The weather was fantastic too, clear sunny mornings followed by cloud build up in the afternoons, but very little rain.
The tour started with the standard 6 night extension to Samburu and Lake Nakuru. Samburu was excellent as always, quite wet to start with, which made for some interesting and different photo opportunities, and one highlight was seeing a lioness with her 3 very small cubs. The young Leopard we saw in September was also spotted at the top of a tree.
Elephants and birds are always very good in Samburu and one of my favourite antelopes, the unusual long necked Gerenuk was present in good numbers.
We continued on to Lake Nakuru which is still very flooded and full of water, but we did manage to get some good bird photos as well as good White Rhino sightings and an excellent time with the Rothschild Giraffes.
Finally we headed to the Maasai Mara for our final 9 nights. The Mara was excellent as it always is, a wonderful sighting of a Cheetah going back to her den site and revealing 5 tiny cubs no more than a few weeks old was a sighting none of us will forget.
We photographed a nice young male Leopard, numerous other cheetah and Lions. Another highlight was to see the 1000's and 1000's of wildebeest and zebra still in the Mara. They were very late to return this year and we were lucky to see a couple of crossings.
All in all a great trip. Many thanks to our Guides Mamai and James for looking after us in the field and getting those big heavy cruisers into great positions for photos... and also to staff at the camps... Next November we will be running the same safari so let us know if you are interested as spaces are limited.
Here are a few photos from the safari.
Warmest regards
Stu
Baby Elephant in the rain - SAMBURU
Tree Agama - SAMBURU
SAMBURU
Scarlet Chested Sunbird in rain - SAMBURU
Golden Breasted Starling in rain - SAMBURU
Vulturine Guineafowl - SAMBURU
Grevy's Zebra - SAMBURU
Lioness with her three cubs - SAMBURU
Dik Dik - SAMBURU
Tawny Eagle - SAMBURU
Yellow Necked Spurfowl - SAMBURU
Namaqua Dove - SAMBURU
Black Capped Social Weaver - SAMBURU
Gerenuk - SAMBURU
Black Faced Sand Grouse - SAMBURU
Elephants - SAMBURU
Northern Masked Weaver - SAMBURU
Lioness and cub - SAMBURU
Lion Cub - SAMBURU
Von Der Decken's Hornbill - SAMBURU
Ground Squirrel - SAMBURU
Red Billed Hornbill - SAMBURU
Vervet Monkey - SAMBURU
Orange Bellied Parrot - SAMBURU
Yellow Billed Hornbill - SAMBURU
Little Bee eater - SAMBURU
Pale Chanting Goshawk - SAMBURU
Purple Roller - SAMBURU
SAMBURU at night
Leopard and Hornbill - SAMBURU
Lesser Flamingo - LAKE NAKURU
Male Impala - LAKE NAKURU
Lesser Flamingo - LAKE NAKURU
Cape Buffalo - LAKE NAKURU
White Rhino and Calf - LAKE NAKURU
Superb Starling - LAKE NAKURU
Rothschild Giraffe - LAKE NAKURU
Northern Shoveler - LAKE NAKURU
Sunrise - MAASAI MARA
sunrise and waterbuck - MAASAI MARA
Sunrise and Ballanites trees - MAASAI MARA
Cheetah - MAASAI MARA
Wildebeest Crossing - MAASAI MARA
Elephant sunset - MAASAI MARA
Yellow Throated Longclaw - MAASAI MARA
Male leopard - MAASAI MARA
Cheetah with tiny cubs - MAASAI MARA
The female cheetah with a baby Grant's Gazelle - MAASAI MARA
Group of Banded Mongooses - MAASAI MARA
Maasai Giraffe - MAASAI MARA
Cheetah - MAASAI MARA
Hartebeest running - MAASAI MARA
Topi Running - MAASAI MARA
Male Lion from the Marsh Pride - MAASAI MARA
Sunset - MAASAI MARA
Zebra at sunrise - MAASAI MARA
Saddlebilled Stork feeding the youngsters - MAASAI MARA
Lion cub -MAASAI MARA
Cheetah - MAASAI MARA
Wildebeest crossing - MAASAI MARA
Lions - MAASAI MARA
Serval - MAASAI MARA
Serval - MAASAI MARA
Serval - MAASAI MARA
Sunrise and Giraffe - MAASAI MARA
Male Lion crossing Olare Orok river - MAASAI MARA
Male Lion - MAASAI MARA
Topi at Sunset - MAASAI MARA
Mating pair of Lions - MAASAI MARA
Ground Hornbill - MAASAI MARA
Secretary Bird - MAASAI MARA
Defassa Waterbuck - MAASAI MARA
Leopard in top of tree - MAASAI MARA
Leopard - MAASAI MARA
Long Crested Eagle - MAASAI MARA
Lions playing - MAASAI MARA
Lioness - MAASAI MARA
Zebra and foal - MAASAI MARA
Topi and Calf - MAASAI MARA
Lion cubs - MAASAI MARA
Topi on termite mound - MAASAI MARA
