Tsavo West, Amboseli, Meru & Samburu — January, 2015

[Tom Kellie]

Halcyon leucocephala

During all game drives in each of two visits to Meru National Park, Halcyon leucocephala,

Grey-headed Kingfisher, has been a signature species. Perched on both living and dead

branches, Halcyon leucocephala makes little effort to conceal its vibrant beauty, having

electric blue lower dorsal plumage and a scarlet bill. One image includes a delicate

spiderweb which indicates the bird's diminutive scale.

Halcyon leucocephala and a Spiderweb

Halcyon leucocephala on a Spiny Acacia

Small Bird, Long Spines

[Tom Kellie]

The images of the secretary bird on the road really tell a story. The way the road curves out of sight behind some scrub, the way everything in the distance fades into an indeterminate haze...makes you wonder where the bird is headed. Superb!

 

Also enjoyed your waterbuck-inspired reflections.

 

~ @@Marks

 

Each time that I read any comments from you, I feel inspired. You're such a supportive person, which I highly appreciate.

It would be a great pleasure to someday be on a game drive with you, as I'd learn from your comments and I'd enjoy being with a kindred spirit.

That indeterminate misty haze was moist and cool, persisting throughout the first hour and a half of the game drive, spreading a primordial quiet over the landscape.

A thousand thanks for your kindness and encouragement!

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata

From my perspective, all giraffe subspecies are lovely, their graceful loping gait,

gentle eyes and earth-tone pelage one of natural selection's finest outcomes.

Yet the coat pattern of Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata, Reticulated Giraffe, has

a contemporary flair which once seen, is seldom forgotten. This bachelor herd,

a quartet, were browsing not far from the track. One took a temporary interest

in us before rejoining the others in enjoying the foliage they were eating.

Male Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata

Reticulated Giraffe in Meru National Park

Reticulated Giraffe Quartet

Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata Bachelor Herd

[Tom Kellie]

Baboon Family

After rounding a corner we headed towards a stunted tree filled with members of

a baboon family. Several were in an adjacent tree dining on acacia blossoms.

Others were gathering around a female with her infant. They were mildly

interested in us, and unexpectedly sedate. In the grey, misty morning,

their lively intelligence was a welcome counterpoint to the enveloping

stillness around us and them. I rather fancy baboon families, as

their daily struggles are not so different than my own.

Climbing on a Trunk

Baboon Mother & Infant Eating Acacia Flowers

Meet the Baboons

A Mother's Work Is Never Done

[Tom Kellie]

Danaus chrysippus

Both Anthony and I share a strong interest in observing and photographing winged insects.

Therefore when he spotted this Danaus chrysippus, Plain Tiger or African Monarch, we

pointed our respective telephoto lenses at it, hoping to obtain usable images despite the

long grass obscuring the view. That it's a widespread species doesn't at all detract

from my pleasure in observing and photographing such a conspicuous butterfly.

Roosting in Long Grass

Lolling Plain Tiger Butterfly

Danaus chrysippus

[Tom Kellie]

Trithemis kirbyi

The great survivors. The masters of flight. The all-seeing. Nature's winged jewels.

Dragonflies are all these and more. My undergraduate and graduate students

soon realize that Tom is especially fond of dragonflies, bats and hummingbirds.

Natural selection yielded a winning body plan in the Carboniferous period

when dragonfly prototypes emerged. This Trithemis kirbyi, Orange-winged

Dropwing, remained in place long enough for these portraits to be made.

Trithemis kirbyi

Orange-winged Dropwing

[michael-ibk]

Very much enjoy your continued focus on the "small things", Tom - this makes your report very unique.

[Tom Kellie]

Merops albicollis

Sunbirds, kingfishers and bee-eaters invariably receive my full attention whenever

they're spotted during a game drive. In all three cases their energetic flight, brilliant

plumage and general accessibility cause them to be ideal subjects for a camera

lens. This Merops albicollis, White-throated Bee-eater, was perched near the

track, then flew to another branch near a roller. It's bright eye and long

tail are natural focal points for a camera lens.

Merops albicollis

White-throated Bee-eater in Meru National Park

Perched Merops albicollis

Bee-eater and Roller

[Kitsafari]

the kingfisher pictures are sumptious. such beautiful colours.

 

and so are the dragonflies and the reticulated giraffes.

 

my sympathies were with the baboon - so many kids to keep an eye on. speaking of which, Baboons were so on my mind that when i saw the gibbon in Borneo, i kept referring to it as a baboon. ignorant, I am.

[graceland]

Love the Meru portion as well Tom Kellie. The reticulated giraffes are beautiful; baboons full of antics.

 

Rollers and Kingfishers two of my favorites. Lovely shots.

 

You need to meet a manager of one of the camps we stay in when in the Mara ..(July?) she has a passion for the small, winged insects...posts pics quite regularly. Very interesting hobby and one needs sharp eyes to even find them.

 

I did not have dragonflies at my last house but see them regularly here at the river; really enjoy my bit of birds and insects so far...ticks and mosquitos not so much.

 

We also have salamanders in and out the porch, which I am trying to get accustomed to; so fast and remind me of snakes. However am making peace with it

[Tom Kellie]

Very much enjoy your continued focus on the "small things", Tom - this makes your report very unique.

 

~ @@michael-ibk

 

Thank you so much for your kind encouragement.

Several times I've mused to myself that as many others have already done a great job of presenting the “big guys” seen on safaris, perhaps there's a place for due consideration of the “small things”.

It's so nice of you to notice!

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

the kingfisher pictures are sumptious. such beautiful colours.

 

and so are the dragonflies and the reticulated giraffes.

 

my sympathies were with the baboon - so many kids to keep an eye on. speaking of which, Baboons were so on my mind that when i saw the gibbon in Borneo, i kept referring to it as a baboon. ignorant, I am.

 

~ @@Kitsafari

 

Welcome back!

I'm so pleased that you liked the kingfishers. Their blue feathers have an uncanny luster, which remains luminous under overcast skies.

Reticulated giraffes have a ‘cool’ elegance that's easy on the eyes. Every time I encounter them, I feel fortunate.

You saw a gibbon? That's WONDERFUL!

I especially like all of the great apes — chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons.

Having never yet seen any of them in their native habitat, I'm delighted that you did so in Indonesia.

Thank you so much, @@Kitsafari, for your generous support and encouragement.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Love the Meru portion as well Tom Kellie. The reticulated giraffes are beautiful; baboons full of antics.

 

Rollers and Kingfishers two of my favorites. Lovely shots.

 

You need to meet a manager of one of the camps we stay in when in the Mara ..(July?) she has a passion for the small, winged insects...posts pics quite regularly. Very interesting hobby and one needs sharp eyes to even find them.

 

I did not have dragonflies at my last house but see them regularly here at the river; really enjoy my bit of birds and insects so far...ticks and mosquitos not so much.

 

We also have salamanders in and out the porch, which I am trying to get accustomed to; so fast and remind me of snakes. However am making peace with it

 

~ @@graceland

 

I'm so pleased that you also like the elegant reticulated giraffes.

The small winged insects are one of the finest prizes of natural selection.

A visitor to our blue planet from any far star system would surely be charmed by such tiny bits of color gamboling through the breeze.

From your mention of the salamanders, dragonflies, ticks and mosquitos, it sounds as though you now live in ‘George Washington country’, as his youth in farthest eastern Virginia included the same species.

Salamanders are a direct indication of a healthy local ecosystem. I'm glad that you're seeing them, although I'm sorry that they give you a start.

Thank you so much for taking time to read my latest trip report postings on this, my 2-month anniversary as a Safaritalk member.

Tom K.

[graceland]

I have enjoyed the ride along with you Tom, as I have not been to the first three out of your four Kenya destinations; as much as I love Kenya I've not explored it as fully as one should. Therefore, reading your report; enjoying your photos and everyones' comments along the way has been a very interesting and educational trip!

 

Congrats on two months; my time flies!

 

Looking forward to many more months and years of your contributions to Safaritalk! I can see how much you love nature and Africa; and can understand with where one is "located " on this earth for work, school, families, etc., the internet is one way to make friends with like minded folks! Not easy to talk "all things Africa" to most neighbors. Here, they look at me as either crazy, or an eccentric adventurer spending all my time chasing another safari. (True)

 

And yes, I am about as far eastern in Virginia as one can get without crossing the Chesapeake Bay to the "Eastern Shore"! Most amazing sunrises of my life.

 

I believe I posted one somewhere here this year....you of all people will find it!

Oh, so I now have given you a challenge

 

Probably will take you less than a minute And no, your students cannot assist.

Edited May 17, 2015 by graceland

[gagan]

 

 

Panthera leo in the Grass

With no change in voice, Anthony softly said to us, See the lions?,

pointing to the right of the safari van. At first the pair of Panthera leo

were imperceptible. How was it possible to spot two carnivores at rest

in distant grass? After finally spotting them, it was a surprise to note

how near they were to the airstrip. The only other signs of life were

swallows flying low towards the lions, unintimidated thanks to their

superb flying skills. These were not at all the final big cats that

we'd observe in the safari, but they were the only cats

that we'd encounter in Meru National Park.

In the Dry Grass.JPG

In the Dry Grass

Who's Watching Who.JPG

Who's Watching Who?

Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Wander Around the Airstrip.JPG

Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Wander Around the Airstrip

Swallows Need Not Fear Lions.JPG

Swallows Need Not Fear Lions

 

Very nice...... picturesque snapshot...savanna hues are amazing

[TonyQ]

I am loving the Meru section an are we would like to visit. The bee-eater is beautiful - as is the dragonfly (the great survivor).

[gagan]

Slowly slowly you have built the momentum. ..now you seem to lead all of us...I am waiting to see your pictures of tanzanian parks....

[Tom Kellie]

Gyrinidae sp. — Whirligig Beetles

On a previous visit to Meru National Park we'd observed Gyrinidae sp., Whirligig

Beetles, but had not photographed them. Anthony told me that when he was

young, growing up in Nyeri County, children would capture Whirligig Beetles to

watch them move about in their seemingly random patterns. While observing

dragonflies and butterflies around a stream, these Gyrinidae sp. were

photographed to show their stainless steel simplicity of form.

Gyrinidae sp. Whirligig Beetles

[Tom Kellie]

I have enjoyed the ride along with you Tom, as I have not been to the first three out of your four Kenya destinations; as much as I love Kenya I've not explored it as fully as one should. Therefore, reading your report; enjoying your photos and everyones' comments along the way has been a very interesting and educational trip!

 

Congrats on two months; my time flies!

 

Looking forward to many more months and years of your contributions to Safaritalk! I can see how much you love nature and Africa; and can understand with where one is "located " on this earth for work, school, families, etc., the internet is one way to make friends with like minded folks! Not easy to talk "all things Africa" to most neighbors. Here, they look at me as either crazy, or an eccentric adventurer spending all my time chasing another safari. (True)

 

And yes, I am about as far eastern in Virginia as one can get without crossing the Chesapeake Bay to the "Eastern Shore"! Most amazing sunrises of my life.

 

I believe I posted one somewhere here this year....you of all people will find it!

Oh, so I now have given you a challenge

 

Probably will take you less than a minute And no, your students cannot assist.

 

~ @@graceland

 

That's one lovely sunrise!

No, I didn't cheat. It's 5 am here, with my teaching assistants undoubtedly zonked out in deep sleep.

It took me about 20 seconds to find it. I'm chagrined that I hadn't found it before.

Forum by forum, I'm slowly going through Safaritalk's archives, enjoying what I read and see, receiving an intensive education in the process.

So much has happened during the first two months as a Safaritalk member. My first trip report. Another safari in Kenya. You stepping up to Pith level. My learning where Mana Pools, Kafue, Sabi Sands, Ruaha and Kwando are located.

Thank you so much, @@graceland, for your steady support and free-flowing humor. You keep me laughing, which loosens my heart to continue writing and uploading.

With Much Appreciation,

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Very nice...... picturesque snapshot...savanna hues are amazing

 

~ @@gagan

 

That's so kind of you to say that! Thank you!

That scene was one of the quietest places I've ever been on safari.

We were whispering in the vehicle, out of concern that regular voice tones might unduly disturb the resting lions.

My respect for Anthony's visual acuity went up a couple of notches with this sighting, as I'd never have been able to observe them without his skills.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

I am loving the Meru section an are we would like to visit. The bee-eater is beautiful - as is the dragonfly (the great survivor).

 

~ @@TonyQ

 

Thank you so much for the highly appreciated encouragement!

After two visits to Meru National Park, I daresay that it's one of the gems of East Africa.

The landscape alone is stunning, with far-seeing vistas which vary from mountains to riverine trees to rocky bushland.

Its uncrowded character makes for extraordinary game drives. In ten game drives in Meru, only four other non-KWS vehicles were ever observed. It's truly that unvisited.

I love bee-eaters of all varieties, yet somehow sense within me that I've yet to take the bee-eater shot that I have in mind. That's another convenient excuse for slipping back to Kenya, as if I needed one!

Of all living creatures, dragonflies I most admire. When natural selection introduced them to the biosphere some 300,000,000 years ago, a thoroughbred species was on the scene.

There's not much needed to improve their brief lifespan, as in their own way they truly are the minuscule masters of their ecological niche.

With Much Appreciation,

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Slowly slowly you have built the momentum. ..now you seem to lead all of us...I am waiting to see your pictures of tanzanian parks....

 

~ @@gagan

 

Thanks to your comments and photos, including the flower images, I've become increasingly interested in Tanzanian national parks and reserves.

Had I not joined Safaritalk two months ago, I wouldn't have realized the many excellent points about Tanzanian wildlife.

The closest that I've ever been to Tanzania has been looking across the Mara River at a narrow point — perhaps 35 or 40 meters away.

Your kind and insightful comments about India and Tanzania have been especially appreciated.

With Gratitude,

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Belenois aurota

There is a story behind this image. We'd pulled into a shallow stream and parked,

photographing dragonflies and damselflies. Looking around the scene, I spotted

a small butterfly on a dark leaf. Not exactly big game, yet lovely in its own right as

creation bestows beauty on the great and small alike. Very mildly, I told Anthony

what I'd seen. As nice as he could be, he pulled back about two meters to

facilitate this image of Belenois aurota, Brown-veined White, after which he

repositioned in the stream for continued Odonata photography.

Belenois aurota

[Tom Kellie]

Stream-side Plants

Our purpose for stopping mid-stream was to observe winged insects perched on vegetation

around the flowing water. Upon careful examination, certain plants were of interest in

their own right. This small selection includes several species growing around the

stream, each of which hosted a colony of specialist insects. Plants are the backbone

of the food chain, as much part of a safari as rivers, mountains and the sky.

Aeschynomene sp.

Opened Seedpod

Gomphocarpus sp.

What a Damselfly Sees

[Tom Kellie]

Odonata Sampler

We remained at rest mid-stream in a brook for over ten minutes, observing and photographing

a variety of Odonata, both dragonflies and damselflies. These images constitute a sampler of

the numerous species which were present. Having visited that stream in two different years,

its location is fixed in my memory. One wonders for how many tens of thousands of years

has there been flowing water there with such brilliantly colored dragonflies and damselflies?

Damselfly in Blue

Dragonfly in Gold

Dragonfly in Scarlet

Dragonfly in Crimson

Dragonfly in Blue