Dear All,
I have recently completed a two week safari covering just Central
Kenya. It was a surprise to the visitors to spend a fortnight in the
equatorial region, and only experience the one balmy tropical evening,
that being our night at Baringo. Not withstanding the cool climate, it
was dry almost throughout and the birding very good, although
post-breeding wintery conditions did mean that more effort was
required in finding some species.

Our first day [16th June] was in Nairobi National Park, overcast with
the odd sprinkle and decidedly chilly. All of the dams were in good
condition, long grass over much of the northern portions of the Park,
although there is a drying off now. Two of the dams had separate
Madagascar Pond Herons, the Black-crowned Night-Herons had succeeded
in raising quite a number of young on Nagalomon Dam, other interesting
birds included a pair of Saddle-billed Storks, a few White-tailed
Larks, Nairobi Pipit and Parasitic Weavers. Much of the breeding
plumage of Widowbirds was well on the way out. An interesting
observation in this area was an adult male Red-collared Widowbird
feeding what appeared to be a young bird. Even courtship feeding would
not be a regular feature in this species, let alone feeding young!

The next morning [17th] we were at Lukenya. The Verreaux's Eagles are
back constructing their nest, and only forty metres away behind a crag
were a pair of Peregrines and they did not get on all of the time!
Other nice species included three Bush Pipits, African Penduline-Tits
and a few Southern Grosbeak Canarys. There was a sickly White-bellied
Hedgehog also. Continuing on the Wote Road, not far from Machakos were
an adult Shikra which was a surprise in this area, and Hinde's
Babblers. At Hunter's Lodge there was a male Darter, the Black-headed
Heronry had well grown young and five Retz's Helmetshrikes were a
pleasant surprise here. Entering Tsavo West at Mtito Andei there were
a host of species along the road, including a very nice Freckled
Nightjar on the ridge before Ngulia.

The following morning [18th] was cool and overcast, not much singing.
Below Ngulia we found our only Yellow-billed Hornbill for the tour,
many Pringle's Puffback, seven obliging Red-naped Bush-Shrikes
including young birds, Pale Prinias, Scaly Chatterers, and a wide
variety of other species.

On the [19th] after some local birding we left via Chyulu Gate for
Amboseli. Here there was a single Fringe-eared Oryx, my first in this
area for some years. Very sadly the riverine forest before joining the
Loitokitok Road has been demolished. Felled trees clog parts of the
river, and the forest floor has been ploughed up for a mass tomato
production obtaining its water directly from the river. So this year
there were no sign of Grey-olive Greenbuls, Lead-coloured Flycatchers
or Red-capped Robin-Chats, but we found relict Brown-hooded
Kingfisher, White-fronted Bee-eaters and Black-throated Wattle-eye, a
Ruppell's Robin-Chat was unexpected here. This unique area is a sad
loss and its clearance undoubtedly illegal.

The 20th was a magical morning in Amboseli National Park. The mountain
glowed in the low light of dawn, but most excitingly the huge swamp
along the causeway is back after such a long time, and this freshwater
paradise full of species contrasts extraordinarily with the other side
of the causeway where the birds have a soda penchant. Here there were
many thousands of Lesser and high numbers of Greater Flamingos, large
numbers of Cape Teal and good numbers of Pied Avocets and
Chestnut-banded Plovers which are undoubtedly breeding here. Summering
palearctic waders commuted between the different wetlands, whilst
there could have been many more scattered over the area, we could
count at least 200 Curlew Sandpipers, none showing any trace of
breeding dress, there were only a half-dozen Little Stints and a
couple of dozen Ruff. Some thirty Greenshanks were accompanied by ten
or so Marsh Sandpipers and twenty-six Black-tailed Godwits. Amongst
the numerous other waders species here were a few Saddle-billed
Storks, a few Lesser Moorhens, five Black Egrets and a host of ducks.
On the Namanga Gate road we found a summering immature male Montagu's
Harrier,  Short-tailed, Singing and Athi Short-toed Larks, and six
White-headed Mousebirds. The most interesting was at the gate itself
where five Alpine Swifts repeatedly attempted landing in the
communications antenna as if looking for a breeding site. We watched
this extraordinary sight for over twenty minutes, and left them still
prospecting. As well as such an unusual location, this would also be a
very low elevation for the species to nest.
In the Ol Tukai car-park a helpful Pearl-spotted Owlet assisted by
attracting in an Eastern Honeybird and a party of Taveta Golden
Weavers, but more interestingly a Gambaga Flycatcher. Is this species
resident in the compound (?), as this is my third encounter here, also
being present in November.
The elephant swamp provided an African Water Rail, several more Lesser
Moorhens, Southern Rush Warbler, and such an irregularily recorded
species in Kenya, a rather extravert African Reed Warbler. Numerous
Collared Pratincoles were accompanied by spotty young.
In the afternoon we watched Red-billed Queleas pouring in like wisps
of smoke. There could have been nearly a million birds present, and an
African Hobby was the only raptor attracted by the swarm and it too
left after a successful strike.

On the clear morning of 21st we left Amboseli and seventy minutes
later were enjoying the best coffee of the tour in Barney's at Nanyuki
Airstrip. We were transferred to Mountain Lodge where we spent the
remainder of the day birding from the roof. It was overcast and cool
and nothing much was happening. In the evening a Green Sandpiper came
in to roost (just like two years ago at the same period).

After early morning on the roof on 22nd we set off for the Met Station
above Naro Moru. The road was quite dry, although muddier near the top
of the road. A small mixed flock contained three very nice Abbott's
Starlings, at the station amongst the highland species we found a
couple of obliging Abyssinian Ground Thrushes and a pair of
surprisingly unfriendly Hill Chats, and a group of Kandt's Waxbills. A
Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk hawked over the forest. As try as we might
we could not locate the usually hand tame Jackson's Francolins. On
talking to the porters and caretakers they advised us that the Kenya
Museum had been up there trapped and ringed them and they have none
become exceedingly shy. Fortunately on the decent we found a pair with
four young only two kilometers before the main gate at low elevation
for the species.

We left Mountain Lodge early on 23rd. There were two young and an
adult Lemon Dove along the exit path, and a Cuckoo-Hawk over the
car-park. There were a few odd birds on the descent road towards Naro
Moru, which included a few breeding plumaged Long-tailed Widowbirds.
In the afternoon a look on nearby Solio Plain provided Greater
Kestrel. The strangest sighting here was a Wahlberg's Eagle.

Another nice morning with almost cloudless skies greeted us on 24th. A
pre-breakfast stroll around the lodge gave us a good assortment of
sunbirds and a pair of the endemic vepres form of Black-lored
Babblers. There were a couple of shy Black Duck on the river. We met
Paul Murithi who showed us the Mackinder's Eagle Owls, whilst both
Black and Nyanza Swifts were prospecting for nest sites in the quarry.
Along the road to Nyahururu we found Little Bittern on one of the
swamps, and Sharpe's Starling nesting in a dead branch they have used
before in the Thomson Falls car-park. We continued our way to Baringo
Club.

Yet another beautiful morning on the 25th, with an interesting walk in
the gardens before breakfast.  The Prosopis Woodland along the lake
has entirely disappeared and there is now open water visible form the
lawn, although no edge as such with the water being still very high.
Many Madagascar Bee-eaters were present, and in the extensive beds of
rice-grass there was an Allen's Gallinule and a single Northern Red
Bishop amongst the Yellow-crowned Bishops. We had a good morning with
Francis and William with Greyish Eagle-Owl, Northern White-faced Owl
and an African Scops Owl in the garden. Roosting Heuglin's Coursers
and Slender-tailed Nightjars completed the nocturnals. The pair of
Verreaux's Eagles are back on their nest at the cliffs, with
aggressive Lanners as neighbours. All of the usual species were seen
with a Lead-coloured Flycatcher on the cliff face. Cuckoos were in the
area and we picked up Great Spotted, Jacobin, Red-chested and
Diederic. In the afternoon we retraced our steps to Nakuru.

A sunny morning on 26th and after breakfast we explored Lake Nakuru.
In spite of its claim to be a birdwatchers paradise, this is by far
the most dismally wardened Park, having still all of the good birding
tracks closed having now not been open for over eight months. It is
time to organise an ornithological boycott of the Park until our
tracks to the foreshore are re-opened, or an assurance that they will
be when the water level starts to fall. Sure the flamingos are nice,
and impressive alike to non-birders, but it is the species tucked away
at the freshwater inlets that really provide the excitement. KWS hands
out a notice that they will charge Ksh7500 rescue fee for stuck
vehicles. Surely it is in their interests to rescue stuck vehicles,
and give people the choice of the risk. Only sixty White Pelicans have
come back. There were a few summering palearctics, with Greenshank,
Curlew Sandpipers and White-winged Black Terns. Really nothing much of
interest in the areas that we were able to explore. Muyas Causeway had
a few Lesser Moorhens, and in the southern wooded areas we found four
African and a couple of Black Cuckoos. A pair and a party of three
Cuckoo-Hawks were found as well as a road-killed Broad-billed Roller.
Horus Swifts were in the banks near Makalia, as well as Shalow's
Wheatears but no sign of White-fronted Bee-eaters in the Park.
Swallows were fairly non-existent, but there was a dozen Angola
Swallows on the northern beaches. Otherwise there was a pair of
Red-throated Wrynecks, a scattering of both Hoopoes, African Thrush,
Little Rock Thrush and both Helmetshrikes.

On the 27th the sky was azure and cloudless when we departed early
from Lake Nakuru, seeing our sixth Leopard for the tour on the way
out. This was to be a long day, first via Molo picking up the three
highland Cisticolas, Levaillant's, Aberdare and Wing-snapping, as well
as over six Sharpe's Longclaws and the only Jackson's Widowbirds of
the tour. Sadly Common Quail was only heard whilst we waited for a
bogged lorry that was blocking the road, to be extracted. The weather
was as good all the way to Kericho. In the arboretum we saw
Grey-throated and three Yellow-spotted Barbets, a singing Least
Honeyguide giving a very loud call I had never heard before, Banded
and White-chinned Prinias, Joyful Greenbul, Stuhlmann's Starling,
Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, a pair of Black-billed Weavers and six
Black-crowned Waxbills. Additionally we heard Black-faced
Rufous-Warbler and Luhder's Bushshrike. Leaving here we had a few
showers as we traveled on towards the Mara. We were making good time,
but after Lolgorien found ourselves in hell on earth. There had been
incredible local rain, and it is difficult to describe what we were
pushing through not long after the town, until eventually we slid off
the road into the gutter, unable to open the left hand doors as they
were wedged against the bank. We were stuck for just under an hour
before a rescue vehicle arrived from Kichwa Tembo and the driver
became an instant hero! As we sludged through ooze in this very
powerful night-drive vehicle it was amazingly bright with nearly a
full moon beaming down on us. We had a couple of Grey Duiker, but just
before descending the escarpment a strange waddle revealed a very
large Aardvark foraging along the roadside. Sometimes you can have too
much excitement with our bogging adventures, but the Aardvark seemed
to dissipate all the stress. We were very well received in Kichwa and
soon in the comfort of the tents, and entwined with two hot
water-bottles. Be aware that the road from Lolgorien as far as Mara
West is as good as impassable, or at least make some enquiry before
attempting it. We learnt rather too late, that the Mpata Road from
Kilgoris is by contrast in very good condition.

April 28th saw us up enjoying the early morning in the garden. We saw
many good things, Schalow's and Ross's Turacos, Double-toothed Barbets
amongst the more colourful species. The most interesting being a pair
of Pallid Honeyguides, only my second time in the Mara, the other also
being at Kichwa. On the escarpment we found Yellow-bellied Hyliota,
Green-capped Eremomelas, Trilling Cisticolas and Red-tailed Chats.

We departed Kichwa on the 29th, after a walk around the camp. The most
interesting sighting was a pair of Black-headed Gonoleks, talking to
the staff the birds have apparently been here for a few weeks and had
been seen carrying nesting material.  Also a Red-capped Robin-Chat
whilst initially a tease eventually gave itself up. As we gathered in
the car-park an adult Ovampo Sparrowhawk came in and made several low
passes before disappearing off into the woodlands. On the escarpment
we found a dazzling Velvety-Green Night-Adder. Musiara Swamp was very
low, the driest it could be imagined for end of June. There was a
Little Bittern but no sign of Rufous-bellied Heron or at least at the
few access points available. A pair of Saddle-billed Storks were
nesting in a low Acacia. At our lunch on the Mara River we found a
couple of Cape Dwarf Geckoes on a tree trunk. On the grassy plains
there were numerous White-tailed Larks and Rosy-breasted Longclaws.
The night game-drive at Siana Springs was interesting with not only
Dusky and Montane Nightjars, but also a couple of Square-tailed
(Gabon) Nightjars, and good views of all species. Of course there were
mammals too with numerous Spring Hares and Bar-eared Foxes.

The 30th June was our last morning, and we had a look in the Siana
Valley. It was not long before we found five Magpie Shrikes, also some
ten Tabora Cisticolas and a few Pale Wren Warblers as well as some
other additions to our list. At 10 am we were whisked back to the
reality of Nairobi after only 35 minutes in the air, and the tour drew
to a close that evening.

Yellow-billed Kites were only seen at all commonly in Nairobi, with
single at two other major centres, but otherwise absent throughout the
region.  Likewise Palm Swifts were only recorded in Nairobi. Little
Sparrowhawk only seen once or twice a trip were met with five times in
the two weeks.

Best to all
Brian