tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7130460157969402742012-02-17T07:54:44.381+03:00Andy & Sarah Skinner blog from Kenya & beyondSarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.comBlogger681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-10370430452547472422011-10-18T22:57:00.001+03:002011-10-18T22:57:52.020+03:00

Well, after spending hours  trawling through literally thousands of images from our Canadian adventure we have now selected our favourites from among them. CLICK HERE to go straight through to the 'new images' section of our site now. Bears, Wolves, Otters, and more....... We hope you enjoy! www.imagesofwildlife.co.uk

Sarah Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16185853750605428191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-2423079520725436042011-09-27T21:20:00.000+03:002011-09-27T22:52:02.517+03:00

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-28134014096338080522011-09-24T07:22:00.004+03:002011-09-24T07:59:42.640+03:00

As I write this post we are now on the long journey back to Vancouver and sadly flying back home to the UK tomorrow morning (Saturday 24th) so this will be our last blog post of our trip. Our time spent in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park (Bella Coola) cannot be described as anything less than simply brilliant!Whilst in the area we had a good combination of guided activities as well as plenty of free

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-35240587784097518422011-09-20T07:06:00.000+03:002011-09-20T07:06:42.242+03:00

After a brief night in Vancouver, followed by one and a half days traveling (around 12 hours driving in total), stopping en route at a great guest lodge in the pioneer town of Riske Creek we finally arrived in Bella Coola, sadly the last location of our trip. It is here in Bella Coola that we will again focus our efforts on Grizzly Bears and hopefully Bald Eagles. As we descended into the valley

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-29469473212370597662011-09-20T06:42:00.001+03:002011-09-20T06:43:53.877+03:00

After a two hour drive from leaving Telegraph Cove we arrived at our next port of call - Campbell River. After a restful nights sleep we awoke to heavy rain which looked as if it was not going to relent at all. Our forecast of approaching bad weather the day before had sadly been correct. This was not going to put us off, even though we desperately hoped it would subside. So it was time for the

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-17525652414063647672011-09-19T07:31:00.001+03:002011-09-19T07:34:22.597+03:00

This morning we had to say a fond, but sad farewell to Hidden Cove Lodge, but vowed that we would return one day (and one day soon!).  However, before leaving Telegraph Cove we had one more whale watching trip, to hopefully see the Orcas again and other marine inhabitants, once again cruising in the area of Johnstone Strait.In contrast to the sailing vessel we had been on two days prior the trip

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-30714949368653999512011-09-18T06:19:00.003+03:002011-09-18T06:33:18.641+03:00

Today marked a particularly special day, it was our 9th wedding anniversary and what better way to spend it then to take a trip to Knight Inlet in the hope of spotting our first Grizzly Bears.  Knight Inlet is actually located on mainland BC and famed for being a fairly reliable location to spot the Grizzly and the location of the well known ‘Glendale Cove/Knight Inlet’ Lodge. Given its remote

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-50934739235703556992011-09-15T02:04:00.001+03:002011-09-18T06:32:10.869+03:00

On the morning of September 12th Andy and I made the short 10 minute drive to Alder Bay Campground where we would commence the first of two Whale watching trips to hopefully view Killer Whales (Orcas) and other whale species such as Humpback Whales in the famed Johnstone Strait. Our vessel for today was the S.V Tuan, a lovely 40 foot sailboat that accommodated just 12 passengers. As soon as the

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-15312319333565553142011-09-15T02:00:00.002+03:002011-09-15T05:04:21.991+03:00

After an awesome time in Tofino it was time to head to our next stop, a 5.5 hour journey over to the East coast of Vancouver Island to Telegraph Cove where Orcas and Grizzly Bears were next on the ‘Skinner agenda’. The early bird certainly catches the worm, as just 30 minutes after leaving Tofino at 6:30am we came across a Black Bear mother and her very young solitary cub, happily browsing on

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-39028541698491366162011-09-11T21:34:00.000+03:002011-09-11T21:34:03.546+03:00

Our next bear watching adventure was not until 4:30pm so we had most of the day on September 10th to do our own thing and explore more of the Pacific Rim National Park Jet lag seems to be continuing as Andy and I keep waking up at 5am wide awake, either that or our bodies are still tuned to our African adventures whereby getting up at 5am is the norm. The morning of the 10th was no exception so

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0Tofino, BC V0R, Canada49.152434 -125.9024929999999920.240526499999998 174.331882 78.0643415 -66.13686799999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-45092431426565304302011-09-11T19:16:00.001+03:002011-09-11T19:22:42.427+03:00

After a little time to explore the local town of Tofino it was time to mobilize for our first Black Bear viewing trip. At this time of the year the bears in the area of Clayoquot Sound are generally found along various inlets and they make use of low tides to feed on clams in order to obtain essential protein ready for the winter ahead. This meant that would would again be back on the zodiac boat

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-11738576377781768992011-09-11T00:20:00.007+03:002011-09-11T00:51:33.078+03:00

The day for us to leave the UK and depart for our Canadian adventure finally came on September 7th and so here is our first blog of what we hope will be an action packed 2.5 weeks of wildlife and wilderness adventures. If the start of is anything to go by I don’t think we will be disappointed and so far Canada is exceeding our expectations in many ways!This is not our first trip to Canada, having

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-52457926423817616022011-07-08T23:55:00.005+03:002011-07-13T08:43:16.941+03:00

Normally in August/September Andy and I embark on our usual trip to see the `wildebeest migration in Kenya. This year things have changed! As much as it 'pains' us to say it this year the 'wildies' will have to carry on without the Skinners! Thats right, this September we are off to Canada!  Masai Mara, I promise we WILL be back soon, just not for a little while. Let the crowds ease first. We

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-8991788920868483452011-07-05T23:11:00.000+03:002011-07-05T23:11:46.011+03:00

One thing about camping is you are immersed in the bush 24/7, this means sharing your space with its regular inhabitants and accepting that you often get curious visitors into camp, its all part of the fun for sure! To capture what's going on while we sleep (and in the case of this Bull Elephant while we were trying to cook up dinner!!) we always put up one or two remote cameras and get really

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-73926757119752835482011-07-05T00:23:00.000+03:002011-07-05T00:23:05.029+03:00

It was now time for us to head back over the the South side of the Mara, to the Mara Triangle. We were still keen to get a view on what was happening with the Mgoro females as after all we had only so far found 2 of the 4 females (originally 5 but we fear that the 5th possibly perished defending the cubs when the new 4km males appeared a few months back)  Before we left we spent a little more

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-90442182544065162042011-07-05T00:09:00.000+03:002011-07-05T00:09:13.007+03:00

The evening before we were due to leave back to the North side of the Mara we were keen to try and find Shingo and her 6 cubs again.  Fortunately it did not take too long to find them but unfortunately they were still in an area that was really not the best place for them to be. They were just a few kilometres from Talek town and hemmed in between some of the Olkiombo lions and the area where

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-8285331820631859562011-07-05T00:02:00.004+03:002011-07-05T00:24:48.323+03:00

The morning after spending the afternoon with Notch (28th June) we decided to dedicate some time to ‘Operation Leopard’ and to hopefully catch up with some more familiar ‘faces’. We decided that we would take the opportunity and look for Olive and her most recent cub and/or perhaps even Paja or Nkayioni, both around 2 years old and Olives previous set of offspring. Whilst we did not want to just

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-52296884972880513302011-07-04T23:57:00.001+03:002011-07-05T22:38:05.893+03:00

On the afternoon of the 27th we had heard that Notch had been sighted again, this time across the other side of the Talek from where we had left him the day before and quite a few kilometres away. We had very little information to go by so to a certain extent it was going to be like looking for the proverbial ‘needle in a hay stack!’. That’s all part of the fun so off we trundled. As we looked

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-63105932898014159372011-06-28T15:26:00.001+03:002011-06-28T15:31:51.509+03:00

We had a fairly quiet day 'cat wise' on Sunday, but nevertheless its still lovely to be driving around and taking in the surroundings, and there is always plenty of other game to enjoy. Sometimes just siting by the river and relaxing is just the tonic!  The quest to find 'our' Mgoro females continued with no luck, but we did come across one of the '4km males' (those that are now associated with

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-58839055043448275032011-06-26T14:09:00.004+03:002011-06-26T15:06:45.462+03:00

There are many things about Africa, other than the amazing wildlife that we are always in awe of no matter how many times we visit. The skies always seems 'bigger', the stars brighter (no light pollution!) and the storms more dramatic and impressive to those experienced in the UK. Due to the relative 'proximity' of Lake Victoria in Tanzania and the high Siria Escarpement on the Western edge of

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-71910510289826123282011-03-26T01:32:00.000+03:002011-03-26T01:32:11.735+03:00

CLICK HERE FOR NEW IMAGES ON OUR WEBSITE

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-5378782585137157912011-03-09T00:36:00.001+03:002011-03-09T00:37:00.921+03:00

Short video captured last week at a Hyena den in the Mara Triangle. These guys were adorable beyond belief, and anyone that thinks Hyenas are anything but utterly fascinating needs to rethink please!. Awesome creatures, that are too often misunderstood.

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-81503548259490950482011-03-08T23:56:00.002+03:002011-03-09T00:51:25.699+03:00

As promised here is a very short video of Olive and her older 'cub' male cub Nkayioni (who I believe is around 19-21 months old now). Apologies for the poor quality and inability to hold the camera still, a mixture of sheer excitement and trying to do three things at once! More short videos to come in the next few days.

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-84307876370331007622011-03-07T00:45:00.002+03:002011-03-07T15:06:27.977+03:00

Firstly, profuse apologies for the lack of blogging activity in the last few days. A mixture of busy days and a few Internet connection issues have hindered updates in the last 72 hours. So sadly the last update of the previous 3 or 4 days comes just as we have arrived home to the UK this evening Let's start with Notch and the boys. The afternoon after we photographed Notch in all his glory (

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-78093554799116806502011-03-02T13:03:00.000+03:002011-03-02T13:03:40.035+03:00

With all good intentions Andy and I had planned to dedicate yesterday morning to a serious leopard mission. However, by 3.30am in the morning this was all to change! Waking to the sound of grumbling and grunting we soon knew we could hear several lions on a kill that sounded as if it was not too far away. There was a light breeze as the sounds were carried over to our direction, far and wide over

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-77597867021876368512011-03-01T13:55:00.002+03:002011-03-01T13:55:58.625+03:00

For the last two nights we have had a bit of fun with our remote infrared cameras to see what nocturnal shenanigans are going on whilst we diurnal folk get some rest in our bush campsite. We have had a far bit of luck, coupled with some thoughtful consideration as to where best to sight the cameras. We both absolutely love the anticipation waking up in the morning to see who has visited us

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-5252560367742478232011-02-28T19:54:00.000+03:002011-02-28T19:54:43.841+03:00

As mentioned in the last blog Andy and I are now across the river after a sweltering 2 hour drive across the south of the reserve, the plains around 'look out hill' were devoid of any plains game. Just a handful of giraffe and a worthy of a mention HUGE heard of Buffalo seeking shade in a deep lugga. It was not until we neared the centre of the reserve that the numbers of Impala, Thomson Gazelle

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-26031581085857401672011-02-28T13:57:00.001+03:002011-02-28T13:59:48.793+03:00

The weather continues to bring very hot dry days, and in the last 48 hours temperatures in of 37 degrees have been recorded in the Mara. Today is by no means an exception and by 8.30am this morning the intensity of the heat was already beginning to start building for what is no doubt going to be another scorching day in the Masai Mara. Andy and I are now across the other side of the river and

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-37863622184524128082011-02-27T19:49:00.000+03:002011-02-27T19:49:02.436+03:00

The lion theme continues to dominate the blog today and whilst sitting with the lions time to update on what we have learned so far with regard to the Mugoro Pride. As a quick recap the Mugoro pride, located in the Mara Triangle, have had a somewhat chequered past in recent times. Andy and I having never seen the girls (originally 5 lionesses, including 'Killer Bogie' a name we randomly

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-81625488086717647562011-02-26T16:02:00.001+03:002011-02-26T17:34:38.416+03:00

Its hot, dry and dusty. We can see endless plains, sprinkled with a dusting of creatures large and small seeking shade from the intense afternoon sun under the tall acacias. By this description it should not be too hard to guess that we are back in our 'second home'; the Masai Mara and looking forward to some low season' game viewing. There has certainly been very little evidence of rain here of

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-53093780995126954842010-12-31T20:10:00.000+03:002010-12-31T20:10:00.861+03:00

Both Andy and I are slowly getting better and it appears as if the symptoms we have suffered could have been attributed to Swine Flu, although we cannot be sure. Neither of us have been ill for the entire year and then BAM! it had to be when we went away didn’t it! For the last two nights we have been able to get back to bush camping which has been a tonic in itself. The plains at night have been

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-76752362231849179352010-12-29T20:24:00.000+03:002010-12-29T20:24:44.462+03:00

So finally I (Sarah) have started to improve from feeling pretty terrible in the last few days and have managed to get out most of the time and enjoy some nice game viewing. Sadly, whatever virus I managed to acquire has now passed to Andy (and embarrassingly so onto a few of our friends in the Mara - I am REALLY sorry guys!) Fortunately its not stopped us game viewing too much and we have both

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-27467058816624383222010-12-28T09:42:00.000+03:002010-12-28T09:42:56.706+03:00

After wandering if we would ever actually make it to Kenya due to the problematic weather conditions in the UK I am now happy to say we are back ‘reporting’ from a lovely hot and sunny Kenya. Its fairly dry here with some afternoon rains, certainly a vast difference to the sub zero temperatures that we have just left!Whilst we have experienced the Mara many times at different times of the year it

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-68355821396570033512010-12-13T23:50:00.000+03:002010-12-13T23:50:07.302+03:00

http://www.imagesofwildlife.co.uk/gallery_220868.html

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-46355582681220779032010-09-16T19:29:00.001+03:002010-09-16T19:33:04.429+03:00

Sadly this will be the last post of our recent 3 week photographic expedition to the Masai Mara, The time has passed so fast with days of endless excitement to look back on. It never gets any easier to say goodbye to the cats we follow as the last night is always marked by puffy eyes! Andy and I, in all of our 5 years of coming here have grown to see the Mara as our second home. In the time we

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-38804173852181362012010-09-15T14:54:00.000+03:002010-09-15T14:54:07.649+03:00

Last night was certainly quite a cacophony of sounds. As we fell asleep to the lullaby of the hyenas whooping we were suddenly woken at around 1am by the sound of two hippos close by to our tent/Land Rover. It sounded like two males who had come across one another whilst out grazing and were having a 'stand off'.  They bellowed and growled each other for some time, sounding like neither was

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-61314198136958907352010-09-14T21:02:00.000+03:002010-09-14T21:02:13.833+03:00

First thing this morning we had a wander down to Balloon plain to see if there was any sign of Notch and boys. They usually spend a few days at a time over the 'other side' so seemed unlikely but worth a shot. As expected no sign, they were either still over the Narok side or they did not wish to be seen this morning, their prerogative! We surveyed the area high and low but our attention was

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-39483951322691766872010-09-12T21:04:00.000+03:002010-09-12T21:04:24.833+03:00

At first light this morning we found our man 'Notch', who was making his way near to where we had left him (Cul De Sac) the previous night and seemed to be headed toward Balloon plains (a frequent hang our for Notch and sons). As always he was looking mighty fine for his 11 years (approx) and moved with relative ease despite carrying a stomach full of wildebeest!. We had him all to ourselves and

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-61896792244452909152010-09-11T19:15:00.000+03:002010-09-11T19:15:13.890+03:00

Andy and I have continued to focus our attentions entirely on 'our lions', the Mgoro pride and hunting school continues with no let up in the amount of wildebeest they continue to take down. The crossings have subsided marginally in herd sizes but still continue to stream from the Narok side and toward Tanzania. As a result the lions, with Notch and cubs in tow have firmly established the area

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-4829742178777481672010-09-09T20:52:00.001+03:002010-09-09T21:47:30.088+03:00

If I were to write in absolute detail about what we have witnessed in the last 24 hours I would be practically writing a dissertation. Needless to say yesterday was a crazy day! So I will try to keep to the shortened version. The morning started with unbelievably more crossings, the wildebeest just keep on coming and with more rains over in Tanzania their thirst for heading south does not abate.

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-27263105505550493032010-09-08T16:41:00.000+03:002010-09-08T16:41:05.066+03:00

More crossings on Sept 7th.......Chaos!

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-52816947834040909592010-09-07T15:13:00.000+03:002010-09-07T15:13:34.658+03:00

The beauty of self driving is most definitely the flexibility it gives us. Yesterday was the day it proved to be SO true!!. After ambling along the Talek river looking for leopard, again with little luck we headed toward Paradise plains to check out what the wildebeest and Zebra herds were doing. I don't think the words for our reaction are printable, but as we came closer to the Mara river and

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-5740894940120591002010-09-06T20:06:00.000+03:002010-09-06T20:06:02.464+03:00

Yesterday (Saturday) Andy and I decided to have a wander across to the other side of the Mara (Narok side). It seemed a sensible plan given that across the plains we could see a HUGE amount of wildebeest and lots of smaller game. So the mission was to be ‘in search of spots and rosettes’ for the next few days. The first afternoon drive was a quiet one as it always takes a day or so to reacquaint

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-46852642542272552792010-09-03T19:39:00.000+03:002010-09-03T19:39:35.381+03:00

As I am patiently sitting here waiting in hope for the wildebeest to again cross at 'Cul de sac' I thought a good time to catch up with today's antics.It may have become apparent by now that Andy and I have a special place in our hearts for Notch, a cat we have followed now for 5 years. So we make no apology for YET another blog that involves Notch!First thing this morning we could hear the

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-18302586683213498162010-09-02T19:49:00.000+03:002010-09-02T19:49:26.382+03:00

Sure as 'eggs are eggs' our predications yesterday of imminent large wildebeest crossings came true. A number of large herds had congregated on the plains nearer to the river overnight and by mid morning had split into many different groups, and eventually crossing at multiple points of the Mara, such as: Cul de Sac, lower and upper main crossings, all crossing over in to the Narok side of the

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-27004122716246622872010-09-01T20:34:00.000+03:002010-09-01T20:34:03.071+03:00

As the seasons and weather patterns change in the Masai Mara it can often be a case of ‘feast or famine’ for the predators. Migration seasons is certainly a time for feasting and every morning so far has revealed a vast array of fresh carcasses from the predators nocturnal activities. Providing food for not only the carnivores but also for vultures, and the vultures certainly have their work cut

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-72194823010294358752010-08-30T14:12:00.002+03:002010-08-30T14:18:14.780+03:00

One of the things that Andy and I love about camping in the bush is that fact that you are totally immersed in the environment and often get to see a different perspective of the bush other than when driving around game viewing. You see and smell things that you would ordinarily drive past and get to appreciate the tiny creatures as well as the big impressive predators, as well as continually

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-21035927525239217082010-08-29T19:51:00.001+03:002010-08-29T20:04:52.726+03:00

Our first night back was filled with roars from the plains below and the sound of a few zebra stallions snorting and munching close to our tent, together with the often comical sounds of large wildebeest herds close by. After our usual ritual of making hot drinks with a very tame Scrub Hare nibbling grass just feet away it was time to see what the day would bring. There is a huge amount to see

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-8541081888525552312010-08-28T20:56:00.000+03:002010-08-28T20:56:29.555+03:00

Those of you who know Andy and I know that we have a particular soft spot for a certain 'big puss' in the Masai Mara called 'Notch', who we have followed since around 2005. Although we only saw him last in March 2010 we dearly hoped to see him again on our current trip. We certainly did not expect to see him on day 1! So today, just a few hours after entering the Mara we came across Notch,

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-34631106675287170192010-04-21T23:56:00.018+03:002010-08-08T01:07:11.396+03:00

Finally, we have now loaded the latest images from our most recent trip onto our website. www.imagesofwildlife.co.uk/gallery.html  We also offer all prints for sale, which includes a donation from our profits going directly into wildlife conservation. If you don't see the size you require please feel free to drop us an email. We hope you enjoy! I am also happy to say that flights for the next

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-58398248659896960682010-03-21T11:50:00.004+03:002010-04-22T10:49:43.582+03:00

It pains us to say this but sadly we have now left the Mara, and so unfortunately this is the last blog before we embark on our travels back to the UK. Home renovations are going to have to take priority for the next few months so it will be a while until our next update; but time moves fast, so it wont be long until we are back blogging again from the bush for the 2010 migration season.  

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-47689295209001575292010-03-18T14:13:00.002+03:002010-03-22T00:16:36.916+03:00

Sighting Leopards can always be somewhat of a challenge, given their solitary shy and secretive nature. Its true that in some areas of the Mara they are known to be somewhat more habituated to vehicles and are thus seen more often. In the area we are currently in they tend to be a little more illusive. The population here is unknown but given the plentiful riverine forest and luggas the area is

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-71955766575160779032010-03-16T14:48:00.003+03:002010-03-22T00:16:54.036+03:00

Finally we are delighted to report that we have now seen Notch!  He must have crossed back over the river in the last day or two and is located not too far from the lionesses and 9 cubs. Resting beside him was another male, one of his many sons! He is still looking great for a lion of his age (approx 13 years old) Meanwhile, this morning we could not locate the other males seen last night, its

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-29278875780238178602010-03-15T21:38:00.003+03:002010-03-22T00:17:12.855+03:00

This morning the plains below Serena were filled with testosterone. At around 8am we came across 4 of the Notch clan (the 'sons'). They were a little restless at the entrance to the croton thickets and were glancing around the plains. It was not long until their facial expressions soon changed to a fierce and focused gaze into the distance. Evident quite some distance away was another male lion

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-72809202784119913262010-03-14T12:57:00.002+03:002010-03-22T00:17:36.705+03:00

The days in the Mara have continued to be beautiful and sunny and not too mention extremely hot, the river has dropped considerably which has meant the Notch clan have been hopping backwards and forwards! We have not yet seen the 'legend' himself yet (Notch) but this morning we are fairly sure we saw him across the river near to the main crossing point. The distance was very great to be 100% sure

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-84735955103280287532010-03-12T12:24:00.001+03:002010-03-12T12:27:07.267+03:00

For a few nights Andy and I have been putting up a infrared night camera in camp to see what night time visitors we can capture. Last night we had an interesting image, take a look below and you will see that we managed to capture a hippo as it came out of the Mara river to graze. (located on the right hand side of the frame)

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-52964014421210080832010-03-10T16:29:00.001+03:002010-03-22T00:18:06.118+03:00

Fortunately the clouds have lifted in the Mara (for now!) and a brisk wind is keeping the temperature reletively cool and pleasant. For the last two days we have spent some time with Sita (cheetah.....AKA 'Shakira') and two of her cubs. In fact as I start to write this we are parked 100metres or so away as they rest under the bush so we thought we would take this opportunity for a quick update

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-7213215552351417292010-03-08T11:47:00.000+03:002010-03-08T11:47:22.645+03:00

Not the best photo of a Serval I admit, but this morning it was spots galore on the cat front (minus the Leopard of course....that's for another day perhaps!)

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-1694812252002718342010-03-08T11:16:00.000+03:002010-03-08T11:16:24.393+03:00

Camping in the Mara is always an awesome experience, but last night proved it just gets better and better! After a long day and a much needed cool beer it was time to retire to the comfort of our rooftent. Just as we were about to climb up our ladder. Christian (a good friend who is with us at present) suddenly picked up movement in the camp and low and behold the flashlight revealed it was a BIG

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-18289439460802605152010-02-23T23:44:00.001+03:002010-02-23T23:51:03.543+03:00

Andy and I will be back in the Masai Mara in a little under two weeks, after what has seemed like only 5 minutes since we returned from our last trip in early January. Check back soon for the latest updates from the Mara.......

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-54327938405406871862010-01-04T00:55:00.000+03:002010-01-04T00:55:34.229+03:00

Apologies for the lack of blogs in the last few days....recently every day seems to have been filled with lots of excitement, leaving little time to catch up! Sadly Andy and I are now leaving Kenya so this will be the last blog until our next trip in March. Sadly I have bad news to report, the young cheetah cub that we had spent some time with has been killed/died. We are unsure as to the exact

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-83362105371184577392009-12-26T14:27:00.000+03:002009-12-26T14:27:14.940+03:00

Having left Notch and Co with full stomachs last night it was not a huge surprise to find them this morning in the same spot. Vultures were feeding on a new carcass so evidently they had sourced more food during the night. Despite their fullness Notch and one of his sons were still managing to fit in some 'feline love'! To our surprise we came across a cheetah mother with the most adorable young

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-1465612583669719192009-12-25T19:53:00.004+03:002009-12-25T20:08:23.127+03:00

Following torrential rains yesterday afternoon, lasting long into the night we awoke to a wet and cloudy Masai Mara. The evening was filled with lion roars from all around and first light revealed the Notch family in all its glory. First we came across one of the darker sons, mating frequently with a lioness. As the cloud lifted the light revealed more of the Notch clan, including the 'big man'

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-70872249492664051082009-12-23T21:29:00.000+03:002009-12-23T21:29:49.055+03:00

This evenings drive was a very special one, Since 2005 Andy and I have followed the trials and tribulations of 'Notch' and as a result have become very attached to this handsome chap! After spending some time in the last two days looking for him we have today been rewarded with our first sighting on this particular trip. Looking as majestic as always we found him, high upon some rocks and close

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-49207535289349296262009-12-23T12:27:00.000+03:002009-12-23T12:27:57.484+03:00

This morning our mission to find cheetah was a great success, not only did we find a beautiful lone female cheetah but we were also reunited with some old friends.....namely Sita (BBC's Shakira) and her three female cubs (approx 16/17 months old) It was an especially special moment to see this family having spent many hours with them a few months ago. As we sit and write this blog they are

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-25819494083840091552009-12-21T14:22:00.002+03:002009-12-21T14:26:59.445+03:00

At first light we found that two lionesses had caught a Topi, just 500m from our camp, sometime early in the morning. 8 cute little cubs had a great time while they explored their first taste of meat. But at this age its no substitute for a visit to the 'milk bar' which soon opened after the cubs exhausted themselves from clambering and chewing on the rib cage! (These little guys are the

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-83069393505598813462009-12-20T20:31:00.000+03:002009-12-20T20:31:11.204+03:00

Our first update from the Masai Mara comes whilst we are sitting by our campfire, listening to the sounds of the bush and smelling our steak dinner cooking. The African sky, as always, seems endless and alight with the most amazing concentration of stars. With just a scrub hare for company and the sound of lions roaring very nearby we are truly happy to be back in the bush! Our first day has

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-713046015796940274.post-23089232974106108522009-11-23T00:03:00.001+03:002009-11-28T01:51:32.638+03:00

Once again Andy and I are soon to leave a blustery and wet UK and embark upon another action packed photographic adventure to Kenya's Maasai Mara. Check our blog in a few weeks time for daily updates from the African bush.

Sarah Skinnernoreply@blogger.com0