ITINERARY IN BRIEF
Day 1a and b – Arrival on xxxx. Transfer from Nairobi airport to our Nairobi Hotel for a two night stay. The second day is a ‘down’ day to recover and revive from our flights. We will do some birding within the gardens of our hotel to begin our African lists.
Arrive 1a 17 Oct T or 1b 18 Oct W – Kenya Birding Group arrives o/n Nairobi
Day 1: [19/10 Th] Nairobi National Park O/n Thika
Day 2: [20/10 F] Kieni Forest O/n Thika
Day 3: [21/10 S] Thika - Mt Kenya O/n Castle Lodge
Day 4: [22/10 S] Mt Kenya - Samburu National Reserve O/n Private Mobile Camp
Day 5: [23/10 M] Samburu National Reserve O/n Private Mobile Camp
Day 6: [24/10 T] Samburu National Reserve O/n Private Mobile Camp
Day 7: [25/10 W] Samburu National Reserve - Marsabit O/n Hotel Jirime
Day 8: [26/10 Th] Marsabit O/n Hotel Jirime
Day 9: [27/10 F] Marsabit - Timau O/n Ken Trout Cottages
Day 10: [28/10 S] Timau - Nakuru O/n Nakuru
Day 11: [29/10 S] Molo Grassland -Lake Nakuru National Park O/n Lake Nakuru Lodge
Day 12: [30/10 M] Lake Nakuru National Park- Lake Baringo O/n Coot's Cottage
Day 13: [31/10 T] Lake Baringo Conservation Area O/n Coot's Cottage
Day 14: [01/11 W] Lake Baringo - Kitale O/n Barnley's House
Day 15: [02/11 Th] Kongelai Escarpment O/n Barnley's House
Day 16: [03/11 F] Kongelai - Saiwa Swamp - Kakamega Forest O/n Rondo Retreat Centre
Day 17: [04/11 S] Kakamega Forest O/n Rondo Retreat Centre
Day 18: [05/11 S] Kakamega Forest O/n Rondo Retreat Centre
Day 19: [06/11 M] Busia - Kisumu O/n Lake Victoria Comfort Hotel
Day 20: [07/11 T] Kisumu - Masai Mara O/n Mara West Tented Camp
Day 21: [08/11 W] Masai Mara National Reserve O/n a Private mobile Camp
Day 22: [09/11 Th] Masai Mara National Reserve O/n a Private mobile Camp
Day 23: [10/11 F] Masai Mara National Reserve O/n a Private mobile Camp
Day 24: [11/11 S] Masai Mara National Reserve - Lake Naivasha O/n Elsamere Centre
Day 25: [12/11 S] Lake Naivasha - Athi River O/n Acacia Camp
Day 26: [13/11 M] Athi River - Tsavo West National Park O/n Ngulia Safari Lodge
Day 27: [14/11 T] Tsavo West National Park O/n Ngulia Safari Lodge
Day 28: [15/11 W] Tsavo West -Taita Hills O/n The Rock Hotel
Day 29: [16/11 Th] Taita Hills Forest - Rukinga O/n Ndovu House
Day 30: [17/11 F] Rukinga - Tsavo East National Park - Watamu O/n Turtle Bay Beach Club
Day 31: [18/11 S] Arabuko Sokoke Forest O/n Turtle Bay Beach Club
Day 32: [19/11 S] Arabuko Sokoke Forest O/n Turtle Bay Beach Club
Day 33: [20/11 M] Sabaki - Shimba Hills National Reserve O/n Shimba Hills Lodge
Day 34: [21/11 T] Shimba Hills National Reserve – Mombasa return flight?
ITINERARY IN DETAIL
Day 1a and b – Arrival on xxxx. Transfer from Nairobi airport to our Nairobi Hotel for a two night stay. The second day is a ‘down’ day to recover and revive from our flights. We will do some birding within the gardens of our hotel to begin our African lists.
Ken Cross and Chege will meet the group at the hotel for dinner the night of the 18th October to discuss the itinerary.
Day 1: Nairobi National Park O/n Thika
A full day birding in Nairobi National Park. The park, only 10km from Nairobi city, has a fantastic avifauna, with over 500 species recorded!
Birds in the park include the newly-described Nairobi Pipit, Common Ostrich, Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, African Darter, Great Egret, Saddle Billed Stork, Common Squacco, Black-headed and Grey Herons, African Spoonbill, White-faced Whistling and Knob-billed Ducks, Red-billed Teal, Secretary Bird, Black-shouldered Kite, Lappet-faced Vulture, Black-chested Snake-Eagle, Martial Eagle, Shelly's & Yellow-necked Spurfowls, African Finfoot, Black-bellied, and Hartlaub's Bustards, Emerald Spotted Wood, Laughing Doves, Hartlaub's Turaco, White-bellied Go-away-bird, White-browed Coucal, African Palm Swift, Blue-naped Mousebird, Little & Cinnamon-chested Bee-eaters, Lesser and Greater Honeyguides, Eastern Honeybird, Nubian Woodpecker, White-tailed and Rufous-naped Larks, Wire-tailed and Lesser-Striped Swallows, Rock Martin, Yellow-throated, Pangani and Rosy-breasted Longclaws, Pale, African Grey and Southern Black Flycatchers, Lesser Swamp Warbler, 9 dizzying species of Cistocolas, Abyssinian White-eye, Red-throated Tit, Jackson's Widowbird, Red & Yellow-billed Oxpecker, among many others.
The park has mammals such as the buffalo, Burchell's Zebra, hippo, Masai Giraffe, Coke's Hartebeest, Vervet and the Syke's Monkey and both Black and White Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Eastern White-bearded Gnu, Black-backed Jackal, Hyena, Grant’s & Eastern Thomson’s Gazelles, Bohor Reedbuck and Southern Bushbuck, Common Warthog among others.
Following our day at Nairobi National Park we will drive away from the city to our hotel in the township of Thika [of “Flame Trees of Thika” fame] for a two-night stay.
Day 2: Kieni Forest O/n Thika
Birding around Thika in search of one of Kenya’s endemic birds, a Hinde’s Pied Babbler and a localized Grey-Olive Greenbul. Brown-tailed Scrub Robin, Black-throated Wattle-eye.
We will spend some time birding at the Kieni Forest. Kieni Forest forms part of the extensive Kikuyu escarpment Forest lying east of the Rift Valley at approximately 2,150-2,700 m. Despite its close proximity to Nairobi it remains one of Kenya's best kept secrets. Amongst the regular species at Kieni [which can be difficult to see elsewhere in Kenya] are Olive Ibis Bostrychia olivacea, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon Columba delegorguei, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo Cercococcyx montanus, Bar-tailed Trogon Apaloderma vittatum, Black-fronted Bush-Shrike Malaconotus nigrifrons, Abbott's Starling Cinnyricinclus femoralis, Sharpe's Starling C. sharpii, Waller's Chestnut-winged Starling Onycbognathus walleri, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher Trochocercus albonotatus and Abyssinian Crimsonwing. This forest is also well known for butterflies.
Day 3: Thika - Mt Kenya O/n Castle Lodge
The next birding site is on the highlands of southern slopes of Mount Kenya. Birds here may include Africa’s most powerful eagle the African Crowned, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Sharpe’s Starling, Purple-throated Cuckooshrike, another Kenyan endemic Kikuyu White-eye, Eastern & Northern Double-collared Sunbirds, Rameron Pigeon, Red-fronted Parrot, White-headed Woodhoopoe, African Emerald Cuckoo, Grey Cuckoo shrike and others. Olive Ibises occasionally flies near the lodge in the evening on their way back to their roosting site.
Day 4: Mt Kenya - Samburu National Reserve O/n a Private Mobile Camp
After breakfast we will enjoy some morning birding in the forest, hopefully picking up some missing species, before heading north for Samburu National Reserve, located on the northern banks of Ewaso Nyiro River, and adjoining the Buffalo Springs National Reserve, which is located on the southern bank.
Left - Leopard ©chege wa kariuki
Species include Somali Ostrich, Bateleur, Palm-nut Vulture, African Hawk-eagle, Pygmy Falcon, Martial Eagle, Vulturine Guineafowl, Buff-crested Bustard, Black-faced, Chestnut-bellied & Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouses, Rosy-patched Bushshrike,African Orange-bellied Parrot, African Scops-owl, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Von der Decken’s Hornbill, Red-and-yellow Barbet, Bearded Woodpecker, Somali Bee-eater, Rufous-crowned Roller, Pink-breasted Lark, African Bare-eyed Thrush, Hunter’s & Black-bellied Sunbirds, Golden-breasted, Hilderbrant’s & Fischer’s Starlings, Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow-weaver are all possible. We will make a special trip to one corner of the reserve in search of another Kenyan Endemic the William’s Lark. This species is found in amazing country and we will cross a vast lava plain during our search. Birds encountered may also include the Northern Grosbeak Canary, Somali Crombec, Shining Sunbirds, Brown-tailed Rock Chat and Gambaga Flycatcher.
A wide set of mammals thrive in these reserves including Reticulated Giraffe, the endangered Grevy’s Zebra, Dwarf
Mongoose, Kirk’s & Gunther’s Dikdik, Common Waterbuck, Gerenuk, Beisa Oryx, African Elephant, Lion, Leopard & hopefully, Cheetah.
Day 5 & 6: Samburu National Reserve O/n a Private Mobile Camp
Continuing Birding in Samburu, Buffalo Springs National Reserves
Day 7: Samburu National Reserve - Marsabit O/n Hotel Jirime
Final birding in the reserve before another drive northwards to Marsabit. We will bird enroute in search of Somali Crombec, Northern Grosbeak Canary, Somali Crow and raptors.
Marsabit is an outpost of urban civilization in the desert of northern Kenya. The town is situated on an isolated extinct volcano, Mount Marsabit, which rises almost a kilometre above the desert. The hills here are heavily forested, in contrast to the desert beyond, with their own "insular" eco-system.
The town is mainly inhabited by the Cushitic-speaking Borana Oromo people. There are also very few Nilotic Turkana and Bantu Ameru residents. Additionally, there are also few non-Cushitic-speaking traders.
Day 8: Marsabit O/n Hotel Jirime
Today we travel further north of Marsabit in search of desert species birds like Heuglin’s Bustard and Masked Lark, Somali Sparrow, Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Larks, Somali Fiscals, Thekla and Short-tailed Lark & Crested Larks, Somali Coursers, African Scissor-tailed Kite, Shining Sunbird, and Greater Kestrels.
Day 9: Marsabit - Timau O/n Ken Trout Cottages
This morning we retrace our steps south, away from the desert lands, to Timau. This will be a four-hour journey or so.
After a late lunch we will have a late afternoon visit the vast to some of the pristine montane forests and alpine habitats of Mount Kenya National Park in search of Alpine Chat, Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Jackson’s Francolin, Slender-billed Starling - all seen above 3000m.
Day 10: Timau - Nakuru O/n Nakuru
Birding tour around our lodge compound may produce as many as seven species of sunbirds; Collared, Northern Double-collared, Variable, Bronze, Tacazze, Green-headed, Amerthyst & Scarlet-chested. With luck we may also encounter Narina Trogon, Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike, Chinspot Batis, African Black-headed Oriole and Black-crowned Tchagra.
Later we will travel west before descending into the Rift Valley. Enroute to Lake Nakuru National Park, we will make a stop at a large cliff wall, that is a roosting spot for the highly sought-after Mackinder’s (Cape) Eagle-Owl. Also possible are Little Rock Thrush, Red-winged Starling, Pale Flycatcher and Long-billed Pipit.
Day 11: Molo Grassland -Lake Nakuru National Park O/n Lake Nakuru Lodge
Birding in Lake Nakuru National Park was regarded as the “the greatest ornithological spectacle in the world” with both Lesser and Greater Flamingoes sometimes exceeding 100s of thousands of individuals, however in the recent years you hardly see many thousands individual birds but still it’s a place worth birding. The alkaline habitat, acacia woodland, grassland, rivers and inlets with marshes holds many residents as well as migratory species.
Close up views of Little Grebe, Great White Pelican, Black-winged Stilt, Gull-billed, Whiskered Tern, Grey-headed Gull, Cape, Red-billed Teal, Three-banded Plover, Little Stint, Long-crested, Tawny Eagle, Black-shouldered Kite, Augur Buzzard, White-fronted Bee-eater, Lilac-breasted Roller, Rock Martin, Arrow-Marked Babbler, Little Rock Thrush, Wailing, Rattling Cisticola, Rüppell’s Long-tailed Starling, Rüppell’s Robin Chat, White-shouldered Cliff Chat, African Grey Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Common, Grey-backed Fiscal, Tropical Boubou, Black Cuckoo-shrike, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu among many others.
In addition, the park is rich in big games that includes the Rothschild’s Giraffe, Cape Buffalo, waterbuck, Common Eland, hippo, both Black and White Rhino, Lion, leopard, Spotted Hyena.
The Molo Grassland is part of an important bird area along the Mau Escarpment, near the Mau Forest. It forms the western side of the Rift Valley. This and the Kinangop Plateau on the eastern rim are the only remaining montane grasslands in Kenya. The area is in decline as it is rapidly being converted to farmland and pasture grazed by sheep. The grassland follows the escarpment for some 80 km and is bounded on both sides by the Mau Forest. It's home to Sharpe's Longclaw, an endangered species threatened by severe habitat loss. It's also home to the endangered Aberdare Cisticola.
Day 12: Lake Nakuru National Park- Lake Baringo O/n Coot's Cottage
Lake Baringo is an excellent birding location and birding around the lake’s many habitats including the cliffs and the shores will reveal many species. With the help of the local guides we hope to see some the specialties such as the Northern White-faced & African Scops Owls, Greyish Eagle-owl, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Three-banded (Heuglin’s) Courser, Slender-tailed Nightjar.
Day 13: Lake Baringo Conservation Area O/n Coot's Cottage
Part of our birding time will be spent at a nearby campground that is rich in birds. Birds may include: Bristle-crowned Starling, Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Hemprich’s, Jackson’s Hornbills, Green-winged Pytilia, Red & Yellow Barbet, African Pigmy Kingfisher, Black-headed Plover, Black-throated Barbet, Somali Tit, Little, Golden-backed, Northern Masked, Lesser Masked & Black-headed Weavers, Northern Red Bishop, Red-fronted Warbler, Lanner Falcon, Verreaux’s Eagle, Blue-naped Mousebird, Red-fronted Barbet, Pygmy Batis, Northern Crombec and Cardinal Quelea among many other species.
And, because it is a lake we need to have a boat trip! Water birds such as Purple & Goliath Herons, Yellow-billed Stork, White-backed Night Heron, African Darter, Knob-billed Duck should be seen plus the star bird; Northern Red Bishop.
Day 14: Lake Baringo – Saiwa Swamp - Kitale O/n Barnley's House
From Lake Baringo we head to Kitale, but enroute we will bird the smallest national park in Kenya, Saiwa Swamp National Park, a mere 2km² in size. Here they have well-structured boardwalks overlooking the reed lined marshes. Birds here include the African Paradise Flycatcher, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Double-toothed Barbet, Fine-banded Woodpecker, Angolan Swallow, Grey Apalis, Northern Puffback, Black-billed, Brown-capped Weaver, Black-crowned Waxbill, Black & White Mannikin.
Kitale is an agricultural town in northern Rift Valley Kenya, situated between Mount Elgon and the Cherangany Hills, at an elevation of around 1,900 metres. The town of Kitale was founded by white settlers in 1908. Originally, it was called “Quitale,” and functioned as a relay station on the slave route between Uganda and Tanzania. These slaves were kept at what is now the Kitale Club.
Day 15: Kongelai Escarpment O/n Barnley's House
Our birding tour takes us to this remote, rarely visited part of western Kenya, the Kongelai Escarpment, where we expect local specialties such as the Yellow-billed Shrike, Lesser Blue-eared Starling, White-crested Turaco, Chestnut-crowned sparrow-weaver, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Golden-breasted Bunting, Double-toothed Barbet, Northern Brownbul, Brown Snake, Martial Eagle, Eastern Grey Plantain-Eater, Brown Parrot, Black-winged Red Bishop, Stripe-breasted Seedeater, White-crested Helmet-shrike and perhaps, the Hartlaub’s Marsh Widowbird.
Day 16: Kitale - Kakamega Forest O/n Rondo Retreat Centre
Kakamega Forest is the only true rain forest remaining in Kenya and birding here is superb by number of localized species seen. The forest was once a continuation of the Guinea-Congolian rainforest, rich in species nowhere else to be seen in Kenya. Spending a few days here we hope to see a good number of these forest species that could include the Blue-headed Bee-eater, Grey-winged Robin, Yellow Spotted, Yellow-billed Barbet, Shelly’s, Joyful, Toro olive, Cabanis’ Greenbul, African Blue Flycatcher, African Shrike-Flycatcher, Snowy-headed Robin-Chat, Common, Jameson’s, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Olive Green Camaroptera, Green, Cooper Sunbird, Mackinnon Shrike, Luhder’s Bush-Shrike, Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Petit’s Cuckoo-shrike, Black-necked, Dark-backed, Vieillot’s Weaver, Red-headed Malimbe, Red-headed Bluebill.
Day 17: Kakamega Forest O/n Rondo Retreat Centre
Full day birding in Kakamega Forest. This area is excellent, too, for butterfies.
Day 18: Kakamega Forest O/n Busia
Today our tour takes us towards Busia and the Ugandan border. We will make a few stops for two localised species; Rock Pratincole and Piapiac. We hope to find a few more localized birds such as the Bar-breasted Firefinch & Black-bellied Firefinch, Black-rumped Waxbill, Whistling Cisticola, Red-headed Lovebird, Black-winged Red Bishop, Green Crombec, Orange-tufted Sunbird, Yellow-throated Leaflove, Senegal Coucal, White-crested Turaco, Copper’s Sunbird, Little Greenbul. Before arriving in to the hotel we will search for early calling Swamp Nightjar.
Busia is a busy border town near Uganda.
O/n a Busia Hotel
Day 19: Busia - Kisumu O/n Lake Victoria Comfort Hotel
Birding the Busia area for more birds that we may have missed before travelling to Kisumu, where we will stay for one night. Kisumu, located on the shores of Lake Victoria, serves as the cultural centre of the Luo people of East Africa.
Day 20: Kisumu - Masai Mara O/n Mara West Tented Camp
A morning birding tour on the shores of the second largest fresh-water lake in the world. Along the Papyrus vegetation at the Dunga Beach (an old fishing village/jet) with expectation to see some of the specialties like the Papyrus Gonolek, Swamp Flycatcher, Greater Swamp Warbler, White-winged Warbler. Also Hamerkop, Little Egret,
Yellow-billed Stork, Pied Kingfisher, White-winged, Whiskered Terns, African Skimmer, Red-chested, Copper Sunbirds, Shikra, African Thrush, Black-headed Gonolek, Slender-billed, Northern Brown-throated, Yellow-backed, Jackson’s Golden-backed Weavers, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Southern Red Bishop, Black-billed Barbet, Black-billed Barbet.
Later, we will depart for the world famous Masai Mara National Reserve arriving late in the afternoon. Birding along the way may produce Yellow-bellied Hyliota and Green-capped Eremomela.
Day 21: Masai Mara National Reserve O/n a Private mobile Camp
Continue our Kenya birding tours along the Olololoo Escarpments for birds such as Long-tailed Cisticola, Trilling Cisticola & Rock Cisticola, Pale Wren Warbler, Red-tailed Rock Chat and may be a Red-throated Wryneck.
Masai Mara National Reserve is a plain of rolling grassland dotted with a mixture of acacia trees and blended by the famous Mara River, swampy, grassy and forested habitats all hosting different kind of birds & birding. Specialties among other common birds include Rosy-breasted Longclaw, Ashy Flycatcher, Mosque, Lesser striped & Red-rumped Swallows, African White-backed, Lappet-faced, White-headed & Hooded Vultures, White-naped Raven, Ross Turaco, Black-backed Puffback, Croaking, Stout, Pectoral-patched, Rattling and Black-backed Cisticolas, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Hildebrandt’s Starling, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Black & White Casqued Hornbill, Lilac-breasted Roller, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Plain and Long-billed Pipit, Saddle-billed, Woolly-necked Stork, Yellow-fronted Canary among many others.
Overnight in Mara
DAY 20: MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE
A long day as we sample most corner sites for more birds in the eastern part of the reserve. We also have great chances of prides of lions, cheetahs and leopard among other larger mammals of the African Savana.
Overnight in Mara
Day 22 & 23: Masai Mara National Reserve O/n a Private mobile Camp
Day 24: Masai Mara National Reserve - Lake Naivasha O/n Elsamere Centre
Our tours takes us to an amazing birding site Lake Naivasha enroute game drive in Masai Mara National Reserve on our way to Naivasha while searching for more bird species especially the Magpie Shrike, Karamoja Apalis, Swahili Sparrow, Capped Wheatear, Two-banded Courser, Athi Short-toed Lark, Silverbill, Southern Grosbeak Canary, Gabon and Dusky Nightjars and others on the eastern part of the reserve. Picnic lunch along the way.
At Lake Naivasha we will look for Grey-crested Helmet-Shrike, Hilderbrant’s Francolin, Spotted Eagle-Owl, Schalow’s Wheatear, White-fronted Bee-eater, Lyne’s Cisiticola among waterbirds during a boat ride.
Day 25: Lake Naivasha - Athi River O/n Acacia Camp
Birding enroute. Manguo Swamp [100 + spp recorded]? Athi Dam?
Day 26: Athi River - Tsavo West National Park O/n Ngulia Safari Lodge
From today our tour heads towards eastern and coastal Kenya, where we first visit Tsavo West National Park. with an enroute birding where habitat is relatively denser thicket of savanna dominated by acacia-Commiphora bush land with Baobab, grassy plains, riverine woodland.
O/n Ngulia Safari Lodge.
Day 27: Tsavo West National Park O/n Ngulia Safari Lodge
Depending on the time of your visit Tsavo West National Park may be the site for the enigmatic Friedmann’s Lark, Red-naped Bush Shrike, Scaly Chatterer which would be some of the star birds of this Kenya Birding Tour. Other birds may include Singing Bush Lark, Bare-eyed Thrush, Rufous Chatterer, Black-headed Plover, Quail-Plover, Somali Courser, African Scops Owl, Pringle’s Puffback, Olive-tree, Basra Reed Warbler, Violet Wood-hoopoe, Southern Black, Spot-flanked, Red & Yellow, D’Arnaud’s, Black-throated, White-headed Barbet, Greater, Scaly-throated, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Vulturine Guineafowl, Northern Brownbul, Desert, Zitting, Ashy, Rattling, Tiny Cisticola, Tsavo Sunbird, Hunter’s Sunbird, Jameson’s Firefinch, Green-winged Pytilia & Fire-fronted Bishop.
Day 28: Tsavo West -Taita Hills O/n The Rock Hotel
We will bird in the Ngulia area enroute to Lake Jipe in search of Taveta Golden Weaver and Hartlaub’s Bustard retiring on the Taita Hills late in the evening.
Day 29: Taita Hills Forest - Rukinga O/n Ndovu House
Today we drive to Taita Hills Forests and spend most of the day birding up the hills. If lucky enough these hills and patches of bits of forest, rising abruptly to 2200m are home to 3 Kenyan endemic “The Taita Three” namely the Taita Apalis, Taita Thrush and Taita White-eye. It’s the only site on our Kenya Birding Tour that gives us a chance to see 3 kenya endemic birds. Also look for are Striped-cheeked Greenbul, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler and Striped Pipit. Hopefully after locating them we will drive back making several stops for other birds.
In the late afternoon birding in Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary bordering Tsavo East National Park. Here we have (though very limited) walking space in search of birds unlike in the park and we will take a nocturnal birding drive. Birds may include Friedmann’s Lark in case it were still wet. Bare-eyed Thrush, Scaly & Rufous Chatterers, Black-headed Plover, Quail-Plover, Somali Courser, Hartlaub’s, Bustard, African Scops Owl, Pringle’s Puffback, Southern Black Flycather, Red-winged Lark, Tiny Cisticola, Tsavo & Hunter’s Sunbird, Orange-bellied Parrot, Jameson’s Firefinch, Dolnaldson Smith Nightjar and Spotted Eagle-Owl and Red-naped Bush-Shrike
O/n Rukinga.
Day 30: Rukinga - Tsavo East National Park - Watamu O/n Turtle Bay Beach Club
Today we drive through Tsavo East National Park towards the east coast of Kenya birding enroute.
Day 31: Arabuko Sokoke Forest O/n Turtle Bay Beach Club
Arabuko Sokoke Forest and with the help of the local guides we will track down Africa’s smallest owl - the Sokoke Scops Owl.
Any Coastal Kenya birding is incomplete without this famous Arabuko Sokoke Forest, which is the largest remnant of the East African Coastal Forest. We hope to see the rarely seen Kenyan endemic Clarke’s Weaver among the rich diversity of other bird species. These may include near endemic Amani Sunbird, Sokoke Pipit & Malindi Pipit, East Coast Akalat, Scaly Babbler, Mombasa Woodpecker. Other birds may include Little Yellow Flycatcher, a localized Collared Palm Thrush, Four-coulored Bushshrike, Fischer’s Turaco, Mangrove Kingfisher, Scaly-throated & Pallid Honeyguides, Eastern Green Tinkerbird & Green Barbet, Mombasa & Green-backed Woodpecker amongst many others. This is also the home to near endemic Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew.
Depending on the tide we will either visit Mida Creek or the forest fringed by mangrove forest, the creek has a large area that fills with the saline water during high tides. Watching and identifying wading birds here is superb, fun and hard. They may include the “the special one” Crab-Plover, Greater & Lesser Sandplovers, Black-tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Curlew & Terek Sandpipers, Whimbrel & Eurasian Curlew, Oystercatcher, Dimorphic Egret, Yellow-billed & Woolly-necked Storks, Mangrove Kingfisher.
Day 32: Arabuko Sokoke Forest O/n Turtle Bay Beach Club
Day 33: Sabaki - Shimba Hills National Reserve O/n Shimba Hills Lodge
Shimba Hills National Reserve, it’s the only site in Kenya for the Green-headed Oriole and Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird. We may also see Fischer’s Turaco, Green, Brown-breasted, Black-breasted & White-eared Barbets. Lunch at the lodge and afternoon birding in the Reserve. It is also the only Kenyan Reserve for the striking Sable Antelope.
Day 34: Shimba Hills National Reserve – Mombasa-Nairobi Flight
Morning birding in Shimba Hills National Reserve before transfer to Mombasa for return flight to Nairobi to depart.
