This post describes our second day in the Serengeti. As usual we were up a ready to leave the lodge at 6h00. It was such a pleasure to have a photo-buddy who was so enthusiastic. Elana was already waiting at reception with our ranger, Joseph, and the tour leader, Donovan, by the time I arrived at 5h55. Her enthusiasm was infectious.

“It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth
and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility.”
— Rachel Carson

We left the lodge before sunrise and got onto the main road just as mother nature was painting the eastern morning sky. We stopped to try capture the beauty of the saturated blues, reds, oranges and yellows which were ablaze in the sky. Nowhere else, but the Mara and Serengeti, have I seen these tones of yellows in a sunrise.

The air was crisp, the bush dark but the sky was coming alive. Trying to capture the beauty of those sunrises was human folly but we tried anyway, inspired but humbled. As the sun started to rise it progressively washed the saturated colours out of the sky so we moved on to see the Wildebeest migration first hand. This was never going to be the big drama of the Mara river crossings but rather to get a measure of the size of the mega-herd and hoping to see the Wildebeest drama when they came down to the Grumeti river to drink.

“The human mind delights in finding pattern—so much so that we often mistake coincidence or forced analogy for profound meaning. No other habit of thought lies so deeply within the soul of a small creature trying to make sense of a complex world not constructed for it.”
– Stephen Jay Gould, The Flamingo’s Smile

As the morning light brightened we came across this White-bellied Korhaan crossing the road. This was a first for me.

Early in the morning there is the eternal balancing between shutter speed and ISO. This was the only image where the Korhaan’s feet were sharp because my shutter speed was too low but I did not want the image to be too grainy. This White-bellied Korhaan crossed the road to join its mate and within a few seconds the two just melted into the grass. This is an aspect about being in the bush which always amazes me, someone coming by two minutes later would not have seen this pair of Korhaans.

Just after sunrise but before it had got hot enough for the raptors to start searching for rising warm air and thermals, we started to see quite a few different species of these avian predators. I am not sure of the identification of the Kestrel in the next image. I think it is a Common Kestrel based on its colouring, yellow legs, greyish head  and rufous coloured body and wings. It has a yellow eye-ring and cere and black tip to its beak.

Prime time to see raptors perched in trees along side the road is usually before it gets hot enough for them to catch thermals, normally before 9h00. Apart from Kestrels, we saw this juvenile Tawny Eagle drenched in the early morning light. It was very alert and obviously hungry as it was scanning the surrounding area constantly.

Not far along the road from the Tawny, we came across a Black-chested Snake-eagle which I could not get a decent shot of and a couple of hundred metres further down the road we found this Long Crested Eagle. The tonal contrast with the dark brown feathers and light, almost white sky background means you have to spot meter on the bird itself and forget about the sky colour.

By May, the Wildebeest herd had moved north from the southern grasslands into the western corridor. Here the vegetation was very different to the grasslands in the south.

The grasses were longer because the Zebra and Wildebeest had not yet fully mowed them down and the tree density had increased substantially. What was fascinating about the Wildebeest migration was the intertwined relationships between all the animals and birds involved. There are three main herbivores in the perpetual migration, Zebra, Wildebeest and Thompson’s gazelle.

The Serengeti migration is the greatest migration of large animals in the world  and it takes place each year.

The migratory ‘mega-herd’ consists of around 1.5 million Wildebeest, 200,000 Plains Zebra and 350,000 Thompson’s gazelle. They follow a clockwise circular migration path, the timing of which is typically determined by the annual rainfall patterns.

There are five sub-species of Wildebeest but only two are found in Tanzania. The two types of Wildebeest in the mega-herd are the blue and the Western White-bearded Wildebeest, the latter is only found in northern Tanzania and southern Kenya.

Source:Joe Le Monnier ( www.mapartist.com)

Generally, though not always, the migration makes it way down through the southern part of Serengeti National park between December to April . During this time they assemble in vast grazing herds and the Wildebeest give birth to as many as 400,000 calves in February and early March. Once they have over grazed that area they start to move north up into the western corridor by May- June and on up into the Masai Mara between July and September. They then travel down the eastern corridor from October to November. The timing is not precise because it is primarily determined by the rainfall. The herds are effectively ‘storm chasers’.

As the dry season begins the Zebra are the first to leave the Serengeti Plain. On route they eat the coarse top stems of the tall, dry, brown grass and expose the more nutritious leaves and younger stems. The Wildebeest have much wider muzzles than Zebra and effectively mow down the remaining grass to stubble and bare earth. Once cleared, green shoots germinate triggered by the removal of the taller vegetation and assisted by fertilisation from significant amounts of wildebeest waste. Within a few weeks the area looks like a verdant lawn which attracts the Thompson’s Gazelle. These antelope have small muzzles and are able to eat the high quality, new grass shoots. In the so-called ‘gazing succession’, the Zebra alter the vegetation in a way that is favourable for the Wildebeest and the Wildebeest further alter the grass base which suits the Thompson’s Gazelle.

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe”
— John Muir

One of the tough aspects about shooting the mega-herd is how to convey a sense of its size.  A general image without a focal point will lose the impact. This is why we waited for these two Wildebeest bachelors to start tangling to bring some focus to the general scene of Wildebeest grazing in this lush grassland next to the riverine forest. It is very tricky trying to get a reasonable panorama of the mega-herd because it is constantly moving. Generally, panoramas work on landscapes because they don’t move, though you have to be aware of the cloud movement.

This grazing succession facilitates not only the size but the migration of the herds. Botanists have shown that the migration-linked grazing cycle actually boosts the grassland production. The grazers reduce competition by specialising on different sections of the grass, a process which is intelligently symbiotic.

“The means by which migratory animals navigate from place to place are as diverse as the journeys themselves. Some species follow an invisible road map created by the earth’s magnetic field, which they perceive through tiny magnets in their bodies. Others rely on landmarks such as mountain ranges and coastlines, the alignment of the stars in the night sky, or olfactory cues to determine where they’re going. Some even have a principle guidance mechanism and one of more backup systems – redundancy analogous to the backup systems on commercial jets.”
– David S. Wilcove, No Way Home

As the mega-herd migrates it inevitably has to cross rivers. The Grumeti and Mara rivers are probably the two best known rivers in the Serengeti-Masai Mara region and the major river in the western corridor is the Grumeti river.  As can be seen from the next image the bush has changed significantly from the Serengeti Plains to riverine forests and savanna woodlands. The Grumeti is bordered by a riverine forest which opens up in patches, enabling the Wildebeest to come down to drink. While we were there, they were all around but did not come down to drink.

The Grumeti river is not that big at this point but its benign beauty hides a dinosaur-style terror in its waters.

Some of the largest Nile Crocodiles in Serengeti are found in the Grumeti river.

There are so many Wildebeest around that there is a constant drone of their ‘gnu-ing”. The Nile crocodiles or  ‘flat dogs’ as we like to call them do not need to be clandestine.  The recent rains made the rivers very muddy which helped the crocodiles get up close below the surface of the water to within striking distance of the wary, but thirsty Wildebeest. The next image is of a small group of wildebeest gathering to build up their courage to go down and drink.

It must be really disconcerting when you can see your nemesis basking in the sun just waiting for you. The Wildebeest often cross the river, not as part of the migration, just to move to a new  grazing area.

The Grey Heron standing alongside this large crocodile somehow took the edge off the scene.

We did not get to see a crossing and we waited for a while next to the Grumeti for Wildebeest to come down and drink. Our patience was not rewarded – we will just have to go back!!!!

We traveled for about 60 kilometres through Wildebeest on our way to within 20kms of Lake Victoria before having to turn around to get back to the lodge before sunset. On our way back we came across a carcass about 30 metres off into the grass. There was a gathering of White-backed and Griffon Vultures and Marabou Storks all looking for a piece of the action. White-backed Vultures often broke away from the carcass to give each other a go as did the Griffons!! Pecking and scratching seems to be the order of the day. No one looked to get seriously hurt. The next image is a pair of Griffon’s stepping away from the dinner table to have it out with each other. When not scrapping on the ground the Griffon Vulture is known to be the highest flying vulture and has been recorded at an altitude of 37,000 feet.

Physically, all vultures appear built for scavenging. They have strong, hooked beaks that can tear a carcass open but unlike other birds of prey, their feet are not suited to catching live animals. The main exception appears to be the Hooded Vulture – as the smallest and most prone to being bullied off a carcass, it has diversified its diet to include termites and small reptiles such as lizards. Size really does count in the bush. When the Lappet-faced Vultures flew in everyone made room for them. When usually drop out of the sky in a lazy spiral and are often the last vultures to arrive at a kill. However, they quickly assert their dominance using their size to bully other vultures off the carcass. They tend to eat the skin, tendons and ligaments, which other vultures find hard to process, therefore do not go hungry for arriving late. They have a massive powerful beak with an attitude to match. These vultures rand up to a metre tall and have a three metre wingspan.

“Nature teaches more than she preaches. There are no sermons in stones.
It is easier to get a spark out of a stone than a moral.”
— John Burroughs

Incredibly there is a natural order among this bush waste disposal team and, like the mega-herd grazers, have a complementary way of feeding.

Each day we would leave the lodge in the dark and usually got back in the dark. As a result we never took images of the lodge. This day we got back in the light so I quickly roamed around to get a few images of the Serengeti Serena lodge. The rooms were styled on a Masai type dwelling.

 I really liked that the lodge was not too glitzy, I thought the style was in keeping with the location. The staff at the lodge were very friendly and helpful which always adds to the ambience of the place.

At the top of the hill behind the main dining and bar area was the swimming pool and look-out area which provided a wonderful south-looking view over the Serengeti Plains.

It was incredible to think that we had traveled for 60kms through Wildebeest. This massive amount of ‘fast food’ is a draw for so many other animals and birds. The diversity and complexity of the flora and fauna dictates that you need to spend more than a couple of days exploring this area. What ever you do make sure that your stay in the Serengeti is not too short, otherwise you will not get a good enough sense of the wonder and rhythm of this place.

“I believe in time,
matter, and energy,
which make up the whole of the world.

“I believe in reason, evidence and the human mind,
the only tools we have;
they are the product of natural forces
in a majestic but impersonal universe,
grander and richer than we can imagine,
a source of endless opportunities for discovery.

“I believe in the power of doubt;
I do not seek out reassurances,
but embrace the question,
and strive to challenge my own beliefs.

“I accept human mortality.

“We have but one life,
brief and full of struggle,
leavened with love and community,
learning and exploration,
beauty and the creation of
new life, new art, and new ideas.

“I rejoice in this life that I have,
and in the grandeur of a world that preceded me,
and an earth that will abide without me.”
– Paul Z. Myers, on Pharyngula

Seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and then let it be!

Have fun

Mike

This is the second post showing some of the images from our trip in Tanzania in May. The first post showed images from Lake Manyara and the bounty of wildlife and birdlife which can be seen there. Day two of our exploration took us into the Serengeti National Park.

Going to the Serengeti has been one of my childhood dreams ever since I saw the documentary “Serengeti shall not die” in Rhodesia in the early 60s.

Elana and I were determined to take in as much of the Serengeti as we possibly could. Each day we were ready to leave the lodge at 6h00 and only got back after 18h00 each evening. We spent each day bathed in beauty and wildness, inspired by what we were experiencing – what a privilege!!

We left early in the morning of day three from Serena Manyara lodge and travelled through the mist in the Ngorogoro Conservancy highlands to arrive at the edge of the Serengeti. The next image is a panorama taken from the side of the road looking north onto the plains of the Serengeti. Double click on the image to see the detail in it.

This vista stirred much excitement in us as we had just begun to taste what was in store for us for the day. That sense of expectation was such a buzz. This is one of the intangibles which make a photographic safari intoxicating with expectation, beauty and drama.

The word Serengeti is an approximation of the Maasai word “siringet” translated as “the place where the land runs on forever” or  “endless plains”. The Maasai live a nomadic existence along the edge of the Serengeti tending their cattle herds.

As we descended from the Ngorogoro highlands from the south-east on to the Serengeti’s grass plains we passed the Olduvai Gorge, where Dr. and Mrs. Leakey found the 1.75 million-year-old remains of Australopithecus boisei (‘Zinjanthropus’) and Homo habilis . This is one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world and has been instrumental in furthering the understanding of early human evolution.

Driving through the the low grass southerly section of the Serengeti plains we saw mainly Thompson’s and Grant’s Gazelle and a few Spotted Hyaenas. During the day we only saw single Hyaenas as they bomb-shelled looking for scraps and opportunities.

As we travelled along the main dirt road in the Serengeti toward Naabi Hills, the numbers of gazelle scattered across the plains increased. The gazelles were predominately Grants and Thompsons. The Grant’s Gazelle are noticeably bigger than the Thompson’s Gazelle, nicknamed “Tommies”, and the white on their backsides extended right up to the tail and they do not have a dark brown stripe along their sides.

The actual entrance into the Serengeti is in the middle of the plain and is demarcated by a acacia tree and an iron pipe archway with no side fence. The actual park entrance office is located in the Naabi Hills which is quite a few kilometres to the north of the Serengeti-Ngorogoro boundary. The view from the top of the Naabi Hills is something special. The treeless grassland in the south of the park is the most emblematic scenery of the park. These grasslands cover almost a third of the park, about 5000 square kilometres. The base layer in this area comprises metamorphic rocks such as gneiss and schist. This base layer is covered with a layer of volcanic ash from long ago eruptions along the edge of the Rift Valley in the Ngorogoro Highlands. The volcanic ash on the plains produces a particular type of soil. The fine-grained ash contains many salts. During the rains a portion of these salts dissolve and are washed down in the soil. These salts are deposited less than a metre below the surface and form a hard, almost concrete like, hardpan. It is this hardpan which prevents the trees from pushing their roots down deep into the ground and so the southern Serengeti plains are virtually treeless.

In the parking area at the Naabi Hills entrance there were many Superb Starlings. These birds have stunning colours and are far too tempting for a photographer to resist. Needless to say Elana and I spent the next 45 minutes trying to capture decent images of these furtive birds.

I could not resist taking a shot of Elana trying to get an ever closer shot of these Superb Starlings.

Naabi Hills, like so many of the hills in the area are granite outcrops and boulders called “kopjies”. You will find the envitable Rock Agama’s warming themselves on the boulders in these kopjies.

Joseph was our guide in the Serengeti. He had a great sense of humour and was a fountain of knowledge. He was also very respectful of the wildlife and the park rules which impressed us. He was up and ready to show us around for 12 hours each day and was always cheerful and enthusiastic – what a great guy!!!.

Once we had signed into the Serengeti National Park, we were off to explore the grass plains and islands in the sea of grass. From Naabi we headed for the Simba Hills. 

We turned off the main road down onto tracks which led to the Simba Hills and further down along the Mbalageti river. On the way down to the river, we saw two young male Lions lying in the grass on top of a mound which gave them a good visual of the surrounding area. The Serengeti National Park is believed to hold the largest population of Lions in Africa.

Close to the Lions, we saw a pair of Grey Crowned Cranes foraging in the grass for seeds and insects. These cranes are uncommon in SA but they are frequently seen in this part of the world.

We saw Superb Starlings all over the park.

Further down the river course, we came across another family of Lions with two females and a group of youngsters. The next image shows one youngster who was keeping cool in the long grass right next to the river. If we had not seen these Lions move into the long grass we would never have known they were there.

By early afternoon we had arrived at a grove of date palms with a reasonably large pool of water which accommodated a pod of Hippos. There were quite a few Hippos resting in the pool but surprisingly there were also a few lying out in the open in the sun.

The next image is not anything special as a photograph but I wanted to show the pink mucous which is the Hippo’s natural sunscreen. The skin secretes a thick red liquid sometimes called “hippo sweat” or “blood sweat”. The red liquid is an oily secretion made up of two unstable pigments – one red, the other orange. The red pigment acts as a sunscreen and also has antibacterial properties. It works to protect the Hippo’s hide from bacterial infections in all the scratches and bite marks and accelerate their recovery from flesh wounds.

After watching the Hippos for a while we decided to wander slowly back up to the main road to get to the Serena Lodge at Seronera by 18h00. On the way up to the main road we came upon this breeding herd of Elephants. They interrupted two young male Lions resting in the grass.

This breeding herd was on its way to the river to drink. There are two features about the Serengeti Elephants which are different to Elephants in Kruger Park. The breeding herds appear very relaxed and the adults have much longer and thinner tusks than their relatives in South Africa.

Down at the river, the scene was peaceful and the calves had great fun frolicking in the water. It was not very hot as it was cloudy that afternoon. In fact, every afternoon, the cumulus clouds built up making dramatic backdrops for our scenes.

The next image shows one of the kopjies  which make up the Simba Hills. There is usually a good chance of seeing Lions lying on the boulders looking out over the grass plains. The Serengeti was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Lion King and I am suspect pride rock was modeled on one of these kopjies.

Once back on the main road, we stopped to get a few images of this Greater Kestrel. We saw quite a few on this trip.

The rangers are all in radio contact. As we were travelling on the road to Seronera, Joseph got a message that more Lions had been seen on the road toward the Maasai Hills so we turned off the Seronera road at the Magadi dam. A kilometre or two up the sand road we found a pride of four or five young Lions resting in the grass. It is always difficult to know just how many Lions there are lying in the grass as you will only see them if they lift their head to see what is going on.

After watching the lions for a while we headed back to the main road and were fortunate enough to see this Red-necked Francolin – a first for me.

We also saw White-headed Buffalo-weavers – also a first. These are much more picturesque than their red-billed black cousins.

The light on this Magpie Shrike was good. This is an old friend we often see in the Kruger park.

It was getting late and the light was not good and it had started to rain lightly and we were getting close to the turn off to the Serena Lodge. Suddenly by the side of the road we saw a Baleleur and Steppe Eagle tangling over a Guineafowl. There were a couple of revelations for me in this sighting. The first was the dominance of the Steppe Eagle.

This is a large, robust and aggressive Eagle. The Bateleur backed off in response to the aggressive advances of the Steppe Eagle.

No sooner had these two tangled when a Tawny Eagle flew in and landed on a fallen tree in the background. The Tawny was wise enough not to venture into the fray.

Another new insight for me was how the Bateleur’s face changed colour. When threatened it was a red colour. Some research reveals that the Bateleur’s legs and face change from orange-red to bright red depending on its level of excitement or emotion.

As soon as the Steppe Eagle had its fill, it flew off into a nearby tree to preen itself. The Bateleur came back to finish off the Guineafowl. I was amazed to see it face change from red to a yellow-orange tinge. Joseph indicated that, like a Harrier-hawk, the Bateleur’s face changes depending on its level of excitement. The white dots on the Bateleur’s back and wing feathers were rain drops.

The Steppe Eagle had its fill – just look at that bulging crop.

Our first full day in the Serengeti was everything I hoped it would be and much more.

“Did you know that 80 percent of the information we receive comes through our eyes? And if you compare light energy to musical scales, it would only be one octave that the naked eye could see, which is right in the middle?

And aren’t we grateful for our brains that can take this electrical impulse that comes from light energy to create images in order for us to explore our world?

And aren’t we grateful that we have hearts that can feel these vibrations in order for us to allow ourselves to feel the pleasure and the beauty of nature?”

– Louie Swartzberg

Seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and then let it be!

Have fun

Mike