We have received a small amount of rain on Loldia Ranch but conditions are still very dry and we are hoping for the rainy season to begin soon. One more giraffe has joined the herd on the ranch and there are now 5 giraffe here, last night they came very close to the house. They are settling in nicely. 

 

 

The birding in the garden alone is still amazing and we estimate you can see around 70 species here. The big fig tree in the garden is in full fruit and its branches are full of bulbuls and green pigeons who have flown in to feast. Blacked Headed Orioles are resident in the garden as are mousebirds, Yellow Vented Bulbuls, White Browned Scrub Robins, Robin Chats and a flock of Arrow Marked Babblers eating moths and insects. Pelicans and Cormorants fly up and down the lake shore and Fish Eagles call out from their nests in the trees around the gardens. The migrants are preparing for their flights back to Europe and Asia and we have had sightings of Eurasian Spoonbills and White Storks who we expect to begin their long migration back north soon. The Cormorants are sitting on their eggs, their nests perched in the dead trees in the lake. We have seen a few chicks in the nests and we will soon see them start to learn to fly, falling in the water, swimming to a bank to dry off and try again. 

 

Photo courtesy of Gary Hopcraft 

 

Night game drives have revealed Aardvarks close to the airstrip, a procupine near the house, hyena hunting, hippos and their calves out grazing, a very rare zorilla and a rather large python. 

 

Photo courtesy of Gary Hopcraft

 

Our guests have been enjoying day trips to Lake Nakuru National Park where they have seen flocks of flamingies close to the waters edge, many rhino (white and black), lions dozing and on one occassion a buffalo calf being born. 

 

Scotty is a lot better from his Warthog wound, and we hope he will make a full recovery very soon. The top cottage is closed for the time being as it is having a new roof put onto it. 

We have had a full house hosting a great 80th birthday dinner out on the terrace. The same family had a great sighting of an Aardvarks and as there is a myth that if you see an Aardvark you will have a long life. The Father was delighted.