KENYA: The Tsavo’s – West….

East Africa’s largest park covers 20,000 square kilometers and is divided into two, West (above) and East. The deep red soils of Tsavo are covered with a mix of dense brush, acacias festooned in white flowers following the rains, palm trees lining the river and patches of golden savannah. The scenery is truly magnificent with many recently extinct volcanoes towering over the landscape and fingers of lava running through the bush.

Poachers and drought were the main causes behind the decline of both Black Rhinoceros and Elephants, however, both are now recovering and elephants were often sighted. While ones best chance of seeing a rare rhino is to visit the sanctuary within the park we did encounter less common mammals such as Fringed-eared Oryx (above) and Lesser Kudu.

Avian highlights of our game drive included many Eurasian Rollers (above); the stunning small Straw-tailed Whydah with its long flowing tail four times its body length, and several migrants – Barred Warbler, Irania, Common Whitethroat and Olivaceous Warbler. Few birds are smaller than the aptly named Tiny Cisticola, but one we did come across was the Mouse-coloured Penduline-Tit, reputed to be Africa’s smallest bird. An Ashy Cisticola and several White-winged Widowbirds were not terribly cooperative, whereas, Blue-naped Mousebird, Cut-throat Finch, Black-throated Barbet, Pied Wheatear and Black-crowned Tchagra certainly were.

While looking at a mixed flock of Black-cheeked and Crimson-rumped Waxbills that had just been bathing, a flash of blue led Ben to locate an African Pygmy Kingfisher (above) deep within a shrub.

Pure underground water from the nearby Chyulu Hills flows out from under lava boulders into limpid pools at Mzima Springs (above). Here hippos and crocs can be seen swimming in the clear water surrounded by dozens of fish. A few Taveta Golden and African Golden Weavers were nest building amongst the rushes that lined the banks. The call of a Giant Kingfisher led us to locate a male perched above the stream. Black-bellied Sunbirds, Thrush Nightingale and Upcher’s Warbler enhanced our pleasant afternoon walk. There were abundant raptors near the springs, including Little Sparrowhawk, Shikra, Grasshopper Buzzard, Secretary Birds, harriers, Wahlberg, Tawny and Steppe Eagle – some of the latter two perched.

The watering hole at the Kilaguni Lodge (above) draws in steady customers such as warthogs, bushbuck, impalas and zebras as well as mongoose, genets and elephant after dark. On our two nights here during dinner, a Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl alighted on a boulder by the water, and waited for rodents to appear.

The garden vegetation is a lush permanent oasis within the park, and an afternoon stroll produced Eastern Black-headed Orioles attending to two young chicks in their cup shape nest; Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Hunter’s and Scarlet-chested Sunbird……..

……the large and beautiful Grey-headed Bush-shrike (above); rather plain looking Parrot-billed Sparrows; Bare-eyed Thrush and two very active Broad-billed Rollers flying sorties from canopy trees. Outside our rooms at night we found an African Scops Owl and several young Pearl-spotted Owlets begging for their parents to feed them.

On our last morning we opted to head out before breakfast and go in search of a Leopard. Word came over the radio that a Leopard (above) was being seen along a road west of the Chaimu Crater. To our surprise there was only one vehicle there when we arrived, as she was in full view, laying down on a huge boulder on the edge of the riverine habitat. Shortly thereafter a cub scrambled up the boulder to greet her. Following the pleasantries, he was enamored with her tail and took pleasure in playing with it as she flicked it back and forth. Boredom soon set in and he opted for a similar pose to her, leaning over the edge of the boulder undoubtedly looking at the noisy Crested Francolins below.

As an unexpected bonus, on our return to the lodge we came across a second mother and cub in a tree, though both descended and vanished shortly after we arrived.