KENYA: Lake Naivasha Country Club

The stately Yellow-barked Acacias that adorn much of the Lake Naivasha County Club (above) grounds are truly a magnet for birds. Tropical Boubou, Fischer’s Lovebirds, Eastern Black-headed Oriole and Red-chested Cuckoo certainly were the most vocal. It is a wonderful location to see the emerald and white Klaas’s Cuckoo, and that did not disappoint. Red-faced Crombec, a small cinnamon-colored warbler without a tail that acts like a nuthatch, White-bellied Tit (below), Grey Woodpecker and Black Cuckoo-shrikes could all be seen successfully feeding on berries or insects.

Northern Anteater Chats were busy getting ready to nest in holes along the banks of ditches, and both White-browed and Ruppell’s Robin-Chats spent a good deal of time foraging on the ground. As we walked towards the boat ramp the landscape opened up and we found Hunter’s Cisticola, Grey-capped Warbler, Grey-backed Camaroptera, and Black-lored Babblers amongst the nicotiana plants. Once we reached the boat ramp, which ended well before the water, Western Citril (below), Variable Sunbirds, Streaky Seedeaters and Grey-backed Fiscals showed well as did Common House Martin, Nyanza Swift and Wire-tailed Swallow.

As Ruppell’s, Red-winged and Superb Starlings foraged on the mowed lawn, the guttural call of a Lilac-breasted Roller (below) got my attention. Looking up I noticed that it was displaying, making aerial maneuvers that consisted of twists and turns and diving with open wings. It did this several times above the acacia canopy, before flying to a post. Once it had landed we could see a green snake, about a foot long dangling from its mouth. Did it catch it in the canopy and was it displaying with it? Sadly, I could not see that detail looking through the canopy. Sitting on the post it certainly looked as though he wanted to present it to a female.

It was only after several minutes of looking around and not seeing a female to offer it to, that it began to swallow it.