Albatrossity

The day started with these two zebras engaging in a bit of horseplay as the sun came up. Still pictures cannot do this scene justice, so here is a video with some other creatures in the foreground and in the background. Click here for larger image.

We’ll start with an iconic east African species, the Fever Tree (Acacia xanthophloea). The specific epithet means “yellow bark”, which is quite visible in this picture. The colloquial name comes from the observation that folks in proximity to a grove of these trees were much more likely to get malaria, and at the time the cause of the malarial fever was attributed to the trees themselves. Now we know that mosquitoes, which also favor the low swampy areas where these trees grow, transmit the malarial parasite that causes disease and fever. But the name persists! Click here for larger image.

Secretary Bird (Sagittarius serpentarius). Iconic, unmistakable, unique, and best of all, simply elegant. It uses those sturdy legs for long walks while hunting, and also for pinning down and stomping prey, including the (sometimes venomous) snakes that make up a sizeable fraction of its diet. Our guide told us that they are mostly solitary hunters, but in the dry season they will often congregate at the edges of the fires that can flare up in these grasslands. This one was the first we saw, and we spent a fair amount of time with it. Click here for larger image.

We headed out in our vehicles a few minutes before sunrise, and one of the earliest sights was this array of antelopes and zebras, stretching as far as the eye could see. The one zebra in the middle of this frame seemed to be sleeping in that morning. Click here for larger image.

We stopped again at the small stream and wetland where, the day before, we had seen lots of birds (and a momma rhino with a calf). It did not disappoint! One of the most impressive birds there were the Great White Pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus). This species ranges across Europe, Africa and Asia (from Senegal to Bangladesh), and is massive, weighing up to 33 lbs and with a wingspan of nearly 12 ft. The latter rivals the wingspans of the big albatrosses, so it is clearly a bird with some clout! Click here for larger image.

The first thing our guide pointed out was a Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta), and then another, and another. This is a very social animal, so these sightings were not too surprising, but he also pointed out that they were all focused on one thing. A pride of lions (Panthera leo) with a fresh kill from the previous night’s hunting. This was the first (but definitely not the last) of our experiences watching the actions and interactions of all the critters who wanted to share in this largesse. Click here for larger image.