a collection of ramblings
This adult lilac-breasted roller landed so close to our jeep I had to zoom out to show its entire body. Lilac-breasted rollers are endemic to the East African region and are easily spotted in open country with sparse trees. They cannot be found in treeless environments.
I came to Africa with one bird, and one bird in mind only: the Lilac-breasted Roller. Not for I were the innumerable Kenyan endemics, nor the plethora of endangered species in the area. Experience of birding failures had taught me to aim low and land high. I would be best, I decided, with an achievable… Continue reading The Lilac Saga, Part 1 (Also, Caption Contest!)
The greatest collection of wildlife photographs of all time. What would say it was? Instagram, #animal? A Facebook birding group? WordPress, #nature? The answer is none and all: in short, it is National Geographic's Great Nature Project. Aimed at promoting biodiversity and the love of nature across the world, all you need to do to… Continue reading Pic of the Day
In honor of Halloween (and no, it is NOT a day old), here's a hyena, the actual scariest predator on the African savannah. These guys will literally steal food from lions. They're highly efficient killers, and are most definitely not scavengers - though they will take opportunities when they see them and forage on kills,… Continue reading A (Slightly Late) Hyena Halloween
A Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) spread its wings at the banks of a waterhole in Lake Nakuru, Kenya.
Young Olive Baboons (Papio anubis) have a distinctly human way of holding onto their mother's backs at Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya. It's a keen reminder of how close we are, in evolutionary terms, to monkeys after all.
...otherwise known as sleep. Because, strangely enough, that's something the most fearsome predator of the African savannah experiences as well. Who would've thought? (Actually, lions are amongst the laziest creatures on the planet, and not just the males - they sleep for up to 20 hours a day, being largely nocturnal creatures. Most of us… Continue reading The Unusual Universal Phenomena of Altered Consciousness, Relatively Inhibited Sensory Functions, and Inhibition of All Voluntary Muscles
The sequel to the balloon ride. Aerial views of a place always provide a completely different perspective. Monday, 21st of July, 2014 'The sun is just above the ruler-straight horizon, an orange flower blooming into a brilliant blue sky, and beneath it, the grass glows gold. Up here, you can see first hand the sparseness… Continue reading Journal Journeys: The Balloon Ride – End
Arguably one of my most memorable experiences of my Mara trip: the balloon ride. Hot air balloon rides across the Masai Mara are said to be the second best in the world. This did not disappoint. However, due to the length of this particular journal entry, I'll be staggering this post across a couple of… Continue reading Journal Journeys: The Balloon Ride – Beginning
When one thinks of Africa, it is inarguable that the first image that comes to mind is that of the 'king of the savannah', the African lion-- the classic Panthera leo. Adjectives used to define them encapsulate confident, proud, arrogant-- but not vulnerable, or threatened. But that they are. Of the 100,000 in Africa in… Continue reading Journal Journeys: Lion Pride
somewhere up a tree 