The second highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kenya has three lofty peaks covered in snow with associated glacier fields. Below the peaks is a zone of high altitude moorland which is sunny by day but freezes by night where a unique plant community of Giant Lobelias and Giant Groundsel can be found. Below this the moorland is covered in stunted shrubs and giant heathers which then give way to the Bamboo zone before merging with lush forest. Once extensive wet forest extended down to grassland at the base of the mountain but most of this has now been lost to agriculture.

Each of the altitudinal bands of the mountain support their own specific bird fauna but seeing anything other than a representitive selection requires considerable prior-planning and effort.

This gallery contains images of birds we came across over a couple of days on the mid-slopes of Mount Kenya -mainly around Serena Mountain lodge and the road from there to Nanyuki. It also includes images taken on the Ol Pejeta conservancy where we stayed for one night.
Many of the images are poor quality record shots as our weather on Mount Kenya was cool, misty and overcast with some rain whilst many of the birds were skulking forest species that barely revealed themselves. Nevertheless we got good views of some of the sunbirds and were afforded brief but satisfying views of the beautiful but very skulking Doherty's Bush-shrike.