Monday, March 5, 2012

Gatamayu Forest: quest for the Bar-tailed Trogon


These Kenyans know how to bird cheap. Kelvin, Liz, Tabitha, Jackson and I took matatus all the way to the Gatamayu forest in the Aberderes, to camp at the Nature Kenya office located there. All in all a ballin good weekend. Even saw my 1000th world bird, the Yellow-fronted Canary.

I spotted this young Crowned Eagle, its bill smeared with blood, just after it had finished feasting on a Seike's Monkey. These eagles specialize in hunting such forest monkeys.

All that remains of the monkey prey.


Jackson takes a moment to reflect.




We ended the first day with a cracking hunt of a Bar-tailed Trogon, a super elusive montane species that Kelvin coaxed in with his sweet whistle.


On the last day, we defeated the African Cuckoo-hawk and the Black-fronted Bush-shrike (both spotted by Liz). Doesn't get much better than this!
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