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Site Report: Lake Nakuru National Park

Flooded Lake Nakuru
Flooded Lake Nakuru
Nakuru Waterfall
Nakuru Waterfall
Stay in the tent, baboons
Stay in the tent, baboons
Stay in the tent, buffalo
Stay in the tent, buffalo
Gray-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala)
Gray-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala)
White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
Lion (Panthera leo)
Lion (Panthera leo)
Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor)
Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor)
Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)
Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)
Ring-necked Dove (Streptopelia capicola)
Ring-necked Dove (Streptopelia capicola)
Gray Crowned-Crane (Balearica regulorum)
Gray Crowned-Crane (Balearica regulorum)
Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus)
Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus)
Burchell's Zebra (Equus burchellii) - Battle!
Burchell's Zebra (Equus burchellii) - Battle!
Crowned Lapwing (Vanellus coronatus)
Crowned Lapwing (Vanellus coronatus)
Plain-backed Pipit (Anthus leucophrys)
Plain-backed Pipit (Anthus leucophrys)
Spotted Eagle-Owl (Bubo africanus)
Spotted Eagle-Owl (Bubo africanus)
Augur Buzzard (Buteo augur)
Augur Buzzard (Buteo augur)
Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Hadada Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)
Hadada Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)
Mountain Wagtail (Motacilla clara)
Mountain Wagtail (Motacilla clara)
Hunter's Cisticola (Cisticola hunteri)
Hunter's Cisticola (Cisticola hunteri)
Black-crowned Tchagra (Tchagra senegalus)
Black-crowned Tchagra (Tchagra senegalus)
Arrow-marked Babbler (Turdoides jardineii)
Arrow-marked Babbler (Turdoides jardineii)
Common Scimitar-bill (Rhinopomastus cyanomelas)
Common Scimitar-bill (Rhinopomastus cyanomelas)
White-bellied Tit (Melaniparus albiventris)
White-bellied Tit (Melaniparus albiventris)
Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis)
Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis)
Long-crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis)
Long-crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis)
Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus)
Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus)
Gray-backed Fiscal (Lanius excubitoroides)
Gray-backed Fiscal (Lanius excubitoroides)
Impala (Aepyceros melampus)
Impala (Aepyceros melampus)
Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
Ruff (Calidris pugnax)
Ruff (Calidris pugnax)
Pale Flycatcher (Agricola pallidus)
Pale Flycatcher (Agricola pallidus)
Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)
Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)
Green-backed Camaroptera (Camaroptera brachyura)
Green-backed Camaroptera (Camaroptera brachyura)
Nyanza Swift (Apus niansae)
Nyanza Swift (Apus niansae)
Flooded Lake Nakuru
Nakuru Waterfall
Stay in the tent, baboons
Stay in the tent, buffalo
Gray-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala)
White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
Lion (Panthera leo)
Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor)
Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)
Ring-necked Dove (Streptopelia capicola)
Gray Crowned-Crane (Balearica regulorum)
Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus)
Burchell's Zebra (Equus burchellii) - Battle!
Crowned Lapwing (Vanellus coronatus)
Plain-backed Pipit (Anthus leucophrys)
Spotted Eagle-Owl (Bubo africanus)
Augur Buzzard (Buteo augur)
Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Hadada Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)
Mountain Wagtail (Motacilla clara)
Hunter's Cisticola (Cisticola hunteri)
Black-crowned Tchagra (Tchagra senegalus)
Arrow-marked Babbler (Turdoides jardineii)
Common Scimitar-bill (Rhinopomastus cyanomelas)
White-bellied Tit (Melaniparus albiventris)
Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis)
Long-crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis)
Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus)
Gray-backed Fiscal (Lanius excubitoroides)
Impala (Aepyceros melampus)
Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
Ruff (Calidris pugnax)
Pale Flycatcher (Agricola pallidus)
Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)
Green-backed Camaroptera (Camaroptera brachyura)
Nyanza Swift (Apus niansae)

A national park with a big lake.

Visits

  • 2013-10-25: We arrived to Nakuru to find that the lake was flooded and the flamingos had relocated. It was getting later in the day, so we decided to camp at the south end of the park. On the way in, we did some game drive activities which included checking in on a lion kill. Fortunately, we hired the guide or I doubt if we would have ever found the campsite. We arranged special permission to drive in the park during the night so that we could eat in the restaurant. I asked our guide about finding owls, but he was pretty sure that there were none. He had not seen one in four years of guiding. Of course, twenty minutes into our drive to the lodge, I spotted an owl on the top of a tree. Shortly after that, we encountered a leopard on the road. We dropped the guide off at the lodge, and then we spent an hour lost in the savanna looking for the campsite. The next morning, I woke up to find a lone male buffalo just outside my tent! It chose not to trample me, however.

Species Seen

Kingdom: Animals (83 records)
Phylum: Chordates (83 records)

Lifelists