Birding bliss in the Masai Mara

Getting lost in the Masai Mara is part of the package. Camps here operate like secret societies; gorgeous, exclusive, and wildly secretive. Signboards? Minimal. GPS? Useless. We passed a rock that may have been a disguised hippo and a suspiciously smug Kongoni on a mound before finally spotting the camp, hidden like treasure, tucked away among riverine forest, swaying grasses, and a philosophical buffalo. And somehow, despite identical roads and no signs, we made it.

Mating Marsh Pride lions – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

As we approached the camp we are distracted by something in the long grass nearby. Passers-by like giraffes and wildebeests pretended not to notice, but everyone was watching. Even the dung beetles on a nearby pile of stale elephant dung paused mid-roll. This was our welcome to Governors’ Camp, where the wild meets luxury in one of the best wildlife locations. Mr. and Mrs. Lion were in full romance mode: fast, furious, and frequent. Every seven minutes. For days. Raw, rowdy, and completely uncensored!

Governors’ Camp itself hugs the winding Mara River like a well-kept secret. Unfenced, elegant, and alive with charm. Here, canvas tent walls whisper in the breeze, and hippos snort you awake before breakfast. The river twirls past like a lazy calligrapher signing its name across the land. From your tent, you might catch elephants on their morning stroll, crocodiles sunning like grumpy lifeguards, or a lion throwing side-eye at a noisy ibis.

Nile crocodiles on the bank of the Mara River – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

Our visit was cheekily titled “Wings and Whispers: Who’s Flying with Who in the Mara?”—fitting for a trip where every flutter felt like a whispered savanna secret. Our birdwatching dreams were pinned to five must-see, must-photograph stars:

1. Schalow’s turaco: The punk-rocker of the treetops.

Schalow’s turaco – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

2. Saddle-billed stork: Tall, elegant, and ready for a fashion shoot.

Saddle-billed stork – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

3. Southern ground hornbill: The philosopher-bird with a voice like distant thunder.

The southern ground hornbill – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

4. Bateleur: The acrobatic show-off with swagger to spare.

A bateleur soars overhead – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

5. Jackson’s widowbird: A ribbon of romance in mid-air.

Jackson’s widowbird – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

While those celebrities dazzled, Governors’ Camp had one surprise star: the elusive green-backed twinspot. These tiny, restless polka-dots-on-wings rocked up to the birdbath unsolicited, glittered in the sun like confetti, then vanished—as if they suddenly remembered they’d left the oven on – making photographing them near to impossible in the dappled light.

A green-backed twinspot – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

We spotted over 100 bird species on our trip, thanks to the wizardry of our guide, Ntuala. He didn’t just see birds; he anticipated them. The bush was a symphony of various species; white-browed robin-chats (nature’s ringtone), hadada ibises (an alarm clock with a siren setting), sacred ibises (floating priests in white robes), oxpeckers (the hitch-hikers) and widowbirds (ribbon dancers of the grasslands).

Red-collared widowbird – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

Yellow bishop – photo credit Kevin Maimba

Fan-tailed widowbird – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

Also spotted were the Ross’s turaco, dark chanting goshawk, lilac-breasted rollers, African jacanas, kingfishers, herons, and many cisticolas to mention but a few.

Ross’s Turaco – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

Malachite kingfisher – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

Meanwhile, the yellow-throated sandgrouse looked like it had dressed up for a party but forgot its shoes! Every flutter and flash was a gift. Each perfectly-timed photo is a trophy.

Yellow-throated sandgrouse- photo credit Simon Odhiambo

Right within the camp compound lies the busiest birdbath in the Mara – a lively, shaded stage with a running water tap, operated by Mr. Jackson the security guard, where birds and the occasional mongoose gathers daily for splashes, songs, and squabbles. From the early arrival of chirpy northern white-eyes to the dramatic dives of stylish turacos and the chaos of cannonballing weavers, it’s a feathered fiesta.

A Schalow’s turaco at the birdbath – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

Tropical boubous judge, paradise flycatchers dazzle like supermodels, and even banded mongooses crash the party. Singing, flapping, flirting, and the occasional tug-of-war make this more than a birdbath; it’s where jungle gossip gets wet and alliances shift with the wind.

A resident banded mongoose – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

Without hesitation and warning, the Masai Mara served up a feathered romance starring the flamboyant Usambiro barbet—a polka-dotted, mustard-bellied Casanova. With quirky courtship dances and tock-tock serenades, the pair skipped the foreplay of sunsets and songs and dove straight into a quick, clumsy, yet oddly charming mating moment on top of a rugged wooden post.

Usambiro barbets – photo credit Simon Odhiambo

The male strutted like a telenovela star post-performance, while the female casually moved on. Awkward, adorable, and totally Mara — a wild bush love story in miniature. It was awkward, adorable, and oddly touching — a reminder that in the Mara, love doesn’t wait, and even the smallest creatures have the grandest performances. We witnessed the bush’s version of speed dating.

A late May dawn in the Masai Mara – photo credit Kevin Maimba

Our game drives ran with a rhythm: 06:30 to noon, then 15:30 to 18:30—golden hour perfection. But the real stars of the trip? The people. The dream team that made us feel at home in the wild:

James, the calm and capable Camp Manager; Gladys, our cheerful and attentive waitress; Daniel, the mysteriously magical dining host; Philip the Head Chef, tall, dark, and of lakeside legendary; Hellen, the room stewardess of peace and perfection; Jackson, the security champion and honorary bird spotter; Moses, mixologist extraordinaire.

The Milky Way -photo credit Kevin Maimba

From dawn roars to starlit sips, every moment was wrapped in laughter, care, and wild luxury. As we drove away, golden dust trailing behind, and the camp faded into the rear-view, we realised that Governors’ Camp in the Masai Mara doesn’t just give you sightings and experience. It gives you stories.

By Simon Odhiambo, Conservationist, Nature Lover and Bird Photographer. To see more amazing bird shots by Simon, please follow him on Instagram.