Oct. Safari Part 2

This is a continuation of my previous thread about my recent safari to the Mara North Conservancy, Kenya, in October.
As a change from the lions and elllies, this post is about some of the beautiful and varied birdlife that I witnessed. When there are few of the larger animals to observe there are always the birds and it is fun to try and firstly identify them although my guides David and Kapeen are brilliant at that and then try to photograph them. Invariably they are hidden in deep shade or too far away so it is always a challenge but great fun. I probably end up deleting more attempted bird photos than any others!!



Common drongo



Yellow-billed oxpecker on the back of a young buffalo



A pair of Lilac breasted rollers. (everybodies favourite bird!!)



Not a bird but a beautiful hawk moth



Spur-winged goose



Hammerkop



Bateleur eagle



Kori bustard



Pied crows scavenging



Martial eagle



Grey crowned crane



Tawny eagle and below a baby warthog that he had just killed!!



The unfortunate baby warthog!!!



Woodland kingfisher



Silhouette of two White-backed vultures and a Ground hornbill on their roost for the night high in a tree



Juvenile Martial eagle with breakfast!!



Rufous-naped lark



Male common ostrich in full breeding colour looking for a female!!



Lappet-faced vultiure



A pair of Secretary birds busy nest building



A Lilac-breasted roller resting on a wildebeest carcass



Maribou stork (not the prettiest of birds!!)



Little bee-eater



Ground hornbill


SM

Great to see some, Bird photos SM, as you say when its quiet there is always small wildlife around, including Birds of many species. We see this at the ponds, and waterholes I watch in South Africa on the web cams, even at night in the rainy season when there are fewer large animals that visit them. Out of the ones you have posted I have seen the Common Drongo, Lilac Roller, Spur Winged Goose, Hammercop, Kori bustard, Pied Crow, Martial Eagle, a Grey Crested Crane has been visiting Petes Pond the last couple of days, Woodland Kingfisher, and Secretary Bird. There is alway something to see, and hold your attention if you look for it as your wonderful photos prove.

WS

and Safariman. As you all know I love the birds and am always on the look out for them, probably more so than anything else as they are such a challenge and I love trying to ID them. LBR always so photogenic and my favourite but you managed to get a magnificent number of different birds.

Thanks for sharing Safariman.

Lai

Great collection of bird pics SM and moth

We love to take bird shots too, it can be way more challenging than the 'usual' safari targets (especially the little birds) and sure helps to entertain us between game drives!

Thanks everybody for the kind comments. The variety of birdlife in Africa never ceases to amaze me and I am always finding new birds I haven't seen before.I probably find it easier to recognise African birds than the ones in the U.K.!!

I agree SM, I,m amazed at the number of different Heron species alone. This week at one of the ponds alone I've seen Grey Heron, Green backed heron, black crowned night heron, and a Goliath Heron, amazing really.

WS

Same here Safariman, I think I know more African birds than UK birds

Lai

This post is about an unusual and rare sighting I witnessed.
Soon after setting out on our morning game drive we heard a considerable commotion of what sounded like hyenas. We could not see anything but could hear lots of whooping and hollering as if hyenas were on a kill. After a little searching we found about a dozen hyenas gathered in a small clearing and much to our surprise two of them were mating!! This was a cause of great delight for my guides; for David it was only the second time he had ever seen this and for Kapeen it was a first!!! This goes to show how rare seeing hyenas mate is. Unlike lion mating, it is a long drawn out affair watched and encouraged by the rest of the group with lots of noise and dashing about. It even brought an audience of a pair of jackals who wondered what all the fuss was about.
One of the things I love about going out on game drives is that you never know what you are going to see and are constantly surprised. Below are a few photos and a short video.














SM

 for sharing Safariman, very interesting to see, I 've never seen hyenas mating either so a first for me.  I agree it is so amazing each safari you go on to see different wildlife and different activities.  I am convinced Kapeen was joining in with the odd hyena sound effect

Lai

These are some miscellaneous photos of my trip that I have not posted in the other sections.



Giraffe silhouetted against the sky



One of the new Acacia Pride male lions after an altercation with some sub-adult males of the pride who he drove off. You can see some of the scars from his confrontation!!



Bohors reedbuck relaxing in the shade



Giraffe feeding



A male baboon poses for the camera. (not a selfie!!!)



A warthog looks out from its burrow in an old termite mound



An eland, Africa's largest antelope



A dik-dik, Africa's smallest antelope



Black-backed jackal pups waiting expectantly for mum and dad bringing home dinner!!



Common zebra grazing



A giraffe reaches high into an acacia tree with its long tongue to remove the succulent leaves.



A male leopard hidden behind the rocks. After numerous visits this was the first time I had seen a leopard in Leopard Gorge!!



The same male leopard



A happy hippo!!!



A rock hyrax



A female lion from the Acacia Pride looks out from her vantage point high in the rocks



Male leopard chills out. We waited a whole afternoon for him to move but he didn't!!!


SM

 Safariman, a lovely collection of miscellaneous photos.  Much as I love the big cats I love to see other wildlife, and to see the rock hyrax was great,  and the reedbuck and of course the warthog in his home.  As ever the leopards always thrill me and well done for waiting so long to see him move  you are very patient!

Thanks for sharing with us.

Lai

Great mix of species SM, as you say its not all about the Big Five as people tend to think. It's wonderful to see other species, love the Hyrax you don't often see photos of them. The Male ion looks as though he had a job to get rid of the sub adults. Now that looks like a Baboon with attitude. Leopard Gorge used to be one of Jonathan Scotts favourite places. I thought the Royal Antelope was Africa's smallest antelope.

WS

SM just a brilliant collection of photo's. I am never very good at remembering all the different african birds which is a shame as I love them so much. They are all stunning in their own right aren't they, whether they have brilliant colours or not, there is always something that catches your eye. The little dik dik is just gorgeous and I remember seeing her or him in your video and the Happy Hippo is just the best.......so in your face that picture.....just fabulous. Isn't it funny that the pictures we often call the odds and ends are often fascinating when all put together and that baboon.......not a selfie . Just made me smile, I loved the water droplets in it too.
They must have been the Hyenas in your other video SM, brilliant that you were able to see and capture something that is quite rare to see. Somehow im not too surprised their matings are family affairs, I always think they are quite gregarious characters.
Fantastic to catch up on all your wonderful photo's and thanks for sharing them with us, I always enjoy seeing them.

littlewid-x-

Thanks LW. As you say it is always the "odds and ends" that can provide some of the best photos. When I am away I just photograph everything I see and hope it will turn out alright, you can always delete it after. I like to keep a record of all the different animals and birds I see even if the photo isn't great. The advantage of digital is you can just keep taking as many photos as you like for very little cost. I also put all my bird photos onto my i-pad that I take with me so it can act as a reference book!!

SM