Happy to celebrate this year’s Endangered Species Day by sharing the exciting and timely win of my Sound of the Year Awards Highly Commended submission in the Disappearing Sound-Sound worth saving Category (Tree Hyrax Call in Mt. Kenya).
The Eastern Tree Hyraxes are medium-sized solitary mammals living in the canopies of tropical forests. They communicate with each other via loud, repetitive vocal calls. They are shy and only move at night, to forage for food or look for mates. In 2015, the IUCN designated the Eastern Tree Hyrax as Near Threatened. Their sounds are some of the loudest and creepiest of all, especially when they echo through the night. They’re so spooky that upon arrival at some of the hotels in Mt. Kenya, guests are notified of strange noises and calls that may be heard at night. They are assured that the hotel they have checked into is not haunted. Guests exchange bewildered looks, shrug, and immediately forget the warning as soon as they settle into their rooms.
Tree Hyrax in a tree hole
Then it begins. The deafening loud shrieks of the Tree hyraxes invade the night. As the night unfolds, so do the calls, echoing throughout the forest. They eventually quiet down, and then rise once more in the wee hours of the morning. These are my favorite times of the day. While the world slumbers, I listen to the haunting shrieks of the Tree Hyrax, a unique and captivating melody that unfolds in the stillness of the night!
Due to the recent forest fires and logging that have ravaged Mt. Kenya Forest, the loud, haunting calls of the Tree Hyraxes in our forests may become a sound of the past. The Sound of the year Awards celebrates sound in all its forms and from all corners of the world. In the Disappearing Sounds category, participants submitted sounds that are worth saving. But how do you save a sound? By saving wildlife and their habitats! Enjoy the sound of the Tree Hyrax, a sound worth saving in Mt Kenya. Happy Endangered Species Day.
I’m joining this year’s International Dawn Chorus Day celebrations by sharing the beautiful dawn chorus from the Kirandich dam. Kirandich dam is a man-made dam that was constructed to supply clean, drinking water to the people of Kabarnet in Baringo County. International Dawn Chorus Day is the worldwide celebration of nature’s greatest symphony that takes place every first Sunday of May. People across the world rise early to listen, record and share the sounds of birdsong in their backyards.
Nestled in scenic hills, rivers, riverine forests, and dense woodlands, Kirandich dam serves as a hot spot for diverse flora and fauna. At dawn, the serene atmosphere is disrupted by the vibrant calls of Hadada Ibises, signaling the start of a new day. They are joined by more bird species singing including White-browed Robin Chats, Common Bulbuls, Tinkerbirds, and Tropical Boubous, filling the air with fascinating avian tunes. The loud call of the African Fish Eagle further confirms the dam’s thriving aquatic ecosystem, teeming with life. Happy International Dawn Chorus Day!
While on an afternoon game drive in Serengeti National Park, we encountered a leopard laying on one of the many rocky outcrops in the park. As we watched it, it slowly sat up, yawned and stared at us. As with nature, we were not quite sure what would unfold before our eyes. From our safari vehicle, we could see that the leopard had a swollen belly; an indication of a pregnancy or a full belly after a good meal. As we debated what the reason could be, we were amazed by a quick entry of a tiny, fluffy ball of presence, that blended well with the rocky outcrop. It was a leopard cub!
Mama Leopard on the move!
After giving birth, leopards hide their cubs for few weeks to protect them from predators. They are then moved from one hideout to another until they are old and strong enough to venture out on their own. Our group was excited about the unfolding scene of the cub playfully jumping around mom and tagging her tail, as if to celebrate her short-lived freedom in the open. This went on for a few minutes until the mom gave her a tender smack, as if to tell the cub to go back into hiding. Witnessing the cub’s playful antics alongside its mom was a special moment for us, a gentle reminder that these cats need our appreciation and protection to safeguard their future.
On this International Day of the Leopard, may we reflect on their beauty and the importance of conserving these them and their habitats. Let’s treasure moments like these, the connection, wonder, and admiration for the wild. Happy International Leopard Day!
It’s been a long while since I posted on this space and it’s only fair to follow up from where I left off in my last post – with some colour and fragrance! I have been going to the Orchid Show every year and it keeps getting better and bigger and more creative. I invited my friend to last year’s Orchid Show in Nairobi, and we had an incredible time interacting with different orchid exhibitors, hobbyists, and enthusiasts. He had a blast and made an incredible short film about it. Have a watch…and follow/subscribe to our channels for more wild videos! Read about this year’s Orchid show here.
Today’s post is to celebrate colour, shape, size, form, character and diversity of a group of plants called Orchids. The other day I went for an Orchid festival in Nairobi, where orchid enthusiasts and growers come together to celebrate and exchange these beautiful plants. Shortly after that, a friend of mine shared some photos from a photographer who had gotten closer to the orchids’ characters; more than I did mine. And it got me thinking of this post and sharing photos of these lovely flowers.
Orchids have an amazing array of plant sizes, forms and aspects. They are plants of mystery with exotic colour combinations and enticing fragrances. The Family name Orchidaceae is derived from the Greek word Orchis. Orchis means “testicles” and refers to the shape of the tubers of a group of terrestrial orchids.
Orchid flowers can be huge or tiny. As with colour and scent, flower size is influenced by the orchid’s pollinators. Night flying moths are the frequent pollinators of the large sized orchid flowers, while clouds of tiny insects swarming through the forest are the pollinators of the smaller sized orchid flowers.
Some orchids have attractive fragrance and this adds an advantage of luring the pollinators from farther away than visual cues. In the wild, some fragrant orchids will release their perfume to coincide with the time of day when their pollinators are most active. Some orchids have fragrance early in the morning, others during the warmest part of the day and others in the evening after sunset.
Simply enjoy these colourful and “shapeful” shots that I got from the Orchid festival!
Wildcat
The butterfly orchid often called so because its yellow and brown flowers resemble and insect, from the broad lip to the prominent dorsal sepal and slender upright petals that look like antennae
Tay Sweet King
Tahoma glacier
Swiss Beauty
Pink Slipper
Pink delight
Pink dawn
Phalaenopsis-They resemble a winged insect in flight
Orange princess
Oncidium Orchid-dubbed dancing ladies, they feature long, arching sprays adorned with numerous flowers with broad lips-the ladies’ skirts-and spreading petals-their arms
Nicknamed Slipper orchid because the lips are shaped in a pouch that looks like a slipper toe.
Taita Hills is a mountainous area in Southeastern Kenya forming the northernmost outcrop of the Eastern Arc Mountains. The area is favored by regular rainfall and is known for endemic wildlife including African Violets, endangered birds and amphibians. The Taita plains are used mainly for grazing and sisal cultivation, while the hills, which were once covered by large forests, are used for agricultural activities, and more uniquely, they host sites that are considered sacred by the local communities.
Our journey starts with a short hike to Mwachora hills which, as our guide enlightens us, were where sorcerers were executed-by throwing them over the hill. The local people believed that the sorcerers were evil to the society and this was only punishable by death. From the hills one has a great view of the surrounding towns like Wundanyi and Voi town.
View of Taita environs from Mwachora Hill
We also get treated to a sporadic chance of visiting the Ngomenyi cave, which is one of the sacred sites of the Taita hills. The cave, like most other sacred caves around the area, is situated in a private farm. We also hike to Yale Hill, where, after maneuvering our way through thick bush, we come to an opening and the guide points out that it’s yet another sacred cave. Both caves are full of human skulls, which are a bit eerie, and are still unspoiled by the local community surrounding them.
Ngomenyi Caves-Taita Hills
The guide highlighted that these caves were the dwelling place of their Higher Being, called Mulungu; the ancestors’ spirits were also called milungu. It was in these caves that sacrifices were conducted in cases of famines, epidemics, drought and sicknesses. Sacrifices in form of slaughtered goats were offered to the spirits of the dead. A council of elders conducted these sacrifices. Incase of domestic affairs sacrificial ceremonies were conducted by an elder of a home or a village and by a clan elder in charge of general clan affairs. Local brew, sheep and goats were offered. The sacrifices were meant to end disasters by appeasing the ancestors’ spirits and were offered in these caves, which are also considered as shrines.
Yale Cave-Taita Hills
Asked about how the skulls got to the caves, our guide says that they were normally placed there after someone died. After burial they would wait until at least a month was over and then they would exhume the body and remove the head, which only belonged to an old person or a village hero and kept in the caves. They believed that the birth of an albino or child with any form of disability was a curse and was not allowed in the public; even after death, an albino or disabled person’s body would not be exhumed. This tradition however, has changed and people with disabilities are no longer considered as curse.
View from Yale Hill, Taita
These ancient traditions and taboos surrounding these sites have so far demanded respect for nature, or simply kept people away from these sites because nobody was supposed to cut trees or collect firewood from these “holy places”. This in turn has led to the conservation and preservation of the hills and indigenous knowledge. However, many of the sites are now under threat as the traditional practices and activities fade and pressures from natural calamities like landslides, development and tourism increase. Some of these caves are also threatened by direct destruction by people, a threat that the local guides are currently addressing through educational programmes to schools on the importance of such sites in the area.
Bold, noisy, abundant and almost totally unafraid of people is the best way to describe the Indian House Crow, Corvus splendens, an exotic bird, which has become a major problem in cities along the East Coast of Africa. This crow has become widespread by introduction around the Indian Ocean and the East African Coast.
As an avian intruder, the Indian House Crow has been given the scientific name Corvus splendens: the ‘Splendid Crow’ is ironically undesirable for a number of reasons. It is an aggressive and opportunistic forager; it feeds largely on human scraps, small reptiles and other animals such as insects and other small invertebrates, eggs, nestlings, grain and fruits. Most food is taken from the ground, but also from trees as opportunity arises. It is a highly opportunistic bird and given its omnivorous diet, it can survive on nearly anything that is edible.
It has a devastating impact on indigenous bird populations by eating eggs and mobbing other birds that might compete with it or just for the sheer fun of it. Indian House Crows have also been blamed for causing power cuts in some areas, as they often construct nests on electric poles. They are now found in every East African coastal city, often scrabbling in large flocks through piles of garbage at the sides of roads.
However, it might not be the same case with this flock of Indian House Crows at a water fountain opposite the Mombasa Railway Station. At mid day, with the heat of the sun at a higher degree, they would fly out in flock, circle around the water fountain and the garden and after five minutes they would, totally undisturbed by the passers by, dive in for a bath. This bath, done in turns, would last about two minutes and the next crow in line would dive in the water for the same period of time. This is unlike the Indian House Crow which is always associated with garbage sites and poor sanitation.
It’s amazing how the 2013 has gone by so fast… I know I haven’t written any posts this year :(, so this is going to be the only post of the year 2013. I will highlight the things that have happened and hopefully promise to be consistent with my posts in coming years… does that sound like a resolution already? Well, we’ll see.
January 2013
A day visit to the Giraffe Centre, in Nairobi with my friend, RJ. The Giraffe Centre, also known as the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, is a rehabilitation centre for the endangered Rothschild’s Giraffe. Other than getting close to the giraffes, the centre is also renowned for conservation education (offering students a chance to showcase their talents in environmental competition through essay writing, art and photography); environmental and ecology trips; and micro-project funding, monitoring and evaluation.
Visitors at the Giraffe Centre, Nairobi
February 2013
An excursion to the Fourteen Falls, which is situated 27km from Thika town, Machakos County. It’s close to the Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park and is protected by the town council. When the waters are high, the local guides will offer their boat services (at a small fee) and help visitors cross from one side to the other.
A group crossing the falls after heavy rainfall.
March 2013
My first time on the Kenyatta International Conference Centre viewing tower, from the helipad you can see Nairobi and it’s environs in 360°.
View of the Railway Station, Nyayo stadium and Nairobi environs from the KICC helipad
Visited friends in Kisumu and witnessed the construction of an eco toilet. An eco toilet is a dry or waterless toilet, one that doesn’t use water to take the waste somewhere else; it also allows natural processes to produce useful compost and they don’t smell. A handful of sawdust is dropped into the toilet after each use. The sawdust allows oxygen into the pile, and absorbs liquid. This allows the pile to decompose aerobically to produce nitrates, phosphates and sulphates. Well, that wasn’t why I visited my friends but was a good experience. We ended up going to birdwatch at the lake, which, we later concluded, was a not so good idea because it rained cats and dogs shorty after we arrived at the lake; though it was beautiful watching the rain and the wind shifting the water hyacinth at the lake.
An eco-toilet double-vault: The basic principle of an eco-toilet is to separate urine and faeces.
April 2013
Together with the Rotaract Club of Nairobi Central and other organizations and schools, we got to plant trees at the Karura Forest Reserve, which is located in the northern part of Nairobi city and is managed by the Kenya Forest Service. The reserve also offers important attractions that visitors enjoy including Mau Mau caves, scenic waterfalls and rivers, picnic sites, walking trails and small wetlands.
Restoring mother nature, one tree at a time
The National Museums of Kenya got to host Thailand cultural festival, a night full of Thai music, food and performances, including a tribute performance to Kenya.
May 2013
My two friends from Canada visited Kenya, and it was an amazing time visiting some of the various Canadian supported projects, families, and students in Western Kenya. We made visits to orphanages and special schools, including school for the deaf in Kakamega. We also made a visit to my rural home and family in Machakos County. Sadly, this is the same day that our dad passed on due to heart failure, may his soul rest in peace.
My friends, Angela and Shelagh
Pupils at the Mwikhomo school for the hearing impaired, Kakamega
The last photo I took of my dad 🙂
June 2013
I travelled to Morocco to attend and present a poster during the seventh World Environmental Education Congress. The flight had an overnight layover at Cairo, so I spent the day photographing nature at Al-Azhar Park where I ended up dancing with kids at the park and getting invited to family picnics-I photographed them instead.
One of the families that invited me to picnic with them, we settled down for a photo shoot
Later I flew to Casablanca, only to realize that the airline had lost my backpack along the way, but eventually found it and took a train to Marrakech. I met more people, made new friends and explored various attractions around Marrakech, including Jebel Toubkal in the High Atlas Mountains, which my new-found friend, Grace, invited me to climb. And while hiking, one local guy told our small hiking group that it was easier finding a man in Morocco than finding water, well, long story, but we could attest to that.
With Moroccan students at the conference
Any mention of Marrakesh is incomplete without the beautiful and busy square, Place Djemaa El Fna
Grace and I at the peak of Jebel Toubkal
July 2013
I was contracted to travel and photograph an ongoing pollinator project (read critters ☺) at Mogotio in the Mid-Rift Valley. The pollinators including insects, birds and bats were in abundance; the flowers too. These Cattle egrets interacted very well with hoverflies; they gulped them in mid-air!
Cattle Egrets feasting on hoverflies
August 2013
Most of the time I love to think that, I”m a passionate tour guide by profession :). I got to go on several safaris, all of which have the same itinerary. We would pick tourists from the airport or hotel in Nairobi, drive to Samburu National Reserve, spent at least two nights; then head to Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha or Lake Elementaita and spent two more nights before dropping the clients at Maasai Mara National Reserve. I had one group that spent a night in Amboseli National park before they proceeded with their safari in Tanzania. These, I must say, were my best guiding (and photography) moments…got to witness lions killing a hippo, ostriches having a bath in the red earth, a herd of Giraffes drinking water, and a young cheetah hunting Sacred ibises. The highlight of the month was when I hitch-hiked to Kora National Park to attend the 24th George Adamson’s (Father of the lions) memorial. What more can a tour guide ask for? 🙂
George Adamson’s burial place inside the Kora National Park; He’s buried beside his brother Terrence and Supercub, (Terrence’s favourite lion) and his own favourite, Boy.
September 2013
This is my birth month, as well as my late mom’s birth month; may she rest in peace. So I got to celebrate two birthdays in a span of two days. These, I celebrated by desnaring, which is an exercise that involves removing traps set by poachers to catch wildlife. The exercise was organized by Born Free Foundation team in Nairobi. We rescued several zebras; other antelopes weren’t as lucky.
The team with a zebra after the KWS vets cleaned its wounds
October 2013
Another difficult month for our family where a week after we visited our 90-year-old grandpa, he passed on due to throat cancer, may his soul rest in peace. Here is the last photo we took together ❤
Grandpa and I, may he rest in peace.
November 2013
This month was a special one, worldwide. It was the month that the world would witness the solar eclipse, and it was noted that the only good place to see the eclipse was in Turkana. So people from all over the world…(except me!) travelled and got to witness the eclipse. Others from around the globe did witness this spectacle, but not as much as the people in Turkana did. From where I was in Nairobi (on my rooftop) I got to witness a cloudy afternoon and a rainy evening, so much for a world spectacle :).
And in celebration of my photography, I was, among others, nominated as a finalist for the first Kenya Photography awards. This, I must say, was a great highlight for my not-yet-launched-photography-career. It was a better highlight for my friend Karim who has worked very hard in launching and maintaining his photography career; he won the nature photography category award, very much deserved.
Karim and I at the award event
December 2013
Guided by the Rotary International’s motto, “Service above self”, we, the Rotaract Club of Nairobi Central and the Rotaract Club of Nairobi University visited the Children’s Cancer Ward at Kenyatta National Hospital. We had a wonderful time interacting with these beautiful children, what with singing, dancing and playing but to say that the day did not take its toll emotionally would be a lie. However, knowing that we put a smile on their faces and hearts was peacefully calming.
Beautiful smiles, even in the face of adversity
We, Rotaract Club of Nairobi Central, also made a visit to the Thogoto Home for the aged, which is run by the PCEA church to cater for the old people. Thogoto is home for almost 100 men and women who are too old to take care of themselves, some do not have families or relatives to house them. The home takes care of their needs especially their health, diet and spiritual matters and like all old people come, they are ever delighted to share their wisdom with the younger generation.
Some elders at the home
Well, 2013 was a beautiful year, topped up with my younger sister graduating from the university and my younger brother completing his primary education and my elder brother launching his IT Company. Looking forward to an awesome year in 2014! Happy new year!
During a game drive in Nairobi National Park our group was very excited to spot the first Rhino of the day. The Nairobi National Park is one of the safest haven for both Black Rhinos (Diceros bicornis) and White Rhinos (Ceratotherium simum). The two species can be differentiated by their physical appearance, eating habits and social behavior. The White Rhinos are square-lipped, social and grazers; the Black Rhinos are hook-lipped, solitary and browsers.
“Our Rhino” was very far and we all had turns using the binoculars to get a closer look at it. What we couldn’t tell was if it was Black Rhino or White Rhino, we could only see the rump.
The “rear” view
Well, our group was a patient bunch and didn’t mind waiting for the Rhino to lift up its head. It didn’t take very long; it lifted its head to look at us. It was my turn to look the binoculars, and I could see its head very well. The head didn’t look like it belonged to a Rhino and the horns weren’t where they are supposed to be…
I don’t look like a Rhino, do I?
It was humorously disappointing, but had a good laugh about our “special Rhino”, which turned out to be a Cape Buffalo. And every day after that, we all laughed and still do laugh at our Buffalo Rhino!!
The excitement didn’t go to waste. Before we could call it a day at the Park, we were rewarded by our first sighting of not one but four Rhinos of the day, the White Rhinos. And this time round, we could clearly identify that they were Rhino Rhinos!
The White Rhinos (Ceratotherium simum)
We drove back to our camp, and reflected on how the rhino’s population is currently in decline due to poaching, habitat loss and illegal horn trade. We silently hoped that the species would survive long enough for future generations to marvel at their gracefulness and beauty.
Often times we look at dead trees and frown. I had a different reaction recently when my friend Elaine echoed my thoughts after passing a very dead dry tree during a game drive in Maasai Mara. Shelley, Elaine’s daughter, was quick to assure me that I would get this reaction for the rest of the trip. Dave, Elaine’s son-in-law, also made sure to let me know that Elaine would stop and photograph all the beauty along the way. As anyone would expect any foreigner’s reaction to a lion, cheetah or leopard sighting, it was refreshing to listen to oohs and aahs of a dead tree sighting. And for once during my outdoor activities, I knew I was bound to have the greatest time of my life with this lovely crew.
We came across many of these beautiful skeletons
Back to the dead trees, they often stand out in far away landscapes and decorate them in the most awe striking beauty I have ever witnessed. The importance of dead trees in the ecosystem has rarely received the consideration that it deserves. It has been found out that the removal of dead wood and dead trees may seriously affect the long-term availability and viability of habitat and diversity. It may also threaten primates, reptiles, insects and birds, which depend on dead wood and forest litter for their survival.
A gorgeous dead tree in Maasai Mara landscape
A Lilac Breasted Roller perched on a dead tree branch
My appreciation for gorgeous dead trees and other nature’s beauty was renewed during this trip. Like Elaine says, continue to enjoy dead tree skeletons as much as you can; they are the mirror of their past and each has a story to tell.
If i had a bumper sticker it would read “I love gorgeous dead trees”
During a recent birding trip to Northern Rift Valley we visited a wetland that’s rich with bird diversity. But, this is not the only attraction in the area. The area had received heavy rains in the last couple of days and everything was alive and celebrating in their own unique ways.
The frogs and toads croaked and their songs filled the air on one section of the wetland. Wilson, my birding friend calls me and tells me to come and see a frog with four eyes!!
Really?! I’m curious, way too curious and ever ready to record any unusual occurrences in the wild. A four-eyed frog would just be enough for today. My gaze follows where his fingers are pointing. I can see the water lilies moving, but not because of the wind; it’s very calm. Within few minutes all I see is just two pairs of eyes peering just above the lilies. My camera is in motion-in video motion because they are not very close to me.
The birds are forgotten at this moment!! The movement goes on in the water, and still, nothing much can be seen except for the two pairs of eyes.
My patience pays off and atleast am sure I have more than just couple of eyes. It turns out that the four-eyed frog is none other than a couple of Guttural Toads mating!!
An injured Toad, a goat must have stepped on it 😉
Phew, am a bit disappointed that it wasn’t a Four-eyed Frog, but just excited that I have witnessed the behavior first-hand and happy to go back to birding after the croaky break!
In January I joined Lake Victoria Sunset Birders for their waterfowl census in Kisumu. Due to limited funds, we only visited one site-the Ahero Rice Scheme, which was just as great. The Rice Scheme is managed by the National Irrigation Board and has provided Kisumu residents with employment, income and food security.
The Rice scheme, which is normally filled with water, was dry but it had variety of interesting waterfowl…and non-waterfowl…and non-avifauna!! We recorded Sandpipers, Storks, Ibises, Ducks, Herons, Egrets, Geese, and Hamerkops… and as usual, I managed to get some few photos that am proud of 😉
The Ahero Rice Scheme fields
My group members scanning the fields
Sacred Ibis feeding on rice in the fields
The Open Billed Storks were special for me
When in doubt, a field guide book is always handy for consultation
A Great Egret looking for worms in the soggy fields
African Spoonbills
The Southern Red Bishops were stunning in their breeding plumages
The Jackson’s Forest Lizard spotted during a detour away from the fields
My awesome and fun birding buddies, The Lake Victoria Sunset Birders 🙂
Ecoescapades 
