Kenya Bird Watching Safari - 15 Days

Itinerary of the 15 Kenya Bird Watching Safari: DAY 1 - Nairobi - Samburu Shaba National Park - Depart Nairobi at 7:00 am and drive south along the Central Kenya Highlands arriving Samburu in time for lunch. - Samburu National Reserve is a Kenyan less visited Game Reserve and is situated within the Rift Valley. It is relatively small in size compared to other Kenyan parks, such as Tsavo but it has more to offer as well as several endangered species. - Spend the evening doing game drive and Birdwatching starting at 16:00. - Return for dinner and overnight stay at Samburu Shaba Lodge. DAY 2 - SAMBURU GAME RESERVE - After breakfast leave for a half-day game drive. - Animals commonly seen are elephants, lions, cheetahs, Gravy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes, Gerenuks, buffaloes, Onyx, gazelles, Dik-dik, and waterbucks. Return to the lodge for lunch followed by swimming games and relaxation. - At 16:00 we leave for an evening game drive till sunset then return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay. - Notable species recorded include arid endemics such as Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver, Shining Sunbird and the Bristle Crowned Starling, many Vulturine Guinea fowl, several Hornbill species, Somali Ostrich and rare species such as the Taita Falcon, migratory Kestrels, and William’s Lark. - Dinner and overnight stay at Samburu Shaba Lodge. DAY 3 - SAMBURU GAME RESERVE - The whole day will be spent exploring this amazing game reserve; it gives you the refreshment of your mind as the park is not populated and not many people visit here. - There are over 450 species of birds identified and aquatic species in the Waso Nyiro River including, vultures, kingfishers, marabous, bateleurs, guinea fowl, Somali ostriches, and others. - The whole day will be spent exploring the park for the whole day's game drive. - Dinner and overnight at Samburu Shaba Lodge DAY 4 - SAMBURU GAME RESERVE - Samburu is a bird watcher’s delight all year. - Many unusual, dry-country specials reside here and can be spotted year-round. Migratory birds arrive in the reserve from November to April. - One important consideration is the weather, as heavy showers can mess up your birding plans – November and April receive the most rainfall. - Dinner and overnight at Samburu Shaba Lodge. DAY 5 - Samburu National Park - Lake Nakuru - Leaving early, on this day we shall drive to Lake Nakuru National Park; with a possible quick stop for a site where Cape Eagle-Owls roost. We shall arrive in Nakuru, around mid-day where we shall spend the entire afternoon birding in the park. - This park is famed as the birdwatchers’ paradise and indeed was the first national park in Africa to be set up with an avian conservation objective. This is indeed one of the highlight locations on our Kenya Birding Tour. Up to a million flamingos have been recorded in this park depending on their regional migration. Most of these are Lesser Flamingos with Greater Flamingos making a smaller population. Other birds will be seen including some special species for this area and Palearctic water migrants being abundant in the right season. - The park is also a great sanctuary for rhinos; without forgetting the other three members of the Big Five, and these may be encountered as we move around the park. Other mammals will be seen, especially herds of grazing herbivores; and the Rothschild’s Giraffe. - Dinner and overnight at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge. DAY 6 - Lake Nakuru - Lake Bogoria & Lake Baringo - On this day, we shall start with more birding in Nakuru. - We shall spend the better part of the morning adding any species we may have missed the previous day. - In the later afternoon, we shall head for Lake Baringo, as we bird along the way. If time allows, we shall stop briefly at a roadside dam near the lake, to check for some waterfowl. - Dinner and overnight at Lake Baringo Lodge or Lake Bogorai and Spar. DAY 7 - Lake Bogoria - On this day, we shall enjoy birding in the Baringo area. - We shall drive and walk around the scrubland and the cliffs surrounding the lake, in search of birds in this unique area. - A boat ride experience will also help you enjoy the beauty of the lake and see the local African Fish Eagles advertising their territories. - Dinner and overnight at Lake Baringo Lodge. DAY 8 - Lake Bogoria - The combination of a large lake in a semi-desert country and the nearby Baringo cliffs provide the perfect habitat for a great diversity of birdlife. - Specialties in this area are Dark Chanting-goshawk, Heuglin’s Courser, Northern White-faced Owl, Greyish Eagle-owl, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Jackson’s and Hemprich’s Hornbills, Black-throated Barbet, Red-fronted Warbler, Brown-tailed Chat, Somali Tit, Beautiful Sunbird, Bristle-crowned Starling, Golden-backed and Little Weavers, Northern Masked-weaver and Northern Red Bishop. Other possibilities in the area include Lanner Falcon, Verreaux’s Eagle, Blue-napped Mousebird, Madagascar Bee-eater, Red-fronted Barbet, Northern Crombec, Pygmy Batis, Cardinal Quelea and Eastern Paradise-whydah. - Dinner and overnight at Lake Baringo Lodge. DAY 9 - Lake Bogoria - Kakamega Forest - After some final birding around the Lake Baringo area, we will depart for the Kakamega Rainforest in the western highlands, en route stopping for special interest birds in the Kerio Valley. - These may include Black-headed Lapwing, Meyer’s Parrot, White-crested Turaco, African Black, and Horus Swifts, African Pygmy-kingfisher, Double-toothed Barbet, Long-billed Pipit, Silverbird, Brown Babbler, White-crested Helmet-shrike, Black-headed Gonolek, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver and Richard’s Seedeater. - Kakamega Rainforest is the easternmost extension of the Congo Rainforest and is, without doubt, the best birding destination in the entire country. - Many of the species here are found nowhere else in Kenya and the list of possibilities is seemingly endless. Such avian gems as White-spotted Flufftail, Great Blue Turaco, Bar-tailed Trogon, Blue-headed Bee-eater, Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, Grey-throated, Yellow-spotted and Yellow-billed Barbets, Golden-crowned and Brown-eared Woodpeckers, African Broadbill, 13 species of greenbul, Brown-chested Alethe, Banded and White-chinned Prinias, Black-faced Rufous-warbler, Equatorial Akalat, Snowy-crowned Robin-chat, African Shrike-flycatcher, Chestnut, Jameson’s, Brown-throated and Yellow-bellied Wattle-eyes, African Blue Flycatcher, Dusky Tit, Green- Throated, Green and Northern Double-collared Sunbirds, Western Black-headed Oriole, Mackinnon’s Fiscal, Pink-footed Puffback, Grey-green and Luehder’s Bush-shrikes, Stuhlmann’s Starling, Black-billed and Violet’s Weavers, Red-headed Malimbe, Red-headed Bluebill, and Black-and-white Mannikin. - Rainforest mammals to be expected are: Eastern Black-and-white Columbus, Gentle, and Red-tailed Mons and is well set up for bird-watching safaris. - Dinner and overnight at Rondo Retreat Lodge or similar lodge. DAY 10 - Kakamega Forest - Kakamega’s main attraction is its birdlife. The forest is a unique environment, not just in Kenya but in Africa. There are a number of relict species found here, including the Angsore’s Greenbul, Blue-headed Beefeater, Chapin’s Flycatcher and Turner’s Eremola. Other notables include the Red-Chested Owlet, Least Honeyguide, Great Blue Turaco, Banded Snake-eagle, and Crowned Eagle. Kakamega is a popular destination for birders and is well set up for bird-watching safaris. - Dinner and overnight at Rondo Retreat Lodge or similar lodge. DAY 11 - Kakamega Forest - Masai Mara National Park - Drive across acres of wheat and barley to Masai Mara. - The Masai Mara Game Reserve is regarded as the most magnificent natural theatre in the world. - Set in the heart of Africa’s Great Plains, the Masai Mara boasts 1,672 square kilometers of unspoiled wilderness. It is home to the highest concentration of animals and birds anywhere on the continent. - Dinner and Overnight stay at MARA Serena Lodge. DAY 12 - Masai Mara National Park - Full day in the Masai, the extensive grasslands are a stronghold to the threatened, migratory Corncrake and the near-threatened Jackson’s widowbird. - The bush and woodlands around the reserve also hold some unique bird species, more than 450 bird species have been recorded in the Mara, including 12 species of cisticola and birds of prey. Large numbers of Palearctic migrants winter in the area including Caspian plovers and white storks. - Other local and unusual birds in the Mara include Rock Cisticola, Rufous Bellied Heron, Denham’s Bustard, Black Coucal, Red Tailed chat, Pale Wren Warbler, Tabora Cisticola, Yellow-Bellied Hyliota, Green-capped Eremomela, and Magpie Shrike. - Dinner and Overnight stay at Mara Serena Lodge. DAY 13 - Masai Mara National Park - Masai Mara safari all day bird-watching in the Maasai Mara. - Along the Mara River we’ll watch for African Finfoot, Schalow’s and Ross’ Turaco, Crested Guineafowl, Woodland Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Barbet, Black-billed Weaver, Violet-backed Starling, and perhaps with luck, Pel’s Fishing Owl. - Any tapping noise on the trees may be indicative of the relatively uncommon Woodpeckers (Golden-tailed and Fine-banded). Hopefully, we will be lucky enough to see some of the more difficult to see mammals such as Bat-eared Fox, Hunting Dog, Serval, and the delightful Banded Mongoose. - Mara Sopa Lodge. DAY 14 - Masai Mara National Park - An early morning birding cum game drive after breakfast will be our perfect start of another unforgettable and memorable birding day in Africa. - With picnic lunch en-route you spend your day in Mara Plains trying to identify and record the over 450 species record in this reserve. - All meals and overnight tonight will be served at Mara Sopa Lodge (BLD). DAY 15 - Masai Mara - Nairobi - After breakfast, we drive or fly back to Nairobi arriving in time for lunch at Toona Tree Restaurant where you can enjoy some good Italian food, Check-in to a day room at Nairobi hotel. - Farewell dinner Later early in the evening will be hosted by our company at the world-famous Carnivore Restaurant considered “Africa’s greatest eating experience” (if you love barbecue it doesn’t get better than this), and home to the “Simba Saloon” one of the city’s most popular night clubs. - Thereafter you will be transferred to the airport in time for your International departure flight.