KENYA NORTHERN MIGRANTS- BIRDING TOUR – NOVEMBER
DEPARTS FROM NAIROBI – FEATURING: NAIROBI NP,LAKE NAIVASHA,KISUMU – LAKE VICTORIA,KAKAMEGA FOREST,LAKE BARINGO,LAKE BOGORIA,LAKE NAKURU,MT KENYA AREA AND SAMBURU GAME RESERVE.
2016/2017 DEPARTURES
NOVEMBER 04 – 20
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Nairobi .over night at the Boulevard Hotel.
Day 2: We begin our Kenya Northern Migrants Safari from Nairobi this morning by visiting Nairobi National Park into the Rift Valley Lakes of Naivasha,there are several bird species around Lake Naivasha. These include; White Pelican, Long-tailed and Great Cormorants, Black Crake, African Jacana, several duck species, Long-toed Lapwing, Malachite Kingfisher, Green Woodhoopoe, White-headed Barbet, Bearded and Cardinal Woodpeckers, Grey-capped and Lesser Swamp Warblers, White-fronted Bee-eater, Winding and Rattling Cisticolas, Grey-headed Bush-shrike and many more. Additionally THE Northern migrants to include the Isabelline and Northern Wheatear, Barn Swallow,Red backed and Red tailed Shrikes, Booted and Steppe eagles as well as the pallid and Motagus Harriers should be displaying. Over night return to your Hotel in Nairobi.
Day 3: After looking around the Hotel grounds and after a leisurely breakfast, we will drive to Lake Naivasha,where we whould arrive in time for Lunch. After Lunch the hotel grounds are rich in acacia type of birds yet the shores of lake Naivasah are excellent for water birds including Pelcans and waders. Over night at the Lodge.
Day 4: This morning we are scheduled for along drive to Kisumu / Lake Victoria,however the morning will have an optional Boat ride on the lake ( pay direct at the lodge ) or just a drive out to Kisumu.Will arrive Kisumu late evening for check in at the Kiboko Bay Lodge.
Day 5: We are scheduled to drive to Kakamega Forest,however the morning shall be spent birding the lake Victoria specialties around Kiboko Bay lodge and Kisumu Hipo Point where the papyrus beds have specialties such as Black-headed and Papyrus Gonoleks, Carruther’s Cisticola, Swamp Flycatcher, Papyrus and Yellow-fronted Canaries, Black-billed Barbet, White-browed and Blue-headed Coucal, Greater Swamp Warbler an!d others. We will then go on to Kakamega arriving in time for Lunch at the Rondo retreat. The after noon will see us Birding in the interior forest of Kakamega. Over night at the Rondo retreat centre.
Day 6: Today, it will be possible to spend all day exploring Kakamega Forest. There are two excellent areas, around Isecheno in the south. The number of birds is incredible, and include Great Blue and Black-billed Turacos, Grey Parrot, Yellow-billed, Grey-throated, Yellow-spotted and Hairy-breasted Barbets, several Woodpeckers, Scaly-throated and Thick-billed Honeyguides, Turner’s Eremomela, Banded and White-chinned Prinias, Blue and Dusky Crested Flycatchers, Chapin’s Flycatcher, several Greenbuls and Illadopsises, Yellowbill, Bar-tailed Trogon, Equatorial Akalat, Black-and-White Casqued Hornbill, Snowy-headed and Blue-shouldered Robin-chats and many more. Over night Rondo retreat .
Day 7: This morning,head through the spectacular Kerio Valley and Tugen Hills. When we arrive at Lake Baringo, and we should see our first special birds of the area. During the few days, we should encounter Slender-tailed Nightjar, Heuglin’s Courser, Spotted Thick-knee, Northern Masked, Little, Jackson’s and Vitelline Masked Weavers, Bristle-crowned Starling, Hemprich’s and Jackson’s Hornbills, Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit, Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, White-faced Scops Owl, Beautiful Sunbird and much more.Over night Lake Baringo Country Club.
Day 8: All day will be spent around Lake Baringo. You may wish to use a local guide, who will help find the difficult species. Over night at Lake Baringo Country Club.
Day 9: We will take a day excursion to Lake Bogoria and returning in the late afternoon,Lake Bogoria is a an alkine /Soda lake with both Greater and Lesser Flamingos, inaddition to a number of other Niorthern migrants in the reserve.Over night Lake baringo Country Club.
Day 10: After breakfast,we will drive to Lake nakuru National park,another Rift valley Lake in the area. Lake Nakuru National Park is excellent for birding and wildlife viewing. In Nakuru you will look out for the commoner bird species to include Rock Thrush, Lesser and Greater Flamingoes, Rupell’s long tailed starling, Green wood hoopoes, African Fish Eagle, Tawny Eagles, and many other winter and intra African Migrants will have arrived then. The Mammal list will as well be long. The White Rhino is protected from poachers here and the only site on your itinerary for the Rothschild’s Giraffe will be at Lake Nakuru Park. After the exploration of the park,we will drive back to Nakuru town for over night at the waterbuck Hotel.
Day 11: Another day in Lake Nakuru National Park.
Day 12: We head South into the Central Kenyan highlands driving over the Rift escarpment and skirting the Aberdares, stopping at Thompson’s Falls where we can seek out Slender-billed Starling, African Snipe and Tinkling Cisticola. We then pass across Solio Plains, sometimes good for Bustards, which can include the scarce Denham’s, as well as Capped Wheatear, Long-tailed Widowbird and wintering Lesser Kestrels and Montagues and Pallid Harriers. Finally, we arrive at Naro Moru River Lodge, where a self-catering two-bedroomed cottage is recommended. Food can be bought en-route at Nyahururu, or meals can be obtained at the lodge. Overnight Naro Moru River Lodge.
Day 13: We will spend the morning and afternoon exploring Naromoru Grounds and surroundings for possible Winter warblers and other near mount Kenyan specialities. Depening on Interest,we may take a day trip to Wajee for the endemic Hindes Barbler. The lodge grounds are excellent for birding, and can have such species as Giant Kingfisher, Black Duck, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Red-fronted Parrot, Narina Trogon, Grey Apalis, Rufous Chatterer, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Crowned Hornbill and up to nine sunbird species,others are Mountain Greenbul, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Brown-chested Alethe, Brown Woodland Warbler, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, Hunter’s Cisticola and White-tailed Crested Flycatcher may be seen. Overnight Naromoru River Lodge.
Day 14: After final birding around Naro Moru, we head north, stopping to look for Dusky Turtle Dove and the near-endemic Boran Cisticola. Once in Samburu , birds are profuse, and include Somali and White-throated Bee-eaters, Golden Pipit, Vulturine Guineafowl, Somali Ostrich, White-headed Mousebird, Kori and Buff-crested Bustards, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Violet Woodhoopoe, Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow-weaver, Black-capped Social Weaver, Shining and Black-bellied Sunbirds, Bare-eyed Thrush and Palm-nut Vulture. In addition, dry-country mam
mals are present, including Gerenuk, Grevy’s Zebra, Beisa Oryx and Reticulated Giraffe, and Elephant, Lion, Cheetah and Leopard are all possible. Over night Samburu Gamelodge.
Day 15 & 16 : Birding and big game viewing in Samburu.
Day 17: Drive back to Nairobi catching evening Flight out. End
