Africa Safari Day 5: Beautiful Birds and New Parks... from Tsavo to Amboseli National Park

Maybe the shot of the day. Lilac-breasted roller showing off its colors.

We woke up this morning with the realization that today was going to be our last day in Tsavo National Park. We have made so many great memories here, and had so many incredible wildlife encounters, but there is more of Africa to see. But before we left, the group decided to wake up early and squeeze one more morning game drive in. After a quick cup of Kenyan coffee of course.

Excited for a new day, we piled into our vehicle. Right out of the gate we came across four black backed jackals, which we hadn't seen yet. It was also necessary to stop and take pictures of our first sunrise in Africa. It has been so overcast that we haven't had the pleasure of those famous African sunrises and sunsets. It was a good start. We continued on past some very large birds which turned out to be white backed vultures and a tawny eagle. The early morning golden hour just made everything we came across more beautiful and photogenic.

Quite surprisingly, it was a small, colorful bird that ended up stealing the show this morning, despite seeing elephants, buffalo, zebra, oryx, impala, gazelles, baboons and more. The small bird I speak of is called the Lilac-Breasted Roller. And anyone who has been on an African safari probably remembers this as one of the most beautiful birds on the continent. The golden hour early morning light really helped show off those colors. We stopped at several different rollers to try and get the best photo. And amongst all the winner from the morning, I think the photo of the lilac breasted roller with wings spread above is my favorite.

After our game drive and a delicious breakfast overlooking our favorite water hole, we begrudgingly packed up and checked out. We game drived our way out of Tsavo West, but using the back roads through lava fields and Masaai land. Preteen kids would go by shepherding a couple dozen goats, and ladies would be gathering at boreholes with big jugs for filling with water. It was an interesting look into the normal day to day life of rural Kenya.

Around lunch time we arrived at our next destination, Amboseli National Park. If you've ever seen a picture of an elephant or giraffe in front of Mount Kilimanjaro, this is probably where it was taken. It is a dry dustbowl, with a natural oasis of springs and marsh bubbling up from Kilimanjaro meltwater. The animals stay here year round, even though they are not fenced off from meandering out of the park boundaries.

We made it! Welcome to Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge. Notice the elevation... 3,675ft high.

Exploring the Amboseli Serena.

The big hits from the afternoon game drive in Amboseli were flamingos, half submerged elephants, a fish eagle eating a fish, and we finished with a cheetah and a hyena. Tomorrow we have a whole day in the park so I'm hoping for lots of close encounters. We are staying at the Amboseli Serena Lodge, right in the heart of the park. Maybe we will get lucky and hear some fun wildlife outside our walls tonight.

The journey continues.

Tawny eagle in the morning glow.

Our first sighting of black-backed jackals.

There are some incredibly beautiful birds in the bee-eater family here in Africa. This is the little bee eater, in all of its glory.

I always stop for lilac-breasted rollers!

Its like this lilac-breasted roller wanted to show me its sassy side.

It was a rough, but interesting road in between Tsavo and Amboseli. Our big reward for taking this back route was a sighting of a Gerenuk antelope, also called the girafalope because of its long neck. This is the far southern extreme of their range, so we were quite lucky to find one.

Flocks of Flamingos delight the crowd here at Amboseli.

We sat in our vehicle very close to this feeding fish eagle. He had caught a mudfish and was picking it apart in front of us.

A beautiful crowned crane takes flight.

There are a lot of animals here in the marsh at Amboseli. This is near one border of the park. A Maasai village can be seen in the background.

This crowned crane posed perfectly for us in the late afternoon light.

The sunsets here at Amboseli National Park can be intensified by all the fine dust particles in the air.

Thompson's gazelle, a new species for us today.

Early morning yawn from this yellow baboon in Tsavo West National Park.

Our lodge, Amboseli Serena, can be seen poking through the trees in the top center. Not a bad view.

Diane and Kevin focusing in on our first cheetah sighting!

Check out the Shetani Lava flows in Tsavo West National Park. They are only about 200 years old and local superstition says it was the work of the devil!

Terry and Diane staying at the Tsavo waterhole until the last minute.

Checking in to our new spot, Amboseli Serena Lodge.

Our farewell at the gates of Tsavo.

Kevin, ready to get moving.

Feeling right at home in our next lodge.