Kenya Bird and Wildlife Safari Oct 28—Nov 15, 2007
Posted by David Wolf
David Wolf
David Wolf is a senior member of the VENT staff and one of our most experienced tour leaders. After birding the U.S. and Mexico for over a decade, an interest in the mammal...Related Trips
Kenya always amazes me. How can there be such incredible diversity in such a small area—so many different birds, animals, even peoples? The answer lies in the complex terrain and climate, but what it means for the visitor is an inexhaustible wealth of things to see. We took full advantage of this abundance, from our first birding strolls in Nairobi, when everything was new and the comical Speckled Mousebirds were clearly the favorite, to our final day in the Masai Mara, with Southern Ground-Hornbills striding the grassland and cheetahs relaxing in the shade of a bush. In-between came over 575 species of birds, an impressive array of mammals, and a lifetime of memories of Africa.
This was a trip where everything fell into place as hoped for. The weather was pleasant and the landscape was "not too wet, not too dry." With conditions good, many species were coming into breeding plumage and starting to breed. For example, we saw all of the weavers possible on this route, and cuckoos were singing everywhere (we even found several fledglings being fed by their over-worked hosts). After years of decline the Rift Valley lakes were the highest they have been in decades, and waterbirds were present in abundance. The raptors were outstanding (almost 50 species seen!), and we had multiple sightings of such fabulous residents as Martial and Crowned eagles, as well as a steady parade of migrants. In the parks and reserves we observed a wide variety of mammals, including our "own" leopard and cheetah in Samburu and both species of rhino at Lake Nakuru. The enthusiasm and great spotting abilities of our group added immensely to the trip, while much of our success was due to the incredible skills and patience of driver-guides Bernard and Thomas. To them we extend a special "thank you."
After plunging into the African avifauna in the Nairobi area, our safari began by driving north to the forested Mt. Kenya region, where a picnic lunch along a quiet trout stream produced a surprise Giant Kingfisher, an unexpected White-eared Barbet, scarce Gray Cuckoo-Shrikes, and colorful Black-throated Apalis.
It was a quiet night at Mountain Lodge, but the next morning we found two pairs of Montane Orioles contesting for territory, and rare Oriole Finches amidst the commoner highland birds. From here we dropped down to the dry lowlands of Samburuland, a totally different environment. The drive across the reserve to the lodge provided so much excitement I thought we might never get there—but how can you resist stopping for your first wild elephants, or colorful Golden Pipits in flight display, or sandgrouse in the road? After several seasons of good rain Samburu was in perfect shape, and we found just about everything that we could have hoped for and more. Bird song filled the air, with the larks especially conspicuous, and huge numbers of weavers and sparrows were breeding—every large acacia seemed filled with nests and activity. Among our many highlights here were Secretary-birds stalking steadily across a plain, numerous flocks of spectacular Vulturine Guineafowl, raptors at every turn, herds of up to 50 wonderfully calm elephants, and Somali region specialties like Red-bellied Parrot, White-headed Mousebird, Somali Bee-eater, Grevy's zebra, and gerenuk.
From Samburu we dropped down into the Great Rift Valley at Lake Nakuru. Though the lake was high, it was estimated by the park staff that over a million Lesser Flamingos were present, truly one of the world's greatest bird sights. At our lodge, a Little Rock-Thrush greeted us from the rooftop, while game drives around the lake produced a rare black rhino trotting away through the brush, two lionesses up a tree, a fabulous group of six Greater Painted-Snipe in a roadside puddle, and much more.
The Baringo area was the driest area visited, but the lake here is an oasis in the midst of the thornbush. On our boat trip here we saw a wide variety of birds, including immense Goliath Herons, rare Senegal Thick-knees, close-up Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, and a pair of Hemprich's Hornbills on a rocky island. Back on land, the "Baringo bird boys" found us a pair of Three-banded Coursers, roosting Northern White-faced Owls and Grayish Eagle-Owls, and Slender-tailed Nightjars on the ground (plus we observed nesting Verreaux's Eagle-Owls right on the lodge grounds). Daytime studies of any of these nocturnal species are special.
Kakamega Forest is only a few hundred kilometers from Baringo, but so different it might as well be on another planet. Here the local topography creates a high rainfall region verdant with tall rainforest that harbors an avifauna more typical of Central Africa. We began enjoying this batch of new birds right at the Rondo Retreat Center, where it wasn't long before our first Great Blue Turaco glided into a forest tree on the edge of the beautiful garden. Here too we laughed at the noisy Black-and-white Casqued Hornbills, called up an incredibly responsive White-spotted Flufftail, and stalked a Gray-winged Robin-Chat as it gave its delightful and complex song. Other special finds in Kakamega included good looks at two Ayres's Hawk-Eagles, Blue-headed Bee-eaters hawking insects from the midstory, a gabbling flock of White-headed Wood-Hoopoes, all of the local barbets including the brilliant Double-toothed, and all four of the elusive wattle-eyes.
Beautiful Lake Naivasha provided a wonderful wrap-up for our main tour, with over 165 species of birds seen by the group in one day! And who would have believed two more great birds right on the lodge grounds as we walked to breakfast our final morning: a trio of Hildebrandt's Francolins (at a bird feeder!), and then a juvenile Levaillant's Cuckoo still being fed by its hosts, a group of Arrow-marked Babblers.