15th February 2007  Naro Moru River Lodge to Lake Nakuru

After checking out of the Naro Moru River Lodge most of the morning was taken up slowly driving across the Solio Plains, enjoying some great birding with birds such as White-bellied Bustard, Grey-crowned Crane, Long-tailed and Jackson's Widowbirds, Northern Anteater Chat, Isabelline Shrike, Harlequin Quail, Rosy-breasted Longclaw and our first Kenyan endemic, Sharpe's Longclaw. The plains also proved excellent for birds of prey with both Pallid and Montagu's Harrier, Greater and Lesser Kestrel and a Eurasian Hobby, whilst mammals chipped in with our first big groups of Zebra.

Once back on the main road, the first of several stops produced Red-winged Starling and Nyanza Swift, whilst another gave us Cape Eagle Owl. A short detour to look for African Black Duck proved unsuccessful although we did see a female Black Cuckoo-shrike, a pair of Levaillant's Cuckoos and a Red-necked Wryneck. It was here that we encountered an amazing migration of African Brown-viened Whites; thousands were passing on a broad-front - a remarkable sight. Further stops whilst on the road to Thompson Falls Lodge added African Snipe, Red-collared Widowbird and Malachite Sunbird.

At Thompson Falls, Slender-billed Starling and Yellow-bellied Waxbill duly obliged and it was not long before we were back on the road in search of Levaillant's Cisticola and African Water Rail at some nearby ponds. The Cisticola obliged but we had not luck with the Rail, although we did also see Red-knobbed Coot. We also failed in our attempts to see Lesser Jacana whilst completing the final leg of the journey to Lake Nakuru along an awful bumpy pot-holed road. We did, however, during one stop, succeed in emptying a whole school of children as hundreds of kids raced across the playing fields and surrounded our van!!

Although it was early evening by the time we reached Lake Nakuru National Park, we did find time for a quick stop along the lake shore. Thousands of Lesser Flamingos on the far side of the lake were rather distant but Gull-billed Tern, Horus Swift, Mottled Swift, Mosque Swallow and lots of different races of Yellow Wagtails were much closer and all gave good views around our van. Final bird of note for the day was a Bearded Woodpecker as we made our way to Lion Hill Lodge, our base for the night.

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