Mating Lions- pic 1 of 3: 'The Flirt'. Masai Mara, Kenya

Photo #1 of a series of 3: 'The Flirt', Mating lions in the Mara.
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Eurasian Roller- Meru National Park, Kenya

Close-up of a Eurasian Roller from Meru Park.

Google Maps Sat image: click here

Meru Lions- Meru Park, Kenya

A Meru Park lioness with cubs near where the 'Born Free' lions were returned to the wild by George Adamson.

Martial Eagle- Meru Park, Kenya

This immature Martial Eagle is getting the Drongo's version of a scolding. Taken in Meru Park.

Martial Eagle- Meru Park, Kenya

At nearly 1m length from head to tail, the fearsome Martial Eagle is one of the Dik-dik's primary predators.

Laikipia Plains Dikdik- Loisaba Kenya

Another pic of a Loisaba Dik-dik. They mate for life.... see the second one?

Eurasian Roller Take-Off. Meru Park, Kenya

A symphony of blues as this Eurasian Roller takes flight.

Vulturine Guinea-fowl- Laikipia Kenya

Vulturine Guinea-fowl near Loisaba Lodge on the Laikipia Plateau. They'd not look out of place in the Rio Carnival parade!

Marabou Stork, Nairobi Park, Kenya

Certainly not the most attractive of birds- and carrion eaters as well. Marabou Storks have a 7ft wingspan, are gregarious and can thermal to great heights- occasionally in conflict with aircraft. They are usually silent apart from bill-clattering, but can whinny like a horse during courtship.

Lovely...........

'Nairobi Eye' Blister Beetle- Nairobi Kenya

This rather attractively coloured insect (Paederus eximius) is the scourge of the long rainy season here in Nairobi. Blister lesions caused by this 1cm long beetle are like heat burns, spread via itching and can take between 1 and 7 weeks to heal. The best treatment is first aid ASAP with a poultice of moist bicarbonate of soda which seems to reduce toxicity and spread.

Interesting how many toxic creatures tend to advertise themselves via bright colours.

Speckled Sand Snake- Meru Park, Kenya

This thin ribbon of a snake-a Speckled Sand Snake- was pretending to be a stick and waiting patiently for small lizards to happen by....

Doum Palm Sunset- Maru Park, Kenya

Doum Palms were invented by Dr. Seuss I suspect... This pic is for Chui Viv on Manitoulin Island, who made the request when she heard we were visiting Meru Park last weekend.

Grasshopper- Watamu Kenya

A coastal grasshopper from Watamu, on the Kenya coast.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=watamu&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=42.174768,100.546875&vpsrc=6&hnear=Watamu,+Coast+Province,+Kenya&t=h&z=13

Blue-Naped Mousebird

A colourful & gregarious bird found in the drier low-altitudes of East Africa; the Blue-Naped Mousebird.

Lioness- Nairobi Park, Kenya

Another shot of one of the Nairobi Park lions.

Red Grasses, Laikipia Kenya

I confess to not having identified this grass species. It glows red in the light of the setting sun over the Laikipia Plateau.

Silverbacked Jackal- Laikipia Kenya

Everything about these small Canines is 'keen'- keen hearing, keen sense of smell, keen eyesight...  This was was photographed at Loisaba on the Laikipia Plateau, Kenya

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=laikipia+kenya&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=_M4KT8KrK4ynrAeAsrTxDw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=3&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAg

Butterfly- Mt. Kenya

A resident of the Mt. Kenya forests.

Vulturine Ginea-Fowl, Laikipia Kenya

Guinea-Fowl have got to be top contenders for inexplicable headgear & plumage. This is the Vulturine Guinea-Fowl, resident of the drier parts of Northern Kenya.

Happy New Year everyone! We've marked the occasion by passing the 10,000 page-views mark here on Pic-a-day Kenya.