As we came out of our lodge in the early morning, there were already birds everywhere. Palm Swifts swooped low over our heads, and various sparrows and weavers pecked at the ground. An Augur Buzzard sat warming his back in the early morning sun and Van-Heusen’s Hornbill were sat in the trees. A group of Blue- naped Mousebirds flew noisily into a bush in front of us as we walked towards the open air terrace for breakfast. Here a Dodson’s Bulbul was tempted by the cakes on offer and a Yellow-billed Hornbill landed optimistically on a branch just beyond the terrace hoping for some titbits. The terrace overlooked a small pool where a Hamerkop stood, and the adjacent trees were full of Black-capped Social Weavers and their nests. Birding while you eat - what could be more perfect!
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| Hotel terrace |
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| Dodson’s Bulbul |
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| Black-capped Social Weaver |
After a tasty breakfast, we started the morning with a guided walk around the grounds of our hotel, the Samburu Sopa Lodge. First up was a stunning Yellow-billed Hornbill which posed beautifully in a tree. Then we approached an area of low lying scrub where we found a good variety of smaller birds, including the dainty Pygmy Batis, a species where the female is unusually more colourful than the male, Yellow-breasted Apalis, African Grey Flycatcher and stunning Chestnut Weavers.
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| Pygmy Batis |
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| Chestnut Weaver |
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Yellow-breasted Apalis
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Yellow-billed Hornbill
A White-browed Scrub-Robin pecked at the ground in search of food and a pair of Black-throated Barbet had a nesthole in a nearby rotting tree. An elusive yellow weaver was eventually identified as a Vitelline Weaver, another new species from this somewhat tricky family. |
At this point we were advised by the park rangers that we should go no further into the bush, so gradually headed back towards the hotel where our driver Leonard had located a gorgeous Bushbaby hiding away in the dense vegetation.
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| Bush baby |
Next we boarded our vehicles to set out on a game drive through the park. Here we had some superb encounters with a family group of elephants engaging in a mud bath, and a cluster of graceful giraffes, striding elegantly through the trees in search of the juiciest leaves, with one pair indulging in some fascinating neck wrestling. Neither species seemed disturbed as we watched them from the safety of our vehicles and it felt such a privilege to observe them in this native habitat.
The birds continued to come through thick and fast, with too many interesting and colourful species to mention them all. Hornbills were loud and plentiful, and from the vehicle White-headed Buffalo Weaver, Somali Bunting, Fischer’s Starling, Magpie Starling and Golden-breasted Starling all showed well. A Pied Wheatear perched on a bare branch and a pair of well camouflaged Black-faced Sandgrouse wandered across the arid earth. A Great Spotted Cuckoo flew into a tree and as we watched this a pair of Blue-capped Cordon Bleu were spotted foraging, an astonishing intense electric blue in the bright morning sun. As we continued a Purple Roller posed obligingly and overhead a variety of raptors passed across, including Brown Snake Eagle, Bateleur, Lesser Spotted and Tawny Eagles.
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| White-headed Buffalo Weaver |
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| Black-faced Sandgrouse |
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| Purple Roller |
Eventually, with the light dropping as dusk approached, we returned to the Lodge, where on the walk back to our rooms an Eastern Chanting Goshawk stood poised at the top of a small tree. A perfect ending to another brilliant day.
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