Leaving Ngulia, we met Buffalo again, this time with Oxpeckers riding on them, and got a fleeting view of a Kudu. We also found a flock of Helmeted Guineafowl with lots of young birds among them.
Buffalo peckers?
Kudu
Helmeted Guineafowl - young ones don't have such obvious helmets
Giraffe eating acacia
Quite soon, we began to see lava flows and hills of volcanic ash. Some of these are quite recent and the plants have not colonised them yet.
Lava flows and ash hills
We found a few Eland - the only ones we saw in the whole trip - quite far away among trees, and some Zebras with young ones.
Eland bull
Zebra and foal
We arrived at Mzima Springs, where a river bubbles out from beneath a lava flow. We saw an African Darter and some Hippos and used the underwater viewing chamber to see the fish in the lake.
That's the river bubbling up in the background, thankfully the crocodiles were not around...
African Darter - rather like a Cormorant...
Hippos in Springs
Fish in the lake at Mzima Springs
We moved on through more volcanic landscapes
More lava flows and ash hills
Young Martial Eagle
The lava flows are very rough, most animals don't go on them
Leaving Tsavo West, we travelled through some really arid country to the Maasai village at Amboseli, where we were greeted by the tribe with a dance, in which we had to join and try to jump as high as our hosts! We also had a demonstration of making fire by rubbing sticks together (no problem for these folk!) and a guided tour of the village, including inside one of the houses, and the school.
Maasai welcome dance
Amboseli village, inside the thorn fence which keeps out lions
Building materials - mostly cow dung...
The women build the houses; it takes about 4 months
Jonathan and our host Eric in the father's room of the house
Me in the father's room of the house
The women and children have this room with the cooking fire
Making fire 1
Making fire 2
... and we have fire!
Lunchtime at Amboseli Primary School
Headteacher and classroom, Amboseli Primary School
In class
In Amboseli National Park, we saw many dust devils, raised by the wind across the plain.
Dust devil in Amboseli National Park
Our first Wildebeest appeared, along with Thomson's Gazelles and lots of other animals.
Zebra crossing...
Common Ostrich - the males have red neck and legs
Thomson's Gazelle
African Fish Eagle
When I was a young Warthog...
Crowned Crane
The first Wildebeest
We had a good, if distant, view of Cheetah hunting.
Watching...
Moved on by a dust devil
Two of the five hunters (one in the green patch on the right in front of the obvious Cheetah)
Watching again...
At the swamp we found lots of birds, including Hadada Ibis, Goliath Heron, Blacksmith Lapwings and Red-billed Teal, and the rather special Long-toed Lapwing. And then there were the big folk - elephants and buffaloes - enjoying the cool water, usually with Cattle Egrets on top:
Blacksmith Lapwing
Long-toed Lapwing
Goliath Heron
Hadada Ibis - lovely green shiny wings
Red-billed Teal
Elephant wading - it's fairly deep in there!
Buffalo and friend
Elephant mother and calf, with Egrets, of course...
Heading back to the gate, we saw Kitlitz's Plover and chick, Hartlaub's Bustard and a Spotted Hyena
