Day 1, Friday February 13, 2026: Airport to Home
I picked up my friend Sander from Netherlands at the Airport from his late night KLM flight. Sander only had about a week so we had decided to focus our birding around the Arusha area with day trips except one night in Karatu. Sander had never birded in Africa before, but as I found out, he was extremely well prepared. I told him we should expect to get about 350 species on the trip. Read on, to see how we did.
Day 2, Saturday, February 14, 2026: Kiligolf, Sakila Hills, Kiligolf
We met our guide early in the morning and drove to my previous home at Kiligolf. We parked the car and started birding. Here are some of the birds we recorded on the morning bird walk: African Sacred Ibis, Purple Heron, Little Heron, Slate-colored Boubou, Buff-bellied Warbler, Green Sandpiper, Grey-olive Greenbul, Northern Brownbul, Hamerkop, Golden-backed Weaver, Brown-breasted Barbet, Three-banded Plover, Common Sandpiper, Squacco Heron, Yellow-billed Stork, Yellow-billed Egret, Superb Starling, Grey Heron, African Jacana, Pied Kingfisher, Little Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, Greater Painted-snipe, White-browed Coucal, Black Crake, Blacksmith Lapwing, Winding Cisticola, Mourning Collared Dove, Blue-naped Mousebird, Steel-blue Whydah, African Grey Flycatcher, Rattling Cisticola, Variable Sunbird, Crested Francolin, Nubian Woodpecker, Lesser Striped Swallow, Barn Swallow, Southern Black Flycatcher, Sombre Greenbul, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Vitelline Masked Weaver, Brubru, Wattled Starling, Chinspot Batis, Red-chested Cuckoo, African Hawk-Eagle, Bronze Mannikin, Pin-tailed Whydah, Black-and-white Mannikin, Hildebrandt’s Starling, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Bare-eyed Thrush, Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, Amethyst Sunbird, Wire-tailed Swallow, African Paradise Flycatcher, African Palm Swift, African Fish Eagle, Reichenow’s Seedeater, Bleating Camaroptera, Black-headed Heron, Yellow Bishop, Spotted Flycatcher, Pale White-eye, Lanner Falcon, Marabou Stork and African Openbill. It was getting hot at Kiligolf, so we drove towards the Wetlands next to Sakila Hills. Once there we continued adding birds: African Marsh-Harrier, Western Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Crowned Lapwing, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Fiscal, Taveta Weaver, a surprise Grasshopper Buzzard, African Pipit, Baglafecht Weaver, White-winged Widowbird, Isabelline Shrike, Crowned Hornbill, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Common Buzzard and Western Yellow Wagtail. We drove back towards Usa River for lunch and on the road down to Kikatiti, we added Yellow-fronted Canary, Long-tailed Fiscal, African Grey Hornbill and Augur Buzzard. We had lunch in Usa River. After lunch, I took a detour to Kiligolf and stopped at a wetland at the start of the Arusha Bypass Road. There we added Egyptian Goose and Grey Crowned Crane. We drove on to Kiligolf. Here we added Red-faced Cisticola, Tambourine Dove, Northern Red-fronted Tinkerbird, European Honey Buzzard (A bird I have only seen 6-7 times in East Africa, all times on Kiligolf!), Speckled Pigeon, Arrow-marked Babbler, Thick-billed Weaver, African Pied Wagtail, European Bee-eater, Chestnut Weaver and Purple Grenadier. On the way home, we added Magpie Shrike, Green Wood Hoopoe and Eurasian Hobby. What a fantastic start of the trip. Close to 130 species on the first day!
Some Pictures from Day 2:
Purple Heron, Ardea purpurea
Greater Painted-snipe, Rostratula benghalensis
Steel-blue Whydah, Vidua hypocherina
African Marsh Harrier, Circus ranivorus
Grasshopper Buzzard, Butastur rufipennis
Isabelline Shrike, Lanius isabellinus
Yellow-fronted Canary, Chritagra mozambica
Arrow-marked Babbler, Turdoides jardineii
Winding Cisticola, Cisticola marginatus
Spotted Palm Thrush, Cichladusa guttata
Day 3, Sunday, February 15: Lark Plains, Oldonyo Sambu and Lengijave
We set out early on Sunday morning. We were at the turnoff at exactly 07:20. We started ticking birds: Pied Wheatear, Banded Parisoma, Fawn-colored Lark, Taita Fiscal, Isabelline Wheatear, Capped Wheatear, Red-capped Lark, Rosy-patched Bushshrike, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Beesley’s Lark, Short-tailed Lark, Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Desert Cisticola, Southern Grosbeak Canary, Northern Wheatear, Greater Kestrel, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler and Common Rock Thrush. We had finished at the Lark Plains and drove to the dry Acacia forest where my Masai friend Ngongai live. We added White Stork, Von der Decken’s Hornbill, Lesser Masked Weaver, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Gorgeous Sunbird, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Black-necked Weaver, Little Bee-eater, White-headed Mousebird, White-throated Robin, Cardinal Woodpecker, Red-fronted Prinia, Kenya Sparrow, Chestnut Sparrow, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow, Grey Wren-Warbler, Red-fronted Barbet, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Red-throated Tit, White-bellied Canary, Pygmy Batis, Gabar Goshawk, Grey-capped Social Weaver, Black-faced Waxbill, Northern White-crowned Shrike, Black-winged Stilt, Fischer’s Sparrow-Lark, Marico Sunbird and Pygmy Falcon. We had now finished at the Masai Booma and drove towards Oldonyo Sambu. There, we added Eastern Grey Woodpecker, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, White-fronted Bee-eater, Brown-throated Martin, Red-throated Rock Martin, Streaky Seed-eater, Little Rock Thrush, Spot-flanked Barbet and Pied Crow. Our next stop: Lengijave. There we added amongst others these species: Bronze Sunbird, Singing Cisticola, Abyssinian Wheatear, Black Bishop, Speke’s Weaver, White-headed Buffalo Weaver, Lyne’s Cisticola, Common Hoopoe, Common Kestrel, Red-and-yellow Barbet and Southern Citril. We finished at Lengijave and started on our way home. We dropped our guide at the Arusha Airport junction and I spotted a Black Kite just afterwards and a little further a flock of Lesser Kestrels. Another highly successful day. My aim were to get to 200 species that day, but we ended at 202. 58% of the targets for the trip after two days of birding were not bad?
Some Pictures from Day 3:
Beesley’s Lark, Chersomanes beesleyi
Celebrating after getting the highly Endemic Beesley’s Lark
Short-tailed Lark, Spizocory’s fremantlii
Red-fronted Prinia, Prinia rufifrons
Eastern Grey Woodpecker, Dendropicos spodecephalus
Spot-flanked Barbet, Tricholaema lacrymosa
Bronze Sunbird, Nectarina kilimensis
Abyssinian Wheatear, Oenanthe lugubris Race schalowi
Lyne’s Cisticola, Cisticola distinctus
Long-billed Pipit, Anthus similis
Lesser Kestrel, Falco naumanni
Day 4, Monday, February 16, 2026: Tarangire National Park – Karatu
Again, we had a super early start. After Makuyuni we got our first target, Abdim’s Stork. We swung off from the main road at 08:10. Our first sighting were a Spotted Eagle-Owl followed by Blue-cheeked Bee-ater, Blue-capped Cordon-bleu, Fork-tailed Drongo, Silverbird, Red-bellied Parrot, Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Southern Red Bishop, Swahili Sparrow and European Roller. We were now at the gate of the park and as normal the boys went birding while I paid the entrance fee. When I met them again I were surprised they had not seen a Yellow-collared Lovebird. For some reason I find it harder and harder to see the Lovebird in the park. It used to be very common, but I believe the population has seriously declined. We did not see a single bird inside the park that day and for the first time ever I dipped on that bird in Tarangire. We entered the park and started adding birds to our list: Red-necked Spurfowl, Green-winged Pytilia, Bateleur, Striped Kingfisher, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Lilac-breasted Roller, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Zitting Cisticola, Harlequin Quail, Tawny Eagle, Grey-headed Silverbill, Pangani Longclaw, Diederik Cuckoo, Rüppel’s Vulture, Common Cuckoo, Laughing Dove, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Common Ostrich, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Senegal Lapwing, Ashy Starling, Yellow-billed and Red-billed Oxpecker (on the same Giraffe), Water Thick-knee and Woodland Kingfisher. We had now reached our breakfast spot and while having breakfast, we added Little Sparrowhawk and Bare-faced Go-away-bird. We continued our loop and added: White-headed Buffalo-Weaver, Long-crested Eagle, Grey Kestrel, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Red-and-yellow Barbet, Greater Honeyguide, White-backed Vulture, Black-faced Sandgrouse, Lappet-faced Vulture, White-bellied Bustard, Double-banded Courser, Secretarybird, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Temminck’s Courser, Buff-crested Bustard, Hartlaub’s Bustard, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Long-tailed Fiscal, White-headed Vulture and Magpie Shrike. We reached the gate and had a late lunch. Then we continued to Karatu. We dropped our guide off at a guest House and Sander and I checked into a hotel. I took Sander for a walk to find Fischer’s Lovebirds coming in for roost. We found quite a few. On our way back to the hotel, we also added Little Swift. The count after 3 days of birding were now at 261 species or 75% of the 350 species I anticipated.Â
Some pictures from Day 4:
Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Tockus erythrorhynchus
Red-necked Spurfowl, Pternistes afer
Lilac-breasted Roller, Coracias caudatus
Pangani Longclaw, Macronyx aurantiigula
Senegal Lapwing, Vanellus lugubris
Ashy Starling, Lamprotornis unicolor
Slate-colored Boubou, Laniarius funebris
Water Thick-knee, Burhinus vermiculatis
Red-and-yellow Barbet, Trachylaemus purpuratus
Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Crinifer personatus
Just after Breakfast in Tarangire
White-headed Buffalo Weaver, Dinemellia dinemelli
Double-banded Courser, Smutsornis africanus
Hartlaub’s Bustard, Lissotis hartlaubii
Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Pterocles gutturalis
Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Pternistis leucoscepus
Magpie Shrike, Urolestes melanoleucus
Long-tailed Fiscal, Lanius cabanisi
Fischer’s Lovebird, Agapornis fischeri
Day 5, Tuesday, February 17, 2026: Endoro Trail, Karatu via Lake Eluanata and home
Our hotel were not far from the Endoro trail, so we had an hour extra sleep that morning. I paid the entance fee and again we got a ranger that were stressing on time. I hate that and are willing to pay double to have unlimited time, but the ranger were the boss. Here are some of the birds we added: Black-throated Wattle-eye, Thick-billed Seedeater, Brown-headed Apalis, Grey-capped Warbler, Purple-throated Cuckooshrike, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Green-backed Honeybird, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Brown Woodland Warbler, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Schalow’s Turaco, Grey Cuckooshrike, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Mbulu White-eye, Mountain Buzzard, Brown-backed Woodpecker, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Black-headed Mountain Greenbul, Black-backed Puffback, Bar-throated Apalis, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Grey-headed Nigrita, Abyssinian Thrush, African Dusky Flycatcher and Moustached Tinkerbird. We had reached the entrance again. We had a late breakfast and Sander and my guide walked to the bottom of the hill where we added African Yellow Warbler, Olive Sunbird, White-browed Robin-Chat, Green-headed Sunbird, Spectacled Weaver and Southern Citril. We drove on to Lake Eluanata that had recently been dry. We added first Namaqua Dove and Black-chested Snake Eagle on the Northern side of the dam, then Red-tailed Shrike and Northern Pied Babbler on the grasslands to the West. It started raining quite heavy and the ground were already soaked which made it very slippery and with quite some difficulties we managed to finally get back on the main road.
After Day 4, our bird count stood at 296 species and I knew by then that we would reach a greater number than the estimated 350.
Some pictures from Day 5:
Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Cinnyris mediocris
The beautiful Forest of the Endoro Trail on the slopes of Ngorogoro Crater
African Yellow Warbler, Iduna natalensis
Southern Citril, Chritagra hyposticta
Spectacled Weaver, Juvenile, Ploceus ocularis
At the Elephant Caves
Northern Pied Babbler, Turdoides hypoleuca
Red-tailed Shrike, Lanius phoenicuroides
Day 6, Wednesday, February 18, 2026: Masai Steppes
Again, we had an early start. We reached the start of our birding spot more or less exactly at 07:00. We started adding birds right away: House Crow in Mererani, Ashy Cisticola, Pink-breasted Lark, Grey-headed Bushshrike, Parrot-billed Sparrow, Purple Roller, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Barred Warbler (LIFER), Great Spotted Cuckoo, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Gabar Goshawk, African Red-rumped Swallow, Golden-breasted Starling, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Black-throated Barbet, Tsavo Sunbird, Hunter’s Sunbird, Black-capped Social Weaver, Scaly Chatterer, Vitelline Masked Weaver, Brown-crowned Tchagra, White-headed Mousebird, Long-toed Lapwing, Spur-winged Lapwing, Purple Swamphen, Greater Flamingo, African Spoonbill, Black Heron, Grey-headed Gull, Kittlitz’s Plover, Fulvous and White-faced Whistling Duck, Glossy Ibis, Common Moorhen, Common Greenshank, White-backed Duck, Blue-billed Teal, Pink-backed Pelican, Spur-winged Goose, African Darter, Long-tailed Paradise Whydah, Whiskered Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Western Marsh Harrier and Orange-breasted Bushshrike. We returned home after another successfull day. We were now at 341 species with 3 full days to go. I knew we were going to pass 350, but wondered if we could manage 400.
Some Pictures from Day 6:
Barred Warbler, Male, Curruca nisoria – LIFER
Barred Warbler, Female, Curruca nisoria
White-headed Mousebird, Collius leucocephalus
Great Spotted Cuckoo, Clamator glandarius
Vitelline Masked Weaver, Ploceus vitellinus
Brown-crowned Tchagra, Tchagra australis
Long-toed Lapwing, Vanellus crassirostris
Purple Swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio
Kittlitz’s Plover, Anarhynchus pecuarius
Pink-backed Pelican, Pelecanus rufescens
Western Marsh Harrier, Circus aeruginosus
African Jacana, Actophilornis africanus
Lunch at Shambalaya Dam in Masai Steppes
Day 7, Thursday, February 19, 2026: TPC in Moshi – Northern Shores of Nyumba Ya Mungu Dam.
Again an early start. We started adding birds before we reached TPC: Cut-throat Finch, Zanzibar Red Bishop, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Black Saw-wing and Common Waxbill. Inside TPC: a surprice pair of Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl, Brown-throated Martin, Pied Avocet, Little Rush Warbler, Little Stint and White-rumped Swift. We continued at the very bad road towards Nyumba ya Mungu Dam. Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, Greater and Lesser Flamingos, Red-billed Teal and Curlew Sandpiper. We drove along the shore line for a while without finding much new. It were still early and we had driven through some dry bush country. We found Olive Bee-eater on the wire. We stopped at a spot my guide thought would be nice. They took a walk in the heat and added some species including Three-banded Courser and Spotted Thick-knee. I relaxed in the shade and photographed quite a few species as can be seen on the pictures below. Another great day and we were now at 361 species in 6 days of birding. the question now were if we could reach 400.
Some Pictures from Day 7:
Brown-throated Martin, Riparia palaudicola
Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl, Pternistes hildebrandti
African Red-rumped Swallow, Cecropis rufula
Winding Cisticola, Cisticola marginatus
White-browed Coucal, Centropus superciliosus
Western Cattle Egret, Ardea ibis
D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Trachyphonus darnaudii
Pygmy Batis, Female, Batis perkeo
Northern Crombec, Sylvietta brachyura
Purple Grenadier, Male, Granatina ianthinogaster
Purple Grenadier, Female, Granatina ianthinogaster
Pink-breasted Lark, Calendulauda poecilosterna
eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, Anthreptes orientalis
Hunter’s Sunbird, Chalcomitra hunteri
Tsavo Sunbird, Cinnyris tsavoensis
Eastern Olivaceus Warbler, Iduna pallida
Lesser Masked Weaver, Male, Ploceus intermedius
Lesser Masked Weaver, Female, Ploceus intermedius
Back home after yet another successful day
Somebody could not stay on his feet at Nyumba ya Mungu Dam
Day 8, Friday, February 20, 2026: Arusha National Park
The last two days we were going to bird nearby my new house. We could catch an extra hour of sleep. I had looked at Mount Meru and there had been heavy clouds and rain every day. That day for once the sky were clear and we had a bit of luck. We entered the Park at 07:30. On the way to the museum, we added Black-headed Oriole, Trilling Cisticola, Moustached Grass Warbler, Mountain Wagtail, Giant Kingfisher and Black Cuckooshrike. It were very quiet at the museum and also up Ngurdoto Crater Rim to our Breakfast Stop. We only added Kenrick’s Starling and Hartlaub’s Turaco. On the way down we had distant views of Crowned Eagle and Palm-nut Vulture. We drove towards the lakes and first stopped for a Common Buzzard and then finally Black-headed Apalis and a nicely perched Red-chested Cuckoo. We continued towards the lakes and added White-necked Raven and a beautifully perched Spotted Eagle-Owl. Around the lakes, we added Southern Pochard, Little Grebe and could only find two Cape Teals. Other birds included African Pygmy Kingfisher, Lesser and Greater Flamingos, Pied Avocet, Great Cormorant, Marsh Sandpiper, Baglafecht Weaver and Sentinel Lark. We drove towards Mount Meru, could not entice the Short-winged Cisticola, but got a Whinchat in almost full breeding plumage. Mount Meru were quiet. We added Mountain Buzzard, White-starred Robin, Broad-ringed White-eye and Bar-tailed Trogon. We drove down the mountain and towards the gate. We added a Saddle-billed Stork at Little Serengeti and Black-crowned Tchagra at the gate. The day started very good, but Mount Meru were very quiet despite the perfect timing. We were now up to 388 species and only 12 to go to reach 400 for the trip!
Some Pictures from Day 8:
Trilling Cisticola, Cisticola woosnami
View of Ngurduto Crater in Arusha National Park
Kenrick’s Starling, Poeoptera kenricki
Common Buzzard, Buteo buteo
Red-chested Cuckoo, Cuculus solitarius
Spotted Eagle-Owl, Bubo africanus
African Pygmy Kingfisher, Ispidina picta
Greater Flamingo, Phoenicopterus roseus
At the Momela Lakes in Arusha National Park
Baglafecht Weaver, Ploceus baglafecht
Sentinel Lark, Corypha athi
Whinchat, Saxicola rubetra
Saddle-billed Stork, Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
Day 9, Saturday, February 21, 2026: Meru Forest – Ngarasero Lodge – Kalinga Forest
We were not in a hurry that morning either. The rain were coming down when we left. We drove up to Meru Forest. Stopped for Hunter’s Cisticola. The fog were laying heavy over the Forest, but suddenly it lifted. We started birding at an elevation of 1.900 metres. Here are some of the birds we saw in the Forest: Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Cabanis’s Greenbul, Broad-ringed White-eye, Brown Woodland Warbler, Olive Woodpecker, Olive-headed Greenbul, Grey-headed Nigrita, Evergreen Forest Warbler, and Yellow-crowned Canary. We had breakfast were the car were parked and added Cape Robin-Chat, Green Twinspot and Klaas Cuckoo. We drove to Ngarasero Lodge, but could not locate the African Black Duck. We continued to Kalinga Forest. Here are some of the birds we saw there: African Wood Owl, Ashy Flycatcher, Bird number 400 that Sander spotted himself: Lesser Honeyguide, Retz’s Helmetshrike, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Bearded Woodpecker, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Narina Trogon, Green Malkoha and Waller’s Starling. It were now 17:00 in the afternoon and Sander had a plane to catch that evening so we drove home. We did the final list and ended at 410 species seen by Sander. We had an early dinner and I dropped him off for the taxi waiting to take him to the airport.
Some pictures from Day 9:
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Melaenornis fischeri
Grey-headed Nigrita, Juvenile, Nigrita canicapillus
Variable Sunbird, Female, Cinnyris venestus
Broad-ringed White-eye, Zosterops eurycricotus
View from Meru Forest. Sakila Hills in the distance
Retz’s Helmetshrike, Prionops retzii
Narina Trogon, Apaloderma narina
Celebrating Sander’s 400th species sighting in Kalinga Forest!
In my eyes it had been a fantastic trip. I expected around 350 species and we knocked it out of the ball park with 410! Still we dipped on quite a few species I had counted on we could get, but again we got some species I never thought possible including my lifer the Barred Warbler. I have birded in the Arusha area for about 12 years and have totally registered about 540 -550 species in those 12 years. To get 410 or more than 90% of those species in 8 days is fantastic. I mentioned previously that Sander had never been to Africa before, but he had studied the species on the list I had sent him and he could tell all the species we saw. I were very impressed and it made the job so much easier for my guide and me. Sander, I hope you will be back? I have now a little break before I start the first of a total of 6 Kenya trips in the beginning of March. Stay tuned for more trip reports!