1 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ultimate Kenya

ULTIMATE KENYAAmazing Birding, Extraordinary Scenery &

Spectacular Mammals

Main Tour Duration: 20 daysLake Victoria & Masai Mara Extension: 7 days

seeing both Kenya’s many avian specialities and numerous Palearctic migrants. Wonderful, easy birding, fantastic wildlife viewing, good food and some really superb accommodations (some of the best we encounter anywhere in the world) all add to the attractions.

Some 1100 species have already been recorded from this small country, far more than from any equivalent area on the African continent. Kenya’s remarkably rich avifauna is a direct consequence of a highly varied topography combined with an extraordinary diversity of climatic conditions and habitats (including virtually everything from dry savannas to verdant forests, from snow-capped volcanoes to rich grasslands, and from deserts to great lakes). Like some of the countries of South America, Kenya exhibits great changes in the composition

of its birdlife over very short distances, but, unlike much of South America, birding here is delightfully easy, with many open and well-lit habitats to enjoy and many quite tame and remarkably approachable species.

Whilst seeking the endemics, near-endemics and other regional specialities of this scenically spectacular country, we shall also encounter an extraordinary number of other bird species, including huge ostriches and tiny estrildid finches, a marvellous selection of birds of prey and waterbirds, strange-looking turacos, mousebirds, hornbills and barbets, gaudy starlings and weavers, confusing cisticolas, jewel-like sunbirds and much, much more besides.

Although this is primarily a birding tour, many of the best places for birds and mammals in Kenya overlap and we shall certainly see a fantastic variety of mammals. For the birder, Kenya’s mammalian riches are an additional attraction which turns a visit to this incomparable country from something which would already be one of the world’s greatest birding experiences into something even more amazing.

Our travels start in the Malindi area on the Indian

Ocean coast. Part of our time here will be spent in the Arabuko-Sokoke coastal forest tracking down endemic and near-endemic specialities such as Sokoke Pipit, Amani Sunbird, Clarke’s Weaver and the exquisite Sokoke Scops Owl, the rest in coastal wetlands and adjoining habitats where we should find the restricted-range Malindi Pipit and Violet-breasted Sunbird, as well as the handsome Crab-Plover and Sooty Gull.

As we head inland we come first to the wilderness of Tsavo East National Park, where we will be seeking Somali Ostrich, the bizarre Vulturine Guineafowl, Somali Courser, Somali Bee-eater, Scaly Chatterer, the fabulous Golden-breasted Starling, Golden Pipit and even the uncommon Heuglin’s Bustard.

The relict forest of the Taita Hills will be our next port of call and here we will be wanting to see the full suite of Taita endemics, including Taita Thrush, Taita Apalis and Taita White-eye.

Beyond the Taita Hills lies the huge expanse of Tsavo West, where we will be based at the wonderfully-situated lodge at Ngulia. Here we will be seeking out such special birds such as Shelley’s

Ultimate Kenya is a truly amazing birding tour through the richest country on the African continent for birdlife. While we are looking for Kenyan endemics and many other regional specialities, plenty of which are seen on no other Birdquest tour, we will also amass an extraordinarily large bird list and see a fabulous selection of mammals!

Kenya! No superlatives are sufficient to do justice to this middle-sized country that straddles the Equator, for Kenya offers not just the best birding in Africa but truly some of the best birding on earth. Kenya is so rich in birds and shows such variation in scenery, habitats and birdlife in a relatively small area, that it surely qualifies as an extraordinary, must-do destination for every world birder.

This splendid tour to Kenya is deliberately positioned at the best time of year for

Sokoke Scops Owls (Nik Borrow)

2 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ultimate Kenya

Francolin, Hartlaub’s Bustard, Friedmann’s Lark, Pringle’s Puffback, Pangani Longclaw, Tsavo Purple-banded Sunbird and, by the shores of Lake Jipe, the attractive Taveta Golden Weaver. Not to mention a great variety of more widespread birds and some wonderful mammals.

Moving west to the Isinya area, we will be looking for Northern Pied Babbler, while still further west the leafy haven of a well-forested escarpment provides shelter for Abbott’s Starling at one of its most regular localities, while relict areas of native tussock grassland hold the endemic Sharpe’s Longclaw.

From beautiful Lake Naivasha we ascend slopes that harbour Lynes’s Cisticolas on our way to the high mountain country of Aberdare National Park. Here we shall look for the endemic Jackson’s Francolin and Aberdare Cisticola, and even the high-altitude Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird.

The endemic Hinde’s Babbler will be our prime target as we head north to the marvellous Mountain Lodge to enjoy the stunning views of Mount Kenya and a floodlit waterhole that attracts a

superb variety of birds and mammals from out of the surrounding forests.

Descending to the arid thornbush and savanna of Samburu district, we will explore the very ‘birdy’ Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba Game Reserves where specialities include White-headed Mousebird, Grant’s Wood-hoopoe, William’s and Masked Larks, Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark, Somali Long-billed Crombec, Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Somali Fiscal, Black-bellied Sunbird, Golden Palm Weaver and Donaldson Smith’s Sparrow-weaver. The reserves also harbour a superb selection of mammals, in particular Grevy’s Zebra, the long-necked Southern Gerenuk, Galla Oryx and the attractive Reticulated Giraffe.

Returning south, we will overnight at Naro Moru at the foot of Mount Kenya. A nearby ranch is well stocked with game and home to Jackson’s Widowbirds, whilst a quarry provides sanctuary for a pair of Mackinder’s Eagle Owls.

Descending into the Great Rift Valley, one cannot fail to be enthralled by the huge numbers of Lesser Flamingos

that are usually present at Lake Nakuru. Grey-crested Helmet-shrikes occur in this national park and we have our first opportunity to look for them here. Black Rhinoceros still survives at Nakuru alongside introduced White Rhinos.

A little further north, below a beautiful backdrop of imposing basalt cliffs, stretches Lake Baringo. The environs of the lake are home to some exciting specialities including Heuglin’s Courser, Hemprich’s and Jackson’s Hornbills, Bristle-crowned Starling and Northern Masked Weaver.

Moving still further west, we come to the verdant landscapes of western Kenya where, to round off our truly remarkable journey, we shall visit the bird-rich Kakamega Forest. As well as sharing many exciting species with the forests of Central Africa, these luxuriant forests are also home to Turner’s Eremomela (seen at no other locality during birding tours) and Uganda Woodland Warbler and Blue-headed Bee-eater (both can be difficult to find elsewhere). Grey-chested Babbler (formerly Grey-chested Illadopsis), now placed with two other relatives in their own family, is probably easier to see here than anywhere else.

While the main tour is focussed on finding Kenya‘s endemics and many regional specialities, the optional Lake Victoria & Masai Mara extension is of a different character: an unashamed addition of species to an already enormous trip list and some of the best mammal-watching on the planet! With the exception of Karamoja Apalis, which we only occasionally see in Northern Tanzania, these are birds seen easily in Uganda and Tanzania, but there are many great birds to see in this region of the country and after all we are already

in southwestern Kenya, so why not continue! The Mara is of course world-famous for its wildlife and we are going to have a wonderful time soaking it all up.

To start with, we will explore some areas of humid grassland and cultivation with scattered trees and groves that hold a considerable number of bird species confined to Kenya’s far west.

Next, an overnight stop at Kisumu by the shores of Lake Victoria starts off the extension should produce the colourful Papyrus Gonolek and other papyrus specialities, hopefully including the uncommon Papyrus Canary. From here we head south into one of Kenya’s last great wilderness areas.

Finally, a visit to the rolling grasslands of the Masai Mara, Kenya’s finest wildlife reserve and a superb birding locality in its own right, is surely going to add the final jewel to our crown of experiences in Africa’s greatest birding destination.

This northern extension of the Serengeti plains is the best place in the country in which to enjoy the magnificent spectacle of African wildlife as it once was over vast swathes of the continent. Here the herds of gnus (or wildebeest), zebras and gazelles still roam unmolested, attended by the Lions, Cheetahs and Leopards that have been so much celebrated in numerous wildlife documentaries.

We must not forget the birdlife of course, which is rich and varied. Amongst many great birds we will encounter here, the most notable are such East African endemics as Usambiro Barbet, Foxy Lark, Swahili and Kenya Rufous Sparrows, and Rufous-tailed Weaver, as

Sharpe’s Longclaw (Nik Borrow)

3 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ultimate Kenya

well as Karamoja Apalis, a little-known species only fairly recently discovered to occur in Kenya.

By the time we have to return home we will have seen an almost unbelievable variety of birds, including Kenya’s many endemics and other specialities, and an extraordinary diversity of mammals amidst some wonderful scenery.

Birdquest has operated tours to Kenya since 1982.

Itinerary

Day 1 The tour begins this morning at Malindi airport (in connection with the arrival of a morning flight from Nairobi). From here we will travel the short distance southwards to Watamu on the shores of the Indian Ocean for a three nights stay at a comfortable resort right on the ocean. This afternoon we will commence our exploration of the surrounding area.

Days 2-3 Coastal Kenya is quite different from the interior of the country and many of the birds we will see here are not found inland. During our visit, we shall explore the huge and finally

well-protected Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and the Indian Ocean coastline with its mangroves, mudflats, sandy beaches and coral reefs. There are some exciting specialities to be found here and the birding is a mixture of delightfully easy, bird-packed coastal wetlands and more difficult forest birding.

The famous Arabuko-Sokoke Forest can be divided roughly into three main vegetation belts, each with its own attendant specialities. We shall ensure that we sample them all in order to find as many of the specialities as possible.

The forest is thick and dense and it is no easy task to locate the wary and near-endemic Sokoke Pipit as it creeps silently through the leaf litter or display flights overhead, or the attractive East Coast Akalat, a renowned skulker. Mixed feeding flocks can hold the tiny and near-endemic Amani Sunbird, as well as Mombasa Woodpecker, Black-headed Apalis, Little Yellow Flycatcher, Forest and Pale Batises, Retz’s and Chestnut-fronted Helmet-shrikes, and Plain-backed Sunbird. The often thick and impenetrable vegetation provides cover for Yellow-

bellied, Fischer’s and Tiny Greenbuls and the secretive Eastern Bearded Scrub Robin. Fischer’s Turaco and the stunning Four-coloured Bush Shrike, despite being colourful, can take time to track down and we will need a modicum of luck if we are to admire a Mangrove Kingfisher. If we are fortunate, there will be flocks of the little-known Forbes-Watson’s Swift hawking low over the forest. There is also a fair chance for Collared Palm Thrush.

Our local guide may well find us the diminutive and near-endemic Sokoke Scops Owl at one of its daytime roosts, but if the birds are not at home we will have to stay until dark when a duet can be built up between our guide and a calling bird. Following the soft hoots in the dark, moving cross-country through the tangled vegetation, is not easy, but the thrilling reward is to finally catch sight of this special little owl caught in the spotlight beam. Other nocturnal species include the range-restricted Scheffler’s Owlet (split from Barred), African Wood Owl and Fiery-necked Nightjar.

Quite recently, a breeding site has been found in Malindi region for the Kenyan-endemic Clarke’s Weaver, and the colony should be active during our visit, giving us a great opportunity to admire this rare and rarely-seen bird.

Amongst the wealth of more widespread species to be found in the forest or in more open habitats are Hadada Ibis, Yellow-billed Kite (split from Black), Great and perhaps Little Sparrowhawks, Lizard Buzzard, Southern Banded Snake Eagle, the distinctive pucherani race of the Crested Guineafowl, Tambourine, Ring-necked and Red-eyed Doves, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Thick-billed Cuckoo, Green Yellowbill, Mottled and Böhm’s Spinetails,

African Palm Swift, Speckled Mousebird, the beautiful Narina Trogon, Green Wood-hoopoe, Common Scimitarbill, Trumpeter Hornbill, Green Barbet, Eastern Green Tinkerbird, Scaly-throated and Pallid Honeyguides, Green-backed Woodpecker, Grassland Pipit, Lesser Striped Swallow, Zanzibar Sombre Greenbul, Northern and Terrestrial Brownbuls, the restricted-range Dodson’s Bulbul (split from Common), Eastern Nicator, Scaly Babbler, Red-tailed Ant Thrush, Ashy Flycatcher, Grey Apalis, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Black-crowned Tchagra, East Coast (split from Tropical) Boubou, Black-backed Puffback, Black Cuckoo-shrike, Common (or Fork-tailed) Drongo, African Black-headed and Eurasian Golden Orioles, Black-bellied and Violet-backed Starlings, Collared and Eastern Olive Sunbirds, Grosbeak-weaver, Dark-backed Weaver, the restricted-range Zanzibar Red Bishop, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu and the very shy Peters’s Twinspot.

Mammals include the impressive Golden-rumped and Four-toed Elephant Shrews, Zanj Sun Squirrel and occasionally even Caracal.

The coastal dunes, pools, estuaries and mangroves offer some marvellous bird-watching opportunities. The Sabaki River mouth is a terrific place to watch shorebirds, gulls and terns, and in particular we shall be looking for the striking Crab-Plover, usually present in some numbers, as well as Dimorphic Egret, Sooty Gull and Saunders’s Tern.

Other species we are likely to encounter in the coastal wetlands include Great White Pelican, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Sacred Ibis, African Spoonbill, Yellow-billed Stork, Greater Flamingo (and sometimes Lesser Flamingo), Osprey, Eurasian Marsh

Crab Plovers (Tony Disley)

4 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ultimate Kenya

Harrier, Pied Avocet, Collared Pratincole, Grey (or Black-bellied), Common Ringed, White-fronted, Lesser Sand and Greater Sand Plovers, Little Stint, Sanderling, Marsh, Common, Curlew and Terek Sandpipers, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Eurasian Whimbrel, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Ruddy Turnstone, Baltic and Heuglin’s Gulls, Gull-billed, Caspian, Greater Crested, Lesser Crested, Common and Roseate Terns, African Skimmer, Pied Kingfisher and African Pied Wagtail.

We will also want to find the near-endemic Violet-breasted Sunbird and the leggy near-endemic Malindi Pipit, as well as the superb Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Coastal (split from Winding) Cisticola and Purple-banded Sunbird. Ship-borne House Crows from the Indian subcontinent have colonized the coast and are a less welcome addition to the avifauna.

This is a great time of year for Palearctic migration through Kenya and we may well see both Sooty and Amur Falcons migrating past, either here at the coast or further inland during the tour.

With the best part of four days available for birding in the Malindi region,

more time than other bird tours spend in the area, we can expect to do very well indeed. Some of the Sokoke-Arabuko specialities in particular can be hard to find.

Day 4 After some early morning birding in the coastal zone we will head inland, bound for Tsavo East National Park, where we will spend the night. The landscape of this sprawling park is very different from Tsavo West, as we will see later, being much more open and flatter. The drive takes us through small villages and cultivation at first, but then through some extremely wild and remote country before we reach the Galana River where our comfortable safari lodge is situated.

Regional specialities that we should find in or near Tsavo East include the huge Somali Ostrich, the bizarre Vulturine Guineafowl, the handsome Somali Courser, the diminutive Somali Bee-eater, Scaly Chatterer, Eastern Black-headed Batis, the smart Red-naped Bush-shrike, the fabulous Golden-breasted Starling, Fischer’s Starling, the nomadic Fire-fronted Bishop and Grey-headed Silverbill. If we have hit the right conditions the glorious Golden Pipits should be flinging themselves in the air and parachuting back down

again. Best of all, we even have a fair chance of finding the range-restricted Heuglin’s Bustard, here at the southern edge of its distribution.

More widespread species we may first encounter in and around Tsavo East include Western Cattle and Great Egrets, Black-headed Heron, Woolly-necked and Marabou Storks, Egyptian Goose, the strange Secretary Bird, White-backed Vulture, the almost tail-less Bateleur (surely one of Africa’s most evocative raptors), Eastern Pale Chanting Goshawk, Tawny and Wahlberg’s Eagles, Harlequin Quail, Crested Francolin, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Helmeted Guineafowl, Buff-crested Bustard, Spotted Thick-knee, Blacksmith, Spur-winged, Black-headed and Crowned Lapwings, Black-faced Sandgrouse, Namaqua and Laughing Doves, Speckled Pigeon, White-bellied Go-away Bird, Black-and-white and Diederik (or Didric) Cuckoos, White-browed Coucal, Pearl-spotted Owlet, White-rumped and Little Swifts, Blue-naped Mousebird, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Lilac-breasted Roller, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Northern Red-billed, Von der Decken’s and African Grey Hornbills, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Nubian and Cardinal Woodpeckers, Red-winged and Pink-breasted Larks, Fischer’s Sparrow-Lark, White-browed Scrub Robin, Bare-eyed Thrush, African Grey Flycatcher,

Grey Wren-warbler, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Red-fronted Warbler, Abyssinian White-eye, African Paradise Flycatcher, Long-tailed and Taita Fiscals, Northern White-crowned Shrike, the lovely Rosy-patched Bush-shrike, Slate-coloured Boubou, Pied Crow, Superb and Wattled Starlings, Eastern Violet-backed and Hunter’s Sunbirds, Yellow-spotted Petronia, Red-billed and White-headed Buffalo-weavers, White-browed Sparrow-weaver, Chestnut Weaver, Cut-throat Finch, Pin-tailed and Paradise Whydahs, and the stunning Somali Golden-breasted Bunting.

Palearctic migrants will be in evidence and may well include Green and Wood Sandpipers, Common (or Eurasian) Cuckoo, European Roller, Barn and Red-rumped Swallows, Thrush Nightingale (or Sprosser), Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Northern, Pied and Isabelline Wheatears, Spotted Flycatcher, Marsh and Barred Warblers, Common Whitethroat, and Red-backed, Rufous-tailed (or Turkestan) and perhaps Isabelline (or Daurian) Shrikes. At this time of year Caspian Plovers make sometimes an appearance in Tsavo, although their numbers and locations vary from year to year.

Mammals include the ‘Fringe-eared’ form of Beisa Oryx and the ‘Peters’s’ form of Grant’s Gazelle.

Heuglin’s Bustards (Nik Borrow)

Vulturine Guineafowl (Michael Hodgson)

5 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ultimate Kenya

Day 5 We will spend the day working our way through Tsavo East until we leave the national park at Voi, where we will overnight.

Day 6 Early this morning we shall head towards the nearby Taita Hills. Staying close to the hills is the key to successfully finding all three of the hills’ Kenyan-endemic species, as the forest is very quiet and all but the white-eye hard to locate in the middle of the day.

This isolated rocky outcrop that rises dramatically from the surrounding flat landscape holds a number of interesting specialities and this morning we will visit a small patch of remnant forest near the very top in search of some of the rarest birds in Kenya. These are the distinctive endemic Taita Thrush, Taita Apalis and Taita White-eye. This highly threatened forest is extremely small and it is quite clear that these birds are on the very brink of their existence. However, the forest is now protected and apart from the three endemic specialities we will also be looking for Lemon Dove, Striped Pipit, Stripe-faced (split from Stripe-cheeked) and Placid Greenbuls, Pale Flycatcher, Yellow-throated

Woodland Warbler, Evergreen Forest Warbler and Variable Sunbird. Grey-olive Greenbul can sometimes be found in this area and Orange Ground Thrush also occurs here, although we will be very fortunate if we encounter the latter.

After our visit to the Taita Hills we will cross into Tsavo West National Park and make our way to the splendidly-situated lodge at Ngulia for a two nights stay. Our comfortable lodge is situated high on the rocky Ndewe Escarpment and offers marvellous panoramic views over the park. If the weather is clear, the great dome of Kilimanjaro (5895m or 19,341ft) dominates the southern horizon. The northwestern region of this huge park is most attractive with rugged volcanic hills, ancient lava flows, grassland, thorn scrub and huge baobab trees that punctuate the landscape.

New bird species to look out for along the way include the restricted-range Tsavo Purple-banded Sunbird. We may well also encounter our first Hildebrandt’s Francolin, African Orange-bellied Parrot, Nyanza Swift, African Cuckoo, Madagascar Bee-

eater, African (split from Eurasian) Hoopoe, Southern Ground Hornbill (uncommon in Tsavo compared with the Mara), Wahlberg’s Honeybird, the impressive Mosque Swallow, Rock and Common House Martins, Flappet Lark, Desert and Tiny Cisticolas, Red-faced Crombec, Hildebrandt’s Starling, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Village Weaver (the local form is sometimes treated as a distinct species, Layard’s Weaver), Jameson’s Firefinch, Purple Indigobird and White-winged Widowbird.

Mammals are not especially numerous, but we can expect to see Yellow Baboon, African Savanna Elephant, Cape (or African) Buffalo, Masai Giraffe, Common Zebra, Common Impala and Southern Lesser Kudu.

We shall arrive at the lodge late in the afternoon. We should be treated to a nocturnal performance from the Leopards that are baited here. Almost as impressive is the huge Crested Porcupine that also usually turns up for a free evening meal, not to mention the endearing Small-eared Galago (a species of bushbaby). Sometimes Dusky and Donaldson Smith’s Nightjars can be seen.

Ngulia attracts Palearctic migrants during the northbound and southbound migrations. Potential candidates include Eurasian Reed Warbler and, with luck, the little-known Basra Reed Warbler. Ngulia is a favourite haunt of Eurasian Nightjars and sometimes these even perch on the rafters of the restaurant itself as it is completely open-sided.

Day 7 Today we will continue our exploration of Tsavo West, concentrating on such specialities of the Tsavo dry country as Hartlaub’s Bustard, Pangani Longclaw and the skulking Pringle’s Puffback. We also have a second chance for Scaly Chatterer and a fair chance for Shelley’s Francolin. The right conditions (following rain) are essential for finding the little known Friedmann’s Lark. Fortunately it is a bird whose loud voice clearly announces its presence, so if this nomadic species is around then we shall surely locate it easily enough.

During the course of the day we shall explore the shores of Lake Jipe, where the localized, near-endemic Taveta Golden Weaver can be found here, as can the delightful Two-banded

Leopard (Nik Borrow)

Two-banded Coursers (Michael Hodgson)

6 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ultimate Kenya

Courser. The lakeside is prone to flooding and if conditions are right the watery fringes can be teeming with birdlife. Here we may well find Pink-backed Pelican, White-breasted (split from Great) and Long-tailed Cormorants, the fascinating Black Heron, the impressive Goliath Heron, Squacco Heron, Glossy Ibis, Spur-winged Goose, Knob-billed Duck (rather unpredictable in its movements), African Fish Eagle, African (split from Purple) Swamphen, African Jacana, Black-winged Stilt, Long-toed Lapwing, Three-banded Plover, Whiskered Tern and Sand Martin (or Bank Swallow). The reeds hold African Reed and Lesser Swamp Warblers, and also a different form of Little Rush Warbler with a very different song to the birds of the highlands, which may possibly represent a distinct species.

Day 8 After some final birding in Tsavo West we will leave the dry thornbush and grasslands of eastern Kenya behind and ascend until we reach the well-watered uplands of central Kenya. En route, where starkly arid hills punctuate the scene, we shall make a stop at a rocky outcrop where we will look

for Red-fronted Barbet, Grey-capped Social Weaver and Southern Grosbeak-Canary, at a colony of African Golden Weavers that should be busy constructing their nests, and at an area of acacia woodland that holds Red-throated Tit. We should also encounter our first Grey Crowned Cranes. Eventually we will reach the Isinya area, where we will spend the night. The restricted-range Northern Pied Babbler is regularly to be seen in this part of Kenya, as is Brimstone Canary.

Day 9 Early this morning we will visit some ponds where Maccoa and White-backed Ducks can generally be found, not to mention Little Grebe, Yellow-billed Duck, Red-billed and Hottentot Teals, Southern Pochard, Common Moorhen and Red-knobbed (or Crested) Coot.

Afterwards we will explore a patch of verdant forest on the Kikuyu Escarpment that is a known haunt for Abbott’s Starling, a little-known frugivorus East African endemic that is restricted to highland forest canopy in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Its tiny population is thought to be declining all over its range, but we stand a fair chance of being able to

locate this rare speciality at this site.

Sharpe’s Starlings with their wind-chime tinkling calls can also be found here, feeding quietly amongst fruiting trees. The delightful but extremely secretive Abyssinian Crimson-wing can sometimes be found here grovelling in the undergrowth along with the much commoner Yellow-bellied Waxbills. The colourful Bar-tailed Trogon, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Montane Oriole and Black-fronted Bush-shrike are veritable jewels of this forest to be sought out and enjoyed. With a flash of brilliant red in its wings, the exotic Hartlaub’s Turaco can be seen bouncing through the canopy. We even have a chance of locating the reclusive Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo if we should hear one calling nearby.

Skulking Cinnamon Bracken Warblers can infuriate with their loud voices whilst playing hard to get, but the pretty White-starred Robin, the diminutive White-browed Crombec, Brown Woodland Warbler and Chestnut-throated Apalis with its ‘trim-phone’ call are all usually easier to see. Yellow-whiskered, Olive-breasted Mountain (split from Eastern Mountain) and Placid Greenbuls are the local representatives of this confusing group.

Widespread species to look for in this refreshingly cool and leafy haven include Steppe (split from Common), Mountain and Augur Buzzards, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, African Emerald Cuckoo, Mottled Swift, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Moustached Green and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds, Fine-banded Woodpecker, Black Saw-wing, Dark-capped Bulbul, African Hill Babbler, Rüppell’s Robin-chat, Mountain (split

from Olive) Thrush, African Dusky and White-eyed Slaty Flycatchers, Black-throated Apalis, Montane White-eye, White-bellied Tit, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Chinspot Batis, Common Fiscal, Tropical Boubou, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Spectacled and Brown-capped Weavers, Rufous-backed Mannikin, Streaky and Thick-billed Seedeaters, and Yellow-crowned Canary.

On our way to Lake Naivasha, where we will overnight, we will explore some natural tussock grassland, a habitat that is fast disappearing under cultivation. This is the required habitat of the Kenyan-endemic Sharpe’s Longclaw. We shall stop when we find a suitable area and make a concerted effort to locate this rare bird. The same habitat is shared by Ayres’s Cisticola and Long-tailed Widowbird.

Grey Crowned Cranes (Michael Hodgson)

Golden-winged Sunbirds(Nik Borrow)

7 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ultimate Kenya

Day 10 The day begins with the sun rising over this attractive lake, but the waterbirds here are all widespread and our attentions must be focussed on higher things. After an early breakfast, we will leave on a road that winds gently up into the Aberdare Mountains. We will stop along the way to look for the restricted-range Lynes’s Cisticola.

Driving higher still, we shall enter the Aberdare National Park. The air up here is clear and the scenery astounding. Along the roadside, we will keep a watchful eye out for the Kenyan-endemic Jackson’s Francolin that is usually quite tolerant of vehicles. We shall be making a special effort to find the Kenyan-endemic Aberdare Cisticola, for although this species is quite common, it can be skulking at times. We should also find the stunning Golden-winged Sunbird, as well as Eastern Double-collared, Tacazze and Malachite Sunbirds, and if we are lucky the high altitude Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird. Alpine Chats are confiding and easy to see in this high altitude environment.

Other species to look for include Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, Dusky Turtle Dove, Scarce Swift, Cape

Wagtail, Cape Robin Chat, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, the excitable Hunter’s Cisticola, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Slender-billed Starling and Kandt’s (split from Black-headed) Waxbill.

From the Aberdares we will continue towards the base of Mount Kenya. Here we will check out a scrubby little valley for the endangered, Kenyan-endemic Hinde’s Babbler. The species is restricted to a narrow altitudinal belt around the southern and eastern edges of Mount Kenya. The land here is intensively cultivated and the thick vegetation that the birds need for shelter is constantly being cleared for agriculture.

Eventually we will reach Mountain Lodge, a wonderful, timber-built, game-viewing lodge perched on stilts overlooking a forest waterhole, where we will stay overnight. There are viewing balconies, an accessible roof that offers fantastic views of the surrounding forest and Mount Kenya itself, and even an underground hide that gets one up close to the waterhole action.

It is a truly peaceful and enchanting place to watch the wildlife come and go and as dusk falls there is increasing excitement as we wait to

see what will come to drink or feed at the water hole. A Verreaux’s Eagle Owl often keeps watch and sometimes a Montane Nightjar puts in an appearance, while frequent mammalian visitors include feisty Sykes’s Monkeys, Guereza Colobus, Spotted Hyaena, Rusty-spotted Genet (feeding at the ‘genet table’), Marsh Mongoose, White-tailed Mongoose, African Elephant, Giant Hog, Cape (or African) Buffalo, Cape Bushbuck, Mountain Suni and Defassa Waterbuck. During the night the forest reverberates to the eerie shrieks of the Eastern Tree Hyrax and if we are lucky a Black Rhinoceros or a Leopard will appear. There is the option of signing up for being woken up during the night if one of your most wanted mammals appears!

Day 11 If the weather is clear we shall awaken to a wonderful view of the snow-capped summit of Mount Kenya (5202m or 17,068ft). There is excellent montane forest birding from the roof of the lodge. The bizarre Hamerkop can be seen by the water’s edge whilst Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeons come down to drink or to ingest minerals. Huge Silvery-cheeked Hornbills, flocks of noisy Red-fronted Parrots and Waller’s Starlings are all typical species and occasionally a Kenrick’s Starling, or very rarely even an Abbott’s Starling, pops by. The dawn chorus is enlivened by the staccato calls of Moustached Green Tinkerbird, and the bell-like notes of Tropical Boubou.

Other species to look for whilst we are here include the magnificent African Crowned Eagle, the secretive Scaly Francolin, Common Snipe, African Green Pigeon, Olive Pigeon, Alpine Swift, Crowned Hornbill, Slender-billed Greenbul, African Stonechat, Blackcap, Red-billed Oxpecker, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird,

Grey-headed Negrofinch, African Citril and, if we are lucky, Oriole Finch. We will also have another opportunity for many of the upland forest birds mentioned for the previous two days.

As we leave Mountain Lodge, we descend through a range of wooded habitats, looking for Brown Parisoma and White-eared Barbet on the way. As the fertile upland countryside opens out to short grassland and cultivation, we shall be looking for a variety of open country birds, in particular fantastic Jackson’s Widowbirds that hopefully will be in their spectacular breeding plumage. Cape Rook, Red-winged Starling and Yellow Bishop should also be seen, while Northern Anteater Chats sit up on fence posts. If there are good numbers of flowering Leonotis then we should find the gorgeous Golden-winged Sunbird as well as the less dramatic Bronze Sunbird. As we drop further and enter drier country, we shall make a stop to look for Boran Cisticola and the restricted-range Little Rock Thrush before continuing to Shaba Game Reserve for a three nights stay.

Days 12-13 Shaba and the adjoining Samburu and Buffalo Springs Game Reserves (all three of which we will be exploring) lie on the edge of the dry zone of northern Kenya and are scenically some of the most attractive reserves in the country. The extensive tracts of grassland, acacia savanna and thorn-bush are broken up by strips of lush riverine woodland, whilst in many areas multiple-trunked dom palms further enhance the scenery. This diversity of habitats makes for a very rich avifauna. Our very comfortable lodge is attractively situated on the banks of the Uaso Nyiro (‘Brown Water’) River that flows through the reserves.

Golden-breasted Starling (Nik Borrow)

8 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ultimate Kenya

Whilst Shaba with its lava flows has a more volcanic feel about it, Samburu and Buffalo Springs Game Reserves are somewhat more lush.

Some of the specialities of the area include Grant’s Wood-hoopoe (split from Violet), the localized Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Somali Fiscal, Magpie Starling and the heavyweight Donaldson Smith’s Sparrow-weaver. We have another chance for Freidmann’s Lark here as well and if we are lucky we will find Somali Long-billed Crombec.

We shall also be looking in particular for the somewhat comical White-headed Mousebird, Black-bellied Sunbird and the localized Golden Palm Weaver, all of which are perhaps most easily found in the various lodge gardens that form veritable oases in this dry landscape, with the added bonus of copious food supplies provided by sympathetic guests!

During our exploration of the impressive and far less visited Shaba Game Reserve, we will head out early to a lava plain that is home to the

Kenyan-endemic Williams’s Lark and sometimes to the range-restricted Masked Lark (a species we see on no other Birdquest tour). We will take an armed park ranger with us so that we can walk over the open plains made up of loose lava boulders in search of these rarities. (The ranger is insisted on by the game reserve authorities, just in case of potentially dangerous wild mammals, but we have never had any such encounter.)

As the day warms up we will find raptors are particularly common and these are likely to include Black-shouldered Kite, Egyptian, Hooded, Rüppell’s Griffon and Lappet-faced Vultures, African Harrier Hawk, Gabar Goshawk, Brown and Black-chested Snake Eagles, the magnificent Verreaux’s and Martial Eagles, African Hawk-Eagle, the delightful Pygmy Falcon and sometimes Palm-nut Vulture. The graceful Scissor-tailed (or African Swallow-tailed) Kite is sometimes present.

Other new bird species that we may well see in the reserves include Dwarf

Bittern, the huge Kori Bustard, Northern White-bellied Bustard, Water Thick-knee, Lichtenstein’s and Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Great Spotted, Black and Klaas’s Cuckoos, Rufous-crowned Roller, White-throated and Little Bee-eaters, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Black-throated and Red-and-yellow Barbets, Greater Honeyguide, Bearded Woodpecker, Singing Bush Lark, Foxy Lark, Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark, Wire-tailed and Ethiopian Swallows, Ashy Cisticola, Pale Prinia, Brown-tailed (split from Yellow-breasted) Apalis, Northern Crombec, Yellow-bellied and Yellow-vented Eremomelas, Banded Parisoma, Northern Grey Tit, Pygmy Batis, Brubru, Three-streaked Tchagra, Fan-tailed Raven, Marico Sunbird, Chestnut Sparrow, Black-capped Social Weaver, Speckle-fronted, Vitelline Masked and Lesser Masked Weavers, Red-billed Quelea, Green-winged Pytilia, Blue-capped Cordon-bleu, Purple Grenadier, Crimson-rumped and Black-cheeked Waxbills, African Silverbill, Straw-tailed Whydah, the restricted-range Steel-blue Whydah (which tends to be uncommon) and White-bellied Canary.

Many Palearctic migrants will be present at the time of our visit, probably including Steppe Eagle, Eurasian Hobby, Common Nightingale, White-throated Robin (or Irania), Rufous-tailed (or Common) Rock Thrush, and Eastern Olivaceous, Olive-tree and Upcher’s Warblers, while Grasshopper Buzzard occurs as an intra-African migrant.

These fine reserves are well known for their superb selection of mammals, in particular Grevy’s Zebra, the long-necked Southern Gerenuk, Galla Oryx (split from Beisa) and the attractive

Reticulated Giraffe.

More widespread species include Olive Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Common Jackal, African Savanna Elephant, Desert Warthog, Kirk’s Dikdik, Ellipsen Waterbuck, Bright’s Gazelle and Common Impala. This is also a good place for seeing Lion and, if we are lucky, Leopard. Nile Crocodiles, some of a very large size, may be seen along the rivers.

Day 14 After some final birding in this truly wonderful area we shall return to the slopes of Mount Kenya, this time at Naro Moru, where we will overnight.

Day 15 Our pleasant lodge is set in a delightful wooded setting with the river itself winding through the garden below the chalets. The grounds are certainly worth exploring as Tacazze Sunbirds can be found here and we have a good chance for African Black Duck and Montane Nightjar. Other possibilities include African Goshawk, Mountain Wagtail, the interesting vepres race of Black-lored Babbler, White-browed Robin-Chat and Green-headed Sunbird.

Very close to the lodge is the Solio Ranch an area of wide-open plains that has many mammals and once again good habitat for the near-endemic Jackson’s Widowbird. Montagu’s and less often Pallid Harriers quarter these grasslands and sometimes flocks of Lesser Kestrels gather. Common Quail can be heard calling and Black-bellied Bustard, Black-winged Lapwing, Red-capped Lark, Plain-backed Pipit and the dapper Capped Wheatear are all to be found. Our main purpose today is to visit an old quarry where we have a fairly good chance of seeing the localized Cape Eagle Owl (the form mackinderi is sometimes split as Mackinder’s Eagle-Owl). At

Lions (Nik Borrow)

9 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ultimate Kenya

some small pools and dams, Levaillant’s (or Tinkling) Cisticolas call from the reeds. After we finish exploring the area we will continue to Lake Nakuru for an overnight stay at yet another wonderful safari lodge.

Day 16 Lake Nakuru is perhaps the most famous of the Rift Valley ‘bird lakes’. Surrounded by attractive mature yellow ‘fever trees’ and arid hills peppered with candelabra euphorbias, the lake often holds spectacular concentrations of Lesser Flamingos and smaller numbers of Greater Flamingos. Our lodge garden can be a good place to look for Hildebrandt’s Francolin and Red-throated Wryneck. Red-headed Weavers build their long tunnel-entrance nests here, Mocking Cliff Chats can often be seen hopping on the roofs of the chalets whilst Arrow-marked and Black-lored Babblers

squabble from the bushes.

The trees and scrub surrounding the lake provide a home for the uncommon, restricted-range Little Rock Thrush, while roving flocks of helmet-shrikes can contain both White Helmet-shrike and with a bit of luck the highly localized Grey-crested Helmet-shrike.

Typical species in this habitat include Red-chested Cuckoo, Striped Kingfisher, Broad-billed Roller, Greater and Scaly-throated Honeyguides, African Grey-headed Woodpecker, Willow Warbler, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Red-faced Crombec, Common Wattle-eye, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Northern Puffback, Rüppell’s Long-tailed Starling, Amethyst Sunbird, Speke’s and Baglafecht Weavers, Red-billed and African Firefinches, and Common Waxbill.

In the grasslands and open areas we will look for Coqui Francolin, Long-crested Eagle, African Hoopoe, White-fronted Bee-eater, Plain-backed Pipit, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Whinchat, Schalow’s (split from Abyssinian Black) Wheatear, and Winding, Rattling and Pectoral-patch Cisticolas. In the skies overhead we should keep an eye open for Horus Swift and African Sand (or Brown-throated) Martin.

At various lookout points around the vast shallow soda lake we may well find Yellow-billed Egret, Cape Teal, Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Greater Painted Snipe, Kittlitz’s Plover, Ruff, Black-headed and Grey-headed Gulls, White-winged Tern, Blue-headed, Grey-headed, Black-headed and Sykes’s Wagtails, and Red-throated Pipit. Sometimes Black-necked (or Eared) and Great Crested Grebes are present.

Nakuru is one of the best places in Kenya for seeing Leopard, but we will need

some luck if we are to come across one during our short visit. There are however, plenty of other large mammals, including Lion and a healthy introduced population of White Rhinoceros. We may also find the increasingly rare Black Rhinoceros.

In the afternoon we shall drive northwards to Lake Baringo where we will stay for two nights. We will be keeping a lookout for Dark Chanting Goshawk and Grey-backed Fiscal along the way

Day 17 Lake Baringo is idyllically situated against a dramatic basalt cliff in a dry, rocky countryside clothed in acacia woodland and is the haunt of a number of avian specialities. Even today, this is still a rather remote region and the local inhabitants, who fish from primitive reed boats on the lake, seem little touched by the modern world.

During our stay, we will explore the lakeshore, the surrounding bush country and the sheer cliffs that rise up suddenly to the west of the lake. The area provides our only chance to see the restricted-range Jackson’s Hornbill and the highly localized Northern Masked Weaver (which at this season breeds by the lake alongside the attractive Jackson’s Golden-backed Weaver).

On the cliff faces, we shall search out more specialities, including the restricted-range Hemprich’s Hornbill and the wonderful Bristle-crowned Starling with its pompadour hairstyle. Other birds of interest include the resident rufescens race of the Common Kestrel, Lanner Falcon and Fan-tailed Raven.

With the help of a well organised team of local guides we should find some nocturnal birds in

daylight as they normally know exactly where to find roosting or even nesting Heuglin’s Courser, Slender-tailed Nightjar and Northern White-faced Owl. There is a good chance of encountering Greyish Eagle-Owl and we may also find the even larger Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl.

Along the lake shore and in the woodland, we shall look for more new birds, including Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Bittern, Striated and Purple Herons, Fulvous and White-faced Whistling Ducks, Shikra, Black Crake, African Mourning Dove, Brown Parrot, Woodland, Malachite, African Pygmy and Giant Kingfishers, European and Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, Red-and-yellow Barbet, Lesser Honeyguide, Brown Babbler, Rufous Chatterer, Southern Black and Lead-coloured Flycatchers, Sedge and Buff-bellied Warblers, Spotted Morning Thrush, Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit, Sulphur-breasted and Grey-headed Bush-shrikes, (Greater) Blue-eared Starling, Beautiful Sunbird, White-billed Buffalo Weaver, Little and Black-headed Weavers, Yellow-crowned Bishop, Village Indigobird and White-bellied Canary. Northern Red Bishops frequent the lakeside and when they are displaying the males seem like animated scarlet fireballs. Occasionally, if conditions are right, Allen’s Gallinule and Senegal Thick-knee put in an appearance.

Day 18 Today we will drive to Kakamega Forest for a two nights stay, first crossing the Kerio Valley. The scrubby slopes of this deep valley here provide habitat for the stunning White-crested Turaco, Spot-flanked Barbet, Long-billed Pipit, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Green-backed Eremomela, Northern Black and Gambaga Flycatchers, the beautiful Silverbird, Western Black-headed Batis, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver, Reichenow’s (Yellow-rumped) Seedeater and both

White-bellied Bustard (Nik Borrow)

10 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ultimate Kenya

Cinnamon-breasted Rock and Golden-breasted Buntings. Grey Woodpecker isalso present but not common. Black-headed Gonolek can be found in the valley bottom and as we climb out from the other side African Black Swifts may be seen overhead, as well as Red-winged Starling and the occasional White-naped Raven.

Along the route some marshy areas are always worth checking for Cape Rook, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Zebra Waxbill and Bronze Mannikin. We should arrive at the superbly situated and extremely comfortable Rondo Retreat set in beautiful gardens at the edge of the forest in the late afternoon.

Day 19 Kakamega Forest is a unique area of evergreen forest near the western frontier of Kenya. The flora and fauna of the forest is closely akin to that of the Central African rainforests and many of the birds found here are at the easternmost point of their distribution. Although most of the birds here can be seen in Uganda, there are several very important specialities that do not feature on bird tours to that country.

The forest day typically begins with an impressive dawn chorus. Huge Black-and-white-casqued Hornbills noisily leave their roosts

and ridiculously top-knotted Great Blue Turacos emit their distinctive guttural cries from high inside the canopy. Out on the dead snags, silhouetted against the sky, sit Grey-throated Barbets with their startling pale eyes and strange nasal tufts. They are sometimes joined by Stuhlmann’s Starlings, while attractive White-headed Saw-wings fly overhead. Our attentions will soon turn, however, to the skulking birds of the undergrowth. The persistent squeak of Black-faced Rufous Warblers and the joyful duets of Chubb’s Cisticolas are commonly heard sounds at Kakamega, but we will also be hoping for such secretive species as Brown-chested Alethe and Brown Illadopsis and Scaly-breasted Illadopsis to betray their presence by their whistled calls.

Of great significance in these days of taxonomic reform is the Grey-chested Babbler (formerly known as Grey-chested Illadopsis), which is now treated as one of only three members of a distinct family. (The other two members are Spot-throat and Dapple-throat.) Kakamega is surely the very best place in the species’ range to get good views of this retiring little critter.

The other two main target species of the forest are the restricted-range Turner’s Eremomela and Uganda Woodland Warbler, the first

of which is not seen on bird tours to Uganda, while the second can be difficult there. We shall be listening for their calls and scanning the canopy in order find these charming little warblers.

During our stay we will be able to find many additional special birds of Kakamega, which include Scaly Francolin, Crested Guineafowl, White-spotted Flufftail, Black-billed Turaco, Red-chested Owlet, Blue-headed Bee-eater (this must be the easiest location to see this beautiful bird), Cassin’s Honeybird, African Broadbill, Equatorial Akalat, Least Honeyguide, Grey-winged Robin, Blue-shouldered and Snowy-headed Robin Chats, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Green Hylia, Southern Hyliota, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, Mountain Illadopsis, Dusky Crested Flycatcher, Jameson’s, Chestnut and Yellow-bellied Wattle-eyes, Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Velvet-mantled Drongo and Oriole Finch. Greenbuls are a feature of the forest and we shall be aiming to locate Red-tailed Bristlebill and Cameroon Sombre, Little Grey, Ansorge’s, Slender-billed, Kakamega (split from Shelley’s), Cabanis’s, Toro Olive, Honeyguide and Joyful Greenbuls. Western Banded Snake Eagle, Ayres’s Hawk Eagle and Grey Parrot occasionally put in an appearance.

Other species we may well find at Kakamega include African Goshawk, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Blue Yellowbill, Yellow-spotted, Streaky-throated (split from Hairy-breasted) and Yellow-billed Barbets, Thick-billed Honeyguide, Yellow-crested, Buff-spotted and Brown-eared Woodpeckers, White-tailed Ant Thrush, African Thrush, Black-faced (split from Banded) and White-chinned Prinias, Olive-green Camaroptera, Buff-throated and Black-collared Apalises, Grey-capped Warbler,

Yellow White-eye, Dusky Tit, African Blue Flycatcher, African Shrike Flycatcher, Mackinnon’s Fiscal, Lühder’s Bush Shrike, Pink-footed Puffback, Petit’s and Purple-throated Cuckoo-shrikes, Square-tailed Drongo, Western Black-headed Oriole, Green, Western Olive, Green-throated, Green-headed, Scarlet-chested and Bronze Sunbirds, Grey-headed Sparrow, Black-billed, Black-necked, Vieillot’s Black and Dark-backed Weavers, Red-headed Malimbe, White-breasted Negrofinch, Red-headed Bluebill, Black-crowned Waxbill, Black-and-white Mannikin and Southern Citril.

At this time of year, migrant European Honey Buzzard, Grey Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Blackcap and Garden Warbler join the resident species.

Large mammals such as Guereza Colobus, Red-tailed Monkey and the ‘blue’ form of the Gentle Monkey can also be seen in the forest.

Day 20 After a final morning at Kakamega Forest, those not taking the extension will be transferred to Kisumu airport where the tour ends this afternoon. (Arrival will be in good time for a flight to Nairobi.)

Lake Victoria & Masai Mara Extension Itinerary

Day 20 This afternoon we will head still further west towards the Ugandan border, into the lands that lie to the north of Lake Victoria. Our destination is the town of Busia, where we will overnight. We shall stop at a river crossing en route where Rock Pratincole and Angola Swallow can be found, and we will also have time for a little introductory birding in the far west of Kenya.

Day 21 Today we will explore some interesting areas of cultivation and

Great Blue Turaco (Nik Borrow)

11 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ultimate Kenya

open grassland with patches of scrub, palm groves and scattered trees that border the small streams. Here a considerable number of new species that only reach the far west of Kenya can be found.

Here in westernmost Kenya we will be looking for Ross’s Turaco, Senegal Coucal, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Yellow-throated Leaflove, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler, Red-faced, Zitting, Croaking and perhaps Siffling and Whistling Cisticolas, Olive-bellied and Copper Sunbirds, the brilliant Red-chested Sunbird, Compact and Yellow-backed (or Black-headed) Weavers, Cardinal Quelea, Fawn-breasted Waxbill, Bar-breasted Firefinch, Black and Black-winged Red Bishops, Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Cuckoo-finch (or Parasitic Weaver) and Yellow-fronted Canary.

In spite of our limited time in this far western region, we should also encounter some of the less common or less conspicuous inhabitants of the area, which include Red-headed Lovebird, Speckle-breasted Woodpecker, Little Greenbul, Brown-backed Scrub Robin, Green Crombec, Superb Sunbird, Hartlaub’s Marsh Widowbird, Black-bellied Firefinch, Black-rumped and Black-faced Waxbills, and Locust Finch. If we are really lucky we will come across the uncommon

De Brazza’s Monkey.

Eventually we must head for Kisumu for an overnight stay by the shores of vast Lake Victoria.

Day 22 The remaining stands of papyrus around the lake in the Kisumu area are very limited in extent, but they are still home to a great selection of species. Here we should find Carruthers’s Cisticola, Papyrus Gonolek and Northern Brown-throated Weaver, while if we are fortunate we will come across the uncommon Papyrus Canary. Other likely new species in this area include African Open-billed Stork, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Blue-headed Coucal, Double-toothed and Black-billed Barbets, Swamp Flycatcher, African Reed and Greater Swamp Warblers, Singing Cisticola and Slender-billed Weaver. We may also see Marsh Tchagra, although it is uncommon here.

From the Kisumu area we shall head south via some rice fields where surprises can always turn up and where we may well see African Marsh Harrier, Collared Pratincole, Little Rush Warbler and Southern Red Bishop. Our ultimate destination is the Masai Mara, where our four nights stay is divided equally between two marvellous tented safari lodges, one in the west and one in the

east of this very large game reserve.

As we drive steadily through the intensely populated and cultivated countryside, it will be a wonderful sight as the landscape opens out into panoramic views and we begin to see the first Masai with their cattle – an evocative sight that stirs memories of an older Africa. These great grasslands are a natural northwards extension of the Serengeti plains and as we near the Mara we shall see the first herds of antelopes.

Days 23-25 The Masai Mara Game Reserve (usually referred to simply as ‘The Mara’) is Kenya’s most famous wildlife reserve and at any time of year the Mara offers a wonderful wildlife spectacle. We have chosen to spend four nights rather than three here because the reserve is so large that simply crossing it takes an entire day, and one needs that extra time to really enjoy the Mara and have time to take in this extraordinary wilderness.

All the usual plains mammals occur here, including large numbers of African Elephant, African Buffalo, Common Warthog, Masai Giraffe (regularly observed with Yellow-billed Oxpeckers clinging to their necks), Brindled Gnu (or Blue Wildebeeste), Waterbuck, Topi, Kongoni (or Hartebeeste), Impala, Grant’s and Red-fronted (or Thomson’s) Gazelles, and Common Zebra. We should also find Black-backed Jackal, the delightful Bat-eared Fox, Banded Mongoose and the hulking Spotted Hyaena.

This is undoubtedly the best place in Kenya for seeing big cats and we can expect to enjoy some marvellously close encounters with Lions, perhaps watching a pride snoozing under some bushes whilst the cubs play amongst the Lionesses.

For many people, the Mara’s famous Cheetahs are an even bigger draw than the Lions, for their languid grace and extraordinary burst of speed when hunting gazelles is something to behold. We will certainly spend some time tracking down these beautiful cats in their favourite haunts, perhaps coming across one stealing softly through the tawny grass or even watching a hunt. Leopards are often elusive in the Mara, but we have a fair chance of an encounter.

We shall begin our Mara birding around our lodge at the western end of the Mara and on the Oloololo escarpment, and, as the latter is just outside the game reserve boundary, we can explore on foot. The view out over the Mara plains from the escarpment is nothing less than awe-inspiring.

In the wooded areas we shall be looking for the spectacular Schalow’s Turaco with its amazing spiky crest as well as Olive Pigeon and Green-backed and perhaps Golden-tailed Woodpeckers. In the grassland dotted with sparse trees and bushes we shall be wanting to find such East African endemics as Usambiro Barbet, Swahili and Kenya Rufous Sparrows, and the bulky Rufous-tailed Weaver.

More widespread birds that are found here include Western Banded Snake Eagle (uncommon), Bare-faced Go-away Bird, White-headed Barbet, Flappet and Rufous-naped Larks, Red-tailed and Sooty Chats, Trilling, Long-tailed and perhaps Rock Cisticolas, Pale Wren-Warbler, Green-capped Eremomela, Yellow-bellied Hyliota and Holub’s Golden Weaver.

Moving into the reserve, we will visit a swamp surrounded by a sea of grass where we will be looking for Rufous-bellied Heron, Saddle-billed

Cheetah (Michael Hodgson)

12 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Ultimate Kenya

Stork, African Water Rail and African Wattled Lapwing. Two other species we have a good chance of finding in damp habitat in the Mara are African Moustached (or Moustached Grass) Warbler and Fan-tailed Grassbird (or Broad-tailed Warbler).

Common Ostriches and the huge and grotesque Southern Ground Hornbill will be seen striding across grasslands that shelter Red-necked Spurfowl, Senegal Lapwing, the localized White-tailed Lark, Rosy-breasted Longclaw, Stout Cisticola, African Quailfinch and Red-collared Widowbird. Banded Martins and Rufous-chested Swallows skim low over the plains, and if we are fortunate we will also come across Grey-rumped Swallow.

There is a really superb selection of raptors to be encountered in the Mara. With all the large predator activity there are usually carcasses around to attract gatherings of hissing and

squawking vultures and we shall be looking out for White-headed Vultures amongst the more usual species. Other additions to our now immense bird list may include Lesser Spotted Eagle, Grey Kestrel, Greater Kestrel (increasingly uncommon) and, if we are really lucky, Ovambo Sparrowhawk.

Our lodge at the eastern end of the reserve has grounds that provide shelter for African Scops Owls, Southern Tree Hyraxes and the delightful Silver Galago. The scrubby habitat nearby gives us another chance of seeing Grey-crested Helmet-shrike and it is also a good place for finding Buff-bellied (split from African) Penduline Tit and Magpie Shrike.

Moving further afield, the drier plains in this area attract Temminck’s Courser, the splendid Yellow-throated Sandgrouse and Athi (split from Somali) Short-toed Lark. We shall also explore a

bushy area where Karamoja Apalis has only fairly recently been discovered in Kenya. Our chances of finding this uncommon, localized and little-known bird are quite reasonable, but by no means certain.

Both our Mara lodges organise their own night drives lasting approximately an hour and a half. Because of the variable results that these drives produce (you can sometimes end up seeing very little), they are optional and not included in the tour arrangements, but a drive can be arranged upon arrival at the lodge for anyone who is interested. Possibilities include Gabon and Dusky Nightjars, the extraordinary Spring Hare (which bounds along more like a wallaby than a rodent), White-tailed Mongoose and Common Genet. Very lucky participants have even seen Caracal or the retiring Aardvark.

Day 26 After some final birding at the edge of the

Mara we will drive to Nairobi airport, where the extension ends in the early evening.

Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels/lodges are of good or very good standard throughout and are often wonderfully situated and appointed. Some of the very best accommodations used on Birdquest tours in fact. Transport will by 4x4 safari vehicles with opening roof hatches. Road conditions are variable.

Walking: The walking effort is easy throughout.

Climate: Many days at low and moderate altitudes are warm or hot, dry and sunny, although it is sometimes warm or cool and overcast. At the highest altitudes conditions can be fairly cold early in the morning. There will be some rain and it is generally rather humid along the coast.

Bird/Mammal Photography: Opportunities are outstanding.