Boredom in the Rain - Kenya 2023

[Tdgraves]

I recognise that pizza oven!!

[janzin]

ohh we didn't get the pizza oven when we were at Kicheche Bush last June   I feel deprived!   But we too loved Kicheche Bush. Our fantastic guide was Joseph Segeny but I think he is usually at another camp. I really regret I never wrote a trip report for that trip!

[offshorebirder]

Very nice low light photography in the last post @pault.   Love the Serval and the lions.

[pault]

12 hours ago, janzin said:

ohh we didn't get the pizza oven when we were at Kicheche Bush last June   I feel deprived!   But we too loved Kicheche Bush. Our fantastic guide was Joseph Segeny but I think he is usually at another camp. I really regret I never wrote a trip report for that trip!

 

I think they only do it once a week so many are deprived. Very tasty (unless you mess it up yourself with topping choices) but it makes for a long lunch. 

 

It is never too late for a trip report. See what @Geoffand @Bush dogare up to. 

[pault]

On what was an impeccable Olare Motorogi morning, we had to leave the hyena den, which was after the lions and elephants, a bit earlier than planned because James or Charles (not sure which as both were there when we arrived) had gone to follow up a tip that three young cheetahs were in the northern part of the conservancy and it had panned out (as you've probably noticed if you've stayed there the guides seem to take it in turns to follow up tips or explore a likely area, so one day you may be simply turning up at predator sightings all morning or evening and the next day you may spend most of your afternoon doing hard and fruitless graft trying to find a leopard that someone says they saw along the river on the Porini/ Mara Plains side but has disappeared (but it is rarely to never that everybody comes up empty-handed so even the fruitless search days usually have a fruity ending). We were probably on leopard duty, but that was immediately postponed to the afternoon. Although Porini were also on this one, we were able to get in under the five vehicle limit but nobody stayed close to them for long so that didn't really matter in this case. Every guide worth their salt could see immediately on arrival that these three were hungry and that they were watching a large group of impala about 200 meters away with interest. 

 

This looked very promising, although Patrick warned us that they were newly separated from their mother and would probably mess the hunt up, even if they went for it. On the plus side, he was quite sure they would go for it if the impalas got close enough. Or at least 1-2 of them might, as they did not all seem equally interested.

 

 

At times it seemed that they forgot about the impalas completely

 

 

However, Patrick said not to worry about that - cheetahs were very patient and the yes/no of the hunt likely depended on the impalas. Since this was probably going to be quite a long wait, Patrick parked so I could try to get three cheetahs in a row (closest is above unfortunately) and later, when one moved, my goal was three looking in the same direction. This was constantly foiled by the one who decided to have a nap. 

 

 

Eventually, after an hour, they moved closer to the impalas but wisely settled down again as there were zebras in the way and the impalas were almost certainly still too far anyway. 

 

 

At this point there was no more sitting up and they really were showing patience, in between napping. To pass the time we drove around to where the impalas were to assess the situation. All impalas busy eating - good. Impalas generally heading towards the cheetahs - good. Warthogs among the impalas - not good. 

 

Unfortunately, after another 40 minutes or so the impalas had started to drift away rather than towards the cheetahs and the cheetahs had now all nodded off to sleep, although the leader above occasionally half-opened an eye. It was a difficult call whether to leave them or not and we only decided to do so after some discussion (not argument - everybody agreed the chance of this hunt going anywhere was small and getting smaller as other animals appeared - nice grass here.) In the end we decided to go back to camp for lunch and hope we didn't regret it. When we came back in the evening we did and didn't regret it. The cheetahs had not hunted but they had moved on. It seemed a fair assumption that they would soon be found again, but that didn't happen and I think they were seen in Naboisho later. 

 

The other time (okay 'another time' if you are counting) we saw a cheetah we were also in the north of the conservancy - but in both cases this was more in the center than out in the Motorogi part - what was the northern part before Motorogi was added. 

 

This was again a young one, in this case a male who had just lost his mother and was consequently a little disturbed (echoes of our last evening in Mara North and if it wasn't for the sex I would have wondered if they weren't the same cheetah). There wasn't much question of a hunt here, unless a dik-dik or hare came along and stood in front of the cheetah, but due to his nervousness he was moving around a bit. 

 

 

 

Finally, he found a place to sit that he was happy with, which offered some kind of minimal protection and settled down. Since there were quite a few vehicles around we decided to leave him to his 'missing mummy'.

 

 

Green wood-hoopoe - it was squawking like mad at a tawny eagle on top of the tree but the eagle unfortunately left by the 'back door' when it got sick of the noise, so no nice companion photo I am afraid.

 

 

Help me with this one please. It looks like a buzzard (to me - which doesn't mean much) but shouldn't they be gone by the end of June? I know I have seen it before and nodded "yes I know that one" when Patrick ID-ed it, but my mind is blank now and the deeper I dig the less certain I become!

 

 

The communal areas at Kicheche, waiting for the pizza party to start.

 

 

Snake eagle getting mobbed by plovers. We were driving behind Benja one day when we saw his guests pop out of the top of the vehicle. When we looked up to see what they were pointing their lenses at, we saw this. I think it is a black-chested one but the photos are almost silhouettes and required significant adjustment, meaning colouring isn't reliable - it is based on being 100% certain about the colour of the plovers. Anyway, it was nice to watch and hear the Maasai story that the snake eagle carries snakes up into the air so that it can battle them on its home territory, rather than the snake's (the ground). 

 

 

A black-backed puffback 

 

 

On our last evening Patrick unilaterally decided I needed pictures of white-bellied bustards as 'they weren't easy'. I have some, but the game of stalking the bustards was fun and I think that was the point - not much happening at that time but it wasn't time for what he had in mind next (too early). We had been looking for the Hammerkop pride, which is a fairly new pride, quite small and hadn't been seen for a while (our turn to do the legwork). We had not been successful so we did quick bit of 'birding with Patrick', which included a pygmy falcon (flew before we got close enough for anything more than a record pic), the secretary bird, the best roller shots of the trip and the buzzard (?) above. Of course the reward for our hard work was a special treat before our final sundowner. And we found the Hammerkop pride (or at least the mother with cubs) the next day, on the drive (which ended up taking nearly six hours) to the airstrip.

 

[michael-ibk]

5 hours ago, pault said:

Help me with this one please.

 

I'd guess this is a juvenile Augur Buzzard - they can be very variable. 

 

Great report Paul, you really haven't lost your knack for photography and storytelling. The Giraffe birth is very, very special. And I do appreciate your birding efforts. Sorry to hear Nam Wan's experience was a bit compromised because of the lens issue. 

[pault]

1 hour ago, michael-ibk said:

 

I'd guess this is a juvenile Augur Buzzard - they can be very variable. 

 

Great report Paul, you really haven't lost your knack for photography and storytelling. The Giraffe birth is very, very special. And I do appreciate your birding efforts. Sorry to hear Nam Wan's experience was a bit compromised because of the lens issue. 

 

That's what I was thinking (based more on elimination than knowledge) but so little white on the chest..... it's worse than the LBJs! A badly painted Augur Buzzard for now then.

 

I tried (sometimes) with the birds this time. I'll be herping soon, doubtless.  

[janzin]

I'm fairly certain those three cheetahs are Kweli's cubs, who we spent quite a bit of time with last June (when of course they were still with Mom.) Glad to see they are doing so well!

[Kitsafari]

i remember that pizza oven. and we really enjoyed the pizzas. 

wow cheetahs are back in OMC!

[pault]

6 hours ago, janzin said:

I'm fairly certain those three cheetahs are Kweli's cubs, who we spent quite a bit of time with last June (when of course they were still with Mom.) Glad to see they are doing so well!

Sounds right. 

[loafer247]

Interesting thing is that the three cheetah you saw (Kweli's cubs) have since joined up with the single male you saw (Sila's son) and they have temporarily formed a coalition of four. They are in Naobisho right now. Kweli's cubs are two boys and a girl so once the girl leaves the coalition the hope is that the three boys stay together a form a strong coalition.

[pault]

2 hours ago, loafer247 said:

Interesting thing is that the three cheetah you saw (Kweli's cubs) have since joined up with the single male you saw (Sila's son) and they have temporarily formed a coalition of four. They are in Naobisho right now. Kweli's cubs are two boys and a girl so once the girl leaves the coalition the hope is that the three boys stay together a form a strong coalition.

 

Haha… if we (including Patrick) could have written the next part of the story, that would have been exactly how it went.  Thanks for the update.

[pault]

The 'evening lions' were of course the Enkoyanai pride (to be pronounced a little nasally, as Patrick kept on demonstrating for me if I was reckless enough to mention them by name). They were frankly a bit over-visited while we were there but, with the Moniko pride preferring to be active at night and the Hammerkop pride not being too visible, that was understandable. Plus, they had two young cubs. Patrick's general solution to this was to save them for last thing, when they were more likely to be active, and make the vehicle number rules irrelevant by staying away from the main group of vehicles and hoping (more than hope I think, maybe expecting would be a better word) some of the lions would come to us. They invariably did, and the whole situation was helped by it being a large pride that generally stayed together but split into smaller groups in the same general area.

 

I'd say this is not bending the rules and was impressed by how well behaved everyone was while never feeling that our time with the lions was compromised or that we were under pressure to move off and let somebody else in - although of course we did that on some occasions and others did for us. 

 

One day this did not apply (at least initially) was when we found a small group of the pride with the two cubs lying out in the open. Most of the rest of the pride were (unknown to us, or at least to me, at that time) about 400 meters away, hidden by trees and bushes, with other vehicles in attendance. It was almost as if Patrick had told all the Olare Motorogi guides that we wanted an hour alone with the cubs please - although that is certainly not what happened. 

 

 

Even better, about 10 minutes after we arrived the cubs got up and the other lions followed suit. Maybe it was getting a little chilly out in the open.

 

 

The adult lions wandered off, with the mother calling the cubs, who slowly followed.

 

 

However, they were more into playing than following and ended up well adrift from the adults when they disappeared from our view. They even caught Patrick off-guard with this and, as a result, we were initally a little further from the play than ideal, something soon corrected.

 

 

 

 

By the time the cubs noticed their mother was out of sight, she had been gone for a few minutes and they didn't seem wholly sure what to do. Play stopped then.

 

If looking intently enough could give a lion cub x-ray vision, they would have seen her through the bushes.

 

 

There were hyenas around and I was a bit worried, not realizing that the pride was as close as it was. I really didn't want our time alone with the cubs to end with their death in the jaws of hyenas! Patrick thought this was highly unlikely, although he didn't completely rule it out - maybe this kind of imagination was exciting for me.. as long as I wasn't suggesting we pick up the cubs and transport them to the mother (the thought never crossed anybody's mind). 

 

Lost lion cub

 

 

Anyway, they lay down together to wait it out and I guess that mother called them because they stood up together and scurried off, with us following (we had moved behind them so that we wouldn't accidentally obscure their view if mother came for them).

 

After a short drive we arrived where all the youngsters were located and this evening, at that time, there was space for us to watch the cubs reuniting with the pride. Very sweet.

 

 

 

Or generally very sweet, I should say

 

 

You have a rest, mothers. You can trust me with the cubs... one thousand percent.

 

 

When they started suckling, I thought things were going to wind down. That seemed to be a general opinion as a couple of vehicles left when they finished. If so, it wasn't a correct opinion. 

 

 

The milk was fuel and it was time to reunite with the younger lions - properly.

 

 

However, I again thought our evening was potentially over (we were at about ten past six now) when the young lions all disappeared down the bank of a lugga nearby. Thick bushes almost completely obscured it - in fact I hadn't even noticed it was there. Of course they would come out, but it would be more or less dark by then. "Is it over?" I asked Patrick. "Maybe" he replied. "We probably won't be able to see them". "But let's have a look". So we carefully bumped our way across the very uneven ground to the little gap through which the young lions had run down into the lugga and we were lucky. They had simply gone down the bank but hadn't gone anywhere. They were playing right there, which was the only place we could have seen them. With a little bit of maneuvering we even managed to get a fairly clear view.

 

They had recovered a branch from the water and this seemed to be the best toy ever, as multiple lions could bite and pull at it at the same time. Somehow, this tug of war didn't result in a cub falling the lugga, but there were close shaves to keep us on tenterhooks. 

 

 

There was also a more traditional game of 'king of the castle' going on and the youngest seemed to prefer that - perhaps sensing that tug of war next to the water was a dangerous game.

 

Cub still with the prize of a leaf from the play branch in its mouth 

 

 

Two kings is possible

 

 

It was getting dark now but the light outside the lugga was gorgeous - all red. The first evening we got this kind of light and the adult lions/ teens were all sleeping now. No light at all in the lugga. "Patrick do something - a buffalo, a zebra... anything." He looked at me like "A zebra? Really?" but he was already driving, as fast as he could.

 

The day before we had visited two mating lions and, as we drove, Patrick was telling me that spot was not far away and maybe they would still be there. 

 

Just before the sun sank below the horizon we arrived at that spot and they were still there- and not asleep. Snap, snap, snap (two shots - or in today's high speed shutter world, two sets of nearly identical shots) and the sun was down. Five minutes earlier would have been better but phew! Then time for another 'after the event' sundowner. 

 

 

to be continued

Edited July 31, 2023 by pault

[pault]

After 'losing' the three cheetahs and unsuccessfully looking for a leopard for 90 minutes (it had sounded like a hot tip, but felt colder and colder as Patrick looked and then asked around - eventually even tracking down the security guard who had claimed to have seen it), it was clear the safari gods were balancing the books after such a successful morning. As it was nearly six already, Patrick asked if we wanted to swing by where the Enkoyanai pride had taken down a wildebeest while we were leopard hunting. He warned us there were quite a few vehicles there though. Given the circumstances, it was an easy decision to make, even though we would be with the hyenas and jackals, waiting for scraps from the feast. The light was again really nice but with the position of the clouds it clearly wasn't going to last very long.

 

As expected there were already five vehicles around the kill and so we had to park up a little distance from the action. But, arriving so late, a smaller member of the pride had already eaten his fill and gone to drink from the nearby river. 

 

 

Otherwise the lions were in the shade and had dragged the wildebeest into long grass, where they were not available for viewing due to the number of vehicles. But we had an angle to view from when lions came away from the kill and we could certainly enjoy the sound. 

 

 

 

When a vehicle left, Patrick asked another Kicheche vehicle if we could have 20 seconds at the kill before they took their place. Since it was us, the unofficial camp entertainment officers on this trip, the guests had no issue with that.

 

Young male trying to reserve rather more of the carcass for himself than appropriate.

 

 

Retreating from the kill site, Patrick found us a nice spot where we could watch one of the cubs playing with tails.

 

 

 

It would have been another lovely way to end the day, but the day wasn't done as Patrick noticed the clouds had partially cleared where the sun was setting. So, time to go zipping off to find a suitable spot and suitable subject in the few minutes we had before the sun went down. 

 

We (not really 'we' but I did have right of refusal) found the perfect spot, and arguably the perfect subject, but had the unusual problem of having too many subjects! Like London buses - where were they all when we had to make do with the vulture's nest?

 

 

 

One morning we came across a very disturbing scene (it's all right, you don't need to look away)

 

There was a tiny cub half way up Kicheche Hill completely alone except for a significant number of mobbing plovers, with three guides and a number of guests willing those damn plovers to just shut up and not attract something worse than Kicheche and Gamewatchers vehicles.

 

 

The mother had 3-4 of these tiny cubs and had been seen transporting one up to the top of the hill, but had so far not returned for this one, the last. So we waited, all no doubt seeking reassurance from our respective guides, who I hope were less honest than Patrick, who answered "I think she will come back but I have seen it happen that a cub is left behind when they are being moved. It's odd she hasn't come back yet." 

 

The cub made a move up the hill (nobody followed very far - we were all keeping a very significant distance away) and sheltered in some bushes. As you can see it wasn't the best weather and there was a strong, breeze and a hint of rain in the air. While this offered some respite from the mobbing plovers it also made the cub less visible for its mother.

 

 

Who shortly afterwards appeared on top of a rock near the summit of the hill, calling. But the wind may have been blowing the sound away and after a couple of minutes she descended back behind the rock. We thought she would reappear and come looking further down the hill, but she didn't.

 

 

Still, at least she knew she was missing one and everybody felt a little bit better. Since there was now nothing to see and any attempt to investigate further at this point would hinder rather than help, everybody decided to call it a morning and leave this to develop as it would. 

 

So if this was the morning, why are these afternoon lions?

 

Well, 30 hours later we were on our way (very slowly as that was the only way) up the hill to see if we could see and older cub that was with them, and maybe even the mother. If we were very lucky Patrick thought the older cub might entice the little ones out of their hiding place and on to the rock we had seen the mother on.

 

We first stopped in front of the rock, where we had an agama for company.

 

 

 

But we weren't stopped for the agama. The older cub was curious and came out to have a look at us.

 

 

We then moved around the rock, watched all the way by the curious cub and stopped around the back, where we had a partially obscured view through to the rock, and a very obscured view of the bushes in which Patrick was now certain the young cubs were with their mother. We were a little way off (cub pics are at 600mm and cropped a little too) and so not in their faces, although you wouldn't want more than one vehicle up here as space was quite tight (for vehicles, not for the lions). We waited.

 

The older cub was trying to sleep on the rock but was fidgety.

 

 

And after about 20 minutes, as predicted, one of the little ones was enticed out for a little play. We could barely see it, but the main thing was that we could see it. 

 

The only time it was relatively clear of the leaves, the older cub obscured our view. 

 

,

Otherwise we spent the time watching it through a leafy veil. It looks like if only I move to the left I can get a clear shot, but at 600mm the movement required would have been significant - and this is the closest it got to moving far enough left. Anyway, I was happy to see them playing through the veil, even if I couldn't get a nice photo. 

 

A few weeks old?

 

 

To Patrick's surprise, when the cub returned to the bushes we said we wanted to go for a sundowner as it was our last evening and I wanted light for a nice photo. He pointed out they might come out onto the rock as the sun was setting, but I'd promised my wife we'd do this and we were out of days for it so that was that.

 

On the way to set up for the sunset, and the way back to camp, we were surrounded by hundreds of buffalos that had moved en masse into the area around Bush Camp over the past 24 hours. A huge herd. That was nice, as was the appearance of hundreds of zebras around camp to see us off. Oddly, this is the third time this has happened to us - that just before we leave the previously quiet area around camp starts to heave with herbivores. 

 

 

[BonitaApplebum]

On 7/29/2023 at 9:18 AM, Tdgraves said:

I recognise that pizza oven!!

 

Me too! I loved it so much I had two pizzas at lunch. I was stuffed. 

 

Great trip report, it's been wonderful revisiting Kicheche Bush as I was there last October. I was privileged to have Benja as my guide and spend time in many of the same spots as you. Wonderful photography, well done!

[pault]

 

4 hours ago, BonitaApplebum said:

 

Me too! I loved it so much I had two pizzas at lunch. I was stuffed. 

 

Great trip report, it's been wonderful revisiting Kicheche Bush as I was there last October. I was privileged to have Benja as my guide and spend time in many of the same spots as you. Wonderful photography, well done!

 

Eating two is actually quite an achievement! 

 

Benja is lovely. My wife’s favourite guide, still (don’t tell Patrick).

[pault]

Since the topic of this post is black and white .... a slightly bloody black-shouldered kite 

 

 

There isn't really too much to say about the black and white topic here -zebras. You are all very familiar with them and I already mentioned that they were around in very large numbers and that this was because it was migration season. Of course, zebras travel with the wildebeest up from Tanzania but the ones in Mara North and then Olare Motorogi were most likely from the Loita Plains and Loita Hills, to the east. However, to me it is getting more and more complex as to who actually 'belongs' where and thus who can be said to be 'migrating to and from the Loita Hills' as opposed to just 'moving around the Mara and conservancies looking for good grass', especially since the fencing and agriculture out east have affected movement in the past, seemingly again and again. Anyway, you will get high concentrations of wildebeest and/or zebra who probably don't leave Kenya in the conservancies at times in the first half of the year - which times depends to some extent on where you are and who you ask. The wildebeest were lower in number this year than I have seen in the past, but it was a wetter June than I have seen in the past so perhaps that was a factor, although there are certainly fewer wildebeest migrating around the area than used to be the case some indefinite number of years ago. For Patrick and Sammy this number of zebras is normal now, but it wasn't the case during our two previous June visits - not to this extent.

 

So certainly I don't know and calling them migrating zebras and surmising they were on the Loita Plains until very recently and somehow 'belong' to the Loita area seems a simplification, but perhaps a necessary simplification unless you have a nice bottle of wine and a couple of hours to spare around the camp fire (and it might not really make you any the wiser unless you were the one with the wisdom).

 

Anyway, there were these large herds of zebra around exhibiting migratory behaviors such as moving in long lines that might take 30 minutes or more to pass by should you have the patience to sit and wait. Also, you'd fine one area heaving with zebras and another void of them. There were almost no zebra around Bush Camp for the first 5 nights of our stay and then, for the final 24 hours, they were everywhere. You had to check your shoes for zebras in the morning before you put them on. This is not normal, and neither were the number of topis and the large groups in which they were gathering. Very nice. I have tried to include some zebras along the way in this report but I think I need to add this small zebra- focused post to emphasise what a big part they played in our day-to-day experience.

 

The dams in Olare Motorgi were hardly Etosha-like but they attracted a stream of small groups of zebras from late morning to mid-afternoon. I am sure this will be quite spectacular when it gets drier, if the zebras are still there. 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately there weren't that many foals and there wasn't much fighting and grumbling going on. Some exceptions out on the plains to the north:

 

 

This little one didn't like having her bottom sniffed - that's the zebra spirit we didn't see enough of!

 

Zebra post completed.

 

Thank you.

[pault]

Time for the final post of this trip report.

 

It was really fun being back at Bush Camp. Despite a small rebranding as Olare Bush Camp it was mostly business as usual. Losing the long-time managers, Darren and Emma, changed things but I think other Kicheche camps had already moved on to some extent from a reliance on expat managers. It's really the guides (most of your day), staff (meals, service and general atmosphere around camp) and Olare Orok/ Motorogi that made the place special. All that is intact (Nelson leaving to go freelance was a loss, but I have to say replacing him with Benja AND Josephat more than makes up for it) with all of the key staff still there and still fulfilling their roles with enthusiasm. Darren and Emma, the long-time managers, have moved on and been replaced by Dido and Sharon, who are not a couple, but we can't fairly report on how their management affects things because they were both taking leave some or all days that we were there and spending time briefing Mike, who would be standing in over the few weeks, that one or other of them was away. Anyway, things were a little bit quieter in general when we arrived but we really didn't think that should continue - and to their credit Dido, Mike and Sharon were happy to leave us to it once we got warmed up. Those who have met us will not be surprised that my wife led this, but they may be surprised by how consistently sociable and positive I was. Of course, other guests contributed substantially and, with only a couple of exceptions over nearly a week, everybody found someone to really get on with. 

 

Our last night was a riot and it is just as well we didn't have to worry about the neighbours. It was super silly and you may have run from it as soon as you had finished dessert, but nobody there that night ran until nearly 10 p.m. A couple of pictures featuring people I am confident won't mind, although I have to say the light (dark) was not at all flattering so I am posting at a slightly smaller size.

 

 

Mike has camp management experience but this was the first time that Kicheche had called on him and at times I am sure he was thinking "What have I got myself into here?" He did draw the line at being photographed with me on his knee.

 

 

 

It didn't deteriorate into a 'what happens in Olare Motorogi stays in Olare Motorogi' scenario, although of course I couldn't tell you if it did. 

 

We left camp at 6 a.m. as usual on the last day - actually just a little later as we had to say our goodbyes to everyone. We had four things that hadn't panned out for us and we still hoped we might get one from the last few hours before our flight left at 11. These were:

- The disappearing leopards - but they were in the wrong direction so there was zero chance of that

- A cheetah hunt - we had seen plenty of hungry cheetahs but not even close to a hunt

- Bat-eared foxes: despite trying a few times at likely spots early in the morning we had had zero success, and nobody had seen one while we were there

- The Hammerkop pride, who we had searched for unsuccessfully twice

 

To be honest, we didn't really expect any of them as we were done for this trip. We'd seen plenty, although nothing new in Olare Motorogi, and we had the Moniko pride's morning walk to look forward to so that would do as a farewell.

 

Except we didn't see the Moniko pride that morning because Patrick had decided we were going to focus on bat-eyed foxes - the 'swing by and hope' approach hadn't worked. No luck though - we tried all the spots they had been seen before but they were safely underground and all we had to show by 7.15 (other than the buffalos and zebras around camp) was a crested francolin, a jackal, a yellow-throated sandgrouse and a distant eland on the horizon. 

 

 

Artistic interpretation - the sky was not quite this colour!

 

 

So we headed north for a location where somebody had recently seen a pair of bat-eared foxes, stopping off to spend a short time with some particularly calm eland and unexcited zebras (photos already posted). Very low key last morning, albeit with no rain. 

 

Just before 8, Patrick said something like. "You see the small tree without leaves there - just like a branch sticking up. Look between the fork." I looked and saw grass, a francolin, more grass. Maybe a jackal-shaped rock. Patrick gave me lots of time as they might disappear into their burrow as soon as we moved closer, but in the end had to give up and take the risk. As soon as we moved I saw them - rather closer than I had been looking for the most part. Anyway, at first they did not disappear. Two bat-eared foxes sitting outside their den.

 

 

When we moved a little closer still (just a little) one did go down into the den, but the other stayed, watching us watching it.

 

 

Not the most exciting bat-eared fox sighting but we were very happy.

 

After that success I couldn't waste the last of the decent (although harshening now) light so we did some buffalo portraits (no shortage of models!)

 

Big hat - the 'matador' look

 

 

Tiny horns

 

 

After that, with 45 minutes before we had to start heading for the airstrip we went for a last search for the missing Hammerkop pride. And this time we found some of them them almost as soon as we arrived in the area we had been searching. Three or four were sleeping deep in the bushes, but this cub was awake and came out to see what we might be.

 

 

We hung around a little while just in case (and with no particular place to go) but the sleeping continued and so we started heading in the direction of the airstrip, stopping for a red-necked spurfowl excavating some dung. It was very windy up on the plateau. 

 

 

We stopped for breakfast near to the airstrip, disturbed slightly by a buffalo who soon left us be. But just as we were finishing up Patrick got a call to say the flight would be delayed at least 90 minutes. We weren't awfully happy about that as we had now mentally 'finished' and, other than what we had already found, there was little out here today - the action was clearly elsewhere and we had not seen another vehicle all morning. We also had a reasonably tight schedule - although not too tight to handle a 1-2 hour delay.  What to do? Patrick called one of the other guides and then we knew. A cheetah had just appeared on the other side of the escarpment that I think of as dividing the 'northern' and 'southern' parts of the conservancy (although that's misleading as it doesn't run quite east to west) and was looking to hunt some impala.

 

By the time we got there the hunting vibe had unfortunately cooled a little but was still strong enough that five vehicles were lined up closer to the impala than the cheetah in case it happened. It was very much a possibility as the grass was quite long enough for stalking here - all it needed was the impala to move in the right direction for a little while. 

 

Given that we would have to leave relatively soon, we stayed with the cheetah rather than move into a position to anticipate the hunt. Plains life was going on around her in a way that just wouldn't happen with lions.

 

 

 

She was definitely interested, and hungry, and got up to move closer.

 

 

 

However, the impala were not moving closer and if she wanted to hunt them she would have to manage to get a lot closer without being spotted. Patrick thought it more likely she would wait where she was and patiently await the impala or for some other prey to come along. The situation still had a strong "she's going to hunt" feeling but, since we were only torturing ourselves by waiting when our flight departure was only an hour off, after about 40 minutes we reluctantly called time and headed to the airstrip.

 

The flight was annoyingly then further delayed but Patrick was in touch with Benja and reassured us that nothing had happened with the cheetah.

 

Airstrip from the waiting room - the reason the tree is still the waiting room of choice is the inexplicable distance from the airstrip.

 

 

Eventually the plane arrived and it was all over. We stopped off at Utamaduni for some quick souvenir shopping as usual and then headed to the airport, which is amazingly still under construction - although I believe the new terminal (where Kenya Airways fly from) is complete. 

 

Map of Olare Motorogi so you can see where I have unintentionally misled you through bad or imagined memory (inexplicably moving the Olare Orok River the most egregious instance I think). The hammerkop pride were north of the escarpment rather than being near Hammerkopf Crossing from which I assume they got their name, but they are a breakaway from the Enkoyanai Pride so I guess it is natural they would tend to move north, away from that pride, over time (any further east and they would be in Moniko territory). 

 

 

It really felt almost like starting again with Africa on this trip but without the thrill of the first time. It took a little time to get warmed up and back into the groove but on the positive side we approached everything more humbly and with lower expectations in the past - just glad we could do this again. On second thoughts the unreasonable expectations may have contributed to some of the amazing luck we had on past trips, so I shouldn't classify that wholly as positive! 

 

I'm not wholly in love with the trend towards more consistent rules, consistent consumer experience, higher quality menus and better wine lists in Kenya. None of those are bad things but I'm not really buzzing to get back because of any of them. The improvement in the standard of guiding (gradual I am sure but notable after such a long absence) is all good, although I never minded a "curry bastard" or two or the misidentification of a bird if the enthusiasm and understanding of the bush was there. I guess you can more confidently than ever recommend Kenya to a first-timer who is a bit fussy or a bit clueless though (arguably Cheli and Peacock had that well-sorted decades ago but even Kicheche has a more 'consistent product offering' now - I hasten to add nobody at Kicheche used such language, not even their marketing director, Dominique, sho was visiting while we were there).  

 

Thanks for reading along and for all the encouraging likes and don't feel like if you are late to the party that I won't appreciate it just as much - I did this report in record time for me. I am sorry I was unable to bring much drama - other than what needs to stay in Olare Motorogi. Definitely, surely, 100% next time needs to be more adventurous and new. 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by pault

[Tom Kellie]

~ @pault:

 

Thanks for preparing and posting this trip report.

 

Betimes entertaining, enlightening, and humorous, it's been great fun reading it.

 

The photographs bring Kenya vividly alive.

 

May your next safari be full of welcome surprises!

 

      Tom K.

[Zim Girl]

Such a shame this is over.   I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.  Your pictures are stunning and I really like your writing style.

[janzin]

Wonderful report, enjoyed the witty writing and the wonderful photos! The Bat-eared Fox at the end was a treat (we briefly saw two running away from us in Mara North, the only time I've seen them in the Mara.)

 

Interesting that Kicheche Bush has yet another new manager; when we visited last June the managers were Daniella and Dido, we really liked Daniella who was super sweet and always helpful, I wonder what happened to her.

 

 

[TonyQ]

Thank you for a great report.

A very enjoyable read, and beautiful photos.

Good to see Kicheche Bush is still doing well.

I am pleased you found the BatEared Foxes at the end. They really are lovely animals

[Alex The Lion]

Thanks for the report, I've just had the chance to catch up with it.

 

Sadly the same rules are in place over Southern Africa too, which I can understand why they are implemented.

 

From a photographic perspective, on the latest trip, when we found a predator in the morning, we sat with them all day long. It was surprising how many times they moved and killed when supposedly resting. I found sitting it out far more rewarding than bouncing around between sightings as with a normal game drive.

[Towlersonsafari]

very enjoyable report indeed @pault

[Alexander33]

Well, as is so often the case, I’m very late to the party. But I so thoroughly enjoyed your report, you’ll just have to forgive my interruption at such a late date. 
 

The serval shaking off the rain — that’s not a shot you get everyday. 
 

Your thoughts on Kicheche and the Elewana camps resonate with me. I like the Elewana camps, as we’ve always had great guides and experiences with them, but things generally are just a tad more formal than I prefer, while Kicheche tends to hit the right note with me. 
 

This report certainly has brought back a lot of fond memories. We were last at Kicheche Bush in January 2022, just a few weeks before Darren and Emma departed. And Nelson was our guide on that trip, and we really enjoyed him — great sense of humor. (Patrick had guided us there on our 2 previous visits, but was unavailable. He is, as you say, excellent at envisioning photographic opportunities.)

 

Funny afterward: It’s November 2022.  I’m in a vehicle with another guest and guide at Lake Nakuru. We stop alongside an approaching vehicle driven by a guide in traditional Maasai dress (not what you usually see at Lake Nakuru), and after a few moments, he points to me and says, “I know you.”  And it’s Nelson!  Of all the people to run into, and of all places! As you said, he indeed is freelancing now. Hope he’s doing well. 
 

I’m glad to hear Bush Camp is percolating along.  I was kind of worried about how things would work out after Darren and Emma left.  Sounds like it’ll be just fine. Change is inevitable. 
 

Thanks for taking the time to post your report.  Maybe someday I’ll do a single conglomerate report of our visits to the Conservancies — still a favorite — but by then I may have to post them in the “Historical Reports” section!