Lake Nakuru National Park

Today was rhinoceros and bird day as we explored Lake Nakuru National Park. we first met up with a troup of baboons with their babies. Then Cape Buffalo with egrets surrounding them waiting for the buffalo to kick up insects and ox pickers eating the ticks on their hide. As we headed to the water, we encountered a swarm of Great White Pelicans, cormorants, Hadada ibis, and in the water was a waterbuck, above them in the tree was an immature African Fish Eagle. Down the road we went and at a stream we saw an Black Kite, Hammerkop and a Pied Kingfisher. As we approached the open shore of the lake, we found huge flocks of Great White Pelicans, gulls, \ Lesser Flamingos (white) and Greater Flamingos (pink) as well as black-winged stilts, Maribou Storks, and Black Smith Plover.

Near the shore we found 2 white (wide mouthed) rhinoceros. The white rhino is a grazer of grasses, the black rhino is the same color, but browses on leaves, so his mouth is narrow. The two conveniently got up and posed for us before lying down again. Later we found a family of five more rhinos, a male, female, grandma, and 2 young. At lunch, we met David, a Maasai, who was also a bird expert. He took us around the lodge where we ate pointing out the birds: Yellow- billed Barbit, Kenya Rufous Sparrow, Olive Thrush, Hoopoe, the Ruppel's Glossy Starling, and the African Golden Weaver making its nest.

Upon returning to our lodge we walked out to the lake and found an old Hammerkop next, which is huge with an entrance on the bottom. Other birds will use the top of the nest to lay eggs, which being more exposed get eaten by predators first. We saw a Yellow Vented Bulbul, Red Knobbed Coot, and Egyptian Geese. There were hippos in the waters, then while returning, we saw an African Rabbit, Water-Bucks and two Dik-dik. What a day for wild life!

Water-buck at our lodge