An almost-daily photo blog from Kenya By Elsen Karstad, resident in Kenya, East Africa. Cameras: Nikon Z8 & Nikon D850 Lenses: Nikon 14-24 F2.8, Nikon z20-70 f2.8 Nikon 50 F2.8, Sigma 105 F2.8 Macro, Nikon 70-200 F2.8, Nikon 200-500, Nikon 600 F6.3 Enquiries on photo use or prints, email elknbi@gmail.com
Friday, July 29, 2011
Bushbuck- Aberdare Mountains, Kenya
Taken at one of my favourite secluded campsites at 10,000 ft altitude in the Aberdares National Park. That's Mt. Kenya in the distance, bushbuck in the foreground & a couple great trout streams down in the valley.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Common Scimitar-Bill, Nanyuki Kenya
The 'Common Scimitar Bill', which isn't so common in Nanyuki where this one was found. Not shown here is it's long tail with horizontal white banding underneath. The specialised bill allows for probing deep into holes and cracks in wood to extract insects and their larvae. Looks like a Borer-beetle hole in the branch it's sitting on....
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Nairobi Park Lion Cub
2011 seems to be a good year for the Nairobi Park Lion population. After a few years of decline, they appear to be bouncing back & sticking (more or less) within the park's 117 square kilometer confines. This cub was one of a litter of four accompanied by two lionesses. The Photo was taken July 17th 2011.
A link to the Google Map view of the park is here: Nairobi Park
A link to the Google Map view of the park is here: Nairobi Park
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Mara River Hippo- Kenya
There are few reasons why a hippo would remain out of the water during the day- nursing wounds from fighting is one. I suspect wounds heal quicker out of the water for hippo, and fish nibbling constantly on sensitive exposed flesh can be intolerable. The possibility of life-threatening heat prostration is very real when a hippo remains out of the water though, and in time this fellow would be forced to leave his mud-hole for some shade or return to the river.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Serval Cat- Masai Mara Kenya
Taken a few years ago in the Mara. There seems to be a healthy and very territorial population of Serval Cats in the Mara Triangle.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Sykes Monkey- Mt. Kenya
Sykes Monkeys are true arboreal athletes and have a more varied omnivorous diet than their vegetarian Mt. Kenya neighbors, the Colobus monkey.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Little Bee-Eater- Nairobi Kenya
Caught at the moment of taking off in pursuit of an insect, this Little Bee-Eater prefers to eat bees. Stingers are deftly extracted by banging and scraping the bee's abdomen on a branch before ingestion.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Sisal Plant Detail- Nairobi Kenya
Sometimes I shoot first & think later.... this photo appeals to me more with every viewing. Maybe it's the smooth curves + sharp thorns combination??
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Female Kokamanda Lizard- Island Camp, Baringo Kenya
The male Kokamanda Lizard (AKA Agama Lizard) seems to get all the attention with his bright orange head and blue body.... here's a female of the species; looking like she's built for speed.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Cheetah- Masai Mara, Kenya
This lone Cheetah is a resident of the 'triangle' in the Masai Mara- a particularly productive section on the south-western sid e of tghe reserve bounded by the Sira Escarpment (W), the Mara River (E) and the Tanzanian border (S). You can see it here
Friday, July 15, 2011
Lake Baringo Sunset, Kenya
Lake Baringo (2800 ft alt) is nestled in the bottom of the Great Rift Valley, bordered to the east and west by escarpments reaching as high as 9000+ feet (+- 2800m). The cool highland adjacent to the hot valley floor creates some awesome weather- from a specator's point of view.... See the satellite view.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Thompson's Gazelle- Masai Mara Kenya
An old-timer 'Tommy' from the Mara. It's deceptively difficult to get a decent photo of these little Gazelle- they usually turn and run immediately your car stops.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Striated Heron- Lake Baringo Kenya
Striated Heron- AKA Green-backed Heron, with lovely jade-green wings & back. This one was found along the waterline at Lake Baringo (coordinates: 0.614856, 36.078987).
Friday, July 8, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Egret in Flight- Lake Baringo Kenya
Great Egret for Lake Baringo. This is a very common bird, with as many as one per 100m along the reeded shoreline.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Pied Kingfisher- Lake Baringo, Kenya
Quite a big fish for a small bird. From my observations, Kingfishers swallow their catch whole. The can spend some time whacking the fish against a branch or rock to kill or stun it prior to ingestion- though they seem to have some difficulty telling head from tail- often as not smacking the tail.... As tilapia have erectile spiny dorsal fins a relaxed meal has obvious advantages.....
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