Highlights from 2 months in Africa

I have just returned from an extended trip to East Africa, one of my favorite parts of the world. With two different groups, in eight weeks, I toured over 15 different national parks, reserves and important bird areas in Kenya and Northern Tanzania, seeing 735 birds species, 95 mammals, 27 reptiles and over 60 butterflies.

From late september through late november this part of the world is experiencing the transition between the dry and short rainy season. Sadly the long rains of may-june never came this year, and much of the area was terribly dry through october. When sporadic rains began in late october, vegetation came alive and some regions quickly greened, while other areas remain withered in drought. In spite of the heartache that comes with poor conditions, we marveled at the spectacle of newborns mammals, elusive cats, myriad raptors, and the intricate nest building skills of weavers.

Each day was filled with wondrous experiences great and small – too many to describe them all. I’ll present some of the highlights from our tours over the course of the next several blogs.