Tropical Birding Trip Report Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa, May 2016 Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa 12-28 May 2016 TOUR LEADER: Adam Scott Kennedy Report and photos by Adam Scott Kennedy Gray Crowned Crane in Nairobi National Park Kenya is a mind-blowing birding destination at any time of year but it would seem that our May departure was especially well-timed. Not only did we enjoy the best weather imaginable 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, the very full Rift Valley lakes and papyrus swamps of Lake Victoria, to the endless plains of the Masai Mara. In total, we recorded 413 bird species of which 398 were seen and 15 were ‘heard only’. In addition, we observed 43 mammal species and 10 reptiles were also noted. www.tropicalbirding.com +1-409-515-9110 [email protected] Tropical Birding Trip Report Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa, May 2016 12th May Tom and Suzanne negotiated Kenya customs with diplomatic acuity and were promptly delivered to the Boma Inn by Joseph. After a much needed drink, we turned in for the night and began to dream of what was to come… 13th May The group rendezvoused in the small garden of the Boma Inn for a first taste of African bird life. Close to the main bar area, a selection of common garden birds included Red-billed Firefinch, tiny Bronze Mannikins, House and Kenya Rufous Sparrows, Bronze and Variable Sunbirds, while above us Little Swift and Rock Martin whizzed over at high speed. We also had our first look at the omnipresent Yellow-vented Bulbul. 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. As we entered Nairobi National Park – the only ‘within-city-limits’ national park in the world – we drove slowly while listening to the sounds of new birds, stopping where we could to view Cinnanon-chested Bee- eater, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Speckled Mousebird, African Paradise Flycatcher, Singing Cisticola and an African Harrier Hawk. We walked the Club House gardens and were greeted by White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Dusky Turtle Dove and the dainty Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, while more extensive searching unearthed Amethyst and Collared Sunbirds, Eastern Honeyguide and a solitary Black-collared Apalis. At the infamous “Ivory Burning” site, we watched a Yellow-throated Longclaw (the meadowlark doppelgänger), Little Bee-eater and displaying Red-collared Widowbird. At the Nagolomon Drift, we watched two secretive Three-banded Plover on the dry river bed and an African Fish Eagle arrived close to our vehicle for super views. The Nagolomon Dam itself was heaving with waterbirds that included African Darter, Black-crowned Night Heron, Sacred Ibis and African Spoonbill. At a nearby turning point, we enjoyed a young Rosy-throated Longclaw, several swallow species and White- winged Widowbird before we joined the Park’s main road and headed into the grassland. Here we encountered many more widowbirds of several species, Holub’s Golden Weaver, Cardinal Quelea and Siffling Cisticola. By now, we had found our first mammals such as Cape Buffalo, Bohor Reedbuck, Hartebeest and Giraffe. At Hyena Dam we found our first Hippo and a basking Nile Crocodile plus plenty of attractive waterbirds including a very showy Purple Swamphen, lots of Black Crake, Egyptian Goose, Spur- winged and Long-toed Plovers, several egrets and herons. A pair of stunning Gray Crowned Crane walked sedately and unapologetically with their ‘ugly duckling’ offspring. After lunch, we resumed our route across the grasslands which held lots of cisticola species, while Rufous- naped Larks and Yellow-throated Longclaws literally littered the road. Our first vulture, an African White- backed, took off from a tall tree and Joseph then spotted two Jacobin Cuckoo close by. A pair of Shelley’s Francolin showed well in the track but our first Secretarybird and Ostrich were a little distant. As we entered a zone of scrub, we encountered Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Superb Starling, Northern Pied Babbler and several smart Shrike species. Before long, it was time to leave the park and head back to the hotel after a great first day. www.tropicalbirding.com +1-409-515-9110 [email protected] Tropical Birding Trip Report Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa, May 2016 Purple Swamphen; Nairobi National Park Shelley’s Francolin in Nairobi National Park www.tropicalbirding.com +1-409-515-9110 [email protected] Tropical Birding Trip Report Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa, May 2016 The Flame Lily (Gloriosa superba) 14th May Our destination for the day was the Magadi Road and once Joseph had negotiated his way through the Nairobi traffic we found ourselves at one of the higher points of the southern Rift, the aptly named Corner Baridi (meaning “cold corner”) which occupies a commanding position at the end of the Ngong Hills. We stopped to check the hillside for birds but, surprisingly, there was a surprisingly large gathering of people at this spot so it was not heaving with quality. Nevertheless, we still enjoyed several Yellow-crowned Canary, Marico and Bronze Sunbirds here. A little further down the road, we stopped to check out some Grassland Pipit before having a longer stroll just past the first village. This turned out to be a great spot with Banded Parisoma, Hildebrandt’s Starling, Red-fronted Barbet, Chinspot Batis, African Gray Flycatcher, Red-and-yellow Barbet and, one of our target species, a smart pair of Abyssinian Scimitarbill. At the bottom of the steepest tarmac road in Kenya (supposedly!), we were greeted by a fine Red-fronted Tinkerbird, followed by quality views of Schalow’s Wheatear, nest-building Vitelline Masked Weaver, and Crimson-rumped Waxbill. We made several impromptu stops for more great birds such as Southern Grosbeak Canary, Brubru, and Taita Fiscal before taking lunch at a busy waterhole which contained energetic colonies of Lesser Masked Weaver and Chestnut Sparrow. We also encountered Horus and Nyanza Swifts here, Blue-naped Mousebird, Namaqua Dove and Black-necked Weaver. Passing the Maasai village of Ol Tepesi, there were plenty of White-throated Bee-eaters sitting on the overhead wires and a sentinel Eastern Chanting Goshawk watched us from a pole. We headed to the archaeological site of Olorgasaille finding Capped Wheatear, Red-fronted and Gray Wren Warblers, and African Silverbill here. With the heat an increasing menace, we retraced our steps back to Nairobi but the new birds kept coming as we added African Gray Hornbill, Gray-headed Silverbill and Fischer’s Sparrow-larks as we did so. 15th May www.tropicalbirding.com +1-409-515-9110 [email protected] Tropical Birding Trip Report Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa, May 2016 Leaving Nairobi, we hit the road early to make use of the quiet Sunday morning traffic and after travelling past Thika we found ourselves at our site for the endangered Hinde’s Babbler. After a short walk, we heard some of these elusive birds call but they could not be relocated. The walk did produce a superb African Cuckoo-hawk, Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike and White-headed Barbet however. We continued towards Mount Kenya via the Mwea rice fields, stopping en route to view Purple Heron, Yellow-crowned Bishops, a selection of wildfowl, a very showy Ayre’s Hawk-eagle and a fine Lizard Buzzard. After passing the Castle Forest gate, we headed to our lodge where we checked-in and headed for lunch. Around the main lodge, we enjoyed the superb Tacazze Sunbird along with Eastern Olive and Northern Double-collared Sunbirds, plus the nuthatch-like Brown-capped Weaver and African Dusky Flycatcher. A male Jackson’s Three-horned Chameleon was catching bugs in a bush next to the main lodge. A short walk around the gardens in the afternoon produced Montane Oriole, stunning Hartlaub’s Turaco, groups of noisy Hunter’s Cisticola, Gray-headed Negrofinch (Nigrita), Kandt’s (Black-headed) Waxbill, Brown-throated Woodland Warbler and Thick-billed Seedeater. With light rain beginning to fall, we agreed to head back to the lodge for relaxed birding from the balcony, from where a pair of Scarce Swift was enjoyed with a local beverage. 16th May Our eyes and ears were open to the prospect of an Olive Ibis which are known to frequent certain trees around the grounds but there was no sign or sound from them. We did, however, enjoy a Mountain Buzzard, some very noisy Silvery-cheeked Hornbill and a sprinting White-tailed Mongoose that was evading the lodge’s guard-dogs. The forest was unusually quiet so after breakfast and a quick stop for close views of a Cinnamon Bracken Warbler we headed down to the river and were rewarded with a brief glimpse of an Olive Ibis as it commuted between feeding spots. We also watched Mountain Wagtails and a busy White-starred Robin before moving on to our next site, Serena Mountain Lodge, from where we spent the afternoon watching the skies, waterhole and surrounding forest for birds and mammals from the balcony. We had the best possible view of a Red-fronted Parrot which was prospecting a nest site in a nearby tree, plus Buffalo, Elephants, Bushbuck and Waterbuck. Late in the evening, a Verreaux’s Eagle Owl flew to the waterhole and we had good scope views before turning in for the day.