Kenya 22/12-12 Part 2

This part of the trip was to be so much more than expected, even though I did not really have any special expectations. I was quite stunned after we had driven around Lake Nakuru! For a bird-lover there are few single locations that can be more filled with interesting species! At least that is how it was for me. While mammals are what you usually see on TV from Africa, I am even more interested in the birds, and here I got to see many more than I could manage to find them in my bird-guide.

The drive from Sunbird Lodge to Lake Nakuru gave a brief glimpse into what was awaiting. Great Egret (Egretthegre), Yellow-Billed Stork (Gulnebbstork) and African Spoonbill (Afrikaskjestork) gave a glimpse into the long-legged birds, and an African Hawk-Eagle (Afrikahaukørn) sat on a post gave a hope of seeing many raptors as well.

Since it is difficult to quite remember all the details about the drive around the lake, I will use the bird-guide to go thruogh some of the more interesting species that I managed to identify around the lake.

Both Great White-(Hvitpelikan) and Pink-Backed Pelican(Rosenpelikan) where seen on the lake, and a roost of Great Whites gave good possibilities for photographing.

Swimming Great White Pelicans (Hvitpelikan)

Roosting Great White Pelicans(Hvitpelikan), theyre all GWP's even though some are quite pinkish.
 

Cormorants were spread around the lake. Most were Great Cormorants (Storskarv), but there were also som Long-Tailed Cormorants(Langhaleskarv) sat in small trees around the lake. I even managed to spot a couple of African Darters (Slangehalsfugl), even though they did not give me an opportunity to photograph them.

Long-Tailed Cormorant/Langhaleskarv

Great Cormorant/Storskarv, surrounded by Cape Teal/Kappand, Greater Flamingo/Flamingo, Lesser Flamingo/Dvergflamingo and Grey-Headed Gull/Gråhodemåke.

Egrets, herons and other long-legged birds have allways fascinated me, and here I got to see all that I wanted! Common Squacco Heron/Topphegre is a species that have eluded me for quite a few years. People have seen individuals in the exact same spot as me just minutes before I have gotten therem but when I get there it has off course left the location! But here one of them sat just next to the road, trying to be as impossible to see as it could! A beautiful species!

Common Squacco Heron/Topphegre

Of the white Egrets I got to see Little Egret/Silkehegre, Great Egret/Egretthegre and the one I really wanted, Intermediate Egret/Duskhegre. I did not think that I would be able to distinguish between Great and Intermediate, but the bill was a good way of telling them apart! I allso got to see the familiar Grey Heron/Gråhegre. Just like seeing it at home, except for everything surrounding it!

Intermediate Egret/Duskhegre

Grey Heron/Gråhegre

Of the other long-legs I got to see, many were very nice to see in close-up. Yellow-Billed Stork(Gulnebbstork) and White Stork(Stork) are both majestic birds which deserve to be watched thurroughly! Ibises are strange birds that allways catches my interest, while the African Spoonbill(Afrikaskjestork) is just a beauty. The flamingos, both Greater-(Flamingo) and the Lesser Flamingo(Dvergflamingo) looks like they have bought stilts, and that they dont want to leave them behind.

White Stork/Stork

Yellow-Billed Stork/Gulnebbstork - juvenile

Yellow-Billed Stork/Gulnebbstork - adult

Sacred Ibis/Helligibis

African Spoonbill/Afrikaskjestork, with a Hottentot Teal/Hottentottand next to it, and a Cape Teal/Kappand in the background.

Lesser Flamingo/Dvergflamingo in the centre of the picture, Red-Knobbed Coot/Knoppsothøne front-left. The ducks in the middle are (left to right) Southern Pochard/Fløyelsand - male, Cape Teal/Kappand, the next three are Southern Pochard females. Two Greater Flamingos/Flamingo in the background. 

Grey-Headed Gull/Gråhodemåke, Ruff/Brushane, Greater Flamingo/Flamingo