KENYA: Elephants Dust Bathing

Here in Samburu Game Reserve, the earth is parched with drought and dust covers everything. During our morning game drive, a short distance from the Sopa lodge, we came across a herd of nine elephants.

As they amble closer to us, their ears flap constantly, helping to cool them off under the hot sun.

They stop in an area where the soil appeared softer, contrasting with the hard compacted earth. The elephants kicked the dirt with their toes, using a repetitive dragging motion to further loosen it. This might be their favorite spot for dust baths. They collect dirt in their trunk which acts like a hose, and spray it out all over their bodies. Sometimes they spray over their heads to cover their backs, and sometimes under their ears to reach their sides. The soil feels cool on their dry skin, and helps repel insects and parasites, much in the same way that water and mud does. Their dust bath completed, they move away and disappear in the acacia thickets.

 photo © adrian binns

KENYA: The Man Behind the Names

Among the interesting people, places and circumstances that have influenced the history of avian nomenclature, one individual plays a most prominent role in the birds of East Africa. We were reminded of this man upon sighting the gorgeous emerald-and-white Klaas’s Cuckoo (below) while walking the grounds of the Lake Naivasha Country Club.

French explorer and naturalist Francois Le Vaillant collected many specimens in southern Africa, and published the classic Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux d’Afrique at the turn of the nineteenth century. Considering the continent’s history of European colonialism, it is not surprising that three species of birds found in East Africa bear his name: Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii), a southern Africa species that reaches its northern limit in Tanzania; Levaillant’s Cisticola found in highland swamps; and Levaillant’s Cuckoo (below), an intra-African migrant.

Klaas, after whom Klaas’s Cuckoo is named, holds a distinctive place in avian folklore. He is only one of two native black persons for whom a bird is named. Klaas was Le Vaillant’s servant, and is assumed to have found the species himself.

The Narina Trogon (above) bears the namesake of the only other native black person who appears in avian nomenclature. Narina was also connected to Le Vaillant – she was his mistress, and, like Klaas, a native of the Khoi-khoi (Hottentot) tribe. Le Vaillant had a penchant for naming; Narina was the name given by Le Vaillant to his mistress, after he deemed that this word for ‘flower’ in the khoi-khoi language was more pleasing than her given name.

In addition to naming birds after close friends, Le Vaillant is also responsible for the common name of Bateleur (above), a french word meaning acrobat or tightrope walker, which perfectly describes the aerial maneuvers of this short-tailed raptor. He preferred to give french names to species he discovered, in opposition to Linnaeus’ latin-based systematic nomenclature. The word Bateleur is still in use today, and two native Africans are immortalized by two lovely African bird species.

all photos © adrian binns

KENYA: Looking for Leopards

It was just a few hours after daybreak, under heavy cloud cover, when we came upon the most numerous of the big cats in Africa, and also the most elusive, a Leopard. In a lush open area surrounded by Yellow-bark Fever trees, it lay sleek and beautiful, sprawled on a fallen tree trunk, asleep with its back to us. Several times it lifted its head up and turned in our direction, before going back to sleep. Exposed to the elements as it was, the feline must have felt secure and comfortable to continue its slumber.

Thrilled with the discovery, entranced with watching, we stayed for a long while. But as the cat lay motionless, our interest waned, and we turned away to drive down a nearby track. Within several hundred meters, a second Leopard came into view, a female resting on a large, dark termite mound next to a fallen tree. Two Leopards in one morning! Soon she got up and slowly descended to the dense ground vegetation, where we watched her walk alongside the tree trunk before disappearing. We thought she might be the mate of the first one.

Returning back to the original cat, we found its position unchanged. We waited patiently, thinking it would eventually move to a less-open setting, likely up a tree. First a twitch, then movement, as the Leopard got up, turned around, arched its back, and promptly lay down, this time at least facing us. We saw it was another female; the pair were actually a mother and her nearly full-grown daughter.

We watched and waited, hoping for some action. A group of six White-crested Helmet-shrikes moved through the fever trees, as did noisy Arrow-marked Babblers. Eastern Black-headed Orioles, Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrikes, Klaas’s Cuckoo and Tropical Boubous called. But the Leopard slumbered on.

We decided to look for the other Leopard, and drove back to where she had stalked out of sight in the dense undergrowth. Scouting the area, we saw a female Defassa Waterbuck walk straight towards the termite mound, pause, and turn her head alertly. The large ungulate continued, then paused again, and looked back. Snorting and staring, something must’ve grabbed her attention, something we couldn’t see.

Once again, we returned to the first sleeping Leopard. She was still there, but word came from a couple of Italian photographers that a Leopard had crossed the road ahead. No doubt this was the animal that caught the attention of the Waterbuck.

Within minutes, a Leopard moved around the far side of a huge tangle. Probably hunting for a small meal, it continued through some low undergrowth, around a thicket and jumped across a narrow brook. We watched as it hugged a thicket edge, climbed over a fallen tree trunk, and slid into the dense vegetation. Perhaps we would be lucky enough to witness interaction between the two Leopards. Lori caught a brief glimpse of the walking cat, but after time passed, we realized we would not be lucky.

After nearly two hours of excitement, exhilaration and disappointment, we opted to move on. Less than half a mile away, a call came over the radio that the Leopard was awake and up on the tree trunk. We got there a minute later to find that it had indeed moved, but had now laid down, this time at the other end of the trunk and partially blocked by branches and vegetation. We had missed it walking the trunk! It was not long before it did get up and drop down the far side of the trunk and out of sight.

We couldn’t resist returning to the area later that afternoon. This time we found the two Leopards together – one resting in a stately Yellow-bark Acacia, and the second lying nearby on a thick, vine-covered branch. She seemed restless, so we decided to wait.

We were the only ones there until another vehicle pulled up in front of us curious to see what we were looking at. The newcomers couldn’t find anything until Todd pointed towards the sleeping Leopard in the tree. Too bad they had only one small pair of opera-glasses to share between them, to see this most majestic feline. Shortly after they left, the Italian photographers showed up. This time they asked us for directions, and we happily obliged. After an hour, we left the photographers and went in search of other things, including a Steppe Eagle and Bat-eared Foxes.

Their patience paid off, as we later found out they had witnessed the two Leopards descend the tree and eat at a Buffalo calf carcass that they had killed earlier in the day, only a few feet from the track!

all photos © adrian binns

KENYA: Lions in Ambush

Driving through the short-grass plains of the Maasai Mara reserve, our hearts suddenly raced at the sight of seven lions - two males and five females. The majestic cats were spread out over an area about 200 meters in length. Though we had been lucky with numerous cat sightings this safari, lions never failed to bring excitement, and we stopped immediately to see what might happen.

Two Maasai Giraffe surveyed the scene, wary of the cats, but eventually walked away. We focused our attention on a family of Warthogs that came into our view, walking unknowingly towards the hunters. One lioness seemed particularly intent on them and crouched down low, while the others remained nonchalant. The Warthogs became aware of the cats within a few hundred meters, but continued to proceed at a safe distance. The intent lioness began to walk towards them, followed by a male lion.

As the Warthogs picked up the pace, so did the Lions. A third lion joined the hunt, taking the lead in the pursuit. The powerful feline hunters have little stamina to sustain any pace, relying upon surprise as much as strength to catch their quarry. In such open habitat with ample distance between the pride and the Warthogs, we were betting on this prey to escape unharmed. Indeed, the comical Warthogs outpaced their visible predators, and the three lions began to drop back. Suddenly, we noticed three lionesses positioned in a totally different direction, first crouching, then stalking. Our earlier impression of nonchalance among the pride members was actually a carefully orchestrated ambush! The closest female sprang to the chase. Seven Warthog tails stood straight up as the group moved more quickly than we thought possible.

Riveted to the action, we realized that the lioness was not going to catch the fast-moving Warthogs. Instead, she drove them towards the second lioness who picked-up the chase. Only about one in three hunting attempts are successful, and these Warthogs were safe for the moment. What a marvelous ending to another afternoon game drive in East Africa!

all photos © adrian binns

KENYA: An Impala takes its First Steps

On the edge of a Yellow-bark Acacia forest, in picturesque Nakuru National Park, we witnessed one of nature’s most amazing miracles, the first moments of a newborn Impala. We might’ve missed the whole thing, if not for Lori’s sharp eyes spotting a brown object on the ground between two alert-looking Impalas. “What’s that dark thing?” she asked aloud. It turned out to be a baby Impala, probably not more than 10 minutes old!

About 50 meters from the track edge, barely visible in the low forest growth, the Impala family spectacle unfolded as we watched in awe. The newborn stood up for the first time before our eyes, incredibly wobbly and shiny with wetness. Taking its first steps the fawn walked unsteadily towards the young male Impala, not its father, but likely a “midwife” in the herd. Much to our shock, the young male promptly head-butted the youngster to the ground. Why would it do that?

The newborn got up and and tried to find its way in the opposite direction, falling over once before reaching its mother only feet away. Unfazed, the mother began to lick her baby’s back and sides, as it stretched its neck in search of life-giving milk. It took several tries before it was able to suckle. As the mother continued grooming, the fawn lost its place and searched its mother’s underside once again. Finding the teats, it sucked for a minute before its mother took time out to lick off the remains of the umbilical cord and afterbirth from herself. While baby Impalas are born scentless, no doubt it’s important to clean-away afterbirth as quickly as possible, to avoid detection by predators.

Meanwhile, the unsteady newborn found it way towards the young male and once again received a head-butt. It became clear that this was an Impala’s way of letting the newborn know that it must stay with its mother for safety and nourishment. No harm was meant and the lesson was quickly learned.

We later noticed an adult male, possibly the father, standing guard on the outskirts of the forest, within sight of the new family. In about twenty minutes the young fawn was strong enough to walk away into the denser brush with its mother, avoiding any predators that may have sensed the birthing. In the wondrous ways of nature, this event occurred at a very rapid rate, ensuring the best chance of survival to all.

all photos © adrian binns

KENYA: Bone Scavengers

At the Samburu Serena a nightly ritual is to put out a handful of meaty bones for the Nile Crocodiles (above) that bask in the waters of the Ewaso Nyiro River. We see their green eyes glowing in the evening spotlight on the river. An African Civet is also attracted to the leftovers.

The crocs prefer the meatiest bones, leaving the Hooded Vultures (above) to pick off any remains at daybreak.

Palm Nut Vultures (above) also join the scene.  Though the majority of their diet consists of their namesake Doum Palm Nuts, they are certainly not immune to helping themselves to a free piece of meat when the opportunity arises.

Fan-tailed Ravens (above) queue up for a piece of the pie, while a Yellow-billed Kite quietly glides over the scene, deciding whether the effort would be worth it.

Birds are not the only ones interested in this meal, as Africa’s second largest reptile, the Monitor Lizard (above), comes strolling in with its forked tongue constantly flicking out as it smells an easy meal.

all photos © adrian binns

KENYA: The Thrill of the Chase

So many delights in Samburu, we didn’t know where to look first. Lindsay and Lori were tasked with scouring the terrain in search of big cats, while Todd and I focused on the avian spectacle. We all caught sight of an Impala and a Kirk’s Dik-dik running away ahead of us, and wondered aloud if they were fleeing from a predator.

Suddenly Lindsay couldn’t get the words out in all her excitement, as she spotted and pointed to a Cheetah. It was mid morning, and getting late for hunting, but I wondered if the cat was on the prowl for a meal. My watch showed 10:01 AM. We watched the slender beauty walk in a relatively straight line, and followed her as she went further ahead. She paused in the shade of a Flat-topped Acacia, sat on her hind legs, and scanned the surroundings in front of her.

She soon got up and continued on her way, crossing the sand track in front of us and pausing once more behind a Toothbrush tree. We were positioned behind her, her back to us. She continued on for a few meters, before I sensed that she might have seen something. Her gait became more calculated and deliberate. She was now taking half steps, making slight adjustments in her posture, crouching ever-so-slightly lower. She definitely had her eyes set on something.

We moved ourselves into a more open position, never taking our eyes from the Cheetah. Suddenly, with no notice at all, she burst forward up the slight incline of a rocky knoll, then swung sharply to her right. Finally we saw her quarry, a small Dik-dik. Predator and prey were now visible in silhouette on the crest of the knoll, with the pursuer twenty-five meters behind. How both Cheetah and Dik-dik managed to evade the minefield of scattered rocks and boulders is something we’ll never know. The chase moved at lightening speed, with the Cheetah sprinting down the slope of the knoll, across a stony track and into a small thicket. There the Dik-dik, seeking shelter, had made a fatal error, and a second later, the Cheetah had a meal in its jaws.

My watch read 10:27 - twenty-six minutes of exhilaration. Always in search of action, we were actually quite lucky to witness this chase and kill!

all photos © adrian binns

KENYA: Black Heron Fishing

A thin swampy strip in Buffalo Springs National Reserve leads to the Esawo Nyeri River, attracting myriad waders, plovers and mud-loving reptiles. Bright green wet vegetation contrasts colorfully with the drier acacia surroundings. Nile Crocodiles negotiate the narrow channels as Black Crakes, Squacco Herons, Three-banded Plovers and Moorhens stalk through the tall grasses.

In this lovely scene, we found a Black Heron, an uncommon and often elusive wader. We watched as the heron transformed into a kind of animated umbrella, fanning both wings out in front of itself in a jerky motion to form an arc over small pools of shallow water. It tucked its head inside its wings, to shade the small pool, thereby attracting fish for easier pickings. The bird’s erect steel grey-blue plumes were clearly visible above the umbrella, though we couldn’t see it’s bright orange-yellow toes hidden in the water. It stayed in this position for five seconds or more before retracting it’s wings and standing upright to look around, before repeating the pose again. We marveled at such a fascinating fishing technique!

photo © adrian binns

KENYA: Tea for Two

From Samburu to the Mara, Nakuru to the Tsavos, for three amazing weeks Todd, Lindsay, Lori and I explored the wonderful parks and reserves of Kenya. Traveling at the onset of the short rainy season, we experienced an impressive mix of resident and winter migrant bird species, as well as exciting mammal sightings. Anecdotes, lifelong memories, our journal highlights begin......

Captivated by the beautiful vista among the foothills of Mount Kenya, we relaxed on the upper balcony of Mountain Lodge. With hot drinks and cakes in hand, we were fully aware of the staff warnings about the antics of the resident forest monkeys, specifically White-throated Guenons.

Todd had set his coffee, cake and biscuits on the sill and was scoping out a Hartlaub’s Turaco across the watering hole. A Guenon edged into view from behind the canvas wall of the lecture room.

Todd noticed this and began to cover his food and drink with his arms and upper body. “Todd, you don’t stand a hope in hell” I predicted, when the monkey approached to within feet of it’s target.

Sure enough, the monkey twitched, Todd flinched, and in a blink, the cake was gone – one piece in the monkey’s right hand, a second piece stuffed straight into the monkey’s mouth......

.......which freed up the left hand to reach greedily for a third!

With all of us in hysterics, the monkey knew he had a tea party all to himself. That left just a biscuit and the coffee. He was not a dipper, preferring to eat the biscuit first then bend down for a sip of coffee to wash it all down.

Making sure that he got every last bit, he then lapped up any remaining crumbs before jumping down to the second level roof and no doubt telling his mates of how he had once again outwitted a tourist.

all photos © adrian binns

KENYA: Last Day - Taita Hills

The Taita Hills as seen from the Lumo Wildlife Conservancy

From Shaba Camp it was an hours drive into the Taita Hills where we met Jonam, our forest ranger guide. The Taita Hills are an isolated remnant of Tanzania’s Eastern Arc Mountains and hold a few species not found elsewhere - Taita Apalis, Thrush and White-eye.

Beginning on the edge of the Ngangao Forest we soon had three sunbird species, Collared, Eastern Olive and Northern Double-collared, as well as several Dusky Flycatchers. Our view overlooked a deep valley full of terraced plots with only the slopes of Kilimanjaro visible though the clouds. A White-starred Robin (above) was quite content sitting on a branch as we turned our attention to a flock of Taita White-eyes moving through the trees below us. Other species in this open area included Yellow-rumped Seedeater, Western Citril, Spot-flanked Barbet, Red-winged Blackbird, White-browed and Cape Robin-Chat.

We moved further around the mountain side to a second location. Before entering the forest via a wide track, we could hear Cinnamon Bracken-Warbler and Hartlaub’s Turaco and see Mountain and Yellow-whiskered Greenbuls working the dense edge habitat. This spot allowed us to penetrate deeper into the forest, where we found a Taita Thrush scratching amongst the leaf litter. Between the tree trunks and darkness of the forest this is a tough bird to get a good visual on, but after a lot of persistence and George relocating the bird we all got to see it. Jonam was excellent in tracking down the Taita Apalis. Faintly hearing it in the distance, we followed him up a slope of towering evergreens and into a mixed deciduous-evergreen section (above). This pair was always on the move and we positioned ourselves to have them come towards us. With a little readjusting we accomplished our goal of seeing the three Taita endemics.

Once we were back down the mountain we returned to the camp to pack up and grab a bite to eat, before heading to Nairobi Airport. The five hour drive was broken up with a break for tea and biscuits.

As we neared Nairobi, the Kapiti Plains gave us one last look at some of the savanna wildlife that makes this such a wonderful country to visit - Impalas browsing amongst acacias; Zebras, Thomsons and Grant Gazelles spread out grazing the grasses; Coke’s Hartebeest scanning the surrounding plains, and Maasai Giraffe walking close to the main road. What memories to end a magnificent trip.

all photos © adrian binns

KENYA: Tsavo East

There was only time for a short afternoon visit to Tsavo East (above), which meant we were never able to give this wonderful park, Kenya’s largest, its due.

Grey-headed Kingfisher, Hunter’s and Amethyst Sunbird, Von der Decken’s and a tailless Red-billed Hornbill were seen upon entering the park at the Voi Gate. Taking the loop road around the headquarter hill we soon came across Red-billed Buffalo-Weavers, Grey Hornbill and our first look at a Tsavo Bush-shrike (above). Groups of Yellow-necked Spurfowl foraged between thickets, as Barn and Lesser Striped Swallows were seen flying over the more open grasslands.

Elephants, covered in red dust, ambled in areas of taller grasses. Like most of the places we had visited Tsavo was reeling from the drought. There was the occasional Isabelline Wheatear hopping on the ground, and in a tree where a Golden-breasted Starling flew out of, a Northern Crombec was spotted. The only yellow weaver we came across was Vitelline Masked. In a small roadside pool Jan found a male Greater Painted-Snipe walking along the mudflats on the far side. Unfortunately when it did settle down it was right behind some shrub stems making it tough to see.

Our attention was diverted away from a circling Black-chested Snake Eagle when we startled two Leopards (above) in the open. We thought we may have interrupted a romantic interlude - but in the middle of the afternoon? One Leopard ran across the track and into the thorny scrub while the male briefly looked at us before walking away in the opposite direction across the short savanna. The shyer of the two then made an attempt to join the male but changed its mind, returning back to the safety of the shrubs. It was as it walked away from us that we noticed it was another male. I am not sure why two males would be out together, since they are usually solitary.

We crossed the Pipeline Road and had Taita and Long-tailed Fiscals perched alongside the track; a few Red-winged Larks singing from prominent low posts, and a White-bellied Bustard walking slowly away from us, hoping that we did not see it! Though Savanna Monitors (above) are suppose to be relatively common, we usually only find one per trip. Along a five kilometer stretch we happened to run into three of these smaller, arid-loving relatives of the Monitor Lizard. Four Lesser Kudus brought our total of mammal sightings for this safari to an impressive 84.

We had been so lucky in dodging rain on this trip, that it came as a surprise when we had to pull down the pop-up roof and do the best we could to view from inside the vehicle. Sadly there was just enough rain to make it almost impossible to find anything amongst the thickets for almost an hour.

Once we reached the more open area around the Aruba Dam the rain had let up enough to pop the roof. Kori’s Bustard, the largest of all bustards paced the short grasses in search of a potential mate. Gabar Goshawk and Peregrine scared up any small passerine in their path. Close to the vehicle we watched Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Larks (above) and pondered over a wet Singing Bush-Lark, before deciding that is what it was. Eurasian Rollers had just arrived on their wintering grounds and we got to see two of them. On the way out of the park new birds for the day included Red-backed Shrike, Yellow-spotted Petronia and Southern Ground Hornbill.

all photos © adrian binns

KENYA: Arabuko-Sokoke Forest

We would have several mornings and the afternoon that we arrived in Malindi to visit various sections of the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve. This is the largest remaining patch of native coastal forest in East Africa.

We picked up our excellent local guide Willy and headed inland to the Cynometra forest, which makes up almost half this coastal forest. Our target here is the Sokoke Scops Owl (above), which Willy had staked out. The habitat is dense and there were no trails to follow, but somehow Willy was able to lead us through, around, and under all type of vegetation, to a pair of brown-grey morphs owls. Walking back to the vehicle a Fiery-necked Nightjar lifted off the red soil track and disappeared into the night.

We spent our first morning in the more open Brachystegia woodlands (above). Sulking in the dense undergrowth was a Four-coloured Bush-Shrike. This gorgeous bird advertises its presence with a loud, clear three or four note call, making it frustrating that a bird so close, can be so tough to see. With patience we all got to see it.  Narina Trogons showed well and an Eastern Bearded Scrub-Robin was poking about the edge of the track. As we were watching Little Yellow Flycatchers and Black-headed Apalis actively feeding in shrubs, half-a-dozen Chestnut-fronted Helmet-Shrikes with two Dark-backed Weavers amongst them, moved through the canopy.

While trying to locate a calling Plain-backed Sunbird, a flock of Retz’s Helmet-Shrikes (above) landed in a wide brachystegia. Black-bellied Starlings soon followed as did several Clarke’s Weavers, a Kenyan endemic that is known only from this forest between April and November. They likely breed north of the Sabaki River early in the year, but no nest has ever been found.

As we worked various sections of the forest, many of the birds were vocal possibly due to the onset of the breeding season. We encountered Northern Brownbul, Pale Batis (above), Grey Cuckoo-Shrike, Eastern Black-headed Oriole, Greater and Pallid Honeyguide and Amani Sunbird. As we walked the sandy trail, watching Ant Lion pits, marching Singing Ants, Elephant footprints and Speke’s Sand Lizards running away from us, there was a Southern Banded Snake-Eagle calling from high in the sky.

Our second morning began with a Lizard Buzzard in a Palm tree as we headed to meet Willy (above left) at the park headquarters. Several Ashy Flycatchers were seen around the buildings. Taking the same track as yesterday, and branching off into the woodlands we soon saw Tiny Greenbul, Blue-mantled Crested-Flycatcher, Tambourine Dove and Sokoke Batis. Plain-backed Sunbirds were heard but continued to elude us in spite of Willy’s perseverance. We came across Red-tailed Ant-Thrushes, Mombassa Woodpecker, Eastern Olive Sunbird and followed the rising trill call of a Scaly-throated Honeyguide until we finally found it.

One of our targets was the Sokoke Pipit (above), a small heavily streaked bird. We searched areas of dense thickets with small patches of grasses along side, until we found two birds. Though they were never far away, they would walk through the grasses and under multi stemmed thickets making it tough to get a great view. It was not until one flew up and landed on a branch over our heads that we found it to be a very confiding bird.

Surprisingly the were not as many butterflies as I expected but we did have a few ranging in size from large Constantine’s Swallowtail (above) to Tiny Orange Tips.

all photos © adrian binns

KENYA: Sabaki Estuary and Mida Creek

The Galana River, which flows through Tsavo East, enters the ocean just north of Sabaki. Turning off the Malindi to Lamu road we worked our way through rain washed tracks and gullies to get as close to the sand dunes as we could. We passed an African Cuckoo-Hawk standing in grasses, and located a pair of Black-headed Lapwings with one youngster in the shade of a palm tree. For the remaining two and a half hours of daylight we walked out to Sabaki Estuary and scanned the exposed mudflats. As the afternoon wore on, the numbers of shorebirds and waders increased as the rising tide pushed them further inland.

A lone Pink-backed Pelican flew to join Lesser and Greater Flamingos in the deeper water. Several Yellow-billed Storks went back and forth from the estuary to the adjacent marshes.

White-faced Whistling Ducks were roosting amongst the waders, which included dozens of Pied Avocets, Whimbrel and their larger relatives the Eurasian Curlews, as well as Bar-tailed Godwits. Gulls were represented by Sooty, Lesser Black-backed and Hueglin’s, while the terns consisted of Caspian, Lesser Crested, Common and many Gull-billed. It was the shorebirds that made up the bulk of these roosting groups. Curlew Sandpipers could be seen in large flocks, and in between, we would pick out Terek Sandpipers, Common Ringed Plover, Lesser Sand Plovers and Little Stints. Amongst the shallow tidal pools that separated us from the mudflats, it was Greenshanks, Marsh and Wood Sandpipers that were busy feeding.

The following day we visited Mida Creek, which is about half-an-hour south of Sabaki, in the late morning. As we took the entrance track in, we found a Mangrove Kingfisher (above) perched low in a tree.

A little further ahead the mangrove fringed Mida Creek mudflats were exposed as the tide was ebbing. Setting up our scopes we scanned (above), coming across many shorebirds we had at Sabaki, as well Lesser Crested Tern, and good comparisons of Greater Sand Plover and Lesser Sand Plover. Without a doubt the star bird here is the Crab Plover, a unique avocet-sized shorebird that overwinters along the East African coast.

Crab Plovers, Eurasian Curlew and two Terek Sandpipers

Having had a successful morning, Ben and Sue drank freshly-bored coconut water offered by an enterprising local entrepreneur, and Arafa, one the Mida Creek guides, showed us locally designed jewelry along with dozens of Kenyan kanga’s (sarongs). These being rectangular pieces of cotton, with vibrant colored traditional patterns printed on them. The local economy and Mida Creek Conservation and Awareness Group in particular,  benefited from our purchases.

all photos © adrian binns