KENYA – Samburu : One Last Game Drive
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Mar 7, 2009 | by Adrian Binns
Our final morning in Samburu was very successful with several new as well as better sightings. These included Grey Wren Warbler, Pale Prinia’s and Pygmy Batis, which like to work the insides of shrubs, and a Taita Fiscal (above) which always needs to be checked to see if it is a Somali Fiscal, which has white tertials.
e two beautiful birds a Brubru, a small black and white bush shrike with chestnut flanks, worked it way through an acacia and I spotted a herd of Beisa Oryx (above) coming towards us. We waited for them and they eventually crossed behind us.
It was not long after this that Peter spotted the head of Cheetah silhouetted in the grass half way up the sloping landscape. We watched her get up and walk away noticing a slight limp. She had lost a good sized piece of skin on her inside left hind leg. We wondered if it could have happened in an encounter with an oryx? Their long pointed horns can do an awful lot of damage and consequently the wisest of predators tend to avoid hunting them.
As we were headed out of the park we decided to check out the new Ashnil Camp which allowed us to drive besides the river. Here there was at least some patches of water remaining which attracted Yellow-billed, Wooly-necked and Marabou Storks. Sacred Ibis and 3 African Spoonbill were working a small wet area with the latter swishing their bills from side to side in about a foot of water. Spur-winged and Blacksmith Plovers flew up and down the river bed along with restless Hamerkops, a small chocolate colored water bird with a hammer like head and bill. Shorebirds feeding along the muddy areas included Wood and Common Sandpipers. A Striated Heron was also seen posed to strike under overhanging vegetation. While all this was going on at the far end of the river, where it curves out of view, a herd of elephants had come down to drink on their way across the river.
On the way out from the Ashnil, where we had good looks at Northern Black Flycatcher, we came across a pale Tawny Eagle (left) bathing in the narrow strip of water in the river bed. While watching the eagle a Ruppell’s Vulture caught us by surprise as it just appeared before us as it descended to the water. Three Fischer’s Sparrow-Larks then landed near the van and further down the road we had a Brown Parisoma flying between shrubs.
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I thought the Fiscal looked familiar, they are related to our Shrikes.
I enjoy my visits here, always something interesting.