Birdwatching trip report - Kenya

 

 

 

Kenya is one of the prime bird watching destinations in Africa. You can see a tremendous amount of birds in this country in a short period of time and as a bonus you get all the wildlife for which Africa is famous.

According to the website of Tina MacDonald (www.camacdonald.com/birding) 1137 species of birds have been identified in Kenya. The variation in habitat across Kenya means that you only have to travel a short distance to end up in a different habitat with often a set of totally different birds.

 

This trip report details a two week bird watching “safari” to this amazing country from October 30 through November 14, 2005. It will also give some information on two former trips we undertook to Kenya in March 2003 and July 2004. On this trip we saw 336 species.

 

In December/January 2006/2007 we visited Kenya again on a “non birding trip”. On this trip we still saw 275 species and even 9 lifers. I will give some additional information on this trip too.

 

 

 FLIGHT AND VISA

 

We took the direct night-flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi with the KLM / Kenya Airways alliance. Flight time is just over 8 hours. There are two flights a day, seven days a week. The price of a return ticket, including taxes was 830 Euro.

 

We arranged our visa prior to our departure at the embassy of Kenya in The Hague (Nieuwe Parklaan 21, tel. 070-3504215)). The price of the visa is 50 Euro.

 

 

The Kenyan currency is the shilling. During our visit 1 Euro was about 84 shilling and 1 US dollar about 70 shilling. In the lodges and hotels credit cards, US dollars and Euros are generally accepted.

 

We booked our transport and lodging through Ontdek Kenya (ontdek = discover), a Kenyan company run by the Belgian Peter Huysman and his Kenyan wife Anne. This company is specialized in birding safaris and hiking trips in Kenya. For 15 nights/16 days we paid 2490 Euro p.p. This price included all lodging, food, transport (4WD with driver), entrance fees of the parks and services of a bird guide. So once in Kenya we only needed money for drinks and tips. This was our third birding trip with Ontdek Kenya and every time the organization of the program is perfect. You can find Ontdek Kenya at www.ontdekkenya.com; e-mail: walk@ontdekkenya.com. Our bird guide was Alex Oloo a good birder and very pleasant company. We stayed in good to luxurious lodges, often with swimming pools. The food was generally excellent.

 

Immunisation against hepatitis, polio, typhoid and yellow fever is recommended, as are all precautions against malaria. In most lodges you will find mosquito nets. Drinking tap water is not recommended. The people in Kenya are generally very friendly and helpful. The capital Nairobi is considered not to be very safe for tourists, but most birders don’t stay long in this large and polluted third world capital. Our guide Alex has a Nairobi life list of about 500 species, so for the adventurous birders even in Nairobi birding is possible!

 

Inside many of the national parks it is forbidden to get out of your car because the game forms a potential hazard. If you are allowed to do so in some areas inside the park always follow the instructions of your local guide.

 

 

English is widely spoken throughout the country. It is however highly appreciated if you speak some basic Kiswahili.

 

 

There are two rainy seasons: the short rains from November through half December and longer rains from the end of March through half May. The general opinion in Kenya is that the weather nowadays is less predictable than in the old days. In the rainy season some roads can be blocked or impassable. During our stay in November we had some showers, but generally the weather was very pleasant. In places like Baringo and Shaba, which can be very hot, the presence of some clouds made our stay even more agreeable than it would have been in the dry season.

 

 

Stevenson T, Fanshawe, J: Field guide to the birds of East Africa, Kenya Tanzania Uganda Rwanda Burundi, Christopher Helm, London, 2003. The guide we used daily in the field. In the text the nomenclature of this book is used.

 

Zimmerman, DA, Turner DA, Pearson DJ, Birds of Kenya & Northern Tanzania, Chirstopher Helm, London 1999. This book is an excellent addition to the former guide.

 

Sinclair I, Ryan P, Birds of Africa south of the Sahara, Stuik Publishers, Cape Town, 2003

 

Wheatley N, Where to watch birds in Africa, Cristopher Helm, London, 1995

 

Fishpool LDC, Evans MI, Important bird areas in Africa and associated islands, Pisces Publications, Newbury, 2001

 

Andrew A, Rhind S, Watching Wildlife East Africa, Lonely Planet, Melbourne, 2001

 

Kingdon J, The Kingdon guide to African mammals, Cristopher Helm, London 2003

 

Nelles Map KENYA 1 : 1.100.000, Nelles Verlag , München,

 

 

The following species we saw frequently and if you spent any time in the right habitat you will probably see them too:

 

Cattle Egret, Marabou Stork, Sacred Ibis, Hadada Ibis, Egyptian Goose, Black Kite, African Fish Eagle, Augur Buzzard, Long-crested Eagle, Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Sandpiper, Speckled Pigeon, Ring-necked Dove, Red-eyed Dove, Laughing Dove, Little Swift, Speckled Mousebird, Pied Kingfisher, Lilac-breasted Roller, Rock Martin, Barn Swallow, African Pied Wagtail, Common Bulbul, Olive Thrush, Willow Warbler, Grey-backed Camaroptera, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, African Grey Flycatcher, African Dusky Flycatcher, African Paradise Flycatcher, Variable Sunbird, Common Fiscal, Fork-tailed Drongo, Pied Crow, Cape Rook, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Rüppell’s Long-tailed Starling, Superb Starling, Baglafecht Weaver.

 

                                                               

Some of these birds are Palaearctic migrants that are only found in Kenya during our European winter (i.e. Barn Swallow and Willow Warbler)

 

 

Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, Lake Baringo, Aberdare Country Club, Shaba National Reserve, Naro Moru.

 

We arrived on the first of November at 6 o’clock in the morning at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi where Peter, Alex and our driver Ben were waiting for us. Probably the first bird you will see when you arrive at this airport is the Little Swift.

 

From Nairobi to Naivasha we stopped at some good birding spots. From the car we spotted some of the larger common species like Marabou Stork, Cattle Egret, Hadada Ibis, Black Kite, Augur Buzzard, Speckled Pigeon, Pied Crow and Cape Rook

 

- Limuru pond. A freshwater pond along the road to Naivasha 30 km northwest of Nairobi on the A104. The spot is quite noisy due to the traffic, but offers a good introduction to East African waterfowl.

Birds we saw here included Little Grebe, Long-tailed Cormorant, Intermediate Egret, Grey Heron, Sacred Ibis, Glossy Ibis, White-faced Whistling-Duck, Maccoa Duck, Red-billed Teal, Hottentot Teal, Yellow-billed Duck, Red-knobbed Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Blacksmith Lapwing, Speckled Mousebird, Red-rumped Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, Common Bulbul, Common Stonechat, Rattling Cisticola, Common Fiscal, Baglafecht Weaver.

 

 

- Kinangop Plateau. The grassland on this plateau is the main stronghold of the threatened EA-endemic Sharpe’s Longclaw. After some searching we managed to see some of these beautiful birds.

Other birds we saw here: Red-capped Lark, Barn Swallow, Northern Anteater Chat, Capped Wheatear, Long-tailed Widowbird (male in breeding plumage) and Streaky Seedeater.

 

- Kieni Forest. We spent here only about 15 minutes because we had to move on to be in time for lunch in Naivasha.

The most remarkable bird we saw here was the White-tailed Blue-Flycatcher. According to the Field Guide to the birds of East Africa this species is not found in Kenya, but we had good views of it. Alex Oloo, our bird guide told us that this species is regularly seen in the Kieni Forest.

Other species we saw here: African Hawk-Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Tullberg’s Woodpecker, Black Saw-wing, Olive Thrush, Montane White-eye and Northern Double-collared Sunbird.

 

 

This freshwater rift valley lake is only 80 km west of Nairobi. Over 450 species have been recorded on and around the lake. We stayed here three nights in the Lake Naivasha Country Club, an excellent hotel situated at the border of the lake with a large beautiful garden full of birds.

 

New birds seen in the garden: Hamerkop, Red-eyed Dove, Laughing Dove, African Cuckoo, Red-chested Cuckoo, Diederik Cuckoo, Klaas’s Cuckoo, African Grey Hornbill, Grey Woodpecker, Dusky Flycatcher, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Chin-spot Batis, Black Cuckoo-shrike, Fork-tailed Drongo, Grey-backed Fiscal, Wire-tailed Swallow, African Pied Wagtail, Rüppell’s Robin-Chat, White-browed Robin-Chat, Willow Warbler, European Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Red-faced Crombec, Hunters Cisticola, Variable Sunbird, Bronze Sunbird, Black-headed Oriole, Spectacled Weaver.

 

 The hotels offer boat trips on the lake which are an absolute must for any birder.

 

We did a one hour trip on the lake the afternoon of the day we arrived and saw more than 30 new species: Great White Pelican, Pink-backed Pelican, Great Cormorant, Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Goliath Heron, Yellow-billed Stork, African Spoonbill, Egyptian Goose, Northern Shoveler, Osprey, Common Moorhen, Common Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Ruff, Black-winged Godwit, Spur-winged Lapwing, Grey-headed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Whiskered Tern, African Skimmer, Pied Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, White-fronted Bee-eater, Plain Martin, Cape Robin-Chat, Black-lored Babbler, Tropical Boubou andAfrican Citril.

                                                                  

 

From Naivasha we made excursions to Hell’s Gate National Park and to the Crater Lake Sanctuary. Both places are within an hour drive from Naivasha and differ from other national parks in Kenya because it is allowed to explore the parks on foot.

 

 Hells Gate National Park consists mainly of grassland and scrubland. The cliffs in the park offer a breeding opportunity to Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture and Verreaux’s Eagle. Included in the park is a small river running through a gorge. It is possible to descend into the gorge on foot, birding as you go. This was the third time we visited this park and every time we spent over half an hour at the entrance of the park because of the many birds that can be seen here.

Also on the road from Naivasha to Hell’s Gate which is only 15 km we had to stop several times for new birds: Grey Crowned Crane, Wood Sandpiper, Crowned Lapwing, Hildebrandt’s Starling, Red-winged Starling, Rufous Sparrow and the hybrid of Fisher’s Lovebird x Yellow-collared Lovebird.

 

New birds we saw in Hell’s Gate on this visit: Common Ostrich, Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture, African Harrier-Hawk, Verreaux’s Eagle, Helmeted Guineafowl, Kori Bustard, Namaqua Dove, Lilac-breasted Roller, Hoopoe, Nubian Woodpecker, Rock Martin, Mountain Wagtail, Grassland Pipit, Shalow’s Wheatear, Little Rock-Thrush, Grey Flycatcher, Northern Black Flycatcher, Pectoral-patch Cisticola, Northern Puffback, Amethyst Sunbird, Hunter’s Sunbird, Garden Warbler, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Red-billed Oxpecker, Speke’s Weaver, Red-headed Weaver, Common Waxbill, Purple Grenadier, Yellow-rumped Seedeater, Brimstone Canary.

                                                                    

On previous visits in February 2003 and July 2004 we saw several other birds in Hells Gate including Secretary Bird, Spotted Eagle-Owl (in the gorge), Dusky Turtle Dove, Wahlberg’s Honeybird, Rufous-naped Lark, Yellow Bishop, Crimson-rumped Waxbill, Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting and African Golden-breasted Bunting.

 

Crater Lake Sanctuary is a small sanctuary on the west side of Lake Naivasha. The sanctuary is less than one hour drive from Naivasha, partly over a very dusty dirt road. Like Hell’s Gate National Park it is allowed to explore this park on foot. There’s a beautiful tented camp inside the park situated next to the green crater lake. We stayed here on a former visit but this time chose to visit the park on a day-excursion.

We walked from the gate to the tented camp passing the rim of the crater, a walk of about 8 km.

During our walk we saw the following new birds Lanner Falcon, Common Cuckoo, Fisher’s Lovebird, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Green Wood-hoopoe, Mottled Swift, Plain-backed Pipit, Arrow-marked Babbler, Brubru, Grey-capped Warbler, Wattled Starling, Crimson-rumped Waxbill and African Golden-breasted Bunting.

On the lake we saw our first of many Lesser Flamingos of this trip and some Cape Teals.

 

On the drive back to Naivasha we were lucky to see some special birds like Hildebrandt’s Francolin (a lifer!), Southern Ground-hornbill, Black-crowned Tchagra and the Striped Kingfisher.

 

 

Lake Nakuru National Park is just 3 km south of Nakuru town in central Kenya, 155 km northwest of Nairobi. It was established in 1960 as the first bird-sanctuary in Africa. Every serious birder visiting Kenya should visit this park to see the hundreds of thousands of flamingos that live and feed on this lake and gave the lake its nickname “lake pink”. On our previous visits we stayed inside the park in the Sarova Lion Hill a good place but a little bit crowded. This time we stayed 2 nights in a new lodge just outside the park, Mbweha Camp, a very quiet and peaceful place that is highly recommended. Because the lodge is outside the park you are allowed to walk around freely in the surrounding.

Since this visit a new lodge has been opened near Nakuru: the Maili Saba Tented Camp situated on the rim of the Menengai Crater (www.mailisabacamp.com). We stayed in this new camp in January 2007 and liked it even more than the Mbweha Camp.

                                                               

                                                                            

 New birds we saw in and around the park included: Secretary Bird, Black-chested Snake-Eagle, Brown Snake-Eagle, Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Tawny Eagle (one or two), Steppe Eagle (many, feeding on Flamingos!), African Crowned Eagle, Common Kestrel, Black-bellied Bustard, Little Stint, Common Greenshank, White-browed Coucal, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Red-fronted Barbet,  Common House Martin, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Northern Wheatear, Isabelline Wheatear, Cliff Chat, Spotted Flycatcher, Stout Cisticola,  Zitting Cisticola, White-bellied Tit, Chestnut Weaver, Pin-tailed Whydah, Red-cheeked Gordon-bleu and Red-billed Firefinch.

 

Other birds seen here included: Common Ostrich, Great White Pelican, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Yellow-billed Stork, African Spoonbill, Lesser Flamingo, Black-shouldered Kite, African Harrier-Hawk, Grey Crowned Crane, Black-winged Stilt, Crowned Lapwing, Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Grey-headed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Whiskered Tern, Common Cuckoo, Lilac-breasted Roller, Eurasian Bee-eater, Green Wood-hoopoe, Hoopoe, African Grey Hornbill, Southern Ground Hornbill, Red-capped Lark, Black Saw-wing, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Woodpecker, Grassland Pipit, Plain-backed Pipit, Black Cuckoo-shrike, Cape Robin-Chat, Shalow’s Wheatear, Red-faced Crombec, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Chin-spot Batis, Arrow-marked Babbler, Bronze sunbird, Tropical Boubou, Black-headed Oriole, Red-billed Oxpecker, Red-winged Starling, Wattled Starling, Northern Black Flycatcher, Red-headed Weaver and Yellow-rumped Seedeater.

 

On our former visits to Lake Nakuru we also saw several Greater Flamingos among the thousands of Lesser Flamingos but this time we failed to identify them.

 

During our visit in 2007 we managed to see three more lifers in Nakuru: the Red-collared Widowbird, Olive Pigeon and the Red-throated Wryneck.

 

 

From Nakuru we travelled 120 km north to one of the other famous Rift Valley lakes: Lake Baringo. This region is very hot during day time. We were lucky to have some overcast days making the heat bearable. We stayed in the Lake Baringo Country Club. The garden of this lodge and adjacent camp grounds are an excellent birding spot. We stayed here for three nights, birding in the garden, making excursions in the surroundings especially to the nearby cliffs and to Lake Bogoria.

 

In the garden and at the lakeside we saw many new birds: Little Bittern, African Jacana, Lesser Black-backed Gull, African Mourning Dove, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, White-bellied Go-away Bird, Blue-naped Mousebird, Red-and-yellow Barbet,  Northern White-crowned Shrike, Spotted Morning Thrush, Brown Babbler, Rufous Chatterer, Beautiful Sunbird, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, White-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Black-headed weaver, Northern Masked Weaver, Vitelline Masked Weaver.

It is possible to go on a boat trip on the lake. On this trip we failed to do so. In January 2007 we had the opportunity to go on a boat ride and not only saw hippo’s and large crocodiles but also interesting birds like Northern Red Bishop and Yellow-crowned Bishop (a lifer!)                                           

 

 

The nearby cliffs are a must for any birder. It is advisable to go there early in the morning because this is usually a very hot place. The local people made a parking lot with a sign that reads:

            

 

We saw here Shikra, Hemprich’s Hornbill, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Brown-tailed Rock-Chat, White-browed Scrub-Robin, Northern Crombec, Northern Grey Tit, Black-cheeked Waxbill.

We met here a 14 year old boy named Ronald Kangor, who showed us an Eurasian Nightjar roosting on a branch.

In the afternoon we made another trip with Ronald and his friend Mozes. These boys showed us some beautiful birds that are normally very difficult to find if you do not know their roosting place, like African Scops Owl, Dark-spotted Eagle-Owl, Heuglin’s Courser, Slender-tailed Nightjar and Spotted Thick-knee.

                                                               

 Lake Bogoria.

 

From Lake Baringo we made a day-trip to Lake Bogoria, 40 km south of Lake Baringo. Here we visited first the Kesubo Swamp (also knowm as Kisibor swamp). On a previous visit we had seen some interesting birds here like Bat Hawk, Senegal Lapwing, Black-headed Lapwing, Caspian Plover, and African Pygmy Kingfisher but this time we only saw the Black-headed Lapwing, Red-billed Hornbill and the African Golden Oriole.

 

In Lake Bogoria National Park we saw many new birds: Black-necked Grebe, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Pygmy Falcon, Kitlitz’s Plover, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Brown Parrot, Jackson’s Hornbill, Rufous-crowned Roller, d’Arnaud’s Barbet, Black-throated Barbet, Pied Wheatear, Silverbird, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, White-headed Buffalo-Weaver, Little Weaver, Lesser Masked Weaver, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Red-billed Quelea, Magpie Starling, Fan-tailed Raven, Grey-headed Sparrow.

 

                                                              

 

Lake Bogoria is also a good spot to see both Lesser and Greater Flamingo’s that feed in the alkaline waters. The lake is fed by a small river and some hot springs and geysers. The area around the beautiful geysers is a good spot to have lunch.

 

 

On 7 November we left the rift valley and its beautiful lakes and headed to the Aberdare Country Club, near the town of Nyeri. In the Rift Valley we had seen a total of 261 different species. The Aberdare Country Club is housed in a colonial building in a beautiful surrounding. It is possible to walk in the gardens and in the small private reserve so you can see the game (giraffes, elands, impalas etc) on foot. Although the atmosphere is somewhat formal the club serves some of the best food in Kenya. (I was told that recently a new management took over and that the food is not as good as it used to be)

On our walk in the gardens we saw Pallid Harrier, Isabelline Shrike, Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike, Yellow-whiskered Greenbul, Collared Sunbird, Green-headed Sunbird, Winding Cisticola, Montane Oriole, Violet–backed Starling, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler.

 

From the Aberdare Country Club we made an excursion to the Solio Game Reserve. This privately owned reserve is only a short drive from the Country Club and is world famous for its Rhino breeding program. Both the White and Black Rhino are bred here and many of the Rhinos you will see in Kenya originate from this farm. A high fence protects the animals against possible poaching.

We only managed to see the White Rhino on our excursion but were lucky to see a Leopard resting in a tree.

New birds we saw here: Yellow-necked Spurfowl, African Snipe, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Little Bee-eater, Black-and-white Cuckoo, Eurasian Wryneck, Cape Wagtail, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Yellow Bishop

 

Other birds seen in the Aberdare Country Club and the Solio Game Reserve included Common Ostrich, Black-headed Heron, Hamerkop, Yellow-billed Stork, Red-billed Teal, Hottentot Teal, Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture, Helmeted Guineafowl, Grey Crowned Crane, Spur-winged Lapwing, Crowned Lapwing, Three-banded Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Brown Parrot, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Common Cuckoo, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Diederik Cuckoo, White-browed Coucal, Little Swift, Eurasian Bee-eater, Lilac-breasted Roller, Eurasian Roller, Green Wood-hoopoe, Hoopoe, Nubian Woodpecker, Plain Martin, Red-rumped Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Plain-backed Pipit, Rüppell’s Robin-chat, Little Rock-thrush, Isabelline Wheatear, Stout Cisticola, Rattling Cisticola, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Chin-spot Batis, Black-lored Babbler, White-bellied Tit, Montane White-eye, Bronze Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Variable Sunbird, Tropical Boubou, Brubru, Northern Puffback, Cape Rook, Red-billed Quelea, Red-headed Weaver, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Red-billed Firefinch, Pin-tailed Whydah, African Golden-breasted Bunting.

Before we left the Aberdare Country club we visited the nearby town of Nyeri where we saw the Silvery-cheeked Hornbill that is actually common in this region.

 

 

 

The Shaba National Reserve is situated some 70 km north of Mount Kenya in the Isiolo District of Eastern Province. The park reserve is an extension of the Buffalo Springs and Samburu National Reserve that lie to its west.

We stayed here in the Sarova Shaba Lodge, to our opinion one of the most beautifully situated lodges in Kenya. The lodge overlooks the Ewaso Nyiro River and from your room you can see the crocodiles sunbathing on the sandbanks of the river. The park is quite dry with acacia woodlands, bush and grasslands which support many of the species normally found in the dry northern part of Kenya.

From Shaba we made a day excursion to the nearby Buffalo Springs National Reserve. It is also possible to go to Samburu National Reserve but because of the fact that this park is situated in another province you may have to pay an additional entrance fee.

Shaba is not only a good birding spot but also a good place to see big game. We managed to see Lions and Cheetahs on this visit. Other interesting species that are found here include the Gerenuk, Oryx and the Grevy’s Zebra

 

New birds we saw in Shaba and Buffalo Springs: Striated Heron, Great Egret, Abdim’s Stork, African Open-billed Stork, White-headed Vulture, Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Common Buzzard, Bateleur, Eurasian Hobby, Crested Francolin, White-bellied Bustard, Water Thick-knee, Green Sandpiper, Black-faced Sandgrouse, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Orange-bellied Parrot, Palm Swift, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Cardinal Woodpecker, Pink-breasted Lark, Fisher’s Sparrow-Lark, Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark, Golden Pipit, Desert Cisticola, Taita Fiscal, Slate-coloured Boubou, Rosy-patched Bush-shrike, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Golden-breasted Starling, Fisher’s Starling, Parrot-billed Sparrow, Yellow-spotted Petronia, Donaldson Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver, Black-capped Social Weaver, Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver, African Silverbill, Cut-throat Finch, Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting.

 

 

During another visit in 2004 we also saw the beautiful Vulturine Guineafowl in Buffalo Springs, but this time we missed it. Thus bird is reportedly more common in Samburu.

 

Other birds seen in Shaba and Buffalo Springs: Grey Heron, Black-headed Heron, Hamerkop, Yellow-billed Stork, Black-shouldered Kite, Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture, Pallid Harrier, Shikra, African Harrier-Hawk, Tawny Eagle, Common Kestrel, Pygmy Falcon, Helmeted Guineafowl, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Grey-crowned Crane, Crowned Lapwing, Three-banded Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Namaqua Dove, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Klaas’s Cuckoo, White-browed Coucal, Little Swift, Blue-naped Mousebird, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Little Bee-eater, Eurasian Roller, Rufous-crowned Roller, Hoopoe, Red-billed Hornbill, African Grey Hornbill, Eurasian Wryneck, Nubian Woodpecker, White-browed Robin-Chat, Northern Wheatear, Isabelline Wheatear, Pied Wheatear, Northern Crombec, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Spotted Flycatcher, Rufous Chatterer, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, Isabelline Shrike, Brubru, Fan-tailed Raven, Bristle-crowned Starling, Magpie Starling, Wattled Starling, Rufous Sparrow, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, White-headed Buffalo-Weaver, Vitelline Masked Weaver, Chestnut Weaver, Red-billed Quelea, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Black-cheeked Waxbill.

 

 

This lodge is used by many visitors as a base for climbing the nearby Mount Kenya. We wanted to do some birding on the slopes of this mountain, but we visited Mount Kenya on a rainy day that spoiled most of the birding. Nevertheless the grounds of the lodge are a good birding place and although this was the last stop on our trip we still managed to see some new birds and even some lifers.

Highlight of our stay was not the list of new birds but a Black-headed Heron attacking and finally eating a large snake. We watched this spectacle for about a quarter of an hour and my wife was able to make some nice pictures.

            

 

New birds we saw on Mount Kenya: Abbot’s Starling, Thick-billed Seedeater, Grey Apalis and Brown Woodland Warbler.

 

New birds on the grounds of the lodge: African Black Duck, Red-fronted Parrot, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Common Scimitarbill, Crowned Hornbill, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Tacazze Sunbird, Mountain Greenbul, Bronze Manikin.

 

Other birds seen in this region: Black-headed Heron, African Harrier-Hawk, Green Sandpiper, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Grey Woodpecker, Black Saw-wing, Mountain Wagtail, Yellow-whiskered Greenbul, Rüppell’s Robin-Chat, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler, Blackcap, Red-faced Crombec, Chin-spot Batis, Montane White-eye, Bronze Sunbird, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird, Green-headed Sunbird, Tropical Boubou, Rufous Sparrow, Speke’s Weaver, Red-billed Firefinch, Red-cheeked Cordon-blue, Common Waxbill, Streaky Seedeater, Brimstone Canary, African Citril, African Golden-breasted Bunting.

 

PLACES VISITED ON FORMER TRIPS.

 

In 2003 (February/March) and 2004 (July) we also visited Kenya. Both trips were organized by Mark Kuiper from Natuurbeleven from the Netherlands (www.natuurbeleven.nl). On both trips Ontdek Kenya arranged the transport and accommodation. In December-January 2006-2007 we visited Kenya again with some non-birding friends, but we still managed to see some nice birds during this trip.

On these trips we visited many of the above mentioned parks but also some other places like Lake Elmentaita, Kakamega, Amboseli National Park, Tsavo East and of course the Masai Mara.

 

Below you find some brief notes on these places:

 

-Lake Elmentaita.

 

Lake Elmentaita is one of the Rift Valley lakes, that is not as famous among birders as Lake Baringo or Lake Naivasha. The lake is situated about 40 km south of Nakuru town. We visited this lake 3 times and always stayed in the Lake Elementaita Lodge, a very pleasant place to stay. The grassy plains in front of the lodge are a good place to spot larks, pipits and wheatears. Temminck’s courser is also a resident. In the wooded area near the lake you find Fisher’s Lovebird, Green Woodhoopoe , Klaas Cuckoo and Diederik Cuckoo. The number of flamingo’s feeding on the lake are not as high as in Nakuru or Bogoria but several thousands of flamingo’s are often present. The reeds on the border of the lake are a good spot to see the Grossbeak Weaver. The sunset over the lake seen from the terrace of the Lake Elementaita Lodge is a spectacular sight.

 

-Kakamega.

 

Kakamega Forest is an eastern extension of the great Congo Basin Rainforest in western Kenya near the border with Uganda. This forest supports over 80 species which are not found elsewhere in Kenya. We visited Kakamega on our first trip to Kenya in 2003 and managed to see some of the spectacular birds, although birding here is more difficult than in the rest of Kenya. If you are going to Kakamega and can afford it try to stay in the Rondo Retreat right in the middle of the forest with a beautiful garden full of birds.

 

Birds we saw here include: Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, Great Blue Turaco, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, Grey-throated Barbet, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Joyful Greenbul, Equatorial Akalat, Snowy-headed Robin-Chat, African Thrush, Banded Prinia, African Blue Flycatcher, Ashy Flycatcher, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Orange-tufted Sunbird, Green-throated Sunbird, Olive Sunbird, Olive-bellied Sunbird, Lüdher’s Bush-shrike, Bronze Manikin, Grey-headed Negrofinch, Brown-capped Weaver, Vieillot’s Black Weaver, Black-billed Weaver, Thick-billed Seedeater.

 

-Amboseli National Park

 

This park at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro is famous for its large herds of elephants. The park consists of a mixture of swamps and savannah which makes it possible to observe ducks and egrets on one side of the car while spotting a Two-banded Courser on the other side. We visited this park in July 2004 and during our last trip in December 2006. In 2004 we stayed in the Ol-Tukai lodge and in 2006 in the newly opened Kibo Safari Camp. We preferred the Ol-Tukai not only because it is more luxurious (and probably more expensive), but also because it is situated in the centre of the park with easy access to all parts of the park.

Birds we saw here in 2004: Spur-winged Goose, Greater Painted-snipe, Long-toed Lapwing, African Grey Hornbill, Von der Decken’s Hornbill, Two-banded Courser, Collared Pratincole, African Pygmy Kingfisher,  d’Arnaud’s Barbet, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Bearded Woodpecker, Fisher’s Sparrow-Lark, Long-billed Pipit, Spotted Morning Thrush, Abyssinian White-eye, and Red-faced Crombec.

 

In December 2006 we visited this park after heavy rains that inundated large parts of Amboseli. Interesting birds during this visit included: Abdim’s Stork, Saddle-billed Stork, Goliath Heron, African Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Grey Crowned Crane, Lappet-faced and White-backed Vulture, Montagu’s Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Eastern Pale Chanting Goshawk, Pygmy Falcon, White-faced and Fulvous Whistling Duck, Kori Bustard, White-bellied Bustard, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Kittlitz’s Plover, Water Thick-knee, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Pangani Longclaw, White-browed Scrub-Robin, Blue-naped Mousebird, Long-tailed Fiscal, Pale Flycatcher, Rufous Chatterer, Hildebrandt’s Starling, Chestnut Weaver and Golden-backed Weaver.

 

                                                               

 

Tsavo West National park is a vast expanse of savannah stretching from the Athi river , north of the Mombasa-Nairobi road, south to the Tanzanian border. This park covers a larger area than the Masai Mara but is less visited than the Mara probably because the wildlife here is more dispersed and less abundant. Bird watching however is another matter as the park themes with birds.

 

 

We visited Tsavo West in July 2004 and stayed in the Ziwani Tented Camp, just outside the park. In this lodge the localized East-African endemic the Taveta Golden Weaver forages at the tables in the restaurant.  I can not give you a total overview of all the birds we saw here but will mention the specialities: Madagascar Squacco Heron, Black Egret (at Lake Jipe), African Marsh-Harrier, Lanner Falcon, Gabar Goshawk, Southern Ground Hornbill, Madagascar Bea-eater, Brown-breasted Barbet, Golden Pipit, Pink-breasted Lark, White-crested Helmet-shrike, Fisher’s Starling, Golden-breasted Starling, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, Black-capped Social-Weaver, Cut-throat Finch, Blue-capped Cordonbleu.

 

-Masai Mara

The Masai Mara National Reserve is the most famous park in Kenya. It borders the Serengeti in Tanzania, and is considered part of the same ecosystem. The Mara is a must for every birder visiting Kenya not only because of the many birds you can spot here but also because of the variety of wildlife that can be seen here. All the members of the Big Five are to be found here although the population of the Rhino is severely threatened by poaching. On our three visits we never saw this impressive animal.

We have been to the Masai Mara three times in 2003, 2004 and 2007. Allow yourself at least three nights in the park because there is a lot to see here.

 

There are many lodges inside and just outside the park. We stayed in several of them but I think our favourite place is the Sarova Mara Camp.

 

In March 2003 we saw among many other birds the following birds here (I only give the new birds for the trip of that year): Abdim’s Stork, Hooded Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture (all vultures that occur in Kenya can be seen here, we only failed to see the White-headed Vulture), Black-chested Snake-eagle, Bateleur, Dark Chanting-Goshawk, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Martial Eagle, Red-necked Spurfowl, White-bellied Bustard, Kori Bustard, Temminck’s Courser, Yellow-throated Longclaw, African Wattled Lapwing, Von den Decken’s Hornbill, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, White-headed Barbet, Slate-coloured Boubou, Black Cuckoo-shrike, Black-backed Puffback, Sooty Chat, Capped Wheatear, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Northern Black Flycatcher, Stout Cisticola, Rattling Cisticola, Grey-capped Warbler, Holub’s Golden Weaver, Hildebrandt’s Starling, Violet-backed Starling and Yellow-spotted Petronia.

 

In July 2005 we stayed again for three nights in the Mara and were lucky enough to see the large herds of migrating Wildebeests and Zebras. This is truly one of the most wonderful natural spectacles in the world. Despite of the migrating herbivores we still managed to see some birds.

 I quote only the new species of this trip that we did not see in 2004: Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Brown Parrot, Striped Kingfisher, Woodland Kingfisher, Shallow’s Turaco, Green-backed Woodpecker, Black-headed Weaver, Grey-capped Social-Weaver, Yellow Bishop, Swahili Sparrow.

                                             

 

The Shallow’s Turaco, a very beautiful bird, can be found at the grounds of the Mara Intrepids Camp. You can go there for a drink and probably find the Turaco after a short walk around the camp.

 

On our third visit in January 2007 we still saw two new lifers: Rosy-breasted Longclaw and Purple-banded Sunbird but also interesting birds like the Gabar Goshawk, Lesser Kestrel, Bare-faced Go-away-bird and Speckle-fronted Weaver.

 

Our next trip to Kenya is already planned because until now we never visited the coast with places like the Arabuko-Sokoke forest and Mida Creek.

                                               

If you have any questions please contact us at udomarina@casema.nl