Kenya - Thursday, Lake Nakuru, Morning game drive

Thursday morning started with the usual 05:45 alarm, followed by a pre-breakfast 06:30 game drive. Almost immediately out of the gates, a new species of bird, a male Cliff Chat:



Singing no doubt to deepen the bond with the accompanying female Cliff Chat:



Helen and I weren’t sure that driving around in a big van/bus thing was necessarily going to be the ideal way to spot birds, however we didn’t know Peter had a plan! En route we stopped by a busy patch of forest, spotting a White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher:



Peter stopped to talk to another driver, which gave me the opportunity to spot a Yellow-throated Longclaw on the grass behind their 4x4, which was a result:



An Augur Buzzard was perched in the very cold (for Kenya) morning air:



We stopped by a small river, which was very popular with wading birds and saw Wood Sandpiper:



Marsh Sandpiper and Ruff:



Pied Avocet and Red-billed Teal:



Eurasian Snipe:



A small family of Buffalo crossed the river just downstream from us:



As well as waders Yellow-billed Duck were also on the river. Farther downstream was a large group of Marabou Stork:



This one really stood out:



More waders too. Little Stint and Common Ringed Plover:



I’m chuffed to bits we saw as many Marsh Sandpipers as we did, I’ve wanted to see one for a very long time (there’s a long list of said ‘really want to see’ birds right now):



A small group of Lesser Flamingo strutted past:



We resumed the drive. Next bird a Striped Kingfisher, tiny little fellow:



In the same spot a pair of Coqui Francolin were feeding on the ground:



We watched a pair of White Rhinocerous cross the road, mother:



and youngster:



all around them buzzed Yellow Wagtails:



in addition there was what I think is a Fawn-coloured Lark:



A group of Black-backed Jackals were playing around a log, but were soon moved on by the Rhinos:



Only a few hundred yards further on, a group of five Spotted Hyenas:



They too were moved on, this time by Buffalo:



A little farther and we encountered a male Lesser Kestrel watching for a meal:



It looked like the female of the pair had already found hers:



We turned and headed back to the hotel and breakfast, passing once again the pair of Rhinos, this time replete with Red-billed Oxpeckers:



And a closer view of a Black-backed Jackal:



Buffalo grazing across the plains:



Lastly it would appear your correspondent was snapped whilst snapping...