I had a January trip that did not materialize. I had not done any serious birding for a while. I read a report from my Kenyan friend John Gitiri. He had been to Marsabit north in Kenya. I had never been there before because it had been considered unsafe. According to John it were very safe now. I quickly looked at google maps and it turned out to be only 820 km there. I consulted iGoTerra and realised i had 11 potential lifers to get in Marsabit and the area slightly north near the village of Bubisa. Thanks to my friends Paul van Giersbergen, Itai Shanni and Nik Borrow I got some invaluable information. Read the report to find out how it went?
Day 1, Tuesday, January 13, 2026: Kilala to Archer’s Post
I intended to drive all the way to Marsabit that day, but had several stops on the way and only reached Archer’s Post
Day 2, Wednesday, January 14, 2026: Archer’s Post to Marsabit
I did not stress this morning, but drove the last 250 km on incredible good roads and checked into the hotel that Itai had suggested. I had lunch and in the afternoon went out birding. I drove north to towards Bubisa with the sun in my back. Here are some of the species I registered on the first day: Somali Fiscal, Isabelline Wheatear, Red-fronted Prinia, White-browed Scrub Robin, Common Rock Thrush, African Pipit, Superb Starling, Heuglin’s Bustard, Buff-crested Bustard, Bristle-crowned Starling, Helmeted Guineafowl and Crested Lark. I were of to a good start with 3 lifers in an afternoon with only roadside birding.
Some pictures from Day 2:
Common Rock Thrush, Monticola saxatilis
Female Heuglin’s Bustard, Neotis heuglinii – LIFER
Heuglin’s Bustard, Neotis heuglinii
Buffe-crested Bustard, Lophotis gindiana
Bristle-crowned Starling, Onychognatus salvadori
Helmeted Guineafowl, Numida meleagris Race somaliensis
Crested Lark, Galerida cristata – LIFER
A very happy man after 3 Lifers on his first afternoon in Marsabit
Day 3, Thursday, January 15, 2026: Marsabit area
That morning, I drove to Bubisa and drove slowly towards Marsabit with the sun in my back. Here are some of the species I recorded: Crested Lark, Somali Crow, White-headed Buffalo Weaver, Speckled Pigeon, White-crowned Starling, Donaldson Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver, Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark, Heuglin’s Bustard, Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Thekla’s Lark and Eurasian Hobby. I returned to the hotel, had breakfast and relaxed a little. Itai had told me that sometimes Swainson’s Sparrow could be found in the garden of the hotel. Around 12:30, I did some garden birding and here are some of the species I found: Hunter’s Sunbird, Common Bulbul, Swainson’s Sparrow, Spotted Palm Thrush, Pale-white-eye, Lesser Masked Weaver and Chestnut Weaver. I had misunderstood and instead of going north of Marsabit to Dida Galgalu Desert, I went West towards the Chalbi Desert. The road were good for the first 20 km, but then turned into a nightmare on the next 20 until I had the sense to turn. It were very quiet along the road with quite a few Somali Fiscals. The only new birds added that afternoon were House Sparrow in Town and Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse on the road towards Chalbi Desert. I returned home to the hotel right after Dark. I now had 7 lifers, but missed good pictures of some of them.
Some Pictures from Day 3:
Crested Lark, Galerida cristata
Somali Crow, Corvus edithae – LIFER
Speckled Pigeon, Columba guinea
Heuglin’s Bustard, Neotis heuglinii
Swainson’s Sparrow, Passer swainsonii – LIFER
Common Bulbul, Pycnonotus barbatus Race dodsoni
Spotted Palm Thrush, Cichladusa guttata
Lesser Masked Weaver, Ploceus intermedius
House Sparrow, Passer domesticus
Female, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Pterocles exustus
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Pterocles exustus
Day 4, Friday, January 16, 2026: Marsabit – Dida Galgalu Desert.
Paul had given me coordinates for one of my missing species. Masked Lark. I drove early in the morning the 80 km to the spot in Dida Galgalu Desert. Then turned and drove slowly back towards Bubisa with the sun in my back. Here are some of the species I recorded that morning: Somali Crow, Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark, Egyptian Vulture, Masked Lark, Greater Kestrel, Somali Fiscal, Somali Courser, Thekla’s Lark, Isabelline Wheatear and Black Kite. I returned to the hotel for breakfast. What a fantastic morning. I added lifer number 8 and got better pictures of some of the other lifers. The only lifer I missed a good picture of were the White-crowned Starling. I did some garden birding at the hotel in the early afternoon. Here are some of the species I observed: White-browed Coucal, Lesser Masked Weaver, Red-billed Quelea, Chestnut Weaver, Pale White-eye, Pied Wheater and Little Bee-eater. As I returned to my room, I looked up and saw a flock of Hooded Vultures circling over my head. That afternoon I decided to drive north towards Bubisa again. Here are some of the birds I observed that afternoon: Nubian Woodpecker, Variable Sunbird that really gave me and ID challenge due to the white belly. I consulted with my friend and oracle, Adam Scott Kennedy and he confirmed subspecies albiventris. Further on, from the corner of my eye, I saw a White-crowned Starling. I stopped the car and it flew off far and started walking on the ground. I tried to call and got an intermediate reaction. Almost 50 of them came in and almost tried to enter my car! Then the last Heuglin’s Bustards on the trip. The male were walking on the road and the female on the other side. Other birds observed included Brown-tailed Rock Chat, White-bellied Buffalo Weaver and Crested Lark. I dipped on 3 potential lifers: Somali Sparrow, Northern Grosbeak Canary and Striolated Bunting. All of them had been previously observed in Bubisa, but no luck for me to find them. Next time! The exploratory trip yielded 8 out of 11 lifers with excellent pictures of all 8 on an exploratory trip on my own. Not bad?
Some pictures from Day 4
Egyptian Vulture, Neophron percnopterus
Masked Lark, Spizocorys personata –LIFER
Female, Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark, Eremopterix signatus
Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark, Eremopterix signatus
Greater Kestrel, Falco rupicoloides
Somali Fiscal, Lanius somalicus – LIFER
Thekla’s Lark, Galerida theklae – LIFER
Isabelline Wheatear, Oenanthe isabellina
Somali Courser, Cursorius somalensis
After a visit to Dida Galgalu Desert now with 8 Lifers under his belt.
White-browed Coucal, Centropus superciliosus
Red-billed Quelea, Quelea quelea
Chestnut Weaver, Ploceus rubiginosus
Hunter’s Sunbird, Chalcomitra hunteri
Pale White-eye, Zosterops flavilateralis
Pied Wheatear, Oenanthe pleschanka
Little Bee-eater, Merops pusillus
Hooded Vulture, Necrosyrtes monachus
Variable Sunbird, Cinnyris venustus, Race albiventris
White-crowned Starling, Lamprotornis albicapillus – LIFER
Heuglin’s Bustard, Neotis heuglini
Crested Lark, Galerida cristata
White-headed Bufflao Weaver, Dinemellia dinemelli
Day 5, Saturday, January 17, 2026: Marsabit – Nairobi
I woke up that morning and decided that I were happy with the results and that the remaining three lifers could wait. Instead I started the 500 km drive towards Nairobi. My plan were to go to Nairobi National Park on Sunday. I knew Adam had his birthday on the following Monday and texted him if he cared to join me in the park the day after. I only saw his reply when I checked in to Hotel Troy in Nairobi. Adam were on!
Day 6, Sunday, January 18, 2026: Nairobi National Park
I met Adam at the park entrance a little after 7 in the morning. It were a Sunday, so quite a few cars were entering the park. The line went smooth so we were soon inside and could lift the roof. We drove to the Nagolomon Reservoir and started adding birds: Common Snipe, Pallid Harrier, Speke’s Weaver, Dusky Turtle Dove, Steppe Eagle, Yellow-billed Stork, African Darter, Little Heron, Egyptian Goose and Reed Cormorant. We drove on to the Kingfisher Picnic site and tried for the African Rail that I needed for East Africa on the way, but no luck. The picnic site were very quiet and we only added Red-faced Cisticola, Red-throated Tit, Grey-capped Warbler, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Superb Starling and Kenya Sparrow. We drove towards the Hyena Reservoir. The normally birdy road were very quiet. At the reservoir, we added: Martial Eagle, Reihcenow’s Seedeater, Three-banded Plover, Yellow-billed Egret, African Rail (New EA Lifer), Long-toed Lapwing and Spur-winged Lapwing. We continued deeper in the park. Some of the birds we observed on a quiet day in the park included: Western Marsh Harrier, Sentinel Lark, Common Ostrich, White-backed Vulture, Tawny Eagle, Common Kestrel, Grey Crowned Crane, Pangani Longclaw, Long-tailed Fiscal, African Pipit, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, White-bellied Bustard and Northern Pied Babbler. We were back at the Hyena Reservoir and added: Marabou Stork, Great Egret, African Sacred Ibis, Wood Sandpiper, Black-headed and Grey Heron, White-browed Coucal, Common Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Malachite Kingfisher and Little Grebe. We drove back to the Nogolomon Reservoir and added Winding Cisticola, Pied Kingfisher and Great Cormorant. We exited the park around 16:00. It were nice to catch up with Adam again, but a slow day in the park. I will be back to Nairobi National Park in March, April, May, October and November this year.
Common Snipe, Gallinago gallinago
Female, Pallid Harrier, Circus macrourus
Speke’s Weaver, Ploceus spekei
Steppe Eagle, Aqula nipalensis
Martial Eagle, Polemaetus bellicosus
African Rail, Rallus caerulescens – EA LIFER
Western Marsh Harrier, Circus aeriginosus
Pangani Longclaw, Macronyx aurantigula
Long-tailed Fiscal, Lanius cabanisi
Black-winged Kite, Elanus caeruleus
Helmeted Guineafowl, Numida meleagris
Female, White-bellied Bustard, Eupodotis senegalensus
White-bellied Bustard, Eupodotis senegalensus
Northern Pied Babbler, Turdoides hypoleuca
Three-banded Plover, Thinornis tricollaris
Marabou Stork, Leptopilos crumenifer
Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus
Wood Sandpiper, Tringa glareola
Day 7, Monday, January 19, 2026: Nairobi – Home
I took it easy in the morning, had breakfast at the hotel and then slowly started the about 300 km back home. All in all a short, but very rewarding trip. This year will mainly be about Kenya. I have trips in March, April, May, June, October and November. Two of them overlapping 3 week trips. Stay tuned for more trip reports.