The grass is greener...

The Kenya border at Namanga is about 90 mins drive north of Arusha and a whole new country with interesting national parks awaits. On Friday we drove across into Kenya to visit Amboseli National Park for the weekend. This park is is the rain shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro and is quite dry except where water seeps out from the mountain into large lakes and swamps. We stayed at Ol Tukai Lodge for two nights - very pleasant!

Mount Kilimanjaro from the hotel grounds early evening.

A panorama from Observation Hill

I had no expectations regarding new birds although Northern Yellow-billed Hornbill is recorded there from time to time. From the Meshanani Gate you drive through woodland for about 15 km then come down into the lakes and swamps. Other areas are low shrubland and simple grasslands. There is one hill you can walk up - Observation Hill - and have lunch while taking in the view.

Pale Chanting Goshawk

There was lots of activity in all areas at all times so we spent a couple of days just taking random tracks to see where they led us. The tracks were well maintained and signposted and the landscape was so flat you could nearly always see Observation Hill and the trees hiding the lodge.

Hippo galloping - very funny!

An African Civet that walked past our hut early one morning.

These two Spotted Hyaena had a piece of skin in the water that they kept tugging at. 

Grant's Gazelle

African Elephant with accompanying Western Cattle Egrets.

Overall we saw 159 bird species in the park and a further 6 outside the park. We totalled 118 and 113 species on the two days. We also saw a diverse range of mammals including 2 new ones - African Civet and Egyptian Mongoose. There were Hippos, Elephants, Gazelles, Impala, Reedbuck, Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest, Hyaena, Squirrels etc.

Goliath Heron dwarfed by the expansive wetlands

A young Glossy Ibis

African Jacana

Red-billed Oxpecker

Black-faced Sandgrouse collecting water in his breast feathers

 for its chicks waiting back up in the hills.

White-headed Mousebird

Buff-crested Bustard

The highlight was really the wetland complex with open ponds and lakes and flooded marshes. Waterbirds were abundant from Saddle-billed Storks to ducks to tiny Sandpipers. There are obviously few fish in the system as there were no cormorants or pelicans. New bird species for me were Garganey, Marsh Owl and Black Cuckoo. I heard many Black Cuckoos in Uganda but never did manage to see one. Other highlights were Red-necked Phalarope, Terek Sandpiper, Secretarybird, Kori Bustard, Grey Crowned Crane, Goliath Heron, Martial Eagle, Rufous Chatterer, Beautiful Sunbird and Taveta Weaver.

Black-winged Stilt

These two Red-necked Phalarope were a nice surprise

Lesser Flamingo

Collared Pratincole

Taveta Weaver male and female

Martial Eagle with prey (maybe a rabbit?)

Cape Buffalo

Grey Crowned Crane

Double-banded Courser

Common Ostrich

A nicely coloured Ruff

The only sour note was the agression of the women selling craft at the park gate. While we were leaving, Jenny made some purchases but they weren't satisfied and would not take no for an answer. We always support the local women with purchases but this was over the top.