3 Days Forest Birding

The 3-day of forest birding starts early from Nairobi at 6 am in the morning, driving through Thika and Muranga, arriving at Castle Forest Lodge (Mount Kenya) around 0900hrs check-in, and later birding in the lodge’s compound until lunch. After lunch we shall continue further, walking deep in the forest birding and looking for more bird species and forest specialists, 

On this day the forest birding will commence early in the morning, We shall follow the established nature trail to look for bird species that we may need or missed on our previous walk,  relying more on bird calls because forest birds tend to be shy and skulking. Grey, Chestnut-throated, Black-throated, and Black Collared Apalises will be heard calling in intervals, other interesting birds to see on the trails includes the Kandt’s and Yellow-bellied Waxbills, Mountain Yellow Warbler, and Moustached Tinkerbird will also be heard calling high up in the tree canopy.  After lunch, the tour will proceed to Nyeri to look for the Cape Eagle Owl and the endemic Hinde’s Babbler. Birding here entails walking on private farms, a local community guide will accompany the group, and the guide is knowledgeable about the sites where the birds roost and feed

We shall continue with the forest birding driving through the Aberdare 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 out for the Cassin Hawk Eagle– a real forest raptor with very few confirmed records in Kenya that hunt through the canopy using the leafage and dark light of the forest to get its prey. The Cassin Hawk Eagle is mostly affiliated 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 Aberdare National Park made it the inspiration behind The Lion King movie. Aberdare  Park 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.