Department of Statistical Sciences
University of Cape Town
| Avian Demography Unit
Department of Statistical Sciences University of Cape Town |
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ADU travels, expeditions and eventsWaterbird meeting in Naivasha, Kenya
Doug HarebottleI attended an African Waterbird Census (AfWC) steering committee meeting in Naivasha, Kenya from 26-28 February 2003. Below are some selected highlights from the trip. |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | En route to Nairobi, we flew directly over Lake Malawi | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle |
Near the Tanzania-Kenya border I photographed Ol Doinvo Lengai the world's only volcano to produce white lava. The name comes from the Masai and means "Mountain of God". See more photos and information about this interesting volcano at National Geographic and the official Ol Doinvo Lengai website | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | The main gate of the Kenyan Wildlife Service Training Institute (KWSTI), the venue for the meeting. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | The reception and main office at KWSTI. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | We were accommodated in one of the hostels at the Institute. This is Kingfisher Hostel. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | The AfWC steering committee hard at work! | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | The AfWC steering committee: Back (l to r) - Jerome Mokoko (Congo), Alfred Owino (Kenya), Julius Arinaitwe (BirdLife International), Tim Dodman (Wetlands International), Achilles Byarahunga (BirdLife International, Uganda), Ward Hagemeijer (Wetlands International) and Oliver Nasirwa (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust); Front (l to r) - Rivo Rabarisoa (Madagascar), Doug Harebottle (South Africa) and Cheikh Diagana (Wetlands International, Senegal) | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | Sunrise over Lake Naivasha. The KWSTI is located on the eastern side of Lake Naivasha and affords some nice views of the lake. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | Sunset over Lake Naivasha as seen from the KWSTI. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | A pair of Mosque Swallows. Seen daily around the Institute. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | A male Schalow's (Mourning) Wheatear. Very common around the hostels. Endemic to the rift valley region. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | A male Rufous Sparrow feeding on insect road-kills on the Landrover. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | A Superb Starling. Very common at the Institute and widespread in Kenya. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | A Whitefronted Bee-eater colony that we discovered at a nearby gorge. We estimated about 150 nest entrances. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | Small nesting colony of Horus Swifts and Whitefronted Bee-eaters lower down in the gorge. A Spotted Eagle Owl was discovered sitting under a large tree just to the left of this picture. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | Large stands of Euphorbias were present at the Institute. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | The day before the meeting we visited Lake Nkuru National Park. This is the main gate coming from Nkuru town. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | Our group being addressed by the warden of the Park. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | An aerial view of Lake Nkuru looking eastwards from Baboon Cliff. The lake covers an area of about 20km2 | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | An aerial view of Lake Nkuru looking northwards from Baboon Cliff. Note the seasonal and permanent roads on the right and the fever-tree forest on the left. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | The 'specialness' of Lake Nkuru - Lesser Flamingos in their millions! | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | More Lesser Flamingos.... | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | Lesser Flamingos as seen from Baboon Cliff. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | Our group marvelling at this birding spectacle! | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | Great White Pelicans were also present at the lake in large numbers (± 3000 birds). | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | Nkuru gets its name from the Masai word meaning "dust". | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | Lunch at Baboon Cliff ... and yes there are baboons!. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | The baboons (Olive Baboon) are notorious lunch thieves and our party was no exception to their famed behaviour! | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | The Park has numerous mammal species including White Rhino (pictured here), Black Rhino, Grant's Gazelle, Thomson's Gazelle, Defassa Waterbuck and Rothchild's Giraffe. The rhinos have been part of an introduction programme with many of them being translocated from South Africa. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | Yellowbilled Storks and a Defassa Waterbuck on the shores of Lake Nkuru. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | Some of us wanting to get a better view of the lakes magnificent birdlife! | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | A morning trip to the KWSTI's reserve at Lake Naivasha on the morning before we left. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | A Spurwinged Plover on the shores of Lake Naivasha | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | Most of the land between Nairobi and Naivasha has been transformed to agriculture, with many subsistence or small scale farmers but with the odd few large commercial farms. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | A large crater in the rift valley south-east of Naivasha. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | A local trader dries a recently washed sheep skin while our group scans for waterbirds at a small roadside wetland about half an hour from Nairobi. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | Jerome Mokoko from the Congo sporting his new casual-wear!. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | One of many roadside markets on the road from Nairobi to Naivasha. The yellow vehicle is called a 'Matatu', a commonly used taxi for the locals. | |
 Photo D.M. Harebottle | An aerial view of eastern Nairobi and surrounds just after take off from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. |
