Common Bulbul calling “doctor-quick doctor-quick be-quick be-quick”
There’s just time before sundown to visit the lake a few hundred metres from my tent. One of the most common birds here in Kenya is the Common Bulbul. It’s very distinctive in having a black head and a bright yellow under tail. That bright yellow is something I’ve failed completely to show you in this photograph.
Next time, hopefully, I’ll do better.

Unlike some of the other birds in the grounds of Muthoki Country Lodge it likes to be conspicuous. It sits at the top of bushes rather than skulking in them.
I’m told the call of the Common Bulbul is a loud “doctor-quick doctor-quick be-quick be-quick“. Luckily I’ve been taking my Malaria tablets and haven’t been drinking the tap water. I don’t need its help just yet.
More adventures in Kenya
A Lion’s yawn shows its lingual frenulum This male Lion is having a bit of a yawn. I adore the wrinkles on its nose and its wavy,… read more
Black-Shouldered Kite There's a Black-Shouldered Kite, Elanus caeruleus, at the top of the bush. It's very far away, but we are gradually… read more
What Johnson said is true. “They are small and the grass is long and the Masai Mara is big” There are two books which started my interest in the natural world. The first was A Treasury of Natural History… read more
The Rhino’s Guard – the Red-Billed Oxpecker The Red-Billed Oxpecker's scientific name is Buphagus erythrorynchus. Bu means Ox, phagus means eat, erythro means red and rhynchus means… read more
Naked armpits I've seen Sacred Ibis before. They're beautiful and fascinating. This one has something I've never seen before, though. As it… read more
Twin interests This Lioness has clearly caught something cute, furry and with floppy ears. It's already had a good chew at it.… read more
A White-Headed Saw-Wing There's an all-black Swallow-type bird next to our route, as we drive along the dusty compressed-earth tracks of the Masai… read more
The double-jointed ankles of the African Harrier Hawk It's the tiny head which first strikes me; and then the bare face with the orange skin. It's an African… read more
Zebras at sunset and a vision of heaven My guide, Johnson, here at Governors' Camp in the Masai Mara, has been brilliant. He's responded to my every wish,… read more
The Village Weaver As we head back to camp, I can see birds bathing in the pools of water left by the ruts… read more
Go on, bat those eyelashes at me I love how playful and how brown and fluffy the young Zebras are here in the Masai Mara. They're still… read more
Lion’s mane Isn't this big male Lion's mane fabulous? Lionesses prefer male Lions which have a dark bushy main. It's a sign… read more