Nairobi National Park

By Will Knocker:

The Kori bustard, one of at least 4 sp. of these grassland specialists to be found in NNP, that Haven of Peace for so many forms of Life.

At 20 kg, the Kori is one of the heaviest flying birds……

Plumping himself up for The Show…..

Last minute preparations…

Strutting His Stuff on the African Plain…..

By Will Knocker:

I was woken up by this Variable Sunbird (male of course) fighting with himself in my bedroom window…..

And at Main Gate, my guest Jess & I got caught up in the early morning circus: 2 male lions rubbing themselves in a buffalo pat!

The 2 males: looking thin: c’mon guys, you are supposed to be Super Predators & the Park is full of Prey!

A Blacksmith plover….

Kanga……Guinea-fowl have done well this year, with many grown chicks evident….

Chandler’s Mountain reedbuck in the Sosian valley….

A Yellowneck spurfowl with a runny beak….

And 2 African spoonbills………spoooning…….

Athi Dam megacroc getting some dirty looks…..

Lone bushbuck……(called Abu Naba in Arabic…any Arabic speakers out there?)

As Jess said “wall-to-wall” zebras in the Athi Basin, where wildlike is concentrated at present….

Upupa epops, the African hoopoe…what a lovely bird!

And to end a splendid day in the incomparable NNP: a monitor lizard at Nangolomon Dam (it should be Narok Omom): “Black Head” in Maa, referring to the Langata forest…..

Images by Will Knocker……

Images by Will Knocker:

I am finally back online after numerous setbacks, including kids melting down computer settings, including for this blog, over Xmas. Please excuse abscence!!

A herd of buffalo chewing the cud in the rapidly drying NNP

Kori bustards are doing well in NNP….

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Cape chestnut in flower in the Langata forest after excellent short rains

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Greenvein charaxes (Charaxes candiope) feeding on carnivore faeces

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Many eland are back in the Park, having spent the rainy season in the Athi Basin & Sheep & Goat Land

An old veteran, blind in one eye & deaf…I’m surprised the 40 odd lions in the Park have not eaten him yet…

White bellied go away bird: a species of the dry bush: are they getting more common in NNP (ie is it becoming drier?)

Photos by WILL KNOCKER:

Brian Finch the NNP afficianado & bird expert has just identified the 529th sp. of bird for NNP.

Above a Crowned eagle with it’s leopard-like talons…..

Kori bustard, the world’s heaviest flying bird…..

Marabou stork which breeds in the city centre & feeds at the city rubbish dump…..

Malachite kingfisher on the Empakasi river….

The park is a major breeding area for Crowned cranes….

Great white pelicans pass through from time to time……..

Hamerkop- a frog-eater, in it’s element……

There are currently large numbers of Helmeted guineafowl in the park after a successful breeding year: food for Martial eagles (2 pairs at least in the park: see next post………)

The plains turn from green to tawny as Nairobi Park  gradually dries out & the usual aridity replaces the moisture of an exceptional rainy season. The oceans of grass are setting seed, along with the trees & shrubs which make up this superb savannah park.

Plenty to eat for all the birds that have reproduced,probably twice since the Rains began 6 months ago…..

Helmeted guineafowl

Water birds have enjoyed the season, such as these Egyptian geese.

Mother with plenty of goslings

Kori bustards are running out of habitat on the Athi Plains, but they still have the park:these female has successfully raised 2 young-great news for the future of the world’s heaviest flying bird!

A Secretary bird feeds it’s young:there are several breeding pairs in Nairobi National Park.