A long standing family friend and photo buddy, Ann and I stayed at the Elewana Tortilis camp for the last two nights of our Amboseli trip organised by Wild Eye. This camp is located on the south western side of Amboseli National Park near the Kitirua gate in a private conservancy. The Tortilis Camp faces south west looking out to Mount Kilimanjaro. It overlooks its own private wildlife conservancy, Kitirua, which extends over an area of 30 000 acres.

“I believe in adventure, self-discovery, the open road and the adventure.” ~Marc Adamus

One of the special features of this camp is that it is away from the busy eastern side of the park. The camp is named after the distinctive flat-topped Acacia Tortilis tree and is situated in a forest within its private conservancy.

The Elewana Tortilis camp provides easy access to Lake Amboseli which, at the time we were there, was dry. Lake Amboseli is popular for photography because it offers panoramas of vast open plains, scenic sunsets, and views across to Mount Kilimanjaro. In the morning heat you can see mirages across the dry lake bed. In the middle of the day the heat haze creates shimmering images of mammals such as giraffe and zebra crossing the lake bed. You may even see a Masai herdsman driving his cattle across the lake bed to access valuable grazing areas in the north western section of the park.

Late in the afternoon, especially when the cumulus clouds buildup, the sunsets can light up the sky making it very colourful, moody and dramatic. There are times when the wind blows stirring up dust and creating some other-worldly scenes.

“Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth and you will always know the key to photography.” ~ George Eastman

In the Kitirua conservancy there are a few shallow pans that slowly evaporate rather than seep away due to their deep clay base. The water attracts wildlife and a wonderful variety of birds.

The dry lake bed can offer exceptional panoramas with wildlife, especially elephant herds traversing its vast flat open bed. The dry lake bed connects the grazing plains on the north western side of the lake to the life-giving, spring-fed swamps in the south eastern side.

“The sky is an infinite movie to me. I never get tired of looking at what’s happening up there.” ~ K. D. Lang

Currently, there are approximately 1 400 to over 2 000 elephants in the broader Amboseli National Park ecosystem. While some estimates place the core park population around 1 400 to 1 600, the total cross-border population using the area reaches up to 2 000.

Lions are often found in the long grass at the swamp side of the dry Amboseli lake. The long grass provides the lions effective cover when hunting wildlife crossing the lake. This young male appeared to have been left behind by his pride.

A lone young male lion is vulnerable in this area as there are a few packs of hyaena.

The Amboseli basin was formed during the Pleistocene epoch when the area was covered by a lake. During repeated, massive glaciations and global temperature fluctuations associated with this epoch, vast deep deposits (up to 70 metres) of lacustrine silts and clays were laid down, reducing the relief of the topography and constricting drainage. (Source: UNESCO).

“There’s a beauty in the wide open spaces that allows room for dreams to grow.” ~ Kirby Larson

Lake Amboseli is a seasonal, predominantly dry, and highly alkaline lake basin. It transforms from a dusty pan into a shallow, water-filled lake during the rainy season. Its water attracts massive herds of elephants, pods of hippos, and a large variety of waterbirds. This lake is 21 kilometres long and its width varies from five to ten kilometres. The length of the lake lies on a south-west to north-east axis. It extends over the western side of the park and beyond the park boundary in the western section north west of the Kitirua gate. Although this lake seasonally fills during the long rains, it never gets deeper than 600mm.

In Amboseli National Park, the long rains occur from March to May. The short rains typically take place from November to December. The long rains are wettest in April and this is the period when Lake Amboseli is likely to fill up.

Mid-morning we saw a Masai herdman driving his cattle across the dry lake bed towards the grassland north of the lake. The heat haze created mirages and shimmering long distance images.

” To me, photography must suggest, not insist or explain.” ~ Brassai

It is worth stopping in the middle of the dry lake bed because of the special kind of silence you will experience only interrupted occasionally by dust devils. It is worth getting out of the game vehicle to lie on your stomach to get low perspective images of mammals especially a herd of elephants crossing dry cracked clay lake bed.

” I believe the world is incomprehensively beautiful – an endless prospect of magic and wonder.” ~ Ansel Adams

Amboseli ecosystem offers a delicate balance of ecological corridors and dispersal areas, connecting the Amboseli National Park with adjacent group ranches and neighboring conservation areas like Chyulu Hills, Tsavo West and Kilimanjaro West in Tanzania.

The exceptional intersection and coexistence of ecology and the indigenous socio-culture of pastoralism is what has made the ecosystem recognised as a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve in 1991. Amboseli landscape is internationally renowned for being one of Kenya’s ‘conservation jewels’, because it is one of the few places where humans, livestock, and wildlife have co-existed for centuries.

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

Amboseli National Park and the Amboseli ecosystem is known for its elephants. In my previous post I showed a series of images of Craig one of the best known “Super Tuskers” who spent much of his time in Amboseli and its surrounds. This post is about herds of elephants and the scenes they create. The Amboseli ecosystem spans from Africa’s highest peak Mount Kilimanjaro to the rugged wilderness of Chyulu Hills and the fauna-rich Tsavo West National Park, all the way back to the Kenya-Tanzania savanna borderland.

“For the 99 percent of the time we’ve been on Earth, we were hunter and gatherers, our lives dependent on knowing the fine, small details of our world.  Deep inside, we still have a longing to be reconnected with the nature that shaped our imagination, our language, our song and dance, our sense of the divine. ”  ~ Janine M. Benyus

The ecosystem’s backdrop to the south west is the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak at 19,600 feet, adorning three scenic peaks: Shira, Kibo and Mawenzi.

The swamps of Amboseli National Park are a lush oasis fed by underground springs from the melting icecaps of Mount Kilimanjaro. Permanent wetlands sustain the park’s iconic megafauna, most notably the hundreds of elephants that feed, drink and bathe in the marshes daily.

There are three main swamps in the park. The Enkongo Narok Swamp is located in the western section of the park and features the central Lake Kioko which is a prime spot for viewing wallowing hippos.
The second is Longinye Swamp which is situated towards the east. This is a major wildlife magnet and a productive place to photograph elephants against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro. 
The third is the Ol Tukai & Olokenya swamp. It is smaller but is an incredibly species-rich marsh teeming with hundreds of bird species.

The swamps act as a lifeline for the famous “super tuskers” and large breeding herds, which migrate from the dry savannah grasslands into the marshes to drink and feed.

The park has wide open savannah grasslands, acacia woodlands and wetlands which include swamps, marshes and lakes.

“Elephants are, like humans, autonomous beings. They have a past and a future. They have minds of their own. They make choices.” ~ Dr Joyce Poole

The ecosystem is typically hot and dry with a habitat mix of wooded grassland and shrubland with spots of riverine and natural forest cover. It is often referred to as the “Land of Giants” for its large herds of elephants. The ecosystem has an estimated elephant population of about 1 800 and is also home to large carnivores such as lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, jackal and civet. It has a rich herbivore population of giraffes, gerenuks and lesser kudus and supports zebras, gazelles and wildebeests that migrate to the landscape in search of water and pasture during the dry season.

The exceptional intersection and coexistence of ecology and the indigenous socio-culture of pastoralism is what has made the ecosystem recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The ecosystem is a delicate balance of ecological corridors and dispersal areas, connecting the Amboseli National Park with adjacent group ranches and neighbouring conservation areas like Chyulu Hills, Tsavo West in the south east and Kilimanjaro in the south west in Tanzania.

Like an oasis in the dry savannah, with emerald-green swamps beneath towering Kilimanjaro, this is the best place in Africa to see elephants in all their combinations.

“Nature is a reward in itself. It is there to be appreciated, to be understood, to be lived and loved. And in its way it gives us everything-the bounty and goodness of the earth, the sea, the sky. Food, water, the air we breathe. All the things that we take for granted.” ~ Ruskin Bond

It is a relatively common sight to see two young elephant bulls sparing with each other. Nothing serious just pushing each other around trying to establish who is stronger.

There is ineffable magic about spending time in the company of elephants. Nothing else in the world compares to the ethereal emotions felt in their presence – a complex awareness of ancient wisdom and profound intelligence. Of all creatures, elephants perhaps best epitomise a wild sense of the divine. Nevermore is this the case than in Amboseli National Park, where these imposing animals stand against the backdrop of ice-capped Mount Kilimanjaro – one of the most iconic images of Africa. (Source: Africa Geographic)

Elephants crossing the dry Amboseli lake bed in the late afternoon when the wind is blowing can create wonderfully moody images.

“The wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask.”~ Nancy Newhall

The elephant herds feed in the grasslands north of the park and walk back across the dry lake bed to find water in the swamps.

“Nature is painting for us, day after day, a picture of infinite beauty.” ~ John Ruskin

In the middle of the day, it can be hot on the dry lake bed and the heat creates mirages and a heat haze. Early in the morning or late in the afternoon is much cooler. In the afternoon there is the possibility of cumulus cloud formations and the sun setting to add drama and vibrancy to the images.

“To me, the rumbles in elephants are like speech in humans—that’s where a lot of the really interesting stuff is going on. Elephants call each other by name. They grieve. They remember. They communicate across distances in frequencies we are only beginning to hear.” ~ Dr Joyce Poole

The family elephant herds stay close together as they cross the dry lake bed, especially when they approach the fringes of the lake where predators often lie in the tall grasses in wait for the unwary.

One of the advantages of being on the Elewana Tortilis concession is that we could get out of the vehicle to lie on our bellies to improve the perspective. When the setting sun paints the sky above clouds with yellows, apricots and oranges it makes the photography even more enticing.

“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountains and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach us more than we can ever learn from books.” ~ John Lubbock

Photographing in Amboseli in the afternoon especially with a wide angle lens helps to convey the openness and the big skies.

The eastern part of the park is much busier from a tourist numbers perspective. We found the western side much quieter and more productive. Without the crowds of tourists and their guides driving them madly from one sighting to the next we could sit quietly and let the animal behaviour quietly and naturally unfold.

“Nature rewards patience more than speed. In the bush, success is not rushed — it is earned through observation, discipline, and deep respect for the environment and wildlife. Every moment in the field is a lesson in timing, awareness, and restraint.” ~ Chris Nortje

It does seem that one would need to be based on the eastern side of the park to improve your chances of seeing one of the “Big Tuskers” as they seem to spend quite a bit of time feeding in the concessions just outside the eastern part of the park. Beyond the eastern concessions are corridors down Tsavo West and the Chyulu Hills. Many of Amboseli’s adult males are known to travel out of Amboseli National Park into cross-border bull areas like the Enduimet Wildlife Management Area in Tanzania, where they forage and find sustenance.

“Travel while you are fit and able. Don’t worry about the money, just make it work. Experience and the memories it creates are far more valuable than money will ever be.” ~ Unknown

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

In 1979, there were estimated to be 1.3 million elephants in Africa; ten years later, there were only about 600 000. By 2014 the Great Elephant Census estimated there were only around 352 000 elephants across Africa. In Kenya alone, the elephant population plummeted from 130 000 in 1973 to fewer than 20 000 in 1989. These original losses were largely driven by the ivory trade, but modern declines have also been compounded by growing human populations and habitat loss.

“There is mystery behind that masked gray visage, and ancient life force, delicate and mighty, awesome and enchanted, commanding the silence ordinarily reserved for mountain peaks, great fires, and the sea.” ~ Peter Matthiessen

The Amboseli elephant population is one of very few that has had a relatively undisturbed existence. This rare situation is primarily due to two factors – the presence of researchers and tourists in the park, and the support of the local Maasai people. In the absence of poaching and culling, the Amboseli elephant population has been increasing steadily since the late 1970s. Amboseli is, therefore, one of the few places in Africa where elephant age structure (spanning birth to extreme old age) has not been drastically skewed by human activities.

A view from the Kilitome Tawi conservancy which is where we found Craig, one of Amboseli’s best known “super tuskers”. This was the view looking south west towards Mount Kilimanjaro. During the dry seasons (January–February and July–August), much of the fresh snow melts reducing the iconic white cap and revealing the darker, rocky volcanic slopes.

Currently, there are estimated to be between 1 400 to over 2 000 elephants in the broader Amboseli National Park ecosystem, with the core population in the park being around 1 400 to 1 600. Amboseli National Park, located in southern Kenya, is a 392 square kilometre core area within a much larger 3 400 square kilometre ecosystem that includes Mount Kilimanjaro, Chyulu Hills, and Tsavo West.

The population is studied extensively by the Amboseli Elephant Research Project (AERP), which has tracked the animals for over 50 years. In 1972, Cynthia Moss formally established the Amboseli Elephant Research Project (AERP). Since its inception, AERP has monitored Amboseli’s elephants, identifying all the elephants in the population and collecting data on births, deaths and behaviour.

Amboseli National Park’s western border is very close to the Tanzanian border, and is generally situated roughly 10–15 kilometres north of the border line at its closest point near Lake Amboseli.

“There are 63 elephant families in the Amboseli population, of which 17 families, consisting of 365 members, regularly spend time in Tanzania. In addition, approximately 30 adult male elephants, over the age of 25 years, use the Enduimet area and beyond in Tanzania as part of their home range,” says the Joint Statement from Elephant Voices, Big Life Foundation and Amboseli Trust for Elephants. “For half a century, Enduimet has been a favourite area for a particular set of adult males who use it as part of their ‘bull area’, which they use when bulking up for their next reproductively active period.” In late 2023 and early 2024, three super tuskers were hunted and killed causing an uproar, similar to the illegal hunting of Cecil, the huge male lion in Zimbabwe.

Great tuskers are individual elephants with extremely long tusks. They are rare because in last 100 years having been targeted by poachers and hunters. There are approximately 10 to 30 Super Tuskers (elephants with tusks weighing over 100 lbs each) left in Kenya, primarily found in the Amboseli ecosystem and Tsavo Conservation Area. In the Amboseli Ecosystem there are roughly 10 known Super Tuskers, although this number fluctuates. The Tsavo Conservation Area is home to at least 10 named, protected Super Tuskers, with 32 emerging bulls monitored by Tsavo Trust and Kenya Wildlife Service. These “Super Tuskers” are highly valued, and the aged bulls are critical for breeding.

There are an estimated 84+ tuskers remaining across Africa. This count excludes Central African forest elephant populations, where tusk measurements are rarely assessed. Anecdotal evidence and video footage suggest the presence of tusker forest elephants, but to date, there has been no way to determine an estimate.

Accurately counting tuskers is fraught with difficulties. Many elephants avoid human contact or inhabit remote areas with no associated data, making it impossible to include them in population estimates. Tusk size is sexually dimorphic, with the tusks of bulls increasing on average at 11cm per year, while female tusks increase at 8.5cm per year (Spinage, 1994). Large tusks are associated with older bulls because elephant tusks grow throughout their lives (Pilgram & Western, 1986) and they grow faster towards the latter half of a bull’s life (Laws, 1966; Spinage, 1994).

We do not yet fully understand the genetic mechanisms of tusk size, which impact its heritability. There will always be individual physiological differences within any population. The ageing process (and its effects on reproductive potential) will never be the same for male elephants. Tusk growth could vary in elephant populations living in different parts of the continent, exposed to various environmental factors and, most importantly, consuming different diets. (Source: Africa Geographic).

Super tuskers are not just impressive animals; they represent rare genetics that are essential to the long-term survival of African elephants. Heavy ivory has been systematically removed from elephant populations for over a century, and so reducing the genes that produce massive tusks.
These elephants are also ecological engineers, shaping landscapes by breaking trees, opening pathways, and influencing vegetation patterns that benefit many other species. Economically, they are worth far more alive than dead, drawing photographers, tourists, and researchers from around the world.

With only about 10 super tuskers left in Amboseli every remaining individual is irreplaceable. Conservationists warn that unless cross-border protections are strengthened and trophy hunting of elephants near Kenya’s borders is halted, the last of Africa’s Super Tuskers could vanish within a single generation.

Perhaps one of the most photographed elephant ever, Craig was the undisputed icon of Amboseli. With his sweeping tusks that nearly scraped on the ground, he embodied the very idea of the Super Tusker. During his last years, Craig was often seen around Kimana Sanctuary or deeper in Amboseli National Park. Craig inspired countless conservation stories and was the face of Amboseli’s living giants.

On the 4th of January 2026, he collapsed intermittently before lying down in the early hours and not rising. His death was considered from natural causes, with signs pointing to age related tooth wear affecting his ability to process food.

“Although elephants are far more distantly related to us than the great apes, they seem to have evolved similar social and cognitive capacities.” ~ Frans de Waal

“They say an elephant never forgets. What they don’t tell you is, you never forget an elephant.” ~ Bill Murray

Craig walking across the foreground with a minimally snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro in the background. The morning light aligned perfectly with the direction of the shot.

It was a privilege to spend around two hours with Craig in early October last year.

During drier, non-breeding months, Super Tuskers usually wander alone or join loose bachelor herds. In these all-male groups, older bulls act as mentors, guiding younger males on navigation and survival. The dynamics change as the rainy season arrives and food is abundant, as their behaviour shifts during musth—a period of heightened testosterone and aggression. During musth, a bull becomes highly territorial and will actively seek out and compete for mating opportunities. Once the breeding season ends, they may return to solitary life or rejoin their bachelor brotherhoods.

“The time we spend around elephants is almost like a meditation… They embody all the things we find noble about ourselves and none of the things we hate about our species.” ~ Dereck Joubert

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

After a rough ride the previous afternoon we decided not to go into Amboseli National Park the second afternoon but rather photograph birds around the camp and later in that afternoon to drive around Elephant Garden’s conservancy.

“Wild beasts and birds are by right not the property merely of the people today, but the property of the unborn generations, whose belongings we have no right to squander.”
~ Theodore Roosevelt

Around the Elephant Garden Camp we found two pairs of Red and yellow barbets. The plumage of this species is a mix of bright red, yellow, white and black. It has a red face and white ‘comma’ behind its eye. Its throat and belly are yellow and it has a black and white collar. The top of its crown is black and its beak is a pinkish-red colour.

The Red-and-yellow barbet is a colourful ground barbet which spends a lot of its time foraging on the ground. It is omnivorous, feeding on seeds, fruit, and invertebrates. It is commonly seen in dry bush and woodland where there are plenty of small termite mounds.

Males of red-and-yellow barbet have distinctive black (spotted white), red, and yellow plumage. Females  are similar, but less brightly coloured.

The walkways between the main reception area and tents were lined with flowering shrubs which attracted a variety of sunbirds. An Eastern double-collared sunbird was foraging for nectar in the flowering bushes.

This species of sunbird had gorgeous iridescent greens and blues on its head, neck and back. The perched position of this sunbird images did not reveal the double collar on its breast.

Away from the camp in the dry acacia woodland of Elephant Garden’s Conservancy, we saw many White-headed buffalo-weavers. Apart from its white head, neck and belly, this species has a vivid orange rump which makes it instantly visible in the dry acacia areas.

A long-tailed fiscal shrike. This species follows mammals walking through the grass and bushes. The mammals disturb insects which is just what this shrike is looking for.

A Superb starling not to be confused with its darker cousin with red eyes, the Hilderbrand starling. This bird feeds primarily on the ground or in acacia trees. It seeks various types of insects, but will also take berries and fruits, and nectar from some plants when available. Both adults are similar having glossy blue-green upperparts, with a darker blue tinge on the nape. Their upper wing coverts have a glossy metallic green iridescence, with black spots on the covert tips. The tail is relatively short and glossy blue-green.

The Grey-headed silverbill is a small African finch unique for its distinct grey head covered in fine white, pearl-like spots. It has a highly sociable nature, and a very bulky, large, silvery bill. It is found in dry, grassy, and bushy areas. These birds live in small flocks (up to 30) and often sleep in old weaver nests. During rivalry, males raise the white-spotted feathers on their head to intimidate competitors. Males display with a blade of grass in their beak, then drop it and sing while wagging their tail to a receptive female.

“Watching birds has become part of my daily meditation affirming my connection to the earth body.”
~ Carol P. Christ

White-browed sparrow-weaver. This species is found all over southern and central Africa. Groups of ten to sixty inverted-U-shaped nests of dry grass appear in the outside limbs of trees, although only several are used for breeding or roosting. While breeding nests have only one entrance, roosting nests have an entrance located at each of the two nest extremities. Research has shown that, throughout a region, nests are located at the leeward side of a tree. This behaviour preserves a greater number of intact nests for breeding and roosting.

The Kurrichane thrush is primarily distinguished from other similar African thrushes by its white belly and bold black “moustache” (malar) stripes. This species is a “master of melody” known for its ability to mimic the calls of other bird species. Unlike birds that use only dry materials, Kurrichane Thrushes often line their cup-shaped nests with mud.

A female Isabelline wheatear. This species is a pale arctic migrant found in east Africa between September and April and prefers dry open countryside.

Fischer’s lovebird is a small bright green parrot with distinctive head and rump markings. The Fischer’s lovebird is commonly found along the Kenyan Tanzanian border. This species is bright green with a relatively dull orange-red face and yellow collar that extends around its neck. We found this character because of its loud call which is a series of squeaks. This species has a diet of small grains like millet, seeds, fruit, berries and leaf buds.

“Birds chirping around you is a beautiful realisation that life is incredibly good. Let this sound be a gentle break in your routine.” ~ Hiral Nagda

The White-bellied go-away bird is a large grey and white bird which sits on top of the canopy of trees and has a loud onomatopoeic call which gives it its name. The White-bellied species is found in Kenya and Tanzania while the Bare-faced go-away bird and Grey go-away bird are found mainly in Tanzania. The plumage of both sexes of the White-bellied go-away birds are similar but the male has a black beak while the female has a green beak.

A male Gerenuk. The Gerenuk, whose name means “giraffe-necked” in Somali, is an exceptionally long-necked antelope. Its head is small for its size, but its eyes and ears are large. Only the males have horns, which are stout and heavily ringed, and consequently have a more heavily muscled neck than the females. They have a coat that is brown on the upper back and lighter on the sides. The short tail looks longer as it ends in a tuft of black hair.

“Nature’s hydration hack, the Gerenuk, with its waterless survival and unique feeding habits, is a testament to nature’s ability to adapt and evolve.” ~ Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

At a quick glance from a distance, the Gerenuk looks like an unusual impala. Some of the most notable characteristics of the gerenuk are its long, slender neck and thin legs. Gerenuks have also wedge-shaped skulls and shorter noses than many antelope species, giving them a giraffe-like appearance.

Gerenuks use a specialised preorbital gland located in front of their eyes to scent-mark their territory. Males deposit a dark, sticky, tar-like substance from these glands onto twigs and branches to define boundaries and warn rivals. They also have glands on their knees and hooves which they also use as a primary method for marking their habitat.

Male Gerenuks use a specific courtship behaviour to assess if a female is receptive to mating. The male approaches the female and uses a stiff foreleg to gently tap or kick her hind leg or belly. This tapping encourages the female to urinate. The male then samples the urine in a flehmen response to detect pheromones that indicate if the female is in estrus.

Unlike other antelopes who eat by grazing, the Gerenuk often stands on its two hind legs and uses its two front legs to graze from tree branches. By standing up like this in combination with their long necks mean they can sometimes reach plants up to two metres high.

The Elephant Garden Conservancy, although small turned out to be a good choice for the second afternoon of our trip. The conservancies place a vital role in protecting the wildlife in the greater Amboseli ecosystem. There is no single “Tsavo-to-Mara” conservancy, but a network of community-led and private conservancies across Kenya’s Southern Rift Valley that form a vital wildlife corridor connecting the Tsavo and Greater Masai Mara ecosystems. These corridors act as “genetic highways,” allowing species like elephants and large carnivores to move between these major habitats to maintain healthy populations.

“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect”
~ Aldo Leopold

The connectivity between these ecosystems is maintained through several distinct corridors and conservancy clusters:

Amboseli-Tsavo Corridor: This link connects Tsavo West to Amboseli National Park. It is secured by community group ranches like Mbirikani, Kimana, and Kuku, which keep pathways open through wildlife-friendly land use.

Southern Rift Landscapes: Between Amboseli and the Mara, viable populations of lions and wild dogs live in community lands. Critical links here include the Western and North-Western corridors near Shompole, which facilitate movement toward the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem.

Greater Masai Mara Conservancies: Once wildlife reaches the Mara ecosystem, a ring of conservancies—including Mara Naboisho, Ol Kinyei, and Mara North—serves as essential buffer zones. These conservancies allow for the “mini” Loita Migration of wildebeest from the northern plains into the reserve.

The key difference between private wildlife conservancies in Kenya and national parks is ownership. As the name suggests, private conservancies are either owned by private landowners or local communities, such as the Maasai. Conservancies primarily focus on wildlife conservation for tourism. The conservancies came about when Maasai land owners with neighbouring land came together to agree that safari camp operators could use their land for tourism purposes, in return for either a percentage of profits or leasing fee. While this varies between conservancies, in some instances the Maasai retain livestock grazing rights in their conservancies. Most of the conservancies have only a few lodges with strict limitations on the number of tourist beds and number of safari vehicles permitted at wildlife sightings. Self-driving is not permitted in any of the conservancies. Local communities also gain employment as guides and drivers.

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its connectedness and let it be,

Have fun, Mike

Long standing family friend and photo buddy, Ann Nichols and I went to Amboseli National Park last October. The safari was organised by photographic and safari travel company, Wild Eye. This was the third trip to Amboseli with Wild Eye, but this time we did not have Wild Eye drivers and guides but relied on the guides from the two lodges we stayed in, and just outside, Amboseli National Park.

“Amboseli feels like a place where the land breathes in slow, powerful rhythms, with vast open plains stretching endlessly beneath the watchful presence of Mount Kilimanjaro.” — Kostas Fikas

We visited Amboseli for our five days, staying three nights at Elephant Garden Camp on the east side and two nights at Elewana Tortilis Camp on the west side of the park. The first lodge, Elephant Garden Camp was located outside the park about 20 minutes drive from the Kimana (originally Olkelunyiet) gate on the eastern boundary of Amboseli National Park. From that gate, we accessed the swamps at the heart of Amboseli via the Oloitokitok sand road. It took about 45 minutes on the extremely rough sand/gravel road to get to the swamps where many of the elephant families feed.

“Nothing but breathing the air of Africa, and walking through it, can communicate the indescribable sensations.” -“William Burchell”

Amboseli National Park, is in Kajiado District of the Rift Valley Province in south western Kenya. The park is 39,206 hectares (392 km2) in size and is at the core of an 8,000 square kilometre ecosystem that spreads across the Kenya-Tanzania border. The park protects two of the five main swamps in the district, the Olokenya and Enkongo Narok swamps, the other three are outside Amboseli National Park. The Amboseli lake, which is seasonal, and more often than not dry, is mostly inside the park on its north western boundary.

Thankfully, we flew from Nairobi’s Wilson airport to the Amboseli airstrip which took about 45 minutes and saved a road trip along the A109 highway which would have taken around six to seven hours, depending on traffic. We arrived in Amboseli around mid-morning so the sun was high in the sky and it was already getting warm.

“Amboseli greets its visitors with vistas of Kilimanjaro, herds of elephants, and swamps swirling in dust where vivid reflections of feathers and wings dance in its large open pools.” ~ Mike Haworth

Most safari visitors go to Amboseli for elephants with a Mount Kilimanjaro background, but the crowds have grown materially since my first visit. Unlike the mammals, the bird life around the swamps does not seem to attract a fraction of the visitors’ attention, but is abundant and wonderfully varied. The swamps attract huge numbers of waterbirds and waders. We saw many Squacco herons hunting in the reeds and long grass next to the pools of water in the Olokenya swamp. The swamps in Amboseli National Park are primarily fed by underground water originating from rain and snowmelt on Mount Kilimanjaro. This water travels through volcanic rock, creating a persistent underground aquifer that breaks the surface to form lush marshes and wetlands in the dry savanna.

An adult Greater flamingo on the left-hand side and a juvenile Greater flamingo on the right. Huge flocks of flamingos can be seen in the shallow open pools in the swamps. The swamps in Amboseli National Park are primarily shallow, groundwater-fed wetlands rather than deep lakes, with water levels on the dried-up Lake Amboseli floor often remaining under 0.6 meters even when filled during rainy seasons.

A male Greater Painted snipe. Sexes of this species are dimorphic regarding their plumage colouring. The male is distinguished from true snipes by his pale breast harness and white eye-patch. The female is more brightly coloured than male with a dark chestnut neck and breast.

Once you have spotted a Painted snipe it is easy to keep your eyes on it but it is usually well camouflaged so to see it in the first place can be tricky and it is usually its movement that gives them away.

Great white pelicans are abundant in the swamps and can often be seen hunting in groups corralling the fish into a shallow or small inlet. The Great white pelican is easily identified by its large size and its yellow bill pouch and pink skin around its eyes.

A Collared pratincole is an elegant, agile flier that looks like a cross between a plover and a swallow. The Collared species is recognised by grey-brown upper parts, beige throat and breast with a dark brown necklace and a white belly. The base of its beak is red. The Collared pratincole is a bird of open country, and is often seen near water in the evening, hawking for insects.

A White browed coucal is a member of the cuckoo family. The underparts and nape are streaked, and it has a distinctive white eyebrow. The rump and upper tail coverts are barred, unlike other coucals. It prefers to clamber through reeds and thick vegetation when foraging. Like most coucals, the white-browed coucal is considered omnivorous. While it is primarily known as an opportunistic carnivore and insectivore, its diet is broad and flexible. Due to this unique sound and its tendency to call during high humidity or before storms, it is widely referred to as the “rainbird”.

An elephant bull feeding on the lush vegetation in the swamp. While feeding the bull was disturbing many insects in the surrounding vegetation which attracted several Cattle egrets.

“Wetlands are actually unsung heroes. They nurture young fish, provide refuge for animals and birds, and protect our communities from floods.” — Annie Proulx

An adult Cattle egret perched on the back of an elephant watching and waiting for insects to be flushed by the movement of the elephant.

Amboseli beyond the swamps is dry and arid. Our first sighting in this arid section on our way from the airstrip to Elephant Garden camp was a pair of mating lions. The heat haze dictated that I could not get tack sharp images of this sighting.

A Fischer’s sparrow-lark found in its usual habitat in dry grasslands and semi-arid areas. Beyond the swamps Amboseli is surprisingly arid. Fischer’s sparrow-lark is a ground-foraging bird that primarily eats grass seeds, supplemented by insects. They are often seen in small flocks foraging in short grass, bare fields, and semi-arid savannas to find food. The staple of their diet is grass seeds, which they collect from the ground. Their finch-like bills are adapted for handling these seeds.

A White-browed sparrow-weaver. I am always amazed at how sparrows and weavers can land on an acacia branch with huge spikes and not get impaled.

A Little bee-eater hawking insects in the heat of the day.

There was plenty of activity in the open grasslands away from the swamps. A pair of Ostriches were mating. The mating ritual is quite a display. Ostriches mate through an elaborate courtship ritual where males (cocks) defend territory, turn their shins and neck bright red and perform a dance by waving their wings, swaying and booming. Females choose mates based on this display. The mating occurs when the female sits, allowing the male to mount her from behind. Unlike most birds, male ostriches have a phallus for mating.

A male Black-bellied bustard striding through the long grass hunting for insects. This species looks very similar to the Hartlaub’s bustard. The male is similar to the male Hartlaub’s Bustard, but separated by a greyer face with a less definitive white mark on the cheek and it has lighter coloured eyes.

We eventually got to Elephant Garden camp around midday and were very pleasantly surprised. It was restful and luxurious tented camp. The accommodation was in large very comfortable tents with all the modern facilities.

The main dining, reception and bar area is large and open to all passing breezes. It looks onto a wonderful vista which stretches south across a large open grassland to Mount Kilimanjaro.

A traffic jam of safari vehicles all jockeying for place to get the best view of a breeding herd of elephants crossing the road. This is not what we were expecting and it happened time and time again. The quality of driving by the majority of safari vehicle drivers was inconsiderate and at times reckless. There seemed to be little regard for the animals which were supposed to be the centre of the attraction.

On the first afternoon of our Elephant Garden part of the Amboseli trip, Ann and I went out on a game drive into Amboseli through the Kimana gate and along the Oloitokitok sand road which was in very poor condition. To make matters worse, the rutted and very bumpy road had what looked to be about 150mm of fine white dust on it. It took about 45 minutes of rough riding to get from the Kimana gate to the lower end of the Olokenya swamp.

Little did we know when it was time to turn back to get through the Kimana gate before it closed at 18h00 all the other safari vehicles that entered through the Kimana gate had the same idea. There must be around 15 camps/lodges within half an hour drive of the Kimana gate. On the evening return trip to the Kimana gate, the safari vehicle drivers were reckless, driving way too fast on an extremely bumpy road and all of them churning up dust to the point where you could not see the road in front of you. I have never experienced anything like this in the 60 years I have been visiting wildlife parks in Africa. Our safari vehicle had no windows so our camera kit was covered in a thick layer of fine white dust, and I cannot tell you politely what we looked like.

“Be a curator of your life. Slowly cut things out until you’re left only with what you love, with what’s necessary, with what makes you happy.” ~ Leo Babauta

Needless to say we told our safari guide/driver we were not prepared to do another afternoon drive in Amboseli like that again. The next afternoon we chose to stay in camp and photograph the wonderful variety of birds which we saw around the camp. A relaxed afternoon photographing birds and enjoying early sundowners reset our attitude. The third afternoon we drove around Elephant Garden Camp’s small conservancy. We had wonderful sightings of Gerenuks and saw many new birds.

“Shifting the mind into lower gear can bring better health, inner calm, enhanced concentration and the ability to think more creatively.” ~ Carl Honoré

At the time we questioned why Wild Eye had chosen a camp outside the eastern gate of Amboseli but on the third day it became apparent. The oldest biggest tusker, Craig spent much of his time feeding in the conservancies just east of Amboseli near the Kimana gate. On the third day we got the message that Craig had been located and we could take a short easy drive to spend a couple of hours photographing him.

Explore, see to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike