Weather and grasslands

We finally received some much needed rain and the grassland plains have now greened up considerably. We have had beautiful sunrises, with the sun rising at 6.47am and setting at 6.57pm; the weather continued to be warm and humid with high winds which then brought some heavier rain in the last two weeks of the month. The Mara River until the 20th was down to a low level. The resident Elephant and Buffalo were drawn into the centre of the Marsh where there are deeper pools of water and soft marsh reeds. The Warburgia trees are still fruiting; drawing in Elephant into our camps to feed on the trees between the tents.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Reynolds 

On the plains

The Loita Wildebeest have moved into the north east Maasai conservation areas to calve. Many resident Zebra are now spread out on the grasslands plains on the western fan of Rhino Ridge and into Paradise Plains; some have been crossing to the Trans Mara, on the 14th guests staying in the camps had photographed some good crocodile activity with the Zebra crossing. Thompson Gazelles have also been seen crossing at the main crossing points, the water levels are lower here, giving them a better chance of safely crossing the river. There are carpets of ‘tissue paper’ flowers Cycnium tubulosum all over Paradise Plains. Olive Baboons will also eat these flowers.

Photo courtesy of Dave Roberts 

Good numbers of Topi cover the plains close to the summit of Rhino Ridge; these Topi arrived mid month, congregating on the west fan of Rhino Ridge fan. Some males have now started to ‘lek’ on Topi flats close to the main crossing points and on Topi Plains.

Elephant spend their days in the Marsh, crossing back and forth to the Trans Mara. Thompson Gazelle females are living in large and loose congregations, they move about while grazing on the short green grass whilst the males’ stake out territories and scent mark single grass stems on their territorial real-estates. There are Impala herds in the woodlands and open plains with some young fawns amongst them. Olive baboons spend much of their time out foraging after their morning feast of fresh warburgia fruit in the woodlands.

Oribi have been seen again on Rhino Ridge and there is a pair of them on the open ridge plains. Giraffe are spread out with young males arriving in the woodlands; breeding herds with young calves occupy the acacia woodlands. Eland in small breeding herds are also spread out across the open plains.

We have had lovely sightings of Serval cats particularly of a male on Paradise Plains and a female in Bila Shaka. Warthogs in large sounders with piglets (5-6 months old) and one or two nannies from last years offspring are plentiful all over the short grass plains, the conservancies in the north east of the reserve have more warthog, since predation from lion is higher in the reserve. The warthog sows that retain last year’s female offspring, the piglets have a better chance of survival than those young first mothers.

Photo courtesy of Nigel English 

Spotted Hyena’s have been very active on Paradise Plains; it is not uncommon to see them competing with the resident lion prides, on the 12th a large hyena clan robbed a buffalo from the Paradise Pride. Black backed jackals are always present at lion and hyena kills; nipping in and out and thieving a meal where they can.

Steppe eagles in small flocks or in pairs are being seen on Topi Plains, Lookout Hill, Paradise Plains and also in the North East Conservancies. Montagu’s and Pallid Harriers are also being seen in the west marsh grasslands and Paradise Plains. There are a few flocks of white storks on the open grassland plains and Abdim’s storks near the centre marsh. High flying chattering of European Bee eaters have been heard and seen.

Lion

Marsh Pride lioness Charm has two cubs that are around one month old, she keeps them in a deep thicket only coming out in the early mornings. On the 25th Charm moved her cubs to the west side of Lake Nakuru to a fallen Fig tree this is favourite area for the marsh pride to rear their cubs.

There are also  three-four month old cubs of Kabibi who are left on their own when their mother goes out to hunt, they look well fed and in good spirits, Kabibi is a good mother. The Marsh Pride have broken in two sub groups with Yaya’s two daughters spending much on their own and hunting successfully.

Photo courtesy of Dave Roberts 

On the 12th and 13th the two daughters of Siena were seen walking into the west marsh grasslands, they have also been spending more time away from the Marsh Pride, one of the lioness’s (Spot) who abandoned her two cubs last month was seen mating with Jambo. On the 23rd Marsh Pride lioness Tanu was seen mating with the same pride male. The other male is less dominant. Love was definitely in the air one day at the Marsh as Marsh Pride male Jambo turned on all the charm to try to lure Rembo down from a tree she was resting in, she was no push over and made him work hard before she finally gave in coming down the tree and the pair went on to mate for the rest of the day. 

Yaya the breakaway marsh lioness and her two sub-adult cubs have for the last month been residing on the western fan of Rhino Ridge: they have been seen hunting warthog with her two 20 month old sub adult cubs (a male and female) helping to round up the warthog and drive it towards their mother Yaya.

Photo courtesy of Dave Roberts 

The Madomo pride with three lionesses and six cubs (four are seven months old and two three months old) are often being seen hunting on Topi Plains or close to the Olare Orok riverine woodlands, Madomo’s daughter had four cubs and she now has two and they have linked in with Madomo’s four cubs. They have been feeding off zebra and topi, this is a very active pride and of the two males Lipstick and Blackie, Lipstick is more dominant of the two.

Three Paradise Pride lionesses with their four cubs have been hunting and residing near the Chinese hill; on the 12th they killed an old male Buffalo on the edge of the Mara River; it appears the old bull buffalo had lived in this area and was probably taken by these lionesses as he went down to drink. This lion pride is also an active pride; during the migration season they will monitor the river. On the 19th close to the main crossing three lionesses and their six cubs had killed three wildebeest.

The six Paradise male coalition has been active again tackling large prey such as hippo and buffalo they hunt between the lower Bila Shaka and Rhino Ridge. On the 23rd they killed a large male buffalo and ate it for three days, no Spotted Hyena will think to challenge a coalition of six males.

The four male musketeers have been between the southern Paradise Plains and Chinese hill with the breakaway Paradise Pride for the last month. 

Leopard

Siri the female leopard is often near the rocky kopjes on the Mara River; she has been seen frequently and she is nursing cubs that are estimated at 4 months old.

Saba on the Olare Orok has two seven month old cubs a male and female they are also very resident in the Olare Orok woodlands, she has been feeding off Thompson Gazelles, yearling Topi and on the 13th she had killed a reedbuck and stashed her cache high in a Teclea tree, there are many hyena and lion here so she has to be vigilant. 

Photo coutesy of Dave Roberts 

A young male is being seen in the southern and lower Bila Shaka woodlands, he is suspected to be Romi’s young male offspring, and he has been seen hunting Impala and Thompson Gazelles. On the 19th and 21st Romi the female leopard has been seen near the BBC camp site area and also in the Lake Nakuru area, and sometimes across the river.

Suja the male leopard at the main crossings has been active at the cul de sac crossing point, on the 18th morning he had had killed and eaten most of a young Topi.

Cheetah

Malaika with her two cubs one male and one female who are eight months old are still habituating the double crossing and below Emartii Hill, she is very active hunting Thompson Gazelles and Impala, on the 12th she was seen below Emartii hill taking on a male Impala, she was helped by her two sub adult cubs.

Photo courtesy of Dave Roberts 

There is a young female cheetah, the daughter of Malaika being seen near the double crossing areas, she has also been hunting Thompson Gazelles, she moved for a short while to the murram pits and now she is back on the south bank of the double crossing.

Nora’ the single female has the one 13 month old male cub; she is still being seen on the short grass plains near the double crossing and on the eastern side of the Talek River; she has been hunting the many Thompson Gazelles and their three month old fawns, she moves around the open plains areas alot as there are often large clans of Spotted hyena here. 

Walking Safaris in North/East Masai land

Many resident wildebeest have moved into the Masai conservancies since the rains at the beginning of the month, the females are calving and there are Black Backed Jackals and Hyena on the plains. 

Good numbers of zebra and topi occupy both sides of the grassland plains, small breeding herd of eland are always present on the western plains.

There is a breeding herd of Cape buffalo who are at present on the eastern plains where perennial grasses are still quite long and that have not been grazed by livestock.

Good numbers of Thompson and Grant’s Gazelles are seen on both east and west plains. With the recent rains termites have been actively building and this in turn encourages the ponerine ant to be more active; often the ponerine ants will live in the same mound as their quarry. Ostriches are also common residents of the eastern plains, on the 223 and 24th a large flock was seen near the rocky escarpment on the eastern plains.

Warthogs are in abundance, sounders with over 4 or 5 piglets are not uncommon to see.

Bat eared foxes were also being seen particularly in the early morning sun; they could be seen sunning themselves on top of termite mounds or burrows where they reside, bat eared foxes prefer areas where the grass is short. They are quite capable diggers and live in dens that are dug by the foxes themselves or those left by other animals such as aardvarks etc.