17th December 2007

It looks like the rains have come to an end – over the last day or so, there has been a definite drop in the intensity level of the plants – they’re not quite as bright and vibrant as they were a week ago. The “seagrass / cabbage” leaves are starting to turn yellow around the edges and furl. The Tana River Poplars are starting to turn yellow too. There are still a lot of flowers out though, and new ones still emerging.

I have FINALLY managed to load all the photos to complete my Plover Story, the tale of the Plover chicks which I watched hatch and grow during October and November. It's worth taking a look if you like birds, for I witnessed some fascinating behaviour, and was also able to photograph the second of two chicks hatching, and the older chick leaving the nest, only twelve short hours after hatching.

Ian and I have started trying to get fit again – after all our intercontinental moving, we have let ourselves slip a little – now it’s time to start running again. Needless to say, in this part of the world, going for a jog comes with an unusual set of challenges. Because of what could be called “natural hazards” (like the risk of running into a lion or a grumpy buffalo), we have to take it in turns: one drives the car behind the one running, and then we swap over. Despite my aching legs (today was only the second run we have done), it was lovely out there today, as we ran past a herd of impala and a flock of guineafowl, as well as all sorts of other birds. To avoid the worst of the heat, we were running late in the day, and Kilimanjaro (the highest freestanding mountain in the world, and Africa’s tallest) was silhouetted against the setting sun, creating what resembled a fountain of light shooting up into the sky in golden shafts from the saddle between the mighty Uhuru peak and its sister Mawenzi. The sight took some of the pain away from my lungs and legs!

This evening seemed to be a time for giant moths, which I could not resist photographing as they congregated in the pools of light on and above our dining table.

Amazing Moth on table cloth (click to enlarge)
Amazing moth from the front...
These two look like twins...

Catch up on the entire Plover Photo Story...
Explore Kulafumbi's indigenous wild flowers , plants and trees throughout the seasons...
See more insect photographs...