Bird Watching; Lake Nakuru National Park.
Birds abound at Lake Nakuru National Park. In order to preserve and safeguard the biodiversity that was flourishing on Lake Nakuru, it was initially proclaimed as a bird sanctuary in 1960.
With millions of flamingos on its beaches throughout the year, Lake Nakuru is a well-known Kenya safari attraction both domestically and abroad. However, the lake's water levels and climate are constantly fluctuating. The number of flamingos has dropped from millions to thousands as a result, but they still decorate the lake's shoreline in pink every day.
One of the primary reasons flamingos flock to Lake Nakuru is because it is a soda lake with an abundance of blue-green algae, which serves as food for the birds. Along with other wading birds, the "great white pelican" is another kind of bird that feeds only on the lake.
Birding;
Observing the many stunning species that call Lake Nakuru National Park home is a wonderful experience for birdwatchers. With a total area of roughly 118 square kilometers, the park is home to more than 450 different species of birds, both migratory and endemic. Throughout the year, a variety of pink flamingos blanket the shores of Lake Nakuru, which is a fascinating sight. Along with four endangered bird species—the Madagascar pond heron, the Pallid Harrier, the Greater Spotted Eagle, and the Grey-creased Helmet-shrike—the park is also home to endemic bird species like pelicans.
African spoonbills, Black-winged stilts, Red-capped larks, Rufous-throated wrynecks, Yellow-billed storks, Ruppel's vultures, Ruppel's robin-chat, Black-necked grebes, and other species can be found in the park's extensive vegetation of bushy grasslands, acacia woodlands, and euphorbia forest. A few of these include the Long-tailed Widowbird, Maccoa Duck, Montane White-Eyed, Grey-headed Gull, Northern puff-back, Pallid Harrier, Gull-billed Tern, Little Grebe, Schawlow's Wheatear, and Shining Sunbird.
The ideal time to go bird watching
While you can go bird watching at any time of day in Lake Nakuru National Park, the best time to go bird watching is in the morning between 6 and 11 am. This is because most birds are leaving their nests to search for food, making them easy to see and enjoy before they fly awake for the day. In some cases, the evenings when they return to their nests are also good times, but mornings are the best time of day by far.
When birding in Lake Nakuru National Park, it is recommended to spend at least 4 days exploring and experiencing the birds, or to have a list of the specific birds you want to see and keep an eye out for them so that you don't become overwhelmed by the park's abundance of variety. Mornings are great for birding, but you can't see all 400 species in one morning.
Nonetheless, January and July are the months with the highest concentration of birds in the park due to the profusion of food that grows during the rainy season and the well-maintained and cultivated flora that sustains the bird population.
How it's accomplished
When people go on game drives, they drive through the park or observe birds from various park viewpoints, such as lion hill, out of Africa lookout, and baboon cliff, with the baboon cliff being the best place to observe birds in the park. Birding in Lake Nakuru National Park typically takes place along the lake's shores as people sit in their cars or stand along the shores and watch the birds.
When to go to Lake Nakuru National Park is ideal.
While it is possible to observe birds at Lake Nakuru National Park throughout the year, the month immediately following the rain has the highest concentration of birds. Typically, this occurs in January and July. During the rainy season, there can be an abundance of food and greenery that sustains the bird population.
Any time of day is a good time to go bird watching at Lake Nakuru, but the ideal time to view birds flying out from their nests to search for food is between 6 and 11 a.m. It's also the most rewarding time to see them lingering over the park's ground and sky. Watching birds in the park is very enjoyable in the evening when they return to the nest.
The dry season (January, February, December, June, July, August, and September) is the ideal time of year to visit Lake Nakuru. Although one can visit at any time of year, it is easier to see the different wildlife species and birds during the dry seasons.
The location
The park lies northwest of Nairobi, the nation's capital, in central Kenya. Located in the Great Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru is part of Lake Nakuru National Park. It's one of the Rift Valley's five soda lakes. Approximately fifty kinds of mammals can be seen in the park when one visits.
Accessibility
One of the most common inquiries visitors have when organizing their safari in Lake Nakuru National Park is how to get there. Visitors can enter Lake Nakuru National Park via its three gates as well as a number of connecting roads.
Since Lake Nakuru lies 166 kilometers northwest of Nairobi, visitors will go via the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway, which is the most popular route from Nairobi. The vehicle trip to Lake Nakuru National Park takes roughly three to four hours.
Through Nakuru town and Lake Nakuru National Park, the Nairobi-Nakuru highway offers stunning views of the surrounding landscape and local populations. The main gate of Lake Nakuru National Park is 4 km from Nakuru Town. This implies that you enter Lake Nakuru National Park via the main entrance from Nakuru town.
By taking the Lanet gate, which is a detour from the Nairobi-Nakuru route, you can also enter Lake Nakuru National Park without passing through Nakuru town. The difference in arrival time at the park is simply a few minutes.
There are a couple of connecting paths that take you to the Nderit Gate of Lake Nakuru National Park. Due to its advantageous location in relation to the routes from Masai Mara and Elementaita, many utilize this gate to enter the park.
By air
Flying into Lake Nakuru National Park from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will take you to Naishi airfield, which is the park's airfield. Since this airport is already within the park, you can enter it without passing through any gates and simply follow your plan.
Additional tourism pursuits at Lake Nakuru
Cruise via boat;
Tourists can enjoy exhilarating boat trips on this lovely lake, which allow them to take in the stunning scenery, the glistening waters, and some downtime. The best thing about these boat safaris is that you may go with other people and hear the varied stories that the local tour guides have to tell as you go over the lake. However, it's crucial to remember that visitors must wear life jackets while on a boat ride, and they must do this with a local tour guide's assistance.
Cultural Journeys;
During a safari in Lake Nakuru, visitors can stroll around the nearby village, particularly the well-known Maasai tribe who live near the lake's beaches. In addition to their rich culture and beliefs, this pastoralist group has fascinating traditional songs and dances and ways of life. The Maasai also create amazing crafts and garments. Given the opportunity to see the diverse and rich Maasai culture, this cultural safari around Lake Nakuru would undoubtedly rank among the greatest.
Wildlife Viewing;
One of the most well-liked ways to see Lake Nakuru National Park and look for its many wildlife species is to go on a guided game drive. Safari. Automobiles transport visitors throughout the parks' road systems, allowing them to see animals in their native environments. The park is home to a variety of wildlife species, including giraffes, hippos, Columbus monkeys, hyenas, zebras, lions, gazelles, black and white rhinos, impalas, water bucks, and leopards. In fact, this will make a safari at Lake Nakuru National Park quite amazing.
Rhino Tracking;
Visitors can see the stunning wildlife species in Lake Nakuru National Park Rhino Sanctuary and discover more about the conservation efforts being made to save these endangered species.
Guided Nature Hikes;
Guided hikes around the lake and the national park provide a greater opportunity for a more personal and up-close examination of the landscapes, enabling visitors to enjoy the variety of flora and animals in the area while also unwinding and connecting with nature.
Camping and picnics;
In addition to camping facilities for those who want to spend a night under the stars in the middle of the wilderness, the park offers a number of designated Camps and Picnic Sites where visitors may spend time with nature and take in beautiful vistas while dining al fresco.