Day Itinerary

We have a whole day birding around Lake Baringo Conservation Area. Baringo is a well-known destination for birdwatchers and boosts of an up to 500 bird species Checklist. The lake used to boast a large Goliath Heronry with over 20 individuals on record, although Goliaths are still breeding around the lake, the Heronry has disappeared. However, Lake Baringo is at the southerly-easterly end of the range for the regionally threatened Jackson’s Hornbill along with their closely similar species, the Von der Decken’s Hornbill.

A boat ride into Lake Baringo’s fresh water has its own share of bird life species like the White Faced Scopes Owl, Brimstone Canary, Bristol Crowned Starling, Goliath Heron, Little Weaver, Jackson’s and Hemprich’s Hornbill. It also hosts the rare Greater Kudu make it unique and other game to view includes buffalo (rare), zebra, baboon, warthog, caracal, spotted hyena, impala, dik dik and many small mammals.

Overnight: Soi Safari Lodge

Day Itinerary:

Depart for lake Nakuru after breakfast arriving at the park by mid-morning for bird walk before time for lunch at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge/ Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge

After lunch, set out for an afternoon bird viewing drive around the park. The park is home the elusive leopard, lion, buffalo, rhino or a rare Rothschild’s giraffe. Hippo can also be sighted around the lake, and for birdwatchers, Lake Nakuru National Park is birdwatcher’s paradise with its incredible bird variety including the famous pink flamingoes.

Return to the Lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight

Overnight:Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge/ Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge

Consultant Notes:

Lake Nakuru National Park is one of Kenya’s two Premium Parks, and is a birdlover’s paradise. It surrounds Lake Nakuru, located in the Central Rift Conservation Area in the Southern Rift Valley region of Kenya. Originally protected as a bird sanctuary, this park hosts over 400 bird species, including 5 globally threatened species, and is an important stop on the African-Eurasian Migratory Flyway. Some of the birds to look for are Lesser  Flamingo, Greater Flamingo, Arrow-marked  Babbler,  Mocking  Cliff  Chat, White-browed Robin-Chat, Reed Cormorant, Pink-backed Pelican, Pied Avocet,  Kittlitz’s Plover,  Blacksmith Plover, Coqui Francolin,  Black Cuckoo, Cape  Teal,  Brimstone  Canary,  Hottentot Teal,  Red-billed Teal

This park was also the first national Rhino sanctuary and hosts one of the world’s highest concentrations of the Black Rhinoceros.

The ecosystem is comprised of the lake, surrounded by wooded and bushy grasslands. The park supports a wide ecological diversity including Flamingos (Greater and Lesser) and other water birds, and the Black and White Rhinoceros which are the major attractions of the area.

Flora and Fauna

In addition to its 400 species of birds, Lake Nakuru National Park is home to 50+ mammal species, and over 500 species of flora. This park is famous for the flocks of Greater and Lesser Flamingos that gather around the lake, sometimes with as many as 2 million! You can find this great pink mass around the lake for a good part of the year, as these iconic birds stay mostly within the Rift Valley, migrating from lake to lake. Because Lake Nakuru National Park was fenced to protect endangered Rhinos and Giraffes, it can’t support African Elephants, so you won’t find any here!

Day Itinerary

We leave Baringo after breakfast and head Samburu, a place of endless skies, dust-red plains and palm-fringed rivers, Samburu National Reserve lies on the fringes of the vast and arid desert once known as the Northern Frontier District, whose heat-scorched scrublands extend all the way to the jade-green waters of Lake Turkana and beyond. Physically dramatic, the 104 sq kilometres landscape of the Reserve features rocky battlements, craggy scarps, dry river beds and fallen boulders rising out of the thorn scrub against a backdrop of the far-distant hills and the great red table mountain known as Lololokwe. As for wildlife, Samburu provides one of the few sanctuaries in Kenya for the endangered Grevy’s zebra, the rare Beisa Oryx, the long necked antelope “Gerenuk” and the Blue-shanked Somali ostrich whilst large herds of elephant roam the gaunt hills during the day before returning to bathe on the banks of the river in the evening. Birdlife in this reserve is not lagging behind as it is profuse, and species such as Somali and white throated bee-eaters, golden pipit, Vulturine guinea fowl, White headed Mouse bird, Buff Crested Bustards, Black capped Social Weaver, Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow Weaver, Golden Breasted Starling among other dry land species. Lunch will be at Nanyuki Town before descending to the reserve and arriving at time for the evening Game cum bird viewing before checking -in at the Lodge

Distance: 6 hr 10 min (319.4 km)

Overnight: Samburu Game Lodge/ Ashnil Samburu Camp

Consultant Notes

Samburu National Reserve is situated within the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. Measuring approximately 104sq. kilometres (approx. 65sq. miles) in size, this unfenced savannah grassland is roughly 350km (217 miles) from Nairobi.

The reserve’s topography is mainly open savannah (grassland) with clusters of acacia trees, forest, thorn trees and grassland vegetation.

The game reserve is renowned for its rare species of animals unique to the park, namely: the long necked gerenuk, Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe and Beisa onyx. The elusive Kenya leopard is often known to visit the park, especially in the evenings.

Other Kenyan wildlife present in the park includes cheetahs and lions, as well as elephants, buffalo and hippos.

Birdlife is as plentiful as wildlife at Samburu National Reserve, which boasts over 350 different species of birds including vultures, kingfishers, marabous, bateleurs, guinea fowl, Somali ostriches and others.

Day Itinerary

This day will be spent in the reserve bird watching trying to come with a list of birds species found in this region. A very interesting birding destination. Spendthe day scouting for extra birds as you enjoy the local mammals, such as Leopard, Beisa Oryx, Gerenuk, Grevy’s Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Lion and Elephants.

This is an amazing part of Kenya, and allows for excellent dry country birding. Many of the typical North-East African dryland birds are present here and the habitat will provide a huge species list.

Day Itinerary

On this morning we shall enjoy more birding in Samburu. Later, we head back to Nairobi with a few birding stops on the way.

We shall then take an airport transfer for your flights home, marking the end to this amazing Kenya Birding Safari with Seremara Safaris.

Basis: Bed and Breakfast