This gallery contains images taken in the area around Watamu & Malindi on the Kenyan coast north of Mombasa. Apart from a few images taken in the coastal scrub, hotel gardens & village cultivations the majority were taken at Arabuko-Sokoke forest, Mida Creek & in the area around the Sabaki rivermouth (& north to Gongoni). These latter two wetland sites offer fantastic birding opportunities with a wide range of wetland birds including terns, waders, many passerines & even Lesser Flamingo. Local knowledge is vital in getting the best out of Sabaki & Mida creek -I hired the services of David Ngala & had no regrets (details about David are included in the Arabuko-Sokoke gallery). I spent one late afternoon (less than 3 hours)at Mida Creek & a day (dawn until 16:30) at Sabaki & Gongoni.

I wandered freely around the area by the Turtle Bay Beach Club at Watamu without hinderance; the local people were, without exception most pleasant & courteous. I carried expensive camera gear & binoculars but never felt in any way threatened. That said Watamu is generally regarded as a safe area (though in early 2008 an ex-pat Brit was murdered during a house robbery) & is most definitely much safer than areas around Mombasa.