On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Albatrossity
Our last full day in the Serengeti began with an interesting story from one of the people in our group, told over breakfast. Here’s the story, in his words.
”The last night on the Serengeti it was beginning to rain as Sherry and I sealed ourselves into our luxury tent for the night. Sherry went to bed and I sat at a small desk by the tent flap downloading the day’s pictures. The tent had an awning and a vinyl floor. After about 20 minutes I heard a couple of steps on the flooring, a grunt and then the tent pushed in against my leg. Heard a series of low growling snarls and slowly moved my leg back. Eventually finished downloading photos and went to bed. Several very large paw prints on the vinyl floor the next morning.”
So after breakfast we all hurried down to look for tracks near their tent. Indeed, it appears that the tent overhang was used for a rain shelter by a very large lion…
As we left camp I thought I should get a shot of the camp itself, since I had taken very few photos of anything that was not a living creature. Here’s where we stayed, Semetu Tent Camp, along the Ngare Nanyuki River. Click here for larger image.
And indeed our first sighting after we left camp that morning was a large pride of lions (Panthera leo) having a wildebeest (or perhaps more than one) for breakfast. This was about 1/3 of a mile from camp. The next couple of images are some scenes from that breakfast. Here’s a single lioness, perhaps wondering if she bit off more than she could chew. Click here for larger image.
Three more lionesses enjoying wildebeest tartare. Click here for larger image.
The wildebeest kill sights, smells, and sounds attracted most of the usual suspects. This Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) had perhaps succeeded in snatching some scraps, judging from the blood on his face. We also saw two other hyenas fighting over what looked like a totally meat-free wildebeest leg bone and attached hoof. With that many lions it may have been difficult to sneak in and get anything substantial. Click here for larger image.
Unless you are a jackal. This Black-backed Jackal was trotting away with a pretty fair chunk o’wildebeest. He looked pretty damn pleased with himself, as only jackals can. Click here for larger image.
After figuring out that I needed to take more photos of things that were not birds or mammals, I changed to the wide-angle landscape lens for a bit. The next images are scenic vistas from that gorgeous day on the Serengeti. Here is one of the many kopjes, rock outcrops with a few trees, which are a haven for many different kinds of plants and animals. Click here for larger image.
And a vista with lots of the fluffy white clouds that we enjoyed that day. Click here for larger image.
Another feature of the landscape was the many termite mounds, smaller than a kopje but still useful as a perching spot for a raptor. This one had attracted a Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax). Click here for larger image.
Lots of birds from Europe and Asia overwinter in this part of Africa, but since we were there in May we did not see many, since they had all migrated north by then. So we were surprised to see these White Storks (Ciconia ciconia), Apparently this couple had decided to stay south that summer, and hang out with the zebras. Click here for larger image.
The first lifer for the day was this Spotted Thick-knee (aka Spotted Dikkop, Burhinus capensis). A sturdy member of the shorebird clan, this guy was hard to spot until he moved around a bit. They have a very loud nocturnal call, which I had heard a few times from inside my tent back at camp, but I didn’t connect it to this bird until I returned home and did some more research. Click here for larger image.
YY_Sima Qian
Wonderful photos as always!
raven
Spectacular!
eclare
That story, wow. Brings it home that we are the visitors in the Serengeti.
Dagaetch
Just incredible. Wonderful.
WaterGirl
oops, still a bit discombobulated after my trip – I remembered to schedule OTR but I forgot to add the schedule for the week!
I’ll cheat and add it this way. It’s in reverse order _ so tomtofa and Norway are on Friday, etc.
pieceofpeace
Lovely area of the earth!
Yutsano
Since you mentioned rains this seems fitting to end the series. I’ve enjoyed this so much! But I’m ready for some more flyover birbs too!
mvr
Thank you for this and for the series.
This week my favorite is the fluffy cloud landscape. It can be very hard to get a photo that gets the feel of a large space. Not sure I’ve ever managed.
Thanks!
Albatrossity
@Yutsano: An excellent song!
But there is one more Serengeti post to go; it’s from the afternoon of the last day. Boring stuff like Eagle-owls and copulating lions. And then we’re done!
StringOnAStick
@Albatrossity: Copulating lions! You’ll need to fill out the set with tigers and bears doing the same thing.
Thanks again, as always; love the photos.
BigJimSlade
Zebras. I know there are no giraffes in this post, but zebras and giraffes are some of nature’s WTF moments, lol.
Side note – I’m sometimes amazed at what cannot be easily googled. I recall a Far Side cartoon which says something like “How giraffes got here.” And the image is of a bunch of them being dumped out of a low-flying UFO. But I can’t find it.
way2blue
I got just to the edge of the Serengeti when visiting Maasai Mari—on a road trip to find wildebeest… Looks glorious. Did you ever post which tour outfit you used for your epic travels?
In Tsavo, lions would sometimes prowl around the camp during the night. We were told to keep our tents zipped up—that lions wouldn’t enter a closed up tent. Thin comfort actually…
PD
I will always remember that look of satisfaction on the jackals face as he trotted off with that leg that he stole while two jackals fought over it. There is a life lesson there.
Albatrossity
@way2blue: The tour company was Mondo Verde Expeditions, and the group leader was a photographer named Jim Griggs. It was something like Jim’s 15th or 20th time leading a group to Tanzania; he is now retired. But the company has lots of tours to many parts of the planet, as you can see from the information on their website. They are an excellent and well-established company, with many experienced leaders.
OzarkHillbilly
Lately, our Granddaughters Days have been interfering with my Monaday Mornings with Albatrossity, but at least I can still get Monday Evenings with Albatrossity.
Thanx for the pix and the stories.
Albatrossity
@PD: Yes, he had the right idea at the right time!