Into The Great Wide Open – Maasai Mara – Kenya

Magic happens in the Maasai Mara. The kind of magic that involves big cats, little cats, plenty of game, and if you visit during migration, one of the absolute most spectacular wildlife sightings on earth — the water crossing of millions of migrating Blue Wildebeest. We weren’t here during migration and therefore missed what the Mara is most famous for, but we still got to experience the magic and I can see why this is one of the top destinations in all of Kenya. Truly, it is amazing.
This is a bird-focused trip, but it’s hard not to be overwhelmingly distracted by the megafauna in Africa. Still, we started our morning in the acacia forests sifting through large flocks of birds mobbing a resident Pearl Spotted Owlet. Ross must have been in some kind of birder heaven, as on multiple occasions we would have upwards of 40 birds in a single tree and it was hard not to look away! But eventually we moved onward, driving through Maasai Mara en route to The Mara Triangle, the southwestern portion of the park managed by a local Maasai nonprofit. But during our drive across the park, we soon came upon a massive herd of Cape Buffalo crossing the road only to drive a little further to find one buffalo who wasn’t so lucky lying dead on the ground and a proud male Lion panting heavily from what must have been an intense workout taking out one of these massive beasts. The buffalo looked to be newly killed, with no chunks of flesh yet missing and no scavengers present save for three Hooded Vultures. We paused to watch, knowing that he was not likely to move from his current position, and we clearly missed all of the action. But then he stood up! We were the only car around and he began walking towards us. The lion walked to our truck and brushed himself against the entire passenger side, as if he just needed a scratch. Or marking his territory perhaps? Either way, he walked around the back and then up the other side of our truck, laying himself down in the shade with his body resting against our tires. If this isn’t magic, I don’t know what is. When he next stood up, the height of his body was mere inches from Ross’s window. He hung with us for a little while before chasing the brazen vultures off of his newest prized possession.

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If you would have told me that the most amazing lion experience I’ve ever had wouldn’t even be our best cat sighting of the day, I wouldn’t have believed you.
One of Ross’s newest birding friends, Stratton Hatfield, a resident Kenyan birder currently studying Martial Eagles who had been assisting us all throughout our Kenya trip thus far, connected us with Jana, a hyena researcher currently living inside the Triangle. Jana invited us out on a hyena survey with her, with intentions to stop for Swamp Nightjar on our way back to camp. Jana has permission to stay out on the roads until 2000, instead of the normal 1900 curfew for all other vehicles. We surveyed her “Happy Zebra” clan, one she admits has been struggling to survive with so little food available at the moment. She warned us she often doesn’t see much when visiting the territory of “Happy Zebra,” but as we were driving we had eleven hyenas! Jana was thrilled and said this is the most hyenas she’s ever seen in one place from this clan and she’s been studying them for months! Are we lucky or what??
We drove around a bit more and that’s when we stumbled upon a particularly curious Serval. Not only did the Serval walk towards us, as opposed to running off into the bushes like they usually do, it then sat down on the road in the headlights of the car and just stared at us! We couldn’t believe our eyes. The Serval looked at us, then became distracted by a small moth fluttering near the ground. She looked as though she might pounce on it in a playful manner, but instead she pawed at it. When she stood up, she walked over to the car, along the drivers’ side and back again to sit in the headlights.
At the start of this drive, just before dark, Ross and I got to see our very first Serval and now this?! Typically they are shy and run as soon as they see someone coming but we got to spend over 20 minutes admiring this beauty. Ross managed some absolutely stunning photos and videos! And without a doubt, THIS was the coolest cat experience we could have imagined for our day!

We ended our bird list for day one at 143 species, not bad, but not even half of the number of species recorded in the park. But the real highlight were the magical moments we experienced along the way. Is southern Kenya the only place to have these kind of wildlife encounters? No, but the Maasai Mara is a special place and definitely worth a visit.
For the birders wondering, some of our favorite birds we saw include Ovambo Sparrowhawk, Red-winged Francolin, Black-backed Cisticola, African Marsh Harrier, Melodious Lark, Swamp Nightjar, and a feeding group of Southern Ground Hornbills. Actually, watching as this juvenile Southern Ground Hornbill poked around day-old elephant dung to feed on the critters eating it was one of the most entertaining moments of the day and I don’t think you need to be a birder to find these eating behaviors fascinating and fun to watch! Take a close look at the images to see exactly WHAT he found in that poop!

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