24 Jul Trip Report – Wild Kenya: Eastern Endemics & Specials, 24 July 2025
Introduction
Wild Birding’s Eastern Endemics & Specials tour in July 2025 focused on one of Kenya’s most biologically distinctive regions — the coastal forests of Arabuko-Sokoke and the isolated Taita Hills. The group’s aim was to connect with Kenya’s most localised forest species while enjoying a taste of the country’s remarkable safari experience.
This week-long tour was led by Wild Birding’s expert local guide Paul Kungu, whose depth of knowledge, sharp field skills, and calm professionalism made a lasting impression on the group. Over seven days, the team recorded an outstanding 272 bird species and 32 mammals, combining coastal, montane, and savannah habitats across Karura Forest, Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Mida Creek, Sabaki River Mouth, Tsavo East National Park, and the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary.
Itinerary at a glance
Nairobi (Karura Forest) – Watamu (Arabuko–Sokoke Forest, Mida Creek, Sabaki River) – Tsavo East National Park – Taita Hills & Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary – Watamu – Nairobi National Park.
Itinerary notes
Due to an early-morning flight issue, we sensibly switched the first coastal flight to the afternoon and used the morning for birding in Karura Forest. This added valuable species and set the tone for the week. A lost bag on the inbound British Airways sectors caused some inconvenience, but the group adapted quickly and pressed on — and the wildlife more than made up for it!
Day 1 – 24 July: Arrival in Nairobi
After a long travel day from the UK and some airport baggage complications, the group reached the Tamarind Tree Hotel late evening. A short debrief over a nightcap set expectations for an early start and a full morning in Karura Forest. (Species tally kept from Day 2.)
Day 2 – 25 July: Karura Forest; flight to Malindi; first look at Sokoke and Mida Creek
Karura was the perfect introduction — green light, rich understory, and calm trails. A perched Crowned Eagle was the morning’s headline sighting, backed by an excellent supporting cast that included Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Chinspot Batis, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Black Cuckooshrike, Holub’s Golden Weaver, Abyssinian Thrush and Kikuyu White-eye.
After a picnic lunch, the team flew Safarilink to Malindi and met Paul for the coastal phase. A high tide at Mida Creek redirected effort to surrounding scrub and farmland: Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Purple-banded Sunbird, Coastal Cisticola, Cardinal Quelea, Parrot-billed Sparrow, Three-banded Plover and more went into the notebooks.
Along the eastern edge of Arabuko–Sokoke, the day lifted further: Böhm’s Spinetail, Zanzibar Boubou, Malindi Pipit, Common Buttonquail and primates (Yellow Baboon, Sykes’ Monkey). Then a moment of quiet theatre — a small family party of Forest Elephants materialised in cover beside the track before emerging later on to feed at the swamp edge. A special encounter, and a reminder of Sokoke’s depth.The group checked in at Turtle Bay Beach Resort, where the day closed on 71 bird species.
Day 3 – 26 July: Arabuko–Sokoke Forest, Mida Creek & the Sabaki River mouth
At dawn in Sokoke, the team worked prime habitat for endemics. While the Sokoke Scops-Owl and Sokoke Pipit wouldn’t show this time, the forest delivered outstanding birding: Amani Sunbird, Tiny Greenbul, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Southern Banded Snake-Eagle, Clarke’s Weaver, African Wood Owl, Little Yellow Flycatcher, Green Barbet, Retz’s and Red-fronted Helmet-shrikes, Gorgeous Bushshrike, Eastern Black-headed Batis and Black-bellied Starling. Mammals included Golden-rumped Sengi (Elephant-shrew) and Red-bellied Coastal Squirrel.
Timed to the falling tide, Mida Creek produced the star target: immaculate Crab-plovers feeding at close range, alongside Terek Sandpiper, White-fronted Plover, Grey Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt and Whimbrel.
A late-afternoon push to Sabaki brought a lovely mix: Caspian Tern, Mangrove Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Little Rush Warbler, Reed Warbler, Violet-backed Sunbird, Red-winged Starling and Spotted Morning-Thrush. As dusk fell, a Slender-tailed Nightjar rose from leaf-litter and three more hawked in the evening light.
There was another rare mammal treat in the forest tracks earlier — a Caracal loping across the road, unhurried and unmistakable.
Day total: 102 species (cumulative 140).
Day 4 – 27 July: Watamu to Tsavo East via the Sokoke edge and acacia country
A last look at the Turtle Bay Lodge weavers (Golden Palm and African Golden Weavers) set us off, and the drive inland along the forest edge and through expanding acacia country was unmissable. Flock after flock gave rich sifts: Red-billed Quelea, White-headed and Red-billed Buffalo-weavers, Fischer’s Starling, Superb and Hildebrandt’s Starlings, White-crowned Shrike, Yellow-fronted Petronia, Cut-throat, Green-winged Pytilia, Somali Bunting, Pink-breasted Lark, Von der Decken’s and African Grey Hornbills, Broad-billed and Lilac-breasted Rollers, Paradise Whydah, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Diederik Cuckoo — and striking views of Golden Pipit. Eastern Chanting Goshawks were a regular roadside feature.
Entering Tsavo East at Sala Gate is always a moment: open horizons, red soils, and the sense of space. Early sightings included Hunter’s Sunbird, Little Swift colonies and a sweep of savanna birds — Taita Fiscal, Fischer’s Sparrow-Lark, Pink-breasted Pipit, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Bateleur, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Tawny Eagle, Southern Ground-Hornbill, Bronze Sunbird, Red-winged Lark, Crowned Lapwing, Somali Bee-eater, Brown Snake-Eagle, Buff-crested Bustard, African Pygmy Falcon, Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark and Lappet-faced Vulture.
Mammals were abundant: Impala, Grant’s Gazelle, African Buffalo, Fringe-eared Oryx, Gerenuk, Kongoni (Hartebeest), Wildebeest, Elephant — and a collared Lioness under Kenya Wildlife Service supervision was seen roadside.
A late stop at a busy waterhole added drama — nine Secretarybirds (including a displaying pair), Kori Bustard, White-backed Vulture, a black morph Gabar Goshawk, Spur-winged Lapwing, Vitelline Masked Weaver, Parrot-billed Sparrow, Yellow-necked Spurfowl and more, with Giraffe and Banded Mongoose drifting through the scene.
Voi Wildlife Lodge gave classic sundowner viewing over its waterhole (with Grey Crowned Crane and Pink-backed Pelican among evening birds). A calling African Scops-Owl saw us to our rooms.
Day total: 112 species (cumulative 201).
Day 5 – 28 July: Taita Hills endemics; Salt Lick Safari Lodge night drive
Taita is different the moment you climb — cool air, cloud wisps in the canopy and small, vital patches of ancient forest. With local conservation wardens, we focused on the three stars. Taita White-eye showed first and well. We then worked carefully for Taita Thrush, eventually getting everyone onto good views, before the day’s toughest hike yielded a brief but definitive Taita Apalis — a hard-won, unforgettable sighting of one of Kenya’s rarest birds.
Other quality birds on the forest edge and smallholdings included Hartlaub’s Turaco, Evergreen Forest Warbler, Yellow-throated Woodland-Warbler, Dodson’s Bulbul, Placid Greenbul, Stripe-faced Greenbul, Collared Sunbird, Black-crowned Tchagra, Spot-flanked Barbet, Baglafecht Weaver, Reichenow’s Seedeater, Streaky Seedeater and Variable Sunbird.
Dropping to the greener mosaics of the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary en route to Salt Lick brought Black-chested Snake-Eagle, Augur Buzzard, Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture, Blue-naped Mousebird, White-headed Buffalo-Weaver, White-crowned Shrike, Crested Francolin, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Yellow-throated Apalis, Rattling and Tiny Cisticolas, Lesser Masked Weaver and Red-faced Crombec.
Salt Lick’s evening scene was superb — stilts and walkways over waterholes alive with mammals. The night drive added Stripe-sided Jackal and an intimate encounter with a Lioness padding alongside the track, finishing with a burst of speed at a Spotted Thick-knee (which escaped by inches).
Day total: 85 species (cumulative 234).
Day 6 – 29 July: Sanctuary circuit; back to the coast
Dawn birding around the lodge produced African Hoopoe, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Lilac-breasted Roller, Crowned Lapwing, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, White-crowned Shrike and Red-billed Hornbill. Through the morning circuit we added Common Ostrich, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Flappet Lark, Rufous Chatterer, Nubian Woodpecker, Grassland Pipit, Pangani Longclaw, Spur-winged Goose, Cardinal Woodpecker, Black Cuckooshrike, Lesser Masked Weaver, African Paradise Flycatcher, White-bellied Tit, African Pygmy Kingfisher, African Hobby, Orange-breasted Bushshrike and Village Weaver. Mammals included Eland and Warthog.A long, smooth drive returned the group to Watamu for dinner and a final coastal log call.
Day total: 102 species (cumulative 246).
Day 7 – 30 July: Nairobi National Park and home
The morning Malindi–Nairobi flight was on time. A brief presidential convoy delay at the airport aside, the group were in Nairobi National Park by midday for a superb six-hour finale. This compact reserve bordering the city always surprises: mammals included White Rhinoceros, Masai Giraffe, Waterbuck, Hippo, Common Warthog and Slender Mongoose.
The birding was wonderfully varied, adding Dusky Turtle-Dove, Blacksmith Lapwing, Reed Cormorant, Chestnut-headed and Fischer’s Sparrow-Larks, Rufous-naped Lark, Black Saw-wing, Brown-throated Martin, European Red-rumped Swallow, Singing, Stout and Pectoral-patch Cisticolas, Northern Pied Babbler, Red-billed Oxpecker, White-browed Scrub-Robin, African Grey Flycatcher, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Kenya Rufous Sparrow, Black-and-white Mannikin, Purple Grenadier, African Firefinch and Plain-backed Pipit.
Day total: 83 species. Final trip totals: 272 bird species and 32 mammals.
Trip summary & highlights
• Endemics achieved: Taita Apalis, Taita Thrush and Taita White-eye.
• Regional specials: Crab-plover, Golden Pipit, Somali Bee-eater, Clarke’s Weaver, Southern Banded Snake-Eagle, Amani Sunbird.
• Memorable mammal moments: Forest Elephants in Arabuko–Sokoke; a Caracal on the forest track; nine Secretarybirds at a Tsavo waterhole; an up-close night-drive encounter with a Lioness at Salt Lick; White Rhino in Nairobi National Park.
• Guide notes: Paul Kungu’s fieldcraft, patience and route decisions were outstanding throughout, from tide timing at Mida to the determined Taita Apalis search.
Daily species counts (cumulative)
Day 2: 71 (71)
Day 3: 102 (140)
Day 4: 112 (201)
Day 5: 85 (234)
Day 6: 102 (246)
Day 7: 83 (272)
Conclusion
This Wild Birding tour showcased why Kenya remains one of the most rewarding destinations for both dedicated birders and naturalists. Within a single week, the group moved seamlessly from coastal forest and tidal creeks to the arid acacia plains of Tsavo and the cool, misty slopes of the Taita Hills — each landscape producing its own rhythm of birds, mammals, and atmosphere.
The encounters were as varied as they were memorable: Forest Elephants emerging quietly from the Sokoke forest, the rare flash of a Caracal at dusk, nine Secretarybirds striding across Tsavo’s red dust, and the whispering canopy of Taita yielding its trio of endemics. Every moment reflected the diversity, resilience, and sheer spectacle of Kenya’s wildlife.
Guided with expertise and warmth by Paul Kungu, and supported throughout by Wild Birding’s local network, the tour combined smooth logistics with exceptional field experiences. As the group departed from Nairobi National Park — tallying 272 bird species and 32 mammals — there was a shared sense that Eastern Kenya had offered not only a list of rarities, but a rare kind of connection to Africa’s wild places.
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