African Wattled Plover
No sweat. That’s the problem with being a bird. Humans have sweat gland which act to produce water which cools the body …
Plunge pools, Superb Starlings and sundowners
Here at Mara Ngenche Safari Camp the luxury is embarrassing. A beautiful two-room tent with outside shower and private plunge pool, fabulous …
Close to Lionesses
I’ve already had the experience of a male Lion getting uncomfortably close to me on this safari. This time it’s a Lioness …
Common Ostrich
In the distance, through the heat-haze, from a moving vehicle, wearing dirty glasses, the first thing I think is that those large …
A day of Giraffes, Drongos, Sacred Ibis, Coucals and Snake-Eagles
Masai Giraffes are tall. There are four species of Giraffe and this one is native to the Masai Mara. I love the …
Spotted Hyenas
It’s my first view of Spotted Hyenas. What strange animals. They have such short back legs and long front legs. I’m sure …
A Lion so close I could pet it
There’s a Lion in the Masai Mara and we’re on safari to see it. Four of us are in an open-sided vehicle …
Hooded Vultures assemble
There’s a corpse in the long grass. We think it’s the remains of a Buffalo. That means Hooded Vultures, Necrosyrtes monachus, are …
My first views of wild African Elephants
There is a small family group of Elephants in the distance. Seeing them in the landscape is something new for me. I’ve …
Black-Backed Jackals
We’re out on a safari drive in the Masai Mara in Kenya. Our guide and driver, Gladys, is an expert at spotting …
Even-toes
Animals with hooves are either odd-toed or even-toed. The odd-toed ones are horses, rhinos and tapirs. The even-toed ones are cattle, antelope, pigs, giraffes, camels, sheep, deer, and hippos. …
A tiny Dik-Dik on my lawn
Here at Mara Ngenche Safari Camp, in the Masai Mara in Kenya, the luxury is slightly overwhelming. When I booked on a …
A gorgeous Three-Banded Plover and a Lilac-Breasted Roller
We’re in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. I think it’s an indestructible Toyota Land Cruiser. Gladys is our local Kenyan guide for four of …
On safari in the Masai Mara
The twelve of us who have been volunteering in Kenya for Kenya Connect for the past eight days have been whittled down …
Muthoki Country Lodge and a Grey-Headed Kingfisher
Muthoki Country Lodge has been our home in Wamunyu for the week, with luxurious tents and fabulous food. We have four-poster beds …
Birds in the garden of Kenya Connect
While we are volunteering in rural Kenyan schools we return to the headquarters of Kenya Connect each day for lunch. It’s meat …
Common Bulbul calling “doctor-quick doctor-quick be-quick be-quick”
There’s just time before sundown to visit the lake a few hundred metres from my tent. One of the most common birds …
African Woolly-Necked Storks at the lake
It’s the evening after a busy day volunteering in Kenyan schools for Kenya Connect. We have dinner together at Muthoki Country Lodge …
Birding back at camp
There’s very little daylight left after a full day volunteering in Kenyan schools, but I intend to make the most of it. …
My Kamba name is…
My English name is David, but everyone here needs to have a Kamba name. We’re amongst the Kamba tribe here in one …
Welcome to my tent for the week
We’ve arrived in Machakos county in Kenya after our journey from Nairobi. We’ve passed one of the largest shanty towns and seen …
Mango and matcha with a Black Kite display
It’s lunchtime on our trip to Wamunyu in Kenya and the out-of-town shopping centre is modern and wholesome. There are security checks …
Bushbuck
There’s what looks like an East African Bushbuck on the forest edge. They’re elusive and solitary and brilliantly camouflaged. It’s unusual to …
The fascination of Anubis Baboons
Being a Baboon seems like quite a fun lifestyle. At least if you’re a male. There’s a nursing female carrying an infant …
Elephant bath time
It’s Elephant bath time at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi. There’s excitement in the small, quiet crowd as a herd of …
Notty the Zebra
We’re at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi for a brief visit. We’ve stopped off on our way to our volunteering assignment …
Tytan the baby Black Rhino
I’m in Kenya volunteering on a literacy programme with a charity called Kenya Connect. We’re on our way from Nairobi, heading east …
My first day in Kenya
I’m off to Kenya volunteering on a literacy programme based in Wamunyu, two-hours east of Nairobi. I’m going to be with colleagues …
Swallow on a mission
It’s mud-hut-building time for the Swallows of Westray. Whether it’s a new nest or urgent repairs to an old one, the Swallows …
Tree Sparrow
I’ve seen Tree Sparrows before. I visited Tree Sparrow farm to see them. That’s how sadly depleted their population is.