Elephant and Egret
This is a Cattle Egret Someone needs to tell it that. Because this is an Elephant.
A Lion’s yawn shows its lingual frenulum
This male Lion is having a bit of a yawn. I adore the wrinkles on its nose and its wavy, wiry whiskers. …
Black-Shouldered Kite
There’s a Black-Shouldered Kite, Elanus caeruleus, at the top of the bush. It’s very far away, but we are gradually getting closer. …
What Johnson said is true. “They are small and the grass is long and the Masai Mara is big”
There are two books which started my interest in the natural world. The first was A Treasury of Natural History by Bertha …
The Rhino’s Guard – the Red-Billed Oxpecker
The Red-Billed Oxpecker’s scientific name is Buphagus erythrorynchus. Bu means Ox, phagus means eat, erythro means red and rhynchus means nose. They …
Naked armpits
I’ve seen Sacred Ibis before. They’re beautiful and fascinating. This one has something I’ve never seen before, though. As it flies in …
Twin interests
This Lioness has clearly caught something cute, furry and with floppy ears. It’s already had a good chew at it. The male …
A White-Headed Saw-Wing
There’s an all-black Swallow-type bird next to our route, as we drive along the dusty compressed-earth tracks of the Masai Mara. This …
The double-jointed ankles of the African Harrier Hawk
It’s the tiny head which first strikes me; and then the bare face with the orange skin. It’s an African Harrier-Hawk and …
Zebras at sunset and a vision of heaven
My guide, Johnson, here at Governors’ Camp in the Masai Mara, has been brilliant. He’s responded to my every wish, respected that …
The Village Weaver
As we head back to camp, I can see birds bathing in the pools of water left by the ruts of the …
Go on, bat those eyelashes at me
I love how playful and how brown and fluffy the young Zebras are here in the Masai Mara. They’re still careful not …
Lion’s mane
Isn’t this big male Lion’s mane fabulous? Lionesses prefer male Lions which have a dark bushy main. It’s a sign of fitness, …
Cheetahs in the Masai Mara
Gladys is driving us towards a pair of Cheetahs. “Oh yes! There”. We’re an excited group of four. A pair have been …
Black-Backed Jackals
Those cunning tricksters, the Black-Backed Jackals are back. Their ears are so pointy, and so are their noses. What a beautiful look …
Pied Kingfisher
This is my first view of a Pied Kingfisher. They are massive compared with the Common Kingfishers we see in the UK. …
Topi
There’s a fast antelope called a Topi here. They often like to stand on hillocks, looking like sentinels. The only previous photographs …
African Wattled Plover
No sweat. That’s the problem with being a bird. Humans have sweat gland which act to produce water which cools the body …
Plunge pools, Superb Starlings and sundowners
Here at Mara Ngenche Safari Camp the luxury is embarrassing. A beautiful two-room tent with outside shower and private plunge pool, fabulous …
Close to Lionesses
I’ve already had the experience of a male Lion getting uncomfortably close to me on this safari. This time it’s a Lioness …
Common Ostrich
In the distance, through the heat-haze, from a moving vehicle, wearing dirty glasses, the first thing I think is that those large …
A day of Giraffes, Drongos, Sacred Ibis, Coucals and Snake-Eagles
Masai Giraffes are tall. There are four species of Giraffe and this one is native to the Masai Mara. I love the …
Spotted Hyenas
It’s my first view of Spotted Hyenas. What strange animals. They have such short back legs and long front legs. I’m sure …
A Lion so close I could pet it
There’s a Lion in the Masai Mara and we’re on safari to see it. Four of us are in an open-sided vehicle …
Hooded Vultures assemble
There’s a corpse in the long grass. We think it’s the remains of a Buffalo. That means Hooded Vultures, Necrosyrtes monachus, are …
My first views of wild African Elephants
There is a small family group of Elephants in the distance. Seeing them in the landscape is something new for me. I’ve …
Black-Backed Jackals
We’re out on a safari drive in the Masai Mara in Kenya. Our guide and driver, Gladys, is an expert at spotting …
Even-toes
Animals with hooves are either odd-toed or even-toed. The odd-toed ones are horses, rhinos and tapirs. The even-toed ones are cattle, antelope, pigs, giraffes, camels, sheep, deer, and hippos. …
A tiny Dik-Dik on my lawn
Here at Mara Ngenche Safari Camp, in the Masai Mara in Kenya, the luxury is slightly overwhelming. When I booked on a …
A gorgeous Three-Banded Plover and a Lilac-Breasted Roller
We’re in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. I think it’s an indestructible Toyota Land Cruiser. Gladys is our local Kenyan guide for four of …