On February 14, I got a visit from my friend Håkan Billing from Norway. Unfortunately, the airline messed up, so he arrived a day too late and could only stay until February 20. Håkan is the Chairman for Birdlife International in Oslo. With the limited time given, I decided on spending the time more or less out of my house, except one night in Karatu. We still managed to register 347 species!
Day 1, Thursday, February 14, 2025: Kiligolf
I picked up Håkan from the airport and we drove straigh to my house. He had brought some Norwegian food for me and after a quick fresh up, we relaxed in my garden and started registering birds: Vitelline Masked Weaver, Village Indigobird, Red-billed Firefinch, Variable Sunbird and Spotted Palm Thrush. Håkan, needed to relax a little, but already around 15:00 we were out for a walk on Kiligolf. Here are some of the birds we registered that afternoon: Crested Francolin, Fork-tailed Drongo, Orange-breasted Bushshrike, Red-faced Cisticola, Chinspot Batis, Steel-blue and Pin-tailed Whydah, Brubru, Yellow Bishop, Red-chested Cuckoo, Superb Starling, Klaas´s Cuckoo, Yellow-fronted Canary, Little (Striated) Heron, Black-headed Heron, Long-tailed Fiscal, Helmeted Guineafowl, Grey Heron, White-browed Coucal, Little Swift, some overflying Abdim´s Storks, Grey-backed Camaroptera, African Palm Swift, Common Sandpiper, European Bee-eater, African Pied Wagtail, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Red-eyed Dove, Malachite Kingfisher, Greater Painted Snipe, Thick-billed Weaver, Black Crake, Hamerkop, Three-banded Plover, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Laughing Dove, Bronze Mannikin, Spectacled Weaver, Tropical Boubou, Slate-coloured Boubou, African Grey and Spotted Flycatcher, White-rumped Swift, Diederik Cuckoo, Pied Kingfisher, Green Sandpiper, Purple Heron, Red-headed Weaver, Pale White-eye, African Grey Hornbill, Reichenow´s Seedeater, Purple Grenadier, Buff-bellied Warbler and Yellow-breasted Apalis. We were now back home, freshened up and had a nice meal.
Some Pictures from Day 1:
Ready for birding!
Pin-tailed Whydah, Vidua macroura
Steel-blue Whydah, Vidua hypocherina, Endemic to NE Africa
Purple Heron, Ardea purpurea
Day 2, Friday, February 15, 2025: Kiligolf – Masai Steppes – Shambalaya Dam – Kiligolf
We had an early start and saw massive flocks of Abdim´s Storks just after we passed the airport and before we reached Mererani. We also saw White Stork, Black-winged Kite and Knob-billed Duck before Mererani. Once at the birding spot we started recording birds. Here are some of the ones we observed: Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow, Beauriful Sunbird, Straw-tailed Whydah, Rattling Cisticola, Namaqua Dove, Parrot-billed Sparrow, Violet-backed Starling, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Blue-naped Mousebird, Northern Crombec, Hunter´s, Tsavo and Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, Wattled Starling, Black-necked Weaver, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Banded Parisoma, Blue-capped Cordon-bleu, Pink-breasted Lark, Southern Grosbeak and White-bellied Canary, Red-fronted Prinia, European Roller, Great White Pelican, Red-and-yellow Barbet, Green-winged Pyrilia, Red-bellied Parrot, Common Rock Thrush, Pied Wheatear, Red-billed Quelea, Rosy-patched Bushshrike, Crimson-rumped Waxbill, Scaly Chatterer, Lesser Striped Swallow, Lesser Masked Weaver, Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Little Bee-eater, Pygmy Falcon, Northern White-crowned Shrike and Black-throated Barbet. We had now reached our Breakfast spot.We had breakfast and Håkan and my guide took a short walk. We met up again and continued recording: Grey Wren-Warbler, White-browed Scrub Robin, Somali Bunting, Pringle´s Puffback, Red-tailed Shrike, Von der Decken´s Hornbill before we finally reached our turning point at the Black-capped Social Weaver colony. We drove towards Shanbalaya Dam and recorded Emerald-spotted Wood Dove and Bare-eyed Thrush on the way. Once at the Dam, the water level were too high to explore too much, but we still managed to get: African Openbill, Red-billed Oxpecker, Common Greenshank, Little Stint, Black-winged Stilt, Great Egret, Grey-headed Silverbill, Little Egret, Wood Sandpiper, Long-tailed Paradise Whydah, Ruff, Whiskered Tern, Black Heron, African Jacana, Common Moorhen, White-faced Whistling Duck, Squacco Heron, Winding Cisticola, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Reed Cormorant, Western Yellow Wagtail and Marsh Sandpiper. We drove towards home and were home early for some garden birding and relaxing.
Some Pictures from Day 2:
Abdim´s Stork, Ciconia abdimii
Scaly Chatterer, Argya aylmeri, Endemic to NE Africa
Great Spotted Cuckoo, Clamator glandarius
Black-capped Social Weaver, Pseudonigrita cabanisi, Endemic to NE Africa
Long-tailed Paradise Whydah, Vidua paradisaea
Day 3, Saturday, February 16, 2025: Kiligolf – Tarangire National Park – Karatu
We had again an early start and took off from the main road around 08:15. We only saw Black Bishop on the road to the park. Once inside the park we started recording species: Yellow-billed Stork, Red-necked and Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Fawn-coloured Lark, Silverbird, Swahili Sparrow, Croaking Cisticola, Bateleur, Zitting Cisticola, Pangani Longclaw, Red-billed Quelea, Buff-crested Bustard, Cardinal Quelea, White-winged Widowbird, Speckle-fronted Weaver. White-backed Vulture, Black-faced Sandgrouse, Grey Crowned Crane, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Egyptian Goose, Ashy Starling, Eastern Grey Woodpecker, Winding Cisticola, African Sacred and Glossy Ibis, Lilac-breasted Roller, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Mottled Spinetail, Knob-billed Duck, Bearded Woodpecker and D´Arnaud´s Barbet. We had now reached our breakfast spot. Here are some of the birds we recorded after breakfast: Desert Cisticola, Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Collared Pratincole, Tawny Eagle, African Hawk-Eagle, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Eurasian Hoopoe, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Martial Eagle, Southern Red Bishop, Nubian Woodpecker, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Double-banded Courser, Southern Ground Hornbill, Fischer´s Sparrowlark, Green Wood Hoopoe, Crowned Lapwing, Northern Pied Babbler, Jacobin Cuckoo, Woodland Kingfisher, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, Arrow-marked Babbler, Common Ostrich and Mourning Collared Dove. We had a quick late lunch, exited the park and stopped at a small wetland just before the main road and recorded Yellow-crowned Bishop. We drove to Karatu, freshened up, had dinner and retired early to bed.
Some pictures from Day 3:
Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Pternistis leucoscepus, Endemic to NE Africa
Croaking Cisticola, Cisticola natalensis
Cardinal Quelea, Quelea cardinalis
Swahili Sparrow, Passer suahelicus, Endemic to E Africa
Ashy Starling, Lamprotornis unicolor, Endemic to Tanzania and S Kenya
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Merops persicus
Winding Cisticola, Cisticola marginatus
White-browed Coucal, Centropus superciliosus
Double-banded Courser, Rhinoptilus africanus
Grey-headed Kingfisher, Halcyon leucocephala
Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Crinifer personatus, Endemic to E Africa
Juvenile, Southern Ground Hornbill, Bucorvus leadbeateri
Lilac-breasted Roller, Coracias caudatus
Long-tailed Fiscal, Lanius cabanisi, Endemic to NE Africa
Day 4, Sunday, February 17, 2025: Karatu – Endoro Trail, Lake Eluanata – Kiligolf
We could sleep a little longer this morning since there are only about 5Km to the start of Endoro trail from the Guest House. We found Fischer´s Lovebird on the way. On the trail, we found amongst other these birds: Collard Sunbird, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Tropical Boubou, Grey-olive Greenbul, White-browed Robin-Chat, Black-headed Mountain Greenbul, Tambourine Dove, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Grey-capped Warbler, Brown-headed Apalis, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Brown Woodland Warbler, Cabanis´s Greenbul, Schalow´s Turaco, Cardinal Woodpecker, Grey-headed Nigrita, Black Cuckooshrike, African Hill Babbler, Cape Robin-Chat, Spectacled Weaver, Thick-billed Seed-eater, African Emerald Cuckoo, Sharpe´s Starling, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Southern Citril and Black Saw-wing. We had now reached the Elephant Caves and we had our breakfast. It gets quickly hot on the trail, so we finished breakfast quickly and started our way back to the car. Here are some of the birds we picked up: Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Baglafecht Weaver, Abyssinian Thrush, Hildebrandt´s Spurfowl, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Crowned Eagle, Eastern Crested Guineafowl and Northern Fiscal. We drove on towards Nanja and Lake Elyanata, stopped at the normal view Point overlooking a very flooded Lake Manyara and continued. There were still very little water at Lake Eluanata, but we still managed to get a few birds. Here are some of them: Harlequin Quail, Golden-backed Weaver, Chestnut Sparrow, Red-billed Teal, Blue-billed Teal, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Isabelline Wheatear, Red-knobbed Coot, Southern Pochard, Greater Flamingo and Western Yellow Wagtail. We still had time when we got back close to my house so firat we visited the Taveta Weaver colony, then we got Spot-flanked Barbet, Southern Black Flycatcher, Village Weaver, Long-crested Eagle, Brown-breasted Barbet and at night Western Barn Owl.
Dinner were ready and we retired early to bed.
Some pictures from Day 4:
White-browed Robin-Chat, Cossypha heuglini
Hildebrandt´s Spurfowl, Pternistis hildebrandti, Endemic to NE Africa
Red-knobbed Coot, Fulica cristata
Fulvous Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna bicolor
Southern Red Bishop, Euplactes orix
Knob-billed Duck, Sarkidiornis melanotos
Glossy Ibis, Plegadis falcinellus
Egyptian Goose, Alopochen aegyptiaca
Taveta Weaver, Ploceus castaneiceps, Endemic to N Tanzania and S Kenya
Day 5, Monday, February 18, 2025: Kiligolf – Arusha NP – Kiligolf
Again, we were in no hurry since they always open the gate late at Arusha National Park. We passed through the gate before 8 and at the way to the museum and at the museum it were very quiet: African Stonechat, Singing Cisticola, African Harrier-Hawk, Trilling Cisticola, Waller´s Starling, White-eared Barbet, Olive Sunbird, Black-headed Apalis and Hartlaub´s Turaco. We drove up to our breakfast spot, but very quiet. We only added Black-backed Puffback and African Dusky Flycatcher. We drov e to out normal wetland, but only Little Grebe. We continued to the Momella lakes: Sentinel Lark, Moustached Grass Warbler, Black-crowned Night Heron, Yellow-billed Egret, Whinchat, Pied Avocet, African Fish Eagle, Cape Teal and Lesser Flamingo. The road were blocked by a fallen tree, so we had to turn around and head for Mount Meru. Some of the birds we found up Mt. Meru included: Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Olive-headed Greenbulm Broad-ringed White-eye, Kenrick´s Starling, Moustached Tinkerbird and Bar-tailed Trogon.
We drove home, freshened up had dinner and retired early to bed.
Some pictures from Day 5:
Sentinel Lark, Corypha athi, Endemic to NE Africa
African Dusky Flycatcher, Muscicapa adusta
Bar-tailed Trogon, Apaloderma vittatum
Day 6, Tuesday, February 19, 2025: Kiligolf – Lark Plains, Oldonyo Sambo – Lengijave – Kiligolf
We left very early and turned off the main road at 07:30- On the way to the Beesley´s Lark spot we found amongst others: Taita Fiscal, Capped Wheatear, Red-capped Lark, Isabelline Wheatear, African Pipit, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse and Beesley´s Lark. Then we had a distant view of a Pallid Harrier before my guide found Somali Short-toed Lark. We got back to the car and started driving towards the Acacia Forest: Some more birds recorded before Håkan were invited to the Masai Booma for a picture session: Greater Kestrel, Temminck´s Courser, Short-tailed Lark, Grey-capped Social Weaver + many more acacia species. We did a brief stop at Oldonyo Sambo, before we headed to Lengijave. Here are some of the birds recorded: Abyssinian Wheatear, White-fronted Bee-eater, Singing and Lyne´s Cisticola, Eurasian Hoopoe, Golden-winged Sunbird, Brown-throated Martin, Red-throated Rock Martin, Bronzy Sunbird and Streaky Seedeater.
We returned home and had a nice dinner.
Some pictures from Day 6:
Beesley´s Lark, Chersomanes beesleyi, Endemic to a small area North of Arusha, Tanzania
Fawn-coloured Lark, Calendulauda africanoides
Fischer´s Sparrow-Lark, Female, Eremopterix leucopareia, Endemic to NE Africa
Temminck´s Courser, Cursorius temminckii
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Pterocles exustus
Short-tailed Lark, Spizocorys fremantlii, Endemic to NE Africa
White-fronted Bee-eater, Merops bullockoides
Singing Cisticola, Cisticola cantans
Eurasian Hoopoe, Upupa epops
Long-billed Pipit, Anthus similis
Golden-winged Sunbird, Drepanorhynchus reichenowi, Endemic E Africa
Day 7, Wednesday, February 20, 2025: Kiligolf – Kilimanjaro International Airport.
We had a slow morning with breakfast at home. Håkan and my guide took a walk on Kiligolf while I did some administrative work. I organised a day for Håkan in Nairobi National Park. Of the 457 species we recorded, 322 were lifers for Håkan. In addition he got 21 Lifers in Nairobi National Park in Kenya, so a well spent long week Håkan? Already on February 24, I got two new friends that visited from Norway for a 2 week trip. Stay tuned for a new trip report although it might take some time because I have a trip with friends from Portugal starting on April 22. It is a tough job to be retired 🙂
