08May 2021 by safarisense
New eBird Checklist, Global Big Day 2021

New eBird Checklist, Global Big Day 2021

Bird_watching, Conservation, Excursion, History, Nairobi Area
There was a slight breeze at 8 in the morning when I got out my DSLR to take part in this year’s Global Big Day. The air was unusually loud with bird songs, reminding me it was breeding season for our fine-feathered friends.Flamboyant and elaborate displays of prominent plumage colors blurred the camera lenses as different species showed off how strong and healthy they were, advertising their suitability as the best mates.And, honestly speaking, if there was ever a month to give bird watching a try, it would definitely be May. It’s arguably the best month of the year for urban birders, with Nairobi, my location of choice, boasting of about 700 bird species scattered in and around the environs.This month, breeding season is in full swing and our year-round…
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19Jan 2021 by safarisense
Book Your Safari Online

Book Your Safari Online

Bird_watching, Excursion, Game drive, Holiday, Wildlife Safari
Amazingly unbelievable!" were the first words she used to describe their family December trip to Tsavo West National park. “Every day we were on holiday was such an adventure, simply because we never knew what we would see or what would happen," she said as we chatted online a few days after they returned from their Christmas holidays. "Everyone’s asking us what our most memorable moment was, but it would not do the trip justice to choose one of anything. There were just so many awesome experiences! We saw all the Big 5, an endless number of other animals including, elephants, hippos, cheetahs, and giraffes. We saw everything from male lions fighting to hippos mating. It was like being in an adventure movie unfolding every day! We felt so lucky…
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05Jan 2021 by safarisense
5 Exciting Adventures in Kenya This January

5 Exciting Adventures in Kenya This January

Bird_watching, Excursion, Game drive, Holiday, Wildlife Safari
January is usually considered the time for a more private safari. For some, the holiday excitement has worn off. For others who’re still on holiday, it’s the ideal time to plan an exclusive getaway, as there are fewer crowds to contend with. Even though the month falls under high season, the clear, hot days and warm nights make this a popular time for safaris. Whether you in pursuit of luxury adventure travel, or want to explore and experience nature and wildlife in a different and unique way, here are a few ideas for your first trip in 2021. *Note - Travel to any destination may be adversely affected by conditions including (but not limited) to COVID-19 protocols, security, entry and exit requirements, local laws and culture, natural disasters and climate.…
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16Nov 2020 by safarisense
Wildlife Photography Tips: Tracking Techniques

Wildlife Photography Tips: Tracking Techniques

Bird_watching, Excursion, Game drive, Holiday, Wildlife Safari
One of the most critical skills to learn in wildlife photography is the ability to handle the camera without thinking about it. The more time you spend wondering which control dial to adjust and in which direction, the greater the likelihood that your intended image has long since disappeared from the scene. This can be as true of an apparently static subject, such as a landscape, as it is of fast moving subjects like wildlife, particularly when you take into account how quickly light can change. FOCUS MODE Focus mode determines how the camera focuses, initially between automatic (AF) and manual (MF) operation, and then, in AF mode, between focus-and-lock, where focus is locked after it is attained, and focus-and-track, in which set ting the camera continues to adjust focus…
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05Nov 2020 by safarisense
Why Amboseli Is a Good Idea This Month

Why Amboseli Is a Good Idea This Month

Bird_watching, Excursion, Game drive, Holiday, Wildlife Safari
Crouched low, ears flattened and tail swishing softly from side to side, the spotted cat looked up from the shadow of the termite hill, its golden eyes glinting in the evening sun. Thompson Gazelles a few meter ahead continue munching on the fresh grass, twitchy, yet oblivious of the imminent danger facing them. A slow, almost inaudible growl rumbled from the cheetah’s throat. Its small head widened into a thick neck; the short mane bristling between the ears and into the curve of the back. It was a young female. And she was hungry. The cheetah waited, watched and listened. Muscles tensed and coiled, she sniffed the air for one last time, feline sinew tightened beneath a yellow coat of spotted black. Suddenly, she sprung in the direction of the…
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01Aug 2020 by safarisense
Travel Tips: Any Time Game Drive at Nairobi National Park

Travel Tips: Any Time Game Drive at Nairobi National Park

Bird_watching, City Tour, Game drive, Nairobi Area, Wildlife Safari
The Nairobi National Park has always been reserved a page or two in our travel diaries here at Safari Sense. Over the years, we’ve had varied experiences in this unforgettable slice of paradise within Kenya’s capital city. Some days are lucky. Especially when the traffic is low on an early weekday morning game drive. Chances of seeing a lion hunt are high. Animals and birds are most active when the air is still cool and crisp. Other times you can really have a rough time. Bad weather and no predator sightings can distract someone from the otherwise uncertain and beautiful nature of the park itself. The unique ecosystem continues to fascinate, and is often the first taste to a real Kenyan safari. There are very real prospects of seeing four…
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20May 2020 by Rei Mongela
Birdnificent©: Backyard Birding – Nairobi (COVID-19 Edition)

Birdnificent©: Backyard Birding – Nairobi (COVID-19 Edition)

Bird_watching, Nairobi Area
What’s the difference between bird-watching and birding you may ask? Well before I answer that, did you know that Nairobi boasts of over 400 bird species at any given season of the year? Yeah. I only came to know about this when I was first introduced to the beauty and mystery of birds a few years ago. This was when a colleague out on safari suddenly pulled out a thick book from his backpack filled with pictures and illustrations of our winged friends. Needles to say, I was at first wary, finding nothing of interest from the pages filled with feathers and beaks of all colours and shapes. But my interest grew as he started explaining the different birds we came across in detail. He could even identify a bird…
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15Nov 2017 by safarisense
Birdnificent©: Mombasa

Birdnificent©: Mombasa

Bird_watching, Excursion, Mombasa
When? All year round Experience the less well-known habitats of coastal birds between the vast Tsavo East & West National Parks, and the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and Mida Creek in Malindi. Mombasa Island Haller Park Nguuni Animal Sanctuary Beach Mombasa Island We visit the area around the famous Fort Jesus in search of a wealth of fascinating species – Golden Palm Weavers nesting in the Cycads near the gate; Red Cheeked Cordon Bleus hop around the Fort and Brown Breasted Barbets seem to have adopted the old trees for their breeding site.From the walls overlooking the sea, various Terns, Sooty Gulls and a variety of migrant waders can be seen and at the right time of year on English Point, opposite the Fort, Crab Plovers congregate.The large Baobab Trees on Mama…
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29Apr 2017 by safarisense
Birdnificent©: Ngong Forest

Birdnificent©: Ngong Forest

Bird_watching, City Tour, Excursion, Hiking, Nairobi Area, Wildlife Safari
When? All year round Just 10 km from the Kenyan capital, adjacent to Nairobi Racecourse, Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary – the isolated remnant of a once vast upland forest elsewhere almost wholly supplanted by suburbia – still boasts a surprisingly rich avifauna. Activities Where to go...​ Look out for...​ Activities Discover birds in the wild while exploring the forest trailsTake a break with a picnic and immerse yourself in nature. Where to go...​ A network of tracks crisscrosses what is left of the indigenous Ngong Forest, between broad avenues used by local equestrians. There is an active African Crowned Eagle nest, to which a forest guide should be able to escort you. Pairs of Narina Trogon and Hartlaub’s Turaco can usually be found within patches of dense woodland, and after rain the…
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06Feb 2017 by safarisense
Hiking Up Kirinyaga! [Jan – Feb]

Hiking Up Kirinyaga! [Jan – Feb]

Bird_watching, Camping, Extreme, Hiking, Mountain_climbing, Wildlife Safari
Mount Kenya, with its snow‑capped peaks 5,199 m. high, is Kenya’s highest mountain and certainly one of the most beautiful mountains anywhere. Its slopes are covered with rich deciduous and bamboo forests and open high altitude moorland just below the glaciers and snowfields. Wildlife resident within the forest includes elephant, buffalo and even lion, with several species of antelope and other smaller animals.  Mount Kenya rises to the twin snow-covered peaks of Batian (5199 meters or 17058 feet) and Nelion (5188 meters or 17022 feet), the second and third highest peaks in Africa (topped only by Kilimanjaro's Uhuru peak in Tanzania, which rises to 5895 meters or 19340 feet).Both of Mount Kenya's peaks are named after Maasai laibon (ritual leaders) of the nineteenth century. According to legends of the Kikuyu people,…
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