Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa Set Departure Tour: May 8 th to May 23 rd 2014 Tour Leader: Adam Scott Kennedy Local guide: John Chege
Introduction Kenya is a mind-blowing birding destination at any time of year but our May departure was especially well-timed once again. Not only did we enjoy some exceptional weather but we arrived in time to see a majority of resident birds in full breeding plumage, intra-african migrants just arriving and we even caught the tail-end of the Palearctic migration. This classic set departure tour covered a vast array of habitats to be found within Kenya, from the verdant Guinea-Congolese rainforest at Kakamega and the Afro-montane forests of Mount Kenya and the Aberdares, the impressive Rift Valley lakes and papyrus swamps of Lake Victoria, and finishing on the endless plains of the Masai Mara. In total, we recorded 457 bird species, of which 448 were seen. It should be mentioned that this was a very relaxed tour with no ridiculously early starts or very late finishes; instead, we took our time and enjoyed our birding and, with three keen photographers on-board, we made the most of the fabulous encounters that came our way. In addition to the incredible birdlife, we observed 48 mammal species and some impressive reptiles too. Itinerary DATE DESTINATION OVERNIGHT 8 th May MEET IN NAIROBI BOMA HOTEL, NAIROBI 9 th May NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK BOMA HOTEL, NAIROBI 10 th May LAKE MAGADI BOMA HOTEL, NAIROBI 11 th May MWEA RICE FIELDS & MOUNT KENYA CASTLE FOREST LODGE 12 th May MOUNT KENYA SERENA MOUNTAIN LODGE 13 th May MOUNT KENYA & NARO MORU NARO MORU RIVER LODGE 14 th May SOLIO PLAINS & THE ABERDARES NAIVASHA COUNTRY CLUB 15 th May LAKE NAIVASHA & LAKE NAKURU LAKE NAKURU LODGE 16 th May LAKE NAKURU & LAKE BARINGO SOI SAFARI LODGE 17 th May LAKE BARINGO & KAKAMEGA RONDO RETREAT 18 th May KAKAMEGA RONDO RETREAT 19 th May KAKAMEGA RONDO RETREAT 20 th May KISUMU (LAKE VICTORIA) TO MASAI MARA MARA WEST 21 st May MASAI MARA MARA WEST 22 nd May MASAI MARA KEEKOROK LODGE 23 rd May MASAI MARA TO NAIROBI BOMA INN, NAIROBI 24 th May DEPARTURE FLIGHT HOME 8 th May The group rendezvoused at the very comfortable Boma Hotel in Nairobi and took an afternoon stroll around the small gardens and roads adjacent to the hotel to get an early feel for the East African avifauna. Close to the main bar area, a selection of garden birds were found to include Red-billed Firefinch, tiny Bronze Mannikins, Speckled Pigeons, House and Kenya Rufous Sparrows, and Streaky Seedeater, while overhead were Rock Martins and Lesser Striped Swallows, Marabou Storks and Yellow-billed Kites, and a chance to compare the subtle differences between Little and Whiterumped Swifts. Along the adjacent roadside, we enjoyed the first of many Common Bulbul, Red-eyed Dove, Baglafecht Weaver, African Paradise Flycatcher, Superb Starlings, Grey-capped Social-Weaver and a surprise Marico Sunbird male that was in full song, among others. Back at the Boma, Jan spotted some high-flying storks which we comfortably identified as White Storks that were late in heading back to Europe for the breeding season. This was a nice way to get our eyes honed-in on some of the commoner species that we d see with regularity on the rest of the tour.
9 th May After entering Nairobi National Park the only within-city-limits National Park in the world we made our way to the Club House gardens where we walked in the company of a grumpy-looking Warthog. The weather was overcast which explained why it started slowly but we soon found a dainty Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, a pair of Red-faced Crombecs, some Amethyst Sunbirds and a pair of Pale Flycatchers and a grumpy-looking Warthog took to following us around for a while. Rüppell s Robin-Chats were doing their best impressions of African Emerald Cuckoo and we also had nice views of two Collared Sunbirds, a pair of Black-backed Puffbacks and some dazzling Golden-breasted Buntings. At the Ivory Burning site, a late Willow Warbler eventually gave good views and a Lesser Honeyguide flew into the same treetop. Holub s Golden Weaver and Variable Sunbirds occupied our eyes at lower levels before we made our way towards the Nagolomon dam, stopping along the way for some Spotted Thick-knees on a rocky drift. At the dam, we found more Spotted Thick-knees plus African Darter, Yellow-billed Duck, Black Crake, Three-banded Plover, Yellow-throated Longclaw and a Lesser Swamp Warbler. We later stopped for nice views of a Pin-tailed Whydah displaying next to our vehicle, plus Red-collared Widowbirds, Purple Grenadier, some Impala and a bachelor group of Cape Buffalo. Along the park s northern road we stopped at a reed-filled marsh to try our luck with African Water Rail and were successful with one showing well, albeit briefly, and several Black Crakes plus a Wood Sandpiper, our only migrant shorebird of the day. Due to local flooding, we had to make a detour to Hyena Dam where we were greeted by a very tame Purple Swamphen. There was a motley-looking bunch of Sacred Ibis, Egyptian Geese and an African Spoonbill just loitering but we were fortunate to watch a stunning Zebra Waxbill here as it is usually a shy bird. Other good birds included Malachite Kingfisher, Grosbeak Weavers and a noisy Little Rush Warbler, while nearby we were treated to excellent views of a feeding party of Jackson s and White-winged Widowbirds. An obliging African Quailfinch actually sat still long enough for all of us to enjoy. As we continued through some longer grass, we encountered many Stout Cisticola and a few Desert Cisticola too, a stunning male Red-billed Quelea and some Common Waxbills amongst many more widowbirds, plus Rufous-naped Larks (you know, the ones without rufous napes but very rufous wings!) and a scattering of Yellow-throated Longclaws. We had prolonged views of two Diederick Cuckoos at close range, and a few Lesser Grey Shrikes and a single Red-backed Shrike were also found here. We stopped at the Karen Primary School Dam for a cursory glance but it was looking very quiet until a Madagascar Pond Heron took flight from right next to us and slowly made its way to the other side of the pond where it sat cryptically in the reeds. We continued up the hill to Eland Hollow where single African Jacana and Hippo were seen and we decided to take lunch here. Making our way towards Athi Dam, we found our first Secretarybirds, numerous Ostrich, a huge Kori Bustard and two very approachable Black-faced Sandgrouse; this is a scarce species in the park with only four previous records. Our mammal list received a bonus in the form of five Chanler s Mountain Reedbucks that were sunbathing on the rocky slope, and by now we had also seen Maasai Giraffe, White-bearded Wildebeest, Coke s Hartebeest, Impala and both Grant s and Thomson s Gazelles. On the scattered acacias, we picked up Long-tailed Fiscals, Northern Pied Babblers, and a fine pair of Cinnamon-breasted Buntings. At the murram pits, a Tawny Eagle and a Red-billed Teal were the only birds of note and, soon after, a Lappet-faced Vulture was found soaring overhead. Descending to Athi Dam, we found a Pangani Longclaw singing atop a bush and at the water s edge, we enjoyed some close-up Spur-winged Plover, Kittlitz s Plover, a Pink-backed Pelican and lots of Yellow-billed Storks. A few Yellow-necked Spurfowl also turned up here. As we decided which route to take back to the gate, something caught Chege s keen eyes and we drove up for a very close look at a pair of Lions that were on honeymoon.
Driving though the acacia woodland along the Mokoyeti River, we encountered plenty of African White-backed Vultures resting in the treetops and later found two Crested Francolins in the grassy scrub, after stopping for our first Fork-tailed Drongo. With time slipping by fast, we made our way to the gate and headed back to the Boma for the night. 10 th May Our destination for the day was Lake Magadi but first we had to navigate our way out of Nairobi and make a stop at the aptly named Corner Baridi, meaning cold corner. Our first birds here were Grassland Pipits which fed busily on the short-grass slopes. A few Yellow-crowned Canaries flew overhead and, as we went to get better looks at them, we also found a brilliant male Scarlet-chested Sunbird and a small group of Crimson-rumped Waxbills. A Diederick Cuckoo showed on-and-off and our first African Hoopoe bounced up the hillside with its comical flight. A few hundred metres down the hill, we stopped to enjoy a flock of tiny Abyssinian White-eyes but little else was calling here so we continued. A fine Capped Wheatear was worth a short stop and after navigating the steepest tarmac slope in Kenya we stopped again for a short walk. Here we enjoyed super views of male Beautiful Sunbirds (of the black-bellied southern form) before our attention was drawn to the distinctive duet of Red-and-yellow Barbets which we eventually saw well. The distraction also led us to a singing Little Rock Thrush and a retiring Brown-crowned Tchagra which was reluctant to leave its little bushel. Further on, we stopped at a bend in the road which looked busy with birds. It was a productive little patch with Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Blue-naped Mousebirds, and both Lesser Masked and Vitelline Masked Weavers showing well immediately. A female Cardinal Woodpecker flew in for a short while and we convinced two Spotted Morning Thrushes to leave the thorn scrub and show themselves. Across the road, we found an active nest of Red-and-yellow Barbets in a sandy bank and enjoyed good views of two Black-necked Weavers here. A pair of Red-fronted Warblers appeared briefly before our attention was back to the other side of the road where a Grey Wren Warbler sang loudly and two Black-throated Barbets sat quietly. Just as we were ready to leave the site, a caravan of 100+ camels came through the scrub to block our route but they made for good entertainment if nothing else. Further down the road, we found a pair of Taita Fiscals, at least five Kori Bustards in close proximity to a village, then White-throated Bee-eaters and a pair of Von der Decken s Hornbills. An Eastern Chanting Goshawk stood upright on a telegraph pole and we stopped to find a calling Rosy-patched Bushshrike which eventually showed very well indeed. At the next stop, we were entertained by some Eastern Red-billed Hornbills, a Rock Kestrel and a small party of Horus Swifts before arriving at our lunch spot, overlooking Lake Magadi, for a well-earned break. With so much to see along the way it was 1pm by the time we arrived at the lake and it was baking hot. Nevertheless, we still managed good views of some new species such as Lesser Flamingo, Greyheaded Gull, Cape Teal, Black-winged Stilt and Little Egret. We eventually located our target species, the alkaline-lake-loving Chestnut-banded Plover and we enjoyed close views of four of these smart little waders before finding ourselves at the centre of a security guard s attention. At first, he was insisting that we should put our cameras away but we showed him the stunning Chestnut-banded Plover through the scope, told him how scarce it was in the region and he seemed genuinely impressed that next to his little office was this very significant little bird. Nearby, we found eight Little Stints, a party of Ruff and two Pied Avocets before turning back to Nairobi. The journey back
was hot and bumpy but otherwise fairly uneventful and our only stop was for a cool-looking Whitebellied Go-away-bird that showed well. 11 th May We hit the road early to make good use of the quiet Sunday morning traffic and after travelling past Thika we found ourselves at our site for the endangered Hinde s Babbler. However, at the entrance was a security guard who had other ideas and this one was not to be convinced of the importance of his local bird and he refused us entry to what is usually a simple place to access. We still do not know the reason why. On the plus side, we had good views of Wire-tailed Swallow and Hildebrandt s Starling while we waited before continuing to the Mwea rice fields. We began with good numbers of Yellow-crowned Bishops displaying over the wetlands, buzzing around like super-sized bumblebees! We also found Long-toed Plovers along with the usual Spurwinged Plovers, White-winged Widowbirds, and two Fulvous Whistling Ducks hiding in the grasses next to a pond but the highlight was a pair of Lanner Falcon that gave great views as they searched for their next meal overhead. As we continued slowly along this road, we had distant flight views of a party of Knob-billed Duck the only ones of the trip plus Long-tailed (Reed) Cormorants, Intermediate and Great White Egrets. After checking into our lodgings, a huge Crowned Eagle displayed vociferously over the forest and a Long-crested Eagle gave good fly-by views too. A stunning Wattled Starling, in full breeding attire, fed at the feet of a horse that was grazing outside our cabins and we were later dazzled at the sight of 50+ sunbirds feeding in the flowering trees adjacent to the main lodge. We had great views of Tacazze, Eastern Olive and many Eastern Double-collared Sunbirds here plus the rufous-backed form of Black-and-white Mannikin. After lunch, a stroll around the gardens produced family groups of African Stonechat, Hunter s Cisticola, Kandt s Waxbill (a recent split from Black-headed Waxbill) and Cinnamon-chested Beeeater. Down the main track, we struck gold with a party of five Abbott s Starlings that perched in the open; this is a very scarce and localised East African endemic. The forest was quiet, no doubt a result of the mist that hung over it like a shroud but we did manage to get views of Chestnut-throated Apalis and Montane Oriole in the trees and several Red-fronted Parrots flew noisily to their evening roost. 12 th May Torrents of rain fell on the forest for most of the night but, thankfully, stopped just in time for our planned 6.15am start. A thick mist was pervasive and this may have prevented our target species, the African Olive Ibis, from calling and sitting in its usual tree as we had hoped. Nevertheless, we proceeded on a forest walk and were gifted with great views of Fine-banded (Tullberg s) Woodpecker, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Grey Apalis, a hyperactive White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Brown-capped Weaver, two Thick-billed Seedeaters and both Eastern Mountain and Slender-billed Greenbuls. Best of all though was the sight of up to ten Hartlaub s Turaco seen jumping from branch to branch and calling continuously as they moved from tree to tree; what stunning birds! After breakfast, we made our way to the Mountain Lodge and arrived in time for lunch after which we made our way to the rooftop terrace for impressive views over the forest and waterhole. Within minutes, a pair of Silvery-cheeked Hornbills arrived to get our afternoon started and we had nice scope views of the Cape Wagtails at the waterhole, which also contained a noisy and protective pair of Egyptian Geese with 8 small goslings. Around the muddy edges, lots of Bushbuck and Defassa Waterbuck came to graze and lick salt.
Suddenly, we found ourselves at the centre of a daring raid from a hillbilly mob of Syke s Monkeys which tore their way over the terrace. While Adam was distracted by the commotion, one of the pesky primates took the opportunity to steal his suncream and bite into it, only to find that Factor 30 wasn t his favourite flavour - that ll teach him! Nevertheless, the greatest surprise was still to come; one of the monkeys on lookout duty suddenly dived off the roof and appeared moments later with a bird in its mouth. To our amazement, it was a male Harlequin Quail (sadly the only one of our trip!) and it turns out that these omnivores have quite the palate for fresh game birds and made quick work of dispatching it. We can only assume that the quail, a grassland species, was migrating over the forest at night and was attracted to the lights of the hotel, before coming to rest in some dark corner of the hotel s exterior and later becoming a Syke s supper. How totally bizarre! After all this, the forest appeared quiet so Adam took a stroll downstairs and quickly found some Suni, the tiny forest antelope, feeding under the boardwalk at the entrance to the lodge. We all went back to look and our best guess was that there were at least 4 Suni, maybe more, that either froze or quickly made their way back into forest gloom. Adam was the first to arrive back to the rooftop and while scanning the fairway (the grassy lawn to the left of the waterhole) he was amazed to see a Leopard stalking a Bushbuck, which eventually got his scent and barked an alarm! In no time at all, the others arrived to enjoy fantastic scope views as the stunning cat groomed itself in the late afternoon light before walking majestically into the forest to hunt for Bushbuck and Suni. What a treat! As the sun set, several Red-fronted Parrots and a couple of Olive Pigeons flew over towards their roost. Late in the evening, a Verreaux s Eagle Owl flew to the edge of the waterhole and we had great scope views; it was joined later by a very noisy adolescent. Later into the night, a Spotted Hyena walked opportunistically along the waterhole s edge in the hope for an easy meal but there was nothing to be surprised here. 13 th May The day started with an early breakfast before heading out to the vehicle with our luggage, only to be distracted by a female African Emerald Cuckoo and a Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird. We had to pull ourselves away from the fabulous Mountain Lodge and head off to the Meteorological Station Road which was an interesting journey for us passengers but must have been challenging for Chege who handled the bumps and holes with gritted teeth and a strong grip of the wheel. I m sure he could have done without the stop for a huge Crowned Eagle that soared overhead but he mastered the climb superbly. Upon reaching the end of the road, we were greeted by a family of Jackson s Francolins feeding casually in front of the vehicle and there were more nearby. With one target species down, we spread out to try for the next, the stunning Abyssinian Ground Thrush, and almost immediately we found that too! First there was an adult, then two, and then a noisy fledgling came out of the bushes which was followed by its sibling. Nearby, an African Dusky Flycatcher perched within touching distance and, as if that wasn t enough, a very obliging Suni came sauntering out of the bushes as if it was used to being hand-fed; clearly this individual hadn t been told that it was meant to be a shy and wary species. With the clock ticking on our permit, we had to make our way down to the park gate, stopping along the way for a noisy and showy party of White-headed Wood-hoopoe. We made our way back to the highway before checking into our lodge at Naro Moru and taking lunch. In the afternoon, we walked the stunning grounds of the lodge in search of African Black Duck but it wasn t in its usual place on the river so we had to walk almost the entire length of the plot before we
found not one but two of these delightful waterfowl resting on a rocky island in the stream. They gave us the run around though and we had to make two more passes before we all managed nice views. Other goodies found along the river included Mountain Wagtail and African Paradise Flycatchers. Later in the afternoon, we took a short drive to the edge of the Solio Plains to search for Long-tailed Widowbird. Within minutes of arriving we had found our target and went on to enjoy good views of Red-capped Lark, Black-winged Plover, White-bellied Bustard and Anteater Chat. We also got very lucky with the mammals, starting with 5 distant White Rhino plus Steinbuck (also known as Steenbok) and Beisa Oryx, in addition to the more common plains species. That night we fell asleep to the blood-curdling cry of the hyrax that bounced over our rooftops. 14 th May We started the day with a brisk walk around the gardens, finding a noisy young Red-chested Cuckoo being fed by White-browed Robin-chats, its foster parents. After breakfast, we were off again and travelled along the Solio Plains to the foot of the Aberdare Mountains, finding plenty of Capped Wheatears and a super Nubian Woodpecker along the way. We had made arrangements with Paul Murithi to see a Mackinder s Eagle Owl that was roosting on a cliff edge and we also enjoyed close views of male Violet-backed Starlings here before heading to the Treetops gate of the Aberdare National Park where Red-rumped Swallows were nest-building in the loo block. Once inside the park, we had some good encounters with Warthogs and Guereza Colobus monkeys but the birding was fairly quiet, the best sightings being a showy Scaly Francolin and a less showy Slender-billed Greenbul. On our ascent of the mighty Aberdares, we made a lunch stop where we had good views of a male Golden-winged Sunbird along with Tacazze and Eastern Double-collared. Later, as we reached the high plateau of the range, we found our first of several Aberdare Cisticola and Moorland Chat, and later encountered plenty more Jackson s Francolins along the way. The scenery was quite magical up here and would not have looked out of place in a Hobbit movie. On our way down to Naivasha, we made a dedicated stop for one of the world s most threatened species, the Sharpe s Longclaw, and met with local guide Jack who knew exactly where to take us. As we spread out to scan the grassland, Adam had one fly in and land right next to him and we all got great views before it decided to go back into Longclaw-mode and hide in the grass. This was such a great encounter and we thanked Jack for his support of these birds before making our way to the Naivasha Country Club where we spent the night. 15 th May At first light, we met outside of our rooms and began a gentle stroll around the grounds of the lodge. In the background, we could hear the noisy screeching of the hybrid Lovebirds emerging from their roost in the tall palms. We had good views of White-browed Robin-chats and two African Thrush but we ran the risk of developing bird-neck when searching for the Klaas s Cuckoo that called above us. Finally, we also managed good views of Tropical Boubou, a species that we had heard on so many occasions but which had mostly eluded our eyes. After a breakfast, two African Grey-headed Woodpeckers were seen close to our rooms; this is a recent split from the widespread Grey Woodpecker. We then drove a short distance for a boat trip, stopping along the way for a party of Grey-backed Fiscals that showed well. The bright morning light was ideal for the photographers and as we entered the boats we were greeted by some very tame pelicans, both Pink-backed and Great White, and a colourful Yellow-
billed Stork. Once on the open water, we kept quite close to shore and after navigating our way past some sleepy Hippos, we found ourselves in the midst of many great waterbirds especially herons, egrets and ibises. There seemed to be Pied Kingfishers, Red-knobbed Coots, Common Moorhens and Black Crakes around every corner although we had to work harder for the good views of two Giant Kingfishers. We watched some amazing African Fish Eagles fishing before heading out in the deeper water where many Grey-headed Gulls and a single Gull-billed Tern flew overhead. Across the lake, we tried another spot where we encountered Lesser Swamp Warblers feeding young and nearby some stunning Long-toed Plovers showed their diagnostic features alongside the more common Spur-winged and Blacksmith Plovers. Several Purple Herons flew in front of us, while in the reeds we had to contend with poor and quick views of several Little Bittern that skulked away as we neared them. On Crescent Island, a variety of plains game grazed as if they were living in a Lost World and were quite the picture of serenity. On our way to Lake Nakuru National Park, we called in at Sunbird Lodge for a view of Lake Elementaita, a quick soda and some smart local birds too. Here we picked up Red-winged Starlings, female Little Rock Thrush, Schalow s Wheatear, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Purple Grenadiers, a very bright hybrid Lovebird and a fly-by Nyanza Swift before making swift our own departure. After entering the gates of the National Park, we headed straight to Lake Nakuru Lodge for lunch. The weather for the afternoon was not looking great but we headed out anyway as we knew that good birds awaited us. Almost instantly, Joy spotted our first Lilac-breasted Roller of the tour and, quickly after, an immature African Hawk Eagle circled overhead. Making our way to the Muyas Causeway, we had views of several White Rhino and, although the water levels were quite low, we found several interesting ducks, including Hottentot Teal, plus herons and other wading birds including a Wood Sandpiper and several Ruff. As we drove round to the lakeshore, the heavens opened and we were deluged with rain which created a beautiful scent as it connected with the dusty dry earth. Out on the lake, a flotilla of Great White Pelicans used the conditions to go fishing but we could barely see the flamingos due to the mist. We turned and headed south and soon found a soaked Black-backed Jackal next to the road he really did look miserable and a Common Sandpiper nearby. As the rain abated, we heard the Hoopoe-like call of an African Cuckoo but it was well-hidden and we struggled to see it well. The opposite was true of a Black-bellied Bustard that we found in the open grassland nearby and he began to display for us, complete with its popping call. Not far away, a Secretarybird was wading through the long grass and we had a super encounter with a party of Helmeted Guineafowl before it was time to head back to the lodge. A smart immature Martial Eagle was worth a pause but we made a longer stop for a party of Lions which were looking very ready to eat! 16 th May As we departed the lodge, we encountered the Lion pride again and they had made short work of a sick Buffalo that we had seen the previous day; it was now an empty shell. The Lions showed very well next to our vehicle, visiting a puddle to wash down their breakfast, before heading into the long grass to sleep it off. Back at Muyas Causeway, there were still plenty of wetland species on show but nothing different from the previous afternoon. We focussed our attentions on the huge solitary White Rhino that grazed close to us and, as we did so, a stunning male Long-tailed Widowbird flew by. On the ground nearby, a very obliging Pectoral-patch Cisticola showed us the finer points of his plumage and a scruffy Rufous-naped Lark walked alongside it. Making our way north along the eastern shore of the lake, we made several stops for quality new birds including a party of Greater Flamingos, Striped Kingfisher, Scaly-throated Honeyguide and Brown Snake-Eagle. Arriving at the old main gate, we found two bright African Hoopoes probing the
lush grass, before we stopped for a break next to the now flooded facility. A short drive took us to the Baboon Cliffs lookout where we enjoyed spectacular views over Lake Nakuru. Thankfully, the eponymous baboons were elsewhere and we had good looks at Nyanza Swifts whizzing by, a relaxed Augur Buzzard, and a friendly pair of Mocking Cliff Chats before heading back down the hill. Before arriving at the new main gate, we stopped for some White-fronted Bee-eaters that perched on the overhead cables nearby. After a quick fuel stop in Nakuru town, we travelled for 2 hours to the village of Kampi ya Samaki on the shores of Lake Baringo. We were greeted with stunning views of a white morph African Paradise Flycatcher and some northern Beautiful Sunbirds before settling in to our accommodation and taking lunch. Afterwards, we headed out with Francis, one of the nicest and most efficient local guides in Kenya. He had staked out some of the more difficult nocturnal species that morning so we spent little time in finding a resting male Slender-tailed Nightjar, two Northern White-faced Owls, three Heuglin s Courser and a pair of Greyish Eagle Owls. Other good local birds included Pygmy Batis, a mobile flock of 40+ Open-billed Storks, a skittish Spotted Thick-knee, a secretive Threestreaked Tchagra, an obliging pair of Hemprich s Hornbills, plus Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Little Weavers and a distant Verreaux s Eagle over the cliffs. 17 th May After a quick gulp of coffee, we met with Francis at 6.30am and joined him for our second boat trip of the tour on Lake Baringo. No sooner had we launched onto the still lake, we discovered a pair of Ospreys circling overhead and one of the birds was calling vociferously to the other while holding a fish in its talons. This seemed perfectly like a display manoeuvre which would be quite exceptional for Baringo and even Francis had never seen this before. Nearby, we had good views of Pied Kingfishers, Squacco Herons, African Darters and then a flock of recently-arrived Madagascar Beeeaters basking in the morning rays. We turned the boat around and headed to the south-west section of the flooded lake towards the mostly submerged Robert s Camp and Baringo Club gardens. Here we found a pair of Verreaux s Eagle Owls preening and two stunning Woodland Kingfishers. On open water, we had lovely views of African Fish Eagle catching breakfast and continued along the mats of floating grass and acacia tangle that lined the lakeshore. There were any more Madagascar Bee-eaters, numerous weaver species including the localised Northern Masked Weaver, a busy African Grey-headed Woodpecker and lots of both African Jacana and Squacco Heron. We eventually found our target species, an impressive Goliath Heron before turning back to the lodge for breakfast. After loading the vehicle with our luggage, we connected with Francis in the gardens of Robert s Camp where we saw Grey-headed Bushshrike, Red-fronted Barbet and some stunning Red-rumped Swallows that were collecting mud for a nest. We wandered into the gardens of the neighbouring Baringo Club where we quickly found a roosting Pearl-spotted Owlet and a scarce Lead-coloured Flycatcher before Francis located a well-hidden roosting African Scops Owl. Exactly how he finds these birds is quite amazing! A pair of Jackson s Hornbills paid us a brief visit before our attention was diverted to the peculiar call of some White-crested Helmet-shrikes which landed nearby. These were of the uncommon northern race cristatus, once known as Curly-crested Helmet-shrike, but this is now merged with the White-crested superspecies. We had fabulous views before connecting with the vocal Spotted Morning Thrush and another white morph African Paradise Flycatcher. At the Thirsty Goat restaurant, in what little remains of Robert s Camp, the headman kindly fed the birds and furnished us with some ice-cold sodas. African Mourning Doves scoffed at the bird buffet and were soon joined by Parrot-billed Sparrow and a selection of weavers, including Northern Masked and the attractive Jackson s Golden-backed Weaver, plus some glorious Superb Starlings.
We took a short drive to the Baringo Cliffs where we found Green-winged Pytilia, Bristle-crowned Starlings, Great-spotted Cuckoo, a fine Verreaux s Eagle flew overhead, some tiny Mouse-coloured Penduline-Tits flying by and finally our target species, the Brown-tailed Rock Chat, before it was time to start the long drive to Kakamega. This took us through the impressive Kerio Valley but it was already baking hot so we stopped only for a roadside Long-crested Eagle before our lunch with a view. After the twon of Eldoret, we encountered a massive hail storm with ice particles the size of Malteasers and made it to the idyllic Rondo Retreat just before dark. 18 th May Kakamega, and the Rondo Retreat gardens in particular, have an international reputation for brilliant birding so we started early with a gentle walk around the gardens. We began with a colony of Vieillot s Black Weavers, a vocal pair of Bocage s Bushshrikes (which we heard singing almost every daylight hour of our stay), White-chinned Prinias and two Yellow-spotted Barbets at close range before trying our luck for the elusive White-spotted Flufftails by the fishponds. After no time at all, we got very lucky with excellent views of a male calling at close range on a rock in the stream - what a great start! We decided to head back for breakfast earlier than planned and found a resting Great Sparrowhawk and some African Green Pigeons nearby. Afterwards, we met with our local guide Ben and continued walking in the beautiful grounds. Before long, we had connected with some quality forest species including Green-headed Sunbird, Grey-headed Negrofinch, Black-collared Apalis, a noisy pair of Pink-footed Puffbacks and a skittish Jameson s Wattle-eye. Around a few bends in the forest path and across a stream, we then hit into a mixed feeding party that included effervescent Joyful Greenbuls, Uganda Woodland Warblers and a pair of Black-billed Weavers. In the understorey, two Black-faced Rufous Warblers were seen briefly and a Red-headed Bluebill made a quick visit to the track. We then heard another male Whitespotted Flufftail calling so Adam tried to whistle it out of the gloom and sure enough it slowly crossed the track just in front of us giving great views. Quality species then came thick and fast and we d soon seen male Tambourine Dove perched, two vocal Lühder s Bushshrikes, several Yellowwhiskered Greenbuls and a Grey-winged Robin-chat. Adam and Ben then played the whistle game with a delightful Snowy-crowned Robin-chat and we had smiles across our faces as the bird replied to our whistles as we three jammed in the forest. Unfortunately, this bird would not emerge from the gloom but we did have two birds in full view outside our cottage later in the day. Back in the open garden, we added Mackinnon s Shrike and Grey-throated Barbets to our tally. We then walked along the main dirt road through the forest, stopping to view more forest species such as White-headed Saw-wings, two Yellow-billed Barbets, Western Citril and bright yellow female Petit s Cuckoo-shrike. Back at the main gate we found a large Yellow-crowned Woodpecker that gave prolonged views and two African Blue Flycatchers danced above us with tails fanned. After lunch, we headed to a small river that flows under the main road and were rewarded with more new birds including Cabanis s Greenbul and Brown-throated Wattle-eye, and further along another track we had good views of more Joyful Greenbuls and a Hairy-breasted Barbet while a Black-billed Turaco called from just out of sight. We tried another trail and found a wing-flicking Brown-chested Alethe before being called back to the road where we were offered the chance to see a Rhinoceros Viper, one of the most venomous but least frequently seen snakes in Africa. The wiser ladies stayed well back with Chege at the vehicle but at least the story of meeting a deadly forest viper has an authentic beginning, regardless of how close the guys say they got to it!
19 th May On our second morning at Kakamega, we headed to the main forest station and pump house trail. Although the forest was fairly quiet, several Scaly-breasted Illadopsis were vocal but would not show themselves. We had better luck with Olive-green Camaroptera and as we continued down the track we began to hear the subtle song of a Grey-chested Illadopsis but that too would not show itself (pesky Illadopsis!). In the distance, we could hear the bizarre call of Great Blue Turacos and so we called them in with instant success. Five of these blue beauties came flying in and called directly above us before jumping across the big branches then flying off; it was spectacular stuff! After we all recovered, we found a Red-chested Cuckoo sat motionless in a tree, a party of Dusky Tits and two White-headed Wood-hoopoes before a pair of African Shrike-Flycatchers were found high in the canopy. There was little activity at the pump house and as we left the trail, we heard the soft calls of Turner s Eremomela in the canopy. This very range-restricted species can easily be missed so we enjoyed the prolonged views before making our way across the clearing to the other side of the forest where we soon located two Red-headed Malimbe and several Dark-backed (Forest) Weavers. From a clearing we watched an African Hawk Eagle soaring with an Augur Buzzard and we then played chase with two brilliant Bar-tailed Trogons that called noisily in the forest and showed quite well albeit briefly. Chestnut Wattle-eyes displayed with whip notes in the canopy and as we left the trail two more Great Blue Turacos flew into view. In the afternoon, as we waited by the Rondo gate, a couple of Scarce Swifts whizzed overhead with some Little Swift for comparison and the African Blue Flycatchers performed nicely again. It was a gloomy afternoon and we opted to try the trails near the offices again. We scored with some new birds including Ansorge s and Kakamega Greenbuls and a stunning Equatorial Akalat that sang within two metres of us in full view. We also had good views of several Brown-chested Alethe but the hoped for Red-chested Owlet could only be heard in the distance. 20 th May After an early breakfast, we took the road to Kisumu where we walked around the papyrus swamps of Lake Victoria. On arrival, a fine Western Banded Snake Eagle circled close to the road and an Eastern Plantain-eater flew in the distance. As Fan-tailed Widowbirds danced over the reedbeds, we found ourselves being watched by a Blue-headed Coucal that skulked in the papyrus close to us, although we had difficulty seeing all of the bird at one time. At the bridge, many Angola Swallows perched, a small group of Papyrus Canary appeared and showed very well and, just down the road, a pair of Black-headed Gonoleks announced their territory with great gusto and gave us a remarkable show. Yellow-backed and Slender-billed Weavers whizzed back and forth across the road and Woodland Kingfishers were seen calling nearby. At Hippo Point, a big Hippo was seen wading through the vegetation and, as we watched the local Red-chested Sunbirds and Tawny-flanked Prinias, a stunning Double-toothed Barbet showed especially well in the clear morning light. Whitebellied Canaries with yellow bellies caused confusion and hilarity in equal measure. At the point, we enjoyed nice views of a pair of Swamp Flycatchers but a vocal Greater Swamp Warbler could not be enticed from the papyrus. A Whiskered Tern circled over the water and we then had a good look at a Grey Woodpecker and compared it to the African Grey-headed Woodpeckers we d seen previously. A Black-billed Barbet flew into view and we had to pull ourselves away from the point in order to start our journey to the Masai Mara, stopping almost immediately for a cracking Long-crested Eagle that perched just a few metres from the road while surrounded by oblivious people going about their daily routine!
Once on the highway, we travelled a short distance to admire a splendid male Southern Red Bishop on the edge of the Ahero rice fields but the area was busy with road construction and there was little else of interest close to the road, so we pushed onwards. After a comfortable lunch stop, we continued at pace to the Mara but chose to stop at a bridge which looked good for a few birds. Sure enough, we quickly found some African Blue Flycatchers, Amethyst Sunbird, two Thick-billed Seedeaters, a family of Black-necked Weavers and a Crowned Hornbill flew over several times. Distraction and leg-stretch over, we continued and arrived at the charming Mara West camp before nightfall. 21 st May We were greeted with stunning views of the Mara from our high vantage point on the escarpment which we drove down slowly after breakfast. Along the way we found Long-billed Pipit, Whitebellied Canary (with a white belly!), a cracking male Yellow Bishop in breeding dress and then a very obliging Grey-capped Warbler singing in the open. At the bottom of the escarpment we had a flyover Bateleur before Chege pointed out a Flappet Lark displaying overhead and a nearby Rufousnaped Lark for a direct comparison of display song technique. On reaching the Oloololo Gate, we had a chance to admire a selection of mammal skulls and an impressive Little Swift colony before moving onto some grassland birding. Sooty Chats were seen in abundance and we finally got super close views of Lilac-breasted Rollers that perched openly in the full Mara sunlight. There were a large numbers of cisticolas but the vast majority were Stout, with a few Pectoral-patch thrown in for good measure, while Yellow-throated Longclaws and Buffy Pipits were also common on the ground. We then had a sighting of a young male Lion quickly followed by some females in the grass but we could not really tell how many there were as they kept rising and falling under the high grass line. The Cape Buffalo males looked at us as if we owed them money and we continued along the tracks until a herd of Elephants, containing many youngsters, came into view. As we rounded another corner, we found ourselves in the middle of a great herd of plains game that included many Topi standing on top of termite hills in a way that Topi seem well-qualified in doing. A surprise find along the riparian woodland was a smart Lizard Buzzard that was scanning the undergrowth for its next meal. Due to an unseasonal lack of rain, the usually flooded areas were dry so we passed these by and went to the Mara River hippo pools for a close encounter of the Hippo kind where there were over 40 collected in a small area. Approaching the grassy area below the Serena Hotel, we found many Temminck s Coursers and Fischer s Sparrow-larks and at the world-famous crossing points we waited patiently as 350+ Plains Zebra (and two very early Serengeti Wildebeest) went to and fro towards the water s edge. In the river, we observed several massive Nile Crocodiles waiting patiently for their prey and a pair of African Fish Eagles called majestically as they flew downstream. Over lunch, we willed the zebra to make a crossing but after an hour they still hadn t plucked up the courage to do so and we decided to push on and headed to the Serena Hotel for a short break. Later, we headed onto the long grass plains south of the Serena, finding a smart-looking Blackchested Snake Eagle along the way. Further south, we hit a purple patch with two Bat-eared Foxes showing very well, a large band of Banded Mongoose (mongooses, mongeese, mongii who knows?), African Wattled Plovers and a stunning Rosy-breasted Longclaw (which we agreed should really be renamed to Rosy-throated as its breast is actually black!). We passed a couple of big male Lions in favour of more birding and as the grass became shorter and infiltrated by Whistling Thorn we found five Silverbirds flying around together, plus lots of Grey-capped Social-weavers. We finally arrived at the South Mara Bridge where we were dazzled by the male Mwanza Flatheaded Agamas doing push-ups on the rocks, plus a small party of Buff-bellied Warblers before the rain arrived and we had to take shelter in the vehicle. We decided to continue the drive and made a
slow drive in the downpour to the Tanzanian border where we glanced across the soaking-wet Serengeti. Back on the main game trail, we began to see numbers of Red-necked Spurfowl and then several Ostrich appeared followed by many more; where had they both been hiding all day? Despite the precipitation, the birding continued strongly as we found several Secretarybirds, some distant Lappet-faced Vultures and a handsome Grey Kestrel. The clock was ticking and we decided to push on towards the Oloololo Gate when Adam spotted a Cheetah lying on top of a bank, just in time for the sun to shine again over the Mara. We had great views and had to pull ourselves away from this most streamlined of felines but were rewarded with close views of a Dark Chanting Goshawk with its lark supper, a Rufous-chested Swallow that was circling the vehicle and then a White-browed Coucal drying itself on top of a bush. Three Coqui Francolin were found next to the road and then, just as we though the good birding had stopped, we stumbled across five Southern Ground Hornbills (including one immature) and a pair of Brown Snake Eagles. A very large Elephant then added to the conspiracy that we would not make it out of the park on time by blocking the road but thankfully some rangers were passing by and they spooked it into moving from our path. Finally, another fine male Lion watched us as we sped by and we exited the gate at 5.58pm! The Mara rarely disappoints and today it certainly didn t. 22 nd May We were sad to leave Mara West as it was a highlight among the accommodations that we stayed in during the tour but after a delicious breakfast we headed slowly down the escarpment road and onto new ground. Very quickly we were into more new birds with Familiar Chat, Usambiro Barbet and Yellow-fronted Canary all added to the list in a matter of minutes. Having descended one steep road, we now ascended another and drove our way towards the top from where we decided to walk down despite a noisy Olive Baboon shouting to us that a Leopard was somewhere nearby (well, we didn t see it!). Two good raptors an Ayre s Hawk Eagle and a Crowned Eagle - made good use of the warm rising air as they soared effortlessly by but our next new bird was far smaller. Singing in the bush next to us was a very fine-looking Tabora Cisticola but the singing Trilling Cisticola, who whistled from the other side of the valley, could not be located. Some of us were lucky to get a brief view of a small antelope, the Klipspringer, which is a scarce resident of the rocky escarpment and obviously a very shy one too. Chege collected us and we continued to the bottom before turning northwards and crossed the North Mara Bridge and onto the short grass plains. We had a short rest at Musiara Gate but as soon as we departed and rose above the hill, we found ourselves gazing over a vast herd of Wildebeest. The herd must have been over 15,000 strong and we were staggered that we had timed our arrival to coincide with the annual migration of the lesser-known Loita Hills population of Western Whitebearded Gnu, or Wildebeest. We drove through the black herds towards the Musiara Marsh and quickly found our main target species, the scarce Rufous-bellied Heron, which only breeds here and nowhere else in Kenya. Also here was a Grey Kestrel and we spied a pair of Saddle-billed Stork on the open marsh. Chege found us a small track and we ended up quite close to the beautiful storks for some photos. Once again, we soon found ourselves surrounded by game with a notable gathering of Elephants emerging from the forest and crossing our path. On the other side of Musiara, we came across a gathering of Openbilled Storks and a Winding Cisticola showed an impressive fidelity to a particular branch emerging from a bridge. With the midday heat rising, we headed towards the summit of Rhino Ridge and enjoyed lunch under a large shady Sausage Tree before continuing the drive. A small Serval cat was a surprise find,
quickly followed by two Lions found sleeping under a Balanites bush, and a Lappet-faced Vulture on a nest nearby. So many animals seemed to be seeking shade and we soon found a couple of different Black-backed Jackals also taking shelter. A pair of Yellow-throated Sandgrouse was a welcome find on the open plains and we later saw Dark Chanting Goshawk, White-bellied Bustard and Black-chested Snake Eagle before coming to a standstill at the sight of three stunning Grey Crowned Cranes that posed like catwalk models right next to our vehicle. Once at Keekorok Lodge, we checked into our rooms before taking a late afternoon walk around the extensive grounds. Within moments, we were watching Slate-coloured Boubou and Hildebrandt s Starlings feeding in the open, a female Violet-backed Starling, and several African Grey Flycatchers. Six White-faced Whistling Ducks flew over the gardens and a vocal pair of Meyer s Parrots whooshed by at breakneck speed. The light was fading quickly and once we enjoyed close views of two Redfaced Crombecs, we headed to the Hippo Pool where the stink was stomach-churning. From the boardwalk, we saw a small Tree Hyrax sat in a tree hole that, for all intents and purposes, might as well have been a stuffed toy. Aside from the chittering Three-banded Plovers and Black Crakes there were few birds on the muddy margins of the pool so we continued along the boardwalk for another lap, finding Mosque Swallows as we did so. Under the boardwalk, we witnessed a mixed group of White-browed Robin-chats, Common Bulbul, Grey-backed Camaroptera and Red-faced Cisticola mobbing an invisible snake but it was in there somewhere. Back at the Hippo Pools, three Water Thick-knees had emerged from their day roost and were loitering around the active Hippos but it was too windy for any nightjars to be found so we headed back for dinner. 23 rd May Before breakfast, we took another morning walk around the Keekorok grounds finding a couple of smart Bare-faced Go-away-birds, a Grey-capped Warbler literally at our feet, two Meyer s Parrots that were nest-prospecting, and the Mosque Swallows again but this time glowing in the strong morning light. Red-billed Oxpeckers posed nicely for photos and then a real surprise appeared in the shape of two Green-capped Eremomelas that fed eagerly in a leafy canopy. As we had some time to kill before leaving the reserve, we took a ride to the southern Sand River Gate where we dipped our toes into Tanzania and had good views of Black-lored Babbler and a Brown Snake Eagle. Heading towards Sekanani Gate, John then found two Cheetahs (well-spotted John!) sat nicely under a Balanites tree. Nearby, we had frantic views of two Magpie Shrikes which kept disappearing before emerging again and they eventually showed well. A Spot-flanked Barbet was also rather tricky to get onto at Sekanani Gate before we headed out of the reserve and onto the very short grass plains. We turned off the main road to look for coursers and although we found many Temminck s, these were not the ones we were looking for. We stumbled across a Kori Bustard and a few Yellow-throated Sandgrouse and just as we were started to lose hope, there was our target bird, right next to the vehicle a stunning Double-banded Courser! With big smiles, we headed off to Narok for lunch that included Kenya s finest beef samosas! Our next stop was the Manguo Pond at Limuru where we found a couple of new species within minutes; many White-backed Ducks and our main target the rare Maccoa Duck. There were four Maccoa Ducks which certainly included an adult pair and what were probably two well-grown offspring, suggesting breeding at this very important site (probably the ONLY site in Kenya nowadays). In the background were many Purple Swamphens, Little Grebes and rafts of Redknobbed Coot, and this was a fine end to our wonderful tour.
CHECKLISTS BIRDS SEEN # English name Scientific name 1 Common Ostrich Struthio camelus 2 White-faced Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna viduata 3 Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor 4 White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus 5 Knob-billed Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos 6 Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca 7 Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis 8 African Black Duck Anas sparsa 9 Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata 10 Red-billed Teal Anas erythrorhyncha 11 Hottentot Teal Anas hottentota 12 Cape Teal Anas capensis 13 Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa 14 Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris 15 Coqui Francolin Peliperdix coqui 16 Crested Francolin Francolinus sephaena 17 Scaly Francolin Pternistis squamatus 18 Jackson's Francolin Pternistis jacksoni 19 Yellow-necked Spurfowl Pternistis leucoscepus 20 Red-necked Spurfowl Pternistis afer 21 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 22 Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus 23 Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor 24 African Open-billed Stork Anastomus lamelligerus 25 White Stork Ciconia ciconia 26 Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis 27 Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumeniferus 28 Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis 29 Great Cormorant (inc. white-breasted forms) Phalacrocorax carbo 30 Long-tailed (Reed) Cormorant Microcarbo africanus 31 African Darter Anhinga rufa 32 Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus 33 Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens 34 Hamerkop Scopus umbretta 35 Little Bittern 36 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 37 Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala 38 Goliath Heron Ardea goliath 39 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 40 Great White Egret Ardea alba
41 Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia 42 Little Egret Egretta garzetta 43 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis 44 Madagascar Pond Heron Ardeola idae 45 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides 46 Rufous-bellied Heron Ardeola rufiventris 47 Striated Heron Butorides striata 48 Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 49 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 50 Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus 51 Hadada Ibis Bostrychia hagedash 52 African Spoonbill Platalea alba 53 Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus 54 Yellow-billed Kite Milvus (migrans) parasiticus 55 African Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer 56 Osprey Pandion haliaetus 57 White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus 58 Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotus 59 Black-chested Snake Eagle Circaetus pectoralis 60 Brown Snake Eagle Circaetus cinereus 61 Western Banded Snake Eagle Circaetus cinerascens 62 Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus 63 African Harrier Hawk (Gymnogene) Polyboroides typus 64 Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco monogrammicus 65 Dark Chanting Goshawk Melierax metabates 66 Eastern Chanting Goshawk Melierax poliopterus 67 Black (Great) Goshawk Accipiter melanoleucus 68 Mountain Buzzard Buteo oreophilus 69 Augur Buzzard Buteo augur 70 Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax 71 Verreaux's (Black) Eagle Aquila verreauxii 72 African Hawk Eagle Aquila spilogaster 73 Ayres's Hawk Eagle Aquila ayresii 74 Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus 75 Long-crested Eagle Lophaetus occipitalis 76 Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus 77 Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius 78 Rock Kestrel Falco rupicolus 79 Grey Kestrel Falco ardosiaceus 80 Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus 81 White-spotted Flufftail Sarothrura pulchra 82 African Water Rail Rallus caerulescens 83 Black Crake Amaurornis flavirostra 84 Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio
85 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 86 Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata 87 African Jacana Actophilornis africanus 88 Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori 89 White-bellied Bustard Eupodotis senegalensis 90 Black-bellied Bustard Lissotis melanogaster 91 Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum 92 Water Thick-knee Burhinus vermiculatus 93 Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis 94 Long-toed Plover Vanellus crassirostris 95 Blacksmith Plover Vanellus armatus 96 Spur-winged Plover Vanellus spinosus 97 Black-winged Plover Vanellus melanopterus 98 Crowned Plover Vanellus coronatus 99 African Wattled Plover Vanellus senegallus 100 Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius 101 Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris 102 Chestnut-banded Plover Charadrius pallidus 103 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 104 Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 105 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 106 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola 107 Little Stint Calidris minuta 108 Ruff Philomachus pugnax 109 Temminck's Courser Cursorius temminckii 110 Double-banded Courser Smutsornis africanus 111 Heuglin's (Three-banded) Courser Rhinoptilus cinctus 112 Grey-headed Gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus 113 Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica 114 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida 115 Yellow-throated Sandgrouse Pterocles gutturalis 116 Black-faced Sandgrouse Pterocles decoratus 117 Rock Pigeon (feral) Columba livia 118 Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea 119 Olive Pigeon Columba arquatrix 120 Dusky Turtle-Dove Streptopelia lugens 121 African Mourning Dove Streptopelia decipiens 122 Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata 123 Ring-necked Dove Streptopelia capicola 124 Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis 125 Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove Turtur chalcospilos 126 Tambourine Dove Turtur tympanistria 127 African Green-Pigeon Treron calvus 128 Fischer's Lovebird (feral hybrid) Agapornis fischeri
129 Red-fronted Parrot Poicephalus gulielmi 130 Meyer's (Brown) Parrot Poicephalus meyeri 131 Great Blue Turaco Corythaeola cristata 132 Hartlaub's Turaco Tauraco hartlaubi 133 Bare-faced Go-away-bird Corythaixoides personatus 134 White-bellied Go-away-bird Corythaixoides leucogaster 135 Eastern Plantain-eater Crinifer zonurus 136 Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius 137 Red-chested Cuckoo Cuculus solitarius 138 Klaas's Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas 139 Dideric Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius 140 African Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx cupreus 141 White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus 142 Blue-headed Coucal Centropus monachus 143 African Scops Owl Otus senegalensis 144 Northern White-faced Owl Ptilopsis leucotis 145 Mackinder's Eagle Owl Bubo capensis [mackinderi] 146 Greyish Eagle Owl Bubo cinerascens 147 Verreaux's Eagle Owl Bubo lacteus 148 Pearl-spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatum 149 Slender-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus clarus 150 Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus 151 African Black Swift Apus 152 Nyanza Swift Apus niansae 153 Little Swift Apus affinis 154 Horus Swift Apus horus 155 White-rumped Swift Apus caffer 156 African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus 157 Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus 158 Blue-naped Mousebird Urocolius macrourus 159 Bar-tailed Trogon Apaloderma vittatum 160 Malachite Kingfisher Corythornis cristatus 161 Grey-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala 162 Woodland Kingfisher Halcyon senegalensis 163 Striped Kingfisher Halcyon chelicuti 164 Giant Kingfisher Megaceryle maximus 165 Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis 166 White-fronted Bee-eater Merops bullockoides 167 Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus 168 Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater Merops oreobates 169 White-throated Bee-eater Merops albicollis 170 Madagascar (Olive) Bee-eater Merops superciliosus 171 Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudatus 172 African Hoopoe Upupa africana
173 Green Wood-hoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus 174 White-headed Wood-hoopoe Phoeniculus bollei 175 Abyssinian Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus minor 176 Red-billed Hornbill Tockus erythrorhynchus 177 Jackson's Hornbill Tockus jacksoni 178 Von der Decken's Hornbill Tockus deckeni 179 Hemprich's Hornbill Tockus hemprichii 180 Crowned Hornbill Tockus alboterminatus 181 African Grey Hornbill Tockus nasutus 182 Silvery-cheeked Hornbill Ceratogymna brevis 183 Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna subcylindrica 184 Southern Ground Hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri 185 Yellow-billed Barbet Trachyphonus purpuratus 186 Yellow-spotted Barbet Buccanodon duchaillui 187 Red-and-yellow Barbet Trachyphonus erythrocephalus 188 D'Arnaud's Barbet Trachyphonus darnaudii 189 Usambiro Barbet Trachyphonus usambiro 190 Grey-throated Barbet Gymnobucco bonapartei 191 Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus 192 Red-fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus pusillus 193 Hairy-breasted Barbet Tricholaema hirsuta 194 Red-fronted Barbet Tricholaema diademata 195 Spot-flanked Barbet Tricholaema lacrymosa 196 Black-throated Barbet Tricholaema melanocephala 197 Black-billed Barbet Lybius guifsobalito 198 Double-toothed Barbet Lybius bidentatus 199 Lesser Honeyguide Indicator minor 200 Scaly-throated Honeyguide Indicator variegatus 201 Fine-banded (Tullberg's) Woodpecker Campethera tullbergi 202 Nubian Woodpecker Campethera nubica 203 Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens 204 Yellow-crested Woodpecker Dendropicos xantholophus 205 Grey Woodpecker Dendropicos goertae 206 Grey-headed Woodpecker Dendropicos spodocephalus 207 African Shrike Flycatcher Megabyas flammulatus 208 Brown-throated (Common) Wattle-eye Platysteira cyanea 209 Jameson's Wattle-eye Dyaphorophyia jamesoni 210 Chin-spot Batis Batis molitor 211 Pygmy Batis Batis perkeo 212 Brubru Nilaus afer 213 Black-backed Puffback Dryoscopus cubla 214 Pink-footed Puffback Dryoscopus angolensis 215 Brown-crowned Tchagra Tchagra australis 216 Three-streaked Tchagra Tchagra jamesi
217 Lühder's Bushshrike Laniarius luehderi 218 Tropical Boubou Laniarius aethiopicus 219 Black-headed Gonolek Laniarius erythrogaster 220 Slate-colored Boubou Laniarius funebris 221 Rosy-patched Bushshrike Rhodophoneus cruentus 222 Bocage's (Grey-green) Bushshrike Telophorus bocagei 223 Grey-headed Bushshrike Malaconotus blanchoti 224 Petit's Cuckoo-shrike Campephaga petiti 225 Grey Cuckoo-shrike Coracina caesia 226 Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor 227 Grey-backed Fiscal Lanius excubitoroides 228 Long-tailed Fiscal Lanius cabanisi 229 Taita Fiscal Lanius dorsalis 230 Common Fiscal Lanius collaris 231 Mackinnon's Shrike Lanius mackinnoni 232 Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio 233 Magpie Shrike Urolestes melanoleucus 234 Northern White-crowned Shrike Eurocephalus rueppelli 235 White-crested Helmet-shrike Prionops plumatus 236 Montane Oriole Oriolus percivali 237 Square-tailed Drongo Dicrurus ludwigii 238 Fork-tailed (Common) Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis 239 White-tailed Crested Flycatcher Elminia albonotata 240 African Blue Flycatcher Elminia longicauda 241 African Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis 242 Cape Rook Corvus capensis 243 Pied Crow Corvus albus 244 Rufous-naped Lark Mirafra africana 245 Flappet Lark Mirafra rufocinnamomea 246 Fischer's Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix leucopareia 247 Red-capped Lark Calandrella cinerea 248 Plain Martin Riparia paludicola 249 Banded Martin Riparia cincta 250 Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula 251 Angola Swallow Hirundo angolensis 252 Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii 253 Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica 254 Lesser Striped Swallow Cecropis abyssinica 255 Rufous-chested Swallow Cecropis semirufa 256 Mosque Swallow Cecropis senegalensis 257 White-headed Saw-wing Psalidoprocne albiceps 258 Black Saw-wing Psalidoprocne pristoptera 259 White-bellied Tit Melaniparus albiventris 260 Dusky Tit Melaniparus funereus
261 Mouse-colored Penduline-Tit Anthoscopus musculus 262 Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus 263 Kakamega Greenbul Andropadus kakamegae 264 Little Greenbul Andropadus virens 265 Ansorge's Greenbul Andropadus ansorgei 266 Slender-billed Greenbul Andropadus gracilirostris 267 Yellow-whiskered Greenbul Andropadus latirostris 268 Eastern Mountain Greenbul Andropadus nigriceps 269 Joyful Greenbul Chlorocichla laetissima 270 Cabanis's Greenbul Phyllastrephus cabanisi 271 Lesser Swamp Warbler Acrocephalus gracilirostris 272 Little Rush Warbler Bradypterus baboecala 273 Cinnamon Bracken Warbler Bradypterus cinnamomeus 274 Uganda Woodland Warbler Phylloscopus budongoensis 275 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus 276 Black-faced Rufous-Warbler Bathmocercus rufus 277 Black-collared Apalis Apalis pulchra 278 Yellow-breasted Apalis Apalis flavida 279 Chestnut-throated Apalis Apalis porphyrolaema 280 Grey Apalis Apalis cinerea 281 Red-fronted Warbler Urorhipis rufifrons 282 Grey-backed Camaroptera Camaropter brevicaudata 283 Olive-green Camaroptera Camaroptera chloronota 284 Grey Wren-Warbler Calamonastes simplex 285 Singing Cisticola Cisticola cantans 286 Red-faced Cisticola Cisticola erythrops 287 Hunter's Cisticola Cisticola hunteri 288 Rattling Cisticola Cisticola chiniana 289 Winding Cisticola Cisticola galactotes 290 Stout Cisticola Cisticola robustus 291 Aberdare Cisticola Cisticola aberdare 292 Siffling (Short-winged) Cisticola Cisticola brachypterus 293 Tiny Cisticola Cisticola nana 294 Long-tailed (Tabora) Cisticola Cisticola angusticauda 295 Zitting (Fan-tailed) Cisticola Cisticola juncidis 296 Desert Cisticola Cisticola aridulus 297 Pectoral-patch Cisticola Cisticola brunnescens 298 Buff-bellied Warbler Phyllolais pulchella 299 Grey-capped Warbler Eminia lepida 300 White-chinned Prinia Schistolais leucopogon 301 Tawny-flanked Prinia Prinia subflava 302 Turner's Eremomela Eremomela turneri 303 Green-capped Eremomela Eremomela scotops 304 Northern Crombec Sylvietta brachyura
305 Red-faced Crombec Sylvietta whytii 306 Silverbird Empidornis semipartitus 307 Pale Flycatcher Bradornis pallidus 308 African Grey Flycatcher Bradornis microrhynchus 309 White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher Melaenornis fischeri 310 Northern Black-Flycatcher Melaenornis edolioides 311 Swamp Flycatcher Muscicapa aquatica 312 African Dusky Flycatcher Muscicapa adusta 313 Lead-coloured Flycatcher Myioparus plumbeus 314 White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata 315 Equatorial Akalat Sheppardia aequatorialis 316 Grey-winged Robin-Chat Sheppardia polioptera 317 Cape Robin-Chat Cossypha caffra 318 Rüppell's Robin-Chat Cossypha semirufa 319 White-browed Robin-Chat Cossypha heuglini 320 Snowy-headed Robin-Chat Cossypha niveicapilla 321 Spotted Morning Thrush Cichladusa guttata 322 White-browed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas leucophrys 323 Schalow's Wheatear Oenanthe lugens [schalowi] 324 Capped Wheatear Oenanthe pileata 325 African Stonechat Saxicola torquatus 326 Familiar Chat Cercomela familiaris 327 Brown-tailed Rock Chat Cercomela scotocerca 328 Moorland (Alpine) Chat Cercomela sordida 329 Northern Anteater Chat Myrmecocichla aethiops 330 Sooty Chat Myrmecocichla nigra 331 Mocking Cliff-Chat Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris 332 Little Rock-Thrush Monticola rufocinereus 333 Abyssinian Ground Thrush Zoothera piaggiae 334 Olive Thrush Turdus olivaceus 335 African Thrush Turdus pelios 336 Brown-chested Alethe Alethe poliocephala 337 Rufous Chatterer Turdoides rubiginosa 338 Arrow-marked Babbler Turdoides jardineii 339 Black-lored Babbler Turdoides sharpei 340 Northern Pied Babbler Turdoides hypoleuca 341 Kikuyu (Montane) White-eye Zosterops (poliogastrus) kikuyuensis 342 Abyssinian White-eye Zosterops abyssinicus 343 Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea 344 Greater Blue-eared Starling Lamprotornis chalybaeus 345 Rüppell's (Long-tailed) Starling Lamprotornis purpuroptera 346 Superb Starling Lamprotornis superbus 347 Hildebrandt's Starling Lamprotornis hildebrandti 348 Violet-backed Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster
349 Abbott's Starling Cinnyricinclus femoralis 350 Red-winged Starling Onychognathus morio 351 Waller's Starling Onychognathus walleri 352 Bristle-crowned Starling Onychognathus salvadorii 353 Red-billed Oxpecker Buphagus erythrorhynchus 354 Yellow-billed Oxpecker Buphagus africanus 355 Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird Anthreptes orientalis 356 Collared Sunbird Hedydipna collaris 357 Green-headed Sunbird Cyanomitra verticalis 358 Olive Sunbird ('Eastern' and 'Western' forms) Cyanomitra olivacea 359 Amethyst Sunbird Chalcomitra amethystina 360 Scarlet-chested Sunbird Chalcomitra senegalensis 361 Hunter's Sunbird Chalcomitra hunteri 362 Tacazze Sunbird Nectarinia tacazze 363 Bronze Sunbird Nectarinia kilimensis 364 Golden-winged Sunbird Drepanorhynchus reichenowi 365 Northern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris reichenowi 366 Eastern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris mediocris 367 Beautiful Sunbird ('Northern' and 'Southern' forms) Cinnyris pulchellus 368 Marico Sunbird Cinnyris mariquensis 369 Red-chested Sunbird Cinnyris erythrocercus 370 Variable Sunbird Cinnyris venustus 371 House Sparrow Passer domesticus 372 Kenya Rufous Sparrow Passer rufocinctus 373 Grey-headed Sparrow Passer griseus 374 Parrot-billed Sparrow Passer gongonensis 375 Swahili Sparrow Passer suahelicus 376 Speckle-fronted Weaver Sporopipes frontalis 377 White-headed Buffalo-Weaver Dinemellia dinemelli 378 White-browed Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser mahali 379 Grey-capped Social-Weaver Pseudonigrita arnaudi 380 Baglafecht Weaver Ploceus baglafecht 381 Little Weaver Ploceus luteolus 382 Slender-billed Weaver Ploceus pelzelni 383 Black-necked Weaver Ploceus nigricollis 384 Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis 385 Black-billed Weaver Ploceus melanogaster 386 Holub's Golden Weaver Ploceus xanthops 387 Northern Masked Weaver Ploceus taeniopterus 388 Lesser Masked Weaver Ploceus intermedius 389 Vitelline Masked Weaver Ploceus vitellinus 390 Speke's Weaver Ploceus spekei 391 Village Weaver Ploceus cucullatus 392 Yellow-backed Weaver Ploceus melanocephalus
393 Jackson's Golden-backed Weaver Ploceus jacksoni 394 Chestnut Weaver Ploceus rubiginosus 395 Forest (Dark-backed) Weaver Ploceus bicolor 396 Brown-capped Weaver Ploceus insignis 397 Vieillot's Black Weaver Ploceus nigerrimus 398 Red-headed Malimbe Malimbus rubricollis 399 Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea 400 Southern Red Bishop Euplectes orix 401 Yellow-crowned Bishop Euplectes afer 402 Yellow Bishop Euplectes capensis 403 White-winged Widowbird Euplectes albonotatus 404 Red-collared Widowbird Euplectes ardens 405 Fan-tailed Widowbird Euplectes axillaris 406 Long-tailed Widowbird Euplectes progne 407 Jackson's Widowbird Euplectes jacksoni 408 Grosbeak (Thick-billed) Weaver Amblyospiza albifrons 409 Grey-headed Negrofinch Nigrita canicapillus 410 Green-winged Pytilia (Melba Finch) Pytilia melba 411 Crimson-rumped Waxbill Estrilda rhodopyga 412 Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild 413 Kandt's (Black-headed) Waxbill Estrilda (atricapilla) kandti 414 Red-headed Bluebill Spermophaga ruficapilla 415 Red-cheeked Cordonbleu Uraeginthus bengalus 416 Purple Grenadier Granatina ianthinogaster 417 Red-billed Firefinch Lagonosticta senegala 418 Zebra (Orange-breasted) Waxbill Sporaeginthus subflavus 419 African Quailfinch Ortygospiza fuscocrissa 420 Bronze Mannikin Spermestes cucullatus 421 Black-and-white Mannikin ('Rufous-backed' form) Spermestes bicolor 422 Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura 423 Village Indigobird Vidua chalybeata 424 Cape Wagtail Motacilla capensis 425 Mountain Wagtail Motacilla clara 426 African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp 427 Sharpe's Longclaw Hemimacronyx sharpei 428 Yellow-throated Longclaw Macronyx croceus 429 Pangani Longclaw Macronyx aurantiigula 430 Rosy-breasted Longclaw Macronyx ameliae 431 Grassland Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus 432 Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis 433 Plain-backed Pipit Anthus leucophrys 434 Buffy Pipit Anthus vaalensis 435 Yellow-crowned Canary Serinus (canicollis) flavivertex 436 Yellow-fronted Canary Serinus mozambicus
437 White-bellied Canary Serinus dorsostriatus 438 Brimstone Canary Serinus sulphuratus 439 African Citril Serinus citrinelioides 440 Western Citril Serinus frontalis 441 Papyrus Canary Serinus koliensis 442 Reichenow's (Yellow-rumped) Seedeater Serinus reichenowi 443 Streaky Seedeater Serinus striolatus 444 Thick-billed Seedeater Serinus burtoni 445 Cinnamon-breasted Bunting Emberiza tahapisi 446 Golden-breasted Bunting Emberiza flaviventris BIRDS HEARD ONLY # English name Scientific name 1 Black-billed Turaco Tauraco schuetti 2 African Cuckoo Cuculus gularis 3 Red-chested Owlet Glaucidium tephronotum 4 Chestnut Wattle-eye Dyaphorophyia castanea 5 Dark-capped Yellow Warbler Chloropeta natalensis 6 Greater Swamp Warbler Acrocephalus rufescens 7 Green Hylia Hylia prasina 8 Trilling Cisticola Cisticola woosnami 9 Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat Cossypha cyanocampter 10 Scaly-breasted Illadopsis Illadopsis albipectus 11 Grey-chested Illadopsis Kakamega poliothorax ENGLISH NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME MAMMALS 1 Vervet Monkey Chlorocebus pygerythrus 2 Red-tailed Monkey Cercopithecus ascanius 3 Blue Monkey Cercopithecus mitis 4 Syke s Monkey (Mt.Kenya White-throated form) Cercopithecus albogularis kolbi 5 Olive Baboon Papio anubis 6 Guereza (Black and White) Colobus Colobus guereza 7 Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas 8 Bat-eard Fox Otocyon megalotis 9 Slender Mongoose Herpestes sanguineus 10 Banded Mongoose Mungos mungo 11 Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta 12 Serval Leptailurus serval 13 Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus 14 Lion Panthera leo 15 Leopard Panthera pardus
16 African Elephant (Forest and Savanna forms) Loxodonta africana 17 East African Tree Hyrax Dendrohyrax validus 18 Bush (Yellow-spotted Rock) Hyrax Heterohyrax brucei 19 East African Rock Hyrax Procavia johnstoni 20 Plains Zebra Equus burchelli 21 White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum 22 Common Warthog Phacocherus africanus 23 Nile Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibious 24 Maasai Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi 25 Reticulated Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata 26 Coke s Hartebeest (Kongoni) Alcelaphus buselaphus cokii 27 White-bearded Gnu (Wildebeest) Connochaetes taurinus 28 Topi Damaliscus korrigum 29 Impala Aepyceros melampus 30 Grant s Gazelle Nanger granti 31 Thomson s Gazelle Gazella thomsonii 32 Cape Buffalo Syncerus caffer 33 Common Eland Taurotragus oryx 34 Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus 35 Beisa Oryx Oryx beisa 36 Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus 37 Kirk s Dik-dik Madoqua kirkii 38 Suni Neotragus moschatus 39 Steinbok Rhapicerus campestris 40 Defassa Waterbuck Kobus defassa 41 (Chanler s) Mountain Reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula ssp. chanleri 42 Bohor Reedbuck Redunca redunca 43 Red-legged Sun Squirrel Heliosciurus rufobrachium 44 Ochre Bush Squirrel Paraxerus ochraceus 45 Unstriped Ground Squirrel Xerus rutilus 46 Giant Forest Squirrel Protoxerus stangeri 47 East African Acacia Rat Thallomys paedulcus 48 African Savanna Hare Lepus microtis REPTILES 1 Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus 2 Leopard Tortoise Geochelone pardalis 3 Red-headed Rock Agama Agama agama 4 Mwanza Flat-headed Agama Agama mwanzae 5 Tropical House Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia 6 White-headed Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus picturatus 7 Rhinoceros Viper Bitis nasicornis
Image Gallery Secretarybird; Nairobi National Park, 9 th May 2014 Maasai Giraffe; Nairobi National Park, 9 th May 2014 Madagascar Pond Heron; Nairobi National Park, 9 th May 2014
Male Lion; Nairobi National Park, 9 th May 2014 Purple Swamphen; Nairobi National Park, 9 th May 2014 Lake Magadi, 10 th May 2014
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater; Castle Forest Lodge, 11 th May 2014 Syke s Monkey; Mountain Lodge, Mount Kenya, 12 th May 2014 Leopard; Mountain Lodge, Mount Kenya, 12 th May 2014
Abyssinian Ground Thrush; The Meteorological Station, Mount Kenya, 13 th May 2014 Suni; The Meteorological Station, Mount Kenya, 13 th May 2014 Jackson s Francolin; The Meteorological Station, Mount Kenya, 13 th May 2014
Warthog; Aberdare National Park, 14 th May 2014 Aberdare Cisticola; Aberdare National Park, 14 th May 2014 Sharpe s Longclaw; Kinangop Plateau, 14 th May 2014
African Fish Eagle; Lake Naivasha, 15 th May 2014 Pied Kingfisher; Lake Naivasha, 15 th May 2014 Impala; Lake Nakuru National Park, 16 th May 2014
White Rhinoceros; Lake Nakuru National Park, 16 th May 2014 Slender-tailed Nightjar; Lake Baringo, 16 th May 2014 African Darter; Lake Baringo, 17 th May 2014
African Jacana; Lake Baringo, 17 th May 2014 Goliath Heron; Lake Baringo, 17 th May 2014 Woodland Kingfisher; Lake Baringo, 17 th May 2014
Jackson s Golden-backed Weaver; Lake Baringo, 17 th May 2014 White-crested Helmet-shrike; Lake Baringo, 17 th May 2014 Snowy-crowned Robin-chat; Kakamega, 18 th May 2014
Turner s Eremomela; Kakamega, 18 th May 2014 Black-headed Gonolek, Kisumu, 19 th May 2014 Papyrus Canary; Kisumu, 19 th May 2014
Double-toothed Barbet; Kisumu, 19 th May 2014 Grey-capped Warbler; Masai Mara, 20 th May 2014 Cape Buffalo; Masai Mara, 20 th May 2014
Topi; Masai Mara, 20 th May 2014 Rufous-naped Lark; Masai Mara, 20 th May 2014 Crowned Plover; Masai Mara, 20 th May 2014
Bat-eared Fox; Masai Mara, 20 th May 2014 Rosy-breasted Longclaw; Masai Mara, 20 th May 2014 Cheetah; Masai Mara, 20 th May 2014
Dark Chanting Goshawk; Masai Mara, 20 th May 2014 Loita White-bearded Wildebeest; Masai Mara, 21 st May 2014 Saddle-billed Stork; Masai Mara, 21 st May 2014
African Elephant; Masai Mara, 21 st May 2014 Grey Crowned Crane; Masai Mara, 21 st May 2014 Serval; Masai Mara, 21 st Mat 2014
Meyer s Parrot; Masai Mara, 22 nd May 2014 Brown Snake Eagle; Masai Mara, 22 nd May 2014 Lilac-breasted Roller; Masai Mara, 22 nd May 2014