What brings me back to Kenya so often? If you have never been here then it would be hard for you to imagine, I you have been here, then you know what I mean. I went for the Wildebeest Migration (which has been sporadic and earlier than in recent years), but in the end it was not happening, but plenty of other good animals in some of the best parks and lakes that Africa has to offer.
Of course you can make a whole trip of Kenya while just driving on the roads. The cities are big and have a lot of traffic, but once you get out on the open roads, you have a slew of lovely villages, people, and amazing scenery, which makes it a photographers heaven….
First stop on this amazing journey (again) was a little traveled to National Park called Samburu which is up north of Nairobi, somewhat close but not to close to the Somali Border. This parks claim to fame is the Special Big 5 which is the only place you can find these five animals together: Besia Oryx, Reticulated Giraffe, Somali Ostrich, Gerenuk, and Grevy’s Zebra. These are all animals that have cousins to the other animals of the same name but are quite different. Of course we ran across other animals and birds which made this park very enjoyable, including a slew of crocodiles that were feasting on a freshly caught impala…
The Special Big 5 Gallery:
Link to more Special Big 5 Animals in their natural Habitat
The other animals and birds we saw in Samburu were and not limited to the following:
Warthog, Grants Gazelle, Cheetah, Dik Dik, Elephant, Black Back Jackal, Yellow Bill Stork, Bateleur Eagle, Guinea Fowl, Pygmy King Fischer, Angama Lizard, Mongoose, Superb Starling, Impala, Yellow Bill Spur Bill, Lilac Breasted Roller, Bee Eater, Lapwing, Waterbuck, Olive Baboon.
As I am fond of both of the lakes (Nakuru and Naivasha), I decided that it would be best to go back to see them. Of course Nakuru is known for its White and Black Rhinos and Flamingos (which are starting to come back to the area after a few years absence), but there is so many more animals to see there!!!! The scenery is beautiful and it makes you forget you are near a city…
Some of the animals and birds we saw were: Zebra, Buffalo, White and Black Rhino, Warthog, Waterbuck, Olive Baboon, Impala, Ostrich, Giraffe, Mirabu Stork, Hadada Ibis, Flamingo, Creasted Eagle and Ducks (just to name a few).
Next stop in my opinion is the bird capital of Africa (although I still have a few spots to check out). Lake Naivasha is one of my favorite places in Kenya. Besides it being a massive lake with many birds, the ambience is just delightful. Hells Gate National Park is situated along a fault line and many of the animals have been trapped there for many generations…
But the main part of this lake is the actual lake. The birding is fantastic and taking a visit to Crescent Island where the movie OUT OF AFRICA was filmed is spectacular….how many places do you get to walk with animals in your life!!!
Finally off to arguably one of the best safari parks in the world Masai Mara. As I went to see the Great Wildebeest migration as it has been on my bucket list for sometime, other opportunities for photography presented itself.
Finally went to the Masai village that is located near two of the gates to Mara. It was good to meet some of the local villagers and watch them go about some of their duties in their every day lives..
The migration has been sporadic for the last few years in which the numbers of animals are seeming to cross at different times. Some days they will cross in mass amounts and other days nothing. Unfortunately for me, the day we got to the Mara River, there was nothing. We did see a hoard of animals including: Wildebeest, Ostrich, Zebra, Gazelle, Cheetahs, Lions, Elephant, Hyena, Giraffe, Hartabeest, Baboon, Eiland, Impala, Black Back Jackal, Warthog, Hippo, Tree Hyrex, Vervet, Buffalo, Leopard (not that visible), Banded Mongoose, Servel Cat, Reed Ruck, Topi, and Crocadile.
On the Birds side we saw Buzzards (happily eating Carcass), Go Away Bird, Mirabu Stork, Laped Face Vulture, Black Back Vulture, Lilac Breast Roller, Cenerious Vulture, Snake Eagle, and Secretariat Bird.
As the Hyenas I saw were shot against the sun, the photos did not come out as I had planned, but it was nice to see a baby hyena that was dark in color, running around the den they live in..
When you go on safari’s you do not put on your checklist to find a Serval Cat. They are very difficult to spot and often hide a lot during the day, only to come out in the evening to catch mice. Driving toward the Mara River on the side of the path, I was lucky enough to see my one and only one of these beautiful creatures as it ran toward the tall grass, stopping occasionally to look around..
Even though the Wildebeest Migration was not to be this time around, other situations presented itself. Probably some of the best lion photos I have ever got, including seeing 11 Lions and Lionesses in one day…..
The rest of the beautiful lion photos can be found here- Lions around Mara
Nothing could prepare me for something that I I have always wanted to see. After two times of being to Ishasha NP in Uganda, trying to find a tree climbing lion, I finally found one out of the blue in Mara. Noone knows really why these lions climb the trees or sometimes how, but we do know that they got up there somehow and it is a beautiful site…
Finally, one of my favorite animals to photograph and watch are Cheetahs. Their movements are sometimes very peculiar when they hunt and a lot of the times they work on groups. I was lucky enough to see the world famous “5 brothers cheetahs” as they made their way around after a fresh antelope kill. We stayed with them for about an hour, watching them eat the fresh carcass, mark their territory on trees, lick each others faces, relax after a good meal, and go to a watering spot to quench their thirst. This was defiantly, some of the best photos of cheetahs I have got, and was happy to finally see these famous fellas!!!!
For more Cheetah photos in their natural environment including the 5 brothers, please click here- Cheetahs of Mara.
Overall this was a fantastic trip with a lot of distance covered and of course some unexpected surprises with the Serval Cat, 5 Brothers, and Tree Lion. I am happy to say that I am not disappointed that I did not see the Wildebeest Migration as it will just bring me back to Kenya more than a few times in the next few years and maybe more….