[nick scarle]

Dear all

Here's a report of a recent trip to Kenya, surely one of the most magical birding destinations in the world.

A couple of years ago the BBC ran a series called Elephant Diaries, filmed at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage near Nairobi.
http://sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/index.asp
My partner and I were so smitten with the baby elephants we both signed up to sponsor an orphan.
When we got round to discussing a holiday for this year there was only one contender - a birding trip to Kenya, including a visit to the orphanage.
I searched t'internet and landed at Sarus Bird Tours who offer tailor-made trips with Ben Mugambi.
http://www.bensecologicalsafaris.com/index.html
They put together a comprehensive itinerary for us including flights, accommodation, food, transport and guide.
We flew with KLM from Manchester via Amsterdam, landing at Nairobi early morning on 23rd March. Zack and Peter (guide and driver) met us and we drove to our first hotel for a quick wash and change before heading on to the Elephant Orphanage (see pic below) - a lovely way to start the holiday ...

Following that we took our picnic lunch and headed off down the Magadi Road for the afternoon, birding along the way. Despite the hot, dry conditions we saw lots of good birds: Barbets, Mousebirds, Weavers and Waxbills.
The hotel (Whistling Thorns) grounds had lots of birds too, Glossy Starlings, Sunbirds, Babblers and assorted Finches. We retired, quite exhausted, soon after dinner for a good night's sleep!

More to follow ...

[nick scarle]

Day two saw us on the road after an early breakfast. The first stop was Limuru Ponds for some waterbirds and although the levels were low we still managed to find some good ducks, herons and waders along with palaearctic migrants such as Red-throated Pipit and 5 races of Yellow wagtail. Then we drove up to the Kinangop Plateau to see Sharp's Longclaw, Capped Wheatear, Red-capped Lark and Black-winged Plover. Then it was down into the Rift Valley and a boat ride across Lake Naivasha which had lots more waders, ducks, pelicans, raptors, hippos (see photo below) and other mammals along the shore.
We had our picnic lunch on the lakeshore under the shade of Acacia trees containing Great Spotted Cuckoo, Diederik Cuckoo and Lilac-breasted Roller while Giraffe and Zebras casually strolled by!
At the north end of the lake we saw our only White-fronted Bee-eaters of the trip, then we stopped at a little patch of woodland near Elsamere which was absolutely buzzing with birds: Pearl-spotted Owlet, Hunter's Sunbird, White-headed Barbet, Irania, African Hoopoe and Little Rock Thrush to name but a few!
The final stop of the day was Lake Elementetia which was swathed in flamingoes (see below) what a sight! we stayed for over an hour just soaking up the atmosphere of such an amazing place before reluctantly driving on to Nakuru and our hotel for the night. The checklist that evening revealed a total of 127 birds today!

Many of my bird pictures are in my gallery
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/sho...0/ppuser/13688
so I'll content myself on this thread to landscapes and animals.

[Max Levy]

Nice report, looking forward to more! I visited Kenya in 2007, and saw some similar birds to you. Nice one on the Sharpe's Longclaw, thats a really good bird! Some really good photos in your gallery too, I like the Pygmy Falcon a lot, they were one of my favourites from my trip.

[Steve G]

Superb report with some great images Nick.

[nick scarle]

Day 3 dawned bright and sunny but we were a little apprehensive ... could it live up to yesterday's standard? Answer: "yes, with bells and whistles!". We were heading for Lake Nakuru, one of the top birding sites in Africa. The Park entrance is only a short drive from the hustle and bustle of Nakuru Town and yet immediately you get inside there are birds and animals everywhere. The local paper that morning had a front page report of a grandmother who had got lost returning from the shops and found herself walking through a field with some large cows and dogs! (read buffalo and hyena) and couldn't understand the fuss at her safe return!
We drove slowly, birding, through the Acacia woodland following a stream for a mile or so before reaching the waters edge which was absolutely teeming with life: Yellow-billed and Marabou Storks, White and Pink-backed Pelicans, Sacred Ibis, Flamingoes, Egrets and Herons, waders, terns, gulls everywhere you looked. In the grass beyond the stream were Rhino, Hippo, Buffalo, Warthog, Zebra, Giraffe, Impala, Waterbuck, the list goes on! Further along the lakeshore a group of around a dozen hyenas were cooling off obvoiusly having fed well that night. Looking away from the lake is a classic African scene, with the contrasting colours of dry grass, green trees, red cliffs and blue sky - I think the photos are brilliant but they still don't do it justice!
Driving up through the woodland again we saw some good birds like Red-headed Weaver, Golden-breasted Bunting, Hildebrandt's Francolin, Arrow-marked Babbler and smaller animals like Kirk's Dikdik, Rock Hyrax and Thomson's Gazelle. Up on the clifftop the views are just stunning: talk about wow-factor!
As you go round the lake subtle changes in habitat bring different birds and animals, so there's always something new to see, never a case of more of the same. We added Cliff Chat, Southern Ground-hornbill, Tiny Cisticola, Martial Eagle and Brimstone Canary to a list that would end the day at a staggering 136, together with 18 species of mammal.
By mid-afternoon we had to drag ourselves away and make the hot 2-hour drive to Lake Baringo, but that, as they say, is another story ...

[nick scarle]

We arrived at Lake Baringo Club just in time for the evening bird-feeding session; a pile of soaked bread and cake on the tables was soon being squabbled over and devoured by a dazzling array of species: 5 different weavers, 4 of starlings, Jackson's hornbill, d'Arnaud's barbet and Grey-headed sparrow, while the 'manicured' lawns and flowering shrubs around the grounds had lots of other good birds too. At the lake shore were Malachite, Pygmy and Pied kingfishers, Blue-cheeked and White-throated Bee-eaters, Goliath heron and African jacana. We checked into the room for a well earned shower and even the 50-yard walk to the restaurant for dinner took 20 minutes as we watched Verreaux's Eagle-owl, Slender-tailed Nightjar and Yellow-winged Bats setting about their nightly duties.
As we sat down to eat we realised we are the only two people staying there! Talk about personal service - this must be how the royals get treated all the time! Excellent food too, we feel quite guilty at not eating more - the waitress is genuinely disappointed when we decline the sweet!
At around 3am we are woken be a strange grunting noise. we look out of the window to find a family of Hippos grazing the lawn no more than 5 yards from our chalet door. That's how the grass looks so well manicured! We watch them in the half-light for around 20 minutes as they move slowly along the garden eating away contentedly, a wonderful sight.
Next morning we bird around the cliffs for a few specialities (Blue-capped Cordonbleu, Red-fronted Warbler, Hemprich's Hornbill, Spotted Eagle-owl, African Silverbill, Spotted Dikkop, Bristle-crowned and Magpie Starlings) and then relax after lunch with time for a swim and a wander around the garden photographing anything with wings. Late afternoon after bird-feeding time we go out again to a different area to see Heuglin's Courser and then back for our own private dinner. An early night is in order as we'll probably be up at 3 again for the Hippos!
Next morning we're really sad to be leaving such a friendly place but we have a long journey to Naro Moru via Nakuru, a lunch stop at Thomson Falls (below), crossing the Solio Plain game ranch. We manage some great new birds along the way; Moustached Green Tinkerbird, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Black-chested Snake-eagle and Long-tailed Widowbirds in breeding plumage. We arrive around 5pm to find another beautiful looking lodge and gardens, with a stream running through it and Black-and-white Colobus Monkeys scampering around in the trees. The next couple of days here hold much promise ...

[nick scarle]

Naro Moru nestles on the foothills of Mount Kenya, so the climate is cooler and wetter after the Rift Valley, everything in the grounds is really lush and verdant and being at a higher altitude there is a completely different range of birds.
Next morning we go out birding along the road leading up Mount Kenya to the Serena Mountain Lodge. Driving along we see Jackson's Widowbirds and a Secretarybird - a lifer fr me and one I've really been wanting to see. We stop by a stream further up the road and look around a couple of small fields planted with assorted crops; some are in flower and some look to have gone to seed so there's plenty of food and loads of birds cashing in. We see Golden-winged, Bronze, Green-headed and Collared Sunbirds on the flowers, African Citrils, Common and Black-faced Waxbills, Yellow-crowned Canaries, African Firefinch, Brown-backed Scrub-robin, Red-collared Widowbird, Yellow Bishop and a Great Sparrowhawk. Further up the road we watch 2 Crowned Eagles circling round their territory before heading back to Naro Moru for lunch and an afternoon siesta, just in time to catch a monkey trying to burgle our cabin!
In the evening we bird around the Lodge grounds and find an amazing number of new birds: Crowned Hornbill, Montane White-eye, Chinspot Batis, Klaas's Cuckoo, Cabanisis's Greenbul, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Black-lored Babbler, Common Scimitarbill, Violet-backed Starling, Mosque Swallow, Montane Oriole, Tacazze Sunbird, Mountain Wagtail, the list just goes on growing!
Dinner is served in a beautiful old wooden restaurant, and again there are only 4 other people here, Kenya really is struggling to attract tourists back after last year's problems.
After our meal we join the staff in the bar and go through the list over a couple of Tuskers (beer) while they all watch Kenya lose 2-0 to Tunisia in a World Cup Qualifier. They are all depressed but I'm feeling very up beat ... tomorrow we head for Samburu which is the place I've been looking forward to seeing the most, after all I've heard can it possibly live up to it's reputation?

[AndrewK]

Great report Nick, sounds like you are having a fantastic time! The mention of Lake Nakuru brings back memories... I was in Nairobi on business, and arranged for a local taxi to take me to Nakuru on a day off. Shortly after entering the park we saw a pride of lions, and the taxi driver, on his first visit to the park himself, suggested I should get out the taxi and walk into the bush for close-up pictures of the pride. Glad I didn't! Enjoy the rest of trip, lots of good birding still to come!!

[nick scarle]

It's about a 3 hour drive from Naro Moru to Samburu so we had time for a couple of stops along the way. First for Boran Cisticola (should be renamed Boring Cisticola!) and then a very productive spot near Isiolo where we saw Banded Parisoma, Hildebrandt's Starling, Fischer's Lovebird, Red-backed Shrike, Red-billed Hornbill, Garden Warbler and Wattled Starling - all in one field behind a roadside souvenir shop with so many carved animal figures you couldn't even walk through the shop, they must have had thousands. I can't imagine they'll ever sell them all in a million years.
From there we drove along a dirt track, beside the brand new tarmac road they are in the process of building, for an hour through a thunderstorm which had our guide rubbing his hands in glee as the rain was bound to increase the bird and animal activity. Sure enough as we reached the gate to Buffalo Springs (part of the Samburu Reserve complex) the storm had passed and birds were everywhere. We raised the top of the mimibus and drove slowly along the tracks all afternoon ticking off a host of new birds: Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Black-capped Social-Weaver, Red-bellied Parrot, Golden Pipit, Lilac-breasted Roller, Kori Bustard, Bataleur and lots of game too such as Beisa Oryx, Grevy's Zebra and Reticulated Giraffe. This is a completely different habitat so practically every other bird we see is new and there are SO many! We spot our first Elephants away in the distance "Don't worry" says the guide when our track turns away from them "you'll see a lot more of them". We have a lovely comedy moment with some Northern Dwarf Mongooses who have moved into a termite mound and pop their heads out of the holes just like a video game - guess where the head will appear next! Our drive is constantly interrupted by Guineafowl, Sandgrouse, and Francolins running along the track in front of the vehicle, and one stubborn Leopard Tortoise had to be moved by hand! Then we had a stand-off with a family of Somali Ostrich who were only going to let us pass on their terms!
Eventually, we reach our accommodation for the next 2 nights - the sumptuous Serena Lodge. Even here there are only a few other guests, I get the swimming pool all to myself and there's just time to snap a Grey-headed Kingfisher outside our bungalow before the light fades and it's time for dinner. We run through the list after dinner and come to a total of 147 for the day, a personal record for me!

[nick scarle]

Monday 30th March and we have all day in Samburu so we're up bright and early to get out there at first light. We're going to concentrate a bit more on the mammals today, but obviously there will be plenty of birds around too. First up, in the dry river bed we encounter a large troupe of Babboons doing their social grooming and bonding, there are also Waterbuck, Gerenuk, Gunther's Dikdik and Impala. Then, around a bend we see two other vehicles in the bushes which can mean only one thing - they're watching something good. We pull up alongside to find a male lion no more than 20 yards away in the middle of the track. He's obviously well fed and going nowhere for anyone! The camera shutters are working overtime on this one.
Further on we get really close views of Zebra, Giraffe and birds such as Somali Fiscal, Rosy-patched Shrike, Somali Bee-eater and Pygmy Falcon. Then we spot another family of Elephants, and this time they're heading our way! Closer and closer they come until we finally have to move the minibus or risk getting in their way as they obviously want to cross the track right where we are stopped! I've now filled the memory card in my camera so not before time we're heading back to the lodge for lunch and another swim.
After another thundery downpour we head back out into the reserve mid-afternoon. White-throated Bee-eaters are everywhere, feeding on insects which the rain has brought out. We drive along the track parallel to the river and rounding a corner we see a lion lying with it's back to us half hidden behind some bushes. Slowly she begins to move and then out from behind her come one, two three, FOUR cubs! Around 2-3 months old they look so cute and, quite oblivious to our presence, play in front of us for about ten minutes and then back to mum for another feed. What a magical sight, we feel very privileged indeed and have to tear ourselves away as a couple more vehicles are arriving. Some 50 yards further on we encounter a massive male lion reclining on the trunk of a fallen tree. He looks very powerful and imperious as all around the Babboons and monkeys chatter in alarm.
Another close encounter with some elephants near the lodge brings to an end the most fantastic day imaginable. Never in my wildest dreams did I dare expect it to be quite this good!

[nick scarle]

Our next destination is Shaba, the third part of Samburu complex. It's not very far so we start off with a leisurely drive through Samburu following the river bed again but in the opposite direction. The Baboons are there again, as is a magnificent Martial Eagle. Our guide is scanning the trees along the river bank, I'm sure he's looking for a Leopard as it looks the ideal place but we have no luck in seeing one. Can't win 'em all.
Further along there is actually some water flowing in the river and lot of egrets and waders too, including Three-banded Plover. There are also a good few crocodiles, some pretty big ones too.
As we head away from the river towards Shaba the landscape changes, becoming almost semi-arid and the scenery is more like Monument Valley than savannah. The birdlife changes accordingly as we see Pied Wheatear, Somali Courser, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Fischer's Sparrowlark and Yellow-billed Hornbill. There are natural springs in the area however and they attract lots of wildlife. The elephants always know where to find water and we watch a family arrive for their daily drink. After a while a couple of the bigger elephants get agitated and start looking around anxiously, trunks in the air, ears flapping. We look round to see that some berk has got out of a Jeep behind us and is trying to get closer for some photos. What a pillock - quite apart from the danger to himself he is seriously stressing all the animals, and he's got such a big lens there is no need to get closer at all. At times like this I'm really embarrassed to be a tourist, at least he's not English (Dutch I think). Our guide points out, quite calmly, the error of his ways to him and his guide/driver but we are just ignored so all we can do is take the vehicle number and report it to the wardens at the entrance gate.
In Shaba our target is a couple of local endemics, Williams Lark and Masked Lark but as we get to the right area we can tell it's going to be difficult as the grass is knee-high and the area parched. We eventually get some half-decent views of Williams Lark but no Masked. We're now very hot and sweaty so we head straight on to The Shaba Sarova Lodge for a very welcome swim and then, suitably refreshed, bird around the gardens which have Giant Kingfisher, Night Heron, Purple Heron, Nightingale, Rufous Bush-robin, Shikra, Water Thick-knee and Black-bellied Sunbird - all new for our trip, bringing the daily total to 126 and the trip so far to over 400. reason to celebrate with a few beers!

[myoudale]

Sounds superb, its making me plan my next holiday. I am definitely heading to Kenya. Must be costing both arms and legs by the sounds of it though.
Keep the reports coming

[nick scarle]

Originally Posted by myoudale

Sounds superb, its making me plan my next holiday. I am definitely heading to Kenya. Must be costing both arms and legs by the sounds of it though.
Keep the reports coming

Actually, myoudale, the costs were very reasonable and we both felt that the value for money was outstanding. I think that most hotels etc in Kenya have been forced to drop their prices in an effort to tempt tourists back after last year's violence. So far I don't think it's having much effect as everywhere we went was very quiet but no doubt it will pick up soon, Kenya is just too good to stay off the radar.

Nick

[Bubbs]

If this doesn't get birders back to Kenya nothing will.

John.

[kittykat23uk]

Fantastic trip report! I loved Kenya. Your report brought back happy memories.

[myoudale]

Originally Posted by nick scarle

Actually, myoudale, the costs were very reasonable and we both felt that the value for money was outstanding. I think that most hotels etc in Kenya have been forced to drop their prices in an effort to tempt tourists back after last year's violence. So far I don't think it's having much effect as everywhere we went was very quiet but no doubt it will pick up soon, Kenya is just too good to stay off the radar.

Nick

Even better!! Roll on my holidays.
Hope your enjoying yourself

[halftwo]

Mouth-watering Nick. Takes me back. Must go again.
Great photos too.

[nick scarle]

After a bit of morning birding around the Lodge at Shaba we pack up ready to leave for Mount Kenya. Driving slowly through Shaba and Buffalo Springs we see more of the same from the previous two days and then we're back on the road re-tracing our steps past Isiolo (brief stop for an Ayre's Hawk-Eagle) and Nanyuki and up into the foothills area. We stop for lunch at Wajee Nature Park, a small privately run area of smallholdings where they are preserving the habitat of Hinde's Babbler. We are met by a local guide and descend a rather treacherous muddy slope into the forest and soon see Tambouine Dove and African Wood Owl. Further on the path opens at a small picnic area where we can watch all around and soon the calls of Hinde's Babbler are heard. They come closer and eventually we get to see around 6 birds moving through the thickets and occasionally perching out in the open for us all to admire. With the target bird in the bag (so to speak) we wander slowly round the wooded trail adding a few other new birds like African Hill Babbler, Sombre Greenbul and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird. Back at the entrance there is a small grassy area where we decide to eat lunch under a spreading tree which has a pair of Amethyst Sunbirds building a nest. Little did we know that we were invading the territory of a delinquent gang of feral geese who take an immediate dislike to our presence and begin a full-on assault which is undeterred by a few well-aimed clods and takes an intervention by their keeper and his dogs to bring them under control. We are grateful and invite him to join us for lunch, the dogs are only too happy to oblige!
Moving on we're heading higher up the mountain-side through tea plantations and fruit orchards and eventually turn off onto a bumpy dirt track. At a bridge across a stream we stop for a birding session which produces Mountain and Slender-billed Greenbuls, Black-fronted Bush-shrike, Purple-throated Cuckooshrike, Black-collared Apalis and Bronze-naped Pigeon. About 3 miles further on is our accommodation for the night, Castle Forest Lodge, a charming old ex-pat retreat in traditional colonial style and a very warm welcome. We have an hour or so for birding from the verandah before dusk and we see Brown-capped Weaver, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Thick-billed Seedeater and Stuhlmann's Starlings among others. There is a big herd of elephants in the grassy valley below the lodge and the views of Mount Kenya are stunning. It gets cold up here at night so a sumptuous home-cooked dinner is very welcome. We retire to our cabin to find a log fire blazing in the hearth and we sit on the doorstep for half an hour just looking at the stars which are incredibly bright and clear.
Next morning our birding around the lodge is severely restricted as the elephants are swarming (if that's what elephants do) all over the grounds. We can only drive a little further up the track and bird from the minibus but we still manage to see Hartlaub's Turaco, Abbott's Starling, Grey-headed Negrofinch, Black-headed Waxbill and Olive Pigeon. An early lunch is taken back at the Lodge and then we head back down the slopes towards Thika. There are some extensive rice-paddies along the way so we have a couple of stops along the way to check out all the water birds and then we hit a real hot-spot at a large pond beside the road where there are Purple Gallinule, Lesser Moorhen and African Jacana on the hyacinths, White-winged Widowbirds and Yellow-crowned Bishops in breeding plumage, red-billed Quelea, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Jacobin Cuckoo, Lesser Swamp Warbler, Zebra Waxbill, Long-toed Plover and Squacco Heron.
Driving on we pass mile after mile of Del Monte pineapple plantation and eventually reach the Blue Posts Hotel at Thika which is to be our last night in Kenya. We have an hour for birding around the grounds which have a reputation for some good birds, but they are strangely quiet this evening and Black-and-White Mannikin is our only new bird.
We have an early night after dinner in order to sort out the luggage which needs to be ready to fly tomorrow evening after our final day, which we'll spend in Nairobi National Park.

[nick scarle]

Well, it's our final day ... can it possibly have flown by so quickly? Why can't holidays last a bit longer?
We're on the road by 7am heading for Nairobi and predictably the traffic is mental - at least it will get us in training for next week back in Manchester. Peter, our driver, knows one or two useful rat-runs and we negotiate the city centre pretty quickly, and by 8.45 we're passing through the entrance gate of Nairobi National Park. The first thing we see no more than 50 yards down the track is a mother and young Black-backed Jackal. They look so cute and remind me of my dog so my heart goes 'twang' at the thought of seeing her again tomorrow! We stop at the 'Ivory-burning picnic site' and bird around for a while; there is a pair of Spot-flanked Barbet getting quite agitated by the presence of a Lesser Honeyguide, Red-backed Shrikes and Eurasian Rollers seem to be everywhere and we have a little masochistic fun with some Cisticolas - Singing, Winding, Rattling, Siffling, Wing-snapping (no, that wasn't me losing patience!).
Further on we have a comedy moment with a couple of Giraffe who show exemplary road sense and manners, at least they know which side of the road to drive on.
There are far more animals here than I expected, big herds of Zebra, Giraffe, Eland, Coke's Hartebeest and Gnu, although it's difficult to escape the feeling of being in a safari park when you have the Skyscrapers of Nairobi always as a backdrop.
We get some decent views of the recently discovered/split Nairobi Pipit and find some good new birds like White-headed Saw-wing, Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting and yet more Cisticolas, but the hoped-for Red-throated Tit fails to materialise. After lunch we stroll around the Hippo Pools, adding Klaas's Cuckoo, African Moustached Warbler and a family of Grey-crowned Cranes to the list which closes at 135 for the day and 457 in total.
All too soon it's time to make our way out of the Park as we have one final port of call, back to where it all started at the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage for an evening Foster Parent's visit to watch the elephants returning from the park for their feed and then they are put to bed for the night. Their keepers too sleep in the stalls with their charges as they have to be fed every 3 hours through the night. The show is completely stolen by Maalim, the tiny orphan Rhino who loves to be patted and stroked before having his bottle of milk and then flopping down to sleep on his beloved matress.
It's a really nice way to end what has been a truly fabulous trip, jam-packed with wonderful memories and we say our goodbyes at the airport with promises to return which I'm certain will be kept.

[wee kayso]

very nice trip report indeed,cant wait for my trip,hope its as good as you said,,,,

[myoudale]

sounds amazing!! brilliant report with great pictures.

[nick scarle]

I've heard some disturbing news since we returned.
As I mentioned above a lot of places we stayed were almost emtpy, and Naro Moru has just gone into administration. It is worrying that others may follow.
Unfortunatley, the Kenyans don't seem to have a good grasp on getting people in, as they have reduced the visa fee by 50% this year, but raised the park fees by 50%!
The main lodges have also responded by hiking their prices, so it is about 30% more expensive this year which is not going to attract people in hard times.
I really hope they can sort things out and start attracting good numbers of visitors again.

Nick

[Nick Elliston]

Good report Nick - takes me back to my trips to Kenya although your bird list is more impressive than mine.

Hopefully business will eventually pick up, but non-Kenyans will still have memories of the troubles fairly fresh, and there are several alternative destinations available. There is nothing quite like Kenya or Tanzania though imo.