Kenya Birds - Ewaso Narok

Ewaso Narok swamp is a riverine papyrus swamp formed as a result of extensive flooding of the Eng'are Narok river valley at Rumuruti. The swamp is about 14 km long with associated features extending for about 20 km. It is located in the western part of Laikipia District, in semi-arid Rumuruti Division. Rainfall is below 750mm per year, with evaporation being twice the precipitation. The swamp has its main catchment in the Aberdares, with Lake Ol Bolossat contributing a significant amount of water. The other major rivers feeding Ewaso Narok swamp are the Pesi, contributing about 30% of the water volume entering the swamp and the seasonal Muruku and Aiyam rivers

For a long time the main land use in Laikipia District has been nomadic pastoralism and ranching, but since the 1970s there has been a shift in land use from large-scale to small-scale land holdings with increased cultivation along the river fronts, combined with water abstraction for dryland irrigation. This has resulted in some wetland drainage and clearance of riverine vegetation.

The first attempt to drain Ewaso Narok swamp was done in 1945 when two canals were dug, on either side of the swamp.

How to get there & where to stay

The simplest route, suitable even for small cars, is via the Nairobi-Nyahururu-Rumuruti road, which is tarmac up to Rumuruti shopping centre, next to the swamp. An alternative is the Nairobi-Karatina-Nanyuki-Ol Pajeta-Rumuruti route. This is tarmac up to Nanyuki town from where a dry weather road begins. This is a rough drive, although with interesting scenery and wildlife, and a 4WD vehicle is strongly recommended. Driving around the swamp involves much off-road driving, through bushes and rough terrain where only a 4WD can manage.

There are two pleasant campsites along the Sosian/Maralal road. Bobong campsite is about 20 km from Rumuruti shopping centre on the Maralal road. Directions to the camp are on a piece of rock on the right hand side of the road, about 400 metres beyond a container that has been converted into a house. Turn left driving about 200 metres up to a rocky outcrop overlooking the swamp. From the top there is a bird's eye view of the surroundings. Camping is Ksh250 per night, with piped water, hot showers and well-sheltered fireplaces. There are also two bandas with beds for hire Ksh350 per person per night. Food and drinks can be obtained from the camp and there is a resident caretaker.

Contact Ol Maisor Ranch for bookings: John and Amanda Perrett or Jasper Evans, phone 0176 32718 or 0176 31233 or email olmaisor@africaonline.co.ke (alternative contact is Laikipia Wildlife Forum office lwf@africaonline.co.ke or phone 0176 31600).

The next campsite is "The Fish Ponds" about 28 km from Rumuruti on the right-hand side of the Maralal road a few kilometres from the Sosian shopping centre. The camp is at the northern tip of the Ewaso Narok swamp, still on Ol Maisor Ranch. It is situated between the swamp and two large ponds of water, with basic camping for Ksh200 per person per night, under a canopy of large Acacia xanthlophloea trees. Check for directions to the campsite from a huge rock on the right hand side of the road. Overlooking the Hippo Pond are two bandas with fully equipped and furnished open kitchen/lounge for self-catering parties for Ksh3,000 per night per party. There is a resident caretaker also here.

Camels can be hired from the Ranch for Ksh750 per day, and some of the camel handlers belong to the Bobong Bird Club. An Ox cart or bicycles are alternative forms of transport available for Ksh500 per day from Bobong campsite. Driving around on the ranch is prohibited.

The area tends to have hot days and cold nights, and warm clothing is a must for the early morning's birding. Gum boots come in handy when the ground is waterlogged, although light shoes will do in the dry season. You should carry enough water and food as shops are some distance away.

Interesting sites

A day started on the south-western side, along the dry valley of the Muruku river, usually proves worthwhile. The "valley" is gently rolling ground easily accessed by turning right before entering Rumuruti shopping centre, going past Rumuruti State House, over the Eng'are Narok river bridge and past G.G. Secondary school. Avoid this section if there are heavy rains, as it can become heavily flooded. It soon becomes a rough terrain of rocky outcrops and thickets of Croton dichogamous. No definite road exists here. The swamp edge is marked by a line of Acacia xanthlophloea trees. The entrance of the Muruku river into the swamp is a good site for Black-winged Plovers and Grey Crowned Cranes, and a variety of plovers and sandpipers in the migration season.

When it is not very wet, it is possible to drive through the Muruku dry valley to the confluence of the Pesi and Eng'are Narok rivers. The Acacia trees along the edges are likely to be dotted with roosting Sacred Ibis, herons and cranes in the early hours of the morning. Later in the day Vervet Monkeys and (if you are lucky) Patas Monkeys, although rare may be found here. At the confluence you are likely to be welcomed by a variety of widowbirds, bishops and waxbills, including White-winged, Long-tailed and Jackson's Widowbirds and Yellow and Yellow-crowned Bishops. The terrain here may be muddy.

Concentrate on the Eng'are Narok arm of the swamp. The hippos here hardly ever emerge during the day, but it is obviously wise to be on the alert. Try to keep to the hardly visible tracks to avoid acacia thorns. A line of squatters' huts line the edge of the swamp, but the people have been unable to drain this part of the swamp due to heavy flooding in the rainy season. This section of the swamp has islands inside, and local people will guide you if requested.

To get to the north-eastern side of the swamp, drive back to G.G. Secondary School and then turn left, taking the first turn to the left again over bushes of Acacia seyal and over the Pesi River Bridge. Here one drives through Acacia wooded grassland where Kori and Black-bellied Bustards may be spotted. Drive past the Thome shops and take the route about 500 metres beyond what appears to be the end of the swamp (if in doubt ask at the shopping centre).

The distance between the 1945 canal, dug to help take water to the lower tip of the swamp, and the swamp itself is about 500 metres, most of it being a drawdown area dominated by Aeschynomene schimperi and other water's edge plants. Here you may find Yellow-crowned Bishop, White-winged and Jackson's Widowbirds and Grey Crowned Crane. There are numerous canals, which you could easily drop into, so move carefully. Buffalo footprints are often conspicuous. Like the hippos these creatures rarely emerge from the swamp during the day, but it is sensible to be on the lookout. Abandoned houses here tell tales of occasional flooding, which destroys crops and homes. This is an important grazing area, especially during the dry season.

The Western Side

To reach the western side of the swamp, go back to Rumuruti shopping centre and past it to the Sosian-Maralal road. Access to the swamp on this side is only possible through private farms so courtesy should be exercised. An interesting site to visit here is the uppermost part of the swamp where access is through a private farm immediately after Rumuruti shopping centre. Once again this is off-road driving along a narrow track bordered by Acacia and Leleshwa bushes. Look for a section to cross the canal after driving for about 100 metres. African Fish Eagles, ducks, snipes and warblers are likely to be found in this area of bushed swamp. Bushbuck also live here but are very hard to see. The adjacent dry land bordering the papyrus holds a good variety of bush birds like White-bellied Go-away Birds.

You may spot Brown Parrots, Verreaux's Eagle Owl and other birds along the riparian vegetation in the 1945 canal. When the path starts guiding you left and up to the Maralal road, stop and you may cross over the canal and onto the swamp. Be on the lookout for hippos, although they will normally warn you before you get too close to their location.

Back on the main Maralal road, turn right and drive on towards Sosian shopping centre, leaving Bobong campsite behind. Spectacular rocky outcrops fringe the road on the left-hand side. The next stop might be Hippo Pond, a comfortable place for birdwatching, camping and picnics! This site is especially good in the evening; it is a roosting site for numerous waterbirds, and the Acacia trees are dotted with white objects at night, although the hippos, African Darter and some storks are here throughout the day. Helmeted Guineafowl and baboons at times come in large numbers in the evening.

What does the future hold for this wetland? This is the lifeline of the Samburu area, supporting diverse and unique biodiversity in the Samburu-Buffalo Springs and Shaba National Reserves. Unfortunately, the wetland is currently heavily threatened due to habitat destruction and fragmentation by invading farmers on both sides of the swamp. During the dry season, the size of the swamp is significantly reduced due to grazing, upstream water abstraction for small-scale irrigation, and the removal of the swamp vegetation to clear the way for cultivation. This is accompanied by a high usage of pesticides, which are at times used to poison birds like the Greater Blue-eared Starling that feed on crops such as tomatoes. At present the swamp is able to renew itself during most rainy seasons. However, with the increasing human movement into the rangelands of Laikipia District and the accompanying demand for land and water, the future of this wetland looks bleak. This poses a challenge for the conservation of wetlands in dryland regions, and biodiversity in general, in a scenario of increasing demand for farming lands. For instance, Pesi and Marura swamps and other small wetlands in upper Ewaso Ngiro north drainage basin have been drained for farming. This jeopardises the ecological function of dryland wetlands.

and National Museums of Kenya and reproduced with the permission of the editor.