The bateleur is another new species for me. And I must say, a rather badass-looking raptor. These guys have become more common to see in the Masai Mara, as one of their food-source competitors, vultures, have become less common (but that’s a story for another day). Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 560, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second.
I visited the Nyakagezi gorilla family back in 2020. Since that visit, there has been a new addition to the family. It was great to get back and see the familiar faces and this new one — quite an animated little guy. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 190mm) ISO 2200, f/2.8 at 1/320th of a second.
We saw several cheetah sprints. In fact, we saw this same cheetah make a half-hearted attempt less than an hour before this successful attempt. Cheetahs are well documented as the fastest sprinters of any land mammal and it was a thrill to see this one in full pursuit. Things did not go well for the Thomson’s gazelle when it eventually lost its footing, and soon after, its life. The lack of awareness of the two zebras in the background underscores the random precariousness of life on the savanna. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 360, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.
This was a particularly good trip for warthogs as well. These two were sharing an intimate moment before getting back to the serious business of eating grass. They may not be the prettiest creatures in the Masai Mara, but warthogs have a way of winning you over with their personalities. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 720, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.
Zebras are definitely one of the most sighted species on most African safaris. In the Masai Mara of Kenya, they’re all over the place. That said, I still love seeing and photographing them. Most foals are born during the rainy season of March and May, making our visit in June perfect for shots like this. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 450, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.
Lions can be (and are) ferocious predators. But they can also look like giant house cats at times. This big boy was rolling around on a grassy hill putting on a show for us on our first full day in the Masai Mara. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1100, f/5.6 at 1/125th of a second.
Gerenuks are native to northern parts of Kenya — one of the main reasons I like to combine a trip to the Masai Mara in the south with Samburu in the north for a greater variety of species. Gerenuks are often called giraffe-necked antelopes and you can see why. This is a male, as evidenced by the horns. Very interesting looking animals and fun to watch eat as they stand on their hind legs to get as tall as possible to reach the higher foliage (I’ll post one of those shots soon). Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second.
Last week I posted a photo of a lion and mentioned all the other activity at that one spot on that one morning in the Masai Mara of Kenya. This hippo was also part of the action. Just as soon as the two lions had passed, we noticed the hippo making its way back to the water after a spending the night on solid ground. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 170mm) ISO 1100, f/2.8 at 1/500th of a second.
I had a great time photographing the dwarf mongooses that were scurrying around outside our tents in the Masai Mara. Always fun to have a few subjects back at camp. As the name suggests, these guys are the smallest of the 34 different species of mongoose in the world. More on them in upcoming posts. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 2000, f/5.6 at 1/100th of a second.
I was able to visit mountain gorillas twice on this recent trip. You never know where the gorillas are going to be or how long it will take to find them. But once found, you only have an hour to visit — which park rangers are very strict about. That said, as a photographer I’m always praying for overcast light (a dark furred animal, in a forest, in bright sunshine, without the ability to use flash, is a deadly combination). Both days presented just such a lighting challenge. So be it. I had to work around the light and use longer focal length lenses, trying to get the gorillas in mostly full shade. Occasionally they complied. For this rare wide-angle shot, it wasn’t exactly full shade, but good enough for a somewhat even exposure. This is one of three silverbacks (mature males) in the family of nine individual gorillas we visited. He may look fierce (and in need of dental work) but he was simply letting out a big yawn. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 lens (at 43mm) ISO 2500, f/2.8 at 1/320th of a second.