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

[Tom Kellie]

In what ways do animals greet?

Are there set rituals they use?

When two adult Impala meet,

What salutations do they choose?

 

 

 

Approach

 

 

Greeting

 

 

Affection

 

 

Reassurance

 

 

Nuzzle

 

 

Separation

 

[CDL111]

@Tom Kellie,  Is the photograph of Ewaso Nyiro river in Samburu or Buffalo Springs?

[amybatt]

Well Tom you’re causing me to think twice about birds!  Your barbet and flycatcher pics are quite crisp and lively!  I will tip my hat again to Ms. Kusama on that back-view shot of the guinea fowl.

 

One of my favorites though is the impala quartet, I think the angle you managed there makes it a very intriguing shot.  I am guilty of just the perfectly squared, head on view, this one shows a neat creativity that creates some geometry.

 

The impala that photobombed your oxpecker on impala-back shot is funny!

[Tom Kellie]

No local drought stems the bold flow,

Broad and full, the river's channel.

To the water animals go,

Alone or in a small panel.

 

 

 

Ewaso Nyiro Vantage

 

 

 

Riparian Vegetation

 

 

[Kitsafari]

such lovely light on the beautiful gerenuk. 

 

[Tom Kellie]

How could there be a bachelor flock?

Samburu's Red-billed Firefinches,

Aren't silent, my, how they do talk,

A domain measured in inches.

 

 

 

Lagonosticta senegala Feeding

 

 

 

Firefinch Group

 

 

 

Red-billed Firefinch

 

 

 

Male Lagonosticta senegala

 

[Tom Kellie]

Of this fruit there's no mistaking,

Its unique form like no other.

While it looks ripe for the taking,

Perhaps best to choose another.

 

 

 

Calotropis procera Near the River

 

 

 

Sodom Apple Blooms and Fruit

 

[Tom Kellie]

A shady perch with thorns around,

Where few will notice its plumage,

Scanning the river and the ground,

Being concealed an advantage.

 

 

 

Halcyon leucocephala in Shade

 

 

 

Ewaso Nyiro Sentinel

 

[Tom Kellie]

Amphibious banded Plover,

Wading, running, before a rest.

All terrain it passes over,

Doing what a Plover does best.

 

 

 

Plover at Rest

 

 

 

A Single Step At a Time

 

 

 

Charadrius tricollaris Pair

 

 

 

Three-banded Plover

 

 

 

Charadrius tricollaris

 

[Tom Kellie]

One of Kenya's all-weather birds,

The proud Isabelline Wheatear.

Buffy plumage requires no words,

Its profile and alert stance clear.

 

 

 

Samburu Oenanthe isabellina

 

 

 

Distinctive Tuffet

 

[Tom Kellie]

A stalking gait, each step so high,

Mycteria ibis is known,

As a stork which can glide and fly,

With coloration all its own.

 

 

 

Mycteria ibis Feeding

 

 

 

Ewaso Nyiro Yellow-billed Stork

 

[Tom Kellie]

The African Pied Wagtail stands,

Then runs, before scratching a bit.

Suddenly flying, then it lands,

Surviving by action and wit.

 

 

 

On Riverbank Sand

 

 

 

Motacilla aguimp

 

 

 

Scratching Wagtail

 

 

 

African Pied Wagtail in Samburu

 

[Tom Kellie]

Saffron cravat for elegance,

Sharpened spurs ready for defense,

Spurfowl feathered magnificence,

Emerging from undergrowth dense.

 

 

 

Pternistis leucoscepis Portrait

 

 

 

Watchful Gaze

 

[Tom Kellie]

A Mourning Dove in the morning,

Softly backlit by river light,

Dark plumage its neck adorning,

Is a classic African sight.

 

 

 

[Tom Kellie]

When water fills the river course,

Impala step lightly to drink. 

No sign of crocs or river horse,

Where life might conclude in a blink.

 

 

 

Shallow Meandering

 

 

 

Every Element Matters

 

 

 

Impala Approach the Ewaso Nyiro

 

 

[Tom Kellie]

Tockus flavirostris above,

Giving the proverbial eye.

The bird's cautious brashness I love,

Brazenly peering from on high.

 

 

 

Tockus flavirostris Overhead

 

 

[Tom Kellie]

It's Chicladusa guttata,

Sweetly singing a serenade,

To sunlight, morning, and water,

Of such is a fine game drive made.

 

 

 

Chicladusa guttata on a Branch

 

 

 

Chicladusa guttata

 

 

 

Spotted Palm Thrush

 

[offshorebirder]

Thanks for the new contributions @Tom Kellie.   

 

I like the landscape shots of the Ewaso Ngiro and especially like the Yellow-necked Spurfowl portrait.   And even though Spotted Palm-Thrush is a common bird, I like them a lot.  

 

 

[Tom Kellie]

 

Being common doesn't mean drab,

This sandpiper's charm is displayed,

When seeking a tidbit or crab,

Despite crocodiles, unafraid.

 

 

 

Actitis hypoleucos

 

 

 

Common Sandpiper Wading

 

 

[Tom Kellie]

A mudlark of such brilliant hue,

Attracts the eye by standing out.

Lovely plumage for all to view,

Yet what is this bird all about?

 

 

 

Mudlark

 

 

 

Improbable Mudflat Visitor

 

[Tom Kellie]

Waiting while wading, up since dawn,

The stork strains to see what's below.

A minnow is there, then it's gone,

Staying put, nowhere else to go.

 

 

 

Mycteria ibis with Shadow

 

 

 

Wading and Waiting

 

[Tom Kellie]

Dabbling together, a slow pace,

Two Egyptian Geese without young.

Their presence gives a sense of place,

With beauty that's often unsung.

 

 

 

Dabblers

 

 

 

Alopochen aegyptiacus Duo

 

 

 

Egyptian Geese in the Ewaso Nyiro

 

 

 

Alopochen aegyptiacus Portrait

 

 

 

Iridescent Green Accent

 

 

 

Ranging from Ruddy to White

 

 

[Tom Kellie]

Slosh, slosh, water stirred by the bill,

Steadily working without rest.

An empty crop if standing still,

Solo work at no one's behest.

 

 

 

Morning Stretch

 

 

 

En pointe

 

 

 

Living in Peace

 

 

 

Slosh, Slosh

 

 

 

How Do They Know?

 

 

 

The Next Step

 

[Tom Kellie]

Unblemished, no flaw could there be,

A lone acacia is called home,

By small birds who nest in that tree,

Returning from wherever they roam.

 

 

 

Unblemished Acacia

 

[Tom Kellie]

~ Test post.