Mara River & Wildebeest

Happy Gnu Year Everyone! See you on the other side!

Masai Mara Hot Air

That's a LOT of hot air! A Governors Camp balloon makes ready for it's passengers.

Silver-backed Jackal, Masai Mara Kenya

This Jackal is the primary ancestor of our domestic dogs.... have we bred a bit of 'attitude' out of them over time?

Elephants crossing the Mara River

Crossing the river can be great fun, but the adults must supervise.

Helmeted Guinea Fowl, Masai Mara Kenya

Dots and dashes.

Masai Mara Lioness

Relaxed but alert, a young Mara lioness.

Lesser Masked Weavers, Masai Mara Kenya

Lesser Masked Weavers working hard to attract tenants.

Seychelles Reef Fish

As it's raining so much here in Kenya, a watery theme is appropriate today: Reef fish from the Seychelles.

Cheetah Brothers, Masai Mara Kenya

Mara Triangle Cheetah brothers on patrol along the Tanzanian border. Not much escapes their notice.....

Big Backsides, Masai Mara Kenya

BIG Mara bums!

Mara River Crocodile

One of the very old Mara River Mega-Crocs- AKA Gnu-Eater. Must be 15 feet long & over 70 years old, with at least one fully grown Gnu in it's belly.

Pin-Tailed Whydah, Masai Mara Kenya

A Whydah contemplating breakfast.

Burchell's Zebra, Masai Mara Kenya

Check these eyelashes & whiskers!

Waterbuck seem too well insulated for the Mara, and it's claimed that they have noxious skin glands that repel big cat predators.

African Fish Eagle, Lake Baringo Kenya

Lovely reflected light off water here.

Cape Buffalo, Masai Mara Kenya

Contemplations in the mud-hole.

Lilac-Breasted Roller, Masai Mara Kenya

Landing accuracy.

Young Giraffe, Masai Mara Kenya

The younger the Giraffe the hairier their horns are.

Bateleur, Masai Mara Kenya

Bateleur- a very distinctive profile against the sky.

Mara Dawn Balloon

16 people in a basket; a 'Bucket List' experience over the Mara.

Black-Headed Heron, Masai Mara Kenya

Eye to eye with a Black-Headed Heron.

Damsel Fish, Indian Ocean, Seychelles

Interesting lips.... Damsel Fish from the Seychelles.

Wart Hog & Drongo, Masai Mara Kenya

A Fork-Tailed Drongo upset about something or other, or possibly waiting for the hog to disturb an insect? 

Elephant's Eye

The eye of the giant.

African Fish Eagle, Masai Mara Kenya

A spot-landing!

Masai Mara Sunrise

Magical Mara.

Flamingos, Amboseli Kenya

Greater Flamingos over seasonal Lake Amboseli.

Egyptian Goose, Masai Mara Kenya

Nice colour scheme on Egyptian Geese- subtle and sophisticated.....

Cape Buffalo & Mud, Masai Mara Kenya

Ah, to be able to peacefully chew your cud neck-deep in warm mud.

Large objects in the Masai Mara Kenya

Big & bigger..... the massive balloons that drift over the Mara at dawn carry up to 20 passengers, some of the largest commercially operated hot air balloons in the world.

Elephant Calf, Masai Mara Kenya

It looks like this little one gave up trying to eat grass with it's trunk. With 40,000 muscles in that 'nose', elephants take quite a few months to become proficient in trunk operations. 

Monitor Lizard, Masai Mara Kenya

A Monitor Lizard can grow well over a meter in length and is an aggressive predator for it's size with a varied diet, including eggs, smaller lizards, birds, rodents and snakes.

Masai Mara Lion, B&W

Lone tree, lone lion.

Nairobi Spider

A small jewel from my back yard here in Nairobi

Leopard, Masai Mara Kenya

That's an amazing tongue!

African Fish Eagle, Lake Baringo

A regal pose from the Lord of the Skies over Lake Baringo.

Bull Elephant, Masai Mara Kenya

Ridge-walking, Masai Mara.

Hippos in Lake Baringo, Kenya

Hippo graze onshore during the night & are understandably a bit tired during the day...

Rainbow Elephant, Masai Mara Kenya

The rains arrive in the Mara.

Greater Blue Eared Starling, Masai Mara Kenya

Take off.

Masai Ostrich, Masai Mara Kenya

Lone tree, lone ostrich.

Bataleur Eagle, Masai Mara Kenya

Aerial surveillance Kenya style.

Spotted Hyena, Masai Mara Kenya

Playing like any puppy- a young Spotted Hyena

White-Backed Vultures, Masai Mara Kenya

Prepping for the next fly-in feast.

Hammerkop, Masai Mara Kenya

The Hammerkop ('hammerhead') is one of our more primitive-looking birds, know for it's massive nests of sticks in trees.

Hippos, Mara River Kenya

Hippo moms are quite protective. The young remain in creches in the river at night, guarded by an adult, while the others graze up to 3km away.

Lion Cub, Masai Mara Kenya

Fearless! (as long as Mom's around).

Top of the Aberdares, Kenya

 

Wild country: 13,000 feet atop of the Aberdares looking east towards Nyeri.

Helmeted Guineafowl, Masai Mara Kenya

A helmeted Guineafowl, and as always... I wonder "why?"

Mara Lioness with Cubs

It's obviously a Flyday.