16 November 2008
The heavy rains that have pounded Nairobi over the past couple of weeks have somewhat dampened the mood for outdoor nature activity. Shrugging off the weather-induced malaise, I spontaneously decided to head for Nairobi Park for a quick late afternoon game drive. After three whole weeks away, I had high hopes of viewing something unusual; a pride or lions perhaps, or some rare bird not seen before…
It was 5.p.m when I drove into the park, and right away I saw a female olive baboon limping along, nursing a badly injured forelimb. I wondered what had caused the injury – a fall? a fight? Nature can be harsh sometimes.
After the sad sight of the baboon, I was immediately cheered up by a trio of speckled mousebirds perched on a leafy bush.
Speckled mousebirds
Knowing that I had only a limited amount of time before sunset, I had to choose my route carefully, if I was to maximise the game viewing. I hit upon what I thought was a brilliant plan – staking out the Hyena Dam (S 01°20.301 E036°48.640), a waterhole that usually has an assortment of birds and large herbivores.
The abundant rains have transformed the usually brown savanna grassland into a green carpet. Watching the tall grasses swaying gently in the wind is very relaxing - the city hustle and bustle seems very far away. As I drove along, I glimpsed lanky giraffe and brawny buffalo over the tall grass. Black-shouldered kite were abundant, and I counted five within a short stretch of road, perched on low bushes or hovering in the air searching the ground for dinner. The perching kites are edgy birds, and tend to fly off if you get close.
Driving on, I saw a rufous-naped lark perched on an acacia stump right next to the road, and stopped to take a look – I’d never been this close to a lark. Interestingly, the bird seemed equally curious about me and didn’t immediately fly off.
Rufous naped lark - profile
A short distance away, I spotted another lark perched on an acacia twig, and again got very close without alarming the bird.
Rufous naped lark – side view
By this time it was getting late and I drove straight on to Hyena Dam. To my great surprise there was no wildlife visible there! Clearly my ‘brilliant plan’ was not particularly smart… Disappointed, I headed towards the park exit gate along a different route, hoping to see some more game on the way out.
As I drove on, I noticed and stopped to admire a large acacia tree festooned with weaver bird nests… and spotted a beautiful but unfamiliar raptor (bird of prey), perched calmly on a branch amid the sharp thorns. Somewhere, in another part of the tree, an unseen, agitated-sounding bird kept up a continuous racket. The raptor, however, seemed completely unperturbed by either my presence or the noise from the other bird. Riveted, I gazed at the bird for several minutes. Occasionally, it would favour me with a contemplative stare. Finally, in a burst of energy, the bird took flight, leaving me enthralled in its wake. (I later confirmed that it was a Gabar Goshawk – which is known to raid weaver bird nests...)
Acacia tree with weaver bird nests
Gabar Goshawk (Immature)
By this time it was after 6 p.m. Thoroughly contented with this first encounter, I was happy to call it a day and drove on. About 100 metres further on, I spotted another unfamiliar raptor perched on an acacia. The bird waited just long enough for me to take a picture in the rapidly fading light before taking off. A check of my bird guide later confirmed it to be a European Hobby Falcon.
European (Eurasian) Hobby Falcon
Elated, I left the park with the last light of the day, reflecting on the thought that a short nature visit can still be richly rewarding.
-Ends-
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