Kenya Birding and great East Africa Migration
Guide: Marc Cronje
Summary – During the tour the temperature ranged from º11 to 31ºC. We recorded 38mammal species, over 400 species of birds and 9 species of reptiles. The species mentioned in the daily summaries are only some of those seen.
Day 1: Arrival in Kenya / Birding around the hotel
Our trip got off to a good start with us arriving from international flights, getting to our wonderful hotel overlooking the Nairobi National Park. We settled in, freshened up and enjoyed some down time before the start of our exciting Kenya birding and wildlife adventure.
An afternoon walk around the hotel yielded sightings of: Kenya Sparrow, Superb Starling, soaring Marabou Storks, Northern Pied Babbler, Long-tailed Fiscal, Village Weaver, Bronze, Scarlet-chested and Amethyst Sunbirds.
As Jackie and Norman have travelled with us on many occasions it was good to catch up on news and all that has been happening since our last trip together in South Africa in November 2022. It’s such fun taking guests out that we know as it’s like we are all friends. That’s our motto- arrive as strangers and leave as friends. We also discussed what targets we needed as some of the birds we had seen before together on other African trips.
A tasty first meal was enjoyed as we watched the Springboks (South Africa’s National Rugby team) best Scotland in the first pool game of the rugby World Cup.
Day 2: Aberdare National Park
We began our morning with a delicious breakfast and headed north of Nairobi, bypassing as much of the traffic as possible and headed to our first stop the Manguo Swamp. A few roadside birds included African Harrier Hawk, Augur Buzzard, Marabou Stork and Yellow-billed Kites. As we arrived at the wetland the flowering, Leonotis leonurus known as Lions Tail or wild dagga was a haven for the sunbirds and we had great sightings of: Tacazze Sunbird, Golden-winged Sunbird, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Bronzy and Malachite Sunbirds. These were soon joined by a few African Citrils. What a great start. As we moved around the area we saw Spectacled Weaver, Hunter’s Cisticola, Anteater Chat and a stunning pair of Grey Crowned Cranes displaying. This was a great start to our first day.
We pulled ourselves away from the action to keep on moving to the highland grasslands of the Kinangop plateau in search of the highly endangered and endemic Sharpe’s Longclaw. On our drive we chatted about our exceptions and hopes for the trip and learnt a bit about Kenya from our local guide Jack. We enjoyed a spectacular view of the Great Rift Valley.
As we approached the area that Birdlife International and Nature Kenya protects for the Longclaws the birds just kept coming, we enjoyed special sightings of Lesser Jacana, Purple Grenadier, Long-tailed Widowbird, Dusky Turtle Dove, Wing-snapping Cisticola, African Quail-Finch, Black Saw-wing and Mottled Swift. The Sharpe’s Longclaw made us work a bit but at the end we got excellent views of this endemic.
We continued heading north to the stunning Aberdare National Park. The moorland at the higher reaches of the national park holds some special birds that were on our radar. The climb up the mountain and views were spectacular. As we reached the high elevation grassland, we soon had great sightings of two of our targets the Moorland Chat and Jackson’s Spurfowl- we could not have asked for better views.
We enjoyed the view of the impressive Magura waterfalls and had a great sighting of the newly split Kikuyu White-eye- another special endemic. A confiding pair of Chestnut-throated Apalis’s was a bonus. Other good birds seen included Mountain Buzzard, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler and Yellow-crowned Canary.
A well-planned stop in the high-altitude grassland got us top notch views of a pair of Aberdare Cisticola’s- another one of the Kenyan endemics. The rest of our afternoon was used to explore the incredibly diverse Aderdare National Park. The birds just kept on rolling in and we enjoyed sightings of Hartlaub’s Turaco- a major target for Jackie and Norman, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Grey-capped Warbler, Red-throated Wryneck, Scaly Francolin and a close sighting of the small Moustached Tinkerbird.
An excellent, perched in the open, sighting of the magnificent Crowned eagle made Norman’s day as he has always wanted to see Africa’s most power eagle perched. The day offered some top-notch birding and photography opportunities which we all enjoyed tremendously. The mammals also played their part and we saw African Elephants, African Buffalo, Bush Duiker, Bushbuck, Mount Kenya Guereza monkey, Spotted Hyena and Giant Forest Hog- a new mammal for Jackie and Norman.
After an excellent first day we retired to our comfortable lodge overlooking Mount Kenya, settled in and enjoyed an excellent meal as we chatted away about our day and the exciting day ahead. Lists updated we all fell asleep to Montane Nightjars calling in the distance.
Day 3: Nyere to Mount Kenya
Another tasty breakfast was enjoyed at our lodge before we headed out on a short birding walk in the grounds of our accommodation. A few noteworthy birds included Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Red-faced Crombec, Pale White-eye, stunning views of Black-lored Babbler, Little Rock-Thrush, Red-cheeked Cordonbleu, Reichenbach’s Seedeater and a big colony of Speke’s Weavers all displaying and building nests was a highlight for Jackie and Norman.
Bags packed we left the friendly staff at our lodge and headed for our next stop, the scrap farmlands on the slope of Mt Kenya in search of the endemic, Hide’s Pied-Babbler. A few birding spots on route yielded sightings of Spot-flanked Barbet, Crimson-rumped Waxbill, Northern Pied Babbler, Red-faced and Singing Cisticola, a stunning African Yellow warbler posing for us and singing away- Norman got some incredible pictures. The main attraction, the Hide’s Pied-Babbler also put on a great showing for us. It was so good to hear from the local guide that conservation efforts are succeeding in protecting the habitat these stunning Babblers need.
Our next stop was the forested slopes of Mount Kenya and the Castle Forest reserve. We had a relaxing lunch at the river and enjoyed sightings of a pair of Mountain Wagtail. Our drive up to the lodge yielded sightings of Black-and-white-Mannikin, Brown Woodland Warbler, Black-throated Apalis, great views of Yellow-whiskered Greenbul and a stunning Hartlaub’s Turaco.
On arrival, we were shown to our rustic, but charming rooms settled in took a break before our afternoon of birding. Our afternoon bird walk took us along a trail leading from behind the cabins. Luckily the rain held off and we saw more great birds, a few worth mentioning- Mountain( Black-tailed) Oriole, African Goshawk, Crowned and Silvery-cheeked Hornbills, Brown-capped Weaver, Ruppell’s Robin-Chat, Black-collared Apalis, Grey Apalis, Grey-headed Nigrita, Black-throated Apalis, Scarce Swift, a stunning African Hill Babbler that posed wonderfully and Grey Cuckooshrike- what an amazing afternoon showcasing the biodiversity of the African forests. The Greenbuls were well represented and to our surprise we had good views on all three species, the Slender-billed, Cabanis’s Greenbul.
We also enjoyed a new primate species and had great views of a Syke’s or Blue Monkey, this individual being Cercopithecus Mitis form of the species. A troop of Mount Kenya Guereza monkeys also entertained us.
We decided to freshen up and head for an earlier dinner. We chatted away about previous trips together and had some good laughs about all stories and tales from travelling together. We also chatted about new destinations we may be keen on and enjoyed another excellent meal. Our walk back showcased the phenomenal stars and milky way.
Day 4: Full Day Mount Kenya
An excellent day of exploring the wet and lush forest at the base of Mt Kenya was install for us. The slightly cooler, non humid forest with an elevation of 2000m above sea level rewarded us with some excellent birds. The first major target was the shy and elusive Olive Ibis, the species can be a challenge to see but we had some fortune on our side and we enjoyed flight and perched views of these forest-dwelling Ibis. A few other species seen on our pre-breakfast walk included, Tambourine Dove, African Olive Pigeon, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Scaly Spurfowl and a pair of White-bellied Tits.
A relaxed breakfast was enjoyed overlooking the forest- a Jackson’s three-horned Chameleon was a great find from the breakfast table- what an impressive reptile.
The rest of our day was spent exploring the trails around the forest and a few noteworthy species included Red-fronted Parrot, Giant Kingfisher, Waller’s Starling, Green-headed Sunbird, Brown-chested Alethe, and despite us trying our best we just got brief flight views of a Bar-tailed Trogon, lucky Jackie and Norman have seen one well in Uganda. Just as we were about to head to lunch, we heard the distinct wing sonation call of a African Broadbill displaying- this is a bird we were really hoping for on the tour but thought was a slim chance. We tried to locate it but no luck this time, we planned to return in the afternoon. We enjoyed lunch and some down time before heading out on our afternoon session.
Our afternoon was slightly quieter, but we still enjoyed views of Collared Sunbird, Mountain Buzzard, Tullberg’s (Fine-banded) Woodpecker and Mountain Greenbul. We headed to the spot we had tried the African Broadbill earlier and managed to get excellent views on a single bird doing it’s typical, circular display- in my opinion one of the coolest birds in Africa.
The mammals for day included extremely good views on a pair of Syke’s or Blue Monkey grooming each other and posing for photographs right next to our vehicle. We had a relaxing evening chatting about the next part of the tour and birds we hope to see. A good night’s rest was had by all after another exciting day.
Day 5: Mount Kenya to Lake Baringo
We started our morning with a brief walk around the gardens and added White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Jackson’s Spurfowl and Kandt’s Waxbills to our ever-growing list. Brief flight views of the Olive Ibis were also a good sighting. A scrumptious breakfast was enjoyed before saying goodbye to the friendly staff and heading down the slopes of Mt Kenya towards our next stop Lake Baringo one of the rift valley lakes.
On our drive we enjoyed the changing Kenyan scenery and chatted away about our birding adventures together and places we would like to visit. A few mammal sightings along the drive included Impala, Vervet Monkey, White Rhino seen along fence of Rhino Watch sanctuary and Olive Baboons.
We had an incredible afternoon of birding along the shores of Lake Baringo with one of the local site guides Benson. As soon as we arrived at the site the birds just kept on arriving. It was so enjoyable as we had such good views of most of the species- a few highlights included Parrot-billed Sparrow, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Bristle-crowned Starling, Slate-coloured Boubou, a stunning male Beautiful Sunbird, Spotted Mourning-Thrush, Northern Brownbul, Northern White-crowned Shrike, Jackson’s Hornbill, Acacia( Somali) Tit, Magpie Starling, out of range African Green Pigeon, African Pygmy Kingfisher and Meyer’s Parrots. Benson had some Owls staked out and we had exceptional views of Spotted Eagle-Owl, Northern White-faced Owl and African Scops Owl. This was truly an afternoon of top-notch birding. With everyone very happy we headed to our nearby lodge right by the lakeside to freshen up and settle in. Our arrival party consisted of the resident Pied Kingfisher and Hamerkop pair.
We updated our lists while chatting away about the great birds seen today and the variety of habitats we covered. We also chatted away about the interesting geology of the rift valley and how the valley was widening due to the African plate moving. A good night’s rest was had by all as we fell asleep to the sound of the waves on the shore.
Day 6: Lake Baringo
Today is always an exciting day as we start the day with a boat trip on Lake Baringo. After a cup of coffee, we were off. The great diversity combined with excellent photo opportunities always makes this trip a highlight and we enjoyed sightings of Great Egret, Goliath Heron, Purple Heron, Pied and Malachite Kingfisher, Olive( Madagascar) Bee-eater, African Darter, Striated Heron, Little Egret, African Fish Eagle, African Swamphen, Glossy Ibis, Squacco Heron, Northern Masked Weaver, Gull-billed Tern, Golden-backed Weaver and Spur-winged Lapwing- a very successful trip on the lake.
We then joined our local guide Benson to target a few species he had spots for in the surrounding savanna near the lake. We had excellent views of Nubian Woodpecker, Three-banded Courser in the open during the day- just marvellous, Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit- one of Africa’s smallest birds, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Spotted Thick-knee, Red-fronted Prinia and the most spectacular views on a pair of Slender-tailed Nightjars roosting in the shade that let us get some amazing pictures. After such an excellent morning we enjoyed a relaxed lunch with the Resident Grey-crowned Cranes and Marabou Storks overlooking the Lake as we chatted about the exciting morning. We enjoyed some downtime before heading out on our afternoon birding adventures.
We headed to the Baringo cliff area to look for target a few species from the area, the main target was the localised Brown-tailed Chat, and we had great views of the species. Other good birds for the afternoon included White-headed Buffalo Weaver, a pair of Greyish Eagle-Owl on a day roost, Fan-tailed Raven, a stunning male Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Black-throated Barbet, Lanner Falcon, Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow and a noisy flock of Rufous Chatterers. Another excellent day of birding with well over 120 species seen today.
A delicious meal of was enjoyed as we caught up on the results from the rugby World Cup and chatted about the exciting birds we had seen. A good night’s rest was on the cards after an exciting, bird filled day.
Day 7: Lake Nakuru National Park
We began our morning with a spectacular sunrise over the lake and a pre breakfast walk. A few new species seen included Grey-headed Gull, Northern Crombec, Black Heron and African Grey Woodpecker. A delicious breakfast was enjoyed overlooking the lake before saying our goodbyes to our friendly hosts and heading south to Lake Nakuru. A quick stop for Hemprich’s Hornbill, which we missed, rewarded us with a great in the open sighting on a pair feeding- another lifer for Jackie and Norman. Jackie loves her Hornbills, so this was a great start for the morning.
Our drive down to Lake Nakuru was uneventful and we enjoyed the scenery and chatted away to pass the time. Roadside birds seen were Marico Sunbird, Meyer’s Parrots, Brown Babbler, a pair of colourful Red-and-yellow Barbets, Chestnut Weavers in breeding plumage, Red-billed Firefinch, Grey-crowned Crane. As we entered the incredibly scenic Lake Nakuru NP with its open Savana, Fever Tree forests and lakeside, the birding just exploded. We saw well over 100 species for the afternoon plus some amazing mammals which made Jackie and Norman very happy.
A few noteworthy species seen Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans in very good numbers, Common Greenshank, African Hoopoe, Ruff, Gull-billed Tern, White-faced Whistling Duck, a great open sighting of a Scaly-throated Honeyguide- a species Norman hoped to see, Striped Kingfisher, Long-crested Eagle, Plain-backed Pipit, Grey-backed Fiscal and Black-crowned Night Heron posing in the open.
We had good luck and enjoyed a Black Rhino bull crossing the road in front of our safari jeep- the individual was very relaxed and posed wonderfully- a special mammal sighting anywhere in Africa. A short while later we also had a close sighting of a White Rhino female and calf feeding in the open plain- these also posed wonderfully and came to within a few meters of us- we were all over the moon. The mammal viewing was excellent, and we had good sightings of: African Buffalo, Reticulated Giraffe, Defassa Waterbuck, Thompson’s and Grant’s Gazelle, Plains zebra, Hippopotamus, Spotted Hyena and the highlight of the afternoon was having a male Lion walk next to our vehicle with two lioness who then proceeded to try hunt a Waterbuck- unfortunately unsuccessfully but this was a wonderful sighting for us.
With the sun setting we headed to the edge of the lake to take in the breathtaking vista of all the Lesser and a few Greater Flamingos feeding- this giving the lake it’s famous pink colour at sunset and sunrise- it was spectacular. We also added Blue-billed Teal, Cape Teal, Pied Avocet and Little Stint to our ever-growing list. Sunset was spectacular over the lake, and we heard for our very comfortable lodge nearby to check in and freshen up.
A tasty meal was enjoyed as we chatted about the incredible diversity of mammals and birds we had seen and just how incredible Africa is. We all fall asleep to the sounds of Spotted Hyena calling.
Day 8: Lake Nakuru National Park to Maasai Mara National Reserve
We decided to have an early breakfast so we could enjoy a morning in the park and take in the splendour of the park and the Flamingos at sunrise. This did not disappoint, and we had the most amazing pink scene along the lake edge as the Flamingos all fed. We also had White Rhino feeding next to our vehicle for about half an hour with just us on the sighting- a truly remarkable morning for Jackie and Norman with them saying it’s one of best they have had in Africa. We added a few new birds to the list with us adding Western Yellow Wagtail, Pectoral-patch Cisticola, Common Ringed Plover, Long-crested, African Hawk and Tawny Eagles.
As we approached the exit gate, we made a stop and found our target the Fischer’s Lovebirds and an out-of-range African Gray Woodpecker. We also spotted a pride of 8 lions and Hyena from the fence-line- it looked as if something was happening so we quickly hopped back into the safari jeep and headed back into the park for better views- well we had an awesome sighting of Spotted Hyena trying to take a Zebra kill off of the Lions and the Lions coming back and making contact with a Hyena and taking the kill back- an action packed sighting. One of the lionesses also had two cubs with her which was an absolute highlight for Jackie.
After such an incredible morning we said our goodbyes to this wonderful and beautiful park and started the fairly long drive to our next destination the world-famous Maasai Mara. Everyone was excited and we chatted about what’s to come and the expectations and about a few new birding trips for the future.
The drive was scenic, and we passed the time chatting and making a few birding stops for Jackson’s Widowbird, Lesser-spotted Eagle, White-fronted Bee-eater, and Green Wood Hoopoe. At our lunch stop we had good views of White-bellied Canary, Swahili Sparrow, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Grey-capped Warbler, beautiful Hildebrandt’s Starling with their red eyes and a pair of Little Bee-eaters.
We arrived at the gates of the famous Maasai Mara National Reserve, all excited did the formalities and headed in. The first mammals started to roll in and we had Impala, Maasai Giraffe, Common Eland, Thompson’s Gazelle, Cape Buffalo, Blue Wildebeest, Zebra and a pride of 3 lions sitting right next to the road watching and creeping close to some Cape Buffalo- what a start.
In the distant plains we could see the millions of Blue Wildebeest and Plains Zebra, as one scanned the horizon the whole plain was full of these herbivores- a truly magical and special sight. The birding was also pretty good, and we had sightings of African Wattled Lapwing, Usambiro Barbet- a recent split from D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Northern Fiscal, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, Sooty Chat, White-browed Robin-Chat, Hildebrandt’s Starling, Tabora Cisticola and a Bare-faced Go-away-bird posing for us.
We arrived at our fabulous accommodation along the Talek River checked in and freshened up before enjoying another lovely meal together. We enjoyed the local Maasai dancing and chatted away reminiscing all our great bird and mammal sightings. Falling asleep to the resident Hippopotamus feeding outside our rooms was the cherry on top of a great day- you got to love Africa.
Day 9 and 10: Maasai Mara National Reserve
We spent the next two days exploring the vast open savanna that is the incredible Maasai Mara. Our visit has been planned to coincide with the great migration when the plains game migrate north from the Serengeti plains towards the Maasai Mara in search of fresh pasture, and return to the south again in October. This Great Migration is one of the most impressive natural events worldwide, involving some 1,300,000 wildebeest, 500,000 Thomson’s Gazelles, 97,000 Topi (a subspecies of Tsessebe), 18,000 Common Eland and 200,000 zebras. Astoundingly, about 250,000 wildebeest and other mammals die during the journey from Tanzania to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. One cannot describe the sight of millions of Wildebeest on the plains for as far as one can see. This was a huge highlight for Jackie and Norman, and we all were in awe of what we saw.
The Mara as it’s knows by the locals is a wildlife haven and we enjoyed multiple sightings of Maasai Giraffe, thousands of beautiful Plains Zebra, Common Eland, Topi, Cock’s Hartebeest, Hippopotamus, impressive herds of Cape Buffalo, Spotted Hyena, Black-backed Jackal, Banded Mongoose, Common Warthog, Kirk’s Dik-dik, Vervet Monkeys and Olive Baboons Our second afternoon yielded a lovely sighting to a big male Leopard feeding a wildebeest calf in the tree- a memorable sighting, as Leopard can be tough in the Mara.
The birding too is impressive, and we enjoyed a wide variety of different species as we moved through the east and south sections of the Mara. The diversity is incredible and a few special birds on our first full day included: Temminck’s Courser, Black-winged Lapwing, Orange-breasted Bushshrike, White-headed Buffalo Weaver, Striped Kingfisher, African Quail-Finch, Magpie Shrike, Green Sandpiper, Sooty Chat, Golden-breasted Bunting, Whinchat, White-headed Barbet, White-bellied Korhaan, Silverbird, Abyssinian Scimitarbill and Grey-capped Social Weaver. We had a vulture feast- with White-backed, Ruppell’s, Lappet-faced and White-headed feeding on a kill- joined by Bateleur and Tawny Eagle- having them on the ground close to us was special and a highlight for Norman as they made for some excellent photographs. A pair of Secretarybirds and Southern Ground Hornbill walking next to the vehicle was a highlight for Jackie and she really enjoys seeing these birds.
Our first full day in the park did not disappoint and we all fell asleep to the sound of the resident Hippopotamus. A truly remarkable day in Africa- one that will stay with us for a long time. When I closed my eyes I could see the picture of the millions of Wildebeest on the open green plains- what a privilege.
Our second day was used to traverse a part of the park towards the Mara triangle and access the Mara River section of the park. We witnessed the impressive migration in all its glory with the hundreds of Wildebeest lining up to cross the Mara River. We also enjoyed multiple close-up views of many of the plains game we saw yesterday. We enjoyed two mammal highlights today. The first was a handsome male Leopard lying in the grass and grooming a few meters away from our vehicle it was enjoyable to watch this handsome cat in the wild so close to us. The second major highlight was a Mother Cheetah and four cubs who were a month old. The female had made a kill and was eating on a young Thompson’s Gazelle while the four babies played and wrestled with each other- this was an incredible sighting which we all really enjoyed.
Along the Mara River we also had great views of hundreds of Marabou Storks, White-backed, Hooded and Ruppell’s Vultures feeding on the Wildebeest that did not make the crossing- the circle of life. A spotted Hyena lying in a pool of water cooling off nearby was also a good sighting.
The birding did not disappoint at all, and a few good birds seen included, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Gabar Goshawk, Southern Ground Hornbill, a stunning Martial Eagle posing in the open, which Norman loved, Black-bellied Bustard, beautiful Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, good numbers of Caspian Plovers arriving from their breeding grounds and a close viewing of Wahlberg’s Eagle.
An obligatory stop overlooking the Serengeti in Tanzania was enjoyed as we took photographs of us at the marker showing the border line. To stand in the Maasai Mara and look over the wide-open plains into the Serengeti was a highlight- this with millions of Wildebeest stretched as far as one can see, is something that will stay with us for a long time- the beauty of Africa. A massive thunderstorm hit us in the afternoon and dropped a huge amount of rain over the Mara with the Talek River in-front of the lodge raising a good two meters in a few hours. We had a memorable sighting of a herd of Elephants playing in the mud and having a great time near to our lodge.
A tasty meal was enjoyed as we chatted and reflected on our incredible time in the Mara and how much we had experienced. We updated our bird lists and settled for a good night’s rest.
Day 11: Final birding and off to Nairobi
Our morning begun with a relaxed breakfast overlooking the river as we chatted about future trips and plans. A Grey-headed Kingfisher joined us too.
We said goodbye to the wonderful and hospitable staff at our lodge and headed out saying goodbye to the incredible Maasai Mara. We had a clan of Spotted Hyenas as our goodbye party. A few noteworthy birds were targeted on our drive back to Nairobi, highlights being Fischer’s Sparrow- Lark, Silverbird, Red-throated Tit and Chestnut Sparrow.
We arrived in the late afternoon and after navigating the traffic arrived at our hotel overlooking the Nairobi National Park. We freshened up and enjoyed another fantastic final meal together. Thanks Jackie and Norman for being such wonderful guests and for the great time we had together. We all shared a good couple of laughs. A fantastic 11 days of birding in Kenya came to an end. We all had a blast and had an amazing time in Kenya and left with a tear in the eye after a lovely trip. I would like to thank our guides, especially our excellent local guide Jack, for all the knowledge, and help in making the tour run so smoothly and for the hard work put in on the trip. .
