We are blessed waking up to beautiful locations in our shared worlds together. Located just outside the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi sits our home on a small, wooded acreage shared with several other cottages. A mid-twentieth century villa that evokes a Mediterranean architectural style with an East African flair, it sits among many trees planted over eighty years ago including a large chrisom bottlebrush tree. A garden is planted with vegetables and herbs alongside papayas and bananas just off the courtyard. As the morning sun rises into our window...same time, every day of the year...we are woken to a birdsong choir so loud an alarm clock is unnecessary. It's not surprising. The villa is only three miles from Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary and five miles from the internationally famous Nairobi National Park... as the sunbird flies... The birds are many. They are unique. And if you look and listen carefully... their beauty and song will shine straight into your heart and soul!
One of our favorite places to visit is Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary, situated between the sprawl of the city and Nairobi National Park. Over three thousand acres of indigenous and introduced tree species with open glades, river streams and hilly topography, this sanctuary offers a unique opportunity to walk over thirty kilometers in an urban wilderness. One of the few remaining forests in the metropolitan area, urban development, and government sanctioned encroachment threaten its future. Yet Ngong Road Forest is still home to wildlife (Yes, we must be careful... and yes, we walk without a guide!), insects and of course unique birds that people travel from all over the world to see. Over the last two years we have learned these trails with our own favorite routes and our personalized landmarks. Here are a few birds we have captured with our cameras. We hope, over time we can share our photos and stories with you. We hope you enjoy traveling with us through our experiences and adventures!
The White-starred Robin (Pogonocichla stellata) is considered a species of least concern. However, that does not mean that it is easy to spot! Its name is derived from the white markings on the brow, however, its bold yellow breast and slate-blue head with a forest-green mantle gives this smallish bird distinction. Its similar name can confuse my American ignorance of a loud thrush, being in the family of old-world flycatchers. It thrives in the deeper forest often foraging under the dense brush... and it does it quietly... When a flash crosses our path, we patiently look for the slightest rustling or movement. We feel blessed every time we see it.
Another small and colorful bird, often found in the open spaces of the forest is the African Citril (Crithagra citrinelloides) which flies from thistle to thistle as the plant spreads its seed over disturbed landscapes during the cooler months of June and July. Related to finches and canaries, the male sports a black face, with a gold belly and striking black and yellow wings.
The female is striped gold and yellow throughout. This female was so focused on the feast of thistle seeds, we were able to move close enough to almost touch her. We left her still eating and happy.
We found another not so hungry pair ready to fly near the Ngong Racecourse, the only thoroughbred racing venue in the country, which is adjacent to the forest.
During one of our initial adventures walking along the forest trail, we heard what we thought was a low purr rumbling in the brush nearby... like a cat amplified on a low wattage woofer. Not knowing what it was, our imaginations immediately turned to the possibility that we stumbled onto the path of a rare encounter with a leopard... Now I want to see a leopard... but... not this leopard with us only feet away!! As we started informing each other... with both disdain... and trepidation...that this was not one of our better ideas, a large black and red blob flashed quickly before our eyes!!!!! After a moment of sheer terror... and a check to see if each other was alive. We realized we heard and saw from an earlier trip to the forest...
By far one of the most striking birds of the forests around Nairobi is the Hartlaub's Turaco (Tauraco hartlaubi). An endemic bird to East Africa, this large yet quiet bird displays spectacular red wings against its forest green body. Though common in this area, it is not always easy to spot, especially in the dense forest. But if you know which tree berries the Turaco enjoys, you may just find many on more than one occasion. We have once been blessed to find as many as thirty birds in a small area in the forest foraging for their favorite fruit.
The first time we saw this bird we were walking with our nephew who saw a black blob flying across our path in a darker part of the forest near the river. Surprisingly, they were hard to spot at first, but once you see the bold facial features, you never forget them. We now affectionately call this bird, "Micky's" bird. Every time we walk, whether in Ngong Road forest, or any other location, we are on the lookout for these beautiful birds.
Although the turaco is a beautiful bird perched, the real splendor is when they spread their wings.
And now that we are aware of this bird's habits, we are blessed to see them more often! Around five o'clock every evening we look to the trees surrounding our villa. Trees that produce a plethora of small ripening berries... and if we are blessed, pairs of turacos swoop in for a brief snack before taking off again for another tasty location. Cameras ready... and our hope for that epic shot!
Thank you for visiting our website and blog! We are privileged to share our experiences and adventures with you! Our hope is to continue to sharewith you as we bring together our stories shared between us from both sides of this glorious home, we call...Earth. God Bless!