Lick

Another pic from the Mara. Post Gnu-Feast ablutions (Lion style).

A glossy starling surveys it's territory from the apex of a Brown Olive treee- Nanyuki

Location on Google Maps:
http://maps.google.co.ke/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Nanyuki+Kenya&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Nanyuki,+Rift+Valley+Province&ll=-0.104027,37.03635&spn=0.010021,0.021136&t=h&z=16

Baringo Sunset

Nestled in the Great Rift Valley at less than 3000 ft altitude, Lake Baringo is surrounded by highlands reaching over 9000 ft. Great cumulus clouds, complete with lightning and occasionally hail, are created along the line of the escarpments where hot air rising from the deserts of the Rift meet cold moist air over the fertile highlands.

Google map link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Lake+Baringo,+Rift+Valley+Province,+Kenya&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=FZeGCQAdC1kmAg&split=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.875,57.630033&hq=&hnear=Lake+Baringo,+Rift+Valley+Province,+Kenya&ll=0.60149,36.072235&spn=0.641288,1.352692&t=h&z=10

Baringo Fish-Eagle in Action (Part 2)

Got it!

Baringo Fish-Eagle in Action (Part 1)

The first of two shots- a Fish Eagle in action-  at the moment of making contact with a tilapia on Lake Baringo.

The population of Fish Eagles resident at Baringo appears to have declined over the past three years or so,possibly a natural cyclic trend- possibly due to something more sinister in the environment. The good news is there are quite a few  nesting pairs with chicks at the moment & the opinion is that numbers are on the rebound.

BTW- the lake level continues to rise & is currently only a few inches from levels only last seen in the '70's. El Nin'a is definitely having an effect in the Rift Valley.

Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Hatchling

A freshly hatched Green Turtle hits the surf on Manda Island, part of the Lamu archipelago in Kenya. Nests of the endangered sea turtles are located and guarded through to hatching by a local organisation the Lamu Marine Conservation Trust- www.lamcot.org
 

For more info on the Green Turtle see:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/green-turtle/

Location:
http://maps.google.co.ke/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Lamu+kenya&sll=51.505364,-0.958192&sspn=0.399185,1.352692&gl=ke&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Lamu,+Coast+Province&ll=-2.285065,40.982952&spn=0.040051,0.084543&t=h&z=14

Egret at dusk. Lake Baringo

Snowy Egret. Taken 3rd Sept at 18:25 from a boat on Lake Baringo.

We stayed at Baringo Island Camp on Ol Kokwe Island. Highly recommended (inexpensive too!). It's a bird photographers paradise & serene off-the-beaten-track getaway at 2800 ft altitude in the bottom of the Great Rift Valley.

Location:
http://maps.google.co.ke/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=lake+Baringo&sll=51.638476,-0.958557&sspn=0.398018,1.352692&gl=ke&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Lake+Baringo,+Rift+Valley+Province&ll=0.615223,36.067429&spn=0.320645,0.676346&t=h&z=11