little Grebes have taken residence, the acacias at the
back of the dam were in heavy leaf and had an abundance of flowers,
White-bellied Go-Away Birds, Black-headed Oriole and Willow Warbler
could be heard calling from inside the dense cover but were never
seen. Circling around towards Kingfisher, a Hartlaub’s Bustard was
giving a terrestrial display, a female Montagu’s Harrier was
quartering the plains, the small swamp now has a male Saddle-billed
Stork (but no sign of the female!), and there was a Red-chested
Flufftail calling from the marsh. Ten Eurasian Bee-eaters were in the
trees. The first of ten Northern Wheatears was seen, these were
distributed over much of the Park, the first of twenty-five Isabelline
Wheatears, all of the remainder only being between Athi Basin and
Hyena Dam apart from a rather out-of-place individual at the Forest
edge dam towards Langata Gate. The first of five Pied Wheatears, all
males but for one. There were a couple each of Quailfinch and
Grey-headed Silverbills. Nothing rewarded a stop at Kingfisher, and
the drive along the south road towards Athi Basin provided an immature
African Hawk-Eagle, the first of only two Lesser Kestrels and a young
Eurasian Roller. Athi Dam had not received a level increase, and
looked even lower than when I saw it just after Christmas. The
widespread inundations elsewhere have obviously proven more attractive
and the variety was disappointing. There was an immature Pink-backed
Pelican, a couple of Red-billed Teal, a Fish Eagle calling somewhere,
a single Spur-winged Plover but 25 Kittlitz’s Plovers including one
with a day-old chick, just two Black-winged Stilts, 35 Little Stints,
five Ruff, four Marsh, three Common and one Wood Sandpipers, two
Greenshank, and three adult Black-crowned Night-Herons were roosting
in their usual place. On driving out towards Cheetah Gate, the plains
were arid and birdless (apart from an unusual abundance of Crowned
Plovers), but there was the first Capped Wheatear I have seen in the
Park for a couple of years. (Strange date). Near the gate were one
each of African and Eurasian Hoopoes, eight Speckle-fronted Weavers
and a female House Sparrow. At the “Orange” mast was the only Eurasian
Rock Thrush of the day. There was little on the return, a male Pallid
Harrier was scattering Red-capped Larks and Grassland Pipits, and the
very extensive and attractive short-grass plains festooned with game,
had two male Kori Bustards ostentatiously parading themselves. Near
the Langata gate both forest edge dams are full, there was the only
Common Buzzard of the day, the latter still dam is still attractive to
a pair of Crowned Cranes, but their island nearly under water. There
were four other pairs of cranes seen today, all on potential nest
sites.
Amazingly not a single Barn Swallow was seen!
Mammals were mainly concentrated on the short grass plains beyond the
“Beacon” and extending to Athi Basin. There were scattered groups but
this was the major concentration. The numerous game that has
frequented Hyena Dam has all moved out apart from a couple of Kongoni.
More interesting mammals today were a Steinbok in Athi Basin, six
Mountain Reedbuck including a young animal in their usual place, a
Hippo feeding in the grassland around Nagalomon Dam in the evening,
and five White Rhinos including the new calf. For the first time in
the past seven visits I failed to see any Lions. There were no mammals
recorded that were not native.
A good start to the New Year, though nothing too unexpected

Mike Davidson kindly conducted Heather Elkin, Karen Plumbe and myself
around Nairobi National Park on 25th November 2009.
We met at 6-30am at the Main Entrance, there had been light rain, and
this continued as we drove down to the Ivory Burning Site but soon
cleared up for the remainder of the day which for much of the time was
overcast.
At Ivory Burning Site there were a few migrants, but the hoped for
fall didn’t eventuate and the migrant presence was rather poor. There
were a few Eurasian Bee-eaters calling somewhere, many Nightingales
and one Sprosser in the bushes, several Willow Warblers, a Garden
Warbler, the first of three Spotted Flycatchers met with today, a Tree
Pipit and a trio of Northern Hobbies in the area.
Along the back road, a Croaking Cisticola was a surprise in this part
of the Park, a few more Nightingales, a Marsh Warbler and a Black
Rhino with a calf suddenly appeared before us and gave us a mock
charge with considerable snorting. We lost our concentration on a
small group of birds that were mobbing something cheer-led by a
Moustached Warbler! At Hyena Dam there were a Spur-winged Goose, two
Common Kestrels, a couple of Eurasian Marsh Harriers and a flock of
Jackson’s Widowbirds. On the circuit through the run-off and back
round to Hyena Dam we found a Squacco Heron, two Great Egrets, a Fish
Eagle, two males and a female-type Pallid Harriers, a couple of Common
Buzzards, a pair of displaying Kori Bustards, a couple of Common Snipe
dropped into cover, at least eight Rosy-breasted Longclaws (and others
elsewhere), five Whinchats, the first of only three Red-tailed Shrikes
all day, and a couple of Parasitic Weavers. We passed birdless
Nagalomon and Olmanyi Dams across to Kingfisher Picnic Site. In this
area we had a pair of Eurasian Rollers, the first of eight Isabelline,
first of five Northern and first of four Pied Wheatears. At the site
a very attractive pale-phase Booted Eagle came over low, and disturbed
some Black-winged Plovers that we did not see. The female
Saddle-billed Stork was at the neighbouring swamp and a Green
Sandpiper. Driving around to Hippo Pools area, we had an adult
Black-chested Snake-Eagle, then we stopped at the ford below Baboon
Cliffs to look for the Finfoot that we did not find, but there was a
single Mountain Wagtail and a Nightingale. Whilst we waited the Parks
third record of Grey-olive Greenbul appeared and started displaying
with wing and body shivering in a horizontal pose, there was one
calling somewhere above the car, so the bird was not alone. Athi Dam
was low but we had an immature White Pelican, only one adult
Black-crowned Night-Heron, a dozen White-faced Whistling-Ducks, a pair
of Red-billed Teal, three Hottentot Teal, six Northern Shoveler, the
same five Avocet and Black-winged Stilt, on Spur-winged and fifteen
Kittlitz’s Plovers, fifteen Little Stint, one Ruff, ten Marsh and
three Common Sandpipers, three Greenshank and a Fish Eagle.
At Hippo Pools the first bird we looked at was a bird I had never seen
in the Park before, although it is found almost all around Nairobi, a
Green Wood-Hoopoe was feeding on a trunk and the shiny green back was
very obvious. Then, only thirty metres away a pair of Violet
Wood-hoopoes were feeding young in a nest in a dead tree! There were
single Greenshank, Green and Common Sandpipers along the river, a
number of Nightingales, a few Willow Warblers and a singing Red-faced
Cisticola. On the drive back there was a Long-billed Pipit on the Athi
Basin ridge, and in short grass there were a pair of Temminck’s
Coursers and a Hartlaub’s Bustard near the “Beacon.” There were a few
Barn Swallows but only in the northern parts.
The more interesting mammals were five Black and eight White
Rhinoceros, five Mountain Reedbuck, a Side-striped Ground-Squirrel
below Baboon Cliffs and an Egyptian Mongoose near Hyena Dam run-off.
There were plenty of plains game all through the Park and about fifty
cows were in the Athi basin.
We were through the gate at 4-15pm having had a great day

After an absence of six weeks, I was looking forward to getting back
into Nairobi National Park, when a visit was suggested by Rupert
Watson the previous evening.
There had been much bad news relating to the invasion of the Maasai
and their cattle on the net of late, and the indifference of KWS. We
spent the whole of Friday 13th November in the Park, and this is what
we found.
Wild mammals were in very impressive numbers scattered in large
concentrations in various corners of the Park but the numbers coming
in to drink at Karen Primary School Dam was most impressive. The north
is grassy and attractive, but parts of the southern parts still arid
and very bare though some new grass shoots are appearing. In spite of
the greenery many dams are dry, Forest Edge, Empakasi and Langata have
all but gone with just damp mud remaining.
We saw cattle only in the south-east and all day no more than forty
were seen, whilst dead cattle were at least three times this. Of the
native mammals, the only mortality was a Giraffe near Kingfisher, and
this could have been weeks old, and totally unrelated to any drought
problems. It would appear that KWS may have been pushing the herds
out, or that the people have recognised a futility of incursion as the
cattle are not able to survive the drought anyway, contrary to the
endemic plains game. It’s still a fantastic destination… do not be put
off by anything you may hear.

We arrived about 6:40am and made for the Ivory Burning Site. Here we
found a few migrants, one of the Upcher’s Warblers is back in it’s
Acacia gerardii already, and will probably stay there for the next six
months, and a Tree Pipit flew over calling. There were two
Nightingales, but no sign of Willow Warblers or Spotted Flycatchers. A
Giant Kingfisher was calling on Nagalomon dam, and an African
Firefinch feeding under the scrub.
From here we drove along the road to the back of Hyena Dam, and found
an Eurasian Hobby, Red-backed Shrike (the first of three seen today),
and a Red-tailed Shrike (the first of eight), non-palearctics
consisted of a Rufous-crowned Roller, and a noisy Nairobi Pipit
singing from the roof of the Pump House. At Hyena Dam there has been a
remarkable die back of Typha resulting in some superb looking habitat
and total visibility of the open water. The die off seems natural, and
the same situation showed at other clumps in the Park. Possibly all of
the reeds were of the same age, and have run their course. We saw an
Eurasian Marsh Harrier, two Green Sandpipers ( many of both Green and
Common Sandpipers were seen in many parts of the Park), a few Barn
Swallows (only five all day) and an African Jacana with a
Rosy-breasted Longclaw singing in the adjacent grassland where there
were mixed Yellow-billed and Black Kites.
Taking the run-off we found two each of Great and Yellow-billed
Egrets, sixteen Common Snipe, two Whinchats (the first of four seen),
a male Pallid and two Montagu’s Harriers, additionally on the back
road into Karen Primary School Dam, a displaying Kori Bustard, the
first of ten Isabelline and first of three Northern Wheatears. At the
dam were single Greenshank and Green Sandpiper. Two female flava
Yellow Wagtails trailed the mammals.
Nothing additional was seen on the way to Empakasi Dam where we found
an adult male Pied Wheatear. There is still water in Athi Dam and
this was proving attractive to waterside species. As in the previous
two seasons Pied Avocets have arrived, there were seven present. The
possibility of these regular visitors being palearctic migrants cannot
be ruled out. There were also eight Black-winged Stilts and a
Spur-winged Plover. Palearctic waders consisted of two Greenshank,
seven Marsh, three Common Sandpipers and ten Little Stints. Ducks were
very low but nine Northern Shovelers were present. Other species were
an Eurasian Marsh Harrier and six Yellow-throated Sandgrouse. Along
the river on the Rhino Circuit was the only Spotted Flycatcher of the
day.
Next came the Hippo Pools walk, personally I have nearly always come
away from here disappointed. Not this time though! There was a nice
pair of Finfoots (feet?) on the river. There was a male Blue-capped
Cordon-bleu in low scrub along the river and whilst pointing this out
to Rupert I saw another movement and on checking this found that it
was an African Penduline-Tit. My first in the Park, but there is a
historical Van Someren record from about forty years ago. A pair of
adult Fish Eagles were in the figs, one barely adult having a flew
black splotches on the breast. Two Violet Woodhoopoes might already be
planning on another family, a male Namaqua Dove flew over as did
Eurasian Bee-eaters. There were two Nightingales, a single Sprosser
and the only Willow Warbler of the day. On the return we bumped into
the tame solitary African Penduline-tit again, and had a very noisy
pair of Red-faced Cisticolas.
It was quiet and hot across the southern parts towards Kingfisher
Picnic Site. Near here we found an adult Black Stork, and adult
blackish Steppe Eagle, more wheatears and shrikes, and on the small
swamp near the site which is another place that usually rewards nada
were a female Saddle-billed Stork which we watched catch many
Louisiana Crayfish and swallow them whole. I had no idea that they
(crayfish) were in the Park, two Yellow-billed Ducks shared the swamp
margins with seven Wood Sandpipers, whilst a female type Eurasian
Rock-Thrush bounded on the boulders. There is a new track alongside
the small swamp and well worth a look, we found a Lion hiding in the
reeds there.
We left at 4-30pm not visiting the Nagalomon or Olmanyi Dams or the forest.

We had a superb time, and were most relieved to see the major
reduction in the incursion of domestic livestock.

 This report from Brian Finch on 13th September

Less than a few hundred metres from the entrance gate, a stocky
antelope walked out of the forest and walked slowly across the road
seemingly oblivious of me. I immediately recognised the animal as a
Red Duiker, all reddish, unmarked, a huge rounded backside and small
neckless head. The rump was a richer reddish-chestnut than the body. I
have certainly never encountered the species in the Park, and I have
never heard of a sighting in the Park. At home I checked up in
Williams, National Parks book, and there was no record listed in there
for Nairobi National Park. Has anyone even seen or heard of a record
from here? It would seem unlikely that KWS would have included this
species in their introductions scheme.

Meanwhile, yesterday (September 22nd) Paula Kahumbu spotted a lone cheetah, which she judged to be a female, near Masai Gate……but what happened to her cub?

After not visiting Nairobi National Park since 28th August, when for
the only time this year, I described the visit as the doldrums period,
today 13th September I spent the day in the Park and found that the
doldrums were very much over.

I was through the Main Gate just after 6-30am, the initial cloud cover
soon burnt off and the day was bright, sunny and warm more like the
weather that we would expect in September. Although there was a
negligible evening shower two days before, there was absolutely no
sign that this had happened and the roads were very dusty.

Less than a few hundred metres from the entrance gate, a stocky
antelope walked out of the forest and walked slowly across the road
seemingly oblivious of me. I immediately recognised the animal as a
Red Duiker, all reddish, unmarked, a huge rounded backside and small
neckless head. The rump was a richer reddish-chestnut than the body. I
have certainly never encountered the species in the Park, and I have
never heard of a sighting in the Park. At home I checked up in
Williams, National Parks book, and there was no record listed in there
for Nairobi National Park. Has anyone even seen or heard of a record
from here? It would seem unlikely that KWS would have included this
species in their introductions scheme.

I stayed at the Ivory Burning Site for a while, there were quite a few
mammals including a Black Rhino. There was a single female
Violet-backed Starling, and speeding over the top of the short grass
was an African Hobby which disappeared gaining height towards Nairobi.
An African Hoopoe was the first in the Park for some time. There were
a pair of Giant Kingfishers displaying over Nagalomon Dam, and a noisy
Zanzibar Sombre Greenbul singing from the other side of the lake.
Along the road towards Splash there were a pair of Scaly Francolins
feeding on the road, and African Firefinch was singing from the scrub.
Along the creek feeding Hyena Dam were an African Water Rail, a couple
each of Green and Wood Sandpipers, and an extremely early flava-type
adult female Yellow Wagtail, certainly the earliest I have ever seen
the species in Kenya. There were about three more African Water Rails
calling on Hyena Dam, but apart from that only the small Great Egret
was of any interest, apart from a White Rhino.
The run-off was much quieter than recently, a black Gabar Goshawk
agitated the, over two-hundred Wattled Starlings that were in a dense
flock crowning the canopies of acacias, a single Namaqua Dove, a
couple of White-tailed Larks and the only Barn Swallow of the day.
Taking the inside road to Karen Primary School Dam, the juvenileTawny
Eagle was trying out its wings by flapping on the nest, there were
twenty of so Athi Short-toed Larks, and at the dam small numbers of
White-winged Widowbirds and Red-billed Queleas, but no sign of
Yellow-crowned Bishop all day, they all seem to have left.
Just past the Beacon there were more Athi Short-toed Larks and five
African Silverbills. There was a Steinbok above the Athi basin. Athi
Dam was most disappointing, there was an impressive thousand or so
Marabou Storks, but not much else. A single Yellow-throated
Sandgrouse, three Black-crowned Night-Herons, eight Black-winged
Stilts, two Spur-winged and four Kittlitz’s Plovers, palearctic waders
just three Little Stints and four Common Sandpipers. On the exit road
south of the dam there were some seventy Athi Short-toed Larks is full
song, and another Black Rhino. On the Mbagathi bridge below Baboon
Cliffs there were a pair of Pygmy Kingfishers, a pair of Violet
Woodhopoes were the first time I have seen them west of Hippo Pools,
and a Side-striped Ground-Squirrel. Near the turn-off to Maasai Gate I
stopped for three Golden-breasted Buntings in an isolated acacia in a
dry area, and on doing so heard the full song of Blue-capped
Cordon-bleu. I waited to see if the bird would show itself, but it
stayed in cover. I “spished” and the bird came straight out and posed
on a branch getting itself digitised in the process. This was the
first ever record of Blue-capped Cordon-bleu for Nairobi Park, and a
stunning adult male. Nearby was a single Black-headed Oriole, a
species that is inexplicably scarce in the Park even though a common
enough resident in local gardens. Towards Kingfisher Picnic Site at
(29), there were five more African Silverbills with ten Zebra
Waxbills. Olmanyi Dam had a single Greenshank but nothing much else
apart from a couple of passing Mottled Swifts. Retracing the Hyena Dam
run-off there was a male Saddle-billed Stork, but the Whinchat seems
to have left its small territory. Nagalomon Dam had a smart trio of
Darters on the roosting tree, and both Kisembe Forest Edge Dam and
Langata Dams had Green Sandpipers. The last named had a young juvenile
Bateleur hopefully the progeny of the only pair in the Park.
Vultures were still in good numbers, still unable to keep up with the
dead cattle in the area. There were seven widely distributed
Lilac-breasted Rollers seen today, Quailfinch have plummeted from
being the commonest bird in the Park to a mere handful, in fact today
there were more Zebra Waxbill seen.

Wild animals were plentiful, apart from the highlight species, good
numbers of Zebra and especially Wildebeest, Bohor Reedbuck in three
locations and several Bushbuck. Many new mammal excavations in
roadside banks today. Cattle still in numbers in the south of the
Park, but far more calves than cows and over fifty dead seen.

The Park is now entering an interesting time of year with the imminent
arrival of northern migrants, the mammals are so spectacular and the
place in spite of being so dry, gives a very good day out.

I visited Nairobi National Park just for the morning, and staying in
the northern parts. It would seem that no-one has been in the Park for
nearly three weeks. Since then there has been a reasonable rain, even
Olmanyi Dam is looking healthy with water into the sedges. The whole
place has a fresh feel, great swathes of both fresh green and freshly
seeding grasses and an abundance of wildflowers, but there has been a
mass exodus of mammals.
I arrived at 6-45am, it was quite dark, cold and the occasional
sprinkle of rain. It remained cool and overcast for much of the
morning, though brightened up around mid-day. There was nothing worthy
of note on the way in, Ivory Burning Site was birdless, the drive
along the back road to the back of Hyena Dam equally so apart from a
flock of thirty Greater Blue-eared Starlings in one bush. There were
two African Black Ducks flying off Hyena Dam, but nothing else there
at all. I then took the run-off track from the dam, and along the
creek near the first open water there was a Red-chested Flufftail
calling loudly from the same patch of reeds where I had heard one a
few weeks before, also African Water Rails calling here as well. The
adjacent grassland had attracted an abundance of Jackson’s Widowbirds,
they are in remarkable numbers, additionally five Yellow-crowned
Bishops and four Cardinal Queleas. There were also a few Zebra
Waxbills and Quailfinches. Circling around back through the grasslands
to Hyena Dam, there were White-tailed Larks in an abundance I had not
seen them in the Park before, with at least twelve in songflight, with
a few Rosy-breasted Longclaws. Still zero at Hyena Dam, and Nagalomon
Dam could provide nothing but a Giant Kingfisher, which was still
ahead of Olmanyi Dam which revealed nothing at all. However there were
no less than five Kori Bustards together along the approach road.
Continuing around to Kingfisher proved fruitless, apart from a record
concentration of 150 extremely noisy Chestnut Weavers at the small
bridge at the bottom of Hyena Valley. I took the inside road which
passed right through Kisembe Forest, there was a reasonable assortment
of butterflies on the wing though all normal early emergers. Sitting
on a dead tree was the largest female Peregrine I had ever seen, it
appeared as large as a Common Buzzard, and had a very full crop. A
little further ahead was an immature African Cuckoo-Hawk, and only (I
think) my second ever Black Cuckoo in the Park. As they have been
quite noisy around Langata this year, its presence in Kisembe Forest
is hardly surprising. The only other bird of interest was a single
Jacobin (Black-and-White Cuckoo) trailing a small mixed flock.
It appeared initially that when the palearctics left, they had taken
all of the other interesting afro-tropicals with them! The more
widespread rain means that Nairobi NP has lost its refuge status for
many species, however with persistence there are still some nice
surprises around with a bit of diligent searching.

Nigel Hunter kindly transported Fleur Ng’Weno, Leo Haskinen and myself
on a morning in Nairobi National Park.
We entered the Park through the main gate at 6:45am, and made straight
for the Ivory Burning Site. It was very quiet here, there were no
palearctic migrants, and the only bird of any note was a Brown
Parisoma.
Turning the corner along the back road, we were very surprised to see
and hear a Red-faced Cisticola in the roadside scrub. All other
records for the Park have been along the Mbagathi River, and so it was
extraordinary to find one here. In the same place we had our first
Jacobin (Black-and-White) Cuckoo, five Crested Francolins walking
along the road, and a Nairobi Pipit at the old pumphouse station.
At Hyena Dam, there was an adult Fish-Eagle, the first Spur-winged
Goose for a while, and a couple of Village Weavers in the reeds, (and
a Hippo).
From here we took the circuit road, there was a very distant Kestrel
species hovering over the grassland, an adult Black-chested
Snake-Eagle, excellent performance by a White-tailed Lark in
song-flight, three Rosy-breasted Longclaws, the first of five
Red-backed and the first of four Lesser Grey Shrikes, and a couple of
Barn Swallows (the only individuals seen that morning). It’s worth
mentioning that Lesser Striped Swallows were in unusually large
numbers in various places. Also here we found three flowering
individuals of the rare lily Cyrtanthus sanguineus.
Cutting back towards Hyena Dam across the run-off area there were a
pair of Saddle-billed Storks, a Wood Sandpiper on a muddy pool, a
Great Egret, a second Jacobin Cuckoo and a brief Parasitic Weaver that
flew far. All three Widowbird species were in their breeding plumages,
with many individuals in the middle of changing.
At Nagalomon Dam there was a Darter, a number of African Black Swifts
with a few coming down to drink. We detoured to check for the Dwarf
Bittern near Langata Gate, and did not see it, though that does not
mean it wasn’t there! A Wood Sandpiper was on the muddy edge, with a
third Jacobin Cuckoo in the scrub, and four Chestnut Weavers in
breeding dress. The strangest bird was a female Red-backed Shrike,
that had a deformed upper mandible that had continued growing for over
a centimetre beyond the lower mandible. At last we had found the
Sickle-billed Shrike! The bird was naturally photographed. Continuing
the circuit to Kingfisher Picnic Site, there was nothing of interest
there, although there were six Bohor Reedbuck together, and an
impressive collection of mixed plains game. On the road towards
Olmanyi Dam there was a nice young male Parasitic Weaver, and on the
plains a female Lesser Kestrel. Olmanyi Dam of course had nothing.
Crossing the Mokoyiet we stopped for a couple of Madagascar
Bee-eaters, and here noticed two falcons feeding high in the sky, one
was a Eurasian Hobby, but the i.d. on the second bird was a doubt, it
looked dark but disappeared over the trees.
Continuing on around to Hyena Dam again, there were two male Kori
Bustards along the road, and we stopped for two more falcons, one
being a male Lesser Kestrel, and the second flew in towards us,
stopped and hovered and was feeding over the plains, and everyone was
delighted to see that it was a male Western Red-footed Falcon, with
all dark underwings. This was presumably the bird seen at the Mokoyiet
Bridge. There are still under ten records for Kenya, but there is an
undated record already for Nairobi National Park, that is given in the
literature as early May but no detail. Another Nairobi record was one
at the Arboretum in 1993. So this was a very exciting discovery.
Passing Hyena Dam, there was now a first-summer Purple Heron
frog-hunting along the reeds, and nearby we had a magnificent Serval
slinking through the grass. We left the Park at 1pm.

What can one say? It was another special day in the most incredible
of our National Parks.

On 2nd March 2009, I spent the day in Nairobi National Park. There
were a couple of surprises, but basically the birds that have been
with us for most of this year, are still with us, and the population
was stagnant, there being no evidence of any northward passage. Birds
on the dams continue to fall in numbers in line with the drop in water
level, although the variety is still good.

There were numerous Blackcaps on the way to Ivory Burning Site, and a
few Willow Warblers were calling near the entrance. At least six
Nightingales were at the picnic area, the male Irania still present
and active in its usual territory, but shows no interest in singing
now. Only one Upcher’s Warbler was present in the Acacias. The morning
was bright and sunny, Scaly and Crested Francolins were calling from
the scrub and simultaneously Shelley’s Francolin was calling from the
grassland lower down.
The back road was quiet, apart from two more Nightingales the only
other migrant being the first of nine Red-tailed Shrikes (only one
isabellinus) recorded today. In scrubby growth to the right, opposite
the “pumphouse” there was a Broad-tailed Warbler calling, and my
personal second only Beautiful Sunbird in the Park, a stunning adult
male, was in the same locality (the acacia gerardii that forms a
canopy over the road) as my first, late last year. There was nothing
of any interest at the back of Hyena Dam, and little at the dam itself
apart from an African Water Rail in the marshy opening, but the
resident Eurasian Marsh Harrier female was in residence, and also a
single overflying Yellow Wagtail, Taking the track from the dam along
the run-off there was a male Pallid Harrier and ten Athi Short-toed
Larks, plus the first of only three Lesser Kestrels seen. There were
single Northern Wheatear and Whinchat on the way to Karen Primary
School Dam where there were single Green and Wood Sandipers and a
Greenshank. On the way to the bone dry Eland Hollow Dam were single
Northern and Isabelline Wheatears and a Rosy-breasted Longclaw in full
breeding dress. Zitting, Desert and Pectoral-patch Cisticolas were all
singing in this area. At the burnt area beyond the “Beacon” were
Montagu’s and Pallid Harriers, a pair of Temminck’s Coursers, a
Black-winged Plover, two Northern and an Isabelline Wheatear. At the
Ruai Dam junction was a Kori Bustard and the usual resident
Lilac-breasted Roller. Descending from the ridge into Athi Basin there
were fifteen Athi-short-toed Larks (and another ten south of the dam),
a White-tailed Lark and another breeding plumage Rosy-breasted
Longclaw as was a male Pangani Longclaw. Athi Dam level is still
falling, there are less waterbirds now although it is still
interesting. Three Pink-backed Pelicans, single Great Cormorant and
Red-knobbed Coot, only two White Stork, no interesting ducks, Ruff
down to 45, 20 Little Stint, 8 Marsh and 4 Common Sandpipers, one
Greenshank completed the palearctic waders, whilst African residents
were fifteen Black-winged Stilts, five Spur-winged and merely a single
Kittlitz’s Plover. The white-wing Marsh Harrier rested in the shade
all the time I was there. Towards the Cement Factory, I heard an Olive
Tree Warbler singing, and managed to get a photo and video by sitting
in the vehicle and waiting for it to reveal itself. This is a very
rare migrant to the Park, and I was most surprised to find a second
bird only a hundred metres further down the road. Whilst it is
possible that these represent passage migrants from the south, in view
of the unusual dry country migrants that have wintered this year,
maybe these two have been staying in the area. Towards Cheetah Gate I
found eight Crimson-rumped Waxbills and a Vitelline Masked Weaver in
full breeding plumage, on Rhino Circuit was nothing other than an
Olivaceous Warbler (all three grey Hippolais species being recorded
today). Nothing more was recorded until the Mbagathi bridge below
Leopard Cliffs, where there was a single Mountain Wagtail, an adult
Steppe Eagle flying over from Kitengela and Kingfisher Picnic Site had
but a single Northern Wheatear in the area. On the forest edge towards
Langata Gate were single female Eurasian Marsh Harrier, a dark Common
Buzzard and a pair of Nairobi Pipit, whilst the Crowned Cranes are
still incubating on the small dam sharing it with a young Little
Grebe. Quailfinch were scarce with not many in evidence from areas
where they had been recently numerous, Barn Swallows were also in very
small numbers, but Cinnamon-chested Buntings were still in good
numbers.
Mammals were so impressive, there even seems to be more than on the
recent better days. There was a lioness stalking Zebra, actually on
the main road near “Lone Tree” using the fringe of taller grass to
conceal it. Domestic mammal count numbered two groups of fifteen
cattle near the Cement Factory, and a collection of sheep near Rhino
Circuit, areas not much visited now with the closure of Cheetah Gate.
Also forty cattle near Leopard Cliffs, so there is an attempt at
reinvasion but nothing like before. I reported all of these
whereabouts to roving Rangers, and will let the Chief Warden know.
Some interesting migrants must be fated to pass through the Park soon,
it’s just a matter of being here when they pay their visit.