Lake Nakuru Mammals

 As well as all the amazing birds, during our time at Lake Nakuru, we continued to enjoy the mammals Kenya has to offer.

Some of the mammals seen had already been record in the Maasai Mara e.g. Cape Buffalo, Plains Zebra, Impala and Vervet Monkey, but we also saw 3 new ones.

Impala

Thompson's Gazelle

The first new species was White Rhinoceros. We saw these on the both drives at Lake Nakuru, and were very lucky indeed to see 6, made up of 5 adults and young one!

White Rhinoceros

Adult and youngster (calf)

The second new species was the Black Rhinoceros. This species is much rarer, and we only had one, quite distant, sighting of an adult. It is told apart from the White Rhino, by  a much more deeply arched back and a more delicate mouth, used for eating leaves.

Black Rhinoceros

The final mammal of note was Rothchild's Giraffe. Although not a species of its own (apparently its a ecotype of the Nubian Giraffe), it was great to see. They are rarer than the Maasai Giraffe we saw in Maasai Mara, with an estimated 1,300 adults in the wild, and can be told apart by much paler legs and coat colour.

Rothchild's Giraffe

Lake Nakuru Birds - 26th July 2024

 After our time in the Maasai Mara, Jayne and I drove across to Lake Nakuru National Park/Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge for an overnight stay. 

On arrival, we drove through the park, stopping off at the Lake for a short (1 hour) visit. The first birds we saw in the park were Yellow-collared Lovebirds, which we nesting in the entrance building!) Variable Sunbirds (male and female) were also seen in this area. Arriving at the lake we spotted Little, Cattle and Great Egret, African Openbill Stork, Black-winged Stilt, Lesser and Greater Flamingo (c.30), African Spoonbill, African Skimmer, Giant Kingfisher (a quick fly-past!), Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Cape Teal and, the best for me, Grey-headed Gull (3 adults and 1 juvenile).

Grey-headed Gull

Cape Teal

Arriving at the Lodge, we went to out accommodation, adding several new birds to the trip list: Hildebrandt's Francolin/Spurfowl, Eurasian Roller, Hoopoe (Eurasian or African), Red-winged Starling, African Paradise Flycatcher, Common Bulbul, Mosque Swallow, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Plain Martin, White-rumped Swift, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Little Bee-eater and Speckled Pigeon.

Speckled Pigeon

After a short break, we went on an afternoon game drive seeing: Red-billed Oxpecker, Augur Buzzard, African Pied Wagtail, Crowned Lapwing, Spur-winged Plover, Blacksmith Plover, Lilac-breasted Roller, Grey-backed Fiscal, Hadada Ibis, Kittlitz's Plover, Great White Pelican, Egyptian Goose, Yellow-billed Stork, Grey Heron, Red-eyed Dove, Grey Crowned Crane, Helmeted Guineafowl, Abyssinian Wheatear and Greater Blue-eared Starling. 

Greater Blue-eared Starling

Next morning, we had a quick drive before moving on to Lake Naivasha. Additional species seen were: Brown-crested Eagle, Common Sandpiper, Hamerkop, Pied Crow, Superb and Hildebrandt's Starling, Black-headed Heron and Common (Fork-tailed) Drongo.

Hildebrandt's Starling

Rufford Visit - 2nd September 2025

 Yesterday, I had my first visit to Rufford for a couple of weeks. It was bright sunshine (with a few rain showers) and 20 degrees, and there were about 70 Black-headed Gulls (c.40 juveniles). 7 darviced gulls were seen, and a new, metal-ringed bird was also spotted.

The darviced birds were: 258A (2nd sighting this autumn/winter), 207C (4th sighting since July), 258C (fourth sighting this autumn/winter), 221F (last seen in February 2025), 234F (second sighting this autumn/winter), 255F (first sighting since January 2025) and 2V03 (2nd sighting this autumn/winter).

221F

255F

The metal-ringed bird (EM21570) was a 3, i.e. born this year. It had been ringed, as a pullus, on 10th June, 158km away, at Marlingford Hall, Norfolk. This is, unsurprisingly, the first sighting since ringing. Hopefully, it'll hang around for the winter.

EM21570

In addition to the gulls, I also recorded 7 Mute Swans, including the 2 unringed birds seen last visit, along with 2 more adults (Broken Beak and his partner) and their 3 new cygnets, 2 Kingfishers, 1 House Martin, dozens of Canada and Greylag Geese, 1 Grey Wagtail, Mallards and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Broken Beak and family

Lesser Black-backed Gull

In addition to those sightings, I also saw a familiar Black-headed Gull in Bakewell on Monday. It was quite a brief sighting, but enough to get the metal ring EW97345. This is a bird I first saw, in Bakewell, back in September 2018. The bird had been ringed, as an adult (at least 2 years old), in Boston, Lincolnshire on 9th January 2010. Monday's sighting was my first since July 2021.

EW97345

Grey Phalarope - 2nd September 2025

 Normal service was resumed today, as Jayne and I set out "twitching" again! This time, we headed up to Edderthorpe Flash, near Barnsley, to see a Grey Phalarope (196). 

We found the bird straight away, thanks to the small group of birders there (!), and got decent, but distant, views, as it fed about 500m out on the water. Here's a heavily cropped image.

Grey Phalarope

Also present were: Canada and Greylag Geese, 3 Greenshanks, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Ringed Plovers, 1 Dunlin, and, a presumably summering, Whooper Swan.

Whooper Swan