About 60 Kilometers (40 miles) from the fertile green slopes of Mount Kenya is Shaba National Reserve. Hot and Dry, a stark environment tempered by the beauty of sunlit rocks... textures of light and shade across red, white, and black volcanic landscapes.
Along the muddy path of the Ewaso Nigiro River, vibrant life flourishes where mountain springs escape the moonscape rocks providing a paradise for birds, animals, and humans. It was here where Joy Addamson met the lioness Elsa that led to her book and subsequent 1966 film, 'Born Free'. It was here where quintessential Africa was represented in the movie, Out of Africa, and the reality television series, Survivor. It's easy to understand why. Drive the dusty roads of Shaba... You know this is Africa.
Entering the cooler world of doum palm lined springs along the river, the chatter of various birds was loud and abundant. Above them all was a lively conversation between male and female, Red-bellied Parrots (Poicephalus rufiventris). A series of controlled squeaks and screeches with occasional pause as they groomed each other. Through this courtship like interaction, it was obvious the female was doting while the male was sitting there...
enjoying it. Other females were chattering amongst themselves in adjacent palms as these two focused on each other. The gregarious females have a pleasing gray colored head and back with a luminous green underside and a tinge of orange, while the males show some green, but also a significant amount of bright orange across the breast.
Although they would acknowledge our presence, they focused on each other. The name is a misnomer, and in fact, they are sometimes called African Orange-bellied Parrots, which is not to be confused
On the adjacent tree was another chatty bird with spectacular-colored eyes. The White-crested Helmetshrike (Prionops plumatus) is widespread in Kenya, but it was by the Ewaso Nigiro that we first witnessed this unusual, yet beautiful species. This odd-shaped bird has a fluorescent yellow wattle that seems to melt into a milky-white eye with a piercing black pupil. Jumpy, when excited, it presents a long curly white crest from the head to the nape... offering quite a distraction from the nearby parrots.
Behind our resort room, the forested oasis was the setting for a couple short paths that were quiet, however, if we waited patiently (something Juliet and I struggle with!), the birds will come! Seeing the Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill (Tockus flavirostris) makes me want to have a sweet ripe banana. But this female looks as though she is already eating one... The male is similar with little red patches around the bill and throat. These birds communicate with a deep-throated one note caw followed by caw-caw-caw; however, they are not as noisy as some of their other hornbill cousins. This one didn't seem to mind our presence suggesting it may be waiting, as many hornbills do, to sample any food we might have.
Another common bird found in the same vicinity of our room is the Red-winged Starling (Onychognathus morio). We see this bird throughout the rift valley and in several of the Central Kenya parks including the top of Mount Longonot. Although black in the shade, they will appear more steel blue with a velvet sheen when in the sunlight. They look like other red-winged starlings but are distinguished by longer tails. Unlike other starlings, these birds don't cackle with harsh sounds and are rather pleasant to listen to.
Like many birds, the true beauty of their color is revealed when they are flying. The challenge is trying to capture that flight without a blurry result. So, despite the common sightings of these birds, photographs of their plumage through our amateur lenses are rare....
But we keep trying...
Standing proud with its striking orange beak and vivid colors, the Grey-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon chellicuti) is only eight inches. But it commands your attention, sitting on wide-open perches looking for the next meal while also on the look-out for predators. Even next to the elephant, one cannot miss it. This species is both a resident of Kenya and a migrant from Arabia and other African locations. They are fearless in the search for food, sitting in locations near and far from water. Juliet and I feel close to this bird as it will often visit us at the grave of Juliet's mother, Joyce. Every time we see it... and it is often... we think of her.
Noisy and social, a White-bellied Go-away-bird (Criniferoides leucogaster) peers down from the very top of the oasis canopy. Often, we find these birds in the more open, savannah woodland and brush. These dark grey and white birds are a cousin to the more colorful Hartlaub's Turacos. Close your eyes and imagine an excited, harsh, raspy, high-pitch sound DEMANDING you "GOaWAY! GOaWAY! GOaWAY!" Ah yes! That... is the Go-away-bird!
The resident, Black-crowned Night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) shows up at dusk in the river ready to hunt into the night. Feeding on fish, amphibians, snakes, and other small creatures, it is easily recognized by its hunched posture and long white plumes originating from its dark grey nape. When attacking prey, the neck is extended, and, for a moment, they look similar to their daytime cousins. During the day they are often found lurking amidst small groups... in the same roost under heavy brush along freshwater bodies, and rivers.
A critically endangered Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes manachus) foraged scraps of food fending off other scavengers as if it were a "black angel", including the larger Marabou Stork (Lepoptilos crumenifer). This scruffy juvenile differs from the similar Egyptian Vulture by presenting a broader tail when its wings are opened. Like other African vultures, they congregate among the trees in large numbers, however this individual was alone with no others nearby.
Step out of the lush oasis of the riverside springs... and the Shaba transforms into a mosaic of dry, undulated lava plains and dramatic rock monoliths rising a thousand feet into the sky. A heavenly scarred landscape of deep ravines and outcrops dotted with small warm springs and acacia. It is here where dust is king. But this is not a landscape void of life. The mighty elephant prevails here... finding water where none could be... rearranging the landscape to the advantage of other animals and birds.
Two female Somali Ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes) roam through parched acacia woodland searching for food and water. Like the Common Masai Ostrich female, the Somali female differs with darker brown plumage and blue-grey eyes. Found in the dry central and northern regions of Kenya, this rare species is considered vulnerable and is more often found in pairs or alone rather than groups. A female Von der Decken's Hornbill (Tockus deckeni) is another species often found among the open grassland in acacia bush and trees. Often sitting alone or paired with her mate, it is one of several hornbill species in the high desert.
The Fork-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis) with its clearly defined tail and laser-red eyes is about the same size as a small crow. However, they don't congregate as most crow species do. Quite common throughout Kenya, they are often entertaining to watch as they fly acrobatic stunts from branch to branch and mimic harsh nasal sounds of other birds.
Juliet and I have our favorite birds. And then we have those birds that... despite the fact they are constantly found... even when we have taken hundreds of photos of them... we can't stop taking just one more... for me it's the Long-tailed Fiscal or the Taita Fiscal... For Juliet, it's the ubiquitous Ring-necked Dove (Streptopelia capicola) ... Does not matter we have this one, Juliet will say with conviction and sincerity "but maybe it's another dove or pigeon we don't have!"... This, of course, is a legitimate argument supported by anecdotal evidence including the time she was taking only a couple of shots of one in the bush, and it turned out to be the elusively shy Lemon Dove... A moment she will share with me often to ensure I will never... ever... forget. This smaller dove does in fact, have many relatives that look similar, but if there is a black ring across the nape and the eyes are beady black...
it's a Ring-necked Dove...
The Donaldson-Smith's Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser donaldsoni), larger than most sparrows or weavers we've seen, is found in drier semi-desert locations through central and northern Kenya. A loud bird with a squeaky chirp, it was easily recognizable on the scrub acacias throughout the reserve with a mottled crest and red eyes. The long name for this bird is an example of the colonial practice, between the 18th and 20th centuries, commemorating European and to a lesser extent American explorers and naturalists by naming animals and birds not "previously named or discovered" on the African continent.
Just as dusk approached on a cloudy day, we photo captured a Grey-capped Social-Weaver (Pseudonigrita amaudi) landing in an acacia as if it were an angel descending from heaven. Endemic to East Africa, these birds hang around their nests even if they are not breeding. Nests are larger than other weavers with more than one entry.
Quiet and calm within the thorny acacia, sits an Abyssinian Scimitarbill (Rhinopomastus minor). The curved, bright orange beak distinguishes it from Common Scimitarbill's black beak. There were two individuals in the bush, but they were so still and blended, only Juliet's sharp eyes realized it was different from any other species we saw. These birds thrive in the dryer parts of Kenya including Shaba National Reserve. Other species are challenging to spot on the ground as their plumage seems to blend in with surrounding rocks and dirt. The Pink-breasted Lark (Calendulauda poecilostema) was only noticed when bouncing from grass-nub to grass-nub. Our original hope was we had found the William's Lark (Mirafra williams), an extremely rare bird, endemic only to the Shaba NR and surrounding reserves.
There are dozens of lark species in Kenya, and many are hard to tell apart. We use several resources to help us including mobile apps, field guides and our own library of photos. The process starts with understanding the locations where the birds are commonly found. Photographs, even blurred ones that we would not consider posting, may help us look at features we did not see in the field. We have also learned some of the bird calls. There is a whole, crazy world of bird enthusiasts, many of them obsessed with identification.... We think we are heading there... At times we rely on our birding friends, some considered experts, to help us identify the unidentifiable. Identification happens based on deduction and consensus and even then, sometimes we can't figure it out... thus putting our information into the unknown folder for consideration another day...
Another bird found on the ground as much as in the bush is the Northern Red-billed Hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus). Found in many of the dryer parts of Kenya, these birds were voracious diggers of grubs and bugs throughout the reserve's parched ground. This male seemed happy with his tasty morsal as he rested in the self-made trench.
Perched in an acacia just above the hornbill, a Red-necked Falcon (Falco chicquera) surveyed his dusty domain. Named for the color of its neck, which is more burnt sienna, this bird of prey blends in well with the natural colors of the landscape. Widespread, mostly where palms grow, we have only seen it in the dry acacias of Shaba National Reserve.
One of our favorite birds to photograph is the Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus). An exquisitely colorful, attractive species. We have seen them in most of the parks and reserves we have been to, mostly in open bush country and savannah grasslands. Vivid colors blend throughout its plumage as if someone took spray paint to a festive birthday party.
When it came to bird life, the Shaba National Refuge did not disappoint, but there was more to see and so Juliet and I packed the camaras and looked on to our next adventure, whether in our backyard or the next new exotic location to add to our two worlds.
Thank you for joining us!
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