I recently had the good fortune to visit Nairobi for 2 days during June. I was a little wary of the current security situation in Kenya (as I write warnings are being issued for Mombasa) so decided I would get myself a good local guide and driver and eventually settled on Joseph Mwangi of Nature’s Wonderland Safaris. Joseph was accompanied by Steven and his open top Prado with 360 degree view. Joseph certainly knows his birds and I can highly recommend him, in fact the pair worked very well as a team, understanding exactly the needs of a Photographer.
My first day was to be spent in Nairobi National Park, the first thing you notice about the park is it’s proximity to Nairobi city, rather surreal !
Indeed, the proximity of urban and natural environments has caused conflicts between the animals and local people and threatens animals’ migration routes. The park covers an area of 117.21 square kilometres (28,963 acres) and is small in comparison to most of Africa’s national parks.The park’s altitude ranges between 1,533 metres (5,030ft) and 1,760 metres (5,774ft), has a dry climate and a diverse range of habitats and species. Entrance fee is $40.
The park’s predominant environment is open grass plain with scattered Acacia bushes. The western uplands of the park have highland dry forest and the lower slopes of these areas are grassland. There is a riverine forest along the permanent river in the south of the park. You will also find areas of broken bush and deep rocky valleys and gorges. The park has a high diversity of bird species,with up to 500 permanent and migratory species in the park. Dams have created a man-made habitat for birds and aquatic species.
There are very few places in the park where you can get out of your vehicle so most of the Photography is done from the car therefore I would definitely recommend an open roofed vehicle and good bean bag.
I entered the park at 7:45am and left at about 6:00pm, really enjoyed the day and will definitely be back.
Chestnut-headed Sparrow-lark
(Eremopterix signatus )
Lion
(Panthera leo)
White-backed Vulture
(Gyps africanus )
Zebra
Northern Pied Babbler
(Turdoides hypoleuca)
Little Bee-eater
(Merops pusillus)
Red-collared Widowbird
(Euplectes ardens)
Yellow-throated Longclaw
(Macronyx croceus)
Pin-tailed Whydah
(Vidua macroura )
Amethyst Sunbird
(Chalcomitra amethystina )
Moustached Grass Warbler
(Melocichla mentalis)
Olive Baboon
(Papio anubis)
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Mike Barth
Mike Barth, a photographer from Manchester England, was based in Dubai in the UAE from 2004 to 2016. He has travelled regularly to Africa and Asia and has had the pleasure of birding in some wonderful locations. A passionate bird photographer he now offers tours for small groups, maximum of 6, photographers and offers photographic tours to several locations such as Sri Lanka, India, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana. Please visit his site at https://www.mikebarthphotography.com for information, there you can also purchase prints in various formats.
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