The Mara Delivers Again…
Nashipae, with her 4 cubs. I kept the image a bit dark, to reflect what I saw at the time of capture—just before sunrise. I have some more images after the sunrise that I ‘ll share later.
I’m just getting back from a fantastic 3 week visit to Kenya. On my last blog post, I shared my first group’s sightings along with some of my favorite images from Samburu and the Mara.
For this post I’ll share the encounters my second group had. This tour was co- led by Paul McKenzie, and it started in Amboseli and ended in the Mara.
I am thrilled to report that Amboseli looks fantastic, especially compared to the way it looked last year. Plagued by one of the worst droughts in years, Amboseli has rebounded significantly.
Amboseli
While in Amboseli we focused mainly on the herds of elephants walking across the dried lakebed. Those are iconic shots that everyone, (including Paul and I) want to get. We also looked for backlighting and dust, both elements add so much to an image. After our time at Amboseli, we took a private charter to the famed Maasai Mara.
Amboseli
Amboseli
Young African Jacana, Amboseli.
Grey Crowned Cranes, Amboseli.
Once our feet touched down on Mara soil it all started. Right away we located Nashipae, the mother of the 4 cubs. I’m happy to report that when I left, all four cubs still had all of their paws and tails attached. The fact that they are still alive proves that Nashipae is an excellent mama. As you can see from the photos, we spent a lot of time concentrating on capturing photos of the cubs.
Nashipai with 2 of her cubs.
The vast grasslands are a feeding ground for many of the different herds, and with the big herds come the predators. My first group had several wildebeest crossings but this time we had zero. We did however happen upon a leopard (Jilime) and cheetah (Nashipai with the 4 cubs) having a stand- off.
During our time in the Mara, we focused mainly on the big cats. We watched as they hunted, fed and shared tender moments. We also spent some time watching for unique behavior.
Nashipai and Jilime
Nashipai and Jilime. It is not common to see a leopard and a cheetah in the same frame.
This year, the lions provided quite a bit of entertainment. One morning we were just about to have a bush breakfast when our guide spotted a lioness going after a warthog piglet. We threw our breakfast into the vehicle and got to the chase just as it was over— or so we thought. The lioness did not kill the piglet right away. And the piglet fought back and tried to escape. The tiny warthog finally got free and made a run for it but as it was running away it made a brave decision to turn back towards the lioness and give her the “what for”. It was fascinating to watch but we all knew the fate of the little warthog—even if it didn’t. So sad…
The baby Warthog is trying to bite the lion. The lighting was bad, but I liked the action captured.
We watched as the Rongai pride, which is a very large pride, made a failed attempt at taking down a buffalo. At first, we thought the lead young male would be able to get one with the two large females assisting him, but he was walked straight out of the herd by a few large bulls.
The trip would not be complete without mating lions <smile>
At the very last bit of light.
Super high key shot of one of the last remaining members of the fast five coalition of male cheetahs.
It was another amazing trip and once again a fun group. I’m looking forward to returning next September to see what the Mara has in store for us. Oh, and we did see the same Serval cat three times— but no photos as it was hidden in the tall grasses each time, we found it.