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


Tom Kellie

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Austere botanical design,

Natural selection's response,

Is often no more than a line,

In arid lands that makes good sense.

 

 

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Dawn Blooms

 

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Sesamothamnus Bloom Begins the Day

 

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A toddler in arms needs their sleep,

Even when dad's work involves arms,

Necessary for peace to keep,

Protecting babies from all harms.

 

 

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Too Early in the Morning

 

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Awaiting Departure

 

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Oh, little White-browed Scrub Robin,

Your songs bring joy to Samburu.

Please confide how does it happen,

Your appearance out of the blue?

 

 

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White-browed Scrub Robin

 

1928066340_Cercotrichasleucophrys.JPG.d0fbd7f925c7d359bba59547423605e9.JPG

 

Cercotrichas leucophrys

 

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Another game drive will commence,

Anthony is expected soon.

This flycatcher, relaxed, not tense,

We'll return in the afternoon.

 

 

456924455_BradornismicrorhynchusAgainstaWall.JPG.a0ad406e981c53ae896c553e10c706a8.JPG

 

Bradornis microrhynchus Against a Wall

 

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Facing the Sunlight

 

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Startled in Full Flight

 

757636067_DeepEyeColor.JPG.50adc7c0667a228b788fcaaa4cff3228.JPG

 

Deep Eye Color

 

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Who could overlook this Barbet?

With plumage speckled white on black,

It's showy as it could be, yet,

Perches discreetly near the track.

 

 

1294995968_OpaqueBarbet.JPG.113ebcdf5497250e512103daf4cc36b7.JPG

 

Opaque Barbet

 

986571430_Trachyphonusdarnaudii.JPG.c4a68d85905f5ff6b7543dc2f4f1204a.JPG

 

Trachyphonus darnaudii

 

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Ms. KUSAMA's Influence Persists

 

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Avian behavior each day,

Enriches game drives with action,

Whether eating, fighting or play,

It provides much satisfaction.

 

 

Attack.JPG.725d718e8c214060b27f8833c846b1c7.JPG

 

Attack

 

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Counter-attack

 

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We've Been Spotted

 

1806461795_Falcobiarmicus.JPG.b4b787419b72a4377725f4e8cc1445d9.JPG

 

Falco biarmicus

 

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Rushing isn't for everyone,

As some prefer to take their time.

Going slowly is often fun,

Tortoise pace feels rather sublime.

 

 

1572842574_SlowCrossing.JPG.74a3eb589cef6c017ef342d32781b0bc.JPG

 

Slow Crossing

 

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Hoppity-hop, off the hare goes,

Up and down jumps, with agile speed.

Long-eared Cape Hares, everyone knows,

Must run each day to succeed.

 

 

429441811_Lepuscapensis.JPG.3d94f5546b0e3ec96cbf737b86c3fbea.JPG

 

Lepus capensis

 

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Prominent Ear Veins

 

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Hoppity-hop!

 

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Cape Hare Running

 

 

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What a delight, Tom. It was a coincidence too. I am pretty irregular in ST and i had  thought you were busy too and hence had significantly cut down on time spent in ST.  Good, as always, to see your posts.

Hope all is well.

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The road sign is humorous, and it's a delight to look at the photographs of the birds and the hare. 

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offshorebirder

Sorry for the bittersweet Leopard sighting @Tom Kellie.

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Eurocephalus rueppelli,

With plush white plumage on your head,

Greyish smudges on your belly,

Did you just now get out of bed?

 

 

922448747_SolitaryShrike.JPG.74e3ba16334c0bb4e324a0a8dbdb8937.JPG

 

Solitary Shrike

 

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Shrike on a Dry Snag

 

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Distinctive White Cap

 

1286047581_Eurocephalusrueppelli.JPG.19bf4c742e0a42577be214de6826e142.JPG

 

Eurocephalus rueppelli

 

1543937664_AFamiliarSamburuSight.JPG.39e1718c1688161467afebbcdc478cd2.JPG

 

A Familiar Samburu Sight

 

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Low-key, placid, even docile,

Samburu's waterbuck seem few.

Their existence not so fragile,

They simply remain out of view.

 

 

111520532_GrazingKobusellipsiprymnus.JPG.2d0376edb8b6a99929075fcf3b0d875d.JPG

 

Grazing Kobus ellipsiprymnus

 

470326403_FriendlyNeighbor.JPG.a1b18e8d65e100b6da22f0d1a8b03aaf.JPG

 

Friendly Neighbor

 

 

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Hunt and probe and peck the soil,

Here and there tidbits worth eating.

It's living, not really toil,

Moping would be self-defeating.

 

 

1461634789_InSearchofOverlookedMorsels.JPG.cd26669b7bc00a19fb7ba9e821699a57.JPG

 

In Search of Overlooked Morsels

 

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Close to the Soil

Edited by Tom Kellie
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A saffron cravat for daywear,

Bright red goggles for anytime,

A Spurfowl dines out anywhere,

Forever looking in its prime.

 

 

1242022115_SomethingonTwoLegs.JPG.5722caf5454e0dbf1fe8d22df833685d.JPG

 

Something on Two Legs

 

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Every Grain Counts

 

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Pternistis leucoscepus

 

1098255690_SaffronCravat.JPG.b9bd153bfccdaaa3e67a4a0c84915062.JPG

 

Saffron Cravat

 

 

 

 

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This pleasant morning full of grace,

When species forage together,

Samburu is a special place,

On any day, in all weather.

 

 

757244865_OnDutyBytheRiver.JPG.05d7a9299adb90f564d15a6df6c9fd07.JPG

 

On Duty by the Ewaso Nyiro River

 

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Samburu's Peaceable Kingdom

 

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Leadership Training

 

 

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Who knew that Gerenuk could be,

Relaxed and social with others,

With Guineafowl beside a tree,

Along with Impala brothers?

 

 

741999965_BrowsingGerenukandFriends.JPG.7ff738f345637e1c764f7d47fe08dde7.JPG

 

Browsing Gerenuk and Friends

 

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Helmeted Guineafowl and Gerenuk

 

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Reaching for Upper Foliage

 

 

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Goofiness shows up in Nature,

The incongruous triggers mirth,

It may be a built-in feature,

Causing laughter has its own worth.

 

 

1222912035_NaturesFriendshipCircle.JPG.052b4b5e8dc8c89314e55328988d36e4.JPG

 

Nature's Friendship Circle

 

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Everyone Gets In On the Act

 

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Gentle Mount

 

2017407673_WhataPair!.JPG.28dde352382efc28c8c1101cb64ca837.JPG

 

What a Pair!

 

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Samburu's outdoor rodeo, 

Oxpeckers riding Impala,

Seldom performed for video,

Action under an acacia.

 

 

32422393_EasyRider.JPG.3aabad64691e3280053ba94b99304e26.JPG

 

Easy Rider

 

1438129811_RodeoStar.JPG.af459e39167fce32f8a79d51b46e65f5.JPG

 

Rodeo Star

 

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Wall Climber

 

1330881129_DoubleDuty.JPG.b91050d7c6287393f5fd735ed0e2e407.JPG

 

Double Duty

 

1263961431_EveryoneStrivesfortheTop.JPG.ef3bc20a8ac5e07a2e44d07b0effdbb6.JPG

 

Everyone Strives for the Top

 

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Oooo, Oooo! The dove's call fades away,

As she goes over the hot sand,

She's present to work, not to play,

Food comes first in this arid land.

 

 

336034423_FemaleNamaquaDoveonRiverbankSand.JPG.b4e16eb9117b1cfd1ee58f8c8300dd83.JPG

 

Female Namaqua Dove on Riverbank Sand

 

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These Numida meleagris,

Were easygoing, no hurry.

One occasionally sees this,

Birds seemingly free from worry.

 

 

1352091790_TwoShadowsFollow.JPG.b203415b6bfceb17af0e415d89d7c801.JPG

 

Two Shadows Follow

 

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Easily Caricatured

 

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Kicking Up Sand Grains

 

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Rhincodon typus Patterning

 

253111980_NumidameleagrisPortrait.JPG.c9e6d86155c655643f068330dc3d41c5.JPG

 

Numida meleagris Portrait

 

 

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Jointly grazing in harmony,

Gentle Impala catch the eye.

Samburu, their patrimony,

A peaceful life under clear sky.

 

 

1544423862_ImpalaQuartet.JPG.0b9273734fefce6a3f5faec1b032f8ce.JPG

 

Impala Quartet

 

1409825498_AltogetherNow.JPG.216131c7c6715abee1774a82101f969a.JPG

 

Altogether Now

 

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Nutrition is fundamental,

All Samburu life needs to eat.

Their diets are variable,

Whether mostly from plants or meat.

 

 

1139015523_DriedPalmFronds.JPG.56cb7e32563a06ab11a53d3672e219fd.JPG

 

Dried Palm Fronds

 

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Limited Available Nutrition

 

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Young Browser

 

833835487_EatingIsAnIntimateAction.JPG.d6b2170f414508fd50d25bea57d66fa1.JPG

 

Eating Is Such An Intimate Action

 

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Game drives embrace plant life also,

As well as familiar reptiles,

Birds, mammals and others I know,

Yet wildflowers bring large smiles.

 

 

27577776_SplashesofRichYellow.JPG.edb94d606cd0cb88c4160b88533e64ef.JPG

 

Splashes of Rich Yellow

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When the river is in full flow,

Many visit for a cool drink.

The peaceful Ewaso Nyiro,

Where shade trees grow up to the brink.

 

 

1346361202_EwasoNyiroRiverandImpala.JPG.ece2b3fc785dcb51c7d17eb258325491.JPG

 

Ewaso Nyiro River and Impala

 

998989636_RemainsofaTree.JPG.24eebb291a69afc9c6d891761eb29a38.JPG

 

Remains of a Tree

 

1690514362_TemporaryIslet.JPG.7cae90d674a6d66e05c46b5ebbb08dad.JPG

 

Temporary Islet

 

1728382837_EwasoNyiroRiverBend.JPG.4e2e2a180b63661dae21cfc3a7ecfb37.JPG

 

Ewaso Nyiro River Bend

 

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