In the midst of Kenya's wildlife, October 2025 (page 2 of 4)

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A beautiful herd of colorful Zebras.



I think I haven’t shown a Masai Giraffe yet: sorry for the oversight 😐



Back at the Lodge, ... there are lots of people at the bar and an exhibit of beautiful tusks and original decorations!!



Not only is it ugly, but it also drinks like a pig—the Marabou!



Another large bird, mostly seen on the ground... The Kori Bustard (height: 1.2m and can weigh up to 19 kg!)



A male White-bellied Bustard or Senegal Bustard.



- Wednesday, October 15:

We leave Sentrim Camp in Tsavo East, heading toward the reserve exit. We have very little time to spend with the animals we encounter, as we’ve got a long drive ahead today.

A Grey-winged Kestrel (with reservations since we forgot to note the info Simon gave us).



We find the Lioness on the track in the same spot?!?! Actually, we understand why she’s there. Under the track, there’s a large concrete culvert for rainwater drainage. The lioness hid the remains of a partially eaten antelope there the day before...

It’s her pantry that she’s guarding.

Now, an 8-hour drive awaits us toward the town of Embu, in central Kenya. We’ll stop there for the night. Then the next day, another 4-hour drive to reach the entrance of the Buffalo Springs reserve. At this point, we’re halfway through our stay in Kenya. 😕

- Thursday, October 16:

At the entrance (Ngaremara gate) of the Buffalo Springs reserve, in northern Kenya. It’s 11:40 AM local time. A little earlier, we crossed the Equator...



So happy to leave the paved roads behind and get back to the tracks and a more natural environment with animals.

A taste of the Buffalo Springs surroundings.



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Hi Alain, thanks for all these beautiful photos and this story. The last part really interests me since we’ll be at Buffalo Springs in 4 days. Jacques

Hi Jacques,

Thanks for your message. I sent you a PM.

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Sorry again for having to limit the number of photos in the report on these two reserves. If any of you are nature lovers or fans of African mammals or birds, there’s a much longer version of this report—12 pages—available on a free-access forum. Here’s the link: https://spottingaviation.forumactif.com/t15833-safari-photo-au-kenya-1ere-partie-dans-les-reserves-de-tsavo-ouest-et-est#google_vignette

(Though there’s some ads... 😕 )

Cheers, Puma2A

More to come soon (here) for Buffalo Springs and Samburu..

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This is one of the -many- unique features of this region: the Zèbre de Grévy with its fine stripes.





Another distinctive feature of this region is the Autruches des Somalis (here, males).



And the "fatal beauty" of Buffalo Springs / Samburu: the Girafe réticulée.



I also find the Acacias really beautiful, so I took a ton of pictures of them.



The Ewaso N'Giro River separates the Samburu area from Buffalo Springs. We’ll often be exploring nearby.

Even though you can find exactly the same species in both, I deliberately chose to visit the two reserves on either side of the river because, depending on the season, there can be many more animals on one side than the other. The animals cross the river as they please, following their mood or attractions. For a long time, the road bridge connecting the two sides was impassable, but it’s been repaired in the last few months.



The Dik-Diks de Kirk are plentiful here—this is a female.



And her companion...



Here, you’ll find the Oryx beisa, which has black-tipped ears but no fringes...





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Of course, there are also birds in Buffalo Springs (aside from ostriches 😉 ):

A Marabou seen upon arriving at the lodge.



In the Buffalo Springs reserve, we’re staying at "Simba Lodge", a medium-sized place that’s very clean and well-maintained where the food is really good. The rooms are spacious, but unfortunately, they get very hot at night, and since there are mosquitoes (nearby river) and baboons around, we have to keep the windows closed. We had a hard time sleeping and resting there. 😕

A pair of Red-billed Hornbills (probably a couple, though I’m not certain)



A Spur-winged Lapwing.



A Double-banded Courser.



Sorry, a clumsy move accidentally switched things to black and white for a bit—I didn’t mean to: an African Pygmy Falcon.



The one I call “my buddy,” the Lilac-breasted Roller.





A Black-headed Heron fishing.



A White-fronted Bee-eater.



A Superb Starling.



This is just a first sample—I’ll have more species to show you! 🙂

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Thanks Alain for this beautiful travel journal—your photos are stunning.

Thanks Alain for this beautiful Kenyan travel journal, plus some amazing wildlife photos 🦁

Hello, And THANK YOU both for your really kind messages.

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- Friday, October 17, 2025: First full day in Buffalo Springs.



The reticulated giraffes are endemic to this region.





I know a regular reader of the forum loves giraffes... so... 😏 As a rule, this is a male because there’s no hair above the horns, which means he fights with other males.



A warthog that wasn’t too stressed...



I’d dreamed so much about this trip! Elephants crossing the river was one of my biggest wishes!!



I’d have liked a bigger group, but you make do with what you get. "Safari Is Unpredictable"





The saying goes, “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, the road, or the river...”





These photos were taken that morning while we were having breakfast by the river—on the "beach," basically!!

This breakfast, prepared by the lodge and packed in a box, included hot coffee, hot water for tea, toast, honey, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, chicken sausages, fruit... I know it surprises some people to eat a meal like this served on the hood of a vehicle. Believe it or not, for us, it’s pure bliss! And of course, it’s really the setting that makes it special and gives it such a unique flavor!!!

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A "social" grooming session among these Baboons:



Then, we encountered a large group of female Impalas.



The males weren’t far off—on the right, a young male whose horns haven’t yet reached the length or lyre shape of an adult’s.



In the afternoon, just a few minutes from the lodge, a stunning opportunity: a Leopard resting by the track. Simon wanted to reposition for better light—the leopard stood up and crossed the track!





Simon—rightly—anticipated the animal would climb a tree and repositioned. But we hadn’t noticed a flock of Vulturine Guineafowl, which started squawking at the sight of the leopard. The leopard was close to the tree, but the racket annoyed it, and it abruptly changed direction, heading into very dense bush… (end scene)

We all cursed those "noisy nuisances" of guineafowl!



A rare flower that might be a Desert Rose (with many reservations).



A few minutes after this partially missed opportunity, Simon got a call and sped off. We figured we were about to see an animal we hadn’t encountered yet.

A "big crowd" of vehicles gathered around some bushes. Simon managed to squeeze into the only available spot—it wasn’t ideal, but there was no other option.

One of the most beautiful encounters of this trip:

A pregnant female Cheetah, who had just caught prey, was catching her breath. She was nervous, knowing other predators might try to steal her Big Mac!



Unfortunately (for me), the prey was a Dik-dik, but I forgive her—this meat will ensure the development of her future baby(ies). Always on high alert, she stood up at the slightest noise to scan the surroundings.



Finally, she started eating.



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This cheetah was right to be cautious because a serious competitor was about to land in a nearby tree...

A Bateleur Eagle: the Dik-dik is one of its favorite meals, and it would be capable of snatching it and carrying it away in flight!!

... but it quickly realized it wouldn’t be able to steal this prey and flew off!!



Capturing these images was quite challenging: because of the grass between the subject and the camera, the focus had to be manual... not to mention the constant changes in lighting... But we hadn’t seen a cheetah in 6 years... and never in this region during our three previous trips. Pure joy!!

Africa and safaris are unpredictable... Simon managed to change positions twice around this scene.





While the feline was eating, another bird observed the scene...



It’s a Palm-nut Vulture. Yet, it’s mostly a vegetarian that feeds on fruit and sometimes insects or small birds. It was probably hoping for a few "leftovers"??





We never found out if there were any leftovers... 😉

On the way back to the lodge, under the warm light of the setting sun... A large group of impalas.



Then a group of elephants.



As if you were there with us...





But Simon had only one thing on his mind: going back to the spot where we’d seen—a little too briefly—a leopard earlier that morning... 😏 😛???

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This travel journal by Alain is absolutely stunning 🙂 Your photos are just incredible and this trip looks seriously amazing.

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Hello and thank you, Pascale, for your message. If the urge persists—and I hope it does—you should urgently consult a travel agency!! Otherwise, the symptoms will only get worse... 😏

... Continuing:

Simon takes us down a track where he believes the Leopard was heading earlier this A.M. ??? The light is fading fast as the sun has dipped below the horizon. Suddenly, Pascal, another keen observer, and Simon spot an animal descending from a tree 200m away..... BINGO!! It’s the Leopard, and it’s coming toward us..... 🙂 Simon parked the 4x4 sideways with two wheels on the embankment beside the track (to make it easier for us to take photos).



The Leopard completely ignores us and doesn’t slow its pace... You won’t believe this, it passes UNDER the vehicle, which is high off the ground, but still??? An unimaginable scene. I was a bit overwhelmed by the settings and, unfortunately, got a lot of blurry shots (I’m juggling two cameras...). The light is fading more and more...



It reaches a main track... Simon anticipated everything and positioned us perfectly.





“I think it’s decided to leave us,” I say!!



Yes, confirmed—we’re living the last moments with this Leopard... It disappears into the bush. We spent 7 minutes in its company!

What an incredible encounter!! 😎 Thanks to Simon’s perseverance and expertise!! That evening, we return to the lodge with the headlights on... And so ends a magnificent day (and the trip isn’t over yet!!).

I intentionally kept the dark tones of these last images to preserve the twilight atmosphere of the moment. ...

- Saturday, October 18:

Like every morning, we set off before sunrise. In the warm light of early morning...





A few birds we encountered the day before and that morning:

A Striated Heron by the edge of a small water-filled ditch.



We forgot to note it down... with some reservations, it might be... An immature Tawny Eagle.

A Kori Bustard:

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A White-bellied Bustard, or Senegal Bustard (!!)



A Vulturine Guineafowl in its ceremonial plumage!



A Long-crested Eagle with its feather crest.



Two Yellow-necked Francolins sizing each other up before... fighting!?



Then comes breakfast time... by the river... just like the day before!!



And right near us, above the water, two Little Bee-eaters on a branch (alas, this bird is tiny, but so beautiful!)...



I can’t tell the male from the female, but this behavior is characteristic of bee-eaters: The male catches an insect and lands near a female, showing off the big prey from every angle. Normally, after a while, he offers the gift to the female, and the reward is... mating....

But this time, no gift—the presumed male ends up swallowing his prey, then leaves and quickly returns with another one! And he does this several times???? A real provocation!! (Please be forgiving about the sharpness—I’m at the limit of my 150-600mm lens and only have a monopod to steady my shot from the riverbank.) This morning (again), luck is on my side—"third time’s the charm!"



This time, the Little Bee-eater, an insect hunter, has two "suitors"... ...but once again, he won’t offer anything!!! ???

A Grey-headed Kingfisher.



I can finally finish my breakfast... my coffee’s gone cold!

On a narrow track in the middle of the bush, we end up just 1.5 meters in front of this young Elephant: it’s dozing... (too close, I had to use my partner’s old compact wide-angle camera to capture this shot)



Further along this narrow track, under some trees and at the edge of a valley thick with dense vegetation... a young Leopard on a branch?? By the time we’re warned, reverse, and get into position... we see its tail disappear into the bushes. 🤪

Simon switches on his "search mode" and the "perseverance" button, and after 5-6 minutes, he spots the young Leopard again!! But the feline is lost in the tall grass, and the steep slope toward the valley prevents us from moving closer. We settle for a fleeting glimpse and a low-quality shot... Still, you can see it’s dragging prey, and that prey is (unfortunately for me) yet another Dik-dik... 😕 🙁

The Leopard must’ve thought we wanted to "steal" its "Big Mac"... ??

Note that this is still the only animal (out of the ordinary) I spotted on my own during two weeks of safari!! I’m getting older, but luck was on my side... 😉

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= A little introduction to Simon:

In his fifties, speaking impeccable French, he has extensive experience as a guide in Kenya. While he was just a guide employed by a safari company, he met wildlife photographer Tony CROCETTA (well known), whom he accompanied as a driver during many photo sessions. This easily explains why he always knows how to position himself well for taking pictures. He even always has his camera gear next to him on the seat....

And one day, they both decided to start their own safari company: That’s how "Melting Pot Safari" was born.

The two owners of this company are Simon CHEBON and Tony CROCETTA. A week before our departure for Kenya, it wasn’t planned for Simon to be our guide, and the one who was supposed to drive us only spoke English. Simon is already quite busy managing the company. He simply replaced an unavailable guide.

Surprise at noon when we arrived at the Lodge—we were greeted by Tony CROCETTA, the other owner of MELTING POT SAFARI.



This is our second safari in Kenya with this agency (the previous one was in February 2017).

Tony was scouting a neighboring reserve to offer “something different” in M.P.S.’s catalog.

In addition to the meals we’ll share, Tony will accompany us on this afternoon’s safari outing. Having both “bosses” of the agency in our vehicle is a bit intimidating (especially since Tony brought his latest high-end Canon camera gear)... We’re definitely not on the same level!!

I forgot to mention that since the day before, there’s been another Melting Pot Safari “crew” at the Lodge. Just one client (a woman passionate about photography) on board the vehicle, but an intern accompanying the driver/guide. And we know this intern well!!

MPS owns a lodge on the shores of Lake Baringo: The "Tumbili Cliff Lodge", mainly dedicated to birdwatching safaris on the lake. The most well-known ornithological guide is TITUS, whose kindness, patience, and expertise are praised by everyone who’s ever visited Lake Baringo. Titus is continuing his training to become a driver-guide for all circumstances in every reserve in his home country.

It was with great pleasure and emotion (mutual) that we reunited here at Buffalo Springs.

For animal lovers, here’s the report of our 2017 stay/safari in Samburu, Lake Baringo, and the Maasai Mara—you’ll see Titus there... http://www.image-nature.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=162&t=61119

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Unfortunately, at the start of the morning, the light is very variable and often "terrible"—yellowish. 🤪

A Steppe Eagle screeching!! It has the peculiarity of spending a lot of time on the ground.



The Pink-rumped Tchagra, also now called Pink-rumped Bushshrike.



A Goliath Heron...



A Palm-nut Vulture (apparently rare).



There seem to be strange fruits on the branches of this tree......!? 🙂



This is the kind of scene I dreamed of without daring to say it.... Two Leopards on a branch!!! On the right, a mother, and on the left, though not certain, it’s probably a young female.



The mother... disturbed in her sleep, gives us a look full of reproach...



The young female must be wondering why all these cameras are pointed at her??



After a long wait, the mother stands up, and her daughter realizes that departure is near.





We later learned from another guide positioned differently in front of this scene that there was another young one at the foot of the tree.

Honestly, encountering a family of three Leopards is an extraordinary opportunity on safari.

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On the way back to the lodge, passing by the small stream again...

A Hamerkop.



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- Sunday, October 19:

This morning, we leave the lodge and the Buffalo Springs reserve to head to Samburu on the other side of the river. We also say goodbye to Titus and the passengers from the other vehicle, as well as Tony Crocetta, who’s off to explore other destinations.

Still, we’ll try to make the most of the morning in Buffalo Springs, hoping to make a few more discoveries.

Breakfast at the lodge was early this morning.

I never get tired of it...!! The Gerenuk gazelle: it’s a classic in the region, but also a truly beautiful animal...







A Grant’s gazelle.



And then—AGAIN—a highlight of this safari trip.

A cheetah mother with her cubs...



There are three young ones!!





What can I say? These are wonderful moments to experience, and nature has been generous with us.





🙂 😉 😏

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The little ones are getting tired, so we need to let them rest and play. The cheetah mom Guépard spots a tree to hide her cubs. Two of the cheetah cubs climb onto the branch (I assumed they were the more daring males!).



They’re already taking their observation role very seriously.



But the real surveillance is handled by the mother on the ground. The presumed little female stays glued to her mom...



Three months later, I wonder if the three young Guépards are still alive...??? Continuing the journey toward Samburu....



In a tree by the side of the track, a much rarer sight than reticulated giraffes, unfortunately backlit, which is really annoying...

A Verreaux's Eagle-Owl. (notice its strange pink eyelids)



Then, a white-bellied go-away bird.



The winding, narrow track demands a lot of attention from Simon. It’s Pascal—our high lookout—who spots something in the dense bushes.... Lions!!: A female and two barely adult males... all from the same litter.



Then an adult female arrives. It turns out she’s the mother of the previous three and likely the “leader” of the pride.



Faced with the group’s general inactivity, we leave. It’s likely this troop had other members scattered in the shade of the surrounding bushes.

We finally reach the river and the bridge that provides access to the Samburu Reserve....





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I only have a very (too) limited number of photos allowed by the forum rules. From now on, this report will be very brief and won’t really reflect our encounters and discoveries in this reserve. Sorry about that.

To be continued ;)

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Hello,

I’ve been following your travel journal, and I love all the photos—especially the ones of the birds!

If you’d like to keep posting photos, why not start a new thread as a continuation of this one? The photo counter would reset to zero.

At the end of each thread, you could add a link pointing to the other one.

I’d planned to split this travel journal into two separate parts, but it’s not allowed by the forum rules. Don’t worry—since I’ve already shared a link to a "long version" of the "Tsavo East and West section," I’ll add a link at the end of the VoyageForum story to the full report already online about Buffalo Springs + Samburu... It’s on another forum, with larger-format images 😏 :)

See you soon for the next part.

Thanks Marie for your message and for also enjoying the bird sightings.

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I didn’t know it was against the forum rules—thanks for letting me know!

But I’ll keep following you! !