Tanzania 2015

I visited this East African country for the first time in 1997 and then returned yearly from 2000 to 20003, again in 2007 and this year. Tanzania has two unique treasures, the Ngorongoro Crater and the calving of the herds in the Serengeti during late January to early March. The crater is considered one of the Wonder and is largest volcanic caldera in the world.  Descend into the crater is by a steep road as well as the ascent. What is interesting is that driving into it the vegetation to the sides of road are mostly candelabra, cacti, whistling acacias and other kinds of desert type plants.  But in the way out, the vegetation is different and the wall of the crater is covered by vegetation resembling a tropical forest.  There are two micro climates controlled by their location in the rim of the crater. The first time I visited, the Maasai were not permitted to bring their cattle into the crater for grazing.  But this has changed and they are allowed to bring the cattle in and out daily. This is a hard life; you can see them bringing the cattle early in the morning and listen to the cows’ bells.  The wildlife in the crater is no different from that of the Serengeti other that for a population of lions that seems to have a darker mane.  Black rhinos are found here and are constantly guarded to prevent their poaching for the horns as well as other ungulates.

 

 Birds’ area abundant particularly in the winter because of the northern hemisphere migrants that come here for the season.  While I there, the yellow-billed storks were getting ready to return to Europe and they could be seen circling the thermals overhead ready to head north in the evening, the next morning they were gone.  Other birds are locals and stay all year round such as the Egyptian Geese, the Black Crowned cranes and the Abdim’s storks.

 Driving west from the crater I headed to the Serengeti and after registering at Naabi Hill gate, entered the park proper.  The facilities at Naabi Hill, has grown and now there are several tented camps there as well as a trail up the hill to view the plains of the Serengeti interrupted by the rock outcrops called Kopjes.  These rocks formations are unique and during migration, one can see lions resting in the top waiting for the approaching migrating herds; once these get close, they descend for their meals.  The kopjes are also a great to spots leopards that often use them as dens to raise their cubs.

 Witnessing the calving is a privilege, I was lucky to see it twice during pass visits.  This year due to the drought, the herds were dispersed and not all have calved in unison as is customary; not many calves were being born.  The dropping of the calves by both the wildebeests and the zebras that migrate together, it tied to the rains.  Still, lots of activities in the drying-up waterholes is going on.  After so many years of visiting Africa I had never seen a male bushbuck, finally one late evening at sunset there it was, walking towards the waterhole.  The male bushbucks tend to be solitary and mostly active at night; probably the reason why I had not seen one before.

These waterholes also provide habitat for the birds to feed and built their nest.  I had the opportunity to observe the interactions between Black winged Stilts and a Goliath heron, the biggest in the world.  The heron was encroaching into the stilts nest and they were defending it.  Notice in the second image below that the heron was standing in the nest with the eggs.  The encounter went on for considerable time but eventually the heron walked away without damaging the nest.

The Retina Hippopotamus pool in my opinion is the best place to photograph these animals of what I know of Africa where they can be found here in great numbers.  The best time to go is early in the morning when the light is best and the tourist tours have not arrived yet. Another plus for going earlier is that the hippos are returning to the pool after spending the night out grazing in the nearby areas. There is always a fight going on, those in the pool trying to keep the incoming ones from taking their places.  Sometimes the fights get bloody but they are mostly limited posturing with a lot of noise.  Back in 2007, I had positioned myself below the bank of the river so that I could photograph the hippos at eye level with the surface of the water.  Suddenly my drive yelled at me that there was a crocodile swimming underwater heading for me; I did not bother to looks and flew up the cliff.  I guess the guide did not want to lose an old costumer since I had traveled with him several times.  Notice in the first image below the yellow-billed ox-peckers feeding in the blood of the hippos.  They peck these wounds open but it appears not to bother the hippos much.

Backtracking from the Serengeti east I headed for Ndutu Lake. In the past this area has been very productive for sighting leopards and the only place I had seen bat-eared foxes in Africa.  As the rest of the area, the drought has keep everything dry of the lake, just a few wet green areas left. However, the giraffes, cheetahs, warthogs, some antelopes and the lions were there but very few elephants

 Ndutu Lake was a dust bowl and the few safari vehicles there raised large clouds of dust.  This and the heat, made the visit not too pleasant but I was greatly rewarded photographically.  One photographic safari vehicle had so many photographers that the cheetah got mad for not been tipped.  Another first for me was the sighting of a Steenbok, a species of antelope rarely seen here.

 Great wildlife photographs are captured two ways; (1) by been at the right place at the right time (lucky) or (2) by stalking a subject, positioning to get the best light and framing, being patient and alert for when the action happens; usually no second chances.  I had seen the leopard below the evening before so I knew where he was and returned the next morning and found him.  I followed him and when he lay down next to a tree, I waited.  It was still cool in the morning and I knew that when it got hotter later on in the day, he will climb the tree to catch the breeze.  I got the image!!!

Finally I stopped at Tarangire Park, that has the largest concentration of elephants.  These giants are intriguing to watch and I spent hours with them just watching and learning about their behavior. How they protect their young, the ways they communicate by sounds, flapping of the ears, touching each other with the trunks or by the way they position them; kind of a sign language.  How many elephants in the first image below?  The second image shows a young ones playing with dried mud balls.  The one to the right will pick a ball with its trunk, put in its mouth, rolled around and dropped it.  Then will repeat the process with other ball again and again. Notice the younger one to the right also playing in the dirt…just like human children.

Kenya 2015

During the 3 decades that I have been visiting Kenya, this is the first time that I was asked for proof of a Yellow Fever vaccination.  This is as a result of the Ebola scare for which the health authorities at the Nairobi airport have established and interesting screening scheme.  First one has to fill a questionnaire and as the official revised it, you see yourself in an overhead LCD screen with a couple of yellow dots moving that follow your head movements and target your forehead/temple.  And then ouch, your body temperature appears on the screen; if it is normal, you are OK to proceed.

 The safari started in Samburu where I first set foot back in 1993. Back then, the road was basically non-existent, just a dirt surface paved with potholes.  Never seen it so dry, the Samburu River was just meandering sand, I got to watch the elephants digging wells to drink.  Due the drought, the Samburu people are bringing their cattle herds for grazing and watering using the elephant’s dug wells for drinking.  As one travels across Africa, the color of the elephants changes due that of the soil in their environment, they dust themselves and take mud baths for protection against insects and the sun; you may call it their insect repellent and sun screen.

 The main reason for revisiting was to see species of mammals not seen or not abundant in other areas such as the gerenuks.  These are the most attractive antelopes in my opinion, with the graceful necks and standing in two legs to reach the acacia leaves in which they feed.  Below is one with its young one feeding.  There was a great waterhole in the Isolio River where water was readily available and frequently visited.  I spent some time there observing the Grant’s gazelles, giraffes, baboons and many others drinking…it is a stressful endeavor and any noise caused the animals to stampede in fear of a predator.  The Superb Starlings were busy at the time of the visit collecting material for their nest, and I caught this one in the act.

 Sweetwaters is a conservation site whose main attraction is the waterhole around which a tented camp is set allowing for the viewing of the activities of the various animals and birds come to drink.  It is most interesting at night…just seat at the tent, watch the action and drink the wine.  It is also a refuge of injured rhinos as well as a site for chimpanzee research.  Two years ago I got my best image of a cheetah here and this time, one of the most majestic lion.  It was at sunset and he was just sitting in a hill admiring the sunset.  I was lucky to find a hyenas’ den where I spent sometimes watching the kids playing.  And most unusual for me, photographed a flowering cactus as a well as a nearby Anama lizard.

 Arrived at Lake Nakuru after traveling both tarmac and dust roads, here there is a drought too but the lake is at the highest levels I had ever seen.  The water inundating Lake Nakuru are coming from underground sources and not from the rains; lots of acacias that circle the lake have died…not a pretty sight.  Also the huge flocks of flamingos are not there due to changes in the alkalinity of the water, so their food source does not grow.  Black and white rhinos can be seen here as well as the regular retinue of mammals.  I was able to get an image of a lilac breasted roller, among one of the most colorful birds in Africa, a snake eating hawk and the always present velvet monkey.

 Finally, reached the Masai Mara, the ultimate destination in Kenya.  It was dry here too and the Mara River reduced to a trickle in places; the result of the drought, deforestation and the pumping of water for irrigating the farmlands that has emerged in the vicinity of the park during the last 10 years.  When I first visited, here approximately 30 years, the land around the park was basically untouched, with all kind of wild animals and covered with acacias and few humans.  The animals have been poached, the acacias cut down for charcoal, and the land fenced fields with multitude sheds from where people try to scratch a living. But the dusty and pot-holed road to the park remains the same as it was back in the early 1990’s. I got the 3 big cats; the cheetah in its customary place on top of a mound searching the horizon for a meal, the young lion deciding whether to climb a tree, and the leopard taking a break from eating its prey hanging from the nearby tree.

 The birds are abundant and I got to see again my favorite owl with the pink eye lids…the Verreaux Eagle- Owl.  The saddle-billed storks were busy doing their courtship dances and the yellow-billed storks’ busy gathering energy for their migration back to Europe. Large flock were flying overhead in circles just ready to go…but I did not see any with draped babies hanging from their bills ready for delivery in France, Italy or Spain…maybe they contracted this duty to UPS.  One of the advantages of going to Africa during the winter in the northern hemisphere is that one gets to see European and Asian birds here.

I always said when there it is my last trip but Kenyan friends just do not believe me anymore...is that right Moses?  How many sleeping lions are there left to photograph?  Not as many as they used to be.

So go soon.