The Mara always delivers— that’s what my guide Simon says all the time, and he is right. There are so many photo opportunities every day and a sighting around each turn in the road. I’ll be in Africa until October 4th. I feel so lucky!
Scolding the cubs as they took a break.
Nashipae with four very young cubs just as she spotted the male lion.
Our first full day was fantastic. We located a cheetah named Nashipae with four very young cubs, each of which still had some dark markings on their undersides and a full mantle. Nashipae walked her cubs for at least a mile. They had one water break along the way. I felt so sorry for them as they struggled to keep up. But momma was hungry, and she needed to find something to hunt.
As she walked through the grasslands for what felt like forever, she just about stumbled right into a resting lion. Lucky for her cubs that the wind was blowing towards her and she was able to smell the lion and redirect her course.
Too many Wildebeest trying to get get across.
Our next day was epic. We had one of the largest wildebeest river crossings I have ever seen. Followed by yet another one on the following day. The herds were massive and funneling into the Mara River hoping to make it across without incident.
Faulu.
Faulu.
On one of our days, we photographed a small leopard called Faulu. She is the daughter of Fig —for those of you familiar with the animals in the Mara. Our guide calls Faulu a killing machine. I photographed her climbing up a tree that held two of her latest kills, a gazelle, and a jackal. In my photo shown below, I love the way her front paws look like she is begging.
Last two of the Fast Five hunting in the rain.
Another great day was spent with the two remaining members of the Fast Five, - a coalition of five male cheetah aka Tano Bora. I first photographed the Fast Five in 2017. Since then, they have dwindled down to just two. We watched them successfully hunt a wildebeest. The two male cheetahs waited for it to start raining before making their move. Predators in the Mara know that their prey will get distracted in the rain and they can hunt them more easily. For my photos, I love how the rain softened the backgrounds. Though, Donna Bourdon got the winning shot.
During our time in the Mara, we also had two separate lion hunts, both were over quickly. We were also treated to a special sighting of a different leopard with her young cub.
Hammerkop with frog.
On our very last day we started out early with another sighting of a serval cat. The light was too low for a reasonable photo, but we watched as it started to hunt for frogs. From there we rode on towards some herds. We stumbled on two male lions walking through the grasses following a good distance behind a female lion. Every so often the males would catch wind of her scent, and both would start flehmen. “Flehmen” is the male response” to sex hormones of females, receptive to reproduction. They usually show their teeth and curl their lips and nose.
As we headed back to camp to prepare for our flight to Samburu, we photographed a marshal eagle in a lovely tree. There were so many wonderful images captured by all. We shared some of our best images before or after dinner each night.
Right now, I am writing this from the air on our way to Samburu from the Mara. We’re in a 12-passenger plane and we have it all to ourselves. Once we land, we’ll go out on a game drive on our way to our lodge.
Samburu
Well Samburu is hotter than the Mara and there is dust! Yippee! Dust and backlighting are a great element that can add tremendously to an image.
Beisa oryx
I’m so glad we came to Samburu. On our first game drive we saw all of the “Special 5” that Samburu is known for. They are the Beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, Grevy's zebra and Gerenuk.
Gerenuk, female feeding.
In addition to the Special 5, we also saw the Vulturine Guinea fowl. They have the most beautiful feathers I have ever seen. I zeroed in on a close- up of the feathers since I never see them in the Mara.
Vulturine Guineafowl
Somali ostrich, male “Spanish Dancer”
On our last morning we photographed a male Somali ostrich displaying for a female— it flounced a full skirt of feathers out in what looked like a hoop skirt. I fondly titled this one “Spanish Dancer.”
Male cheetah backlit
If you haven’t been to Samburu, then I would suggest a visit. Some say the best time to go is during the rainy season to get lush backgrounds— but for photography, I prefer the dust that comes during the dryer times, like in September. We spent most of our time in the field, with just our group— it felt very private.
I have a ton more image but I need to get some work done before my next group!