On the first afternoon of this Mara trip with Wild Eye, we found four lionesses near the lugga that led down to where we saw Nshipai, a leopardess. There were no wildebeest or zebra to be seen. The migration had moved down into the Serengeti three weeks earlier. The lionesses had managed to kill a Reedbuck, but the pickings were slim for four adult hungry lionesses.

The second morning we found the four lionesses on the move traveling north. One lioness was younger than the other three and was limping.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” ~ African Proverb

As the lionesses were walking up the lugga, they would stop and rest every now and then. The lionesses following would catch up with the lead lioness and there were always rubbed heads.

As the sun progressively rose there was beautiful golden morning light which illuminated the lead lioness.

“Our destiny is not written for us, it’s written by us.” ~ Barack Obama

We had driven about a kilometre ahead of the lionesses who were following the course of a lugga. At a small pond of water under two large trees we found two old buffalo bulls. These solitary older male buffalos are sometimes referred to as “dagga boys”. The word dagga comes from one of the African languages which means mud. The reason these bulls are either solitary or in small groups is because they have been forced out of the herd by the younger bulls. “Dagga Boys ” are known to be bad tempered and are best left alone. These two old buffalo bulls were not covered in “dagga” or mud because the rains had begun in the Mara and the downpours were heavy enough to wash all the dagga away. The old bulls love wallowing in the mud as it has a cooling effect, and the mud makes it more difficult for biting insects to get into the soft skin areas.

“You will be defined not just by what you achieve, but by how you survive.” ~ Sheryl Sandberg

The two buffalo bulls had sated their thirst at the pond and were walking away when the lionesses approached. All three of us (photographers) in the game vehicle said there was no chance that the four lionesses would take on two large buffalo bulls, especially when one lioness was limping.

The buffalo bulls stopped to assess what the lionesses were going to do. They just stood there as the lionesses draw adjacent to them. Initially, the lionesses made no attempt to chase the buffalos. Then unexpectedly, and for no apparent reason, one of the buffalo bulls bolted back down towards the pond where they had been drinking minutes before. The second buffalo bull followed. The buffalos running triggered the chase response from two of the larger lionesses.

The second buffalo bull initially followed his partner. One lioness gave chase seeking to separate the bulls.

“There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent.” ~ Lao Tzu

The chasing lionesses managed to trap one bull in a hollow in the lugga. This badly restricted the bull’s ability spin around and protect itself.

Both lionesses managed to get a grip of the bull’s hindquarters, one on its rump and the second biting the tendons on one of its back legs. The other two lionesses quickly piled into help. The second buffalo bull saw what was happening and ran left and crossed the lugga to stand about thirty metres on the other side of the pond.

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” ~ Michael Jordan

The caught buffalo bull was bellowing but his partner stood some distance away and did not try to help his trapped partner. We wondered why but it was probably because of the restricted position the first bull was caught in. It was not in the open and there was very little space to be able to attack the lionesses.

It must have taken the four lionesses about twenty minutes to get the bull onto the ground.

Without help, once the bull was lying on the ground it was just a matter of time before the lioness had choked the life out of it with a strong jaw clamp to the neck to restrict the windpipe and suffocate the bull.

“Think ahead to not get cornered.” ~ Mike Haworth

It must have taken another ten to fifteen minutes before the buffalo bull was dead. The other buffalo bull walked away knowing that there was nothing he could do, and he was reasonably sure the lionesses were not going to follow him as they were now very tired.

“Determined and sustained effort are crucial ingredients for success.” ~ Mike Haworth

Once the lionesses had killed the buffalo bull, they just lay around getting their breath back after the enormous effort required to kill this large bull.

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.” ~Helen Keller

Killing the buffalo is one thing, getting through its hide is another. A buffalo bull’s hide is thick, around its neck the skin can be as thick as two inches (50mm) in places, which protects it during battles with other bulls for dominance. The softest places and where the skin is thinnest is the belly and between the bull’s back legs.

The lionesses were clearly hungry so the buffalo kill was opportune and would provide plenty of meat for the next few days. That assumed the lionesses had the buffalo carcass to themselves and would not have visitors such as a large pack of hyaenas or coalition of male lions.

On day three, we returned to the buffalo kill to find three large male lions dominating the carcass and the lionesses lying some distance away. One female tried repeatedly to feed on the carcass, but the males were having none of it.

The oldest and largest of the males had a black mane and a cut below his left eye. It looked as if a claw had narrowly missed his eye. He would not let the lionesses feed on the carcass when he was next to it.

Once the oldest male had his fill he walked over and drank from the stream flowing out of the pool next to the kill.

Once the oldest male had finished the other two males tucked into the carcass. They too would not share with the females.

“The lion’s courage is forged in the crucible of adversity, and its roar is the anthem of triumph over challenges.” ~ Rashida Rowe

There was lots of growling and snarling when the two males were feeding on the same part of the buffalo carcass, but the snarls never erupted into any form of fighting.

Once the males had finished feeding they moved about 20 to 30 metres from the carcass and lay down and slept.

It was notable that the only competition the lions had was from a pair of Black-backed jackals and a few vultures. We never saw a hyaena. This was probably because of the male lions.

Once the males had finished there was almost nothing left of the buffalo carcass. It took about four days for the lions to completely finish the buffalo carcass. Once finished the lionesses and male lions went their separate ways.

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” ~ Gary Snyder

It was fascinating to see all the actions and interactions from the start of the hunt to when the carcass had been finished. The three photographers in our game vehicle all smiled at the end of the saga and said we certainly did not judge those lionesses correctly. The crux of the kill seemed to be that the lionesses trapped the bull in a hollow in the lugga which made it very difficult for him to whirl around and protect himself and also gave his partner no room to properly defend him.

“At the start of a game drive you are full of anticipation. On the drive the visual beauty and scents of the bush make your senses swim. Nature is unpredictable but reveals a little more of itself each time creating fascination and building more mystery.” ~ Mike Haworth

One of the most intriguing aspects is that all of us in the game vehicle had been in the bush and seen many lion hunts and we still got our assessment of their probable success wrong. Part of what makes wildlife photography so interesting is that you come away marveling at the tenacity and strategy of lion hunts. No one wants to get in the way of a hungry lioness.

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

Have fun, Mike.

We were based at Wild Eye’s Enkishui camp in the southern end of the Mara Triangle. The camp is located on the western bank of the Mara river about two kilometres up river from the Purungat gate.

I really enjoy late September-October in the Mara because the crowds have disappeared and the skies are full of cumulus and cumulonimbus cloud formations in the afternoons creating wonderful backgrounds for our wildlife photography.

“Nature, especially wilderness, has a calming effect on the mind” ~ Percy Fernandez

What was unusual about this trip was the migration had left three weeks before we arrived. I had never seen the plains of the Mara Triangle with so few herbivores. But nature is endlessly fascinating. With so few herbivores, the predators had to work much harder to find food.

I had more leopard sightings this trip to the Mara Triangle than all my previous trips combined. On the first afternoon we were out in the Triangle and found this leopardess, called Nshipai, walking down to the bank of the Mara river. There was plenty of water around so she must have been hunting.

While walking through the grass and among croton bushes this leopardess was on high alert. There could have been anything sleeping in the grass from predator to prey.

Although there are plenty of large trees to escape up into, leopards need to be aware of lions and hyaenas in this area. This leopardess was alert and often looked back when she heard something.

“I look closely for moments like a fleeting tender touch or expression that is character-revealing” ~ Alison Langevad

The next day we were privileged to see four lionesses take down a large buffalo bull in the morning. This experience will be the subject of my next post. That afternoon we returned to the buffalo kill and spent most of the afternoon watching the interactions between the lionesses. Once the sun started to set we began to drive back to camp. It was late, the skies were darkening and it looked as though it was about to rain. Our guide, Jimmy, saw movement in the grass on the other side of a lugga (drainage line). It was the leopardess, Nshipai, feeding on a Yellow-billed stork she caught in the lugga. Leopards are superb hunters and will adapt when their normal prey is not available.

This leopardess was well hidden in the grass alongside the lugga and she was dead quiet while feeding on the stork.

Once she had eaten all she could of the stork’s carcass, she got up, had a careful look around her before walking away from the area.

Nshipai began to walk up towards the ridge when it started to rain. She promptly turned around and began casually walking back down toward the lugga. For a short while as she walking down to the lugga in light rain, there was sun on the area she was walking in and the backdrop was a dark blue sky, pregnant with rain and a beautiful rainbow. It is not often you get this photographic combination.

“It all ultimately comes down to showing respect to nature and understanding the species you want to photograph” ~ Riddhi Mukherjee

Every now and then she would stop while it was raining to see if the rain had flushed anything out of its hiding place. Leopards make use of their very long tails for a variety of different functions. Its position and shape expresses their mood, it acts as a form of communication and for enhanced movement. Their prehensile-like tails act like an additional limb, allowing leopards to increase their balance when climbing and giving more ability to turn sharply when chasing prey, like a rudder.

This leopardess nonchalantly walked back down the hill towards the lugga as it started to rain. The light was changing constantly as the storm built up.

The leopardess eventually walked down into the lugga to sit under an overhanging shelf to wait out the storm. She walked straight to the overhang so must have known this area intimately. She groomed herself while waiting for the storm to abate.

“I appreciate these moments where I can get away from life and focus on living”~ TJ Thorne

The next afternoon, it was dusk and we were driving back to camp after watching the male lions feeding on the buffalo carcass. Lying in the grass about 20 metres off the road this leopardess lay flat in the grass hoping that we would not see her. Our guide Jimmy saw her first.

After she realised that we had seen her, she relaxed and sat up. She quietly looked around listening attentively to every sound.

Our guide thought this female had two cubs which she had hidden in the lugga close to the road. She stayed in the vicinity for the entire time we were in the Triangle and there was not a lot of prey around so she probably had a cub hidden around there.

“To approach animals in their most natural, native settings. I have to understand the mysteries of their behaviour. With careful preparation, I can show the animal in its best light, demonstrating its beauty, strength, and intelligence “
~ Paul Nicklen

After about fifteen minutes she yawned, got up and stretched. It looked like she was about to start her nocturnal hunting and territory marking.

By now it was almost dark and she walked out of the grass onto the road. She sat on the road and looked around for a while before deciding which direction to go off hunting.

On our second last day we met Shujaa, the Swahili word that means brave or courageous. It also refers to someone who is a warrior and he looked the part. This was the largest male leopard I have ever seen and looked to be the size of a decent sized lioness.

Shujaa’s muzzle showed some recent wounds from deep raking claws. This was probably a territorial battle which judging from the way he was walking around, he must have won. This male was huge, muscular and had a dewlap to match.

“I think a photograph, of whatever it might be – a landscape, a person – requires personal involvement. That means knowing your subject, not just snapping at what’s in front of you” ~ Frans Lanting

Shujaa had a somewhat demonic look which was due to the healed wounds around his eyes, on the bridge of his nose and upper lip.

We first found Shujaa early in the morning walking through dew soaked grass. He was alert but exuded confidence which appeared to come from his size and experience.

For me it was very unusual to see any leopard, and particularly a male leopard, way out in the open with no trees within a couple of hundred metres. Shujaa walked through the Mara grass with absolute confidence.

“Nature is my muse, and it’s been my passion” ~ Frans Lanting

Although Shujaa appeared quite comfortable walking across a large open plain, he positioned himself to see down into luggas from a vantage point. We presumed there were two reasons for this. Firstly, any leopard would likely stick to the cover provided by the luggas and secondly this is where he could catch birds and where Reedbuck preferred to forage.

It was not only the size but the look of this male leopard which caught my imagination. He was probably the father of Nshipai’s cubs.

“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed “ ~ Ansel Adams

This trip was different and memorable. The main reason being that the wildebeest and zebra migration had moved on south into the Serengeti about three weeks earlier. This was probably the reason we were privileged to have more leopard sightings.

Leopards are survivors because they are adaptable and will eat almost anything. A leopard will hunt anything from antelope, baboons and monkeys to hares and hyraxes to warthogs, porcupines and reptiles, rodents and birds. It will even feed on carrion and fish. When and where possible leopards will lift their kill into a high tree to prevent it from being stolen by lions, hyenas or wild dogs. They are strong enough to be able to carry up to three times their body weight. You have to marvel at their adaptability.

“Where your passion meets your talent, that is where you want to be.” ~ Roie Galitz

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

Have fun, Mike

In October last year I joined a photographic group at Wild Eye’s Enkishui camp. This camp is sited on the banks of the Mara river about two kilometres up river from the Purungat gate and rangers’ camp. There camp is located in a croton grove which attracts a variety of small wildlife.

The camp was initially sited at this location to prevent the high level of wildebeest deaths when they crossed the Mara at this point. The carcasses floated down river and got snagged on the rocks near the Purungat bridge making the smell from July to September at this point of the migration unbearable. The position of the camp has worked extremely well and the wildebeest rarely try to cross the river close to the camp and there is no smell of rotting carcasses.

“Dawn was breaking. The early morning air was brisk. The game vehicle doors were open inviting us to climb in. The sense of anticipation was building knowing we would see new and unexpected wonders while wandering.” ~ Mike Haworth

We were usually up and drinking at cup of coffee before 6h00 to be ready to leave camp at 6h00. At this time the sun is just starting to crest over the horizon. We were usually out and about in the Triangle until 12h00 at which time we returned to camp to download our images and have lunch.

The game vehicles and guides were ready and waiting for us at 6h00 just as it was starting to brighten up. We were often treated the most beautiful sunrises. Interestingly the sunrises and sunsets have a yellower hue to them compared to the orange rust colours in southern Africa. The latter is drier so the added dust probably alters the colour of the sky.

This is the time when we can walk around the camp quietly to see the smaller mammals and a wonderful variety of birds. Quite close to my tent was a family of dwarf mongooses which had become habituated to all the human movement around the camp.

At the entrance to path leading to fellow photographer, Joe Knapman’s tent, was a Collared sunbird nest. Both the male and female regularly visited the nest.

First thing in the morning, the beautiful song of the White-browed robin-chat could be heard around camp. At midday they were busy foraging in the leaf litter close to my tent.

Very close to the White-browed robin-chat was female Nubian woodpecker busying herself looking for and finding grubs and insects in and under the bark of a fallen tree.

It was interesting to see a pod of hippos sunning themselves on the bank of the Mara river opposite our camp. When it got too hot they simply rolled back into the river. At night you could hear the hippos snorting to each and they would often be foraging around the tents. This noise usually woke me up but the hippos never got tangled in the tents’ guy ropes.

These Dwarf mongooses were very busy and inquisitive around the camp. This species is diurnal so forage during the day in grass and tree undergrowth for flying and crawling insects. The family lives in an old anthill near the tents.

On a few afternoons after lunch as we were preparing to head out game viewing for the afternoon, the storm clouds would build creating a wonderful atmosphere as there was a palpable feeling of an impending storm.

“The eye never forgets what the heart has seen.” ~ African Proverb

A view of the Mara river at last light when we returned to camp. We usually gathered around the camp fire to have a drink and tell stories of what we had seen. The game vehicles tended to go in different directions to ensure better coverage and if a special sighting was found the guide would radio to the others the location and within half and hour the other vehicles would arrive at the sighting.

Wandering through the croton grove yielded some unexpected visitors. I was delighted to find this Brown-throated Wattle-eye in the camp environs.

“Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” ~ Mary Ritter Beard

In the same part of the croton grove as the Wattle-eye, I found a male Paradise flycatcher. Trying to photograph these flighty small birds in the crotons requires a high level of patience and attention.

One evening, the Wild Eye camp staff set up dinner on the bank of the Mara river with this view. It was essentially the other side of the bend in the river and another kilometre or so downriver was the Purungat gate and bridge. It always amazed me how well the staff set up this type of bush restaurant with ambience, full bar and piping hot tasty food.

While it is always interesting and productive to go out in the mornings and afternoons in the game vehicle we do not usually get the chance to wander around the camp in the early morning from 6h300 to 8h30 when there is good soft light and the birds are very active. Nevertheless, the wandering at lunchtime can be fun and productive.

“You cannot leave Africa, Africa said. It is always with you, there inside your head. Our rivers run in currents in the swirl of your thumbprints; our drumbeats counting out your pulse; our coastline the silhouette of your soul.” ~ Bridget Dore

The next post will be of leopards we saw in the southern section of the Mara Triangle.

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

Have fun, Mike

This is the last post from my trip with Wild Eye to the Masai Mara in October last year.

The Mara river and all the goings on around that river is the centre of attraction but by no means the only attraction. This post shows the diversity of scenery which you can see while travelling around the Mara Triangle.

“Jobs fill your pockets, but adventures fill your soul.” ~ Jaime Lyn

The Mara river can cast quite a moody spell depending on the weather. In October, it was the start of the short rains so the skies darkened on occasion which created quite an intense feeling of expectation when peering up the river.

On other occasions when the sun was out it created a relaxed carefree feeling and without animals on either bank all was calm.

We were parked on the west side of the Mara river. On the east side the wildebeest would mass and eventually the animals at the back would push the animals on the river bank closer to the river. In the next image, the wildebeest were congregating among the croton bushes waiting for the right signal to cross.

“Adventure is not outside man; it is within.” ~ George Eliot

While waiting for the crossing to build we would pull back from the river and watch from a rise about a kilometre away where we could watch the movement of the wildebeest and try to predict where they were likely to cross.

From the west bank of the Mara river looking east to Out Look Hill you could see thousands and thousands of wildebeest making their way over the hill and down towards the Mara river.

Crossing the Mara river is a daunting challenge because of the very steep banks along sections of the river. The river itself is flowing at around five kilometres per hour and each bank attracts predators. To add to the crossing’s challenge the river is home to many large Nile crocodiles.

The compulsion to follow the rains and move towards fresh grazing grounds seems to be overwhelming. Eventually the first intrepid river “crossers” venture down the steep bank and plunge into the fast flowing water.

“Live your life by a compass, not a clock.” ~ Stephen Covey

From the horizon, if wildebeest see a crossing taking place and they race to join the crossing. There is relative safety numbers so it is worth joining the mass crossing.

The Peninsula crossing is close to the Wild Eye camp so we were able to get there just after six in the morning. Of the four large crossings we saw, two were around sunrise at around 6h20.

Pensive but compulsive. The wildebeest were watching the surface of the water for any signs of crocodiles.

One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.” ~ William Feather

The multiple crossing routes at Miti Moja were further up river from the Peninsula crossing point. Here the bank was much steeper and deep paths had been cut into the earthen bank by thousands of previous wildebeest descending the bank towards the river’s edge.

Once in the water the wildebeest swim for their lives. The crocodiles tend to stay on the periphery of the crossing so as not to be trampled.

The Mara river takes a left hand bend just before the Purungat bridge. It is very rocky in this section and does not have the steep banks seen at Miti Moja. In the past many wildebeest tried to cross a few hundred metres up the river but drowned and would be caught up on the rocks. As you can imagine the smell of all the decaying carcasses must have been horrendous. Wild Eye was allowed to set up a camp a few hundred metres up river to prevent the wildebeest crossing at that point. The position of the camp stopped the wildebeest crossing in that section and solved the carcass build up so it no longer smells. The next image is of the view from the Purungat bridge looking up river from the bridge. The Wild Eye camp is a few hundred metres up river from the bend in the image below.

The view is also from the Purungat bridge but taken looking down the Mara river from the Purungat bridge towards the Serengeti in Tanzania.

A lone Masai giraffe looking east over the Mara river while the rain clouds were building in the background. Some of the advantages of visiting the Masai Mara in October are that it is low season and the rains were building so the skies became very colourful and moody.

Looking out over the plains on an almost clear warm October morning – bliss.

“The most beautiful gift of nature is that it gives one pleasure to look around and try to comprehend what we see.” ~Albert Einstein

By contrast, the afternoons tended to be characterised by huge cloud build ups which at sunset would create a vivid scene saturated with colour.

We were able to get across to the east side of the Mara river via the Purungat bridge. We ventured onto the east side to find a pair of black rhinos, an adolescent and it its mother. The background shows the vastness of just a part of the Masai Mara.

Just after sunrise we found a large male lion close to the Main road about four kilometres up from the Purungat bridge. The light was soft and behind him were the vast plains stretching down into the Serengeti.

A small herd of Plains zebra were drinking at an old borrow pit created during the road making and which had since become a waterhole.

Looking west toward the Oloololo escarpment down in the southern section of the Mara Triangle. A inselberg is partly visible on the right hand side of the image. Two young nomad male lions were making their way through the grass to an inselberg behind us. The inselberg would provide them with a hiding place and a high look out point.

Down in the south of the Mara Triangle close to the Tanzanian border. The plains were dotted with Balanites and numerous grazing wildebeest. In the background was the Oloololo escarpment with storm clouds building in the late morning. We were on our way down to find a female leopard seen in a lugga (a seasonal water course). We never got a good sighting of the leopardess but the trip to find her was worthwhile.

“Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure.” ~ Bob Bitchin

About five hundred metres up the Main road from the water hole where zebra were drinking, we found three male lions. The two older males were lying in the road and the younger male was lying next to a rock which he seemed to be hugging. When you are king of the plains you can lie anywhere!

A lugga with water flowing along it collecting into small ponds. These features provide ample water for the wildlife. The luggas also provide effective ambush areas for predators.

A red flame lily growing out of the rocks near where we stopped for coffee while we were waiting for a wildebeest herd building prior to crossing. It is my Zimbabwean heritage that makes me so fond of this beautiful but poisonous lily. All parts of the plant are extremely poisonous due to the presence of toxic alkaloids including colchicine and can be fatal if eaten. In Zimbabwe the flame lilies usually have orange/red petals where the bottom of the petal is yellow not red.

Looking through Leopard Gorge toward Out Look Hill in the distance. On the left hand side is Sierra Lima, one of the higher hills in the area. This is a verdant valley with a lugga coursing between the hills. This area was so-called because it was the territory of a large male leopard at that time. Unfortunately we never saw him.

A blue haze across the foothills in front of the Oloololo escarpment.

The sunsets in the Masai Mara can be spectacular. When a storm is not brewing in October, the late afternoon colours are soft and the temperature balmy.

“Wilderness is a necessity… there must be places for human beings to satisfy their souls.” ~John Muir

Driving out of camp just after 6h00 we found a male Masai giraffe sitting down in a large open area. It was a very peaceful scene. Sitting in the centre of a large section of grassland the giraffe would have been able to see any potential threats.

An iconic African sunset with the sun illuminating the underside of the clouds and a single Balanites Aegyptiaca or “Desert Date” in the foreground. This is an in-between time in the bush. The diurnal wildlife is making its way home and the nocturnal wildlife is stirring and beginning its nightly activities.

The eternal battle between predator and prey played out every day in the Masai Mara.

This large dominant male lion had been sleeping on the main road with his coalition partner. After some delay he got up to follow his coalition partner down the road toward a waterhole where many zebra were drinking.

Off the main road at the “picnic trees”, our photographic group stopped to stretch our legs and have a leisurely breakfast. This picnic site looked down onto the Kenyan/Tanzania border in the southern side of the the Mara Triangle.

On our last morning, down near Peninsula crossing point we found three large male lions. One of the males must have separated from the group during the night and returned in the morning. One of his coalition partners greeted him warmly.

“All good things are wild and free.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

A game vehicle silhouetted near a Balanite just before the sun set over the horizon.

I was fortunate enough to spend six wonderful days with Wild Eye travelling around the Mara Triangle during the day and sleeping in their bush camp near the Purungat bridge at night. The bush camp is set among the croton bushes on the banks of the Mara river. The bird life in the camp is prolific. There were constant sounds of hippos’ honks and grunts. The grunting sounds like the air-brake of a large Oshkosh truck going downhill. The grunts will keep you awake the first night but by the second night it is a familiar and reassuring sound.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”~ Mark Twain

The Mara Triangle, like the Serengeti, offers a wonderfully rich diversity of wildlife. This makes a photographic safari highly productive. I will continue to make my pilgrimage back the Masai Mara for as long as I can. It is one of the most special wildlife sanctuaries I have ever been privileged enough to experience.

“Adventures don’t come calling like unexpected cousins calling from out of town. You have to go looking for them.” ~ Unknown

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

Have fun, Mike

This is the second last post from my Masai Mara trip in Kenya in October 2021 with photgraphic safari company, Wild Eye. It was a productive photographic trip with some wonderful sightings of wildebeest crossings, many predators, incredible scenery and a diverse variety of birds.

“Photographing birds will improve your knowledge of them. You see them in finer detail and be better able to discern differences. Understanding their behaviour will provide greater photographic variety.” ~ Mike Haworth

This post shows just a small selection of the birds I saw and photographed during my trip. This was not specifically a birding safari but there is a huge diversity of birds in the Mara Triangle. Of course, we saw our fair selection of raptors due to all the predation in the Mara area.

“What we do see depends mainly on what we look for. … In the same field the farmer will notice the crop, the geologists the fossils, botanists the flowers, artists the colouring, sportsmen the cover for the game. Though we may all look at the same things, it does not all follow that we should see them.”
~ John Lubbock

We saw many Tawny eagles and all the morphs from dark to blonde and all the variations in between. The Tawny’s were often at the remains of a carcass before the vultures.

A light coloured young Black-headed heron was fishing successfully at one of the small ponds next to the gravel road. The heron was fishing amongst all the wildebeest and zebra milling around the waterhole.

Early in the morning, a pair of Lappet-faced vultures were warming up in the early more sun and waiting for the thermals to start developing after 9h00 so they could get airborne without too much effort.

“In the bush there is a reason for everything. If the vultures are on the ground and they are not feeding, it is too early for them to catch thermals” ~ Mike Haworth

This looked to be a wet and cold Zitting cisticola. It had been raining the night before and this small character was perched on top of a thorny branch trying to dry out and warm up.

Lappet-faced vultures are large when perched but when flying they are huge. This vulture was flying in to join its mate on top of a Balanite. The pair looked to be building a nest.

“I am totally absorbed when trying to photograph birds flying. Capturing images of large birds is easier and small birds much harder. To capture the skill and amazing changes to their wing and tail shapes is a thrill.” ~ Mike Haworth

While we were looking for a female leopard along a drainage line close to the border with the Serengeti, we were entertained by this Yellow-throated Longclaw very busily string through the grass looking for insects.

We found a pair of Black crakes at a lush waterhole which was festooned with many waterlilies. The crakes shared the waterhole with a large hippo and a lone Spurwing Goose.

Early one morning just as the sun was rising and the grass was still very wet from the night before, we saw a pair of White-bellied bustards. This pair were busy preening each other on the opposite side of the game vehicle to where a large male lion was roaring to his coalition partner across the valley.

“Get out there early. The birds are already active. Look around you might be surprised at what you see behind you.”~ Mike Haworth

We saw many Sooty chats around the Mara Triangle. They were usually perched on a prominent rock for anthill declaring their territory. They prefer lightly wooded grasslands.

An adult Black-shouldered kite perched on top of a high lookout point. Those ruby red eyes were gazing across the grasslands for potential prey.

A backlit portrait of a male ostrich. His red face was an indication that he was ready to mate. We did not get to see him go through his elaborate mating dance which can be quite a performance.

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” ~ Confucious

A wet and cold Spur-winged lapwing. These lapwings are usually found next to water. The spur on its wing was evident and particularly sharp.

A portrait of a Grey Crowned crane preening itself. The texture of its grey feathers and that golden crown were eye catching. We saw many Grey Crowned cranes in the Mara Triangle foraging in the grass near water for insects and grass seeds.

A Common sandpiper with its distinctive white eye stripe and white underparts which form a wedge at the shoulder. These small sandpipers are usually seen along the banks of a waterhole or small dam. They forage for crustaceans, insects, worms along the water’s edge.

We saw several Grey kestrels. This one was perched on a prominent lookout branch. It was scanning for its next meal. It will eat everything from insects like grasshoppers to small reptiles like chameleons, lizards, and snakes to frogs and rodents. This kestrel is capable of hovering like a Black-shouldered kite.

“The eye sees all but the mind shows us what we want to see.” ~ William Shakespeare

A Hooded vulture seen on the periphery of a kill zone where all the Lappet-faced, Rüppell’s Griffon and White-backed vultures were squabbling over the remains of a carcass. The size of the beak indicates that it feeds on scraps dropped by the larger vultures. Hooded vultures have excellent eyesight and are often the first vultures up in the sky partly because of their smaller size.

A Red-necked spurfowl was foraging around our game vehicle while we were waiting for a wildebeest crossing. It looked to be a young male judging from the good condition of the spurs on the back of his legs. His spurs had not been worked down in numerous fights over females.

A Rüppell’s Griffon vulture in flight. This is a large vulture bigger than a White-backed vulture but smaller than a Lappet-faced vulture. It is an aggressive feeder at a carcass. The endangered Rüppell’s Griffon vulture of central Africa is the highest flying bird in the world and has been confirmed at least once at an altitude of 37,000 feet. The adaptation that allows this species to fly so high is an alteration of one of its proteins in its haemoglobin which allows the bird to fly efficiently despite lower pressure and available oxygen.

“When you look at a bird what do you see? Looking will give its “giss” (general impression of shape and size), and colour but watching its behaviour will yield its unique adaptions, socialisation and position in the natural hierarchy. Then you will begin to see and understand the bird so much better. Just looking is not the same as seeing.” ~ Mike Haworth

Judging from the colouration of this Martial eagle it was a juvenile. Adult Martial eagles have a dark brown back, head, and chest. The underparts are white with black spots and the females typically have heavier markings than males. This juvenile must have recently had a good meal judging from the size of its crop.

On another occasion while waiting on the western bank of the Mara river for a wildebeest crossing we saw two Tawny eagles flying in and landing in a tree near us.

Ever the opportunist, this Tawny eagle was waiting in a tree above the west bank of the Mara river for any casualties after the crossing took place. Tawny eagles are predators, but also opportunistic scavengers so they will feed on anything from insects to smaller birds, hares and small reptiles, or fresh carrion.

This was a small selection of the birds you can see in the Mara Triangle and we did not go out to specifically photograph birds. I am sure a dedicated bird photography safari in the Mara Triangle would be highly productive. We saw many birds which we could not photograph from Augur Buzzards to coucals and coursers to varieties of Go-away birds and Plantation-eaters, ducks, teal and geese, widow birds and whydahs.

“To survive and even thrive in a changing world, nature offers another great lesson: the survivors are those who at the least adapt to change, or even better learn to benefit from change and grow intellectually and personally. That means careful listening and constant learning.” ~Frances Arnold

In the forests at the foot of the Oloololo Escarpment you are likely to find many varieties of barbets and hornbills, woodpeckers, robin-chats and turacos. East Africa boasts a wonderful selection of savannah birds with a wider selection of barbets, bee-eaters, sunbirds, lovebirds and parrots, weavers and starlings than is found in southern Africa.

“If you make listening and observation your occupation, you will gain much more than you can by talk.” ~ Robert Baden-Powell

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

Have fun, Mike

Warning if you do not like seeing an injured animal or seeing it being killed in nature please do not read this post.

This post shows an injured wildebeest resisting a sustained attack from a lone hyaena.

We had watched a major crossing of wildebeest across the Mara river earlier in the morning. Once the herd had crossed we drove away from the river onto Bottom River road. There were throngs of wildebeest and zebras moving west away from the river.

“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” ~ Maya Angelou

Hyaenas operate in clans. Each clan member spreads out over the clan’s territory and waits for scavenging or hunting opportunities to arise. During the day each hyaena tends to hide by either lying in a gully or in a large tuft of red oat grass. It is only when an individual needs help will it call for back up. We saw a few hyaena wandering parallel to the moving wildebeest herd but did not think much of it.

That was until we saw a lone adult hyaena scouting close to a lone wildebeest which had been lying in the grass about 50 metres off the road. As soon as the hyaena approached the wildebeest it got up and began to defend itself. Initially the hyaena circled the wildebeest assessing why it was not walking with the rest of the herd.

“Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.” ~ Roger Crawford

The hyaena quickly grasped the opportunity. The wildebeest must have had a broken hind leg during or after the river crossing. It had managed to walk around three quarters of a kilometre from the river before lying down to rest.

The hyaena knows only too well that an attack head on with the wildebeest would cause it injury.

The attacking hyaena was not a large female such as a matriarch. Nevertheless, it quickly worked out that the wildebeest could not spin quickly and managed to get around to its back and began biting at its spine just below its shoulder.

“Pick your battles, big enough to matter and small enough to win.” ~Jonathan Kozal

Time and again the hyaena would attempt to pull the wildebeest over by pulling its mane.

“Patience and tenacity are worth more than twice their weight of cleverness.” ~ Thomas Huxley

When the wildebeest was squarely lying on the ground the hyaena would repeatedly bite at the skin and muscle covering its spine.

While difficult to watch we got an insight into how tough both animals were. The hyaena was tenacious and repeatedly bit at its prey’s spine area. The wildebeest despite a broken back leg continued to get up and swirl around trying to hook the hyaena with its horn.

Initially, the hyaena was just biting at the wildebeest’s hide. It must have been tough because the hyaena struggled to get through the hide into the underlying muscle and bone. It repeated attacked from the back continuously biting in the same place.

Hyaena have an extremely strong bite force. Once this hyaena latched onto the wildebeest the latter found it almost impossible to dislodge it by turning and goring it in the side with its horns.

“When the going gets tough, put one foot in front of the other and just keep going. Don’t give up.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

I learnt that morning how relentless a hyaena can be if it senses weakness in its victim.

After what must have been three quarters of an hour the wildebeest started to slow down probably due to exhaustion and loss of blood.

“It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down. All that matters is you get up one more time than you were knocked down.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

Despite its severe injuries, the wildebeest continued to get up and face its attacker.

All the activity soon caught the attention of a nearby hyaena scout who joined in the attack.

Once down the hyaenas took advantage of the fallen wildebeest by repeatedly biting it.

“Choose your battles wisely. After all, life isn’t measured by how many times you stood up to fight. Life is too short to spend it on warring. Fight only the most, most, most important ones, let the rest go.” ~ C. JoyBell C.

The hyaenas then started feeding on the wildebeest while it was still alive.

On the surface it seems that hyaena are particularly cruel by eating their prey alive. But a hyaena does not have claws like a lion to hold onto its prey while it throttles it. All hyaena have are their numbers and their exceptionally strong jaws. The hyaena also so not have the luxury of time as there are many lions in the Masai Mara who will quickly steal the prize – if they can.

It is harrowing to watch a hyaena systematically wear down a wildebeest to the point of exhaustion by continuously biting at tearing at its hide. There is no question that hyaena are skilled hunters, especially when working in a clan. Under normal circumstances a lone hyaena would not pull down a fit strong adult wildebeest but in this case when the weakness was discovered the opportunity was taken.

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On!’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”~ Calvin Coolidge

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

Have fun, Mike

We were privileged to see four major crossings in our six days in the Masai Mara in October 2021. All the crossings were along the Bottom River road section of the Mara river between Peninsula and Miti Moja. The Bottom River road gives a good view from the west side of the river looking east towards Look Out Hill. From here you can see the wildebeest moving over Look Out Hill and on down towards the river and get a good idea of how big the crossing could be.

“Wilderness without wildlife is just scenery.” ~ Lois Crisler.

This particular morning the crossing started at around 6h30. The herd massed on a large flat section on the east bank of the Mara river. The wildebeest lingered on top of the bank for sometime and eventually the first animals began to descend the deep ruts in the steep bank. These ruts were created by hundreds of animals in previous crossings.

Invariably the rut turns out to be a one way route because of the steepness. Once an animal starts down the rut it is committed to cross the river because of all the animals following down the rut behind it.

Wildebeests’ legs are strong but thin and their hooves are not shaped for effective swimming so it is little wonder there is a momentary pause before the leap.

The wildebeest dive off the edge of the bank into the fast flowing muddy water.

“Life is a journey which never lets you know when and where it will end.” ~ Biju Karakkonam

Some of the ruts although deep are very steep and once an animal has entered one of these ruts it is effectively a one way head long controlled fall.

“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” – T.S. Eliot

At times in their panic the animals dive in on top of each other but seem to survive.

Different routes down the bank create different entry points and some are significantly less steep and dramatic than others.

For some inexplicable reason, some of the wildebeest descend the bank and enter the water only to decide that it is not the best place to swim across the river. They then try to move along the bank at the water’s edge looking for a more suitable launching place.

Incredibly the calves dive in after the adults. A calf is usually following its mother and it is probably its first time crossing the Mara river. The calf is on its own once in the river. There is nothing its mother can do to help it.

“You may not find a path, but you will find a way.” ~ Tom Wolfe

Once in the fast flowing river the wildebeest swim across in a wide arc, frantically swimming with their heads facing upstream.

You can see the fear and panic in their eyes.

Seeing other wildebeest climbing out of the other side the river must encourage those on the eastern bank to move forward. There is still an equally steep climb back up the western bank and if that is not enough there are, at times, lions and leopards waiting to ambush them in the bushes. The hyaenas hang around a few hundred metres from the river to pick off those animals that cannot run away because they were injured during the crossing.

“We must not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time.” ~ T. S. Eliot

Considering the drama and difficulty for the animals crossing the Mara river, their odds of surviving the crossing are good. Around 6 200 wildebeest die in crossing each year, which in the context of over one million crossing, are reasonable odds.

“Wildlife is something which man cannot construct. Once it is gone, it is gone forever.” ~Joy Adamson.

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

Have fun, Mike

The Peninsula crossing point is about two kilometres up the Mara river from the Wild Eye camp. The camp is sited close enough to Peninsula to get there early, just after 6h00. That said, the crossing can happen at any time. We saw four large crossings in the section of the river below Look Out Hill. Two of them were just after sunrise.

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

The main crossing points below Look Out Hill are Peninsula, Figtree and Miti Moja. There may be others but there were no crossings happening higher up towards Hippo Pools at the time we were there. Our group of photographers were fortunate enough to see a male lion crossing the Mara river close to Figtree.

“There are more peaceful animals on earth than peaceful people.” Anthony Douglas Williams

Peninsula crossing is so called because of the peninsula on the east bank that forces the Mara river into a 300 degree bend around it. This is the southern most regular crossing point in the Mara Triangle. The wildebeest do try to cross further down at Figtree but the banks are especially steep with many rocks on the western bank. The Wild Eye camp is located further down the Mara river at particular bend in the river to prevent wildebeest crossing at that point. Before the introduction of the camp, there were numerous wildebeest deaths at this point with their carcasses piling up on the rocks down river near Purungat bridge resulting in a dreadful stench in that area. The camp has stopped the crossing, the wildebeest deaths and there is now no stench near the bridge.

I mentioned in my last post that the build up to the crossing can take hours. Part of the reason is the wildebeest are very skittish and any sound or smell will deter them. Ill discipline from the safari guides driving their vehicles on the eastern side of the Mara river is also a major reason for crossings being abandoned. The guides driving the game vehicles are more disciplined and more strictly monitored by the rangers on the western bank in the Mara Triangle. The game vehicles on the western side are obliged to remain on the main road while the build up is taking place. Even with this rule in place, as soon as the first animal enters the water there is a mad race among all the game vehicles to get the best position on the west bank to witness the spectacle of the wildebeest crossing towards the west bank.

At Peninsula the wildebeest pour down the eastern bank which is not steep and the entry point into the water is shallow. The huge number of hooves coming down the bank stir up thick dust adding to the confusion and mood. A wildebeest’s nostrils are equipped with flaps that help filter the dust stirred up by thousands of surging animals.

“We watch with wonder spellbound by the enormity, intensity and primal sense of one of nature’s greatest compulsions.” ~ Mike Haworth

Once the crossing starts there seems to be a compulsion to follow those in front. Entering the water with so much dust limits the wildebeests’ visibility of the water in front of them so often they do not see the crocs waiting for them.

“Fossil evidence suggest that wildebeest have been roaming the plains of east Africa for more than a million years”

There are occasions when the crossing seemed to be in full swing then suddenly animals half way up the bank turned around and headed back up the bank. It could have been a strange sound or a few animals that got spooked by something and the animals around them turned in unison.

Depending on how the game vehicles on the eastern bank have positioned themselves the wildebeest will pause on top of the bank, gather themselves and descend again. If a predator or too many game vehicles are in the way the wildebeest at the top of the bank will abandon their crossing and move a couple of hundred metres away from the river.

“Long-distance migrations are among the most spectacular and heroic of natural events, and the majority are in Africa” ~ Penny van Oosterzee contributor to the New Scientist

In the crossing, the wildebeest crowd each other. Crocs tend to stay on the periphery of the crossing as they are likely to get trampled venturing to the middle of the surging herd.

A massive croc lurking on the edge of the crossing caught a wildebeest calf by the hind leg. Once caught a calf is unlikely to be able to get free of a large croc’s hold. Even if it did it would probably have a broken leg which would soon be discovered by hyaenas and finished off.

The crocs are large enough to firmly hold the hind quarters of an adult wildebeest. Others crocs quickly move it to join in the attack. There are many rocks on the western bank which make it very slippery for a wildebeest to get purchase and be able to pull itself out of the water.

A large crossing can take longer than 30 minutes. In this situation the crocs will catch and drown one wildebeest, let it float down the river and go for another. The drowned animal will float a few hundred metres down the river before getting caught up on rocks or branches jutting out of the river bank, which serve as a larder of sorts

Not all wildebeest stay in the main column crossing the river. Some try to get upstream of the column. This tactic makes the crossing more dangerous as there is not the safety in numbers and it also means that there may be added difficulty getting out of the river the other side.

With a panicked scramble the wildebeest manage to climb out on slippery rocks. This is a very vulnerable time for those animals waiting at the back of the queue in the water.

Thankfully all the crossings we saw went well and there were no mass drownings and very few wildebeest were taken by crocs. The river claims on average 6 200 wildebeest each year. A study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, revealed how wildebeest drownings had a positive impact the ecology of the Mara river. Co-author Emma Rosi, an aquatic ecologist at the Cary Institute, noted that “the mass drownings create a huge biomass subsidy which delivers terrestrial nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon to the river’s food web. Fish and scavengers feast on soft tissues, then wildebeest bones slowly release nutrients into the system – feeding algae and influencing the food web on decadal scales”. Research showed that crocs consumed about 2% of total carcasses while fish consumed between 34% and 50% of the total. This is another example of nothing going to waste in the natural world.

“The Great Migration is the largest overland migration in the world.”~ Africa Geographic

The crossings are breathtaking because of the enormity of the surge of animals swimming for their lives across the Mara river. You can see the terror in their eyes as they open them so wide that you can see the whites of their eyes. You can’t help but be impressed by the wildebeest diving into the fast flowing muddy river with such spindly legs which don’t look proportioned for swimming.

“Wildlife migration requires large, connected landscapes and access to seasonally available resources, but human development—such as roads, livestock fences, farms, suburban settlements and energy infrastructure—has fragmented migration corridors in many terrestrial ecosystems around the world.” ~ John Cramer, Dartmouth College

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

Have fun, Mike

One of the most iconic features of the Masai Mara are the wildebeest crossings which occur each year from August to October. Hundreds of thousands of animals cross the Mara river following the rains in search of better grazing areas. While these crossings are enthralling in their build up and intensity, the Masai Mara is so much more than the crossings.

“Humankind’s greatest priority is to reintegrate with the natural world.” ~   Jonathon Porritt

The wildebeest have to cross the Mara river, and sometimes the Talak and Sand rivers, in the Masai Mara and Grumeti and Mbalageti rivers in the Serengeti on their migration route.

Around two million animals move during the migration which include more than one million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras and Thomson’s gazelle. These animals migrate in search of rich grasslands so follow the rain in an epic, and hazardous, circular journey of some 800 to 1 000 kilometres. This journey takes them through Tanzania’s vast Serengeti plains down to Ndutu where they calve around February and then migrate back up the west side of the Serengeti, through the western corridor and up into the Masai Mara in Kenya.

Looking across the Mara river from the west side you can see Look Out Hill. The thousands and thousands of black dots scattered below Look Out Hill signalled that a major crossing was building. The wildebeest start moving forward from behind Look Out Hill and pour over the hill and down to the banks of the Mara river. It is not clear what the signal is but perhaps, like a murmuration of starlings, they are just watching each other for the signal to move.

Crossings happen when the time is right and that is not human time. Patience is required to be able to witness a crossing. Our host, photographic safari company, Wild Eye, has a bush camp sited on the banks of the Mara river about a kilometre up river from the Purungat bridge. This camp offers the advantage of being in the Mara Triangle reserve and being able to drive down to the main crossing areas at just after 6H00 in the morning. If a crossing started at around 6h00, as it did on two occasions, we were the first there.

“Our relationship with nature is more one of being than having.  We are nature: we do not have nature.” ~ Steven Harper

There are times when we had to wait while the build-up took place. We often backed off from the river and drove up to a vantage point under a Balanite where we could get out of the vehicle and have a cup of coffee and watch the build up in comfort.

Crossings can occur at any time, even at night sometimes, but mostly during daylight hours. You can imagine it is terrifying enough to have to plunge into a fast flowing muddy river knowing there are predators on either bank and in the water just waiting for you without doing that in the dark.

The animals mass on the bank and eventually cross on mass in one thunderous drive relying on the relative safety in numbers. Almost every animal crosses the Mara river at some point. Elephant and giraffe cross in small herds but these animals are usually too big for the Nile crocodiles to take on. I had an earlier post on a male lion crossing the Mara which was memorable. I have not heard of buffalo crossing the Mara river but I presume they do as they are good swimmers and are not afraid of the water. I have seen large herds of buffalo crossing the crocodile infected Chobe river in northern Botswana.

“The indigenous understanding has its basis of spirituality in a recognition of the interconnectedness and interdependence of all living things, a holistic and balanced view of the world. All things are bound together. All things connect. What happens to the Earth happens to the children of the earth. Humankind has not woven the web of life; we are but one thread. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.”~ Rebecca Adamson

Wildebeest, zebra and Thompson’s gazelle cross together to improve their odds of not getting caught by a land predator or a crocodile. Wildebeest are known for their migrant nomad tendencies. This strategy allows them to range over larger areas for the best quality grasses.

Large herds make a noise and the vibration of all the hooves on the ground near the river bank alerts the crocodiles to an imminent crossing. The wildebeest is also called a gnu. The gnu gets its name from its call which sounds like “ge-nu.”

Crocodiles have an exceptional sense of hearing. The flaps of skin around the crocodile’s ear protect the eardrums underwater. When underwater, the crocodile depends on water vibrations. These must come from the many hooves and verbalisations.

The next image shows a few Nile crocodiles which had congregated at the Peninsula crossing point. They were basking in the morning sun waiting for the crossing. They probably felt the vibrations of the thousands of hooves massing on the bank above them.

The Nile crocodiles in the Mara river are enormous. An adult Nile crocodile varies in length between 3.5 and 5 metres and weighs between 225 kg and 750 kg. Giant Nile crocs exceeding 6.1 m in length and weighing up to 1 089 kg have been recorded.

The wildebeest’s diet dictates that it is always traveling. It needs to drink twice a day so is constantly searching for water. A wildebeest has a wide mouth which enables it to eat a lot of grass very quickly. There is a natural symbiosis between wildebeest, zebra and Thompson’s gazelle. This is because zebras will eat away the top layer of grass so that the wildebeest can get to cropped shorter grasses. A Thompson’s gazelle, with its small mouth, eats the remaining portion of the short grass left by the wildebeest. They also benefit from wildebeest and zebra trampling down the tall grass, making it easier for them to feed on short grass.

“‎Interdependence is a fundamental law of nature. Even tiny insects survive by mutual cooperation based on innate recognition of their interconnectedness. It is because our own human existence is so dependent on the help of others that our need for love lies at the very foundation of our existence. Therefore we need a genuine sense of responsibility and a sincere concern for the welfare of others.” ~ Dalai Lama

In April each year the wildebeest follow the rain and move to the west and northwards through the centre of the Serengeti reaching the Masai Mara in southern Kenya around July. Then as the rains shift southward the herds follow them from August to October.

A wildebeest uses its superior sense of sound and smell to stay wary of predators, while the zebra uses its excellent eyesight to scan for threats. Combined they create an effective “alarm” system, which together with the massive size of their accumulated herds reduces the chance of any single individual being targeted by a predator.

Their relationship offers more than safety. Zebras are known to have good memories and can often retrace their route from the previous year’s migrations. In turn, wildebeest are adept at finding water sources which helps both species during the drier seasons.

Either side of a river crossing is a dangerous place for wildebeest, zebra and Thompson’s gazelle to gather. Lions, leopards and hyaenas wait for an opportunity to ambush them. We were fortunate to see a female leopard walking along the lower section of the river bank before a crossing. She must have been looking for an effective ambush position.

This female leopard moved up on top of the bank and wandered through the Croton bushes looking for an ideal ambush position. All preparation before the drama and mayhem of the rush.

I was amazed to see one of the crocs lying in plain sight at the water’s edge at Peninsula Crossing. It must have been a youngster. The experienced crocs know there is no hurry.

The herd build up can take hours. So many times there had been a build up with the animals at the front of the herd close to the river bank being pushed toward the river. It takes one or two inconsiderate game vehicles on the east bank to drive in amongst the Croton bushes to scare the herd away from the river bank. This happened with regularity.

“The infinite vibratory levels, the dimensions of interconnectedness are without end. There is nothing independent. All beings and things are residents in your awareness.” ~ Alex Grey

The herd build up often took us well into the afternoon when the clouds also started to build. In the afternoon the cumulous clouds would develop into darkened rain filled cumulonimbus cloud formations which added to the atmosphere and tension. The clouds added drama and the light changed the mood with the darker skies making everything more foreboding. The wildebeest seem to be finely tuned to the mood and atmosphere.

As the animals started to walk towards the riverbank there was a change in the mood. All the animals grazing up on the side of the hill were watching what all their contemporaries were doing. As one group started moving towards the river so all the animals grazing on the hill started to move in sync. The animals at the back push the ones in front. The animals at the front of the herd are very skittish.

The wildebeest have every reason to be skittish. Leopards and lions lurk the the bushes trying to ambush them. This female leopard was waiting probably for a wildebeest or zebra calf.

It takes very little for the wildebeest to abandon the crossing. It can be the raucous cackle from an Egyptian goose raising the alarm, or safari vehicles on the eastern bank which intrude into their passage. Strangely there is a lack of discipline and consideration from the safari vehicle operators on the eastern side of the Mara river for the animals which are providing the spectacle.

“I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving he can outwit nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.” ~  Elwyn Brooks White

With out any alarm triggers, the first intrepid wildebeest charge toward the water. There is no hierarchy. Sometimes a calf will lead the crossing. Every animal is on its own and must fend for itself. Once the crossing starts it quickly becomes a frenzy.

The dark rain clouds and thunder in the distant south in the Serengeti beckon the wildebeest herds. Having lived in Africa all my life and loving the bush this is an exceptional place to visit and experience.

“What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night.  It is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time.  It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the Sunset.” ~  Crowfoot

Anyone who has read my posts will know that I am intrigued by the interconnectedness of all of life. This place provides a vivid sense of this interconnectedness. The ecosystem of animals, reptiles, insects, birds, trees and grasses are all connected to each other as well as the weather. There is a natural intelligence in life on the plains which we are progressively discovering and increasingly appreciating.

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.” ~ Chief Seattle

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

Have fun, Mike

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We saw so many different scenes and wildlife experiences on our second day in the Mara Triangle that I had split this post into two parts.

“If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavour.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

This was a solitary male lion lying close to the road early in the morning. He was looking into the valley below and would periodically roar. Only after watching where he was looking did we see another male lion, probably his coalition partner, on the other side of the valley. The distance must have been two or three kilometres, suggesting his eyesight and hearing was exceptional.

Across the valley you can see a ridge in the middle distance. His coalition partner was lying on some rocks on that ridge. The roaring back and forth must have confirmed that it was his partner so he got up and started walking down the valley toward his brother-in-arms.

Male ostriches undergo a colour change at breeding season, when their skin turns bright red. This skin colour change signals to the hens that he is ready to mate. The male attracts as many hens as possible by dancing, fluffing his feathers, flapping his wings and swinging his head around while getting down on his knees.  I did not see any ostrich hens nearby so he had to do a lot of running to do before he could start dancing.

A young hyaena had tucked itself into the drainage line along the road where it was moist, cool and out of sight for all but the passing vehicles. This character was part of the hyaena clan’s network of scouts on the lookout for opportunities to hunt or steal.

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” ~ Soren Kierkegaard

A buffalo bull watching us closely. He had an impressive boss which he must have been digging into the black cotton clay. The horns are thick, solid bone and are fully formed by the time the buffalo reaches five or six years old. The bosses will only become hard at around eight or nine years of age

There are many buffalo in the Mara Triangle with some herds being hundred or more strong. The next image shows three old “dagga boys” which were following the herd at their own pace. They need to stay together because of the numerous predators in the area.

While we were on the Mara Triangle side of the Mara river, our driver Jimmy, got a message saying that two Black rhino had been spotted on the ridge on the east side of the Mara Triangle in the central plains close to the New Ashnil road. After a thirty minute drive, we crossed the Purungat bridge under which the Mara river flows on its way into the Serengeti. The next image is of the view looking up river from the bridge.

“Water is the driving force of all nature.” ~Leonardo da Vinci

This was the view of the Mara river looking down river into Tanzania.

After a further short drive the other side of the Purungat bridge we found the two Black rhinos on the ridge, a female and her sub-adult calf.

A female Black rhino and her sub-adult calf. Black rhinos are browsers but these two managed to find small shrubs to feed on. A Black rhino calf, when young, usually follows it mother, but this young rhino looked to be around three years old so would soon be on its own.

“If you do not expect the unexpected you will not find it, for it is not to be expected by search or trail.” ~ Heraclitus

This adult female was on alert. She presented an imposing presence. The warmth of the late morning created a haze so we could not achieve pin sharp images but it was wonderful to see the two them nevertheless.

The ever present Tawny eagle searching for left overs.

Later that afternoon the clouds started to build, the atmosphere darkened and became very moody. These two giraffe created an ideal silhouette on the ridge with the cloud build up in the background.

“I am the daughter of Earth and Water,
And the nursling of the Sky;
I pass through the pores of the ocean and shores;
I change, but I cannot die.
For after the rain when with never a stain
The pavilion of Heaven is bare,
And the winds and sunbeams with their convex gleams
Build up the blue dome of air,
I silently laugh at my own cenotaph,
And out of the caverns of rain,
Like a child from the womb, like a ghost from the tomb,
I arise and unbuild it again.”
~ P. B. Shelley

Back on the west side of the Mara river we found a large male leopard lying in a Fig tree next to a small drainage line which was filled with water. There was a female leopard in the area and the guides thought this was the male that had killed her leopard cubs the week before and continued to hang around. This male was quite content to just lie in the Fig tree being partly obscured by branches so he never gave us a chance to see him fully.

The variety of wildlife, the vast scenery and the mood created by the changing weather created endless fascination.

“Sing like no one’s listening, love like you’ve never been hurt, dance like nobody’s watching, and live like it’s heaven on earth.” ~ Unknown

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

Have fun, Mike.