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Field Guides Tour Report Kenya Highlights 2015 Jul 1, 2015 to Jul 19, 2015 Terry Stevenson The Lion is surely the quintessential animal of the African plains. Photo by participant Steve Madison. Our July 2015 Kenya Highlights tour began, as always, at the Ole Sereni Hotel overlooking Nairobi National Park. We then went south to Lake Magadi (near the Tanzania border), north to Mount Kenya and the arid lowlands of Samburu, west to Lake Baringo in the Great Rift Valley, and further west to Kakamega Forest and Lake Victoria, before returning to the Rift Valley at Nakuru and back to Nairobi. The final leg involved flights to and from the famous Masai Mara Game Reserve -- the jewel of Kenya's wildlife parks. Beginning with our day trip to Lake Magadi, we were somewhat surprised to find recent rains had made the road slow and bumpy. However, the scenery was spectacular as we dropped from over 6000' in the Ngong Hills to the dry acacia scrub at 2000' near Magadi. For a first day of birding, it was truly impressive, with Sacred and Hadada ibises near our hotel, Yellow-throated Longclaw and Red-collared Widowbird in the grasslands, White-bellied Go- away-bird, Blue-naped Mousebird, Von der Decken's Hornbill, and Beautiful Sunbird in the acacia country, and Lesser Flamingo, Pied Avocet, and the very localised Chestnut-banded Plover at the lake. Add roosting Slender-tailed Nightjars at our picnic spot, and a close Eastern Chanting-Goshawk on the way back to our hotel, and it all made for a great first day. We then headed north to Mountain Lodge on the southwestern slope of Mount Kenya, where we saw our first Sykes Monkeys (literally on our verandas), Large-spotted Genet at a feeding platform, and Bushbuck, African Buffalo, and Spotted Hyaena around the water hole. Birds varied from the secretive Scaly Francolin at the forest edge and dozens of Gray Crowned-Cranes in a nearby marsh, to Hartlaub's Turaco (just gorgeous in the scope), the massive Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, tiny White-browed Crombec, Black-throated Apalis, Rueppell's Robin-Chat, and Yellow-crowned Canary. Leaving the forests and farmlands of Mt. Kenya behind, we then drove further north and dropped to the Samburu lowlands -- an area of arid bush country, crossed by the Ewaso Nyiro River and lined with palms and acacia trees. This is near the southern limit of several birds and mammals, and we were soon enjoying many of these, including 'Somali' Ostrich, Vulturine Guineafowl, White-headed Mousebird, Somali Bee-eater, Yellow-vented Eremomela, and Donaldson-Smith's Sparrow-Weaver. Other more widespread birds varied from Kori Bustard, Black-faced Sandgrouse, and Golden- breasted Starling, to a dozen species of raptors, including Secretary-bird, White-headed Vulture, Bateleur, Martial Eagle, and Pygmy Falcon. The four 'special mammals' -- Grevy's Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Beisa Oryx, and Gerenuk -- were all seen the first afternoon! African Elephants and a young female Leopard right near our vehicle were icing on the cake. Next, we drove west to the Baringo-Bogoria area, with a night at Naro Moru along the way. The Mackinder's form of Cape Eagle-Owl was a highlight Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 1 along this route, and (thanks to our local contacts) the following day produced yet more owls, including Grayish and Verreaux's eagle-owls and Northern White-faced Owl -- all on their day roosts. Other highlights in this area included Goliath Heron, Three-banded Courser, Jackson's and Hemprich's hornbills, Pygmy Batis, Somali Tit, Mocking Cliff-Chat, Bristle-crowned Starling, Northern Masked-Weaver, Golden-backed Weaver, and Northern Red Bishop. Continuing further west, we enjoyed gorgeous White-crested Turacos and Black-headed Gonoleks in the Kerio Valley, and then, during our time at Kakamega Forest, admired such varied species as White-spotted Flufftail, Great Blue Turaco, African Emerald Cuckoo, Bar-tailed Trogon, White- headed Woodhoopoe, Yellow-billed Barbet, African Broadbill, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, African Blue-Flycatcher, 9 species of greenbuls, Black- faced Rufous-Warbler, Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, Black-billed Weaver, Red-headed Malimbe, and Red-headed Bluebill. Mammals were few, but watching the antics of Blue and Black-cheeked White-nosed monkeys and Mantled Guereza provided plenty of amusing moments. Heading back to the Rift Valley, we spent a night at Nakuru, where both Great White and Pink-backed pelicans were amongst a good variety of other waterbirds. We also saw Klass's Cuckoo, Little Rock-Thrush, Yellow Bishop, Long-tailed Widowbird, and our only Rueppell's Griffon of the tour. Mammals highlights included White Rhino, Rothchild's Giraffe, Common Eland, and Defassa Waterbuck. After a night in Nairobi, we finished the tour by flying to the Masai Mara for a three-night stay at the famous Kichwa Tembo Camp. Set amongst classic African savanna scenery, we took our 4x4 vehicle and drove across the plains, seeing an abundance of spectacular mammals, including Banded Mongoose, Spotted Hyaena, several groups of Lion, a mother Cheetah with four youngsters, herds of African Elephants, and several thousand African Buffalo, Burchell's Zebra, and Wildebeest. The birds were also spectacular, ranging from Common Ostrich, Secretary-bird, Temminck's Courser, and Southern Ground-Hornbill on the open grasslands, to secretive Coqui Francolins, six species of storks at a single marsh, and Rufous-necked Wryneck, Black-crowned Tchagra, and Hildebrandt's Starling in the woodlands. The combination of an exotic African landscape, more than 50 species of mammals, 400+ birds and genuinely friendly people surely puts Kenya very high on the list of the world's greatest wildlife tour destinations! -- Terry KEYS FOR THIS LIST One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant BIRDS Struthionidae (Ostrich) OSTRICH (COMMON) (Struthio camelus massaicus) – Four in the Bogoria area, about 6 at Nakuru, and 30+ at Masai Mara. OSTRICH (SOMALI) (Struthio camelus molybdophanes) – We saw a female and then a nice male (with blue neck and legs) at Samburu. Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl) WHITEFACED WHISTLINGDUCK (Dendrocygna viduata) – Six at Limuru Pond, and 3 near Kisumu. WHITEBACKED DUCK (Thalassornis leuconotus) – Scope views of 1 at Limuru Pond. EGYPTIAN GOOSE (Alopochen aegyptiaca) – Common and widespread at wetlands throughout the tour. SPURWINGED GOOSE (Plectropterus gambensis) – Four at Masai Mara. YELLOWBILLED DUCK (Anas undulata) – About a dozen in the Mt. Kenya area, and 2 at Limuru Pond. REDBILLED DUCK (Anas erythrorhyncha) – Ten in the Mt. Kenya area. HOTTENTOT TEAL (Anas hottentota) – Four at Limuru Pond. CAPE TEAL (Anas capensis) – Six at Lake Nakuru. SOUTHERN POCHARD (Netta erythrophthalma) – We saw 2 males at Limuru Pond. MACCOA DUCK (Oxyura maccoa) – Two males at Limuru Pond. Numididae (Guineafowl) HELMETED GUINEAFOWL (Numida meleagris) – At least 300 at Samburu. VULTURINE GUINEAFOWL (Acryllium vulturinum) – We saw about 80 of these striking guineafowl at Samburu. Phasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies) COQUI FRANCOLIN (Francolinus coqui) – A pair of adults with 2 tiny juveniles and then another two adults at Masai Mara. CRESTED FRANCOLIN (Francolinus sephaena) – About 10 at Samburu. SCALY FRANCOLIN (Francolinus squamatus) – Nice looks at 3 from the roof of Mountain Lodge. YELLOWNECKED FRANCOLIN (Francolinus leucoscepus) – Abut 50 at Samburu, and 6 at Solio. REDNECKED FRANCOLIN (Francolinus afer) – We saw an adult and a juvenile in the Mara grasslands. Podicipedidae (Grebes) LITTLE GREBE (Tachybaptus ruficollis) – Small numbers in the Mt. Kenya area, Limuru Pond, and at Lake Nakuru. Phoenicopteridae (Flamingos) GREATER FLAMINGO (Phoenicopterus roseus) – About 30 at Lake Nakuru. LESSER FLAMINGO (Phoenicopterus minor) – At least 500 at Lake Magadi (although many were distant), and then close views of about 3000 at Nakuru. Ciconiidae (Storks) AFRICAN OPENBILL (Anastomus lamelligerus) – One at Lake Victoria and 1 at Masai Mara. Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 2 WOOLLYNECKED STORK (Ciconia episcopus) – At least 8 at Masai Mara. WHITE STORK (Ciconia ciconia) – Strangely unusual at this time of year; we saw at least 30 at Masai Mara. SADDLEBILLED STORK (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) – Two at Masai Mara. MARABOU STORK (Leptoptilos crumenifer) – Fairly common throughout the tour, with a total of about 400. YELLOWBILLED STORK (Mycteria ibis) – Fairly common at a variety of wetlands (especially in Masai Mara); in all we saw about 200. Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags) GREAT CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo) – Six at Lake Baringo, and about 40 at Nakuru. LONGTAILED CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax africanus) – Small numbers were at Limuru Pond, and lakes Baringo and Victoria. Anhingidae (Anhingas) AFRICAN DARTER (Anhinga rufa) – Uncommon in Kenya, so we were lucky to see 2 at Lake Baringo. Pelecanidae (Pelicans) GREAT WHITE PELICAN (Pelecanus onocrotalus) – About 100 at Lake Nakuru. PINKBACKED PELICAN (Pelecanus rufescens) – One at Lake Nakuru. Scopidae (Hamerkop) HAMERKOP (Scopus umbretta) – First seen in the BaringoBogoria area, and then at Lake Victoria, Nakuru, and Masai Mara. Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) DWARF BITTERN (Ixobrychus sturmii) – Great views of this secretive bird at Masai Mara. GRAY HERON (Ardea cinerea) – Widespread in small numbers at wetlands throughout the tour. BLACKHEADED HERON (Ardea melanocephala) – Common and widespread throughout the tour. GOLIATH HERON (Ardea goliath) – The world's largest heron we had great looks at singles at Lake Baringo and Masai Mara. PURPLE HERON (Ardea purpurea) – One at Lake Baringo. GREAT EGRET (AFRICAN) (Ardea alba melanorhynchos) – Widespread throughout the tour, with a total of about 50. INTERMEDIATE EGRET (Mesophoyx intermedia) – Six at Limuru Pond. LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta) – Two at Baringo, and then about 60 at Lake Victoria and 50 at Nakuru. CATTLE EGRET (IBIS) (Bubulcus ibis ibis) – Common and widespread throughout the tour.