a collection of ramblings
Ok, so this photo may or may not have been taken over a year ago. In my defence: #TBT. Or #TBM. Whatever. Still, this remains one of my most treasured moments from our trip to Kenya. Clichéd as it may sound - we were about to turn back, on our very, very last safari, when… Continue reading Fair of Face
There are two species of mongoose regularly seen on the Maasai Mara. The more common is the banded mongoose, but the dwarf mongoose - a small African carnivore found in groups of 15 or less - is also spotted, though less frequently. I expected to leave Kenya with that added to my list of 'what… Continue reading Dwarfish
One of the most endangered birds in the world is the Great Indian Bustard, which also happens to be one of the heaviest flying birds. Found in India and Pakistan, it is critically endangered on the IUCN Red List with a population that could be as low as 250 individuals. Its counterpart in Africa is… Continue reading Bustard
A Little Bee-eater (Merops pusillus) perches on a branch on the banks of the Mara River. Little Bee-eaters should not be confused with Little Green Bee-eaters (Merops orientalis); they are both two very distinct species - the Little Bee-eater is largely restricted to Sub-Saharan Africa with the more common Little Green Bee-eaterm found in areas… Continue reading Little in Green
Today is a fairly loose interpretation of the challenge. (Then again, so was yesterday's.) In my defense, it's exam week; I don't have the time to go out and take new photographs, so I'm stuck with my archives. For this one I went all the way back to Kenya - not geographically, of course, though… Continue reading Three Lines, Three Photographs, Three Days: Necks
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!)
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
...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
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 