-----Original Message-----
From: Clive Prior [mailto:clivprior@telkomsa.net]
Sent: 07 July 2007 08:50 PM
To: 'sabirdnet@dbnmail2.ukzn.ac.za'
Subject: FW: Kenya Trip Report (Long)

Dear All

Clive and I spent a week in western Kenya. Our guide, Chege, was recommended by another SA birder and was outstanding.

On Chege's recommendation the first day was spent at Nairobi National Park and the following were amongst the many seen. Scaly Spurfowl, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Northern Pied Babbler, Jackson’s Widowbird, White-headed Barbet, Red-throated and White-bellied Tit, Buff-bellied Warbler, White-tailed Lark, Pangani Longclaw, Southern Citril and 7 Cisticolas.
The following day we left in thick mist for Lake Nakuru.

Before descending into the Rift Valley our first stop was Gatamaiyu forest and it gave us a taste of things to come. We had barely got out of the car when a feeding party arrived and we saw Chestnut-throated, Grey, Black-collared and Black-throated Apalises, Mountain Oriole, African Hill Babbler, Moustached Green Tinkerbird, Fine-banded Woodpecker and 4 Greenbuls. A walk through the forest was a lot quieter but produced Cinnamon Bracken and Brown Woodland Warbler and Abyssinian Crimsonnwing. Also saw the Black and White Colobus. As we left the forest we stopped and walked through a fallow field and got Hunter's cisticola.

Our next stop was Kinangop for Sharpe's Longclaw, a globally threatened endemic, which was found along with some Black-winged Lapwings.

Onto Lake Nakuru for the night. Chege said that if he planned a weeks birding he would bypass Nakuru as you can see most of its birds at Lake Naivasha but I am very glad we spent the night as the massed flamingos really are spectacular. Others seen were Little Rock Thrush, Grey-crested Helmet-shrike, Black-lored Babbler, Gull-billed Tern, Eurasian Hoopoe, Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl and a long view of a Black Cuckoo singing. On the mammals side we saw the Defassa Waterbuck and Rothchilds Giraffe along with the usual.

We then drove onto Lake Baringo for two nights and Chege does these roads regularly enough to know where to stop for lunch and maximise the birding so we picked up Black-headed Lapwing, Pygmy Batis and Yellow-spotted Petronia en route. We also had an interesting river crossing as the bridge was washed away.

We took a 90 minute boat trip along the shore and added Northern Masked and Golden Backed Weavers and Red-headed Quelea. At the feeding table of the hotel we saw Brown Babbler, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Jackson’s Hornbill, White-billed Buffalo Weaver etc Also seen around the hotel grounds were Rufous Chatterer and Spotted Palm (Morning)-Thrush
A local guide was also used the one afternoon and he took us to see Three-banded (Heuglin’s) Courser, Slender-tailed Nightjar and depending on which book you use Northern White-faced Scops Owl and Greyish Eagle Owl. Baringo cliffs produced Bristle-crowned Starling, Brown-tailed Rock Thrush, Red & Yellow, Black-throated and Red-fronted Barbet, Acacia (northern-grey) Tit, Northern Crombec, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird.
Others seen in the area were Pale Prinia, Grey Wren-Warbler, Red-fronted Warbler, Mouse-coloured Penduline-tit and White-throated Bee-eater.

The following day we left for two nights at Kakamega, up and down the Mau escapement then up the Nandi escapement and along the way saw Fan-tailed Raven, White-crested Turaco, Hemprich’s Hornbill and Brown Parsimona.

Finally we arrived at Kakamega – what can I say. 53 new birds seen of which 49 were lifers. Black-billed, Brown-capped & Black-necked Weavers, Red-headed Malimbe, Grey-green(Bocage’s) & Luhder’s Bush-shrike, Grey-throated, Yellow-spotted & Yellow-billed Barbets, Grey Parrots, Great Blue Turaco, Brown-chested Alethe, Equatorial Akalat, Common & Jameson’s Wattle-eyes, Turner’s Eremomela, White-chinned & Banded Prinia, Grey-headed Nigrita, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Red-headed Bluebill and another 6 Greenbuls.

We also saw the Red-tailed and Blue monkeys and a Jameson’s mamba that caused pandemonium amongst the ladies collecting firewood.
We had 1 hours birding the last morning at Kakamega and then headed off for Kisumu. On route we stopped for Angola Swallow and also saw Bar-breasted Firefinch. At Dunga beach we heard but missed the Papyrus Gonolek but did see the Black-headed Gonolek and Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Golden-winged & Red-chested Sunbirds and Swamp Flycatcher.

We left Kisumu for Lake Naivasha and did not have a good afternoon. This was the worst road we had been on and we had had a 45 minute detour through Kisumu to avoid a local protest against the police!
We also had a minor problem with the car brakes so stopped for about 30 minutes to get them repaired.

A very late lunch did produce great views of two Ross’s Turaco and a
minor detour to Molo Grasslands produced the endangered endemic Aberdare Cisticola.
We arrived at Lake Naivasha at 8.30pm just in time for dinner!

Our last morning was cold with a bit of rain. At Hell’s Gate we had a great view of the male Harlequin Quail. Saw Ruppell’s Griffon and Nyanza Mottled Swift. Back up the escapement (misty so still no view of Mt Longonot) but it lifted enough for us to stop at Manguo Ponds were a handful of waterfowl were added including our first ever Fulvous Duck.
We dropped Clive off at the airport and as I had to stay another 3 nights for business and had nothing planned, Chege offered to take me along Magadi Road for the rest of the afternoon. It was very productive as we saw Somali Golden-breasted Bunting, Blue-capped Cordonbleu, Black-cheeked Waxbill, Pringle’s Puffback, Chestnut Sparrow, Abyssinian Scimitarbill and Short-tailed Lark.

The total birds seen was 412 with 149 lifers. There were numerous other birds that Chege heard and found for us but that we still managed to miss. Chege works at the Nairobi National Museum and is really dedicated and determined to get you onto target birds.
We have no reservations in recommending him and he can be contacted via
www.birdwatchingeastafrica.com or info@birdwatchingeastafrica.com
Regards
Cassia