Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Lion- Nairobi Park, Kenya

A keen-eyed fellow from Nairobi Park. It's been a good year for the Park's Lions, at least by appearance.

It's been a good year for pic-a-day too. Many thanks for all your support. I'm off till the 4th or 5th of January.

See y'all next year, and have a good holiday.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Mt. Kenya Colobus

A young Colobus monkey. Colobus are 100% vegetarian (eat shoots and leaves) and do not have opposable thumbs.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Nairobi Park Lioness

This lioness had three half-grown cubs to feed & seemed to be coping quite well.

Merry Christmas everyone!

elk

Friday, December 23, 2011

'Swamp Ellies'- Amboseli Kenya

This photo of Amboseli 'Swamp Ellies' is popular at my exhibition and I'd neglected to include it in the online gallery of exhibited photos ( http://www.pbase.com/pinicola/elk_exhib1 ), so here it is...

Thursday, December 22, 2011

'HoverFly'- Macro photo, Laikipia Kenya

I've always noticed these little flies- I call them 'HoverFlies'- that for reasons unknown are in the habit of hovering for minutes on end in precisely the same spot before darting away to take up a new position not far off.

This one, all of 7mm from wingtip to wingtip held position so well I was able to take my time to focus in and capture some detail of it's appearance.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Kongoni- Nairobi Park, Kenya

This Male Kongoni (Coke's Hartebeest) has been out rooting around scent-marking the perimeter of his territory. How could the females resist?

I've created a gallery of the photos in my current exhibition at: http://www.pbase.com/pinicola/elk_exhib1 so please drop by for a look!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Kirk's Dik-dik: Laikipia, Kenya

Kirk's Dik-dik, Madoqua kirkii, reaches a height of only 35-45 cm at the shoulder. The male is noticeably smaller than the female and they pair for life. They are well adapted to dry conditions, metabolising all the water they need from their food which consists of leaves, buds, flowers, fruit as well as grass.

This is an older male showing some scars from close encounters with predators (including wild dogs, leopard, cheetah, lion & a couple of the larger birds of prey).

Photo Location: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=N+00%C2%B036.70+E+036%C2%B047.94&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=0.601362,36.840119&spn=0.024546,0.027595&sll=0.500558,36.510315&sspn=0.392745,0.441513&vpsrc=6&t=h&z=15

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Thursday, December 8, 2011

An interesting looking character from Nairobi Park. It doesn't take long to distinguish one lion 'face' from another.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

GULP! Somebody talked me into it........

After nearly 40 years of lugging a camera around Kenya it's time to expose my product to the most critical type of audience... potential customers!  All are welcome, I'll have 42 framed images and I'm nervous.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Malachite Kingfisher- Nairobi Park, Kenya

This is the final pic from a series taken earlier this year in Nairobi Park. This little fish-eater was a particularly photogenic character.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Crowned Crane- Nairobi Park, Kenya

I hadn't realised Crowned Cranes had such big feet! They feed in and around swamps quite a bit, so I suppose they are adapted to walking in mud. Standing around 4 ft high, they must weigh over 10 kg.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Zebra Graphic- Nairobi Park Kenya

Gearing up for my first-ever exhibition here which begins on the 13 this month. This'll feature- printed on canvas 87 x 60 cm (34x24 in) with a thin black frame.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Sisal Growth Macro Detail- Nairobi Kenya

Sisal 'leaves' are single thorn-tipped blades that can reach a length of nearly 2 meters. The cluster opens from a single base with older leaves incubating younger leaves successively within. This type from my back yard lives for between 7 and 10 years attaining a circumference of up to 3.5 meters. They flower once and die- sending a single flower-tipped stalk over 4 meters vertically.

Heavy nectar-laden yellow flower clusters at the apex attract swarms of honey-bees, bee-eaters and bush-babies at night. This reproductive effort draws nutrients from the fleshy leaves and thick root, which shrivels and dries, eventually allowing the seed-laden to be blown over.... depositing it's seeds to grow from where the tip of the tall stalk lands; 4 to 5 meters away from the parent.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Friday, November 25, 2011

Female Impala- Nairobi Park, Kenya

A female Impala daintily nibbles at succulent- and well protected- Acacia leaves in Nairobi Park. I can aaaaaalmost see my reflection in her eye.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Egret in Flight- Baringo Kenya

This fly-by photo of this Greater Egret from Lake Baringo converts rather elegantly to black & white image I think. I just might blow this one up to make a large print in a black frame....

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Spotted Eagle-Owl- Nairobi Kenya

Approximately 12 birds of four species and two squirrels were scolding this owl just outside my kitchen window the other day. He seemed unperturbed.....

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Young Colobus Monkey- Mount Kenya.

This little chap is probably around a month old- losing the infant's white coat for the typical black & white Colobus pelt. Taken in Nanyuki, Mt. Kenya.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

VineVegetation Detail- Nanyuki Kenya

I found this vine creeper along the Burguret Rive at our Trout Farm  at the base of Mt. Kenya today (www.tamtrout.com). Nice to be able to send it to you directly from here!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Lappet Faced Vulture- Nairobi Park, Kenya

Lappet-Faced Vulture, Nairobi Park. This one's for Shiv Kapila, a raptor biologist here in Kenya (www.shivkapila.com). Keep up the good work!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Egyptian Goose- Nairobi Park, Kenya

An Egyptian Goose- one of the few birds that can be found EVERYWHERE throughout Kenya where there is permanent fresh water below 3000m altitude. Obviously a very adaptable bird.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

White-Bellied Go-Away Bird. Amboseli Kenya

A White-Bellied Go-Away Bird. Aside from bleating like a sheep, it's call is also "G'wa!" (go away!). This one was found in Amboseli.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Pied Kingfisher- Baringo Kenya

Looking fast while standing still- the sleek Pied Kingfisher is a purpose-built tool made to bridge the air/water divide.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Young Elephant- Masai Mara, Kenya

A young elephant with It's older sister 'minder' in the Mara Triangle Conservancy area of the Masai Mara Game Reserve.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Monday, October 31, 2011

Lioness- Nairobi Park Kenya

Keen eyesight. She was watching a group of Kongoni on a ridge almost one kilometer away. This was taken in Nairobi Park earlier this month (Oct 2011).

Friday, October 28, 2011

Hyena Pups- Amboseli Kenya

Lounging around the den on the Amboseli plains, these three half-grown Hyena pups are part of a large group located close to the swamps.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Lesser Egret- Lake Baringo, Kenya

Quite the costume here- what with the yellow feet & accessory feathers on head & breast. A Lesser Egret from Lake Baringo.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Urban Eland- Nairobi Park, Kenya

The dichotomy of Nairobi park is fascinating; on one side you have hundreds of square kilometers of wild savanna leading though to the expanse of the Great Rift Valley (yes, migratory corridors are still open). On the other side you've got downtown Nairobi with it's increasingly prickly skyline. Long Live Nairobi Park!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Male Lion- Masai Mara Kenya

This big fella was keeping a close eye on my activities from his vantage point on a small hill in the Mara Triangle.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Wooly-Necked Stork, Masai Mara Kenya

An odd bird and not very common to the Mara, the Woolly-Necked Stork is most often spotted along lagoons at Kenya's coast.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Hermit Crab- Lamu, Kenya

This 3-inch Hermit Crab protects his intertidal territory with a (relatively) fearsome weapon.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Two Little Bee-Eaters, Nanyuki Kenya

There must be a suitable caption for this.... just couldn't find it! 
Two Little Bee-Eaters on a Bottle-Brush tree near Nanyuki, Mt. Kenya.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Swamp Elephants- Amboseli Kenya

From my Amboseli archives: The daily routine of trekking back to the acacia forests after a morning wallowing (and grazing) in the swamps.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Crested Crane- Nanyuki Kenya

Up close and personal- Crested Crane- Nanyuki Kenya. Every once in a while one has t ask "Why???". Or- as an ecologist "How did THAT happen???"