There comes a time in a young male lion’s life when he get kicked out of the pride. He becomes a nomad. This happens to virtually all young male lions. These nomads are part of the group of 25% of lion cubs which survive their first two years of life. According to documentary wildlife filmaker and conservationist, Dereck Joubert, only about one in eight male lions make it to adulthood.

“A quest of any kind is an heroic journey. It is a rite of passage that carries you to an inner place of silence and majesty and encourages you to live life more courageously and genuinely.” ~ Denise Linn

At about two to three years of age, young lions are no longer tolerated by their pride. Their mothers are ready for their next litter of cubs and their fathers begin to see them as a threat to the stability of the pride. If there is a pride take-over, juvenile males are likely to be forced out of the pride at an even younger age just to stay alive. This sometimes also applies to females, particlarly if the pride is getting too large. Nature has its very own methods of keeping the gene pool diversified and healthy.

“The very essence of instinct is that it’s followed independently of reason.” ~ Charles Darwin

There are very few instances where fathers form coalitions with their sons to dominate a territory. A notable exception was Notch and his five son coalition controlling the Marsh pride up in the northern part of the Mara triangle in the Masai Mara National Reserve.

Usually, after being evicted from the pride, young male lions either roam alone and land up scavenging until they learn to hunt, or, disparate young males come together to form coalitions. Sometimes they are brothers and cousins, other times they are young males who decide to cooperate because it is easier to hunt and defend themselves as a team than on their own. The eviction process is harsh and initially the young males do not seem to understand why they have been banned from their family group. It is an ancient, if unceremonious, rite of passage.

Nomads are very wary. They know they are trespassing. Perhaps it is their father’s turf or another unknown male’s territory. Either way, if they are found, there will be big trouble and life lessons will be taught swiftly and violently.

Frequently, as the nomad walks through another male’s territory he will stop and just look and listen, scanning his surroundings for any sign that the owner of this piece of hunting ground is awake and onto him.

Male lions mark their territory. The odour must be distinctive. These two young nomads were deciphering the chemical messages by drawing the odours through the Jacobson organ in the roof of their mouth which give them the “grimaced” look. These chemical messages appear to give the recipient a clear sense of the size, strength and age of the messager’s owner.

“In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” ~ Charles Darwin

These nomads might be physically big and strong but they have still to build that inter strength which comes from self belief. Consequently, they are frequently reassuring each other by head rubbing.

Even as nomads, at times the cub in them is revealed. Some brief respite from the realisation that life is rushing in.

“Self respect, self love and self worth, all start with self. Stop looking outside yourself for your value.” ~ Rob Liano

There are moments in the bush when we as human’s can identify with what that young male lion is going through. No words are necessary.

“Life is ten percent what you experience and ninety percent how you respond to it.” ~ Dorothy M. Neddermeyer

Each lion has a different character. Some are brawlers, some are lovers, some are confident and others not so much. It is apparent that confidence in a male lion is acquired. In his nomad years he learns the value of cooperation, he also learns independence by learning how to hunt and defend himself. It is these strengths, knowledge and skills learnt through testing himself against the world that he matures into a self assured full maned male lion, capable of sustaining his own pride.

This was another coalition of three nomads, around three years old. They were up river from the previous three younger nomads that we found a few days earlier. These three nomads were older, bigger, stronger and had more confidence. They were in Scar and Ziggy’s territory along this stretch of the Mara river. They knew they were trespassing but did not seem to fussed about it.

The dominant male in the coalition of three seemed the most confident and relaxed. The other two were less so, and lay in the croton bushes partially hidden on the edge of steep bank down to the Mara river.

“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” ~ Suzy Kassem

This confident young male lay on the banks of the Mara river surveying the land as if he owned it. Perhaps starting to get a sense of what it feels like to rule a territory.

“Confidence is when you believe in yourself and your abilities, arrogance is when you think you are better than others and act accordingly.” ~ Stewart Stafford

Nomadic males entering a pride male’s territory inevitably affects cub survival and mating access. Success rates of nomadic males gaining tenure with a pride increases with age and coalition size.

Nomadic males can even regulate populations through their dispersal patterns, territorial structure, and reproductive strategies. Usually, lions live in permanent female groupings (prides) that maintain exclusive territories and are temporarily defended by male coalitions. Males compete with each other for prides and nomadic coalitions in an attempt to oust the resident male or males.

Nomadic takeovers are the primary drivers of natal dispersal, resulting in large variation in dispersal age, with higher mortality among young lions, and infanticide by nomads tends to mediate population growth. Source: Lion population dynamics: do nomadic males matter? Natalia Borrego

For maturing males to survive their nomad years, they have to be fit, strong, and must have learnt the ways of the wild. All of these skills together with the confidence that comes with survival lessons well learnt will be needed to take over and maintain their own pride.

“Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.” ~ Rumi

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

Have fun, Mike

I visited the Masai Mara in early November last year. I have never been to the Mara at that time of the year. Most of the wildbeest migration had passed and the rains had begun so that time had the potential to deliver low productivity, difficult photography. The one thing that I was sure of was I would witness the circle of life.

“Your soul awakens your mind. Your mind makes your choices. Your choices manifest your life. Your life is your lesson. Your lessons create wisdom. Your wisdom enriches your soul.”
~ Karen A. Baquiran

I was particularly interested to see the Mara with dark thunderstorm skies as backgrounds against verdent green plains and hills of the Oloololo escarpment. I was also intrigued to see how the predators, especially the lion prides, were doing after the main migration had passed through two months before. I was very pleasantly surprised on both counts.

“Returning to the same place can bring new insights, new awareness and greater depth of understanding and appreciation. When wandering with nature everything is always changing providing new opportunities to learn.” ~ Mike Haworth

I joined several other enthusiastic photographers from all around the world at Wild Eye’s Mara bush camp located on the Mara Triangle bank of the Mara river. The bush camp is located in the croton grove about a kilometre up the river from the Purungat bridge and district gate, right in the south east corner of the Mara triangle.

To see active lions you need to be out and about in the Mara by 6h00 as the lions are ususally looking for some shade and a place to rest and sleep for the day between 7h00 and 8h00. Given that most of the zebra and wildebeest had already moved on down into the Serengeti on their journey through Tanzania towards Ndutu in the south where the wildebeest calve on mass around February each year.

The good rains, before we arrived, had transformed the Mara into a blaze of verdant green. Most of the wildebeest and zebra had moved on, though surprisingly there were still several large herds around. The lion prides had scattered, moving away from the river to follow the grazers. The rain had filled up many of the seasonal drainage gullies, called luggas, and created numerous small ponds which meant the grazers had plenty of places to drink in this vast space.

This first image is of one of Scar’s coalition partners, “Bob Marley”. He was also a massive male lion in his prime but had an easily identifiable growth on his top lip just below his nose. I have never seen this on a lion before and never got to find out what caused it.

Even though we were out on the Mara at 6h00, the time we allowed out of camp, by the time we found Bob Marley and his two lioness on a zebra kill it was mostly eaten. The lionesses must have killed the zebra during the previous night. Bob Marley’s stomach shows he got his lion’s share.

A couple of cubs were clearly impressed with their father but he remained aloof despite advances by the cub to solicit some fatherly affection.

Bob Marley wandered down to the lugga at the bottom of the hill to where there was shade and water leaving the lionesses and cubs to sort themselves out.

One of the two lionesses lay next to the zebra kill while her growing son was still getting stuck in.

This young male looked like he took more than his fair share of the zebra, judging from the size of his belly.

Full belly or not, this young male full of blood and mud was having great fun chasing off vultures.

One lioness was the last to reluctantly leave the zebra carcass even though there was little left. The next phase of diners were waiting all around. Two pairs of Black backed jackal and a variety of vultures including White backed, Lappet-faced, Griffon, and Hooded.

Once the jackals and vultures finally managed to get access to the zebra kill, it was a free-for-all brawl. In the midst of the squabbling vultures was a pair of Black backed jackals. These jackals did not seem too concerned about the larger vultures such as Lappet-faced and Griffon vultures. Success favours the bold.

“The devil whispers ‘You can not withstand the storm’. The warrior replies ‘I am the storm'”.

Late in the afternoon, we moved down to the Mara river to find more lion activity. It was almost dark when we had found Scar, and Ziggy close to where we had left them sleeping in the shade next to the river in the morning, so we knew the rough area they were likely to be in. I used a flash because of the low light. Even with full power and a MagMod Magbeam flash extender I could not effectively light up Scar because of his distance from us.

“The greatest fear in the world is the opinion of others, and the moment you are unafraid of the crowd, you are no longer a sheep you become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom.” ~ Osho

When we arrived, we found Scar aggressively marshalling two of the young males in his pride. He exerted his dominance in no uncertain terms. After he had sorted out his sons, he wandered down to the edge of the Mara river and began to roar. Even the hippos kept their distance.

It was clear the lionesses and cubs were scared of him. Once Scar began to teach his sons who was boss the lionesses and cubs quickly moved out of the way.

Scar has a marked limp on his rear right leg. Apparently his leg tendons were damaged in a tangle with a buffalo. The damage has not stopped him and he has held onto his dominant rank in the pride.

We left Scar lying on the bare sand bank next to the Mara river because it was getting too dark to photograph and we had to be back in camp by 19h00.

Current estimates for lion populations suggest there are as few as 20,000 lions left in the wild, with less than 2,000 left in Kenya. Their numbers have dropped by nearly half in the last two decades.

“To hear a male lion roar as the light fades at dusk will send shivers down your spine. A prime memory is awakened welling deep from our genetic past. That gut-wrenching roar will resonate like thunder in your chest leaving you feeling breathless. Through the power and intonation the message is clear and the shiver reminds you that the darkness favours this warrior.” ~ Mike Haworth

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

Have fun, Mike

The Wildebeest migration has moved into the Masai Mara. The inbound migration from the Serengeti Park to Masai Mara takes place around June or July. The annual migration includes more than 1.5 million wildebeests, zebra, topis and Thompson’s gazelle The return migration follows around August or September each year but the exact timing depends on the rains.

“Every creature was designed to serve a purpose. Learn from animals for they are there to teach you the way of life. There is a wealth of knowledge that is openly accessible in nature. Our ancestors knew this and embraced the natural cures found in the bosoms of the earth. Their classroom was nature. They studied the lessons to be learned from animals. Much of human behavior can be explained by watching the wild beasts around us. They are constantly teaching us things about ourselves and the way of the universe, but most people are too blind to watch and listen.”
~ Suzy Kassem,

This first image gives a sense of the serene landscape along the Mara river in the Masai Mara. This is one of the crossing points adjacent to Paradise plain. At this point the river makes a wide “S” bend and is a place favoured by hippos and crocodiles alike. The river breaks into gentle rapids just after the bend due to all the rocks in the river bed.

“Don’t think there are no crocodiles because the water is clam.” Malayan Proverb

On this particular morning the crossing started with one intrepid wildebeest while the rest of the herd stood on the bank above watching, probably to see where the crocodiles would emerge.

Not long after the first brave soul made its move, the herd moved down and started to amass at the water’s edge. The problem for the front animals is that pressure builds from the back pushing them into the water.

Once the crossing starts some of the animals panic and take massive jumps into the boiling mass.

The river bed at this point is uneven and deep in some places and relatively shallow in others enabling the terrified wildebeest to jump out of the water.

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” ~ Henry Ford

As the numbers of wildebeest swell there is no longer space on the rock shelf at the edge of the water and more and more animals start to cross from inside the bend which takes them on a course through the rapids.

It is clearly exhausting trying to swim against the current and find purchase on the rocks in the river bed. Wildebeest legs and hooves are certainly not built for swimming.

Again with the pressure and lack of access due to all the animals at the main crossing point, some wildebeest decide to cross the river down below the main crossing point. The water deeper in places and is flowing faster.

“These are the four that are never content: that have never been filled since the dew began- Jacala’s mouth, and the glut of the kite, and the hands of the ape, and the eyes of Man.”
~ Rudyard Kipling

One adult wildebeest was clearly exhausted. It could see the massive crocodile approach it from its left hand side but just stood there. Seeing what was about to happen, the wildebeest close by quickly moved away from the danger zone.

The Nile crocodile grabbed the wildebeest by the head. You can see how big the crocodile was from the size of the wildebeest’s head.

The wide eyes of the wildebeest show how terrified they were. Those who have crossed this river before know what lurks below the surface of the water.

The sheer mass of wildebeest together with the noise and dust make this an unforgettable spectacle. The sheer intent and wide-eyed terror that the crossing entails is spell-binding.

“The time has passed when humankind thought it could selfishly draw on exhaustible resources. We know now the world is not a commodity.”~ Francois Hollande

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

Have fun, Mike

This post shows a few cameos of sights seen in the Masai Mara in February 2018.

“Learn to see – accustoming the eye to calm, to patience, to letting-things-come-to-it; learning to defer judgement, to encircle and encompass the question on all sides.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Quiet family time, these cameos never last long.

This baby Olive baboon was running up and down the trunk of a fallen tree having great fun.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than one seeks.” ~ John Muir

A lone male cheetah with a full belly after having fed well earlier taking advantage of the limited shade from an adjacent bush. This was just the other side of “double crossing”. 

Not much of a view from there! 

“Think outside, no box required.” ~ Unknown

One of about thirteen hyaena cubs playing at last light around the den above the marsh.

Competition starts very early in a hyaena’s life.

“There are no rules for good photographs. there are only good photographs.” ~ Ansel Adams

Our lunch spot in the “greenheart” forest looking west over the Mara river.

Early morning and a troop of Olive baboons were on the move to their feeding ground.

Thankfully this was the cub’s father, just grumpy.

A small herd of impala were jumping across a drainage line. The fawns and females were more wary of the water in the drainage line than the male.

An old anthill was home to a family of banded mongooses. The family ventured out in the late afternoon to forage for insects.  

A very young zebra foal cavorting for the sheer joy of it. 

“Photograph what you see, for you see the world uniquely. Rules are mostly just teaching techniques and are in fact just guidelines. If you let what you see shine through in your images, your unique path will reveal new ways of seeing.” ~ Mike Haworth

Having had their early morning drink these cubs were making their way to their mothers who were nearby. 

A very busy Greenshank feeding in the pool where the lion pride had been drinking, half an hour before.

One cub decided not to walk back to its mother but rather to lie in the warm sun and watch all the activity around the pool of water, and us.

“Taking pictures is savouring life intensely every hundredth of a second.” ~ Mark Riboud

Finders keepers is difficult to sustain when bigger cousins want to play.

An inquisitive elephant calf starting to master his trunk and trying to smell us.

At Kichwa Tembo camp, we had just finished a morning drive and were getting off our photographic vehicle when the staff shouted “mamba”. At a quick glance it looked like a mamba due to its colour, but it was a forest cobra identified by it thicker body and stumpy snout, knowledge courtesy Andrew van den Broek the guide trainer at & Beyond.

“A life without a cause is a life without effect.” ~ Barbabella

A little motherly care and attention which the cub seemed to be enjoying.

Bright eyed and alert to everything around it.

A blonde morph tawny eagle cruising the grass plains looking for something to scavenge.

No need for a saddle and bridle just hold onto mum’s hair.

A mischievous Olive baboon baby playing with something it had found on the ground.

“No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.”~ Ansel Adams

Young males still in the pride but not getting anywhere near the kill until the adult males had fed.

Relaxed but alert lionesses warming up on small rock outcrop.

Playful elephant calves.

“If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin.” ~ Ivan Turgenev

Rim lighting on two young hyaenas first thing in the morning.

A peaceful and serene scene as a family herd of elephants emerge from the “greenheart” forest down near the Mara river.

“Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and storms their energy. While cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” – John Muir

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

Have fun,

Mike

Masai Mara Ecosystem has been classified among the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ due to the spectacular great migration when over 1 million wildebeest and more than hundred thousand zebra cross the Mara River coming from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara in search of water and greener pastures.

The Mara is known for its wildebeest migration and predators. It is less known for its pachyderms, unlike Amboseli. In 2015, the Tanzanian government reported that the country’s elephant population had collapsed from 110,000 in 2009 to 43,330 by mid-2015, due to extensive poaching. The good news is that while elephants are being decimated in Tanzania, elephant numbers are recovering in Kenya. 

Elephants are seen all around the Masai Mara and Mara North reserves. This was a scene near the Serengeti border with the Masai Mara, looking west across vast grass plains towards the Oloololo Escarpment. A small group of bull elephants were slowly making their way down the hill and feeding on their way.

While travelling around the Mara North we came across many breeding herds with a number of youngsters in the herds. In the mornings, when it was cooler the elephant calves were much more playful and mischievous. The little bulls were very bold until they realised that had run some distance away from their mothers. The youngsters often chased birds or anything they found in the grass.

This particular breeding herd had three calves which were all slightly different in age but had a great time playing among themselves.

The calves seemed to be quite affectionate toward each other. This still meant they pushed each other around but at other times they appeared, what I would interpret, to be affectionate.

In this group, two of the three calves had part of their tails missing. We could only presume that hyaenas had attacked them at some stage, but that they survived the ordeal without a “tail to tell”.

Two the calves with part of their tails missing making a trunk call. It is interesting to see that even at this early stage of development their trunks are quite prehensile. It will take a young elephant a few years to master its trunk with dexterity.

As the calf grows and gains experience, it progressively learns what it can do with its trunk (similar to the way a human baby learns how to walk). The young calf will, in time, comprehend that its trunk can be used as an extra hand.

A little old man getting up after falling and he had no “tail to tell”!!

This small breeding herd of elephant was moving away from the “greenheart ” forest down to the Mara river around midday to feed in the marsh close by.

Many elephant seem to enjoy the “greenheart” forest in the early and mid-mornings but by midday  wandered into the grasslands or swamp area, perhaps for a change of diet.

An elephant cow normally gives birth to only one calf at a time. New-borns may consume just over 11 litres of milk a day, which is taken in with their mouth as they have little control of their trunks.  The new-born calf usually has to stretch to reach it mother’s nipple. Within the first three months of birth, a young calf’s food intake is typically provided solely by the mother. Up to two years, the calf is nutritionally dependent on the mother. After two years of age, the mother shifts the emphasis toward independent feeding, though mother’s milk remains an important part of a calf’s diet. Young calves commence weaning from the first year of life until the tenth year of life.

As the calf grows it can easily reach its mother’s breast and continues to suckle with its mouth lifting the trunk out-of-the-way. The mothers are very patient but when they feel their calf has had enough or there is a threat, then she will just walk away and the youngster will have to wait until she stops to feed again.

The next image shows a small section of the marsh where many elephants from the “greenheart” forest walked to feed on the succulent grasses. This was also the heart of the lion “marsh” pride’s territory where the pride females usually retreated to give birth to their cubs.

    

The more you take note of elephant behaviour the more fascinating they become and the more sentient and intelligent you realise they are. Elephants feel emotions as joy, anger, grief and compassion. According to an article in Elephants Forever on elephant intelligence, the insight and intelligence of the elephant is evident in their ability to mourn their dead. This behaviour has only previously been noted in humans. In fact, recently deceased elephants receive a burial ceremony, while those who are already reduced to a skeleton are still paid respect by passing herds. The burial ceremony is marked by deep rumblings while the dead body is touched and caressed by the herd members’ trunks.

Elephants have the ability to play and display a sense of humour, they can mimic sounds and are able to use tools or implements to achieve a task and have problem solving abilities. Their intelligence is also manifested in the elephant’s ability to self-medicate.

“We also have to understand that there are things we cannot understand. Elephants possess qualities and abilities well beyond the means of science to decipher. Elephants cannot repair a computer, but they do have communications, physical and metaphysical abilities that would make Bill Gates’ mouth drop open. In some very important ways they are ahead of us.” ~ Lawrence Anthony

An elephant’s memory is known to be exceptional. One remarkable, but sad, story really emphasised this point. The “Elephant Whisperer”, Lawrence Anthony died on 2nd of  March 2012. Two days after his passing, wild elephants showed up at his home led by two large matriarchs. Separate wild herds arrived to pay their respects. A total of 31 elephants walked an estimated more than 110 miles to get to his South African house. A year later on the 4th of March 2013, the elephants returned to pay their respects and the following year on the 4th of March 2014, the elephants returned again to pay their respects.

Those witnessing the elephant’s arrival were in awe of this spectacle not only because of the supreme intelligence and precise timing that these elephants sensed about Lawrence’s passing, but also because of the profound memory and emotion the beloved animals evoked in such an organised way. Lawrence’s wife, Francoise, was especially touched, knowing that the elephants had not been to their house prior to that day for over six months! Many believed that the elephants wanted to pay their deepest respects and appreciation for having saved their lives. They stayed for two days and two nights,  and on the third morning they left and went back into the bush.

In 1969, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, a veteran conservationist and founder of Save the Elephants, undertook the earliest attempt at a continent-wide census using aerial counts and questionnaires. That survey estimated 1.3 million elephants, a disputed figure in conservation circles. A decade later experts suggested that the figure was down to about 600,000, highlighting a poaching crisis.

National Geographic reported in 2016 that the findings of the Great Elephant Census showed 352,271 remained in Africa. At that point, yearly loss—overwhelmingly from poaching—was estimated at 8 percent equivalent to about 27,000 elephants slaughtered a year. The forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) being more threatened than the savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana).  A ratio above 8 percent generally means a population is declining, and continent-wide the carcass ratio turned out to be nearly 12 percent. The killing continues and the countries with the greatest declines were Tanzania and Mozambique, with a combined loss of 73,000 elephants to poaching in just five years with Angola showing a similar trend. 

The news is not all bad, the latest wildlife census of five ecosystems with the elephant population in Kenya is estimated at 15,316 in 2018 compared to 14,411 in 2012, according to the Kenyan Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

“Education is essential for a better understanding of man’s relationship with nature and the animal kingdom, and a greater respect and appreciation for conservation efforts.” ~ Lawrence Anthony

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

Have fun,

Mike

We were privileged to see not only one, but three rare and critically endangered black rhinos, the east African sub-species. If that was not enough, the adults were mating –  much to the confusion of the sub-adult.

“No one in the world needs a rhino horn, but a rhino” ~ Rachel Carson

According to the Rhino Resource Centre, the African Rhino Specialist Group recommends the distinction of four subspecies which ignores the recently extinct subspecies.

• The South-central Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis minor) is the most numerous of all Black Rhino subspecies.
• The South-western Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis bicornis) is better adapted to dry climates and occurs in the arid savannas. The main difference with the others subspecies is the large and straight horn.
• The East African Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis michaeli) prefers highland forest and savanna habitat. It also has a longer, leaner, and curved horn and it’s skin is more grooved.
• The West African Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis longipes) is the rarest and most endangered subspecies, with only 10 surviving in 2003. But on July 8, 2006 the subspecies was declared to be extinct.

The taxonomy of the subspecies of the black rhino remains unresolved and needs further study.

“The earth was made for all beings not just human beings!“

As we were driving around on our last morning, our guide Akatch pointed out black rhinos in the distance. It was still early, before 7h00. What makes this sighting more unusual is that black rhinos tend to be much more solitary than their white rhino cousins.

With great excitement we drove closer. We found an amorous bull with a receptive female black rhino and her sub-adult youngster. The youngster was complicating the affair. As the female started to walk forward the bull had to try to keep up on his back legs.

A black rhino bulls can weigh up to 1.2 tonnes with the female being around two thirds smaller. This species is noticeably smaller than the White Rhino. It addition it has a very different mouth structure. The black rhino has a pointed prehensile top lip which it uses to strip vegetation off trees and bushes, while the white rhino has a square wide lips which it uses effectively to graze on the grass. The posture of the two species of rhino is also different with the  black rhino usually holding its head high. The black rhino also has rounded more trumpet shaped ears. Both African rhino species have poor eye sight but acute hearing and smelling senses.

During courtship behaviour, males butt females with their horns. Mating can be quite a violent and protracted event.

” Know that the same spark of life that is within you, is within all our animal friends, the desire to live is the same within all of us…” Rai Aren

Usually, the male would follow the female around and place his head on her hind quarters signalling that he wanted to mount her. She would then stop and he would place  his front legs on her back.

This youngster kept approaching its mother for comfort and clearly did not know what was going on….

I was amazed to see this female black rhino cope with this large bull placing a considerable weight on her back. She did not appear to even flinch. This was one tough female!

“There’s no point bleating about the future of pandas, polar bears and tigers when we’re not addressing the one single factor that’s putting more pressure on the ecosystem than any other — namely the ever-increasing size of the world’s population.” ~ Chris Packham

The whole morning was unusual and I found it strange that black rhinos, which are browsers, were in the open grasslands in the early morning. When we got back to camp later for breakfast I asked Andrew van den Broek, an &Beyond’s guide trainer based at Kichwa at that time, who has vast knowledge of the bush and animal and bird behaviour about this encounter. He indicated that the black rhino venture out into the open to browse on the small tree saplings in the grass. They retreat into the cool of the treed areas after 9h00 once the morning temperature gets too hot.

The female kept walking away and her youngster followed, so too did the amorous bull who was still very interested in her.

A mating pair can stay together for two to three days, sometimes even weeks. They mate several times a day and copulation usually lasts for about half an hour. Once fertilised , the female has a gestation period of around 16 months.

The bull caught up with the female repeatedly and placed his head on her flanks. Judging from the large scar on his right side, it looked like he had been gored sometime before.

Black rhino have two horns. The front horn is longer than the back one. According to the Save the Rhino organisation, both grow continuously from the skin at their base throughout their life.  Rhinos from different areas can have horns of different shapes ,and sizes can also vary. The shape of the horn also differs between sexes: with males tending to have thicker horns, and the females often longer and thinner ones.

The bull must have had an extremely strong neck because he would place his head on her backside and lift his front legs off the ground in an attempt to mount her.

Once up, the bull would stand firmly with his front legs on her back. Again the youngster was getting in the way. The female was ready and receptive and waited for the male to get his act together, but I guess the youngster was proving too much of a distraction.

According to the Black Rhino Husbandry website, the normal body temperature of a black rhino ranges from 34.5 ^oC to 37.5 ^oC. The pulse is 30 to 40 beats per minute, and respirations are six to twelve breaths per minute (Fowler and Miller, 2003).

The bull was so distracted by the youngster that he moved around to the female’s left side putting half of his weight on the left side of her back. The youngster eventually gave up and just lay next to its mother.

“Living wild species are like a library of books still unread. Our heedless destruction of them is akin to burning that library without ever having read its books.” ~ John Dingell

When I saw this image it really typified that a woman’s work is never done. Here she has a large bull with his front legs on her back trying to mate with her. She has her calf trying to suckle and if that was not enough, she had two red-billed oxpeckers on her face, with one up her nostril.

The female black rhino appeared to be in excellent condition with her horn intact – hopefully for the rest of her life.

“We take habitat away from wild animals and then kill them for invading ‘our’ space.”
~ Patrick Edwards

After a while the female crossed the road in front of us with her calf behind her, leaving the male behind. Black rhino calves stay with their mother for 2-4 years before being rejected, usually when the female is ready to calve again.

Red and yellow-billed ox-peckers are often seen moving all over the rhinos body and face. The rhinos tolerate these oxpeckers because they remove ticks and clean parasites from open wounds and sores. These birds also help the rhino by raising the alarm if there is any danger approaching.

 

The female black rhino and her calf eventually wandered off to the tree line where they disappeared out of sight.

According to the International Rhino Foundation, during the last century, the black rhino has suffered the most drastic decline in total numbers of all rhino species. Between 1970 and 1992, the population of this species decreased by 96%. In 1970, it was estimated that there were approximately 65,000 black rhinos in Africa – but, by 1993, there were only 2,300 surviving in the wild. The black rhino population is recovering and increasing very slowly, but the poaching threat remains great.

“If we human beings learn to see the intricacies that bind one part of a natural system to another and then to us, we will no longer argue about the importance of wilderness protection, or over the question of saving endangered species, or how human communities must base their economic futures – not on short-term exploitation – but on long-term, sustainable development. “ ~ Gaylord Nelson

There are five remaining species of rhinoceros left in existence today. The other six known species have become extinct due to various reasons, but mainly because of hunting and poaching.

“Right now, in the amazing moment that to us counts as the present, we are deciding, without quite meaning to, which evolutionary pathways will remain open and which will forever be closed. No other creature has ever managed this and it will, unfortunately, be our most enduring legacy.” ~ Elizabeth Kolbert

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

Have fun,

Mike

So much attention is given to the predators in the Masai Mara, but there is so much more to see and experience. Often the more we see the less we notice. This seems to be true of the herbivores which wander the grass plains of the Mara. Yes the migration is one of the natural wonders of the world but there is an in between time when there is much magic on the plains for those to care to look.

“The most important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when contemplating the mysteries of enternity, of life, of the marvellous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day.” ~ Albert Einstein

I am always fascinated to see Zebras wading chest deep into water in the Mara. I have seen the same thing in the Serengeti.  Given the terrifying experience they have crossing the Mara and Grumeti rivers, I would have thought they would have been conditioned to be afraid to walk deep into any water.  Not so, they seemed to really enjoy it, apart from which the cleanest water is in the middle as it has not been muddied by many feet.

There were quite a few occasions while we were wandering around Mara North that it was cloudy which cooled things down. It was at these times when the youngsters were at their most energetic. A zebra foal cavorting for the sheer joy of it!

“Sometimes you just have to jump in a mud puddle because it’s there. Never get so old that you forget about having fun.”  ~ Tom Giaquinto

Zebra foals chasing each other around an ant hill. With all the danger around these youngster still were carefree enough to play with the simplest of props.

Fortunately in the Mara North, we did not encounter many tsetse flies. They look like horse flies but have a stinging bite and are not easily killed. I am not sure whether it was from insect bites, but this mare decided it was time for a back scratch and powder. Oh, and she looked to be really enjoying the beauty treatment.

A peaceful scene of a small group of zebras, with a few members drinking and others grazing on the lush green grass next to the water in a drainage line.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” ~ Sun Tzu

A small herd of zebra nonchalantly wander past a large male lion lying in the shade of a shepherd tree. This male had hurt his right leg, so was no threat to the passing zebra parade, and they knew it.

Just down from where we found the two young lion nomads panting in the heat out in the open next to a pool of water, we saw a few zebra. This mare must have produced a foal just days before. It was still very small and very unsure of the big wide world around it. Its mother’s tail seemed to offer some sort of comfort but it really highlighted its vulnerability.

Further on that day, we found a large herd of eland. They were grazing in the open grassland.  We saw three large males among many females. This was one of them. The males start to take on a greyish colour as they get older. This male’s dewlap (that large flap of skin under his neck) acts as a radiator helping to cool him down in open grasslands. The older males also take on a fringe on their forehead.

The next images shows the view looking across the plain towards the Oloololo escarpment with Thompson’s gazelle grazing in the foreground and the herd of eland wandering away behind them.

“Stand your ground, have a tough hide, keep moving on. Cherish wide open spaces. Have a strong spirit, roam wild and free.  Let the chips fall where they may.” ~ IIan Shamir

One day we decided to stay on the Masai Mara reserve side of the Mara river and wandered down to the inselbergs near the Serengeti border. As we travelled closer to the Oloololo escarpment we found a large herd of buffalo grazing in the open grasslands. This was one of the periphery bulls guarding the herd’s flank. Slit eyes saying what on earth  do you want!

The herd was spread out behind him. Needless to say, the whole herd looked up and watched carefully to see whether we were a threat or not.

Close to the Kichwa Tembo camp we found a small group of Coke’s hartebeest. There are not many of them in the Mara so this was an unusual find. There are eight subspecies of hartebeest of which Coke’s is the one found in Kenya and the northern Serengeti.

“Ah, youth! It was a beautiful night…
The moon was out of orbit. The stars were awry.
But everything else was exactly as it should have been.”
~ Roman Payne

Coke’s hartebeest, or kongoni, are selective grazers with browsing making up just less than 4% of their diet. A young Coke’s hartebeest squares off against an adult topi. The competition was short-lived with the youngster backing down.

I think topis are one of the most under-rated and least talked about antelope in the Mara and Serengeti. A topi resembles a hartebeest. It has an elongated head but has a darker  reddish-brown colouration with dark purple patches on their upper legs. Both sexes look similar, though males are larger. A topi’s horns sweep up and back whereas a hartebeest’s sweep out to the side before kinking back. The topi has a distinct hump at the base of the neck. This may be to enable additional tendons to be attached at the shoulder to give greater strength to power its fast front legs. Topis are of capable of reaching speeds of 70 to 80 kilometres per hour.

“We have more to learn from animals than animals have to learn from us.” ~ Anthony Douglas Williams

Topis can often be seen standing on top of an anthill presumably to see what is around it but also to be noticed by any passing females. If a topi is staring intently in one particular direction, it often signals it has seen something of consequence such as a predator.

During the breeding season, a territorial bull can be recognised by his erect posture, with his head held high and high-stepping front leg movement. While on the move, topis have a habit of bobbing their heads but I am not sure why they do that.

The topi has one of the most variable social and mating systems of all the antelopes. Its social system can vary from a small resident herd to huge migratory aggregations. In low density areas, the males tend to have large territories while others congregate in breeding arenas, or leks.

Topi’s seem to prefer open grasslands and savanna areas. Where the density of topi is low a male’s territory can be quite large and can include up to 10 females.

Where a breeding arena has been established there are many ritualistic fights to display dominance. Both males and female fight. The males for dominance and the females to keep other females out of the breeding territory and compete with each other for the dominant males. Not sure how you see your opponent if your head in on the ground….

Competition between rival males consists primarily of posturing and ritualistic sparring with the horns. Like wildebeest, topis fight on their front leg knees. They lunge forward and drop onto their knees and crash their horns together. It is mostly about dominance and pushing to establish the strongest and most dominant in the contact.

In a lek, as many as 100 males may have territories clustered together. The most dominant males occupy the centre of the lek, and the less dominant occupy the periphery.  Males mark their territories with urine and dung. On the plains when the migration is underway, these leks tend to be temporary, otherwise the males risk getting left behind. The males rejoin the migration but re-establish a territorial network when the herd stops again on its migratory route.

Females come into estrous for only one day of the year and seek out favoured males. The female seemed to be the only one relaxed about the situation.

The youngster did not know what was happening to its mother and just stayed close despite all the mating encounters.

There are two main types of gazelle on the Mara and Serengeti plains, the smaller Thomspon’s gazelle and the larger Grant’s gazelle. This was a female Grant’s gazelle reassuring her calf.

The Grant’s gazelle is noticeably larger than the Thompson’s gazelle and the white on the back of the hind legs reaches to above the tail.

The Thompson’s gazelle is much smaller than the Grants and has a dark brown stripe long its flank and the white behind its back legs which does not go above its tail.

There are not as many impala on the plains as you are likely to see in southern Africa but the males have noticeably larger horns. We came across a small breeding herd grazing along a drainage line. The male causally walked through the water filled gully but the females and calves jumped over the gully, obviously fearful of what was in the water.

A female impala taking off to jump across the drainage line gully.

Every lunchtime, when we were on the Mara North side of the Mara river, we retreated into the shade of the “greenheart” forest next to the meandering Mara river.  We often found elephants and giraffe wandering through the forest.

It was a beautiful place with a restful and serene vista. A giraffe’s coat pattern differs for each individual. Each sub-species has a broadly different pattern colour and shape which varies according to region. The pattern of the coat improves camouflage in the different habitats. Giraffes have exceptional eyesight and also are believed to communicate through subsonic vocalizations, though this has  to be scientifically proven. Scientist have discovered that giraffes hum. In a study published in 2015 in the journal BioMed Central, researchers recorded over 940 hours of sounds from giraffes at three zoos over an eight-year period. Beyond the occasional snort or grunt, the researchers recorded humming sounds that the giraffes made only at night.

The Masai giraffe’s spots are more jagged than the other sub-species. The males generally have darker spots than the females and those spots darken with age. The dominant male has the darkest spots of all.

“As you stop and look more carefully, your journey of discovery begins. Intriguing questions arise and your physical and intellectual wanderings begin to unveil their answers. The more you learn the more fascinating your subject becomes…” ~ Mike Haworth

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

Have fun,

Mike

The Mara is a stage where intense dramas of life and death are played out. None more so than among predators. On the plains, the predator interactions take on epic proportions. Both lions and hyaenas work in large groups because cooperation is key to their survival when the opposition is an army.

“There is much you do not understand about me! You do not understand by cackles. My whoops carry for miles and bind our clan together. I am tough, fast and have endurance. I know my place in the family and work cooperatively when out on the plains. I am intelligent and enigmatic, so under-estimate me at your peril.” ~Mike Haworth

This post focuses on the hyaena clans in the North Mara, in Kenya’s Maasia Mara reserve. The archetype of hyaenas being hideous, filthy scavengers is firmly dispelled in the Mara. Here hyaenas are not the cowardly gangster scavengers they are made out to be in so many characterisations, but rather they are tactical hunters who do most of their hunting for themselves and lions are more often or not the scavengers.

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”~ Benjamin Franklin

Hyaenas are mostly nocturnal and have excellent night vision so do most of their hunting at night. The females with cubs sleep or spend time near their den during the daytime. Otherwise they are scattered across the plains, hiding out as opportunists. We found these three hyaenas at dawn close to their den.

Hyaena scouts lie dispersed throughout the plains. As soon as an opportunity arises the individual hyaena will capitalise on that opportunity for itself. If the quarry is too big then the individual will call for reinforcements. The closest scouts will respond quickly.

The respondents move on at pace for extended periods and can reach speeds of 60 kilometres per hour.

“We slander the hyaena; man is the fiercest and cruelest animal.”~ Henry David Thoreau

The first clan members at a kill eat first. The strict hierarchy only comes into play once the dominant clan members arrive. Until that time, the lower ranking members of the clan fight viciously to assert their rights and claim their share.

  

There are many distractions at the kill. Lower ranking clan members try distraction tactics. If successful they quickly snatch the remains and run.

“A hyaena has a formidable survival kit  – endurance, strength, powerful jaws and a digestive system which can cope with most things. But that is not enough on the plains, where their opponents work in prides and packs and much of its prey is too large for an individual hyaena to take down. Cooperation, discipline and tactics are the hallmarks of a successful hyaena clan.” ~ Mike Haworth

The bloody signs of an active breakfast.

Another morning another experience!!!! This particular morning we had an incredible sighting of a hyaena clan taking down a buffalo calf.

The take down was not quick. The adult hyaenas attacked the calf’s backside, belly and hind leg flanks. The buffalo calf was tenacious beyond anything humans can understand. 

“What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out. “ ~   Alfred Hitchock

Although hyaenas have incredibly strong jaws they do not have the paw gripping capability of lions. As a consequence they have to wear their prey down and bite chunks out of it so that it loses blood and eventually collapses. It was a difficult scene to watch for the first time, but this drama plays out on the plains almost every day.

Buffalo breakfast dining – hyaena style. Those bloody faces say it all. These clan members were piling in and gorging themselves, but were also very wary of lions. Rightly so, for everything changed a few minutes later with the arrival of two big young blonde male lions – hungry nomads.

Another time, another place in the Mara North at a clan den in the Marsh pride’s territory close to the Mara river, the hyaena family affair was playing out. There is usually fierce competition between pups from the same mother.

This female would not allow other female’s pups to suckle from her. There is a strictly enforced hierarchy in the clan when the matriarch is at the den, otherwise it can become quite a power struggle.

“In short, not only are things not what they seem, they are not even what they are called!” ~ Francisco de Quevedo

This hyaena pup had lost all of its black hair and had started to get its typical spots, but I am not sure whether this was a male or female. Female spotted hyenas have an elongated clitoris that closely resembles the penis of a male. These pseudo-penises are paired with “testicles” which are actually fused labia filled with fatty tissue. Female hyaena urinate, are fertilised and give birth through this pseudo-penis- all is not what it seems!!

A young cub, less than three months old, was seeking comfort from its mother. With teeth like that and the strongest jaws on the savanna, softness needs to be a delicate process.

Herbivores know only too well that hyaenas are dangerous and tenacious predators with incredible stamina and the last thing they want is to be caught in those jaws because the chances are they will not let go.

Anyone who has been anywhere close to hyaenas know they stink. I could not help smiling at this image, clan etiquette aside!!

Hyaena females do not suckle other female’s pups no matter how hungry the pups are !! 

“The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.” ~Atisa

Competition is bred in early in the programming process.

Once the hierarchy is established peace descends over the den and the pups can start to suckle again. Hyaena milk is estimated to be 30% fat and protein and eight times richer than that of a human.

Hyaenas have an unmistakable shape and gait in full colour or silhouette.

Hyaenas represent one of the most misunderstood predators in the African savanna and live much more complex, intelligent, cooperative lives than the archetypal cackling, savage scavengers they are made out to be. These are high intelligent, tactical animals which are excellent hunters. We humans are slowly getting to understand and appreciate these enigmatic predators.

“Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many.” ~ Phaedrus

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter-connectedeness and let it be.

Have fun,

Mike

The Maasai Mara is the most incredible place in which to wander. A camera opens up your vision helping you to look more closely. This is a place of wild open spaces and big skies where your eyes dance in the haze and you can breathe deeply, a feeling which soothes your soul.

“This place will immerse you in its beauty and wonder. A place which remains relatively untouched by humanity. It is the northern most part of a stage where one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in the world is enacted every year, the wildebeest migration. Every day life and death dramas are being played out between predator and prey. Where cuteness and savagery live side by side.” ~ Mike Haworth

You will be intrigued by the sights, behaviours and scenes. This blog is a gallery of scenes which hopefully gives you a feeling of what you might sense when you wander through this wild place.

The beginning of the day will flood your senses with colour and space.

Ordinary things will sparkle and take on a whole new sense in the backlight.

“Because things grow. Wherever there is air and light and open space, things grow.” ~Helen Oyeyemi

Early morning is a time when the lion prides come down to drink- a family affair!

Zebras become habituated to crossing crocodile infected rivers on their migratory route but all the terror that it brings is somehow washed away in the open plains where they let their guard down and easily wander into the middle of these pools of water to drink.

Some pools are vacated for very good reasons. Two young blonde male lions struggling in the heat on the open plains have come down to rest next to a pool of water in a drainage line. Not 100 metres away were three old “dagga boys” resting in the short grass but keeping careful eye on their nemesis.

One morning we decided to travel through the Maasia Mara reserve and wandered down to the Serengeti border. This is a place of Inselbergs and vast open grasslands where the plains are dotted with Balanites. This is one of the scenes looking toward the Oloololo escarpment. A small group of bull elephants were ambling slowly through the vast grassland plains feeding at will.

In the Mara North, there were a few large herds of buffalo. This was one such herd. It was spread out feeding on the lush grasslands with plenty of water in pools along the drainage lines.

Down in the Marsh pride’s territory close to the Mara river next to the marsh we found this family herd of elephants casually feeding on the lush vegetation.

A small family group of elephants emerged from the “greenheart” forest next to the Mara river in the area of the Marsh pride.

“Everything in nature invites us constantly to be what we are. We are often like rivers: careless and forceful, timid and dangerous, lucid and muddied, eddying, gleaming, still.”
~ Gretel Ehrlich

In the middle of the day we stopped in the “greenheart” forest next to the Mara river. This was the scene from the vehicle where we ate lunch and edited some of our images.

Early one morning in the Mara North we looked high and low for this pride of lions. It is quite incredible how they can disappear in the open grasslands when they lie down. As you can see there were large banks of cloud passing overhead creating strata of light and shadow across the plains.

“To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure, is the most perfect refreshment.”~Jane Austen

Eventually it got too hot for this pride of lions and they made their way to the only shade in the area, what looked like a very old Shepherd tree. The Topis in the background kept a close eye on the resting family.

Another scene where family pride were resting, mid-morning, in the shade of a Balanite.

One afternoon, the wind had picked up and it became overcast. I liked this image of the tails of the group of zebras being blown to one side by the wind. Something had caught their attention, probably a predator.

This scene was around 8h00 in the morning in the Mara North. There was a lot of game on the plains feeding peacefully but the weather had other plans.

In the Mara North just the other side of “double crossing” we found this lone male cheetah. He was resting in the shade even though it was early in the morning. We took one look at his belly and decided that he would be resting for the day .

“Heaven is under our feet, as well as over our heads.”~ Henry David Thoreau

A panorama of the Maasia Mara from just below the Oloololo escarpment showing the dotted plains cast in wide open space.

Dawn and dusk are picturesque times of the day when ordinary scenes become extraordinary, cast in an entirely different light. Two female Thompson’s gazelle have the attention of a male.

This is a glimpse of the light, colour, space and textures you can be immersed in when wandering through the Mara.

“The poetry of the earth is never dead.” ~John Keats

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

Have fun,

Mike

The Mara provides eclectic wildlife photographic opportunities. We did not focus on birds during our last trip in February but they were all around so it was not difficult  to see and photograph a variety of raptor wader and insectivores.

“I marvel at its diversity; I am spellbound by its beauty.  I see its adversity and  admire its uniqueness. I am intrigued by its adaptation and humbled by its intelligence.” ~ Mike Haworth

A male Kori Bustard walking through the grasslands displaying. There were no females anywhere near but the white feathers under his elevated tail were a beacon.

 

A white-fronted bee-eater. We saw very few bee-eaters, the only other species I saw were little bee-eaters.

Short-toed snake-eagle. This was a first for me. I struggled to identify this raptor but the shape of the head and the piercing yellow eye were definite clues that it was a snake-eagle.

African marsh harrier guiding over the grasslands looking for insects and small reptiles and birds. We saw many of these harriers as you can imagine with such vast grasslands to hunt on.

“We are a landscape of all we have seen.” ~   Isamu Noguchi

Ruppell’s Griffon vulture flying into a carcass ahead of a spotted hyaena. The Ruppell’s has distinctive streaked brown and white body feathers. This was a juvenile as the adult has a distinctive orange-yellow tip to the beak with a black cere.

Cape vulture flying in to join the carcass dining party. The Cape Vulture is larger than the Ruppell’s vulture. Their whitish overall look is the distinctive feature. This is also a juvenile as the adults have a yellow eye.

Another Ruppell’s Griffon vulture following the Cape vulture to the Topi calf carcass.

As you can see once you find a carcass you and all the raptors will converge. This is an adult Blonde morph Tawny eagle flying in to investigate the Topi carcass.

“Birds have wings; they’re free; they can fly where they want when they want. They have the kind of mobility many people envy.” ~Roger Tory Peterson

The blonde morph Tawny eagle took off after deciding there was too much competition around the carcass from hyaenas and vultures.

Another male Kori bustard displaying with beautiful clear morning light on him. he did not catch any of the female’s attention that we could see but her certainly caught our attention.

The one morning it was sunny but windy. We had been watch a coalition of young male lions next to a pool of water where there was no shade just open grassland. Further along the drainage line was another pool of water with a solitary grumpy hippo in it but there was a lot of swallow activity. this was one of the Barn swallows which flew in for a rest. They seem to absolutely love the wind it seems to energise them and they become playful.

This Grey crowned crane was very busy plucking seeds off the grass stems.

Glamorous beyond design.

White-browed coucal foraging through a few low bushes hunting for insects.

Rufous-naped lark declaring his territory from the top of a low bush.

A male Kori bustard showing off his finery while striding through the grasslands of the Mara. The males were strutting their stuff but we did not see any females nearby.

Wood sandpiper resting next to the water’s edge.

“The soul that can speak with its eyes can also kiss with a gaze.” ~   Author Unknown 

Common Greenshank looks much like the Marsh sandpiper but is much larger and has a slightly upturned bill.

A spur-winged lapwing watching out for aerial predators.

Grey crowned crane having just had a drink on a hot afternoon in the Mara north.

“If you desire to see, learn to act.” ~  Heinz von Foerster

A Tawny eagle chasing a Black stork – unsuccessfully!

A blonde morph Tawny eagle taking off after not getting a  opportunity to pick up scraps with all the hyaenas and vultures around the carcass.

A Tawny eagle scanning the grasslands.

Wood sandpiper searching for food on the surface of the water. A palearctic visitor in East Africa between September and May each year.

This Marsh sandpiper was trawling the same pool of water as the Common Greenshank and Wood sandpiper, all the while watched by a pride of lions.

“Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” ~   William Shakespeare 

Wood sandpiper mating dance with much head wagging and beak rubbing.

When on the Mara plains the mammals are the first ones to catch your attention because of their size and numbers, but the Mara offers a treasure trove for birdwatchers.

There are many raptors which fly by while watching the lions or elephants. There are numerous drainage gullies with streams and pools of water which attract waders and are a place for other birds to drink. The carcasses attract numerous species of raptors. There are wanders like kites and harriers which cast a passing glance. There are those that stride through the grasslands like ostriches, bustards, ground hornbills and secretary birds. There are also those which catch insects on the wing. Distractions there are many!!

This was just a sample of the birds we saw while photographing other things. I hope your enjoyed the sample.

“Life just seems so full of connections. Most of the time we don’t even pay attention to the depth of life. We only see flat surfaces.” ~ Colin Neenan

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

Have fun,

Mike