The end of a great safari season

As the year 2011 comes to an end, i would like to reflect on the safaris i have had in the past season. My safaris this year took me to many places of interest to my guests, whihc indluded Serengeti national park, Ngorongoro crater, L. Manyara, Samburu, L. Nakuru, Lewa, Ilgwesi and mostly Masai Mara among other places. In all these places my guests and i were able to enjoy great wildlife and cultural experience. In the new year, i  am hoping to visit these and many more other places to share my experience and great photographic opportunties with my guests.

What i was able to enjoy most this year was, the great migration of wildebeests in the Mara and Serengeti, leopard sightings in Serengeti, Lewa and moslty in the Mara where we could see them every day. Lions sighings were good as well as the general game. I still remember the emotions i and my guests and other guides had during the take over of the marsh pride of lions by  four new males which came into the area in September, kicking out the older two dominant males.

Finally, i would like to introduce my new website  http://paulkirui-photography.com/ where i now post my photographs and share safari experience with others

I would like to wish you all a happy new year with fulfilling expectations.

 This year i and my guests were able to witness a lot of predator actions

 Witnessing the migration this year was a great experience for me and my guests

We enjoyed many leopards sightings

we were lucky many times with good lighting for great photographic opportunity

 Good leopard sighting in northern Serengeti

 We had great cultural experience

Rhinos at Lewa

Grevy zebra- lewa

Joy the lioness at the marsh in the mara with her cubs. We spent an emotional moment watching the taking over of the marsh pride by new males.

Flamingoes on Lake Nakuru

Unseasoned rain changes the Mara

I am now back again to the "office" after being away to do guides training and exams.

The Mara is now green with tall grass dominating the landscape. It is still very wet in most places an done has to drive around with a lot of caution. The unseasoned rain has changed teh way the Mara is traditionally around December. The gras would be short or just starting to grow tall from teh usual short rains. But this year everything  changed. The ituation in teh Mara now is more like what youi would expect in May- June after the long rains.

Game veiwing is fair, but it is a challenge to see enough. Many animals, especially the resident herbivores, have converged into small herds in isolated pockets across the park. It is no suprise to drive for kilometres without seeing an animal, then suddenly you come across a herd.

The lion prides are now very mobile since htere is little to eat. The Olkiombo pride is now buy Maji ya fisi, south of Talke bridge. The Ridge pride is now around Rekero  and Naibor camp and the area just south of these places. Olkeju-Rongai pride shares the same hunting ground with them in these places. Notch and sons keeps moving back and forth between theses prides.
The marsh pride is still split up. Joy plus 5 cubs and 2 subadults are between Topi plains and Bila shaka. Teh 4 Musketeers are at the marsh and have now been joined by Bibi and white eye. The rest are still keeping away from them. Romeo an,d clawed ahve not been seen for a week. flooded streams/rivers have been preventing us from moving freely.

 The skies in the afternoon have been characterized by heavy downpours

 There are many more elephants in the park than in the past few months

 Notch and sons has lately been moving between Olkeju Rongai, part of Olkiombo and Ridge pride

This is one of the leopards we have been seeing near the Mara river