Dear all
Greetings hoping this finds each and every one doing well through the cold. This
is an 8 days trip short report done between the 17th and 22nd of June
Started with Nairobi National Park and amongst the many seen. Scaly Francolis,
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 bird of the day
was a Marsh Owl flying near the East gate at around 4:30pm, and no
Yellow-necked Spurfowl the whole trip,  

Heading to Gatamaiyu forest, it was very misty and one could not even see Manguo
Pond let alone birds. The forest was also very cold and a bit misty though very
productive where at the car park alone we had seen nearly enough for the day.
Chestnut-throated, Grey, Black-collared and Black-throated Apalises, Mountain
Oriole, African Hill Babbler, Moustached Green Tinkerbird, Fine-banded
Woodpecker and 4 Greenbuls and Hunter's Cistcola.
Kinangop plateau produced Sharpe's Longclaw along with some Black-winged
Lapwings, Red-capped lark, Capped Whetear.

In Nakuru Lesser Flamingoes in masses as usual and it was much easier to locate
the Greater Flamingoes. Others seen were Little Rock Thrush, both White-crested
and Grey-crested Helmet-shrike, Black-lored Babbler, Gull-billed Tern, Eurasian
Hoopoe, Hildebrandt’s Francolin, good views Black Cuckoo singing. 
Black-headed Lapwing, Pygmy Batis on the way to Baringo, Northern Masked and
Golden Backed Weavers and Red-headed Quelea, Yellow-crowned Bishop but we
missed the Northern Red Bishop. 

Wilson, the local guide in a late afternoon took us through the usual
specialties Three-banded (Heuglin’s) Courser, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Northern
White-faced Scops Owl and Greyish (spotted Eagle) Eagle Owl. 
Baringo cliffs produced Bristle-crowned Starling, Brown-tailed Rock Thrush, Red
& Yellow, Black-throated and Red-fronted Barbet, Northern Grey Tit, Northern
Crombec, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird. Pale Prinia, Grey Wren-Warbler,
Red-fronted Warbler, Mouse-coloured Penduline-tit and White-throated and
Madagascar Bee-eater.

At Kerio Valley Fan-tailed Raven, White-crested Turaco, Hemprich’s Hornbill and
Brown Parsimona, Brown Parrots calling loudly but never saw them even on the
entire trip, Black-headed Gonolek too calling.

The dam near Eldoret as usual produced the Lavaillant’s Cisticola, Kenyan
endemic Elmentaita Rock Agama, Fan-tailed Widowbird no Grey-rumped Swallow. 
With the two South African clients; out of the 53 new birds seen in Kakamega 49
were lifers, A good reason why (with limiting time) you can afford to miss
Nakuru but not kakamega.

5 individuals of Grey Parrots in the evening and flying (for me) the wrong
direction, I’ve always seen them fly toward the coffee plantation at Rondo in
the evening and vise verse in the morning, but these birds flew like it was
morning. They seem to have a defined and very apart roosting and feeding
grounds. 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, Great Blue Turaco, Brown-chested Alethe, Equatorial
Akalat, Common & Jameson’s Wattle-eyes, Turner’s Eremomela, White-chinned &
Banded Prinia, Grey-headed Nigrofinch, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Red-headed
Bluebill and another 6 Greenbuls. 

A lifer for all of us was a Jameson’s Mamba that never seemed aggressive despite
women shouting and screeming.

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. Also
a Forest Cobra swimming very well through the dug canal. Bird of the Day was
ALLEN”S GALLINULE with a juvenile at the marsh a few hundred meters to Dunga
Swamp….by the way they are charging 200sh a car.

We left Kisumu for Lake Naivasha and took long to get there as the locals
demonstrated blocking the road and a 30 min or car repair. Then the very worst
road in Kenya (I think) ahero to Kericho. You’d better go to Sondu then towards
Kerich…… I should have done that for sure. The only good thing on that road was
Ross’s Turaco…the only one for the trip but missed the Yellow-throated
Leaflove.

Via Molo it was very easy to track the Aberdare Cisticola. 

Then come to Nakuru-gilgil road….trucks slows down a lot arriving at the Lake
Naivasha Country club at 8:30Pm …..not a good idea with clients. But the number
birds seen on that day did blind the late arrival time
The last day we started late at 830 in the morning and went to the Hell’s Gate,
drizzling and very cold but we saw a male Harlequin Quail very well. Saw
Ruppell’s Griffon and Nyanza Mottled Swift, 

Going back Nairobi was very Misty but we could bird at Manguo Ponds where birds
added on the list included Fulvous Duck, Maccoa Duck
In the afternoon after dropping one client at the airport I thought I could take
the other one for the magadi Road. Where we added Blue-capped Cordonbleu,
Black-cheeked Waxbill, Pringle’s Puffback, Chestnut Sparrow, Abyssinian
Scimitarbill and Short-tailed Lark clocking 412 spp in 8 days 


With Kind Regards 
chege wa kariuki