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

[Tom Kellie]

Buffalo Springs Elephants

The seriously diminished flow in the Ewaso Nyiro River caused me to wonder if the local elephants might be adversely affected,

given their substantial daily water intake requirements. As there was no readily apparent alternative sources of water, I asked

myself what might have happened to them. The answer was found in the heavy bush and tree growth on the Buffalo Springs

side of the river. There was an elephant family which was so quiet that we hadn't been aware of their close range presence.

As is generally the case in Samburu, they seemed nonchalant concerning our presence.

Wandering Through the Trees

On a Sunny Morning

Ears Fanned Open

Nothing Like Fresh Grass!

Pachyderm Contentment

Matriarch

Continuous Feeding

Cheerful Demeanor

Only a Few Meters Away

Standing on Two Feet

[Tom Kellie]

Tuskless Baby Elephants in Buffalo Springs

The small elephant family group which we encountered in the wooded bush near the Ewaso Nyiro River on the Buffalo Springs

side had a small number of tuskless baby elephants. The Samburu area appears to have high elephant fertility as very small

elephants are readily observed in the various family groups present in the area. These baby pachyderms were inquisitive,

exercising limited independence from their nearby mothers to explore the bushes on their own, running in starts,

poking their heads and trunks here and there to see what they might discover.

Upraised Trunk

Independence on a Small Scale

Left Ear Fanned Open

Going Off on Their Own

Younger Elephant Wandering Away

[Tom Kellie]

Impala in Buffalo Springs

The Samburu and Buffalo Springs area supports a healthy impala population. Typically spotted in the tall

shrubbery around the Ewaso Nyiro River, the impala are seemingly habituated to passing safari vehicles

as they seldom exhibit any outward signs of anxiety. This small impala herd was under the watchful care

of a single male, who kept an eye on us. We noticed how deliberately they made their way though the

grass — never rushing yet steadily moving. The impala are so much an integral part

of the Samburu ecosystem. When I see them I feel happy!

Retreating Female Impala

Double-Tree

Impala in Buffalo Springs

Male Impala with His Herd

Male Impala and a Male Ostrich

[Atravelynn]

Scrolling through your photos to watch that attractive female leopard approach, I noted a mental soundtrack of Hall and Oates' Maneater.

 

"Ohhh, here she comes
Watch out boy she'll chew you up.
Ohhhh, here she comes
She's a man eater!

I believe the song/lyrics referred to New York City, but they play well with your series of shots.

Love the hide and seek nature of the dwarf mongoose shots.

Hornbill toying with the bark--Males engage in this bark toying process when in the presence of a female that has lost interest. It is both placates the male and allows him to expend nervous energy in a non-threatening manner. If the female is impressed she will respond with similar bark toying behavior. How's that for concocting a tale that describes a behavior.

You have beautiful Samburu and Buffalo Spring images that show what a wonderful setting this is. Really low water. Interesting to mention the bridge repair needed because of intense flooding. Now just big puddles. Such drastic changes in Samburu. No doubt those lions were taking advantage of dwindling water sources to check out any unsuspecting thirsty prey, like those impala!

Samburu/Buffalo Springs is a favorite!

(It looks like this post is in 2 background shades. I don't know why.)

Edited August 16, 2015 by Atravelynn

[Tom Kellie]

 

Scrolling through your photos to watch that attractive female leopard approach, I noted a mental soundtrack of Hall and Oates' Maneater.

 

"Ohhh, here she comes

Watch out boy she'll chew you up.

Ohhhh, here she comes

She's a man eater!

I believe the song/lyrics referred to New York City, but they play well with your series of shots.

Love the hide and seek nature of the dwarf mongoose shots.

Hornbill toying with the bark--Males engage in this bark toying process when in the presence of a female that has lost interest. It is both placates the male and allows him to expend nervous energy in a non-threatening manner. If the female is impressed she will respond with similar bark toying behavior. How's that for concocting a tale that describes a behavior.

You have beautiful Samburu and Buffalo Spring images that show what a wonderful setting this is. Really low water. Interesting to mention the bridge repair needed because of intense flooding. Now just big puddles. Such drastic changes in Samburu. No doubt those lions were taking advantage of dwindling water sources to check out any unsuspecting thirsty prey, like those impala!

Samburu/Buffalo Springs is a favorite!

(It looks like this post is in 2 background shades. I don't know why.)

 

~ @@Atravelynn

 

As you've not only read but also written numerous trip reports, your comments carry special weight — gravitas, as it were — with me.

While going through photographs, looking over safari notes, considering what to include and what to omit, one's energy flags.

A well-thought out comment such as yours above has the dynamic quality of a fresh gust beneath sagging wings.

What you've mentioned about the ‘Maneater’ lyrics is spot-on! That female leopard had an insouciance while she walked which was simultaneously thrilling and startling.

Such confidence! When she looked up at the camera lens — one avoids mentioning the trembling photographer behind the lens — and briefly tensed her shoulders, it was one of only two times that a frisson of fear every passed through me on safari, the other time being when the pack of wild dogs surrounded the safari van in Tsavo West.

The dwarf mongoose around Samburu have a certain zaniness which is endearing. They're a regular feature of the area, inevitably trundling along, looking around, hiding and popping up as if drawn by the hand of a skilled cartoonist.

Your explanation of the anxiety displacement behavior of hornbills sounds PhD thesis quality to me! The global dilemma of boy meets girl, but what next? Bark fiddling is as good as anything else as a means of allaying the anxiety of social interaction, wherein the inevitable outcome is not so inevitable if one is too assertive. It's another way of playing with a keyring, twiddling a pen or fooling around with any thingamajob.

Samburu/Buffalo Springs richly deserves regular safari visitors, yet never seems to receive the traffic which one might expect. Is it the distance from Nairobi? Is it the reputation for searing dry heat? Is it the lack of a marquee attraction?

Were I told that my safari-going days were at an end, with only a single farewell safari remaining, Samburu/Buffalo Springs would be my choice, if only to swim in the early afternoon in the Samburu Sopa's pool, swallows and puffy cloudlets overhead, skittering agamas and ruby dragonflies poolside.

Particolored posts are highly welcome, as I'm partial to particolored American Shorthair cats or particolored Toy Spaniels!

With Heartiest Appreciation for Your Thoughtful Comments and Encouragement,

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Coracias caudata

Lest it appear that arid Buffalo Springs might be bereft of Kenya's National Bird, these images show a Coracias caudata,

Lilac-breasted Roller, which was perched on a curving branch. While in Tsavo West we'd become accustomed to the

presence of brilliantly plumaged rollers. The same frequency per square kilometer wasn't apparent in Buffalo Springs.

However, here and there solitary rollers were observed, inevitably perched in a prominent position.

On a Curved Surface

Vibrant Plumage

[Tom Kellie]

Seeking Shade

There was a radio report of a cheetah sighting in the hinterlands of Buffalo Springs, which triggered a change in direction.

While driving through fairly empty, arid ground a single female ostrich was spotted, standing in the splotchy shade of a

tree. At midday the sunlight in central Kenya's arid land is intense. Both mammals and birds seek relief in shade,

wherever they might find it. As I like female ostriches, I asked Anthony to pause so that we might photograph

this bird in her limited patch of shade. She reacted by walking out into the bright sun.

Seeking Scarce Shade

Specialized Plumage

[Tom Kellie]

Views Along a Buffalo Springs Track

This series shows the view along a track in Buffalo Springs National Reserve, taken while leaning out of the top of

a safari van. There was almost no dust, thus making these photos was effortless, thanks to the fast focus of the

Sony RX1 R camera. I enjoyed the view so much because of the uncluttered simplicity of the landscape. Through

these photographs I hoped to convey to others what it's like to ride along on a track, in what turned out to be

a fruitless search for an elusive cheetah. Part of me felt glad to have been outwitted by the wily cheetah!

View Towards the Ewaso Nyiro River

Termite Mound in an Arid Setting

Leaning Out of the Safari Van

Trees Along the Track

What Lurks There?

Buffalo Springs Trees

Lololokwe and Ol Doinyo Koitogorr

[Tom Kellie]

Mountainous Landscape

Game drives in Samburu and Buffalo Springs are conducted on tracks in fairly flat conditions. There's little rise to

the land and few large stones. That doesn't imply that the area is all flat, as there are striking mountains which

define the region. They rise out of the flat area as monoliths recalling past ages. The two most prominent

mountains are pyramid-like Ol Doinyo Koitogorr and sprawling mountain Lololokwe. With doum palms and

acacias in the foreground, they serve as visual landmarks, enduring emblems of Samburu and Buffalo Springs.

Ol Doinyo Koitogorr and Doum Palms

Doum Palm Grove

Lololokwe

Ol Doinyo Koitogorr

Mountainous Landscape

[Tom Kellie]

Sun-bleached Remains

Throughout game drives there's a tendency to note scattered bones as an indicator of predators in a given area. It's less

morbid than purely observational, as the presence of bones might reflect where game have been killed and eaten.

Throughout the drive in search of a cheetah in Buffalo Springs we observed bones. Clearly predators had been at

work, although we'd seen none other than the lionesses beside the river. Six months later Anthony and

I would have a lengthy sighting of an agile young leopard in the same vicinity.

Life Goes On...

Cleaned and Sun-bleached

Remains of Days Past

[Tom Kellie]

Desert Vine with Fleshy Leaves

From time to time there are plant and animal species which recur during game drives but for which there's no ready identification.

This vine is such a case, a dry vine with fleshy leaves sprouting as pairs. We observed it throughout Buffalo Springs, yet I've

seldom noticed it elsewhere. Why are the leaves shaped like that, with a fleshiness and a dull surface? Has this vine

adapted to an arid environment, with specialized tissue structure to retain scarce moisture? Are there

factors about it which native Samburu might know? There's more to learn!

Paired on a Vine

A Small Grouping

A Vine Like No Other

[Tom Kellie]

Hunting Raptor

Our drive out to a remote area where a cheetah had been sighted took us over tracks which showed limited use. From what

we observed, it appeared to be a section of Buffalo Springs with few visitors, perhaps due to lack of water bodies or trees.

After many minutes without any activity, this raptor was sighted, perched on a low, curved branch. It was hunting, as shown

by its intent gazing downward, cocking its head so as to improve its view of the ground. After we gave up our cheetah trek,

we passed back the same way, with the raptor perched this time in the only shade tree

in the area. I hope that it was eventually able to catch its lunch!

On a Low Branch

Glancing Aside

In a Shady Tree

[Tom Kellie]

Return Drive to Samburu

The return drive to the bridge linking Buffalo Springs National Reserve with Samburu National Reserve was rapid and direct. We

observed no one else throughout our morning in Buffalo Springs until the end. Three large safari vehicles were closely parked

together, with visitors observing and photographing an unknown subject. We slowed down and looked. It was a flock of

Superb Starlings. Apparently they were newly arrived visitors. Before crossing the bridge

we noticed that it had already been damaged by a passing vehicle.

On the Return Drive

A Wisp of Dust

Typical Buffalo Springs Landscape

Scattered Trees

Repaired Bridge Damage

[Tom Kellie]

Reticulated Giraffes at Midday

The morning game drive over, we were rapidly driving back to the Samburu Sopa for lunch followed by a lazy afternoon break,

which meant swimming for me. A small group of Reticulated Giraffe were beside the track. They were rather close, which

was a challenge to frame with the large lens, so Anthony helpfully adjusted the distance. One of the giraffes seemed

to be somewhat curious about us, stopping eating to look through acacia branches, craning forward to better see us.

Among Acacias, Beside the Track

No Escaping a Giraffe's Gaze

Giraffe with Weaver Nest

Unobtrusive Curiosity

[Tom Kellie]

Baboons at the Lodge

After lunch and a swim at the Samburu Sopa Lodge, I walked around to photograph any species which might be active during

the warm midday heat. A baboon family had arrived, resting in the shade by the waterhole. They were fairly docile, or so it

seemed. More careful observation soon revealed that younger baboons were using the thatched roofs of the lodge

structures as a playground, running along, jumping from building to building with athletic grace. Baboons please

me, for their devil-may-care approach to life, blending vitality with a love of fun.

The Comfort of a Shady Waterhole

Running on the Thatched Roof

Baboon Playground

Doves, Weaver Nests, Baboons

[Tom Kellie]

Acacias at the Lodge

Ever the novice, my green-as-grass ill-informed questions must weary poor Anthony. I'd inquired why it was that a portion of the

upland acacia species observed during drives to and from the Samburu Sopa Lodge seemed to lack foliage. I wondered how

they photosynthesized with such lifeless, gnarled branches. Anthony patiently directed my attention to the branches themselves,

noting the brilliant emerald hue where the photosynthesis was occurring. Upon careful examination at the lodge, I marveled at

the adaptation for an arid environment facilitating chlorophyll functioning yet protected from assorted threats.

Photosynthesis in Action

The Life is in the Stem

Blooms Amid Thorns

[Tom Kellie]

Weaver Nests in a Blooming Acacia

As Ni was experiencing irregularity of his Wi-Fi connection, the Samburu Sopa Lodge staff sent up a technician to adjust the

receiving dish for the second consecutive day. Their understanding was highly appreciated as it restored Ni's connection to

his many friends in China. While watching the technician work, I noticed the weaver nests in the trees near the pool. The

half moon was also in the sky. Where the nests were placed, in a tall acacia, blooms were open,

with bees and flies visiting them. Life fills niches, wherever one's gaze falls.

Adjusting the Wi-Fi Signal

Weaver Nest and the Moon

Acacia Blooms and Weaver Nest

Motley Weaver Nests

[Tom Kellie]

Female Agama agama

No visit to the Samburu Sopa Lodge would be complete without a sighting and photograph of a resident Agama agama, Red-headed

Rock Agama. They sun themselves early each morning while clinging to the stucco walls. Their skittering movements in the shadows

around the swimming pool distinguish them from the more sedate skinks sharing the territory. This female Agama agama was in no

hurry, glancing up at the camera lens with the jaded insouciance of an experienced courtesan.

She neither darted nor froze, instead moving at a pace of her own choosing.

Female Agama agama

[Earthian]

@@Tom Kellie

 

"....glancing up at the camera lens with the jaded insouciance of an experienced courtesan."

 

Your metaphors are laudable. Reminds me of an US author named James Hadley Chase ( i think a pseudonym) who used metaphors such that one could vividly visualise the scene- as i am trying to visualise this agama agama (?) as a courtesan; albeit an indifferent one.

[Tom Kellie]

Black Wasp with an Orange-tipped Abdomen

Growing near the swimming pool was a moderately sized plant with pinkish blooms. A sizable black wasp flew up to a

bloom and landed. The tip of its abdomen was orange, a distinctive feature unlike any other wasp species I'd seen in

Kenya. Larger than most other wasps, I wondered if it might be a mud-dauber wasp. It diligently worked in the flower

before flying off to continue its errands. Kenya's insect variety is apparent at any camp or lodge, where walking

around the grounds enables one to observe both flying and crawling species.

Visitor in Deepest Black

Dark Pollinator

Orange Tailed Wasp

[Tom Kellie]

@@Tom Kellie

 

"....glancing up at the camera lens with the jaded insouciance of an experienced courtesan."

 

Your metaphors are laudable. Reminds me of an US author named James Hadley Chase ( i think a pseudonym) who used metaphors such that one could vividly visualise the scene- as i am trying to visualise this agama agama (?) as a courtesan; albeit an indifferent one.

 

~ @@Earthian

 

Thank you so much for tipping me off about crime thriller novelist James Hadley Chase. That's very nice of you to let me know about him.

While I'm professionally conscious of the necessity to stringently avoid anthropomorphic characterizations of any species, when writing this trip report it seems appropriate to employ whatever metaphors seem most apt.

The pleasure of writing in Safaritalk is that there are no strict conventions, as long as the commentary is accurate and accessible, it generally works.

There are a number of truly gifted writers in Safaritalk whose various styles inspire me. @@TonyQ, @@Atravelynn, @@JohnR, @@madaboutcheetah and @@michael-ibk all are especially fine.

What I enjoy about each of them is how they relax and stretch out into their subject, finding fresh yet direct ways of describing their safari observations.

Lately I've enjoyed the writing of @@elefromoz, @@TravelinTeacherAU, @@mvecht, @@Kitsafari and @@bushmaniac as they each have such an individual voice.

When I originally joined Safaritalk, it was the images which pulled me in. With passing time, it's the commentary which has sustained my interest.

When I was a university student, how I would have enjoyed reading the wealth of writing styles concerning wildlife which Safaritalk comprises.

As it is, at a much older age, I feel blessed to have found this on-line community of strong writers, talented photographers and committed supporters of international wildlife conservation.

When I think about @@duma and the members of the Cambridge University Wildlife Conservation Society, I'm glad that they're able to read Safaritalk to find examples of writing to inspire their own future professional endeavors.

With Appreciation,

Tom K.

Edited August 17, 2015 by Tom Kellie

[Tom Kellie]

Samburu Sopa Lodge Waterhole

The small waterhole at the Samburu Sopa Lodge serves as an occasional water source for a variety of birds and mammals. In several

visits in different seasons I've observed quite a variety of wildlife drinking from the waterhole's limited supply. Before the afternoon

game drive began a flock of Vulturine Guineafowl arrived. It was temporarily unclear whether they were more attracted to the

shade or to the water itself. A solitary Grevy's Zebra arrived, drinking for a couple of minutes before walking away.

Shade or Water?

Vulturine Guineafowl Around a Waterhole

Stopping by for a Drink

Grevy's Zebra at the Samburu Sopa Waterhole

[Tom Kellie]

Grevy's Zebra Herd

During the first of four separate visits to Samburu Anthony explained to me that in his safaris there had been a declining number

of Grevy's Zebra sightings. They're shy by temperament and various environmental factors seemed to be reducing their numbers.

Yet we saw them...again and again...in all four Samburu safaris. At the outset of this afternoon game drive we encountered a

small herd of red dust-stained Grevy's Zebra, grazing in a rocky area. The direct early evening light

highlighted their distinctive striped coats — a wondrous sight in an arid land.

Two Grevy's Zebra

Red Dust Tinged

Mane Like Roman Soldier's Crest

Sturdy Form

Stripes Underneath

Samburu Grazer

Rufous Tail

Zebra Stallion

Feeling Goofy

[Tom Kellie]

Hadada Ibis in Samburu

The first day I ever visited Kenya, in August, 2011, a loud, screeching call in Nairobi startled me, having never heard anything

comparable in any other city I'd visited. Gradually I came to accept that Hadada Ibis are an endemic fact of life in many parts

of Kenya. Therefore I wasn't overly surprised when we encountered a pair of Hadada Ibis in Samburu National Reserve. Such

unsubtle birds, with an aural volume like few other species, must have their own approach to deterring

predators. These were actively seeking tidbits in short grass, with no other species around.

High-stepping

At an Angle

Probing in the Grass

Hadada Ibis Pair

[Tom Kellie]

Dicrurus adsimilis

We stopped to photograph attractive yellow acacia blooms in a long cluster. Into an adjacent acacia of another species an adult

Dicrurus adsimilis, Fork-tailed Drongo, flew and perched. Drongos are a given throughout Kenya, yet they seldom present

themselves near enough for a detailed portrait. This was therefore a special occasion, as the drongo in question remained

near enough for several images to be made. The vibrant red eye is visible, contrasting with the richly dark plumage. Drongos

are a favorite of mine, perhaps because they're so directly associated with the manifold pleasures of being on safari.

Yellow Acacia Blooms

Dicrurus adsimilis

Fork-tailed Drongo

Pensive Drongo

Drongo Amidst Spines