From Ol Pejeta to Tsavo West (Kenya) (page 12 of 15)

Hi Jean-François,

Your photos are really stunning—I especially love the Chanting Goshawk 😎

Thanks for the compliment, JF. The goshawk was definitely worth it.

Alright, this one's for our birding folks on VF:

Thanks, Éric—a really great set of bird photos, thank you!

Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Eastern Chanting Goswack, Mélierax poliopterus



Still our good old Grey-winged Goshawk, which is indeed the Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Melierax poliopterus. In Kenya, there’s no Chanting Goshawk, Melierax canorus—Pale Chanting Goshawk—the English name is misleading.

African White-backed Vulture, African white-backed vulture



Rüppell’s Vulture, Gyps rueppelli, Rüppell's Vulture

? Same



Yes, Rüppell’s Vulture

? Funny position



Rüppell’s Vulture and, I think, African White-backed Vulture, Gyps africanus, White-backed Vulture

Pygmy Kingfisher? Kingfisher... less than 10 cm



Grey-headed Kingfisher, Halcyon leucocephala, Grey-headed Kingfisher—it measures 22 cm (measured the "birding way," from tail tip to beak tip). The Pygmy Kingfisher looks like the Malachite Kingfisher (sometimes called Crested Kingfisher) with a purple patch on its cheek and is just 1 cm smaller at 12 cm.

Von der Decken’s Hornbill, Von Der Decken's hornbill, Tockus deckeni



Yep, and it’s even a male.

Like you, I’m disappointed by the lack of African wild dogs and really surprised by John’s lack of interest. You must’ve been fuming!

Have a great day,

BL

Thanks Bernard

Good evening, everyone, I didn’t get any notification for this latest post 😠

More beautiful birds again, especially the Woodland Kingfisher 😊 and the vultures taking a dust bath to get rid of ticks and other critters, plus the hornbill

Yeah, the African wild dogs would’ve been a bonus—it’s so hard to spot them, and their behavior is so fascinating to watch 😜

Hi Anne-Marie,

Great timing—we’re heading out on another drive!



The sky’s a bit cloudy, but it’s pleasant—warm, but bearable. On a nearby rock, we spot a curious gathering: rock hyraxes, Procavia capensis. They look like small rabbits, but they’re actually more closely related to elephants. Their feet end in hoof-like toes.



Further on, we notice these shy elephants—sensing us, they veer off into the bush.







The car bumps along, the track slopes down, and there on the side—*the* star!



A little obligatory yawn.





And then—time to close up shop!



We keep descending until we reach our viewpoint. Beyond the horizon lies Tsavo East, but first—this is still the West, and it’s vast and flat.

wow, this Leopard 😎

Re- You definitely made the right call coming🙂! The landscape is a bit hazy, the details fading like they’ve been smoothed by the heat haze.

That leopard on its rock is amazing!

Lucky you, Sylvie! ;) We're turning back. Back on the laterite road:

Lined with bushes on either side that make spotting wildlife tricky. It’s not easy to see clearly through this tangle of shrubs—it’s a constant game of hide-and-seek.



But on the track: Helmeted Guineafowl, Numida meleagris.



We’re crossing some stunning landscapes. For those who love wide-open spaces, Tsavo West is perfect.



Here, an animal is hiding—can you spot it for me?



On our way back to the lodge, we notice this herd of buffalo. We’ll be following them now:

Great series of lion photos, Éric! Spotted by the driver?

Hi Bernard,

No, he had nothing to do with it😉. It was cars parked on the side of the road that alerted us to something being there.

This very elongated line heads toward one of the park’s few large watering holes (excluding those at the lodge):



It reunites with a herd of zebras there.



First, the buffaloes,



Then the zebras.



It’s rare to miss these parades—today buffaloes, and the next day a large group of elephants. Here at dusk.



Protecting the youngest.







Then we head back to camp to watch the sunset as we usually do.

Hello, hello,

A giraffe 😛

I love these long roads that sometimes lead to "treasures," and the guinea fowl too—such beautiful plumage— and those long herds of buffalo. And the elephants putting on the best show at bath time.

The stunning landscapes too. 🙂

Great job Anne-Marie,

You’ve won this photo of a squirrel—Tree squirrels—spotted at the lodge:

Thanks for the Tree Squirrel 🙂 (I don’t know the French name—seems there are several "kinds" of these tree climbers) 😕 The Ground Squirrel (Burrowing Squirrel???) has a clear stripe on its side

We're approaching departure day. We'll head back to Nairobi during the day. Our flight is scheduled for the evening. We'll leave after breakfast, with probably a bit over three hours of driving, followed by a long wait in Nairobi—several painful hours—before heading to the restaurant where we won’t eat much. Then it’s takeoff and Paris. But before that, a little anecdote in pictures. The story takes place at the lodge between two outings, seen from the balcony of our room. It’s a nearly wordless tale but still very much relevant: the law of the strongest.

It’s a lone male.



He approaches. Notice the presence of the Maasai.



Pressed by thirst.



Pretty buff.



But courteous—he even comes to greet us! 🙂



On the other side of the site, a herd of buffalo.



A small group breaks away.



And comes to quench its thirst before the others.



Suddenly...



Our jumbo charges.





And chases this little family away from the watering hole.



Time for my ablutions.







He emerges looking impressive, all shiny.



But there’ll still be a little water left for our buffalo and calf.

Here are some images that speak for themselves *clap*clap*clap*

Well, great sighting! 🙂

Lovely slice of life, great report, Éric !

Good evening Bernard and Anne-Marie, Sylvie56, Julie, Max68, and everyone else,

Thanks for your kind words. We had some great moments and saw a huge amount despite our guide’s lack of motivation. It wasn’t a failed trip, but it could’ve been so much better. We’ve learned our lesson.

The agency managing the project didn’t do a bad job. They did their part, but they can’t guarantee everything they outsource to the local operator. And the local operator can’t guarantee the guide they hire will do their job properly. In the end, the client doesn’t get what they paid for. So, in the future, we’ll avoid the whole chain. In fact, I’d advise anyone who’ll listen to do the same.

The driver-guide setup also left us wanting more. Being stuck in a vehicle with someone you don’t know, who has a certain authority over you and doesn’t understand your motivations, is far from ideal. That’s why our next trip to Africa will be nothing like what we experienced in Kenya. We’re already working on it.

Is it over?

I thought the guinea fowl plumage really stood out in your photo. And that squabble between the elephant and the buffaloes... you could almost feel like you were there 😎.

That’s why our next trip to Africa will be very different from what we experienced in Kenya.

You sure know how to keep us in suspense 😉... so, where is it? What’s the plan?

Anyway, thanks for this travel journal—despite the guidebook, it led to some amazing wildlife moments. Muriel