This all too short trip was interesting, but nothing of great note. 
The tour was confined to central Kenya, with extension as far as 
Tsavo West, Amboseli, Mara, Baringo and Mt Kenya. However no extreme 
west, north or coast. Overall the weather was dry but overcast, many 
places cloudy and cooler than usual, some places had in the recent 
past received heavy rain. We managed to record 512 species. 

The tour started on the 27thth June, with Nairobi National Park, 
whilst plenty of vegetation and some very full dams, there was not a 
lot of grassland birds, nor marsh and waterside birds. Amongst the 
more interesting species were a Common Buttonquail sitting on a 
track in the Athi Basin and returning to feed on it, two Marsh Owls 
flying in the late afternoon, a male Brown-backed Woodpecker in 
Kisembe Forest, a half-dozen White-tailed Larks in Athi Basin, a 
pair of Nairobi Pipits around Kisembe Forest edge, but otherwise 
things were pretty quiet, overcast and cool.

The next day (28th) we left Nairobi and headed eastwards to Mtito 
Andei. On the way we stopped for an hour at Lukenya finding a few of 
the less common dry scrub birds such as African Penduline Tits, Grey-
headed Silverbills and Southern Grosbeak Canarys. Lunch at Hunter's 
Lodge was very dull and there were no weavers, sunbirds, few 
kingfishers and the Black-headed Herons have nearly all finished 
breeding. There was a most attractive Battersby's Green Snake in the 
sedges though.

Late afternoon arrival at Tsavo West, we found Orange-bellied 
Parrots in the bird bath near the entrance, and a pair of Eastern 
Black-headed Batis in the museum garden. Then continued on to Ngulia 
with a Freckled Nightjar, and an attractively patterned Puff Adder 
on the road.

Next morning (29th) we left after breakfast (where Jameson's 
Firefinches continue to use the bird-bath in the morning), for the 
dry scrub towards Tsavo Gate. Here we found a very good assortment 
of some of the harder to see species in the region, several Yellow-
billed Hornbills, a showy group of Scaly Chatterers, Pale Prinias, a 
few Pringle's Puffbacks and at least five Red-naped Bush-Shrikes, 
finally a number of dazzling Tsavo Sunbirds. A Rufous-beaked Snake 
was searching burrows in spite of the overcast conditions.

After lunch we investigated the area towards the Tsavo River, but 
nothing very much of note was found.

Leopards and Greater Galagos were obliging in the evening, but no 
nightjars were attracted by the lights.

Next morning (30th) we visited Mzima Springs which was not very 
birdy, best being Ashy Flycatcher and Black-bellied Sunbird. No 
weavers were breeding in the sedges and it was quite a cool time. 
Leaving via Chyulu Gate we set off for Amboseli. The small area of 
woodland at the Oloitokitok end produced Brown-hooded Kingfisher, 
White-fronted Bee-eaters and Scaly-throated Honeyguide.

After a good night at Ol Tukai we had a morning drive (1st July) 
around the swamps which were quite disappointing although there was 
a non-breeding Taveta Golden Weaver at "Smelly Bridge," where there 
was an easy to see Southern Rush Warbler. We successfully found the 
rarer larks, but a compact group of thirty Short-toed Larks was 
quite an amazing concentration. Searching for White-headed 
Mousebirds along the exit road towards the main entrance we failed 
until at the entrance gate where there were ten feeding on acacia 
blossoms. Afternoon around the eastern swamps was not too 
productive, although egrets were in good numbers.

Something I had never before seen in my life was an adult and young 
Kori Bustard feeding around the bird-table at Ol Tukai Lodge!!!!

The next morning (2nd) we flew to Nanyuki with a transfer to 
Mountain Lodge. The dull cold weather was not conducive to exciting 
birding, the best was a male Oriole Finch. Montane starlings were 
non-existent. Mammals were more interesting with both Bush Pig and 
Giant Forest Hogs, amongst the usual visitors.

On the following morning (3rd) we climbed up to the Met Station, 
whilst Jackson's Francolins and Abyssinian Ground-Thrushes were on 
view as usual, there was absolutely no sign of Hill Chats. I would 
have thought that the cold weather would have sent them lower, but 
they must all be above the Met Station where we did not venture. 

Misty annoying showers were the order of the day, and maintenance on 
the Weather Station resulted in a bogged tractor and trailer which 
was seriously damaging the road as well as blocking it.

We found a female Maccoa Duck on the Aguthi wetland reserve near 
Naro Moru, which was a pleasant surprise.

Evening on the roof of Mountain Lodge was again uninspiring.

On the 4th, a slow drive back to Naro Moru showed that the forest 
did still contain the birds, it was only Mountain Lodge that they 
seemed to be avoiding. We found many of the "missing" montane forest 
species although nothing out of the ordinary. A walk around the 
wrecked gardens at Naro Moru in the afternoon failed to reveal 
anything of any note. There was a Brown Parisoma in the car park, 
but it got no better than that.

The following morning (5th) after an uneventful walk around the 
gardens, we drove across the Solio Ranch Road. There was much rank 
grass, although the road was dry and easily negotiable. There were 
three Greater Kestrels, two Angola Swallows, an early Barn Swallow 
otherwise what was to be expected. At Mweiga we found Murithi who 
was watching over a Mackinder's Eagle-Owl, which was on eggs. It was 
too cold for the usual Elementeiata Rock Agamas and there was no 
sign of them. Nearby four Black Ducks were on a dam, and there were 
several Red-throated Wrynecks, a Scaly-throated Honeyguide and a 
pair of Little Rock Thrushes and sadly a road-killed Montane 
Nightjar on the road. There was a single Cuckoo-Hawk at Ndaragwa, 
but no montane starlings coming to bathe.

At the large dam near Nyahururu there was an obliging Little 
Bittern, pair of African Water Rails, numerous Levaillant's 
Cisticolas, but hardly any ducks. Continuing to Nakuru and on to 
Baringo we could see the damage caused by recent downpours but were 
fortunate to be able to cross the river whilst the water was low.

In the morning (6th) we were surprised to see that the water level 
had continued its rise, and was pushing closer towards the lawn. 
Indeed there were crocodiles swimming over the jetty!

This inundation might seem good for the birds, but it is not good 
for accessibility as only a narrow channel is visible where the 
jetty is. The Prosopis appears to be dying back where the roots are 
completely submerged. There was a single Magpie Starling in the 
garden feeding in a fruiting Neem together with numerous Bristle-
crowns. The Bird Table was busy with a good variety and weavers in 
breeding plumage. We managed to find all of the cliff specialities, 
with Great Spotted and Levaillant's Cuckoos in addition. Of the 
nocturnal species, there was no sign of White-faced Scops Owls, they 
just were not showing themselves. The swamp a few kilometres past 
Loruk had a single Dwarf Bittern, and Knob-billed Ducks. A pair of 
Eurasian Hoopoes of the african race wabeli were in the scrub. In 
the afternoon we left for Nakuru. At Hippo Picnic Site pool were 
several Painted-Snipe, but no migrant waders or Avocets.

In the morning (7th) we birded in the forest finding very nice 
discrete parties of White and Grey-crested Helmetshrikes. The latter 
were very obliging allowing photography at close quarters and 
several showed themselves to be pure with black crest feathers, all 
grey face, no eye-wattles and clean incomplete black breast band. 
Several Broad-billed Rollers were encountered and five Barn Swallows 
with no less than fifteen Angola Swallows, which are ever increasing 
and spreading.. At Home of the Cormorants, the river was high and 
had formed a delta, access is available again with the banked wall 
that has been a serious interference in the past two years having 
been removed. Here there were numerous White-winged Black Terns, 
single Black-headed Gull and Common Sandpiper. On the lake were some 
twenty-five Black-necked Grebes. White Pelicans are starting to 
return with up to two thousand present. Lesser Flamingos were in 
most impressive numbers, perhaps over a million present one of the 
most impressive displays I have ever seen. Greater Flamingos were in 
very small numbers but more than usual.

After breakfast next day (8th) we had a look at the sewage ponds, 
there were hardly any ducks, but amongst the few was a single White-
backed Duck. Amongst the swifts and swallows were Horus Swift and 
Grey-rumped Swallows. Then we set off to the Mara via Kericho. At 
the Chagaik Arboretum there was a taster of the west that we were 
not visiting with Yellow-spotted Barbet, Snowy-headed Robin-Chat, 
Banded and White-chinned Prinia and Black-billed Weaver. Near Leiten 
there were many Yellow-backed Weavers at their nests in the isolated 
montane population discovered two years ago.

Our first morning in the Mara (9th) was spent on the Siria 
(Oloololo) Escarpment where we were most fortunate in locating most 
of the local specialities, Ovampo Sparrowhawk, Red-tailed Chat, 
Trilling and Rock-loving Cisticolas, Pale Wren Warbler, Green-capped 
Eremomela, Yellow-bellied Hyliota. There was a Black Coucal in 
mainly breeding plumage near Oloololo Gate where the major surprise 
for the Mara was in the form of a House Martin, a couple of Rufous-
bellied Herons on the Serena oxbows, a Banded Snake Eagle at the 
nearby Hippo Pools, and an aggressive pair of Wood Owls in Kichwa. 
The flowering shrubs around the Rondavels had their usual resident 
Purple-banded Sunbirds (also in the Sabaringo Valley) but a Green-
headed Sunbird was only the second that I have ever personally 
recorded in the Mara, and that was also at Kichwa.

The following day (10th) after avoiding the Koiyaki road block, we 
visited Musiara Swamp which had an assortment of not too interesting 
herons, eight Woolly-necked Storks and a dozen Open-billed Storks. 
In the forest along the Mara River was a very responsive Golden-
tailed Woodpecker which came in to allow itself to be digitised, 
also the unconvincing split Grey-headed Woodpecker were here. At the 
Musiara airfield pit there were twelve Madagascar Squacco Herons, 
and a nearby low tree had a Saddle-billed Stork with two young in 
the nest. There was another Black Coucal near here, a couple of Grey-
rumped Swallows (very uncommon in the Mara) and a number of White-
tailed Larks along the road. We managed to get some photographs of 
Buffy Pipit in the road, if they were to stand any more upright they 
would fall over backwards! There were also Plain-backed Pipits here 
as well.

Returning to Nairobi we realised on seeing Yellow-billed Kites 
again, that the only birds we had ever encountered on the tour were 
in Nairobi. The bird is a definite regular migrant and maybe absent 
from Kenya in this season, the fact being concealed by the 
omnipresense of the resident city birds that know when they are on 
to a good thing and have forsaken the urge to migrate. Is anyone 
seeing the species anywhere else in the country at this time of year?

Best Birding 

Brian