Birds of Kenya's Maasai Mara

This was the trip of a lifetime for us, a bucket list item, and an adventure. We had high expectations of the adventure, and it surpassed them all. We struggle to find words for what an amazing experience this was. The birds of the Masai Mara was like entering into a secret world, and one I wish we could return to again and again. Elsamere - what an amazing location, with the Joy Adamson history, museum, and animals coming right into the camp. Seeing giraffe and zebra wandering past your window is magical, as well as the wide range of birds right there on your doorstep. Basecamp Maasai Mara - what an incredible place - seeing mongoose, owls, snakes, monkeys and birds while walking around is magical. And a chorus of hyena at night, so many different sounds. The food was exceptional, and service (thank you, Brannigan) impeccable and friendly (he remembered our preferences and drink orders from day 1, for the whole stay). The same day laundry service was great - makes it much easier to be comfortable in the heat. We loved the combination of seeing Lake Naivasha from a boat, Hells Gate Park, walking the grounds of Elsamere, the Maasai Mara, and even spotting things on the roadside on the longer drives. We saw 238 different species of birds, plus so many big cats, herd animals, reptiles - seeing lion cubs eating from a kill, and a serval cat across the plain were my personal animal highlights. Bird highlights are probably eagles, secretary birds, hornbills, and shrikes - as well as seeing a lilac breasted roller eat a grasshopper bigger than its head. But we were spoiled for choice for our favourite birds. Seeing a pride of lions - males, females and cubs with a kill, while vultures and a jackal lurked nearby, was one of the greatest wildlife experiences I’ve had. It was especially good because unlike other times we’d seen big cats, there was not a huge mob of vehicles, the animal’s space was respected, and we were able to be part of that without disturbing them. John was amazing - he knew bird calls so well, he managed to find us so many different species. He knew just where to look for the birds we wanted to see, and was able to explain their behaviour. Whenever we spotted a bird, John would make sure every one of us had seen it. He requested, and was very open to feedback - adjusting how he shared information to make it easier for us to remember. Using the guidebook to show us pictures of the bird we’d just see was a great way to remember them. He also listened to our preferences, and adjusted what we saw in the Maasai Mara to meet our choices. Going through the checklist with him at the end of the day was great!

The best Naturetrek trip of the four I have been on, and the bar was already set pretty high. I absolutely loved the combination of Elsamere and Maasai Mara! John deserves an A+ for both effort and attitude. He was relentlessly positive and worked almost without pause to help us see the fantastic wildlife in Kenya. John adjusted plans according to our interests - we spent more time on birds, and less on big game, but really managed to see an incredible array of wildlife. Although we came for the birds, observing an extended lion family feeding on an Eland they had taken down was absolutely unforgettable. Waking up to the beautiful calls of Fish Eagles at Elsamere was a special memory, and listening to the range of hyena calls at night at Base Camp Maasai Mara was truly amazing.

I very much enjoyed my (first ever) birding holiday. How am I supposed to pick one highlight, when one night I was awakened by a giraffe, walking by our room, followed by a zebra, grazing in front of our window is such an impressive sight. Not sure that outshines seeing a lilac-breasted roller trying to swallow a giant grasshopper or a Secretary bird stampeding looking for pray. Not to mention witnessing a pride of lions with cubs devouring a Topi antelope. Our guide, John was very knowledgeable about his birds, but also other animals and plants were easily identified by him. I loved how every day before dinner, we would go over our species lists together, logging all the species we managed to see that day. During the drives, he was very accommodating, made sure we all saw a species before driving on and even re-positioning the car for optimal photography light.