KENYA: Samburu – Buffalo Springs NR

Samburu is the northern most reserve that we visited and the name that the three adjacent National Reserves, Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba, generally goes by. Shaba is to the east, and unfortunately our planned visit was nixed as the park has been overrun by cattle and their herdsmen escaping the drought. The Ewaso Nyiro river links the two main reserves, Samburu to the north and Buffalo Springs to the south. To get to Samburu we have to go through Buffalo Springs.

This arid region has been severely affected by the drought. The river was dry and most of the landscape was brown and bare. Carcasses were scattered throughout, though these mainly belonged to cattle. In spite of the this, much of the riverine habitat was green, and along with Doum Palms swaying in the wind on the banks of the river, and isolated mountains rising from the plains, this a stunning location.

Buffalo Springs was alive from the moment we arrived. The 3 hours we had from the gate to the lodge was extraordinary, the kind you wish for on every game drive. Endless avian activity meant many stops for Pink-breasted Lark,  Red-billed and Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Eastern Pale Chanting Goshawks, Taita Fiscal, Rosy-patched Bush-shrike, Nubian Woodpecker, Somali Golden-breasted Bunting and for a plethra of weavers, White-headed and Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Donaldson-Smith Sparrow-Weaver and the smaller Black-capped Social-Weavers that we in flocks with Chestnut Sparrows. Other sparrows included Parrot-billed and Yellow-spotted Petronia.

Amongst the mixed flocks of warblers that we would come across there was the diminutive Mouse-coloured Penduline-Tit, Northern Crombec, Red-fronted Warbler, Banded Parisoma, Pygmy Batis and Northern Grey Tit. Overhead African Palm Swifts, Nzanza Swifts, Bateleurs and Tawny Eagles ruled the airways.

The cryptic Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse (above) was very evident in good numbers, likely due to the dry conditions, while other game birds included pairs of White-bellied and Buff-crested Bustard, family groups of Yellow-necked Spurfowl, and large flocks of Helmeted and the striking cobalt-blue Vulturine Guineafowl. A wonderful surprise was a perched African Swallow-tailed Kite, a species that does not normally venture this far south.

All these birds were interspersed with three arid country specialists Grevy’s Zebra, Beisa Oryx and Gerenuk as well as Unstriped Ground Squirrel, Kirk’s Dik-dik, Grant’s Gazelle, Impalas, Buffalos, Reticulated Giraffe and Elephants.

We caught sight of a lioness outlined on a ridge. Driving up the steep track towards her we found that she had four cubs, about 6 months old. A second lioness, likely her sister, was also in attendance. One of the cubs had the remains of an impala leg, that it was unwilling to share with any of its siblings. From the safety of that vantage point, the lions had a 360 view of the surrounding plains and any potential future prey.