More from the Mara

Cheetah with a Kill - Maasai Mara, Kenya

Day two commenced much as the first and indeed the whole stay was to follow the same pattern. Our plan was to head back to the Lion pride we had been following the previous night and spend some time with them while we waited to hear if there was any other action taking place.

Two males we had seen on our last trip, Olbarnoti and Lolpapit, have taken over the females in the Double Cross/Enkoyonai pride and a feature this trip was the number of times we witnessed Olbarnoti mating. We had seen it the previous night and as soon as we caught up with the pride on day two, he was still with the same female. Twenty minutes passed and we heard that a Leopard had been spotted with a cub.

Arriving at this sighting it turned out to be a well-known female Kaboso’s cub, but no sighting of either Kaboso or her other cub. The early morning light was good and we had a full 30 minutes with the cub before moving on.

The next hour yielded a mother and baby elephant, a herd of Topi and a rather confiding Fiscal Shrike, before another lion encounter. By now it was time for bush breakfast as the sun warmed the plains and we could remove a layer or two of clothing.

After breakfast we set off to a location where our guide knew there was a great chance of witnessing a large elephant herd crossing the Mara River. On the way we had opportunities to photograph Saddle-billed Stork, a favourite bird of mine the Grey Crowned Crane and Grant’s Gazelle before arriving at our chosen spot.

Around three-quarters of an hour passed before upwards of 30 - 40 elephants of all ages turned up at the water’s edge. We were treated to about 90 minutes of them frolicking and washing in the river, but sadly on this occasion no crossing. It was nevertheless a fascinating sight. That took us nicely into lunchtime.

Setting off in the afternoon we headed for the Talek River and our first sighting there was of the Crocodile I published in my last post. It was the biggest Croc I have ever seen, suggesting there is no shortage of food.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with a relaxed Tawny Eagle and trying to capture Giraffe images that showed the Mara plains. I always find Giraffe a difficult subject, due in no small part to their physical shape. It’s either a portrait, or a full-length shot with a lot of background to deal with. In the close bush, I always find those shots messy, but in the open plains of the Mara, much more pleasing shots can result.

We also managed to get some beautifully detailed Wattled Plover shots, portraits in fact, as they were just too close to the vehicle. That was about an hour before the sun was due to set and as we were some way from the lodge we started to head back in that direction.

Arriving at the point where we had seen Kaboso’s cub in the morning, it was obvious from the number of vehicles around that something was happening and we soon found out that Kaboso herself was hunting a herd of Impala. This was another fascinating sight, not just watching the technique she was using, but also witnessing the apparent suicidal behaviour of the Impala. Far from running away, they have a habit of turning back towards predator to keep a watch on what it’s doing. As Kaboso got into a position where she felt she was close enough undetected to launch an attack, things took a surprising turn. About 50 metres away a Lion emerged from the undergrowth heading in the other direction. This was enough to spook the Impala and Kaboso broke cover, but was unable to catch anything.

With the light failing, we headed back to the lodge and a well-earned dinner. It had been an eventful day with some wonderful sightings and plenty of pictures to edit. Clearly the plan for next morning had to be a revisit to where Kaboso had been hunting to see if she had any success later on. Roll on 6am.

The Mara Beckons Again

Large Crocodile - Talek River, Maasai Mara, Kenya

We first visited Africa in 2005 where we had our first safari as part of our honeymoon. It’s no surprise that we fell in love with the place and since then we have made several trips to Zambia, Botswana and to South Africa in search of animals to photograph. But it wasn’t until last November that we finally made it to Kenya, a trip I blogged about earlier this year. What we didn’t know then was how soon we would be making a return visit, but mid-June saw us back on a plane bound for Nairobi.

Of course we knew it would be somewhat different this time, it being Winter there rather than Summer. We also knew there was a slim chance of a migration crossing, but that wasn’t what we went for. What we were surprised about was the length of the grass caused by unprecedented rains in the previous few months. In places it was around a metre tall and this was both a hindrance and a help. Finding wildlife was sometimes very difficult, but set against this was the ability to capture images of animals framed in soft foliage. Another effect was on the migration, predicted to be delayed by around 2 – 3 weeks, not good news for those people booked on trips based on normal migration dates.

Arriving at the Ol Kiombo airstrip late morning, we were straight on to a game drive on the way to the lodge, in time for lunch. I was very pleased to encounter a Cheetah on the drive, as they are my favourite big cats. The trip could not have got off to a better start as far as I was concerned.

Suitably refreshed, we set off mid-afternoon for our first proper game drive and we were soon in the company of Rose’s favourite African animals, a herd of Elephants. Next up was the obligatory Lilac-breasted Roller opportunity, swiftly followed by two Cheetahs, one of which was a 10 week-old cub. We were hopeful that this had set the scene for a successful visit and turned in that night, full of expectation.

Our preference on these trips is to take all day game drives with a dedicated guide and vehicle, avoiding the usual siesta between brunch and high tea that a lot of lodges offer. We also get to enjoy a picnic breakfast and lunch out in the wild each day. The main advantages of this approach are that we can spend as much time as we like on any sighting and also ensure a prime position on afternoon sightings before the ‘siesta lodge’ vehicles even leave camp.

On our first full day we had a 5:15am alarm call, which gave us enough time to get ourselves ready, have a coffee and leave the lodge at 6am. It was still dark then, but enabled us to be in position for the sunrise and within forty-five minutes we were with a pride of Lions we were to spend some time with on the trip. Less than thirty minutes later we were photographing a Leopard and our hopes from the previous evening were being fulfilled.

One thing we noticed from our trip last November was the distinct lack of birds, to some extent not surprising given the lack of trees and bushes on the open plains. However, in June it is a different story and we saw considerably more species this time. So far the long grass wasn’t causing an issue, just making it harder for the guide to spot animals. Of course with us sat in the vehicle on a slightly higher level (we have a row of seats each) we were able to assist on many occasions. The long grass did have one effect on us though; it disorientated us as places looked totally different to how they had in November. It was a couple of days before I was able to work out where we were in relation to previous sightings.

Hopefully that has set the scene for the trip, which I’ll continue to blog about next week. If you are enthused by what you read, I can announce that we have negotiated a preferential rate for up to four guests to join us on a repeat visit in November 2019 on the basis I have outlined in this blog post. It is not being run as a workshop, although we will be on hand if you require any help, therefore you are not paying for our services. I hope to have an itinerary and full cost (payable in £ sterling) for my next post. Anyone interested please use the Contact tab above.

Mull Musings concluded

Atlantic Puffin - Lunga, Treshnish Isles

As I referred to last week, our 2015 visit to Lunga didn’t include the Staffa part of the package. Essentially we were on a private charter that utilised the public boat to get us out to Lunga with the return trip on a chartered rib. So it was a welcome addition to be able to visit Staffa on Turus Mara’s Big Birding trip. We opted not to disembark and were able to see the unique rock formations that make up the island from the boat, all the time being entertained by a pod of dolphins.

Moving on to Lunga, a journey of a little over half an hour, the tide was low when we arrived there, which made the disembarking process more difficult. It involves the boat tying up to a pontoon, which is moored offshore. The pontoon is then slipped from its mooring and driven ashore by the boat, Leaving the boat and walking along the pontoon is fine, but you then reach the rocks and have to make your way across them to dry land. It’s tricky at high tide, but at low water the rocks initially are wet and slippery and anyone with reduced mobility is bound to struggle.

Once on the island, there is a short, but steep, climb up the cliff. However, as soon as you reach the flat ground at the top, there are the Puffins you’ve come to photograph. It’s a beautiful setting with the obligatory Sea Pinks there to enable the capture of that iconic shot. It’s entirely possible to spend all of your time on the island just shooting these adorable birds at this location and many people do. Interestingly the number of birds on show is directly related to the number of people there, the more people, the more birds.

Even the normal public boat trips allow for two hours ashore, which does allow time to explore the island further if you can drag yourself away from the Puffins. There is another short, steep path up from where the Puffins are first encountered and then a narrow, winding path undulates around the edge of the island. There are more Puffins along this stretch, but this is where the Fulmars and Shags can be found, before you arrive at the area colonised by hundreds of Razorbills and Guillemots.

On this occasion, the four hours ashore afforded by the Birding trip was quite acceptable, but always accompanied by passengers from other boats. In 2015, when all the public boats had departed we had the best opportunities, even though the weather was tending to be inclement. Sadly it seems that a charter is no longer possible, unless you are part of a workshop run by one of the long established pro photographers who visit the island annually.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable day, although the harsh light was quite challenging, but had we stuck with the Tuesday, it would have been too inclement. In fact I’m not even sure the boat went out that day.

With the Lunga trip over, it just left one full day on the island and the chance to catch up with some of the elusive species such as Hen Harriers, Short-eared Owls and of course the Otters. We decided to cover the Western and Southern parts of the island as we had earlier in the week. We knew there were Otters in Loch Na Keal, we’d seen one earlier in the week. We’d seen Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls near the north-eastern shore of Loch Beg in 2015. This time we drew a blank and unsurprisingly found ourselves back at Loch Spelve, which had been one of the most productive sites during the week. A distant pair of Eiders and a confiding Lapwing were there for us, but not what we were looking for. A disappointing day to say the least.

So that was our 2018 Mull visit over. It’s a great place and we really like it there, even if it’s getting busy and the wildlife can be elusive. None of this has put us off and a return in 2019 is already planned and booked, albeit slightly later than this year. For a number of reasons, I can’t wait.

Mull Musings continued

White-tailed Eagle - Loch Tuath, Mull

After the initial success of finding a Dipper, it must be said it was not well placed and there was very little light available, so premium shots were nigh on impossible to come by. As I alluded last time, that set the scene for the rest of the day and to some extent the rest of the week. In fact the next shots in my sequence were of the late afternoon White-tailed Eagles charter.

Late afternoon weather was fine and some banter in the car park at the Ulva ferry suggested that the two public trips on Martin Keivers’ boat Lady Jayne that day had been very productive. In fact, Martin had passed us as we drove to the ferry and on boarding the boat, his son Alex confirmed it had been a good day and Martin had gone to get more fish.

Soon underway, we were surprised to find that rather than sailing into Loch Na Keal, we headed in the opposite direction to the area of Loch Tuath. Some Black-backed Gulls gave the opportunity to sort the camera settings and practice a few in-flight shots before the main course was served up. We had high expectations for the trip and we weren’t disappointed, having several passes by both male and female birds in some excellent light. We were also amused by a somewhat lazy male bird that preferred to chase a Raven, rather than swoop for the fish. The female put up with this for a short while, but ultimately came in herself and got the fish.

Our previous trip like this had given us some close sightings of Great Northern Divers in breeding plumage and we were hopeful this would be repeated. Alas that was not to be the case and although during the week we did have some sightings along the shore of Loch Na Keal, they were never as close as we had from Lady Jayne in 2015.

The three hour charter soon passed - doesn’t time always pass quickly when the action keeps on coming – and it was time to head back to base for a well-earned dinner.

Next day we toured a few places to see what we could find and the majority of the action was centred on Loch Spelve. It yielded Common Gulls, a particularly confiding, but nonetheless vocal, Oystercatcher, Red-breasted Mergansers, although no Otters. The day was rounded off with some particularly handsome Highland Cattle at Auchnacraig.

As I mentioned in my last blog post, Tuesday was forecast to be a wet day and so it turned out. Naturally it didn’t stop us venturing out, but I have no usable images from the day at all. Visiting Mull one has to be ready for this weather and almost accept it as the norm, but we were experiencing such good weather that it came as a bit of a blow on this trip. Dinner in Tobermory and a discussion about the following day’s plan rounded off Tuesday.

Wednesday dawned bright and back to the weather we had become used to. The plan was to spend some time around the northern part of the island and then move down the east coast calling in at a variety of sites en route. Apart from a couple of landscape opportunities – most notably the old wrecks featured in my last post – there was nothing of any note to report. Almost inevitably we found ourselves back at Loch Spelve where this time we did have some different species to capture. There was a fleeting glimpse of an Otter as it swam along the shoreline, but all attempts to get ahead of it failed and resulted in almost exclusively in shots as it was going away.

The lesson to be learned here is one we all know, but seem to overlook consistently. It’s simply, know where your targets are and spend time patiently waiting for them to come to you. Chase them and you’re lost.

Next time I’ll blog about the Lunga trip for the Puffins, which again was different to our 2015 visit. On that occasion we didn’t do the Staffa part of the trip, but this time we did.

Mull Musings

The Old Wrecks - Salen, Isle of Mull

With Trinidad done and dusted, it was time to transfer to Tobago, where we stayed at the Cuffie River Nature Retreat. Here it is possible to photograph Hummingbirds, including the fabulous Ruby Topaz, at the front of the hotel. The Motmot are regular visitors as are the Chachalacas and Red-crowned Woodpeckers. Our first full day here featured a familiarisation walk, which revealed a few species, but by far the highlight was spotting a Common Potoo.

Again we had booked a couple of days out, the first being an all day trip taking in a number of sites to the south of the island. Starting at the Tobago Plantations Estate we were happy to have a number of opportunities to get close to the birds, including a very nice Black-necked Stilt. To be truthful, that was as good as it got. We visited four more sites and got very little.

One of these sites was the now-derelict Grafton Bird Sanctuary. Sadly, the lady who set it up died in 1983 and it was handed to a trust, which has overseen a gradual decline. Looking it up on dear old Google reveals it was still open in 2013, though in terminal decline, therefore it’s no surprise it has become derelict. However, there are still birds there, although the trails have naturally become overgrown, and we did get our best Marmot images of the whole trip there.

Our final full day was to be a trip into the rainforest, followed by a visit to Little Tobago for the Red-billed Tropicbirds and Frigatebirds. As with a number of things on this trip, it didn’t go quite to plan. The day dawned bright enough, but by the time we were on the road conditions changed and the rain came in. OK, it was the rainforest and we spotted a few new species on the way there, but by the time we were due to go into the forest itself, the rain was torrential and would heave been a waste of time. Indeed, as we sat at the entrance in the hope of a lull in the conditions, all we saw were extremely wet people making a hasty exit. The pity about this was being our last day there was no chance for a revisit.

Moving on, the afternoon trip was more successful and involved a short boat ride to Little Tobago, followed by a steep climb up to the viewing point. Getting there was fun in itself, as although the sea looked quite benign, the landing on the island was hairy to say the least. The waves were breaking across the concrete jetty and getting ashore with our gear without getting wet involved excellent timing by both the skipper of the boat and us. Thankfully we managed it without too much problem, but it could be an issue for someone less mobile. An intense two-hour session followed with a constant stream of both species displaying, before the light started to go. Then it was time to run the gauntlet of the return journey, fortunately without incident again.

Save for the final morning around the lodge concentrating on the Hummingbirds again, that was the end of our trip. In hindsight it was a good trip, but it could have been better. Our booking agents left something to be desired even though they profess to be Trinidad & Tobago experts. We had stressed on many occasions that we were going to photograph birds and not as birdwatchers, therefore needed to get close. Despite regular assurances, it was clear that neither they, nor the guides we were given, understood our needs. Would we go again, for a variety of reasons, probably not?