Created 21-Oct-26
Dawn again: time to greet the new day in the savanna, to see what is happening as the Earth turns once more. Today, we are down to the hardcore photographers: Veronique, Jim, and Dan. The rest sleep in a bit, warm and secure in the knowledge they have already seen a lot. And, this is vacation!
Our guide, Daniel (!), places us all on one side of our vehicle, for easier viewing. We cruise the savanna and notice a few animals and birds: nothing special. The world fills with light, yet again, a new day as the dry season moves to a close.
Time to visit the reservoir. Built for cattle back in the day, today it is a vital source of water for local animals, and a refuge for birds. Bingo! I ask Daniel to stop: White Pelicans!
Daniel has other ideas. Look ahead! Lions come down to drink!
This pride has not been seen around here for some time. A few lions drink at the water’s edge. More amble over the ridge to join them. Daniel notices their calls back and forth, from close by to distant, urging them to join.
Slanting sunlight illuminates drinking lions. A long draught. Liquid refreshment tops off their full bellies. More and more lions join; eventually there are nine, congregated by the water’s edge. We watch from a ridge above.
Oh, look here: the black-maned patriarch of the pride strides out along the ridge toward us. He does not deign to descend for a drink, watching over the pride from above. Satisfied that all is well, he turns and departs. He will spend some time alone in the grassland, while his pride rests and plays here.
Lions climb the bank to rest near us on the ridge as the patriarch departs. Lions are big cats, and share characteristics. Resting, grooming. Playful wrestling. Playing with found toys.
We photographers are happy: lots to see. Other vehicles join us to watch the show. Daniel wants more: he moves us to a lower position off the ridge for better light, with profiles against the sky. He knows more about this kind of photography than us “photographers”. Informed by a deep tradition and extensive education, with years of experience with the animals and rhythms here, he likely has a deep photography education as well. When world-class wildlife photographers, Frans Lanting, National Geographic, et al, come to Lewa, who guides them and drives their vehicle as they compose the best photographs? My guess is that Daniel has participated in some awesome photo shoots. So trust him.
We watch the cavorting lions until our camera cards are full enough. Daniel then drives us back over the ridge and down to the water’s edge, where the lions drank their fill. Time to check out birds. We proceed slowly and carefully over the once-muddy reservoir margin, now exposed as the water retreats. (Rainy season starts any day now; water levels will rise again.) As we move at a walking pace, each wheel independently rises up and over the uneven ground, and we hold on. Daniel stops occasionally for our photography.
So many varied birds, from large African Sacred Ibis, African Spoonbills, Great White Pelicans, and Yellow-billed Stork, through Egyptian Geese and others (Cattle Egrets?), down to wading water birds like Black-winged Stilt and Three-banded Plover. In the grassland, a game bird in the road: Crested Francolin? A Monitor Lizard ventures out of its lair at on an island summit.
Daniel is on a mission. He drives us around the diminished reservoir, counterclockwise, to a rise on the other side. Meanwhile, lions wander one at a time the other way around the reservoir, to congregate and rest in acacia shade. We park with a good view of the proceedings, while the rest of the pride ambles over to join us. (A good guide can find where the game are. Daniel finds where they will be, and puts us in the best place to observe!) Following the lions, other tourist vehicles join the gathering. The lions settle down for a day of dozing.
As we drive back out to the savanna, Daniel points out a distant giraffe – it is quite nervous. Daniel notices a lion (our patriarch?) crouched in the grass nearby. (I can’t pick it out.) One strong lion, one mature giraffe: a close match. A lion *could* bring down a giraffe. And a single kick from a giraffe could kill a lion. This feels like a standoff. In any case, the pride has eaten well already; their bellies are full.
Here are three galleries. The first shows the lions coming to drink, the patriarch overseeing all, and the lions moving to relax in the acacia shade. The second shows the lions’ feline leisure activities: play and grooming. The third is devoted to birds – and the Monitor Lizard.
As you can tell, I am not a birder or wildlife expert. We all appreciate accurate information. Please leave a comment on a photo if you have a correction or something to add.
Our guide, Daniel (!), places us all on one side of our vehicle, for easier viewing. We cruise the savanna and notice a few animals and birds: nothing special. The world fills with light, yet again, a new day as the dry season moves to a close.
Time to visit the reservoir. Built for cattle back in the day, today it is a vital source of water for local animals, and a refuge for birds. Bingo! I ask Daniel to stop: White Pelicans!
Daniel has other ideas. Look ahead! Lions come down to drink!
This pride has not been seen around here for some time. A few lions drink at the water’s edge. More amble over the ridge to join them. Daniel notices their calls back and forth, from close by to distant, urging them to join.
Slanting sunlight illuminates drinking lions. A long draught. Liquid refreshment tops off their full bellies. More and more lions join; eventually there are nine, congregated by the water’s edge. We watch from a ridge above.
Oh, look here: the black-maned patriarch of the pride strides out along the ridge toward us. He does not deign to descend for a drink, watching over the pride from above. Satisfied that all is well, he turns and departs. He will spend some time alone in the grassland, while his pride rests and plays here.
Lions climb the bank to rest near us on the ridge as the patriarch departs. Lions are big cats, and share characteristics. Resting, grooming. Playful wrestling. Playing with found toys.
We photographers are happy: lots to see. Other vehicles join us to watch the show. Daniel wants more: he moves us to a lower position off the ridge for better light, with profiles against the sky. He knows more about this kind of photography than us “photographers”. Informed by a deep tradition and extensive education, with years of experience with the animals and rhythms here, he likely has a deep photography education as well. When world-class wildlife photographers, Frans Lanting, National Geographic, et al, come to Lewa, who guides them and drives their vehicle as they compose the best photographs? My guess is that Daniel has participated in some awesome photo shoots. So trust him.
We watch the cavorting lions until our camera cards are full enough. Daniel then drives us back over the ridge and down to the water’s edge, where the lions drank their fill. Time to check out birds. We proceed slowly and carefully over the once-muddy reservoir margin, now exposed as the water retreats. (Rainy season starts any day now; water levels will rise again.) As we move at a walking pace, each wheel independently rises up and over the uneven ground, and we hold on. Daniel stops occasionally for our photography.
So many varied birds, from large African Sacred Ibis, African Spoonbills, Great White Pelicans, and Yellow-billed Stork, through Egyptian Geese and others (Cattle Egrets?), down to wading water birds like Black-winged Stilt and Three-banded Plover. In the grassland, a game bird in the road: Crested Francolin? A Monitor Lizard ventures out of its lair at on an island summit.
Daniel is on a mission. He drives us around the diminished reservoir, counterclockwise, to a rise on the other side. Meanwhile, lions wander one at a time the other way around the reservoir, to congregate and rest in acacia shade. We park with a good view of the proceedings, while the rest of the pride ambles over to join us. (A good guide can find where the game are. Daniel finds where they will be, and puts us in the best place to observe!) Following the lions, other tourist vehicles join the gathering. The lions settle down for a day of dozing.
As we drive back out to the savanna, Daniel points out a distant giraffe – it is quite nervous. Daniel notices a lion (our patriarch?) crouched in the grass nearby. (I can’t pick it out.) One strong lion, one mature giraffe: a close match. A lion *could* bring down a giraffe. And a single kick from a giraffe could kill a lion. This feels like a standoff. In any case, the pride has eaten well already; their bellies are full.
Here are three galleries. The first shows the lions coming to drink, the patriarch overseeing all, and the lions moving to relax in the acacia shade. The second shows the lions’ feline leisure activities: play and grooming. The third is devoted to birds – and the Monitor Lizard.
As you can tell, I am not a birder or wildlife expert. We all appreciate accurate information. Please leave a comment on a photo if you have a correction or something to add.
Lions at the Reservoir
Visitors 8
25 photos
Created 21-Oct-26
Modified 21-Oct-26
Lions at Play
Visitors 2
71 photos
Created 21-Oct-26
Modified 21-Oct-26
Birds at the Reservoir
Visitors 1
30 photos
Created 21-Oct-26
Modified 21-Oct-26
Dan Quinn