Horns, Spots and Stripes - Happy Days in Lewa&Ol Pejeta Dec 2018

[Kitsafari]

part 2 (I had to break it in two as I had lost an instalment earlier.   )

 

white-bellied tit

 

 

Southern black flycatcher

 

Nubian woodpecker

 

pied wagtail

African grey woodpecker

 

 

 

cardinal woodpecker

Black headed heron

 

 

Black and white cuckoo

 

amethyst sunbird

 

 

[Kitsafari]

this is turning into quite a birdie TR! well, the advantage of liking birds as well is that when the moments are quiet, birds often fill the void. but we also thought it would be nice for a predator, particularly the tawny kind that roared, to turn up soon.

 

The evening drive started with the feathered kind once more, but the orange-bellied parrot was so adorable, we didn't mind stopping a long while for him. besides, it was making-babies time!

 

the bright male cosied up to a female, who appeared amenable to his approaches. then he mounted her a few times, balancing precariously and delicately during the act. each time after a successful mating, he danced a few steps. Happy times indeed!

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

just a short distance away, we stopped to watch some red-billed teal, hotentot teal and a yellow-billed duck at a small waterhole. then we heard the ververts shouting abuse. it can only be one thing. 

 

A leopard. 

 

Joseph gingerly angled the vehicle in a marsh area and I held my breath. not a place I want to get stuck in. 

But the female leopard - the same cat we saw on our second day - sat undisturbed and unperturbed on a log. FInally, she yawned and deigned to get up, stretched her sinewy limbs and bent her long tail, looked up to the tree and had an internal debate on whether it was a good tree to climb. she tried it out but decided it wasn't. jumped down and disappeared into the thick brush. By then a second vehicle had joined us. we both turned to try to locate her but she seemed to have gone.

 

 

 

we thought we had lost her so we drove off but then Joseph got a call - the spotted/rosette cat was seen walking still in the same area. we decided to return and drove headlong into a marsh in time to see her walk at the edge of the marsh and doubling back to the road. as we turned to get out, the vehicle got stuck. the second vehicle had the choice to follow the leopard but the guide/driver and his single guest stayed on to help pull us out. For that, we were grateful and most appreciative. 

fear not though, for we had not lost the cat yet! with the light getting even lower as the sun set, it was harder and harder to get photos of the cat. But the cat looked like it wanted to hunt and we found her wandering in a wooded area. once she pounced but came up empty. we kept up with her, and did 2 other vehicles (including the one who helped us). 

 

 

 

the light became too low to shoot photos. so we watched her instead. after a while, when we were the only vehicle left, she walked so close to the vehicle that my filming couldn't capture her. then she walked into the darkness and we were glad that we were given the privilege to share a slice of a day of a young and growing female leopard. 

 

 

 

 

[Tom Kellie]

 

 

~ @Kitsafari

 

Is that a cat, or what?

 

Classic arched back, tail up.  Terrific!

 

I've never seen that behavior before in a Leopard.

 

Thanks so much for the generous assortment of images.

 

Tom K.

[Amylovescritters]

Incredible leopard experience...

[Kitsafari]

@Tom Kellie that is so like a leopard - flicking its sinewy tail. i loved that photo!

 

thanks @Amylovescritters!

[Kitsafari]

our last morning in Lewa. we decided to start out later, as we would carry our bags into our car and go for a long game drive before we head to the gate to be picked up for our next destination. 

since this was our first morning really at lewa house (we usually left for morning drives when the sun hadn't risen), it was my first time to see breakfast all laid out. It wasn't for us as we had packed breakfast to go, but if we had stayed, what a view to have a meal with. 

 

 

A Pangini longclaw enjoyed the warmth of the early sun while white storks, winter visitors, basked in the morning sun as they searched for the early worms.  an immature lilac breasted roller called incessantly for its breakfast but the cautious parents waited for us to move off before they came to feed. 

 

 

 

Egyptian geese winged their way in from their roosting trees to see which waterhole to forage at as a harrier flew above us,  perhaps a little too early for its meal? Dusky turtle doves cooed at us, welcoming us as we rolled off road into a tall grasses where a head popped up. 

A male cheetah, resting and hiding from its enemies. 

 

 

 

the cheetah glanced at us, then shut its eyes, perhaps hoping we were just a hallucination that would burst like a bubble when he awoke. 

after a short time, he moved, and we were hopeful he might sit up and look to hunt. but no, he went to a spot a metre away and fell down to a sleep position. 

 

 

 

he looked as if he'd rather be left alone, thank you very much. so we moved on, passing the stunning grevy's zebras - which, with their larger sturdy bodies and larger ass ears, are fast becoming my favourite zebras - and giraffes gracefully balancing on the thin line of the hill edge and tree, and rhinos who stood and gazed a farewell to us.

 

 

 

 

we then trundled down into another lovely tranquil and silent valley which yielded beautiful birds but no mammals, except for a couple of klipspringers who froze and watched us quietly seeking in vain for the elusive lesser kudu. 

 

 

a few more outstanding birds, and then we were at the gate, ready for the second phase of our adventure to central Kenya. 

 

African paradise flycatcher

 

black capped village weaver female

 

vitelline masked weaver

 

Marico sunbird

 

[Kitsafari]

I had expected low density of animals in central kenya, especially in Lewa. I was prepared for it, so in reality, I was surprised by the higher than anticipated density of mammals. The number of white and black rhinos was just phenomenal; we saw rhinos on nearly every drive, and sometimes more than once, and 9 out of 10 times, it was of more than one individual. They looked healthy and thriving in Lewa. 

we enjoyed our time in Lewa. in times of quiet hours, we soaked in the beautiful landscape of gentle rolling hills and deep silent valleys. birdlife was prolific and helped filled in those hours when mammals were travelling elsewhere. Elephants were full of calm energy, a good sign that they are not harassed or in conflict with humans. 

Lewa deserves to be more on every safari goer's list, and I hope it does, in the face of strong competition from more popular neighbours like Ol Pejeta, Meru, Samburu and Laikipia. 

 

Now, onwards to Ol Pejeta.....I can hardly wait.

 

 

 

[Tom Kellie]

~ @Kitsafari

 

Your Mt. Kenya portrait above is a classic!

 

Thank you for posting that — like a postcard in Safaritalk!

 

Tom K.

[Kitsafari]

IT wasn't exactly the best start to our Kicheche Laikipia stay. It wasn't a place I was eager to stay at, not because of my poor impression from the old torn tent we had in Kicheche Bush camp in OMC Mara in Jan 2018 (which was scheduled to have been replaced after our stay), the relief manager who talked all about himself and boasted how he crept up to a wild cheetah to stroke it (he got an earful from me), and how the wait staff decided I didn't deserve dessert and was never offered it again after the first night (I turned it down the first night but I love desserts). 

(the guide James was just super duper brilliant, though and they have one of the best vehicles set up for photography)

 

we booked three weeks before our stay, and usually by that time, the camp would know exactly how many people were booked to stay there (unless there are dozens like us late bookers). it was low season in early December. and OH had checked how many rooms were taken. it appeared only 2 were taken - ours and another room. we wanted a PV as well. Kicheche is my OH's favourite brand to stay with, and on a number of occasions during his stay in Naibosho and OMC, they had given PVs on a complimentary basis for a couple of days before and after his stay. so based on that generosity and for OH's loyalty to the brand, we asked if a complimentary vehicle would be possible. they said sorry, but no. their policy was you pay for a PV, and if you don't, you don't get a PV, no matter what.

I was stunned. I had expected more flexibility. at the very least, a better answer could have been given: I'm sorry we can't give you a complimentary PV and can't guarantee you'll get a vehicle all to yourself, but you could check with us closer to your stay dates, if you feel you can't share a vehicle, then best not take the risk, pay for a PV. 

but no such options were given to us. it was pay or not get vehicle to yourself. fair enough that they can't guarantee a PV, and we would have happily paid for one if we found we had to share the vehicle closer to our departure. but not even such that option was provided to us. I was ready to shift to another camp, but deferred to my OH's decision. 

So we paid for the PV and stayed at Kicheche Laikipia. and when we arrived there, the other couple had their own vehicle. there was no one else in the camp to share a vehicle.. We took the risk and lost. but it left a bad taste for me. Surely kicheche would have known no other guests were in the camp. out of goodwill, they could have said there's no one else to share the vehicle with but in the light of OH's loyalty to kicheche, how about we give you one day complimentary PV? that would have won me over. customer service - putting the guests first. truth be told, i just didn't like how they treated my OH when he was trying so hard to win me over for Kicheche. 

Will I ever stay at Kicheche again? i know that brand has a lot of supporters here, but to me, they only care about the money, they don't care about the long-term relationships with clients. 

so I won't be surprised that this would be my last stay with any Kicheche camp. 

anyway, it's my personal view. 

 

Kicheche Laikipia's staff though is faultless. from the housekeeping to the chef and wait-staff - they are perfect! Manager Andrew - articulate and very knowleagable and a guide as well - was the consummate host. They made our stay a thoroughly enjoyable one. the chef took pains to cook separate items that didn't include cheese for me when he found out I don't eat cheese.

a three thumbs up for me for hte camp staff (if i had three thumbs...)
 

Edited March 1, 2019 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

we drove out of Lewa, and through the green farms before getting into the thriving town of Nanyuki, where Peter, who would be our guide at Kicheche, was waiting for us. 

 

we bade a fond farewell to Squack, who lives in Nanyuki. Despite desperate and vile attempts to sully his reputation, Squack is the sweetest guide I've met. Only the most insecure, arrogant and conceited persons would think less of him. Under his guidance, we were gently moved from place to place, his reading of the situations would be spot on, and he's not so insecure that he has to rattle on and on about the most basic things, knowing we were not first time safari goers (oh yes, I did come across one who just wouldn't stop talking in very recent travels). 

 

Then, it was all the way to Ol Pejeta, and what treasures awaited us. we went through a gamut of emotions - from the depths of sadness and hopelessness to profound joy and hope. 

 

[Tom Kellie]

1 hour ago, Kitsafari said:

we booked three weeks before our stay, and usually by that time, the camp would know exactly how many people were booked to stay there (unless there are dozens like us late bookers). it was low season in early December. and OH had checked how many rooms were taken. it appeared only 2 were taken - ours and another room. we wanted a PV as well. Kicheche is my OH's favourite brand to stay with, and on a number of occasions during his stay in Naibosho and OMC, they had given PVs on a complimentary basis for a couple of days before and after his stay. so based on that generosity and for OH's loyalty to the brand, we asked if a complimentary vehicle would be possible. they said sorry, but no. their policy was you pay for a PV, and if you don't, you don't get a PV, no matter what.

I was stunned. I had expected more flexibility. at the very least, a better answer could have been given: I'm sorry we can't give you a complimentary PV and can't guarantee you'll get a vehicle all to yourself, but you could check with us closer to your stay dates, if you feel you can't share a vehicle, then best not take the risk, pay for a PV. 

but no such options were given to us. it was pay or not get vehicle to yourself. fair enough that they can't guarantee a PV, and we would have happily paid for one if we found we had to share the vehicle closer to our departure. but not even such that option was provided to us. I was ready to shift to another camp, but deferred to my OH's decision. 

So we paid for the PV and stayed at Kicheche Laikipia. and when we arrived there, the other couple had their own vehicle. there was no one else in the camp to share a vehicle.. We took the risk and lost. but it left a bad taste for me. Surely kicheche would have known no other guests were in the camp. out of goodwill, they could have said there's no one else to share the vehicle with but in the light of OH's loyalty to kicheche, how about we give you one day complimentary PV? that would have won me over. customer service - putting the guests first. truth be told, i just didn't like how they treated my OH when he was trying so hard to win me over for Kicheche. 

Will I ever stay at Kicheche again? i know that brand has a lot of supporters here, but to me, they only care about the money, they don't care about the long-term relationships with clients. 

so I won't be surprised that this would be my last stay with any Kicheche camp. 

 

~  @Kitsafari

 

Was there any clear indication of where the “no complimentary Private Vehicle” decision was made?

 

In other words, was it made by the Kicheche Laikipia management?

 

Or was it made at a corporate booking office in Nairobi?

 

Tom K.

[CDL111]

I would think the the vast majority of people book their holidays well in advance, so Kicheche HO and camp would have known the occupancy, so yes their attitude seems disappointing. One suggestion for the future, if you book near to you departure and have knowledge of low occupancy, would it be worth waiting until you arrive at camp and ask who you are sharing the vehicle with. If you are sharing you could then decide to have a PV. I think l am correct in saying @michael-ibk asked and was given at no extra cost a PV in one of his reports.

[Kitsafari]

@CDL111 I'm not sure which lodge @michael-ibk stayed at, but I don't think it was Kicheche. I do believe other lodges/camps probably value long-term relationships better and won't be surprised if they do give complimentary PV when their vehicles are available. we were provided with one at Londolozi at almost half their price when we arrived there. 

thanks for the suggestion - certainly one we can do!

Edited March 3, 2019 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

So, we had seen plenty of horns (rhinos), spots (leopards and cheetahs) and grevy's stripes, but for once, we were in need of tawny coats. we were unsatiated from the little we saw in Lewa, and the pressure was on Peter to deliver the tawny cats in Ol Pejeta. Surely, there must be some? 

 

as we came through the conservancy gate, a large photo advertised its famous residents. 

 

 

 

as we came through, Peter brought us to the obligatory stop which marks the spot where the Equator cuts through the conservancy. Instead, my eyes were drawn to the awkward gait of a lone elephant. Peter related that the elephant had this injury for a long time, and unable to follow her herd, she has remained in the area and had managed to survive thus far. It was a heartbreaking image of a giant crippled by an injury and struggling to move ahead. it was also a testament to her courage and resilience that she has managed to survive.

 

 

Ol Pejeta is divided into a public area and a private area. the travellers (including many self-drivers) cannot do off-roading int he public areas and no night drives are allowed. The opposite is allowed in the wild private area , which can only be traversed by guests living in the lodges located in that part. To travel to the wild area, one needs to go through the public area which takes only about an hour or less. 

 

a bridge over the river, which helps separates the two parts, marks the entrance into the wild part. 

 

 

 

 and the first mammal we see as we crossed the bridge was the baboon. Odd, that I take the baboons and ververts so much for granted, that I kinda miss them when I don't see them for a big portion of a safari. 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2019 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

The evening drive was very quiet, with few animals around, making me a tad worried about the density of animals in Ol Pejeta. 

a herd of buffaloes came wandering into the open fields to graze and in the lovely dusk light, the normally fierce bovines looked positively benign. 

 

 

a lone hyena guarded a den but no cubs were seen. Peter said we would return to try and see the babies at another time. and we moved on. in the sunset, the black chested snake eagle - this particular individual has a bone sticking out of its bill and we would see it again and again - sat atop a tree for a vantage point over the plains, while a clan of hyenas huddled over a carcass but we couldn't see much of what was left. the day ended with the grant's gazelles munched the last of the day's grasses and a zebra gazed into the sunset. 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2019 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

The new day dawned with a totally new perspective. animals that were missing last evening were milling around everywhere on the wide open plains. It lifted my spirits.

Plains zebra were spread out at every section of the place (we would not see grevy's zebras anymore in Ol Pejeta), the magnificent elands keeping them company.

 where were they all hiding last evening?

 

 

 

three vehicles were around the hyena cubs but the cubs were too dozy to get up and play. after a while, we decided to leave them to their beauty sleep as well.

 

 

 

Northern ant-eating chats felt comfortable enough to sit close to the hyena cubs, and a red-winged lark sang of his wishes for the day. a Lilac breasted roller posed as always for every passer-by and a black-headed oriole bounced from twig to twig searching for an early meal.  A koribustard, which were plentiful in Ol Pejeta, regally walked by. 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

Ol Pejeta Conservancy was really born in 2004, when the previous cattle ranch was bought by UK-based Fauna & Flora International, backed by funds from Jon Struker's Arcus Foundation. The two organisations, together with Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, set about to convert the 90,000 acres of savannah grassland into a national land trust. 

But the conservancy never forgot its history as a successful cattle ranch, and in a small part, still continues cattle farming with premier cattle species including the Boran breed. the cattle are taken out to graze in the open areas, sometimes interacting with the wildlife, and are kept at night in bomas to mitigate predation risks. the conservancy reckons about 1% loss to predators but the loss is acceptable given that it is in a wildlife area. 

The conservancy also maintains good ties with the local communities, often taking their unwell catt into the conservancy to protect and taken care till good health, sold with all the proceeds returned to the rightful owners.

Some may have huge problems seeing cattle in conservancies, rejecting the areas as wild as a result. for years, the Masai people have roamed the bush land with their cattle, so how can one really say the land is only wild if there is no cattle seen there? 

I have no problem seeing well managed cattle roaming in the conservancy since the conservancy takes great care to ensure conflict with wildlife is minimised. the conservancy does not make profits so I would think the funds raised from selling the conservancy's cattle go right back into the wildlife management and protection, as well as its widespread and increased efforts to protect the endangered species of rhinos. 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

On the horizon, three elephants stood out as giant grey shadows gliding along the thin line. we sat and waited for them to come forward - it was a group of bulls that brought calm energy as they walked around and by us as if we were all part of the same family of friends. such majestic creatures, with their unscathed and long gorgeous tusks. As they glided silently by us, I was awed - as always - by their size, by their energy, by their presence.

 

 

Impalas get passed by all the time. I should know - I do that often enough. But the impalas possess a beauty of their own - the shiny sheen of their coats, the large doe eyes, the sharp lethal horns. I didn't get a good shot of them in Lewa (too obsessed with birds over there, I confess!) so this was a good opportunity to refresh my memories of the often overlooked impalas.

 

 

 

further on, tall billowy figures hugged the hill line, looking like the giant cranes seen at seaports, but taking a life of their own in long but  deliberate, slow steps forward. a journey of giraffes would occasionally halt, rubbed each other or playfully nudged each other, pausing to watch us as we advanced, then continuing their path towards a waterhole. I can never tire watching giraffes in their graceful walks. 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

The evening drive began with  our first sight of Jackson's hartebeests in Ol Pejeta - a nervous mama and her calf. Jackson's hartebeests are said to be in steep declines, seeing an estimated 80% drop in numbers in the last 15 years. The Laikipia region houses a significant number of this antelope of between 700-1000 individuals with Ol Pejeta sheltering about 180 of them. it was one of our target mammals and it was good to see young ones although we didn't see them in large number groups. 

 

 

The elephants were predictably less nervous as a family went strolling by without a care for us humans. Elephants are doing so well in Ol Pejeta too, with so many young calves keeping close to the adult grey giants. 

 

 

A Jackson's widowbird put on a performance for its lady friend, which was gratefully received by its human audience. it is the first time we've seen this bird, and we were in luck to see it courting! this is a near threatened species, with expectations for further decline due to habitat degradation. It's a beautiful bird with a full flowing tail that dances with the wind as it courts its females. the pictures are rather grainy as they were heavily cropped. we couldnt get too close to the birds without disturbing its courtship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2019 by Kitsafari

[CDL111]

The photographs of the signings at the equator and the one at the bridge brought back memories of our trip in 2017. Do like the photographs of the elephants and the giraffes. 

[Peter Connan]

Wow, what a lovely trip report @Kitsafari!

 

Thank you for sticking with it.

[Kitsafari]

During our morning drive, Peter had chatted with some conservancy staff members who told him that a zebra was taken down during the night by a pride of lions and who gave him some vague directions. Knowing that we had so wanted to see lions, Peter raced a long distance northwards to the fence bordering the villages to a thick grove of acacia trees. driving along the fence, we could see the local community on the other side going on about their normal lives. Peter drove up and down the road, and then around and through the thickets but yielded nothing. no tawny round heads, no roundish tawny ears, not a shadow lying in the bushes. 

Instead of giving up, Peter persevered. He drove to the northern gate and spoke to the security staff and learned the story of what actually happened. in the middle of the night, the lions had chased zebras, and one of the zebras had crashed into the electric fence. The poor zebra was electrocuted and died but had damaged the fence. the lions didn't dare take the zebra out. In the morning, the conservancy staff came to remove the zebra and mended the fence. 

The zebra was placed at the edge of a nearby grove of acacia trees and bushes. And sure enough, we found the dead zebra, completely untouched. Peter surmised the lions could return in the evening for a meal, and that would be the time to return to watch the lions on the carcass. And that would fulfill our wish to see lions and the pressure would be off Peter finally.

At least, that was the ideal scenario and conclusion. hmm.

 

The evening drive began as always at before 4pm. it was always too hot for me to have tea, and i tended to skip the tea-cake. OH usually grabbed tea, and Peter would take the opportunity for a piece of cake. 

Half an hour into the drive, Peter got really excited and drove off-road, headlong into the bushes. Cheetah, he cried. Not quite. Cheetahs, he meant. We were quite thrilled. our first predators in Ol Pejeta. Funny how, no matter how many elephants or rhinos you see, it is always the predators that set off that thrill. I can only put it down to humans' weird sense of getting high by living on the edge. 

It was a pair of rather lean brothers, resting a little distance from each other in an opening among tall trees. They were clearly hungry, watching the gazelles beyond the treeline. The problem was the gazelles were also watching them, having seen them. They weren't going to hunt, and we had their more powerful cousins to catch. we spent quite a while with them, sharing their location with our campmates at the same time. Then, it was time to move off. 

 

get ready for a bunch of pics on the spotted cats 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

@CDL111  @Peter Connan Thanks so much for following still! I was tempted to give up but I couldn't bear leaving it hanging half-done. your encouragement will give me that extra nudge!

 

[Kitsafari]

Our long drive to the north took us through some really bumpy trails. I'm not sure if it was even a proper road; somehow it seemed  we were driving upwards along a dried up stream that was now just boulders and rocks. ALong the way, we found our black chested snake eagle atop a tree watching our rough progress. we were stunned to see him again, as that bone remained in his bill. I really do hope he managed to dislodge or that it wasn't preventing him from hunting or eating. 

 

 

and then we had to stop to watch a flock of blue naped mousebirds, resplendent in the lovely light. and of course, we had to wait to witness the happy union of a couple - happy days indeed for the future generation.