Discover Wanders of Kenya

On this day we shall arrive via the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, in Nairobi and we proceed to the hotel. We shall then relax from our long flights and enjoy a cool Nairobi evening.

We shall have an early start this day from Nairobi and drive towards the scenic Mt. Kenya. Here we enjoy birding along local trails seeking montane forest species such as the Mountain Buzzard, Crowned Eagle, Kandt’s Waxbill, Tacazze Sunbird, African Cuckoo-Hawk, Alpine Swift, Slender-billed Greenbul, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Olive Pigeon, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon and Oriole Finch. We shall also keep an eye for local monkeys, squirrels and forest antelopes.

We shall spend the early morning birding in Mt. Kenya as we seek more species from this amazing forest. We shall start by exploring the open area around our lodge, which allows us to peep well into the forest. From here we shall proceed deeper into the mountain forest in our vehicle as we seek bird feeding parties. We hope to add species such as Black-throated Apalis, Black-collared Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, White-browed Crombec, Hunter’s Cisticola, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, African Black Duck, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Scaly Francolin. From here we shall drive North, crossing the Equator line looping around Mt. Kenya to the dry Samburu and Isiolo regions. 

This afternoon we shall enjoy birding in Samburu as we track species such as African Orange-bellied Parrot, Steel-blue Whydah, Fan-tailed Raven, Bristle-crowned Starling, Ruppell’s Vulture, Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse and Pink-breasted Lark. We shall also keep an eye for mammals, such as Leopard, Beisa Oryx, Gerenuk, Cheetah, Grevy’s Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Lion and Elephants.

Today we enjoy a full day of birding game drives exploring Samburu and Buffalo Springs. We hope to add many more birds today and grow our list significantly. Expected species include Golden Pipit, Golden-breasted Starling, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Rosy-patched Bush-shrike, Somali Ostrich, Somali Courser, White-headed Mousebird, Black-bellied Sunbird, Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Black-faced Sandgrouse, African Bare-eyed Thrush, Somali Bee-eater, Yellow-vented Eremomela, Northern Crombec, Northern Grey Tit, Black-capped Social Weaver, Northern Brownbul, Buff-crested Bustard, Vulturine Guineafowl, Rufous Chatterer, African Mourning Dove, Martial Eagle and Tawny Eagle

We embark on our drive South, crossing the Equator again towards Lake Nakuru – a saltwater lake in the Rift Valley. On the way, we shall enjoy more roadside birding, seeking species such as Black-headed Oriole, Pin-tailed Whydah, Rufous-naped Lark, Long-tailed Widowbird, Streaky Seedeater, Slender-billed Starling and Augur Buzzard. We shall enjoy birding in Lake Nakuru this afternoon as we seek local species such as Lesser Flamingo, Greater Flamingo, Striped Kingfisher, Anteater Chat, White-browed Robin-Chat, Great Cormorant, Great White Pelican, Pied Avocet, Coqui Francolin, African Cuckoo, White-crested Helmet-shrike, Cape Teal, Kittlitz’s Plover, Stout Cisticola, Red-fronted Barbet, Little Rock-Thrush and Mocking Cliff Chat. Mammals here include Thompson’s Gazelle, Grant’s Gazelle, Leopard, Black Rhino, White Rhino, Rothschild’s Giraffe, African Buffalo and Lions.

We shall then drive North crossing the Equator one more time towards Lake Baringo. Lake Baringo is a fresh water lake in the Northern Rift Valley. We shall search for roadside birds such as Silverbird, Dark Chanting Goshawk, White-bellied Go-away-bird and Knob-billed Duck. In the afternoon, we shall bird around the lake and the scrublands looking for Slender-tailed Nightjar, Heuglin’s Courser, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Greyish Eagle-Owl and Northern White-faced Scops Owl.

We shall enjoy a morning boat ride on Lake Baringo where we seek species such as Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Northern Masked Weaver, Goliath Heron, Black Crake, African Fish Eagle and Northern Red Bishop. We shall then continue our birding in the scrublands around the lake. Here we shall be seeking the local birds such as African Pygmy Kingfisher, Pygmy Batis, Nubian Woodpecker, Little Weaver, Golden-backed Weaver, White-bellied Canary, Beautiful Sunbird, Pearl-spotted Owlet.

We shall then embark on our drive West towards Kakamega area. We shall enjoy roadside birding stops on this route seeking species such as Fan-tailed Widowbird, African Thrush, Cape Rook, Boran Cisticola and White-crested Turaco. In the afternoon we shall arrive in Kakamega Forest where we shall start birding this Equatorial forest. We shall hope to find Ross’s Turaco, Great Blue Turaco, Mackinnon’s Fiscal, African Blue Flycatcher, Chubb’s Cisticola and White-spotted Flufftail.

With two full days here, we shall be keen to walk local trails and also visit some different sections of the forest. We shall hope to add many birds here such as Red-headed Bluebill, Least Honeyguide, Thick-billed Honeyguide, Toro Olive Greenbul, Kakamega Forest Weaver, Black-and-white Mannikin, Crowned Eagle, Blue-headed Southern Hyliota, Yellowbill, African Emerald Cuckoo, Petit’s Cuckoo-shrike and Yellow-crested Woodpecker.

We shall then drive to the Lake Victoria shores, where we shall explore the birds of Kisumu city area. We shall also enjoy a boat ride here seeking more waterbirds. Our main target will be the papyrus species such as Papyrus Canary, Slender-billed Weaver, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Woodland Kingfisher, Papyrus Yellow Warbler, White-winged Warbler, Greater Swamp Warbler, Water Thick-knee, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Black-billed Barbet, Great Cormorant, African Fish Eagle, African Marsh Harrier and Papyrus Gonolek

We shall then depart for the central Rift Valley, at Lake Naivasha. Here we shall enjoy some wetland birding and also scout local woodlands. We shall also enjoy a boat ride on the lake, as we seek aquatic birds. Key birds here include African Grey Hornbill, Buff-bellied Warbler, Red-faced Crombec, Grey-capped Warbler, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Northern Anteater Chat, Long-toed Lapwing, Purple Heron, Arrow-marked Babbler, Spotted Eagle-Owl, White-fronted Bee-eater and Abyssinian Wheatear.

Local mammals include Nile Hippo, Maasai Giraffe, Common Zebra and Common Warthog

We shall enjoy some morning birding at the Kinangop Grasslands before proceeding to Nairobi. The main target here will be the endemic Sharpe’s Longclaw. We shall also take the time to look for more birds here like Long-tailed Widowbird, Jackson’s Widowbird, African Stonechat, Montane Nightjar, Yellow-crowned Canary, Dusky Turtle Dove, White-fronted Bee-eater, Augur Buzzard, African Snipe and Levaillant’s Cisticola. We shall then embark on our journey back to Nairobi city, as we cruise across the beautiful countryside.  We shall then take an airport transfer for our international flights home, marking the end to our amazing safari.