Road to Masai Mara

While on our way to Masai Mara, we have a toilet break near Kiambu, saw something running around on the rock. The first thing that cross my mind is rabbit!

 On closer look, no doesn't look like a rabbit. Rabbit should have longer ears.

 When it climb down the rock, it looks like a guinea pig but so much bigger.

 My guide then tell me it is a Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis).

The rock hyrax , also called rock badger & rock rabbit. Although it may looks like rodent or rabbit, they are actually more closely related to elephant. Interesting! I'm not at Masai Mara yet and already met with one new animal that I g\have never seen before.

Birding at Chinese Garden

I got to take a break from the Masai Mara post and post my birding Singapore trip on new year eve. Is been a while since I last visited Chinese Garden. Will go back to continue my encounter in Masai Mara later.

White-breasted waterhen standing on top of the rock welcoming me to Chinese Garden after almost a year.

This Grey Heron chick almost reach the adulthood and still begging for food.

This  Asian koel have no problem swallow a huge fruit,  just look at the throat!

Follow the unique call of the coppersmith barbet, after some search, managed to find it up on the tree.

 Found this Brown-throated sunbird at its usual place.

The female bird without the striking colour compare with the male.

Olive-backed sunbird make an appearance too.

Stork-billed kingfisher hide deep in the foliage waiting for opportunity to hunt for the fish below.

A almost perfect pose with the natural frame from the foliage.

Another reason to visit Chinese Garden during this period is to be able to see migratory birds such as this brown shrike.

A pair of blue-tailed bee-eater having a vantage point actively looking for their target (flying insects)

Another difficult bird to photograph, Pied Fantail. Non stop moving from one spot to another actively hunting for food.

This is an easy target, I can get to very close to have the photo of this zebra dove taken.

Is rather uncommon to see a Yellow bittern in the open.

Just before I call it a day, saw this Plantain Squirrel feeding on the ground. Not a bad trip and able to see so many birds in less than 2 hours!

Birds of Masai Mara - Woods Scrub and Garden Part 2

This is the continuation from my earlier post on Birds of Masai Mara - Woods Scrub and Garden.

 A very beautiful African green pigeon doing some stretching which gave us the opportunity to get closer and have a decent shot.

 This is a rather common dove at Masai Mara, a Ring-necked dove.

 Another very striking colour bird, Holub's golden weaver.

 Compare to the rest, this bird is rather skittish. Took us a while to have a record shot - Yellow-spotted petronia.

 Rufous-naped lark is another skittish bird that just won't let you go near.

 Red-capped Lark took the vantage point on top of the rock.

 Black-lored babbler aka Sharpe's pied-babbler

Tawny-flanked prinia (Prinia subflava)

 What a beautiful bird - Purple grenadier

 Although the name Northern Anteater-chat. No luck of taking a photo of this bird feed on any ants.

Red-necked spurfowl aka Red-necked francolin out from the bush in the open.

Coqui francolin are more camera shy compare to Scaly francolin.

Birds of Masai Mara - Woods Scrub and Garden Part 1

Generally, Masai Mara is the place to look for big cats & big mammals. Well, just pay a little attention, is a good birding place too. Do read about my previous posts on Birds of Prey, Birds of Lake and Marsh and Birds of Grassland & Open Area of Masai Mara.

I noticed that most of the birds here are either bluish or purple in colour such as this Greater blue-eared.

 Another birds in purple colour, Rüppell's starling.

 A mix flock of male and female Violet-backed starling.

 Finally get to see my first woodpecker from Africa - Bearded woodpecker

 I have lots of 1st. Another 1st barbet of Africa for me - White-headed barbet

Oxpecker is always on my list and I am glad to see these Red-billed oxpecker here on the back of hippos.

 Very similar to Red-billed Oxpecker, however the red eyes and striking yellow bill made it easy to differentiate Yellow-billed oxpecker from the previous one.

 Like other birds, Yellow-billed oxpecker do perch on tree branches too.

A male Northern fiscal (Lanius humeralis) calling loudly to mark his territory.

 The female Northern fiscal looks so different from the male.

Dark-capped bulbul not just looks like our Yellow vented bulbul here in Singapore, they are also abundant in Masai Mara.

Saw this White-browed coucal on one of the morning about 6+am. As it was still dark have a hard time to tell the species. Luckily this bird is patient enough for us to move closer slowly.

 Lilac-breasted roller with big meal waiting.

A very cute Little bee-eater hoping on the road in the morning sun. To be continued...