3 Days Forest Birding covering Castle Forest Lodge (Mount Kenya) Nyeri, Aberdare National Park & Kinangop Plateau, Mount Kenya, and Aberdare Forests offers an opportunity to do birdwatching in the thick highland forest, bamboo forest, and alpine moorlands
Leave early from Nairobi driving through Thika and Muranga, arrive at Castle Forest Lodge (Mount Kenya) around 0900hrs check-in, later do birding in the lodge’s compound until lunch. After lunch we shall continue further, walking deep in the forest birding looking for the more bird species and forest specialists, we will rely more on sound because some species are quite shy and skulking, if time allows the walk can go up to 3000 meters above sea level
Have early morning breakfast, and then proceed to Nyeri to search for the endemic Hinde’s Babbler, other interesting species that may be encountered include:
Birdwatching here involves walking on private farms where the birds are found
We shall continue with the forest birding driving through the Aberdares National park looking for the endemic Aberdares Cisticola and the Jackson’s Francolin, other bird species of interest are Moorland Chat, and Buff-spotted Flufftail, Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird.
We shall also keep an eye for the Cassin Hawk Eagle- a real forest raptor with very few confirmed records in Kenya which hunt through the canopy using the leafage and dark light of the forest to get its prey
The Cassin Hawk Eagle is mostly affliated with the rainforests of the Congo Basin from Nigeria to western Uganda, Liberia to Togo, and more lately in western Tanzania
The landscapes in the Aberdares National Park made it an inspiration behind The Lion King movie
Aberdare has lately been in the news; an Elephant was spotted suckling twins in one of the waterholes
We shall exit through Mutubio Gate, driving down to Ndunyu Njeru town, to Kinangop Plateau, in search of another endemic Sharpe’s Longclaw, Long-tailed Widowbird, Jackson’s Widowbird, African Snipe, Lesser Jacana, and many more.
Expected back in Nairobi by 0600hrs.
Tour concerns for 3 Days Forest Birding
On the first and second day walking on foot will be involved, so have comfy walking shoe
In the months of February and March, there are Deer (Horse) Flies in the forest which have a nasty bite (carry enough insect repellent)
In the forest, some days are chilly its advisable your carry a warm fleece temperatures may drop to 7 degrees just after sunset.
In Aberdares National Park wildlife will be encountered, carry a raincoat, sudden downpour may be encountered.