I was able to lower the camera into the grass for this portrait of a black-backed jackal. We saw quite a few of these crafty scavengers on our last trip to Kenya in April — this one at the Ol Pajeta Conservancy in Laikipia. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 160, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.

These two female lions had just finished a meal of Cape buffalo and were playing in the late afternoon just before the sun went down. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1100, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.

I had previously posted another shot from this sequence of a drongo (the small black bird) attacking a tawny eagle. The eagle was raiding the nests of all the smaller birds, and this brave little guy finally took action and drove the eagle out. This action happened just outside of our tent in the Ol Pajeta Conservancy of Kenya back in April while we were heading to lunch. Never a dull moment on an African safari. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 720, f/5.6 at 1/3200th of a second.

I had a nice angle on these cheetah cubs as they raced each other across a ridgeline in Samburu National Reserve in Kenya. The late-day light added a nice bit of atmosphere. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1100, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.

One of the reasons I like traveling to Africa during rainy season, is skies like this. Quite often the sky gets very dark due to an approaching storm, but the sun is still shining bright on the foreground subject. These reticulated giraffes were getting their fill of thorny bushes, seemingly unconcerned with the drama building behind them. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 1250, f/5.6 at 1/3200th of a second.

We travelled to Kenya earlier this year in the middle of rainy season. That said, we had very little rain (at least that affected the trip). When it did rain it was at night, and for the most part, it was sunny during the day. With a few exceptions. This was the final afternoon before flying home that night. Karen and the rest of the guests decided to take it easy and check out a new restaurant in Nairobi. I, of course, saw one more opportunity to find wildlife and headed to Nairobi National Park. It rained a lot that afternoon, but that just made for some interesting photos. And the rhinos certainly didn’t seem to mind. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 120mm) ISO 6400, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.

Vulturine guineafowl are birds we usually see in Samburu National Reserve in north central Kenya. They spend most of their time on the ground, but will take to the air when necessary. They have some impressive plumage with the stripes, dots and streaks of blue and purple. They are guineafowl and not vultures, but those heads are certainly — as the name would suggest — vulturine. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 70mm) ISO 2200, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.

Waterbuck are one of the largest of the antelope species we see on our Kenyan trips. Only the males have horns. This mother and her calf were getting some late grazing in before the sun set on another day in the Masai Mara. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 12800, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.

You never know what we’re going to see on our night drives in Kenya. Night safaris are illegal in all of Kenya’s national parks these days due to poachers (they are easier to catch if tourists aren’t out there as well). But sometimes we stay in areas that aren’t national parks where going out at night is possible. This was taken in Ol Pajeta Conservancy in central Kenya. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 6400, f/5.6 at 1/160th of a second, flashlight and safari vehicle headlights.

The kori bustard is the largest flying bird in Africa. This one was putting on quite a courtship display, puffing out those neck feathers, although we never saw who he was performing for as he walked around strutting his stuff in a big, seemingly empty field. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 720, f/5.6 at 1/2000th of a second.