Meru, Samburu, Lake Nakuru, Kenya — October, 2014

[Tom Kellie]

Alert every one, but the young,

Vervets on tree tops look about.

They're sitting on the topmost rung,

Without any sound or loud shout.

Observant Vervets

Adults Worry, Juvenile Plays

Attentively Watching...Something

[Tom Kellie]

A running giraffe from nowhere,

What might that possibly suggest?

Anthony and I stop to stare,

Sensing around here is unrest.

Startled Giraffe

 

[Tom Kellie]

A leopard, calmly on its way,

Past a fan palm thicket so near.

It strolls without pausing to play,

Displaying confidence, not fear.

Initial Glimpse

Alarming Birds, Scaring Vervets, Startling a Giraffe

White and Black Tail Tip

Heading Around a Fan Palm Clump

Only a Trace

[amybatt]

Wow, a double sighting! You don't often see that other than mother-cub situations! What a prize!

[Tom Kellie]

The electricity we feel,

Is recharged when to our surprise,

Eyes a second leopard reveal,

Exalting this blessed game drive's highs.

A Second Leopard

Smaller and More Slender Than the First Leopard

Off Into Its World

[Tom Kellie]

The silent observers stand close,

Giraffes see leopards every day.

Although they're not at all verbose,

Giraffes may have a lot to say.

Silent Observers

[Tom Kellie]

After spotting a leopard pair,

What might engage our attention?

This kingfisher didn't much care,

If I gave it a small mention.

Glowing Blue

Halcyon Gaze

Tip of a Kingfisher Bill

Halcyon leucocephala

Grey-headed Kingfisher on a Palm Frond

[Tom Kellie]

A patient model on a twig,

This kingfisher didn't move much.

A star for the lens, though not big,

It needed no make-up and such.

Where are the Blue Feathers?

Unruffled

Halcyon leucocephala in Repose

[Tom Kellie]

Meru may be a state of mind,

A suspension of disbelief,

An escape from the daily grind,

Life's mysteries in red relief.

Meru

 

[Tom Kellie]

I enjoy going without shoes,

Feeling air or grit on my toes.

Yet barefoot here has much to lose,

Better wear good shoes and thick clothes.

What Dwells in Such Rock Crevices?

No Barefoot Exploring

[Tom Kellie]

With its refined, slender profile,

The gerenuk has elfish ways.

This landscape they'd scarcely defile,

For their movement mildness displays.

Stepping Through Bushes

Doum Palms with Male Gerenuk

Female Gerenuk Near Large Trees

Male Gerenuk Walking Into Brush

[Tom Kellie]

While it's not the National Bird,

Kenya's Superb Starling has bright,

Plumage from a palette absurd.

They're raucous by day, noiseless by night.

Lamprotornis superbus Roost

Superb Vantage Point

[Tom Kellie]

Acacia spines unsettle me,

Their sharp points must hurt quite a lot.

Yet with giraffes it's plain to see,

Acacia spines worry them not.

Covalent Bonds

Swatter

Knock-kneed

Juvenile Reticulated Giraffe

Four-square

Spiny Breakfast

Plenty for All

Such Poise

[Tom Kellie]

Dry grass all yellow and brittle,

Harboring life we rarely see.

Of such I understand little,

But what do they know about me?

At Soil Level

Yellow Cravat

At Home in Dry Grass

[Tom Kellie]

As far as colorful birds go,

Rollers rank very near the top.

From high perches they gaze below,

Their flamboyant display non-stop.

Kenya's National Bird in Meru

Lilac-breasted Roller on a Snag

[Tom Kellie]

Kenya Wildlife Service provides,

At Meru its new staff training,

Wildlife management and besides,

The art of careful explaining.

KWS African Buffalo

[Tom Kellie]

Bush planes are Africa's lifeline,

Connecting far-flung places by air.
They feature a basic design,
With pilots who fly with great care.

Aviat Husky A-1

Wing-struts, Wheels, Propeller

Approaching the Airstrip

[Tom Kellie]

As we bid farewell to Meru,

A final sight is a baboon,

Which merits a photograph, too.

Ah, we're departing far too soon.

Baboon Near the Park Entrance

Leaving the Road

[Peter Connan]

"Superb vantage point" is superb Tom!

[Tom Kellie]

A collage of textures and hues,

Acacia foliage and white blooms,

A common bulbul sings the news,

Green branches serve as public rooms.

Pycnonotus barbatus dodsoni

Acacia Collage

Gentle Arcs

[Tom Kellie]

It's said that ‘Spring can really hang,

You up the most’, which may be true.

No matter how lovely it's sang,

Spring's complex beauty is sad, too.

Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most

[Tom Kellie]

Ploceus bojeri it seems,

Favors dry coastal habitats,

As well as along inland streams,

Keeping well away from large cats.

Ploceus bojeri

Saffron Plumage

Single-footed Stance

Golden Palm Weaver

Orange-red Head Plumage

Weaver at Work

Ploceus bojeri Near Murera Springs Eco Lodge

Firey Citrus Hues

Female Ploceus bojeri

Perching Near the Male Golden Palm Weaver

[Tom Kellie]

These gentlemen all worked with heart,

Pleasing this old Eco Lodge guest.

Thus I felt truly sad to depart,

Assuring them they were the best.

Eco Lodge Departure

Murera Springs Eco Lodge Staff

[Tom Kellie]

Kianjai in full sun looks nice,

Jacaranda trees in flower,

I'm blessed to have passed through here twice,

Each agave stalk a tower.

View Toward Arid Lands

Climate Zones

Bloom Spikes

Varied Landscape and Vegetation

Hillside with Limited cultivation

High Fertility Meru County

Jacaranda on Kianjai Hillside

Kwa Lebia Gen. Shop.

Kianjai Arched Gate with Bananas

Magnificent Jacaranda

[Tom Kellie]

Watching Meru's vibrant street life,

Residents proudly strolling by,

For each local husband and wife,

A proud hometown under blue sky.

College Campus

Well-tended Grounds

Downtown Meru Symbol

Try Hard Traders

Meru Traffic

Meru Textiles

Back Street

Meru Street Life

Meru Snack

Anthony's Van in a Reflection

Mahomed Moti & Sons Kenya Ltd.

Tom Mboya Street

Students Outside of a Gate

Meru Technical Training Institute