From Meru To Mara

[michael-ibk]

Photos of the serval are brilliant!

@@Thursday's Child

 

Very kind, thank you. And I always wanted to ask - why Thursday?

 

 

Great introduction to the Mara; Hordes of Wildies, cars, people and then CATS. Cheetah,Liions and Serval in one afternoon would make anyone feel better.

Glad you made it the 6hrs for such a great afternoon.

 

 

Great Serval snap as well as the vid of the little cats. Never tire of seeing them paw one another, bite necks and crawl all over!

Thanks, @@graceland , I love the cubs as well, always such fun to watch. Speaking of people, that was far better than I expected. Of course, we often had four or five cars at some sightings, but also many exclusive ones, it´s easy to avoid the others. Don´t know how it would have been without the tourism crisis, of course.

 

 

@@michael-ibk sorry to read that you were unwell, but thankfully the drugs kicked in and you were able to enjoy the Mara. Fabulous intro to cats of the Mara - lion, cheetah and serval and nice photos of the serval too.

Thanks, @@Treepol , and yes, just in this very case I was quite thankful for the effect of drugs.

 

 

Oh no ..... sorry about the stomach bug, but, glad you recovered in time to see Mr.Cheetah ......

Thanks, Hari, and I´m glad you´re not cross with me because I do not know the names. Will upload them to the identification thread, though.

 

it's terrible to get sick while you are on the move, but Mara provided the best cure!

 

great pix of the serval! and the baby lions. and those pix of aberdares showed how beautiful that place is. is it me, or are the coats of the animals (bushbuck for eg) thicker?

@@Kitsafari

 

Thanks! I wouldn´t have noticed about thicker coats (though it would make sense), it was just their size which was remarkable.

 

 

@@michael-ibk : Oh, boy, I have missed so much from this report that I don't know where to start from... The photos from Lake Nakuru are beautiful, I really like the Rothschild´s Giraffes and find them a lot more similar to Southern Giraffes, than to Masai ones. Great Rhino experience. I remember enjoying the greenery of the park very much, as well as the views from Baboon Cliff (didn't know that this was the name of it).

 

Mara certainly delivers... Six days there, what a treat. The Servel is such a great sighting. I remember taking frequent sightings of cheetahs in Mara and in Ol Kinyei for granted. Later on when I visited another 14 African parks / reserves without seeing a single cheetah, I realized how blessed we have been in the Mara ecosystem in regards to this animal.

 

It seems to me that overall Kenya perhaps offers the greatest variety of safari experiences from all African countries, would really love to be able to revisit in foreseeable future...

 

Keep the good work and the nice stuff coming!

Thank you, @@FlyTraveler , and I agree, Kenya´s diversity really is extraordinary. I know what you mean about the cheetahs, it was the same for us with lions - all over in Botswana, but suddenly none of them around in all the parks before th Mara. (But we - rightfully - trusted that we would see loads of them there.)

 

 

"White-Headed Buffalo Weaver, one of safari´s "Little Five". (The other ones are Elephant Shrew, Leopard Tortoise, Ant Lion and Rhino Beetle.)" I am always forgetting the Little Five. Thanks for the reminder listing. No more gerenuk suspense. The "Queen of Humbleness" and the kings too showed up and posed nicely for photos and video.

 

The baboons can learn to wear trousers when the humans learn to stop littering water bottles!

 

Brilliant hues in the Vulturine Guinea-Fowl. That Blue Naped Mousebird is rather uncommon, isn't it? And you got the blue nape. Good light was needed for both birds. It looks like sunny skies most days.

@@Atravelynn

 

Thanks, Samburu was the best park for us weather-wise, yes. No clouds at all! Fair point about the bottle, I´m always wondering what kind of people would throw out stuff like that. Wouldn´t know about the Mousebird, but it certainly is a pretty bird. You have infinitely more experience than me, have you seen them often?

Edited November 15, 2014 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

Early rise next day - 04:30 in the morning! We had our balloon flight scheduled for today, and at 05:00 a car of Hot Air Safaris picked us up. Two minutes out of the camp our drowsiness was blown away - an impressive male leopard was just returning from the plains to the riverine copse around the camp. What a way to start the morning!

The starting point for the balloons is near Talek Gate. I was kind of wondering why it had been necessary to get here so early since we waited almost 45 minutes till the whole thing really got started.



But it was fun watching the crew doing their work, especially seeing the business competiton taking off:



And the sunrise was beautiful:



We had been a bit unsure if we should do the balloons. It´s not exactly cheap (USD 450,--), and we were wondering if we would see much (absolutely!), and were afraid it would be very crammed (It was not!). It was wonderful - well worth it, and I´m very, very glad we decided to do it - definitely a trip highlight. We booked it in advance with Sunworld Safaris, but I expect every camp could arrange for a flight, even on short notice.



A different point of view over the Mara.

Lots and lots of wildebeest and zebras to our feet.





Of course I have no idea about our exact route, but apparently the direction is always to the South-West. Hot Air Safari (http://www.maraballooning.com/) can explain this better than me:

"We fly from the area of Talek (see map). Our launch site is centrally located on the northern edge of the National Reserve. We usually fly west-southwest, which first takes us along the Talek River, then out across some wide-open plains towards the Ol Keju Rongai River. We sometimes land in the vicinity of this river, but if the winds are strong enough, we continue on towards the Mara River and the Tanzanian border."

How do they steer the flight?

Again, borrowing from their webpage:

"How does the pilot control the balloon?
The balloon goes with the wind, but at different altitudes the wind often flows in different directions; by expertly navigating this vertical landscape the pilot finds some directional control. In order to gain or lose altitude, the pilot manipulates the temperature of the air inside the balloon envelope using burners fueled by butane gas. When heat is added, the balloon rises: add more heat and it rises more quickly. In order to descend, the pilot allows the balloon to cool naturally. The cooler the air inside the balloon becomes the more quickly it descends. Sometimes when the balloon is descending for landing the pilot actually adds some heat to slow down the rate of descent."

James told us that sometimes they get blown across the Mara, which makes the return complicated. Once, a balloon even landed in Tanzania. The officials there were quite merciless and arrested everybody for illegal border crossing. Not the way those unlucky guests had imagined spending their time in the Mara, I guess. (They were allowed to return after one day in prison.)



We flew with the company´s founder, Captain Andrew Hart, and so were in very competent hands.



How many people? We were very lucky - normally 16 passengers, four each in four separate sections, the pilot in the middle. We were just 11 on total, and had a 4-person section for the two of us:



Now how did I take that one?


What did we see? Everything! Really everything. Wildebeest, Topis, Waterbucks, Tommies, Grant´s, Warthogs, Dikdiks, Hyenas, ...



...Zebras...



...Elands...



...Hartebeest...



...Jackals, Lions...



...with prey...






...Elephants...





The landing (after about a flight of an hour) was fun - the balloon basket tipped over, and we found ourselves in pretty unexpected positions. (Apparently a landing like this is rather the norm than the exception. Quite logical, they don´t have brakes of course.)





A sumptuous breakfast with champagne was included.



And they had the nicest loo I ever had the pleasure using.



All in all, very much to be recommended! (Bit of a caveat here - apparently we were on the luckier side with animals. Other guests in our camp did this two days later, and saw almost nothing, so as with all game drives, the luck of the draw is a big factor here as well. But the views of the landscape alone make the balloons a fantastic experience in my opinion.)

[Bush dog]

The flamingoes in the thunderstorm, wow!!!!!

[madaboutcheetah]

Michael, that's too funny about the landing in Serengeti. By the way, talking about the wind drift - the only time I did the balloon (2001 or 2002) the winds took us away from the migration........ I love that pic of the Lions w/buff carcass from the air.

 

PS - I'm not cross with you for not knowing the cheetahs ..... Just cross with your guide

Edited November 16, 2014 by madaboutcheetah

[TonyQ]

@@michael-ibk

Great pictures from the baloon flight - it looks exciting!

[Thursday's Child]

@@michael-ibk Really enjoying your report.

 

Why Thursday?

 

There's a little ditty in the UK which goes along the lines of:

 

Monday's child is fair of face,

Tuesday's child is full of grace,

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Thursday's child has far to go,

Friday's child is loving and giving,

Saturday's child works hard for a living,

But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day is bonnie and blithe and good and gay (although there are other versions).

 

I was born on a Thursday so it seemed appropriate!

[Atravelynn]

I think there are only 2000 - 3000 Grevy Zebra left, so your line of them constituted between 5% and 8% of the whole population. Wow!

 

That Chestnut-Headed Sparrow-Weaver peeking out of its nest was a little disorienting when I first looked at it. Very cool perspective. Maybe my glass of wine contributed to the disorientation.

 

Per a previous exchange: I don't think I've seen many (maybe not any) Blue Naped Mousebirds. Lots and lots of other mousebirds, though.

 

Samburu was a smashing success. You saw the unique species of Samburu and your photos really highlight the beautiful scenery whether with animals subjects or not. I think your 3 nights, rather than the standard 2 nights in many package itineraries, contributed to that success, along with your quality private guide. Since the economy is doing better than when I last went to Samburu in Sept 2010, I think the # of visitors has increased. It's good you could still escape the parade when you wished.

 

You really make me want to return to Samburu sometime, and I don't mean "never in a million years."

 

Next up is Aberdare, a favorite I recall.

[Marks]

Looks like you had a great time in the Mara. A cheetah only twenty minutes in - very nice.

The views from the balloon are really something. I imagine the tourists who landed in Tanzania at least had quite a story to tell when they got home!

[armchair bushman]

Great trip report. I like the fact that you've given some reviews on some much lesser-known properties that don't show up on ST very much. I knew of Sandai Farm, but didn't know what it was like, or if it was worth visiting. So thanks for that glowing report.

 

Also, I'm SO glad you got to visit the Aberdares, but even more so that you spent a fair bit of time up in the moorlands. So many people only see the salient when they visit The Ark or Treetops. There are lots of people who don't even realize there's more to the park! The waterfalls and the other scenery on the moorlands is a real highlight for me. I have many great memories of trips to the Fishing Lodge cottages with my family when I was younger.

 

A couple of points about the Aberdares (just some FYI's):

- As you mentioned, it does look a lot like parts of the Scottish Highlands. It was mainly for this reason that the park was named by Joseph Thomson after the Lord Aberdare (both Scots), who was one of the founding members of the Royal Geographical Society.

- I had to look up the "Helmeted Chameleon". I know it as Von Hoehnel's Chameleon.

- Wild Dogs are also a relatively common sight up in the moorlands. A friend/colleague of mine has been up into the aberdares twice this year, and seen them both times near Mutubio West Gate.

- You're more likely to see a melanistic leopard ("Black Panther") in Shaba or Laikipia than up in the Aberdares. Ol Malo lodge has a resident one not so far from the lodge. And Sarova Shaba Lodge recently posted a camera trap photo of one close to the lodge.

 

Your whole trip report is excellent. I've enjoyed the photos and writing throughout. Really enjoying your bird photography as well (can't deny the Tawny and the Martial on dikdik kills both got me very excited).

 

A quick note about Nakuru. There are a couple of reasons why it looked a bit "dead" to you, in terms of tourist numbers:
1. It's expensive for Kenyans (and even more so for non-kenyans).
2. Most Kenyans in the know, know that it's full of water and many just aren't going much any more because of that

3. Your trip was sort of on the cusp of low season

4. yes, I'm sure ebola and al shabaab have something to do with it.

[armchair bushman]

Oh I almost forgot to ask: did you ever figure out what caused your stomach upset from Nakuru? Do you think it was food poisoning from the lodge?

 

For anyone who suspects Amoebic dysentery, H pylori, giardia, etc, by the way, THE drug to take is Flagyl/Metronidozole. You take 4 tablets in one dose and it sorts you out ASAP.

[FlyTraveler]

@@michael-ibk : Absolutely great photos from the balloon, seems more interesting and enjoyable than a helicopter ride (we did one over the Okavango delta earlier this year). Fantastic experience! Looking forward to the next installment...

[michael-ibk]

Thank you all!

 

@@armchair bushman

 

Really appreciate all your additional information about the Aberdares - and Nakuru. I envy you for those trips to Fishing Lodge - did you go hiking there with your family as well? Didn´t know about the dogs - one more reason to return - not that I would have needed one.

 

"Helmeted Chameleon" - you´re right, my "Photographic Guide to Snakes, Other Reptiles and Amphipicans of East Africa" calls it "Von Hoehnel´s", I probably just had the German name in mind, though "Helmeted" seems to be one of more names in use as well according to Wiki.

 

I don´t know what caused the stomach bug. My travel partner and me had exactly the same dinner, and he was absolutely fine. I think food quality was very high at Flamingo Hill Camp, and I had the impression that they had high hygiene standards. Well, things like these can always happen to our kind of wussy European stomachs, and it was only one day. I have written down the drug you recommended, will certainly buy those, thanks!

 

@@Atravelynn

 

James also said there were no more than 3000 Grevys, I wrote that down. Yes, two nights would have been to short for Samburu - but then two nights are too short a stay almost anywhere.

Edited November 22, 2014 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

We were brought back to camp with a car of the balloon company´s. They advertise it as a game drive, but while the car is fine, the guide really is just a driver, not a guide. He didn´t even seem to understand why we asked him to stop the engines when we wanted to take a pic. We shared with two others who were taken to Intrepids.



Defassa Waterbucks





Yes, rubbish photo, I know. But I wanted to ask - is this a Mountain or Bohor Reedbuck? Not really sure how to tell these two apart, are they even sympatric in the Mara?





I always love seeing Giraffes with their phlegmatic gait - they are such iconic "Africa-Animals".



A collared spotted hyena, someone is obviously doing research on them.



Rüppel´s Long-Tailed Starling (at least I think so).



Tommies are everywhere of course, and mostly ignored, but once in a while I did take a picture of them - they are beauitful little animals.



This one did a good job of a Topi impersonation.

We were back in camp at about 10:00 a.m. - much too early for having a siesta, so we called for James and went out again for another three hours in the Olare Orok area. While the harsh light might not be ideal for photography, this time is ideal for something else - a car-free Mara! Did not encounter one single vehicle which we of course enjoyed very much.



Wildebeest and Zebras were covering the plains.



We spent half an hour with this hippo family, watching their puffing and blowing, a bit hoping for a fight between two males, but they all were too lazy.



Croc in the Olare Orok River



Three-Banded Plover

We even had our private crossing. Ok, it was the Olare Orok River and not the Mara, but still it was a sighting we enjoyed very much.

Made it!



Even crossing a trickle of a river (like the Olare Orok here) is not without dangers for them, crocs are there, and the sharp-edged stones can be very dangerous. This zebra did not come out unharmed, and I suspect it probably wouldn´t have made the coming night.

Clearly very much in pain:

Yellow-Throated Longclaw

On our way back we found more members of the Ol Kiombo Pride - a mother with three of her young ones doing the Lion thing - nothing.





We were back in camp at 13:00 and enjoyed another fabulous meal - home-made fresh pizza this day!

[michael-ibk]

We started our aftenoon drive at 15:00 and again crossed the Olare Orok, drove North-West along Rhino Ridge. It´s Topi Central here, hundreds of them were gathering - a lovely sight.







I really was surprised about seeing so many Elands in the Mara - quite common and super-relaxed, they apparently don´t know that they are supposed to be skittish and run at first sight. A good thing of course.



Every once in a while small stone circles could be seen on the ground - take a closer look with these, they are actually someone´s home:



Crowned Lapwing (or Plover)



The rangers and guides are doing this whenever they discover ground-breeding birds like Lapwings breeding near the roads, mainly to protect them from the cars, since the no-offroading-rule is a pretty abstract concept in the Mara.



Spur-Winged Lapwing

We soon reached the Main Crossing point, a bit West to Mara Serena. (According to my Mara map there are 7 crossing points, James told us of 12. I suppose the Wildes don´t read the maps.)





The Mara river.



Croc´s paradise, and so they don´t even care about the unfortunate Wildes who didn´t make it and drowned - they wait for fresh meat.



It was very quiet, only two cars on our side, and on the Triangle side three cars soon left, since there was nothing going on. But after a while a group of four zebras approached, and after a bit of nervous waiting around, they dared to jump in.

And safely made it! I was happy for them, it really is no easy task for the animals. Four Wildebeest calves, who had left a bit earlier, were suddenly returning, worked up all their courage and jumped in to cross to the other side. They obviously had lost their mothers, and were hellbent to return to them.











And yes, they made it through! One croc did swim in their direction when they had almost reached the other side, but it was a half-hearted attempt, and so no harm came to the little ones. A good feeling, though James quickly squashed our delight when he told us that they would all probably be eaten this very night the way they were headlessly staggering around.

The people in the car next to us suddenly started cheering and clapping, went "Yay, Wildes! Way to go!!" and shouted and screamed. Really irritating behaviour, it´s not a football match!

When we left the river we found a lazy member of the Paradise Pride.





Not even easy prey like a Tommy fawn nearby could provoke him into action.



It had become more and more cloudy, and then the sky opened up - we had our first heavy downpour in the Mara. All animals were seeking shelter, like this Ostrich.

 

When we drove back more and more Wildes were wandering towards the river - thousands of them! We could only hope that they would wait the night for us before crossing. One was lying on the ground, not moving, we thought it was dead. When it realized it was watched it channeled its last remaining energy, got up and staggered away - its leg was broken. The Paradise Pride would find easy dinner tonight.

[michael-ibk]

We left camp at 06:00 am. next morning and drove straight to the Crossing area - we really wanted to be there as soon as possible, afraid that the huge herds we had seen yesterday evening in the rain would move early.

Still, one always has to stop for a Mara sunrise:



The morning sun beautifully lit a buffalo herd.



Note the balloons in the background, they are everywhere in the morning hours.



Mara Serena in the background, one of the few distinct landmarks.



The Oloololo Escarpment. (I really like that name, does anyone know what it means?)

Our heart sank more and more the closer we got to the Mara river - no wildebeest anywhere. Would they all be at the river, ready to cross? That was our hope, but no - they were all gone. Damn! They must have crossed at night or very, very early - it was only 06:45, and none of them could be seen on the Triangle side either. (James told us it´s rare for them to cross when it´s dark but it does happen.)

Well, can´t be helped, it´s not like one can book a crossing, but we were of course disappointed - the masses we had seen yesterday had promised an incredible spectacle.

We soon encountered the Paradise Pride which helped our mood substantially.



The young rebel with the typical teenager hairdo.



Big Daddy



A good morning yawn.







We stayed with them for half an hour, but then too many cars turned up. Of course we hadn´t been the only ones expecting a big crossing, so lots of people had come to the river and the lions were close - and easy to find of course with the jeeps around. I didn´t mind when all cars were forming one straight line, giving the lions lots of space. But after a while the jeeps started jostling for better positions and practically surrounded the lions - time to go!

We drove back toward the Talek river, we wanted to leave Paradise Plains and go South. On the way we found your typical Mara cheetah:



Again, I don´t know his name but I do know that this is Malaika´s son. So I think this could be Bawa.

I asked James what he thought about the car-jumping behaviour. He said that they have been doing it for a very long time now and nothing has ever happened, so he´s basically fine with it.

Soon, Bawa (if it´s really him) had seen enough from his vantage point and moved past us, into an area where only the most reckless offroaders would follow him. (We didn´t).







Soon afterwards we spent some time (alone) with a few spotted hyenas who were enjoying someone´s leg:







Lots of antelopes, gazelles and buffalo all the time, and even some rarer ungulates - Coke´s Hartebeest:





Birding-wise the Mara isn´t as rewarding as the parks we had visited before, but there´s still plenty to see on that score too:



Bateleur

Tawny Eagle, testing our patience for quite some time.

We crossed the Talek river and soon found an old hippo pool grazing, hiding from the sun in the bushes. A very scarred guy, that gotta hur:

Breakfast time, at one of the wonderful "picnic trees" found all over the Mara:






Further South then, over the Burrungat Plain and Olmisingiyoi, with lots of nice stuff on the way:













Father & Son



Hooded Vultures





And then, far South, not too far from the Tanzanian border, we found the very six cats we had been looking for - Malaika and her cubs.

[Marks]

Simply great photos. You may have missed your big crossing there, but you did get some really nice "action" shots of the zebra and wildebeest that did take the plunge.

Lovely cheetah as well. Looking forward to more.

[Atravelynn]

I clicked into your Nakuru installment and was lured in by the flamingos, so I'll have to check out Aberdare later, out of sequence. Those flamingos in the thunderstorm offer a different and unconventional view of that bird. Your swampy shots are quite lovely too. The story behind some of them is disconcerting, though, with trees being waterlogged.

 

Regarding your observation on the sewage plant, I have found that such manmade facilities seem to be a wildlife attraction, not just in Africa.

 

"Pose with my spear!" "Have my chameleons on your arm." "No, mine are greener and nicer!" "Pose with my shield!" "Pose with me!" "Come into my tent" "My tent is better!" "Ride my camel!" This is hilarious and makes me want to visit just to hear some of these.

 

"And Nakuru is a terrific place for Rhinos. We would see more than ten White Rhinos" Back in 1994 on my first visit to Africa, the manager of the lodge I stayed at in Nakuru hosted a little party to drum up donations for establishing white rhinos in the park. Glad to see my modest contribution helped your sightings! But 6 poachings, such a tremendous loss. Your comment on rhinos leaving the park due to water levels helps explain the high #.

 

I had not heard about the Nakuru pride killing 3 rangers. How absolutely horrible.

 

Nakuru and its wildlife certainly have challenges to face. I hope this diverse and attractive park maintains and flourishes. Thanks for the Nakuru section.

[Treepol]

Thanks for continuing - I enjoyed the You-tibe clips and your wonderful photo of the Yellow-throated long claw.

[armchair bushman]

Michael,

 

A few quick points from your previous post (I'm too lazy to quote and delete all the extra stuff):

1. To my knowledge, the only reedbuck that occurs in the Mara is the Bohor. Mountain Reedbuck, as the name suggests, occur mostly in the mountains, with the exception of Chanler's Mountain Reedbuck which occurs in Nairobi National Park.

 

2. Hyena Research: One of the longest standing research projects in Kenya, I believe (although I could be mistaken). It is run through Michigan State University. You can read more about it here: http://hyenas.zoology.msu.edu/research/crocuta.html and keep up to date with them on their blog here: http://msuhyenas.blogspot.com/

 

3. How very cool that you saw two types of plovers/lapwings nesting! and you got to see the eggs too. That's great that the rangers have put stones around the nest. It is absolutely necessary. it wouldn't be necessary if they just did their job and enforced the no-offroad-driving rule, though.

 

A quick note on the Plover/Lapwing name debate for those of you who are interested.

These birds were originally called Plovers (Crowned Plover, Wattled Plover, Blacksmith Plover, etc.) despite being in a different genus from TRUE plovers like the Three Banded Plover.

The Northern Lapwing (a Palearctic migrant) has the scientific name Vanellus vanellus. All of our larger lapwings are also Vanellus spp. So it made sense to try to end some confusion by renaming them Lapwings. Vanellus coronatus becomes the Crowned Lapwing to align it better with its well-known European cousin of the same genus.

What it did, however, was just cause even more confusion and now no one knows what to call them. The official Kenya List put out by Nature Kenya in conjunction with Birdlife International, still calls them Plovers. Some books provide both names.

 

I quite like the logic of calling them Lapwings and separating them from TRUE plovers, but I grew up calling them plovers. So I'm torn and I flip flop back and forth.

[madaboutcheetah]

Michael, A Bawa sighting!!! Marvelous ........ I want to go to the Triangle side one year, just to get that escarpment BG in my photos. Stunning scenes ...... Look forward to your images of Malaika and her family - WOW they hung out in that look out area for such a long period.....

[graceland]

Beautiful shots of the Mara Michael. I did not want to return to the Wildie crossings after a long day of it. The crowds indeed acted as though they were at a sporting event and it disappointed me to see that kind of behavior in Africa. Sitting on top of vehicles with drink in hand, waving and screaming out at each group crossed.Our guide told us getting out of the vehicle was not allowed; yet I counted dozens doing so. Where are the rangers during this time?

 

Sneaking a "cig" behind the termite mound?

 

Always love seeing the vastness of the plains!

 

Really enjoying your time in Kenya!

[Atravelynn]

YOU saw the giant forest hog! Way to go!

10 eles in Aberdare? I think that is quite unusual.

Caramelized pineapple, just one more reason to go to Sandai Farm. Your photos of Sandai are lovely. Yeah, Patty!

The hoofed species really are bigger Aberdare. It’s noticeable. The fluffy fur on the hyenas makes them look big too.

How fun to see the chameleon.

[Kitsafari]

very thoughtful to put the stones around the plovers/lapwings (?).

 

the lion cubs are a good looking lot! relaxed looking and probably well fed with little competition. bawa looks really handsome! i'm still a bit ambivalent about cheetahs on vehicles; it's not the animal i'm worried about but a careless or silly human trying to touch or encourage them that makes me worry for the cheetahs' safety. one can only trust the guides/rangers to keep the tourists in check.

 

Mara landscapes look a lot like Lamai Wedge plains. i guess that makes sense since both are part of the serengeti national park.

[Atravelynn]

You had one of the most productive balloon safaris ever! And you got great pictures of it all--the animals, the scenery, the balloons, and somehow you even managed a balloon selfie of sorts!

 

Your cheetah and serval within a few minutes is exciting. The photo really shows now lanky the serval is. Sad about the injured zebra. It really goes to show that even a small stream can prove dangerous.

[michael-ibk]

Thanks for all the comments and likes.

 

@@armchair bushman

 

1. To my knowledge, the only reedbuck that occurs in the Mara is the Bohor. Mountain Reedbuck, as the name suggests, occur mostly in the mountains, with the exception of Chanler's Mountain Reedbuck which occurs in Nairobi National Park.

Thanks!

 

2. Hyena Research: One of the longest standing research projects in Kenya, I believe (although I could be mistaken). It is run through Michigan State University. You can read more about it here: http://hyenas.zoology.msu.edu/research/crocuta.html and keep up to date with them on their blog here: http://msuhyenas.blogspot.com/

Will check it out, thanks again.!

 

3. How very cool that you saw two types of plovers/lapwings nesting! and you got to see the eggs too. That's great that the rangers have put stones around the nest. It is absolutely necessary. it wouldn't be necessary if they just did their job and enforced the no-offroad-driving rule, though. A quick note on the Plover/Lapwing name debate for those of you who are interested. ...

And thanks a third time. Crowned and Spur-Winged are both Lapwings in my "Birds of East Africa by Stevenson and Fanshawe, our guide James called them Plovers. In Botswana the guides called them Lapwings.

 

 

I did not want to return to the Wildie crossings after a long day of it. The crowds indeed acted as though they were at a sporting event and it disappointed me to see that kind of behavior in Africa. Sitting on top of vehicles with drink in hand, waving and screaming out at each group crossed.Our guide told us getting out of the vehicle was not allowed; yet I counted dozens doing so. Where are the rangers during this time?

It was not that bad for us, just this one car with the passengers clapping, and maybe 20 cars the other day (I will come to that), but no drinking or screaming. About the rangers ... they really seem to be not much of a presence in the Mara.

 

 

"Pose with my spear!" "Have my chameleons on your arm." "No, mine are greener and nicer!" "Pose with my shield!" "Pose with me!" "Come into my tent" "My tent is better!" "Ride my camel!" This is hilarious and makes me want to visit just to hear some of these.

Hilarious maybe, but not when they are all screaming that into your ears. Simultaneously.

 

Back in 1994 on my first visit to Africa, the manager of the lodge I stayed at in Nakuru hosted a little party to drum up donations for establishing white rhinos in the park. Glad to see my modest contribution helped your sightings!

Thank you then, I didn´t know that they are such a recent addition.

 

But 6 poachings, such a tremendous loss. Your comment on rhinos leaving the park due to water levels helps explain the high #.

Just to clarify, they are not leaving the park itself - they can´t! But since so much of the inner areas of the park is now submerged they come closer to the fences.

 

YOU saw the giant forest hog! Way to go!

10 eles in Aberdare? I think that is quite unusual.

Yes, such a cool creature, I really was delighted to see one. About the elephants - we saw 10 in two hours, and about 15 the next day. Speaking with Petra I did not have the impression at all that that was unusual. But I seem to remember from you report that you saw none, did you? Maybe that was more unusual. (And hey, you had the Crowned Eagle IIRC. )

 

 

i'm still a bit ambivalent about cheetahs on vehicles; it's not the animal i'm worried about but a careless or silly human trying to touch or encourage them that makes me worry for the cheetahs' safety. one can only trust the guides/rangers to keep the tourists in check.

Ambivalent is a good word to describe my feelings about it too, it is definitely weird seeing them on the cars.