Dear Birders,

On 20th Oct-The Kenyatta day me and my friends Chris
Hills, Fleur Ng’weno and Catherine Ngarachu decided to
go birding to Western Kenya for 4 days in search for
the missing targets in our life lists!

Heading to Kakamega Forest through the Eldama Ravine
-Eldoret-Kapsabet road, our first dramatic record was
4 Lesser Jacanas and 1 Cape Wagtail besides other
common species at a small swamp just before you get
Kipsaos shopping centre.

After passing the Eldoret International Airport, we
got a quick glimpse of a Bat Hawk and as we enter
Kakamega Forest, a welcome package of an African Blue
Flycatchers and two Kenya Crested Guineafowls.

Spending the night at Rondo Retreat, allowed us an
early morning birding and our first bird of the day
was a colony of Stuhlmann’s Starlings and
Grey-throated Barbets that are nesting at the tall
tree just by the Rondos Generator.

Off to the main forest at the forest station, where we
were joined by our wonderful Forest Guide-Ben Obanda.
It had rained seriously a night before resulting to a
great bird’s activity with our morning bird walk from
06.30 to 08.45 giving us 69 species! The highest we
have ever recorded in a forest in such a reasonably
short time.

Among the key highlights at Kakamega Forest was an
Equatorial Akalat feeding a young one, Pale-breasted &
Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, lots of Olive-green
Camaropteras, African Shrike Flycatcher, Buff-spotted
Woodpecker, Oriole Finches, a Hairy-breasted Barbet
(my only lifer of the trip) nesting at Rondo Retreat
just above Colobus Cottage and Grey Wagtail at Ikuywa
River. Other several species like Grey-headed
Negrofinch, Black-billed, Dark-backed and Vieillot's
Black Weavers were seen nesting and a Yellow-whiskered
Greenbul feeding a chick. Our climax at the forest was
sorting out the ‘olive-green, green-olive ‘greenbuls
of Kakamega Forest with Slender-billed, Shelly’s,
Cabani’s-sucosus race, Joyful, Ansorge’s and Toro
Olive Greenbuls well seen. 

Next day we departed for Busia at Mid day and stopped
for Rock Pratincoles at Mumias bridge and with a quick
welcome by the Red-chested Sunbird, White-browed Robin
Chat, Yellow-backed Weavers, Common, Wood and Green
Sandpipers, as well a Common Greenshank and off course
4 Rock Prat’s. Going downstream with the river, we saw
a tree full of both adults and juv’s Eurasian
Bee-eaters, our first Bar-breasted Firefinch, a
nesting colony of Western Black-headed Weavers and a
couple of Nyanza Swifts. Mumias Bridge is a good site
for swallows and swifts and the usual common ones were
all recorded.

Heading to Busia, our next stop (with the heat of the
day) was at Sio Bridge crossing, where Olive-bellied &
Copper Sunbirds, Yellow-throated Leaflove,
White-Chinned Prinias, Bar-breasted Firefinch, Spotted
& Grey Flycatchers were recorded. 

On arrival at Mungatsi shopping center we decided to
try a short detour towards Myanga and stopped at the
river Sio crossing along Myanga road. Here we saw
Scarlet-chested Sunbirds, Whinchat, lots of Copper
Sunbirds, Yellow-throated Leaflove and Brown Parrots
among other local species. At a distance I saw what
could have been Red-headed Lovebirds in flight against
bad light, but they are usually along this area
anyway.

Back to the main road a Western-banded Snake Eagle and
a Long-crested Eagle was seen perching on the
electricity wires just after Nambale town. We spend
our night at Blue Yolk Hotel-Busia; a wonderful budget
hotel-there can never be any other better place than
Blue Yolk.

Spending a night at Busia, gave a us a chance to
tackle Busia grasslands first light and on 23rd Oct we
spent the first 4 hours of the day birding here (at
the Busia pump house ) along Kisumu Road. The
highlights here were the Allen’s Gallinule, Black
Bishops, Yellow-mantled, White-winged & Fan-tailed
Widowbird, African Moustached Warbler, Marsh Tchagra,
Compact Weavers, Greater Swamp Warbler & a flock of
Abdim’s Stork soaring on the sky. We also flushed a
Snipe thought to be Great Snipe, based on previous
records!

Later we drove towards Sio Port and along the
Bumala-Nangina road, which is being repaired to
Funyula shopping centre; they are even building an
airstrip very close to Funyula. Just past Bumala
Martyrs Church, there were Black-winged Red Bishops,
Common Waxbills, breeding Red-billed Queleas and a
Baglafecht Weaver emini race.

On the last day of the trip on 24th Oct, we left Busia
for Nairobi early morning and stopped at the Sio River
crossing just past Mungatsi town for a quick shot.
Here a Garden Warbler, Red-faced Cisticola, a
Yellow-throated Leaflove feeding a chick, a flying
Eurasian Cuckoo and a White-created Turaco were
recorded. The bushes here looks quit promising if
somebody has enough time to sample this area.

The tour ended with thumbs up for a couple of lifers
and best views for many uncommon and rare species; now
anticipating for the next expedition!

Happy birding to all,

Ben Mugambi. 

   


Professional Safari Guide/Director,
Ben's Ecological Safaris,
P.O. Box 5898-00100,
Nairobi-Kenya
Tel/Fax: +254-020-3755290/1
Cell Phone: +254-722-861072
            +254-734-873923
www.bensecologicalsafaris.com

..For Professional Bird Watching and Wildlife Holidays in East Africa......


	
		
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