This archive report was first published on 3 November 2019.
On a crisp Saturday morning, I found myself at the Swara Acacia Lodge, 45 kilometres down Mombasa Road, for the Big Birding Weekend organised by Nature Kenya.
As I hesitated over watching the Rugby World Cup semi-final, my wife convinced me to join the birding trip, which turned out to be a thrilling experience.
Our expert guides, including Fleur Ng'weno, a renowned bird enthusiast, and three young bird researchers from the Nairobi National Museum, Dominic, Kennedy, and Nelly, took us on a staccato drive across the Swara Plains wildlife conservancy.
We spotted over 50 different bird species, including a young Martial Eagle, a Black-winged Stilt, and a Kori Bustard.
The highlight of the trip was a rare Northern Wheatear, the first sighting of migrants from Siberia this year.
Later that day, Fleur gave a captivating presentation on bird migrations, sharing a heartwarming story about a pair of Lesser Spotted Eagles that migrated over 9,000 and 11,000 kilometres respectively to find each other again in Germany.
As the sun set, we watched the bird researchers gently ring and release the birds they had caught in the nets, including a feisty Rattling Cisticola and a beautiful Scarlet-chested Sunbird.
At dinner, Jez Simms, the lodge manager, reminded me of my previous visit and the poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins that I had admired, which he had kindly written out for me.
He also shared a quote from Richard Burton, which I found particularly inspiring: 'Of the gladdest moments in human life methinks is the departure upon a distant journey into unknown lands.'
The Swara Acacia Lodge has undergone an attractive upgrade since my last visit, with new rooms and a more ambitious restaurant menu.
It's an excellent destination for a weekend escape from the city or a team-building retreat during the week.
I look forward to returning for the next bird-ringing occasion next February and encourage readers to explore the Wednesday morning bird-walks with Fleur at naturekenya.org.
