Even dull and overcast days can be fun. Nairobi National Park in October is cool, cloudy and wet, but a full day in the park can be very rewarding. An early treat served up was seeing a yellow throated longclaw bird up close. This colourful beauty posed calmly by the roadside as I took a picture, setting the tone for a great day's viewing.
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| supermodel: yellow throated longclaw |
The park's central plains teemed with wildlife: kongoni, wilderbeest, Grant's grazelle and giraffe grazed and browsed placidly under the cloudy sky. I was treated to a great show by a pair of giraffe - they swayed their necks, gently intertwining and separating in a slow, rhythmic ritual. And when it was over, they went their separate ways.
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| neck games - the first move |
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| scoring with flexibility |
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| silent whisperings |
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| parting of ways |
At the Athi Basin dam in the east, a lone zebra frolicked in the shallows as a flock of marabou storks looked on in bemusement. The zebra was clearly having the time of its life, dashing and splashing about.
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| splash dash |
Towards the middle of the day the sun emerged to share its warmth and reveal something special: a new born Thomson's gazelle was taking its first faltering footsteps as its mother looked on.
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| baby tomi: finding a footing in life |
In the south, later in the day, raptors were in evidence, and I spotted a tawny eagle, perched and ready.
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| king of the sky: the tawny eagle |
While on a stroll at the Hippo Pools I saw a terrapin lounging on a log in the river, and got close enough to observe its wickedly sharp claws.
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| serrated hinged terrapin: river lounger |
Driving through the forest in the west as the day drew to a close, I stopped to enjoy a beautiful, flaming sunset. By this point I was thoroughly satisfied with the day's viewing. Unbeknownst to me, the park had saved its best (and most terrifying) treat for last...
Totally focussed on capturing the sunset, I was oblivious to the presence of an adult black rhino less than 20 metres away. The brawny beast, reputed to have the sharpest hearing, was clearly irritated by car, camera and me, and CHARGED. I was confronted with a photographer's worst dilemma: to hold fast, take the picture of a lifetime and suffer a mangled car (or worse) or flee and live to fight another day. Discretion won out and I zoomed away as the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness claimed the sky...
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