"What's the meaning of all this preening?"

 
Without doubt one of the most ornate and memorable birds in the Serengeti National Park, a Grey Crowned Crane has to work for the image. 

 
 Preening is an essential part of the morning routine, re-aligning feathers and coating them with an oily secretion from a gland near the base of the tail helps keep things subtle and shiny.

 
Turn into the wind to blow dry and add a little "bounce" to the coiffure.
 
Have a partner double check the back......

 
....and I'm ready for my profile.

Seasonal gardening tips from the Northern Serengeti

Good morning listeners....it's time for our handy hints for the indigenous Savannah gardener.

With the short rains providing their daily sprinkling, you may also be viewing a sudden growth spurt in this blooming season!

As the trees and grasses spring to life things can get a little labour intensive and, lets face it, weeding can be such a bore. We love that our lodge blends into it's surroundings (we should win the award for that - seriously no one else comes close when it comes to camouflage) but we'd rather it didn't disappear entirely!

If you`re suffering the same and your snippers just can't keep up, then do what we do, and invite a host of pachyderms for tea.

Nature's landscape architects - no job is too big for a heard peckish Elephants.

Attention to detail is a signature of the firm - no pot goes un checked (or tasted)......

and they'll make certain that your archways and pathways....


meet with the Loxidonta standards of strength and measure.

They're dedicated,

in-obtrusive....

and they will deliver the bill direct to your office.

Thanks team, till next time.

I’m just going to check up on the solar pump – do you fancy a ride?

......Sure thing.

We round a bend at the bottom of our Kopjie and gape to find a lioness hot on the heels of sub adult Zebra, caught unawares the unfortunate animal barely makes a single bound before the lioness has her on the ground. Within two minutes the struggle is over.

“To witness a kill” is often on the wish list for our guests on safari but it is not box often ticked. You have to be very lucky and, despite the fact that we live here, this is the first time we’ve arrived in the right place at the right time.

It’s a raw and unsettling thing to see how efficiently this she-predator hunts, taken aback we are both somehow reluctant to lift a camera. Ten minutes later and a second female arrives, the scene until now has been completely silent and their vocalisations bring things out of slow motion. A few swipes and growls decide who gets which end.

Moments pass and a glance up from the spectacle in front of the vehicle reveals a third female making her way down from the Kopjie - her three cubs bouncing along behind her.

Nature rewards the bold, they brave the snarling mammas and get stuck in although not without getting their ears boxed once or twice - there is still a pecking order here.

Sun sets and the solar pump goes un-checked - we'll try again tomorrow.

Rock Stars of the Serengeti

Without doubt the title goes to our abundant reptilian neighbours, the Flat Headed Rock Agama! 

With the kind of colouration any self respecting punk rocker can only dream of maintaining in a hair cut, the male Agama puts the our friends at Camden Lock to shame.

Adding to this he displays by violently thrashing his head up and down to attract the attention of females and send his rivals packing - suitably intimidated by his prowess as a headbanger. 

We should post this behaviour on you-tube with Metallica's "Ride the lightning" as a soundtrack.

"That's not music, that's just noise!"

A Cubs Life...

We have been spoilt rotten with sightings of a local leopard female and her two cubs these past two weeks, after a brief absence we were delighted when they started showing up on our guests camera screens again.

A remarkably large, healthy looking female she is rearing two boisterous performers - it must be an exhausting task keeping them safe in an ecosystem in which a potential threat sits behind every rock - beneath every tree. She watches over them in the shelter of the Kopjies for now and they are utterly fearless in their explorations of this outcrop home. She seems to visibly sigh when once again she has to get up and retrieve them from wherever they've gotten stuck!

It was a relaxed afternoon when Jana, Rebecca and I ventured out to the rocks to try and spot them - unbelievable as it sounds we had them to our selves right up until sunset. Very happy managers!

A point of View

Do not leave your room/office/vehicle/pool,- in fact don’t attempt anything at all, without some binoculars and a camera!

We’re new on the scene in Serengeti and perhaps we will, in time, become blasé about such things but I seriously doubt it.

From a vantage point in this ecosystem, and it would not be idle boasting to say that Lamai puts a very big tick the “room with a view” box. The surrounding landscapes and the skies leave you speechless. How amazing that you have the opportunity to observe countless species interacting on a daily basis.

In the past week we’ve seen lots and lots of Wildebeests, Zebras, Lions, Buffalo, Elephants and even a Long Crested Eagle every day (just to mention a few!) - without even leaving the camp! Fantastic!

Chaos and Cubs

I good reason never to mess with a Buffalo, even if you're a Lion.

Pride Rock?

Amazing

Must have run out of energy.

These wonderful photos are courtesy of Deji and Sian Davis who came to Lamai Serengeti on their honeymoon. There was no 'Lie in'  for them one morning as they headed out on their morning game drive. Just below the camp they came across some lions feeding on a carcass, after a short while a Male and Female Lion began to fight over the carcass, this alerted the attention of a herd of Cape Buffalo, they came charging down the hill and got a hold of the Female Lion and tossed her in the air, she fell and played dead while the Buffalo surrounded her. The other lions stood around watching, helpless, after a while the female managed to escape her captors.

After that their guide Anaphy managed to find them some two month old lion cubs that there mother was helping cross an open area.

What a day at Lamai Serengeti.

A very big thanks to Deji and Sian Davies for sharing these photos with us.

You don't often 'ear of this

A beautiful start to a new day in the Serengeti

Female Black Rhino  

Mother and Calf appear very relaxed despite our  presence 

Nap time! 

The calf's older brother showing off his well formed ears 

Posing for the camera

This lovely trio of rhinos have been seen frequently over the last month. With there said to be only 8 rhinos in the whole of the Serengeti it is a very rare and special sighting to see three at once.
What makes the sighting of these rhinos even more unusual is the fact that the young calf was born with no ears. According to a blog by Africa Geographic there have been numerous records of black rhinos without ears and is common in some particular populations. The cause of this abnormality is still uncertain but is speculated to be due to genetic deformity from inbreeding effects. Other times rhinos loose their ears to predators, diseases or parasitic deformities. This calf though has been earless since birth so the genetic deformity seems to be the cause in this case.

There is very little information of what effect the earlessness has on the rhino but due to rhinos being heavily dependent on their hearing and sense of smell due to being shortsighted. Luckily for this little calf previous records have shown that the earless black rhinos have lived to over 30 years, which is normal life span for a black rhino, and be able to breed.  

Hidden Treasures of Lamai

Lamai the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

When Mum's away the cubs come out to play.

What mischief can I get up to today?

Showing off his climbing skills.

A few weeks after our Blog on Leopards Mating, the male has been seen proving that he is the true alpha male in the area, he was spotted with another female on the same Kopje hopefully ensuring that we see lot of these little fellas above.

These cubs have been a regular sighting much to the enjoyment and entertainment of our guests, seen most mornings and evenings, playing around the rocks and branches that provide them with much needed shelter and protection. They have been a highlight amongst the many amazing sightings we get on a daily basis.

Many thanks to Linda Porter for letting us use her wonderful image of the rainbow above the Lamai Kopje.

Lamai's Little Ones

We have had an exciting week around Lamai Camp where we have met the latest newcomers to our resident Dwarf Mongoose and Rock Hyrax family.

Good Morning

Whilst this Dwarf Mongoose pack has around 15 individuals it is only the dominant male and female mongoose that breed, though the other pack members help feed and care for the offspring.

Playing in front of their den

Group Hug

Venturing out away from the den

Four baby Rock Hyraxes were discovered right next to one of the rooms where they are frequently seen playing on a rock formation. The Hyraxes are very entertaining to watch and often give us great amusement with their generally lazy behavior, short bursts of activity and at times peculiar social interactions (as depicted in last weeks blog). Watching these adorable babies play has definitely been a highlight of this week.

Watchful mother

Ready to play

Wink Wink