3-Day Birding Trip in Kenya with Peter Wairasho

This is oldest Park in Kenya over 60 years old and only 10km from the Capital City, with a size of117kmsq, alt.1500 to 1700 meters above sea level, more than 500 Bird species have been recorded in the park. The park has many different birding habitats, each containing various species of Birds, and they are as follows; Acacia dominated woodland, Riverine & Scrub, Dams, Rivers and Wetlands, Evergreen Forest, Gorges and Open Grasslands. Maasai Ostrich, Helmeted Guineafowl, CoquiFrancolin, Harlequin Quail ,White faced Whistling Duck, Spur winged Goose,Pygmy Falcon, Lanner Falcon, White backed, Ruppell’s, Egyptian, Lappet facedVultures, Bateleur, Tawny Eagle, Martial, Long crested. Crowned Eagles, Kori, Whitebellied, Black bellied, Hartlaub’s Bustards, African Finfoot, Great PaintedSnipe, Yellow throated Sandgrouse, Namaqua Dove, African Green Pigeon, Hartlaub’sTuraco, Jacobin & Levaillant’s Cuckoos, Spotted Eagle Owl.

There are numerous productive birding stop-overs along this road. Start birding at Corner Baridi, which literally translate to a cold bend. Here look for Short tailed Lark, Grassland pipit, Tawny Eagle flying over the Valley downlow, visiting Golden winged Sunbird son the Leonotis flowers, Abyssinian black Wheatear. Further down on the Euclea Bushes keep an eye for the Lynes’s Cisticola, driving another 20minutes will bring you toIcrosswhere the list may include thefollowing species: Southern Grosbeak Canary, Banded Parisoma calling on top of Mellifera Acacia, AshyCisticola, Rosy-patched Bush shrike, Mousecolored PendulineTit, Black chested Snake Eagle,FawncoloredLark, African Grey Flycatcher, D’Anaurd’sBarbet. Another stop at the River Bridge will yield: Little Bee-eater, Yellow bellied Eremomela, Eastern Violet backed Sunbird, White-bellied Canary, Blue naped Mousebird, Laughing Dove. Further ahead at the watering point, Spot-flanked Barbet will serenely call at top of a nearby Acacia Tree, plains on both sides of the Road are good habitats for two Bustards ;Crested and Kori, Gerenuk frequent these stretch of the road. The Sun may be now turning hot, option being driving straight to Olorgesaille pre historic site, where after having picnic will descend down to the river bed. The acacia trees provide a variety of bird parties that include Brown-headed Tchagra, Spotted Morning Thrush, African Silverbill, Slate colored Boubou, Von der Decken’s Hornbill, Black throated Barbet, Yellow spotted Petronia, Speckled fronted Weaver, Beautiful & Hunter’s Sunbirds, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Black necked Weaver, Nubian, Cardinal Woodpeckers ,Grey Wren Warbler and Green winged Pytilia.

Two hours’ drive from Nairobi, passing through vast plantations of tea, Common Stone chat will welcome you singing on top of the tea bushes. Inside the forest bird species expected: Rufous breasted Sparrow hawk, Hunter’s Cisticola(East Africa Endemic) Lemon Dove, Cinnamon bracken Warbler, Grey headedNegrofinch, Brown chested Alethe, Scaly Francolin, Olive Pigeon, White-tailedcrested Flycatcher, Mountain yellow Warbler, Abyssinian Crimsonwing. Crowned Eagle, Crowned Hornbill, African Hill Babbler, Bar-tailed Trogon, Brown capped Weaver, Grey ,Blackthroated, Black collared and Chestnut Apalis, White headed Wood hoopoe, Grey Cuckooshrike, Black fronted Bush shrike, Fine banded Woodpecker.