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Kenya
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Kenya
23 July - 10 August 2003
Leaders:-
Steve Easley and Vaughan Ashby
Participants: -
Bob Bailey
Ian Barclay
Lawrence & Nardine Montague-Gibson
Paula Reynosa
Chris Rose
Dave & Kay Ryves
Dave & Ann Smith
Stuart & Gillian Stanniland
Picture:- Jackson's Francolin |
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Day 1:
Morning departure from London via Abu Dhabi to Nairobi.
Day 2:
Arrival in Nairobi at 06.00 and even as we were waiting
for our luggage to be loaded into the vehicles we made a start with the birdlist
with Speckled Pigeon, African Palm-swift, Little and White-rumped Swifts,
Red-winged Starling and Pied Crow. Next we made the short transfer to the
Maxwell Adventist Academy in the south west suburbs of the city. En route,
the most notable birds were Marabou Storks perched in trees by the side of
the road and a Long-crested Eagle. Our excellent breakfast at the academy
was interrupted with the arrival of a Grosbeak Weaver on the bird feeder!
After breakfast we took a walk around the extensive grounds, where a number
of excellent birds were seen: Gabar Goshawk, Spotted Thick-knee, Crowned Lapwing,
Dusky Turtle-dove, African Mourning, Red-eyed and Ring-necked Doves, Fischer's
Lovebird, Speckled and Blue-naped Mousebirds, Abyssinian Scimitar-bill, Red-billed
Hornbill, Grey Woodpecker, Greater Honeyguide, Rock Martin, Wire-tailed, Lesser
Striped and Red-rumped Swallows, African Pied Wagtail, Grey-backed Camaroptera,
Grey Wren-warbler, Brown Warbler, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, White-eyed Slaty
Flycatcher, Southern Black Flycatcher, Cape and Rüppell's Robin-chats, Olive
Thrush, Northern Pied-babbler, Red-throated Tit, Kenya Violet-backed, Scarlet-chested,
Bronze, Malachite and Variable Sunbirds, White-breasted White-eye, African
Black-headed Oriole, Brubru, Slate-coloured and Tropical Boubous, Fork-tailed
Drongo, Superb and Violet-backed Starlings, Kenya Rufous Sparrow, White-browed
Sparrow-weaver, Baglafecht Weaver, Red-billed Firefinch, Red-cheeked Cordonbleu,
Streaky and Kenya Yellow-rumped Seedeaters, African Citril and Brimstone and
White-bellied Canaries, what a start! Thompson's Gazelles seemed oblivious
to our presence, whilst at the small pond in the grounds, Long-tailed Cormorant,
Black-headed Heron, Hadada and Sacred Ibises, Hamerkop and Pied Kingfisher
were added to our lists. After preparing our packed lunches, we spent the
rest of the day driving the Magadi road down into the Great Rift Valley. By
making numerous stops we added a number of other species, including Black-shouldered
Kite, Eastern Chanting-goshawk, Augur Buzzard, Tawny Eagle, Namaqua Dove,
White-browed Coucal, Common and Mottled Swifts, Rufous-crowned Roller, African
Grey and Von der Decken's Hornbills, Black-throated, Red-fronted and Red-and-yellow
Barbets, Cardinal and Nubian Woodpeckers, Fawn-coloured and Short-tailed Larks,
Yellow-throated Longclaw, African and Long-billed Pipits, Little Rock-thrush,
Ashy, Rattling and Singing Cisticolas, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Red-fronted
Warbler, Banded Warbler, African Grey Flycatcher, Spotted Morning-thrush,
Red-backed Scrub-robin, African Stonechat, Capped Wheatear, Chinspot Batis,
Common and Taita Fiscals, White-rumped Shrike, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Cape
Crow, Hildebrandt's Starling, Chestnut and Parrot-billed Sparrows, Yellow-spotted
Petronia, Grey-headed Social-weaver, Black-necked Weaver, Vitelline Masked-weaver,
Red-billed Quelea, Black-faced Waxbill and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting. At the
end of our first day we had accumulated a list of 127 species in a very relaxed
manner, an excellent introduction to Kenya and its birds.
Day 3:
After breakfast, we drove north through Nairobi until we
reached our first stop, Thika Falls. Walking through the hotel grounds we
descended the steps to the waterfall and river below. Here we found our only
Brown-hooded Kingfisher and White-eared Barbet of the trip, together with
Mountain Wagtail, Black-tailed Oriole, Long-tailed Fiscal, Black-backed Puffback
and Red-billed Buffalo-weaver. After a welcome cup of coffee, we moved on
to some rice fields where numerous birds were present. Amongst the numerous
Great, Intermediate, Little and Cattle Egrets we found several Squacco-type
herons, one of which turned out to be a Madagascar Pond-heron. Other long-legged
waders included Yellow-billed Stork, Glossy Ibis, African Spoonbill and a
large flock of Grey Crowned-cranes, whilst ducks were represented by Fulvous
and White-faced Whistling-ducks, Comb Duck, Hottentot Teal and Southern Pochard.
Whilst watching Black Crake, African Jacana and Greater Painted-snipe, Steve
had a brief view of a rail and after a few minutes we were all able to enjoy
superb views of this African equivalent of our Water Rail. True waders included
Black-winged Stilt, Blacksmith, Long-toed and Spur-winged Lapwings and Kittlitz's
Plover, whilst a Gull-billed Tern was found in amongst the numerous Whiskered
Terns. Malachite Kingfisher showed well, whilst Lesser Swamp-warbler was a
little shy at first but eventually showed well to everyone. Continuing north
towards Mount Kenya, we reached the Tana River. Almost immediately after disembarking
the buses we found several extremely good birds: Moustached Grass-warbler,
Little Rush Warbler and Hinde's Pied Babbler. Walking down through the cultivation
and into the marshes, we also added Grey-headed Kingfisher, African Pygmy-kingfisher,
African and Holub's Golden Weavers, White-winged Widowbird and Bronze and
Brown-backed Mannikins. We made several impromptu stops for African Cuckoo-hawk
soaring overhead, African Harrier-hawk, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Lilac-breasted
Roller and Spot-flanked Barbet before we reached the entrance to Mountain
Lodge on the slopes of Mount Kenya. Walking along the lodge entrance road
we added quite a few new species, including Tambourine Dove, African Green-pigeon,
Red-fronted Parrot, Hartlaub's Turaco, White-headed Woodhoopoe, Crowned Hornbill,
Red-fronted and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds, Black Sawwing, Black and Grey Cuckoo-shrikes,
Grey-olive and Sombre Greenbuls, Black-throated Apalis, Pale and African Dusky
Flycatchers, White-bellied Tit, Waller's Starling and Brown-capped Weaver.
All the time we had to keep a careful eye out as buffalo and elephant are
common here! Driving on to the lodge car park, we checked into our rooms before
going to the viewing area over a waterhole in the middle of the forest. Looking
out, the most obvious feature was the constant stream of Cape Buffalos coming
in to drink, along with smaller numbers of Defasa Waterbuck and Bushbuck,
whilst smaller animals were represented by a huge troop of Olive Baboons and
Marsh Mongoose. Wary Egyptian Geese looked more in keeping here than in the
UK, whilst the Cape Wagtails were the only ones of the trip. All the time
we had to keep our eyes on our equipment to stop the Blue Sykes' Monkeys from
stealing anything! As darkness fell, we started dinner only to be interrupted
several times, first by African Elephants coming in to drink, then a pair
of beautiful Common Genet taking scraps of meat from a prepared feeding station
and finally, Spotted Hyenas, a wonderful end to the day.
Day 4:
Everyone was up for first light to watch the waterhole and
we were not disappointed with a number of new birds for the trip: Rameron
and Delegorgue's Pigeons sat at the tops of the trees; brief views of the
forest-dwelling Scaly Francolin; Hunter's Cisticolas everywhere; and Cinnamon
Bracken-warbler, Grey-capped Warbler and Rufous Chatterer in the bushes just
below the viewing balcony. After breakfast, we took a two-hour walk (accompanied
by an armed guard, as there are plenty of dangerous animals about!) Leaving
the lodge we immediately found a White-starred Robin skulking in the bushes.
A Moustached Tinkerbird was equally elusive but this time by being at the
very tops of the trees! Bearded Woodpecker, Slender-billed Greenbul, Eastern
Mountain-greenbul and Chestnut-throated and Grey Apalis were all easier but
we had to work harder for African Hill-babbler and Grey-headed Negrofinch.
Eastern Double-collared Sunbird and Kikuyu White-eyes were very easy, as was
an extremely confiding Thick-billed Seedeater. Common Waxbill and Yellow-crowned
Canary were also seen before we headed back to the lodge to pack and leave.
Continuing north, we made a brief stop in some wet cultivation where Long-tailed
and Red-collared Widowbirds, Pin-tailed Whydah and African Quailfinch all
showed extremely well, as did a number of butterflies, including African Monarch.
Crossing the Equator, our journey was next interrupted by a puncture on one
of the vans. Amazingly (given the state of the roads in the parks), this was
the only puncture of the tour and it happened on an excellent tarmac road!
Fortunately, it didn't happen when we were watching a group of lions! The
bumpy and dusty stretch of road between Isiolo and the Buffalo Springs National
Reserve entrance seemed well worth the slight discomfort when we arrived in
the park. Almost immediately, a superb Scissor-tailed Kite was spotted, not
only an excellent bird for Kenya, but also a country tick for Steve! Other
raptors added to the excitement with Brown Snake-eagle, Bataleur and African
Hawk-eagle all seen well, but Pygmy Falcon vied with the kite for the most
attention! Game birds were widespread in the park due to the lack of hunting,
with Yellow-necked Francolin, Helmeted Guineafowl, Buff-crested and Kori Bustards,
and Black-faced and Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse all giving wonderful photographic
opportunities. There was rarely a quiet moment as D'arnaud's Barbet, White-headed
Mousebird, Little Bee-eater, African Hoopoe, Green Woodhoopoe, Pink-breasted
Lark, Dodson's Bulbul, Stout Cisticola, Northern Crombec, Northern Anteater-chat,
Black-bellied Sunbird, Northern Puffback, Rosy-patched Bushshrike, Greater
Blue-eared Glossy-starling, Red-billed Oxpecker, White-headed Buffalo-weaver,
Black-capped and Donaldson-smith's Sparrow-weavers, Golden Palm-weaver and
Chestnut Weaver were added as new birds, whilst Grevy's Zebra and Gerenuk
were new mammals. Finally, we reached the excellent Samburo Serena Lodge,
our base for the next two nights. But the birding in the grounds was not over
yet, Red-billed Hornbills and White-bellied Go-away-birds were extremely confiding
and Palm-nut Vulture flew along the river.
Day 5:
The whole day was spent around Buffalo Springs National
Reserve with a visit across the river to Samburu N.P. Today we caught up with
a number of northern specialities and enjoyed an excellent day for raptors
including four species of vulture (Hooded, Lapped-faced, Rüppell's and White-backed),
the magnificent Martial Eagle and Black-breasted Snake-eagle. Shortly after
leaving the lodge we saw Spur-winged Lapwing, before adding two more species
of game bird, Crested Francolin and Vulturine Guineafowl. A magnificent Verreaux's
Eagle-owl was found at its daytime roost, and in a day of extremes, we also
found the smallest owl, Pearl-spotted Owlet. During the course of the day
we drove slowly around the maze of tracks seeing many new birds including
a flock of fly-over Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Red-bellied Parrot, Klaas's
Cuckoo, Somali Bee-eater, Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Red-winged Lark,
African Bare-eyed Thrush, Yellow-vented Eremomela, Somali Crombec, Pygmy Batis,
Somali Tit, Hunter's Sunbird, Fan-tailed Raven, Fischer's and Golden-breasted
Starlings, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Blue-capped Cordonbleu, African Silverbill,
Cut-throat and Somali Golden-breasted Bunting. Mammals were very much in evidence
today with our first Lion (female on a kill), Cheetah, Impala, Kirks' Dikdik,
Beisa Oryx, Reticulated Giraffe and an amazingly colourful Rock Agama lizard.
During the heat of the day we returned to the lodge where we were entertained
by the extremely confiding Red-billed Hornbills and White-bellied Go-away-birds,
whilst skulking in the undergrowth, bathing from the sprinklers, were Northern
Brownbul and White-winged Scrub-robin. In the evening, we settled down at
a vantage point overlooking the river where Leopards sometimes appear on the
opposite bank. Sadly, we were not lucky tonight, but a couple of Water Thick-knees
kept us entertained as darkness gradually fell. Suddenly, nightjars started
to fly over the river and we were able to identify both Donaldson-smith's
and Slender-taileds as they repeatedly swooped alternately over the river
and overhead. The grand finale was still to come however, the lodge staff
threw some scrap meat over the wall and an enormous Nile Crocodile lumbered
out of the water, it must have been 4-5 metres long!
Day 6:
After an early breakfast, we set off back through Buffalo
Springs National Reserve birding en route. Wonderful views of both African
Fish-eagle and Bataleur were somewhat overshadowed by our first Secretarybird.
Next, a White-bellied Bustard crouched furtively close to our vehicles thinking
that we could not see him, before creeping away. Wondering why the first bus
then screeched to a sudden halt, those in the second vehicle were told over
the CB that someone had spotted two Somali Ostriches and had shouted out so
loud that Peter the driver had nearly had a heart attack! Fortunately, the
birds were far enough away not to be disturbed by the furore! In the mosaic
of habitats in Buffalo Springs National Reserve, we explored an area of semi-desert
grassland where Desert Cisticola was easily located, before stopping off at
a disused lodge with a small patch of woodland. Obviously Steve knew that
it would be good here and he was right, soon we were watching a trio of very
difficult species: Brown-tailed Apalis, Mouse-coloured Penduline-tit and Yellow-bellied
Waxbill. As we left the lodge a pair of Fan-tailed Ravens put on a good show
of their bat-like shape and an Ethiopian Swallow flew over. Finally, on the
final approach to the park entrance, a Somali Courser gave wonderful views.
Although we were sad to say goodbye to this excellent reserve, we knew that
there were many good birds ahead. Back on to the bumpy, dusty road heading
south, but this time we made several stops to see both Chestnut-headed and
Fischer's Sparrow-larks. Back through Isiolo and a quick diversion gave us
incredible views of a Boran Cisticola, an extremely localised bird. Continuing
back south towards Mount Kenya, we stopped on the Equator for the obligatory
photographs and a lecture on how water flowed down a plug hole in different
directions by an enterprising local. With heavy rain in the area and the top
of Mount Kenya shrouded in cloud, we were concerned about our ascent tomorrow.
Eventually, we arrived at Naro Moro Lodge in time for some late afternoon
birding in the grounds alongside the river, where Yellow-whiskered Greenbul
was quite obliging but less so the Placid Greenbul. Northern Double-collared
Sunbirds fed on the flowers and a male Red-headed Weaver was building a nest
in the car park.
Day 7:
An early morning walk gave us brief flight views of African
Black Duck, Giant Kingfisher and better views of Yellow-bellied Waxbill, as
well as an amazingly confiding African Dusky Flycatcher in the car park. After
heavy overnight rain, we weren't too optimistic about our chances of getting
up Mount Kenya. Arriving at the park entrance, the sides of the road were
wet and muddy so we left our drivers to see if we could get to the Met station
whilst we did some birding, with Rameron Pigeon and Golden-winged Sunbird
showing well. We were to be allowed up the mountain, but at our own risk!
We decided to bird the first part of the access road and this was an extremely
good plan as within 15 minutes we had seen several very good birds, Mountain
Yellow Warbler, Brown Woodland Warbler and a pair of the rare Abbot's Starling.
Our ascent of the mountain was going rather well until we met an extremely
muddy and steep section. No problem, our highly skilled drivers managed to
negotiate it and in no time we were at the meteorological station. Feeling
the altitude, we moved slowly but purposefully towards the buildings where,
within minutes, we were watching Moorland Chats. Almost immediately, a pair
of Jackson's Francolins was spotted and then, amazingly, our third target
bird, Abyssinian Ground-thrush, was also found. We had seen all three of our
target birds, including the endemic Jackson's Francolin extremely well and
were on our way down within thirty minutes in glorious sunshine! Moving down
the mountain someone spotted a huge raptor soaring overhead, we all piled
out and there above us was a magnificent Crowned Hawk-eagle. With a long drive
ahead, we set out on the first leg, stopping after a couple of hours at a
disused quarry where a local man met us and took us to see a huge Mackinder's
Eagle-owl roosting on the cliff face. With gathering clouds, swifts started
coming lower and we were able to compare African Black and Nyanza Swifts.
Shortly after re-boarding the buses, it started to rain hard. The rain became
torrential and then suddenly it hailed and, within a couple of minutes, the
road was white. Both drivers stopped in amazement, they had never seen anything
like it, especially as we were on the Equator again! As they got out of the
vehicles, Sampson nearly fell over, he hadn't anticipated it being quite so
slippery, we proceeded at a sedate pace until the roads cleared! Our next
stop was at the Thompson's Falls, a somewhat touristy area because of the
beautiful scenery. Whilst admiring the falls our target bird, Slender-billed
Starling, was spotted flying over the far side of the gorge. Not good views
but fortunately it perched in a tree together with about 30 others and we
were able to get good telescope views. With time passing, we carried on towards
Lake Nakuru, entering the park just as it started to rain again. Fortunately,
it was only light rain and didn't stop us enjoying Rüppell's Glossy-starlings
and a Diederik Cuckoo. Driving through the acacia woodland we eventually found
a lake overlook and what a view, flamingos as far as the eye could see. There
were supposed to be 1.2 million Lesser Flamingos and although we didn't count
them, it certainly looked like it. New birds flowed thick and fast, in amongst
the Lesser Flamingos on the lake were smaller numbers of Greater Flamingo,
Great White Pelican, Goliath Heron, Cape Teal, Yellow-billed Duck, Grey-headed
Gull and White-winged Tern, whilst Horus Swifts flew low overhead and a Grey-backed
Fiscal sat within feet of us. Moving away from the lake towards the Sarova
Lion Hill Lodge, our base for the night, we added Broad-billed Roller before
our drivers heard over the CB that the cat that everyone wanted to see had
been spotted, a Leopard. Fortunately, it was close by and we were treated
to excellent close views of an adult sat in a low tree, a wonderful end to
the day.
Day 8:
We spent the morning around Lake Nakuru, starting well with
amazing views of an Augur Buzzard, Blue-spotted Wood-dove, two species of
cuckoo: Black and Levaillant's, Common Scimitarbill, Scaly-throated Honeyguide
and Crimson-rumped Waxbill. A troop of Olive Baboons showed well and one bus
had brief views of a Hildebrandt's Francolin. Northern Anteater-chats were
quite common, whilst a family of Black-backed Jackals and Common Zebra were
oblivious to our presence. A Black Rhino took more interest in us however,
although he probably didn't know what we were, he certainly knew we were there
and wasn't happy! We encountered several of the Masai sub-species of ostrich,
which looked subtly different to the Somali. Red-capped and Rufous-naped Larks,
Plain-backed Pipit and Pectoral-patch Cisticola were all new for the trip,
but a second Leopard obligingly sitting in a tree stole the show! An Augur
Buzzard posed right above us in a tree for photographs before we moved to
the lakeshore again to take another look at the spectacle of 1.2 million Lesser
Flamingos. There was a myriad of other waterbirds, of which Black-necked Grebe,
Red-billed Duck and Three-banded Plover were new. The bird that we were particularly
looking for, however, was eventually found - a Dimorphic Egret well out of
its range (normally coastal). As we entered the grassland surrounding the
lake, a Cliff Chat hopped around in front of us before a mother and calf White
Rhino added another wanted mammal to our lists, and Rothschild's Giraffe was
a new sub-species. A muddy puddle was crowded with butterflies, whilst back
in the woodland, a Long-crested Eagle posed for photographs and a small group
of Arrow-marked Babblers was found. Sadly, we had to leave Lake Nakura to
drive to Lake Baringo but a number of stops were made en route. Our first
stop was for a group of swallows perched on telephone wires, with both the
huge Mosque Swallow and Angola Swallow present. No sooner had the first bus
driven off than a Silverbird was found, quickly followed by a group of White-fronted
Bee-eaters. Nearing Baringo it was obvious that recent rains had had a dramatic
effect on the infrastructure, with several bridges totally washed away. During
a couple of these impromptu deviations off-road, we saw the scarce Black-headed
Lapwing and enjoyed excellent views of an African Pygmy-kingfisher. As we
turned off the main road to drive down to our new lodge, several Madagascar
Bee-eaters were spotted on telephone wires. Checking into our rooms as quickly
as possible to make the last of the evening light, a Red-chested Cuckoo was
tracked down by its call, and Brown Babbler, African Thrush, Red-faced Crombec,
Wattled Starling and White-billed Buffalo-weaver were all seen in the trees
outside. Meanwhile, on the adjacent lake, Pink-backed Pelican and Common Moorhen
were seen in the fading light, but the cacophony of weavers remained unseen.
We had to be escorted to and from our rooms at night here because Hippopotamus
liked grazing on our lawn!
Day 9:
An early morning visit to the escarpment cliffs close to
the lake was very rewarding with several new species seen in truly impressive
scenery. The very local Bristle-crowned Starling, Lanner Falcon, Common Kestrel
(an isolated population which may be split into Rock Kestrel), Brown-tailed
Chat and Lesser Masked and Little Weavers were all seen well before we picked
up our local guide. Immediately, he took us to a nearby spot where two Northern
White-faced Scops-owls were roosting, whilst nearby we found Beautiful Sunbird
and Green-winged Pytilia. On the way back to breakfast, we also added Woodland
Kingfisher, White-throated Bee-eater and Eastern Paradise-whydah. Breakfast
was spent in a constant state of conflict between binoculars, cameras and
food as a succession of birds visited the feeders: African Mourning-dove,
Red-and-yellow Barbet, Jackson's Hornbill, Jackson's Golden-backed and Village
Weavers and White-browed Buffalo-weaver all vied for attention. After breakfast
and a look at a huge centipede, we picked up our guide again and he took us
to a site where two magnificent Greyish Eagle-owls were roosting, giving amazing
views. Nearby, Slender-tailed Nightjar and Heuglin's Courser showed equally
well at their daytime roost sites, Dark Chanting-goshawk watched us as we
looked for the courser and on our way back to the hotel for lunch, a Hemprich's
Hornbill flew over us towards the cliffs. A leisurely lunch was taken in the
heat of the day followed by a stroll around the grounds, where many birds
proved very confiding. Shikra and Fork-tailed Drongo were unconcerned by our
presence and we eventually tracked down a Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike, but
several Yellow-winged Bats were uncharacteristically shy, flying in daylight
whenever they knew they were being watched! Down at the lakeshore, Northern
Masked-weavers, Northern Red and Yellow-crowned Bishops were all busy displaying,
but Allen's Gallinule took a little more patience to see as they skulked in
the reeds. Late in the afternoon we took a boat trip on the lake, although
the waters were somewhat muddy following the recent rains and we saw little
new, it was an enjoyable experience watching Squacco Herons, Purple and Striated
Herons, Black-crowned Night-heron, Little Bittern and Malachite and Pied Kingfishers.
We were also treated to the amazing spectacle of an African Fish-eagle chasing
a Purple Heron for several minutes, the heron eventually escaped! The highlight
was, however, views of a couple of Hippopotamus skulking in the vegetation.
Day 10:
Today we travelled west towards Kakamega Forest. It was
a slow journey however, punctuated by many birding stops. Our first stop was
at a traditional spot for Ross's Turaco and we were not disappointed with
prolonged views. Our next stop was at a rather unsightly rubbish tip (well
what birding trip doesn't visit at least one?) where we saw our only Bronze-tailed
Glossy-starling of the trip, as well as Banded Martin and Northern Grey-headed
Sparrow. Continuing on, we stopped at an area of upland marshy grassland,
which appeared no different to many other similar sites. But Steve knew better
and soon we were watching a feast of widowbirds, with Fan-tailed, the rare
and local Jackson's and Red-collared Widowbird all showing well. Additionally,
we found an obliging Grey Crowned-crane, Cardinal Quelea, Black-winged Red
Bishop, Wing-snapping Cisticola and the very illusive and local Zebra Waxbill,
an excellent stop! Several more impromptu rapid halts gave us Wahlberg's Eagle,
White-crested Turaco, White-headed Barbet, Northern Black-flycatcher and Golden-breasted
Bunting before we stopped for our packed lunches close to a village. Of course,
this attracted the attention of all the local children but they were very
good and were rewarded with the surplus food. The birding was good here as
well, with Black-headed Gonolek, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver, Red-headed
Bluebill and Black-crowned Waxbill all being new. Eventually, we reached the
wonderful Kakamega Forest and were immediately watching new birds by the roadside.
Double-toothed Barbet, White-headed Saw-wing, Brown-chested Alethe, Equatorial
Akalat, Buff-bellied Warbler and Green-backed Eremomela were all seen before
we arrived at the wonderful Rondo Retreat Centre, right in the heart of forest,
for a three-night stay. After checking into our rooms it wasn't long before
we were utilising the last bit of daylight looking at Black-and-white-casqued
Hornbill, Joyful Bulbul, Grey Tit-flycatcher, Snowy-crowned Robin-chat and
Marico Sunbird, a wonderful end to the day.
Day 11:
Normally, when you are nearly two-thirds of the way through
a tour, new birds become more difficult to find, especially in rainforest.
Incredibly, we recorded an amazing 46 new species today, showing that Kakamega
is indeed a superb area of remnant rainforest, and that Steve and our local
guide, Wilberforce, make an excellent team. Our first destination after breakfast
was the pumphouse trail and the birds started immediately, with superb specialities
such as Chapin's Flycatcher, African Shrike-flycatcher, Petit's Cuckoo-shrike,
Dusky Tit, Red-headed Malimbe and White-breasted Negrofinch. Here we experienced
a feast of greenbuls with no less than nine species seen during the day, including
six new ones: Shelley's, Grey, Ansorge's, Honeyguide, Cabanis's and Toro Olive-greenbul,
as well as many other species only found in more remote areas of central Africa:
Great Blue Turaco, Mackinnon's Fiscal, Pink-footed Puffback, Bocage's and
Lühder's Bushshrikes, Southern Hyliota, African Yellow White-eye, White-chinned
Prinia, Black-collared and Buff-throated Apalis, Olive-green Camaroptera,
Turner's Eremomela and Uganda Woodland-warbler. We also visited an area of
natural grassland set in the forest where Chubb's Cisticola showed well. After
returning to Rondo for lunch, where Brown-throated Wattle-eye, African Blue-flycatcher
and three new species of sunbird (Green-throated, Grey-chinned and Western
Olive) were seen, we headed back into the forest again in the afternoon, working
different areas. Grey-throated and Yellow-billed Barbets, Brown-eared and
Buff-spotted Woodpeckers, Chestnut and Jameson's Wattle-eyes, Dusky Crested-flycatcher,
Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Brown Illadopsis, Square-tailed Drongo, Stuhlmann's
Starling, Vieillot's Black-weaver and Dark-backed Weaver. It would be easy
to get lost in this forest without a guide, but as we criss-crossed the paths
tracking down calling birds, this never crossed our minds! A couple of new
monkeys were also seen: Black-and-white Colobus and Red-tailed Monkey. With
the afternoon drawing on we started to make our way out of the forest when
suddenly Steve heard a Red-chested Owlet calling in the distance. Eventually,
we managed to track it down and all had excellent (if somewhat neck-breaking)
views of this highly elusive bird.
Day 12:
Another eagerly awaited day in the forest after yesterday's
success and today we caught up with a number of species that we had only heard
the previous day. First, we descended to the stream in the grounds of Rondo
to try for White-spotted Flufftail, which was seen several times briefly.
Returning to the forest, we walked slowly around various trails following
up calls heard by Steve's expert ears. The most amazing bird of the day was
African Grey Parrot, an extremely rare bird in Kenya now with perhaps less
than ten birds. Other species seen included Golden-crowned Woodpecker, Yellow-spotted
Barbet, Yellowbill, Least Honeyguide, Common Bristlebill, Black-faced Prinia,
Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Green Hylia, Western Black-headed Oriole and Black-billed
Weaver. The undoubted highlights, however, were prolonged views of a pair
of Blue-headed Bee-eaters and Hairy-breasted Barbet nest building. The latter
is a seldom-seen bird let alone seen at the nest! After lunch, we were extremely
fortunate to witness the amazing display of a male African Broadbill before
looking for wattle-eyes in the forest again. This afternoon, not only did
we find Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye, but also saw Brown-throated, Chestnut and
Jameson's, making it a four wattle-eye day! Two other species were also seen
before we returned to Rondo: Mottled Spinetail and Yellow-shouldered Widowbird,
meaning that we had recorded another 18 species of bird in the forest today,
as well as Rough-scaled Bush-viper and Blue-headed Tree Agama.
Day 13:
Sadly, we had to leave Rondo, but with Lake Victoria and
the Masai Mara ahead of us there was still plenty to see. We travelled to
Lake Victoria without stopping and headed straight to the papyrus beds along
the lakeshore. There were a few mosquitoes around but nothing as bad as we
had feared, and within 30 minutes we had seen several excellent new species
including Blue-headed Coucal, Papyrus Gonolek, Swamp Flycatcher and Carruthers's
Cisticola. Moving on to a café by the lakeshore, African Openbill, Long-tailed
Cormorant, Common Sandpiper and Pied Kingfisher sat in a little group on a
small rock in the lake, whilst Black-billed Barbet was found in the adjacent
bushes. A nearby area of wasteland gave us Sharpe's Pied-babbler and Copper
and Red-chested Sunbirds before we returned to the café to check the papyrus
beds for weavers. Before too long we were enjoying views of Northern Brown-throated,
Slender-billed and Yellow-backed Weavers as well as Yellow-throated Greenbul.
Finally, a Western Grey Plantain-eater was heard in a nearby garden, but despite
an extensive search we couldn't find it and had to content ourselves with
Yellow-fronted Canary. With time moving on, we set off for the Masai Mara
stopping several times en route for species like Southern Red Bishop and Purple
Grenadier. Eventually, we reached the entrance to the park but instead of
entering it, we diverted up a nearby hillside to look for Schalow's Turaco.
Not only were we successful with this but we also found Fine-banded Woodpecker,
Familiar Chat and Tabora Cisticola. Entering the park, we soon encountered
our first new birds: Red-necked Francolin, Usambiro Barbet and Sooty Chat,
before seeing the first of many Masai Giraffes. The views over the grasslands
extended for miles, right into the Serengeti in Tanzania, and the habitat
was obviously perfect for raptors, as White-headed Vulture, Banded Snake-eagle
and Grey Kestrel were all new. Coqui Francolin were surprisingly easy to see
(compared with southern Africa) but it was the mammals that nearly stole the
show, with great views of Spotted Hyena, Cape Buffalo, Warthog, Wildebeest,
Topi, Thompson's Gazelle and Elan (complete with Yellow-billed Oxpeckers!)
Two new cisticolas were added to our impressive list: Red-faced and Trilling,
and from the tiny to the large, Masai Ostrich, Black-bellied Bustard and Wattled
Lapwing were all seen on the track. The park rules are that all vehicles must
be back at the lodges by dusk and we still had some way to go so we set off
with purpose, only to find the vans on different tracks! Unfortunately, the
second van found a Bat Hawk, which the first van was unable to locate from
a distance, but the scores were equalled when the first van found a Marsh
Owl for everyone to see. Now it was a race against time to get to the Mara
Serena Lodge before the gates were locked, but we did so by the skin of our
teeth and neither driver had to pay a fine!
Day 14:
This morning we went for a pre-breakfast drive to check
the recently burnt areas and we succeeded in finding our target bird, Temminck's
Courser. After breakfast, we headed out of the park through the Oloololo gate
again, promising that we would stop for souvenirs from the Masai women when
we returned. En route, we encountered a number of the species seen yesterday,
including Secretarybird and Cape Buffalo. Having missed Rufous-necked Wryneck
at several locations already, we tried again and this time with immediate
success when a pair responded immediately to a tape and literally sat in a
bush a few feet away. Next, we visited Kichwa Tembo Camp, where we had originally
intended to stay for two nights. We were allowed access to the grounds but
unfortunately, it was rather quiet and the only new species seen was African
Goshawk, although Ross's Turaco and a small group of Warthog piglets used
some film! After a couple of hours we headed into another part of the park
over what can best be called a very rough kilometre of track! A Swahili Sparrow
created a diversion before we settled down to lunch under a tree, frightening
several vultures out of it! After lunch, we visited the Mara River, seeing
a Meyer's Parrot and good numbers of Hippopotamus. A nearby marsh was very
interesting with good numbers of birds including Long-toed Lapwing, Three-banded
Plover and Sacred and Glossy Ibis, but best of all were a superb Rufous-bellied
Heron and Rosy-throated Longclaw. Other species seen in the area included
Egyptian Vulture, Rufous-chested Swallow, Plain-backed Pipit and Zitting Cisticola.
Returning back down the rough track we stopped by a steep rocky hillside,
which Steve thought looked good for Rock-loving Cisticola. He was not wrong
and despite having to scramble up the slope we were all treated to excellent
views of this excellent bird. In addition, Green-capped Eremomela was new
to our list. By now it was cloudy and windy and we could see smoke in the
park so we decided to head back to the Oloololo gate, but unfortunately the
Masai women missed a lot of sales as they had gone home early! Back in the
park we saw many mammals again, including African Elephant, and several birds
were seen well despite the wind, including Hamerkop, Black-bellied Bustard,
Wattled Lapwing, Grey-backed Fiscal and Black-shouldered Kite. With dusk approaching
early because of the smoke, we decided to head back to the lodge, and in exactly
the same place as yesterday we saw the Marsh Owl.
Day 15:
Part of the Mara management is to burn old grass prior to
the herds of herbivores arriving, and fires were in progress when we arrived
yesterday. Unfortunately, the heavy showers had missed the burning areas and
the result was a smoky haze this morning. Fortunately, this didn't affect
birding as much as mammal viewing. We took a pre-breakfast drive again and
had more excellent views of Black-bellied Bustard before we found our target
species, Black-winged Lapwing. As we scoured previously burnt areas with green
shoots starting to come through, several Yellow-throated Sandgrouse were found,
and some of the group had brief views of a Caspian Plover flying over. Vultures
were very prevalent in the park this morning and most of them were perched
on bushes waiting for the thermals. We enjoyed extremely close views of Lappet-faced,
White-backed and Rüppell's Vultures. A Red-capped Lark hopped around the vans
but then, excitement, a group of Cheetahs were found and we were right in
the middle of a mother and her two cubs. Amazingly, as these magnificent animals
walked around us, we found a recently born Thompson's Gazelle huddled in the
grass (it was lucky that we didn't run over it), which the Cheetahs hadn't
discovered because newly born fawns don't have any smell. A Spotted Hyena
prowled around but kept a respectful distance. As we returned to the lodge,
we found a gorgeous male Grey-headed Bushshrike right in the car park. After
breakfast, saying goodbye to the Rock Hyrax (which kept trying to get into
our rooms) and packing, we set off towards the east side of the park, seeing
their closely related larger cousins, African Elephant, en route. Once again,
we were incredibly lucky and saw another group of Cheetahs make a kill and
were then able to observe them at close quarters. A Lilac-breasted Roller
posed for photographs before we drove just into Tanzania where security forces
checked us. Lots more Hippopotamus were on the Mara River and we had to be
careful, not because of the army or the Hippos, but because of the thieving
Green Vervet Monkeys!! Moving on, we stopped under another tree for lunch
(once again disturbing Rüppell's and White-backed Vultures), whilst Wildebeest
kept a wary eye on us. It is a long way through this huge park but with numerous
stops the day passed quite quickly. Striped Kingfisher was found on a roadside
signpost and an immense Saddle-billed Stork was spotted flying over before
we checked into the Mara Sarova Lodge. After looking at a few birds such as
Scarlet-chested Sunbird and Black-headed Oriole in the grounds, we set off
out again for the last hour of daylight. Unfortunately, an impassable marshy
area blocked our intended track but nevertheless, we found two new species,
Bare-faced Go-away-bird and Flappet Lark, before we had to head back. As we
entered the lodge gates, a nightjar species flew off the road. After dinner,
we met by the conference room and played an African Scops-owl tape. Within
minutes we were enjoying amazing views of this tiny owl. After the log, some
of us decided to see if we could refind the nightjar but the security guard
would not allow us out of the gate for safety reasons! Not to be thwarted
in our attempts we shone the lights through the gate and hey presto, the bird
was sitting on the road. After a number of views of the bird sitting and flying
around, we were able to identify it as Abyssinian or Montane Nightjar.
Day 16:
After breakfast we exited the park through the Sekenani
gate to spend a couple of profitable hours in an area of acacia woodland.
Although it was very windy, the area was filled with birds, starting with
Secretarybird. Our target species was Magpie Shrike but the wind was going
to make it difficult. A Croaking Cisticola showed well before we located our
bird, which showed extremely well. There was a large flock of birds moving
through the trees and scrub and with perseverance we managed to find Pale
Wren-warbler (Miombo Camaroptera) and Buff-bellied Penduline-tit (Buff-bellied
Penduline-tit) alongside many other good birds, including Red-throated Tit.
Continuing on our way, several more stops were made alongside the track for
Two-banded Courser, Southern Grosbeak-canary and an amazing Chameleon before
we hit tarmac roads and 'civilisation' again. As we sped away from the Masai
Mara, numerous safari vans were heading towards it following the relaxation
of travel restrictions. In one place there had obviously been a grain spill
on the road as there were hundreds of pigeons and doves, including Speckled
Pigeon, African Mourning-dove, Ring-necked Dove, Red-eyed Dove and Dusky Turtle-dove,
which made for excellent comparisons. As we entered the huge crater of Logonot
National Park, we started to search for our next target species, Greater Kestrel,
but without success. We did find, however, Grey-rumped Swallow, several Schalow's
Wheatears and Capped Wheatear. At the last gasp, however, just as we were
leaving the crater, a Greater Kestrel was spotted. Nearing Lake Naivasha,
we made a last stop on a hillside for Lyne's Cisticola but unfortunately,
without success. A Black Goshawk was seen by a few briefly soaring over the
road before we arrived at the Lake Naivasha Country Club with an hour of daylight
left to bird the grounds. It was a magnificent sunset over the lake as we
watched Red-knobbed Coot, Grey Headed Gull, Brimstone Canary and many other
birds.
Day 17:
Up early for our last full day in Kenya and our boat trip
on Lake Naivasha. Red-knobbed Coots abounded by the landing stage as well
as Maribou Stork and Spur-winged Lapwing. It was a perfect morning on the
lake and we enjoyed wonderful close-up views of Great White Pelican, Comb
Duck, Grey Crowned-crane (in flight) and Whiskered Tern, as well as Pied Avocet
and Black-tailed Godwit to make us feel more at home! There were wonderful
encounters with Hippopotamus as well as Defassa Waterbuck and Thompson's Gazelle.
Back to dry land and Pied Kingfisher and Nubian Woodpecker did their best
to prevent us from walking along the landing stage! A Barn Owl was found at
its daytime roost, whilst Sacred Ibis strutted around the lawn. All too soon
it was time to drive back to Nairobi but, of course, with stops en route.
Immediately after leaving the lodge we stopped for White-fronted Bee-eater
and a Saddle-billed Stork before a successful visit to a gorge for the bird
we missed yesterday, Lyne's Cisticola. It was then a long steep climb up the
hill out of the rift valley but eventually we got into the highlands where
the weather was much windier and colder. The bird we were looking for is not
only an endemic but also one of the rarest in the country with its habitat
rapidly disappearing. We weren't expecting too much and were happy to see
Black-winged Lapwings, Common Quail and several African Snipe, but then, amazingly,
there it was - a Sharpe's Longclaw - giving amazing and prolonged views and
even allowing video and photographs. We left the area in high spirits to visit
a nearby area of highland forest. The forest access road was very muddy with
fallen branches also impeding our progress. Eventually, we had to walk and
it was interesting to find out the reason for the road destruction, elephant
prints! We found a number of excellent birds in the forest, including White-tailed
Crested-flycatcher, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Eastern Olive-sunbird and Abyssinian
Crimsonwing, so it would be churlish to be disappointed at the absence of
our target bird, Bar-tailed Trogon. Returning to the road back to Nairobi,
we made one final stop at a roadside lake with a number of ducks on it, including
White-backed Duck and Maccoa Duck, which were both new for the tour. All too
soon we were back in the hustle-bustle of Nairobi and checking into our hotel
for the last night.
Day 18:
Our last morning was spent in Nairobi National Park, where
a remarkable number of new species were added given that it was the last day
of the tour. At the first pond a single African Darter was seen, but it was
in the nearby scrub and woodland that the action started. First we watched
a superb African Moustached Warbler hopping around on the track, then a Siffling
Cisticola was found. Whilst watching this, an African Yellow Warbler popped
into view, followed by excellent views of a Slender-tailed Mongoose. Next,
a pipit was flushed from the track and promptly flew into the trees for everyone
to see well, it was the soon-to-be-split Nairobi Pipit, presently a sub-species
of Long-billed Pipit. As we drove away, a huge raptor flew over our heads
carrying something, it was a Martial Eagle carrying our Slender-tailed Mongoose!
Conveniently it perched in a nearby tree where we were rewarded with outstanding
views. Carrying on to another lake, African Swamphen and Black-crowned Night-heron
were seen, and at a nearby watering hole, Rosy-breasted Longclaw eventually
showed well. Scanning the grasslands backed by the skyscrapers of Nairobi,
we saw several Masai Ostriches before finally finding our target species,
Hartlaub's Bustard, which gave excellent prolonged views allowing us to identify
it as an immature male. We searched in vain for White-tailed Lark but were
rewarded for our efforts with wonderful views of a Pangani Longclaw. Our final
stop was a lunch break with a magnificent spread provided by our friends at
the Maxwell Adventist Academy. Whilst eating, we were constantly on our guard
for the Green Vervet Monkeys (some crazy tourists were feeding them despite
the warnings) and on one occasion we had to chase one out of the van! Overhead
we had close views of Mottled Swifts before we had to pack up and leave the
park, arriving at Nairobi Airport exactly on time for check-in for the return
flight home with not a minute wasted! Our group total was a staggering 610
species plus 4 sub-species which are potential splits. The total includes
just 5 'heard onlys' and several members of the group managed to see 600 or
more species. We also saw 55 species of mammal including all of the 'big 5'.
The success of this tour was due to a combination of excellent group participation
and the highly professional guiding of Steve Easley who just seemed to be
able to coax that extra 'impossible' species of cisticola out of the bushes
with ease!
Day 19:
Arrival back in the UK at the end of the tour.
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