KENYA – Sangare Tented Camp : Wetlands

Situated south of the Solio Plains off the Nyeri to Nanyuki road is a neat tented camp in the middle of a 6500 hectare ranch. The lovely canvas tents overlook the Sangare Lake and adjacent marshes where waterbirds abound, with an abundance of boisterous Egyptian Geese leading the way.

Patrolling the waters edge were Three-banded Plovers (left), Common Sandpiper, Little Stint, Black-winged Stilt and Blacksmith Lapwings amongst many Ruff. Occasionally I would come across a resting Common Snipe.

Congregations of White-faced Whistling Ducks (below) could be found rested on the grassy edges and at dusk they all took off, whistling as they went, to roost in the marshes. Waders included a Grey Heron and there was even a few Pink-backed Pelicans and a lone young Greater Flamingo.

The marshes (below) were made up of sedges, rushes and with displaying Grosbeak Weavers, African Reed Warblers and quartering Western Marsh Harriers. We did get a look at one African Marsh Harrier as well as it flushed a handful of Sacred Ibis when it got to close to them.

Cape Wagtails and African Pied Wagtails worked the edges of the small bodies of water as Yellow-billed Ducks preened and Ruffs and Wood Sandpipers fed in the shallows. A pair of elegant Grey-crowned Cranes (right) slowly walked around the edges of the rushes picking up whatever they could for a meal.