KENYA: Kakamega Forest Reserve

The road between Kapsabet and the turn off to Kakamega Forest has gotten worse and the short drive, which can not be much more than 20 kms, took almost an hour! Once in the Kakamega Forest Reserve we soon had the large canopy dwelling Black-and-white Casqued Hornbills flying over. Being late afternoon we headed straight to the Rondo Retreat.

We managed to get a little birding in before the rains came. Struhlman’s Starlings were everywhere and a pair of stunning Double-toothed Barbets (above) were courting beside our porched cabana.  

Kakamega Forest Reserve is Kenya’s last remaining stand of rainforest. It also marks the eastern most range for a number of Congo Basin species. Staying at the Rondo Retreat (above) in the heart of the forest meant that we were close to the main birding spots.

We began the next day around the KEEP (Kakamega Environmental and Educational Program) nursery with what would become a regular sight over the next hour, Grey Parrots, between three and six of them flying back and forth over the forest opening. Another Ben, “Kakamega” Ben, was our local guide. Favoring the bottlebrushes we soon had Green-headed, Western Olive and an unexpected Orange-tufted Sunbird.

As we began down the Pump House Trail,  we got wonderful looks at Common Wattle-eye, Kakamega and Joyful Greenbul (above), Grey-throated Barbet and Red-headed Malimbe. Forest monkeys make a chipping sound, that is very similar to a bird’s chip – it is the female Blue Monkeys that give this call to alert other members of the troop. It this case we witnessed two monkeys chasing each other throughout the fruiting trees, as the rest of the troop continued to feed. It was likely that this aggressive behavior was between a subadult and juvenile males, and all about food.

Walking through the rainforest on this beautiful morning there was considerable activity on either side of the trail.  Mid level birds included Vieillot’s Black Weaver, Petit’s Cuckoo-shrike, Uganda Woodland Warbler, Yellow-billed Barbet, Cabanis Greenbul, Yellow-whiskered Greenbul, Western Black-headed Oriole, and Square-tailed Drongo, while Black-collared Apalis, Banded Prinia, Jameson’s Wattle-eye, Black-faced Rufous Warbler and Common Waxbills were all seen at eye level or below.

It was late morning by the time we left the trail and headed back to the Rondo. Here we spent an hour before lunch walking the forest road (above) to the east, with some tremendous sightings. Being the only main road through the forest, as one can imagine it was busy, with trucks, motorbikes, bicycles with milk can on the back and women carrying firewood.

An Equatorial Akalat sat low in the open on a branch; a small flock of White-chinned Prinia foraged amongst hanging vines as Black-crowned Waxbills feed amongst roadside grasses. Higher up the trees we came across a Yellow-spotted Barbet, Luhden’s Bush-Shrikes (above) including one that dropped down close to us, Honeyguide Greenbul, Yellowbill, a male Brown-capped Weaver building a nest and finally after considerable work Blue-headed Bee-eaters.

Surprisingly, the butterflies were few and far between, though there were plenty of Layman and a Little Commodore (above).

A single Black-and-white Colobus (above) was curious enough to watch us bird! They are long-tailed, long-haired leaf-eating monkeys that are distinguished from other primates by having a small stub as a thumb.

Once again the afternoon’s rains stopped play – at least it was only for an hour. We still had one big to get. With some persistence we were able to track down Great Blue Turacos at dusk as they noisily came through the canopy edge of the gardens.