Trip Report: Kenya Solar Eclipse (2013-10-23 - 2013-11-07)
Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)
Hell's Gate National Park by Bicycle.
Shopping trip.
Stop spitting
Flooded Lake Nakuru
Nakuru Waterfall
Stay in the tent, baboons
Stay in the tent, buffalo
Kitale's Main Drag
Obama's Shop.
Obama Abuses Power to Sell Bubblegum
Mt. Elgon Cave
Mt. Elgon Cave Inside
Mt. Elgon View From Bandas
Mt. Elgon Road to Trail Head
Mt. Elgon Trail to Peak
Mt. Elgon Rest Stop
Mt. Elgon Savanna
Mt. Elgon Lobelia Forest
Mt. Elgon Koitoboss Peak
Unidentified Butterfly
Kalokol Harbor (and our boat)
Central Island National Park
Crocodile Lake - Central Island National Park
Flamingo Lake - Central Island National Park
Sibiloi Guards
Sibiloi - Walking to the Eclipse Monument
Sibiloi - Sandstorm
Sibiloi - Traditional Dancers
Sibiloi Solar Eclipse - Moments Before 2nd Contact
Sibiloi - Partial Eclipse at Sunset
Road to Lokichar
Lokichar - Don't Drink
Lokichar - Goat Herder
Lokichar - Another Chance Guesthouse
Lokichar - Water Carrier
Lokichar - Flash Flood
Gray-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala)
Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) - Male
White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
Human (Homo sapiens) - Turkana People
Yellow-billed Stork (Mycteria ibis) - In Flight
Kenya Rufous Sparrow (Passer rufocinctus) - Female
Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
Holub's Golden-Weaver (Ploceus xanthops)
Highland Rush Warbler (Bradypterus centralis)
Fan-tailed Raven (Corvus rhipidurus)
Secretary-Bird (Sagittarius serpentarius)
×
Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)
Hell's Gate National Park by Bicycle.
Shopping trip.
Stop spitting
Flooded Lake Nakuru
Nakuru Waterfall
Stay in the tent, baboons
Stay in the tent, buffalo
Kitale's Main Drag
Obama's Shop.
Obama Abuses Power to Sell Bubblegum
Mt. Elgon Cave
Mt. Elgon Cave Inside
Mt. Elgon View From Bandas
Mt. Elgon Road to Trail Head
Mt. Elgon Trail to Peak
Mt. Elgon Rest Stop
Mt. Elgon Savanna
Mt. Elgon Lobelia Forest
Mt. Elgon Koitoboss Peak
Unidentified Butterfly
Kalokol Harbor (and our boat)
Central Island National Park
Crocodile Lake - Central Island National Park
Flamingo Lake - Central Island National Park
Sibiloi Guards
Sibiloi - Walking to the Eclipse Monument
Sibiloi - Sandstorm
Sibiloi - Traditional Dancers
Sibiloi Solar Eclipse - Moments Before 2nd Contact
Sibiloi - Partial Eclipse at Sunset
Road to Lokichar
Lokichar - Don't Drink
Lokichar - Goat Herder
Lokichar - Another Chance Guesthouse
Lokichar - Water Carrier
Lokichar - Flash Flood
Gray-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala)
Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) - Male
White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
Human (Homo sapiens) - Turkana People
Yellow-billed Stork (Mycteria ibis) - In Flight
Kenya Rufous Sparrow (Passer rufocinctus) - Female
Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
Holub's Golden-Weaver (Ploceus xanthops)
Highland Rush Warbler (Bradypterus centralis)
Fan-tailed Raven (Corvus rhipidurus)
Secretary-Bird (Sagittarius serpentarius)
A trip to Kenya to view the hybrid solar eclipse at Lake Turkana.
Sites Visited
Species Seen
Kingdom: Animals (284 records)
Phylum: Chordates
(284 records)
Class: Birds
(244 records)
- Order: Anseriformes (6 records)
- Order: Bucerotiformes
(7 records)
- Family: Hoopoes
- Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
- Family: Hornbills
- Northern Red-billed Hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus)
- Jackson's Hornbill (Tockus jacksoni)
- African Gray Hornbill (Lophoceros nasutus)
- Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill (Bycanistes subcylindricus)
- Family: Scimitarbills
- Common Scimitarbill (Rhinopomastus cyanomelas)
- Family: Wood-hoopoes
- White-headed Woodhoopoe (Phoeniculus bollei)
- Order: Coliiformes (2 records)
- Order: Cranes, Rails, and Allies
(4 records)
- Family: Bustards
- Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori)
- Family: Cranes
- Gray Crowned-Crane (Balearica regulorum)
- Family: Rails, Gallinules, and Allies
- Eurasian Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
- Red-knobbed Coot (Fulica cristata)
- Order: Cuckoos
(2 records)
- Family: Coucals
- Blue-headed Coucal (Centropus monachus)
- Family: Cuckoos
- Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)
- Order: Doves and Pigeons
(11 records)
- Family: Pigeons and Doves
- Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)
- Speckled Pigeon (Columba guinea)
- Rameron Pigeon (Columba arquatrix)
- Dusky Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia lugens)
- Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis)
- Mourning Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decipiens)
- Ring-necked Dove (Streptopelia capicola)
- Red-eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata)
- Tambourine Dove (Turtur tympanistria)
- Namaqua Dove (Oena capensis)
- African Green-Pigeon (Treron calvus)
- Order: Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies
(21 records)
- Family: Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- European Honey-buzzard (Pernis apivorus)
- Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus)
- Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
- African Fish-Eagle (Icthyophaga vocifer)
- White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus)
- Rueppell's Griffon (Gyps rueppelli)
- Brown Snake-Eagle (Circaetus cinereus)
- Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus)
- Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)
- Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus)
- African Harrier-Hawk (Polyboroides typus)
- Dark Chanting-Goshawk (Melierax metabates)
- Black Goshawk (Astur melanoleucus)
- Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
- Augur Buzzard (Buteo augur)
- Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis)
- Wahlberg's Eagle (Hieraaetus wahlbergi)
- Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus)
- Long-crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis)
- Family: Osprey
- Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
- Family: Secretarybirds
- Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius)
- Order: Hummingbirds and Swifts (5 records)
- Order: Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, Motmots (7 records)
- Family: Kingfishers
- Gray-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala)
- Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)
- Family: Rollers
- Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus)
- Order: Musophagiformes (3 records)
- Order: Owls And Nightjars
(2 records)
- Family: Nighthawks and Nightjars
- Slender-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus clarus)
- Family: Typical Owls
- Spotted Eagle-Owl (Bubo africanus)
- Order: Parrots
(2 records)
- Family: New World Parrots
- Meyer's Parrot (Poicephalus meyeri)
- Fischer's Lovebird (Agapornis fischeri)
- Order: Pelicans
(38 records)
- Family: Anhingas
- African Darter (Anhinga rufa)
- Family: Falcons and Caracaras
- Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo)
- Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus)
- Family: Grebes
- Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
- Family: Hamerkops
- Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta)
- Family: Herons
- Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca)
- Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
- Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea)
- Black-headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala)
- Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
- Great Egret (Ardea alba)
- Western Cattle Egret (Ardea ibis)
- Striated Heron (Butorides striata)
- Family: Ibises and Spoonbills
- Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
- Hadada Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)
- African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus)
- African Spoonbill (Platalea alba)
- Family: Pelicans
- Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus)
- Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens)
- Family: Sandgrouse
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles exustus)
- Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse (Pterocles lichtensteinii)
- Family: Sandpipers and Allies
- Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis)
- Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
- Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)
- Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
- Little Stint (Calidris minuta)
- Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)
- Ruff (Calidris pugnax)
- Family: Stilts and Avocets
- Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
- Family: Storks
- Yellow-billed Stork (Mycteria ibis)
- Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis)
- Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer)
- Order: Perching Birds (109 records)
- Family: Cardueline Finches and Allies
- African Citril (Crithagra citrinelloides)
- Streaky Seedeater (Crithagra striolata)
- Thick-billed Seedeater (Crithagra burtoni)
- Family: Chickadees and Titmice
- White-bellied Tit (Melaniparus albiventris)
- Family: Cuckoo-shrike
- Gray Cuckooshrike (Ceblepyris caesius)
- Family: Drongos
- Fork-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis)
- Family: Gonoleks
- Tropical Boubou (Laniarius major)
- Family: Helmetshrikes
- White Helmetshrike (Prionops plumatus)
- Family: Jays and Crows
- Pied Crow (Corvus albus)
- Fan-tailed Raven (Corvus rhipidurus)
- Purple-throated Cuckooshrike (Campephaga quiscalina)
- Black-backed Puffback (Dryoscopus cubla)
- Black-crowned Tchagra (Tchagra senegalus)
- Rosy-patched Bushshrike (Rhodophoneus cruentus)
- Family: Larks
- Sentinel Lark (Corypha athi)
- Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix signatus)
- Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)
- Family: Leaf Warblers
- Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)
- Family: Old World Flycatchers
- African Gray Flycatcher (Bradornis microrhynchus)
- Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)
- Schalow's Wheatear (Oenanthe lugubris)
- Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina)
- Brown-tailed Chat (Oenanthe scotocerca)
- African Stonechat (Saxicola torquatus)
- Family: Old World Orioles
- African Black-headed Oriole (Oriolus larvatus)
- Family: Old World Sparrows
- House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
- Kenya Rufous Sparrow (Passer rufocinctus)
- Northern Gray-headed Sparrow (Passer griseus)
- White-headed Buffalo-Weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli)
- White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser mahali)
- Donaldson-Smith's Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser donaldsoni)
- Baglafecht Weaver (Ploceus baglafecht)
- Lesser Masked-Weaver (Ploceus intermedius)
- Holub's Golden-Weaver (Ploceus xanthops)
- Village Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus)
- Speke's Weaver (Ploceus spekei)
- Brown-capped Weaver (Ploceus insignis)
- Grosbeak Weaver (Amblyospiza albifrons)
- Red-billed Firefinch (Lagonosticta senegala)
- Black-bellied Firefinch (Lagonosticta rara)
- Purple Grenadier (Granatina ianthinogaster)
- Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild)
- Black-crowned Waxbill (Estrilda nonnula)
- Bronze Mannikin (Spermestes cucullata)
- Black-and-white Mannikin (Spermestes bicolor)
- Family: Old World Warblers and Gnatcatchers
- Highland Rush Warbler (Bradypterus centralis)
- Lesser Swamp-Warbler (Acrocephalus gracilirostris)
- Black-lored Babbler (Turdoides sharpei)
- Arrow-marked Babbler (Turdoides jardineii)
- Greater Whitethroat (Curruca communis)
- Family: Oxpeckers
- Red-billed Oxpecker (Buphagus erythroryncha)
- Family: Paradise-flycatcher
- African Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone viridis)
- Family: Prinias and Apalis
- Singing Cisticola (Cisticola cantans)
- Chubb's Cisticola (Cisticola chubbi)
- Hunter's Cisticola (Cisticola hunteri)
- Black-collared Apalis (Oreolais pulcher)
- Yellow-breasted Apalis (Apalis flavida)
- Gray Apalis (Apalis cinerea)
- Red-fronted Prinia (Prinia rufifrons)
- Green-backed Camaroptera (Camaroptera brachyura)
- Family: Shrike-flycatchers
- Chinspot Batis (Batis molitor)
- Pygmy Batis (Batis perkeo)
- Black-throated Wattle-eye (Platysteira peltata)
- Family: Shrikes
- Gray-backed Fiscal (Lanius excubitoroides)
- Long-tailed Fiscal (Lanius cabanisi)
- Somali Fiscal (Lanius somalicus)
- Northern Fiscal (Lanius humeralis)
- Family: Starlings and Mynas
- Red-winged Starling (Onychognathus morio)
- Greater Blue-eared Starling (Lamprotornis chalybaeus)
- Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus)
- Wattled Starling (Creatophora cinerea)
- Family: Sunbirds
- Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird (Anthreptes orientalis)
- Collared Sunbird (Hedydipna collaris)
- Green-headed Sunbird (Cyanomitra verticalis)
- Variable Sunbird (Cinnyris venustus)
- Northern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris reichenowi)
- Bronze Sunbird (Nectarinia kilimensis)
- Marico Sunbird (Cinnyris mariquensis)
- Family: Swallows
- Plain Martin (Riparia paludicola)
- Gray-rumped Swallow (Pseudhirundo griseopyga)
- Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
- Mosque Swallow (Cecropis senegalensis)
- White-headed Sawwing (Psalidoprocne albiceps)
- Black Sawwing (Psalidoprocne pristoptera )
- African Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis melanocrissus)
- Red-throated Crag-Martin (Ptyonoprogne rufigula)
- Family: Thrushes and Allies
- African Thrush (Turdus pelios)
- Abyssinian Thrush (Turdus abyssinicus)
- Pale Flycatcher (Agricola pallidus)
- White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher (Melaenornis fischeri)
- Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)
- African Dusky Flycatcher (Muscicapa adusta)
- Cape Robin-Chat (Dessonornis caffer)
- White-browed Robin-Chat (Cossypha heuglini)
- Red-capped Robin-Chat (Cossypha natalensis)
- Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat (Cossypha niveicapilla)
- Moorland Chat (Pinarochroa sordida)
- Northern Anteater-Chat (Myrmecocichla aethiops)
- Family: Wagtails and Pipits
- African Pied Wagtail (Motacilla aguimp)
- Cape Wagtail (Motacilla capensis)
- Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)
- Gray Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
- Mountain Wagtail (Motacilla clara)
- Plain-backed Pipit (Anthus leucophrys)
- Long-billed Pipit (Anthus similis)
- Family: White-eyes
- Northern Yellow White-eye (Zosterops senegalensis)
- Order: Shorebirds and Allies (13 records)
- Family: Plovers
- Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
- Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
- Little Ringed Plover (Thinornis dubius)
- Kittlitz's Plover (Anarhynchus pecuarius)
- Three-banded Plover (Thinornis tricollaris)
- Blacksmith Lapwing (Vanellus armatus)
- Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus)
- Crowned Lapwing (Vanellus coronatus)
- Order: Struthioniformes
(1 record)
- Family: Ostriches
- Ostrich (Struthio camelus)
- Order: Turkey-like birds (5 records)
- Family: Guineafowl
- Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris)
- Order: Woodpeckers, Barbets, Toucans, and Honeyguides (6 records)
- Family: Piculets and Woodpeckers
- Nubian Woodpecker (Campethera nubica)
- Fine-banded Woodpecker (Campethera taeniolaema)
- Cardinal Woodpecker (Dendropicos fuscescens)
Class: Mammals
(38 records)
- Order: Bats
(1 record)
- Family: Old World Fruit Bats
- Old World Fruit Bats (Rousettus ssp)
- Order: Carnivorans
(4 records)
- Family: Canidae
- Black-backed Jackal (Lupulella mesomelas)
- Family: Felidae
- Lion (Panthera leo)
- Leopard (Panthera pardus)
- Family: Hyaenidae
- Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
- Order: Even-toed Ungalates and Cetacean
(16 records)
- Family: Bovids
- Impala (Aepyceros melampus)
- Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus)
- Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)
- Grant's Gazelle (Nanger granti)
- Thomson's Gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii)
- Kirk's Dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii)
- Steenbok (Raphicerus campestris)
- African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
- Eland (Taurotragus oryx)
- Northern Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus)
- Bush Duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia)
- Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus)
- Southern Bushbuck (Tragelaphus sylvaticus)
- Family: Giraffidae
- Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
- Family: Hippopotamidae
- Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)
- Family: Suidae
- Common Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus)
- Order: Hyracoidea (3 records)
- Order: Lagomorpha
(2 records)
- Family: Leporidae
- Cape Hare (Lepus capensis)
- African Savanna Hare (Lepus victoriae)
- Order: Perissodactyla (4 records)
- Family: Rhinocerotidae
- White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
- Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
- Order: Primates
(6 records)
- Family: Hominidae
- Human (Homo sapiens)
- Family: Old World Monkeys
- Blue Monkey (Cercopithecus mitis)
- De Brazza's monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus)
- Anubis Baboon (Papio anubis)
- Mantled Guereza (Colobus guereza)
- Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus)
- Order: Rodents
(2 records)
- Family: Old World Porcupines
- Crested Porcupine (Hystrix cristata)
- Family: True Mice and Rats, Gerbils, and Allies
- Typical Striped Grass Mouse (Lemniscomys striatus)
Class: Reptiles
(2 records)
- Order: Alligators and Crocodiles
(1 record)
- Family: Crocodiles
- Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)
- Order: Lizards and Snakes
(1 record)
- Family: Agamas
- Blue-headed Tree Agama (Acanthosaura gregorii)