27 DAYS BIRDING & MAMMAL PHOTOGRAPHY SAFARI – KENYA

Depending on your arrival time you will be whisked to your hotel room or if early you may refreshen-up and get to birding and photography of wildlife in Nairobi national park. Stay at OLE SERENI (EMARA WING) (FULL BOARD)

Early breakfast and we embark on a drive in the Nairobi national park which despite being close to the city provides a great assemblage of birds and game. Some of the birds that may be hard to see elsewhere include Shelley’s Francolin, Red throated tit(rare), Hartlaub’s bustard, Moustached grass warbler etc, otherwise others will include Northern pied babbler, Long-tailed fiscal while the water holes will provide sightings of Marsh sandpipers, Wood sandpipers, African rail, Long-toed, Blacksmith, Crowned and Spur-winged lapwings, Yellow throated sandgrouse and more. Mammals will include Common Eland, Grant’s zebra, Lion, Coke’s hartebeest, Eastern Blue wildebeest, Masai Girrafe . On the edge of the park David Sheldrick’s orphaned calves project opens up between 11am-12 pm for feeding shows every day and can be visited. We will be out briefly for lunch around the main gate of the park and later continue the afternoon and eventually head to the hotel. Stay at Ole Sereni(EMARA)

Early breakfast and depart for Masai mara, where we hope to be for
lunch, we will check in at Fig tree camp situated at the banks of
Talek river. Late afternoon will see us drive along the river for White
headed barbet, Red fronted barbet, Spot-flanked barbet, Red
fronted tinkerbird, Klaas’s cuckoo, Bare-faced go away bird, White
browed coucal, Pallid honey guide, Hilderbrandt’s starling, Meyer’s
parrot, Croaking cisticola, Rufous naped lark and possible Schalow’s
turaco. Hippos, Crocs will be in the river, Lions Elephants etc may
also be seen. Back to hotel for the night.

After breakfast we will drive to Crater Lake sanctuary for birding where we hope to see the range-restricted Grey-crested Helmet Shrike, Coqui francolin, Scaly-throated honeyguide, Yellow-billed oxpeckers, White-browed robin-chat, Pale flycatcher, Grey-headed bush shrike, Sulphur-breasted bush shrike, Rattling cisticola, African fish eagle, Tawny eagle, Lilac-breasted roller and more as well as Masai giraffe, African buffalo, Grant’s gazelle, Impala etc. We will then head back to the hotel for lunch and rest and later an afternoon photography of birds around the compound. Stay a SAWELA LODGE (FB)

After an early breakfast depart Lake Naivasha for Masai Mara (wildlife epi-centre). Our arrival to Sarova Camp after few kilometers through the park will have afforded us Common warthog, Thomson’s gazelle, perhaps African bush elephant and more as well as Sooty chat, Silverbird, Usambiro barbet and more. Nestled in lush green habitat, the camp attracts arboreal birds that include the hard to see Schalow’s turaco, White-headed barbet, Spectacled weaver, Red-fronted tinker bird and more. After lunch, take rest after the long drive and later embark on a drive in the park for Stout Cisticola, Rufous-naped lark, Southern Ground hornbill, African ground hornbill, Grey Kestrel. Possibility of a Cheetah, Lion, Spotted Hyena and more before retiring to the camp. Stay at Sarova Camp.
Hooded vulture

These two days will feature early breakfast and one of the days will see us explore the park on a full-day scale, carrying packed lunch with us. This will enhance enough time for possibility of Leopard, Serval cat, Bat-eared fox as well as most of the vultures: lappet-faced, Rupell’s, White-backed, White headed and Hooded. We will watch out for Lesser Spotted eagle, Wahlberg’s eagle, Martial eagle, Secretary bird, Saddle-billed stork, Black winged lapwing, African wattled lapwing and various other species of mammals and birds. Stay at Sarova Camp.

Today we leave after breakfast driving through the park briefly and heading West on a rough road that joins tarred road all the way to Kisumu City which is on the shores of Lake Victoria. After lunch in Imperial hotel, we will rest and then upon the heat subsiding, we will take a drive to Hippo Point where lake-shore vegetation of Hippo grass and remnant Papyrus which suffered a great deal when the lake flooded harbours some good species like Papyrus canary, the rare Papyrus warbler, Black headed gonolek, Double–toothed barbet, Yellow-fronted tinker bird, Red chested sunbird, woodland kingfisher, Yellow throated Masai Girrafe greenbul, Blue-headed coucal, swamp flycatcher etc. We will then head back to the hotel for the night. Stay at Imperial Hotel

Kakamega forest is the only extension of the Congo-guinea forest biome habitat, and this is where one collects all the possible West African species. Our arrival for lunch would perhaps be preceded by sighting of African Crowned eagle nesting in the compound, the noisy Black and White casqued hornbill and the common Grey-throated barbet. After lunch and a bit of rest we can explore the compound for easy photography of Bronzu sunbird, Mackinnon’s fiscal, Northern black flycatcher before we get into the trail for tricky sightings of challenging greenbuls; Cabanis, Joyful, Plain, Kakamega (Shelley’s), Grey winged robin-chat, Snowy headed robin chat, Black collared apalis, White chinned prinia, White spotted fluff-tail, Great Blue turaco. Stay at Rondo Retreat (Full Board).

We will spend two full days here to make the best out of this unique forest habitat. We will look for Grey-chested Babbler, Red-chested Owlet, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Turner’s Eremomela, Dusky-crested Flycatcher, Blue-headed Bee-eater, Joyful Greenbul, Grey-throated Barbet, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds, Kakamega, Eastern Mountain, Ansorge’s, Grey, Cabanis’s and Yellow-whiskered Greenbuls, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Uganda Woodland Warbler, Chestnut, Jameson’s, Chestnut and Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye, Equatorial Akalat, Sharpe’s Drongo, Buff-throated Apalis, Green Hylia, Olive Green Camaroptera, Orangetufted and Olive-belied Sunbirds, Greater Honeyguide, African Crowned Eagle, Mackinnon’s Shrike, Vieillot’s Weaver, Purple-throated Cuckoo-shrike, Sunbirds like Bronze, Green-headed, Green-throated, Green, Northern Double-collared, Olive and Collared. Others we will also look out for White-tailed Anti-thrush, Chubb’s Cisticolas, Black-billed Turaco, Mountain Illadopsis, Black-collared Apalis, African Emerald, Red-chested and Klaas’s Cuckoos, Western Black-headed Oriole, African Green Pigeon, Tambourine Dove, White-browed Crombec, Luhder’s Bush-shrike, Stuhllman’s Starling, Black-billed, Brown-capped, Black-necked Weavers, the pale-bellied Forest Flycatcher, Red-headed Malimbe, Brown-chested Alethe, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Golden-crowned, Cardinal, Brown-eared and Buff-spotted Woodpecker. We will also see Black and White colobus monkey, Red-tailed monkey, Sykes monkey along with Red-legged sand and Giant tree squirrel. Stay at Rondo Retreat. African crowned eagle.

After an early breakfast depart to Lake Baringo stopping in Keiyo and Tugen escarpment for specialties that include White-crested turaco, Little rock thrush, Boran Cisticola, Chestnut crowned sparrow weaver. If we spend time at Kerio-view lodge perhaps for lunch we can photograph Moustached tinkerbird and Chesnut-throated apalis, Tacazze sunbird and few others before we descend to Kerio valley where dryland species will feature before we ascend to Kabarnet and down to Lake Baringo checking in to Tumbili Cliff Lodge. Chestnut-throated apalis. If time allows we will bird the compound for Red-fronted barbet, Black-throated barbet, Northern brownbul, spotted morning thrush and more before dusk sets in. Stay at Tumbili Cliff.

Lake Baringo is a semi-alkaline lake whose alkalinity rises and falls depending on the fluctuating levels. Today we will embark on a boat ride before breakfast. This will yield Goliath heron, Great egret, Purple heron, African darter, Long-tailed cormorant, Striated heron, Squacco heron, African Swamp-hen, Northern Red bishop, Yellow crowned bishop, Northern Masked weaver, Senegal thick-knee. The fish eagles here also can be photographed in action as they zoom to pick fish thrown from the boat. We will head from breakfast and bird the compound and the bushes surrounding the lodge. After lunch we will have some rest and then later drive out to watch for owls and other birds in the vicinity. We will expect Pearl-spotted owlet, Verreaux’s eagle owl, chances of African scops owl, Pygmy batis, African Grey flycatcher, possibility of Gambaga flycatcher, Striped kingfisher, Slender-tailed nightjar and more before coming back to the lodge. Stay at Tumbili Cliff Lodge. Verreaux eagle owl.

Early breakfast and then drive to the cliffs where we expect to see Hemprich’s hornbill, Brown-tailed chat, Mocking cliffchat, Jackson’s hornbill, Lanner falcon, magpie starling, Pygmy falcon, Rock Kestrel, Northern-White faced scops owl before returning for lunch. After lunch we will drive to Lake Bogoria reserve for photography of Lesser and Greater flamingos at close-quarters, there is also a possibility of coming across Greater Kudu in this park. Stay at Tumbili Cliff Lodge.

Today we will leave very early after breakfast at 6 AM, we will expect to be around Nanyuki town in the afternoon for lunch and proceed to Ashnil Camp. Upon entry into the park we will bird and watch animals which will include Grevy Zebra, Reticulated giraffe, Gerenuk, Beisa Oryx. Being northerly, the area provides Somali-biome species that include Somali Ostrich, Somali bee-eater, Somali crombec, Somali tit, Somali courser and the Desert warthog. Stay at Ashnil Camp.

Early breakfast and then explore the park for the better part of the morning taking advantage of the soft light to snap the birds and mammals. We may have an opportunity to see Leopard, Striped hyena, Black-backed jackal, Slender and Dwarf mongoose. Other birds will include Black-faced, Chestnut-bellied and Lichtenstein sandgrouses, Abyssinian scimitar-bill, African bare-eyed thrush, Rosy-patched bush shrike and more before we come for rest and await lunch time. After this we will rest for the heat to cool down a bit before embarking on a drive in the park till dusk. Stay at Ashnil Camp. Gerenuk antelope (giraffe-neck).

Today after an early breakfast we will embark on a drive away into Shaba Game reserve for rare William’s Lark (Kenya’s endemic species), the Masked Lark, Chestnut crowned sparrow weaver, Yellow-vented eremomela, Golden-breasted starling and more before coming for lunch and resting. Afternoon will be spent around buffalo springs. Stay at Ashnil Camp. Pearl-spotted owlet.

Early breakfast and depart Samburu for Mt Kenya, we expect to be there for lunch. The lodge is a bit basic but clean and serves good food, but we have no much options in terms of accommodation facilities in this area. The place is very good for birding as you can walk around. After lunch we will start combing the compound for White-eyed slaty flycatcher, Cinnamon-bracken warbler, Streaky seed-eater, Eastern double-collared sunbird, Purple-throated cuckoo-shrike, Baglafecht weaver, Black-tailed oriole, Silvery-cheeked hornbill, Hartlaub’s turaco and more. Stay at Castle Forest Lodge.

This morning, we will bird along the road for Abbott’s and Kenrick’s Starling, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Rufous-breasted Sparrow-hawk, Ruppell’s Robin-chat, White-tailed-crested Flycatcher, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, Kand’t Waxbill and more before we come for lunch and later depart to Nairobi for a night at Emara, Ole Sereni.

Depart Nairobi for Amboseli, expecting to be there for check-in and lunch at Serena Lodge. We will take a mid-day break upon arrival and later go birding. This park has a large marshy and swampy area full of water birds and herds of African Buffalos, African Bush Elephants & Hippos can be seen fully out of water grazing. Some of the special birds are Pangani Longclaw, Double-banded Courser, Ashy Cisticola, Short-tailed Lark, Palm-Nut Vulture and more others. Stay at Amboseli Serena Lodge.

Early breakfast, we explore the park, it is from this park that incredible photos of African Bush Elephants with Mt Kilimanjaro in the background are taken. The soft morning light will be great for pictures of Greater and Lesser Flamingos in one of the saline pools, an interesting phenomenon given that other water pools are fresh-water. We will have a warm lunch at the lodge and later, an afternoon birding and nature session. Stay at Amboseli Serena.

Early breakfast and depart to Tsavo West via Chyulu hills gate, passing by the amazing Shetani Lava field getting to Serena Kilaguni for lunch. After some rest we will drive in the park for chances of Scaly Chatterer, the smallest member of the Africa Babbler family, Pringles’ Puffback, the smallest of the Puffbacks and the mythical Red-naped Bushshrike. There may also be chances of Wild dogs. Stay at Serena Kilaguni.

After breakfast we will explore the park for possibilities of Pringle’s puffback, Golden-breasted starling, Eastern yellow-billed hornbill as well as look for Lesser Kudu, Leopard, Fringed-eared oryx and much more before we come for lunch and later an afternoon session in the park. Stay at Serena Kilaguni Lodge. LEOPARD ON SAUSAGE TREE.

Tsavo East NP at Aruba Ashnil for check-in and lunch. We will then get out for birding in the late afternoon for Chestnut-backed and Chestnut-headed Sparrow-larks, Red-winged Lark, Caspian Plovers, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Golden Pipit, White-headed Vulture and also our best chances for the Egyptian Vulture. Stay at Ashnil Aruba.

This morning we head to Malindi via Sala gate. We will stop at some point out of the park for Shelley’s Starling, and chances of Heuglin’s bustard along the way. Close to Arabuko Sokoke Forest we will look for Scaly Babblers, Zanzibar Boubou, Black-winged and Zanzibar Red bishop, Zanzibar Red Bishop and perhaps Fischer’s Turaco. Stay at Hemingways Resort. SPOTTED GROUND THRUSH-Occasional visitor to the coast from South Africa.

Early morning birding in Arabuko/Sokoke Forest for Forest Batis, Mombasa Woodpecker, Green Tinkerbird, Pallid Honeyguide, Chestnut-fronted Helmet-shrike, Sokoke Pipit and Sokoke Scops-owl. We will also look for Golden-rumped elephant shrew and Suni Antelope. In the afternoon we will explore the forest and depending on the tide we can visit Mida creek for Crab plovers, Terek sandpiper, Ruddy turnstone, Roseate tern, Lesser and greater crested terns, Black-bellied plover and many more before retiring to the resort. Stay at Hemingways Resort.

Depending on departure time, we may visit the forest for what might have been missed or else chill out. You can do some other activities such as snorkelling and later leave for Malindi airport for an internal flight to Nairobi for your outbound connection.