An elephant and her calf forage on the plentiful grasses and other foliage of Ol Pajeta Conservancy in central Kenya. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 180, f/4 at 1/640th of a second.

Dik diks are the smallest of all the antelope species in Kenya. I’ve mentioned it in several previous posts — it’s hard to imagine their size without a frame of reference. To me, they resemble a jackrabbit (in stature not looks) when running across the savanna. This is a Kirk’s dik dik, taking a moment to look back at our safari vehicle and granting me a close up portrait. Of note, that nice flip of hair that looks like it’s been gelled. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 9000, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second.

I guess this is the week for large African mammals. Yesterday it was the hippo, the third largest land animal in Africa by weight. Today it’s the white rhinoceros, the second largest. Only the elephant is bigger. These three were grazing while I carefully set the camera on the ground for a bottom up perspective. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 24-70mm lens (at 24mm) ISO 450, f/5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.

This hippo was lurking in the bushes just outside our camp. There was another nearby hippo in a small pool that this one was likely keeping a close eye on. Photographed in the Masai Mara of Kenya.Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 3600, f/5.6 at 1/1600th of a second.

The secretary bird is pretty common on the savannas of sub-Sahara Africa. They look like a raptor on stilts. They are quite large and can grow to over 4 feet tall. This secretary bird was taking a stroll through a herd of zebra at the end of the day in Kenya. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 450, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second.

Always fun to see a gerenuk’s head pop up from behind a bush. This is a young male. He took a moment to check us out before getting back to feeding. Photographed in Samburu National Reserve in the north central region of Kenya. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500m PF lens, ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/2500th of a second.

We like to add Samburu National Reserve to our Kenya tour itineraries for a chance at species we don’t see in other areas of the country. One of those species is the Somali ostrich. The males have an almost bluish tint to their necks and legs. This big boy was doing a lot of preening and I caught him with one of his wings outstretched as if telling us where to go. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 2000, f/5.6 at 1/1600th of a second.

These two hyena cubs were playing with each other at the end of the day while their six other siblings were resting at the den watching the action and waiting for mom and dad to call it a night. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 3600, f/5.6 at 1/1250th of a second.

Predator on prey images aren’t always the prettiest to look at. But I did like this close up of a lion’s paw on the back of a fallen Cape buffalo. Taken in the Masai Mara of Kenya. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 720, f/5.6 at 1/800th of a second.

Egyptian goose sightings are fairly common on our Kenya trips. This goose leading her chicks was within our camp grounds at Ol Pajeta Conservancy. This species is native to Africa, but has been introduced to Europe the United States and a few more locations around the world. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 500mm PF lens, ISO 4000, f/5.6 at 1/2500th of a second.