I’m constantly on the lookout for snakes. Not because they frighten me (although, it’s undoubtedly a good idea to maintain a healthy respect for them), but because I want to see them. The majority of snakes that I’ve encountered on and around Mpala have been dead ones, killed by locals out of fear, hate, and superstition (some tribes believe it adds seven days onto one’s life). Most Africans believe the only good snake is a dead snake - judging by experience, it sadly seems that most cultures around the world readily agree. But me, I like snakes. I prefer seeing them alive, not dead. Unfortunately, I haven’t even seen a handful of live snakes in the last three-plus months. Which is why, when I found one of my transmitter-fitted Superb Starlings (thanks to telemetry) in a ... read more

There is something truly marvelous and unique about stumbling across wildlife in pastoral Kenya. I've visited a number of National Parks and reserves throughout Southern Africa and Kenya and, while sightings of charismatic megafauna are always exhilarating, it's a different experience when it's just part of day-to-day life. Maybe it's the fact that it's not as expected here, that the rarest animal in these parts of Africa is the mtalii (tourist). These are areas where people and animals are forced to truly coexist, living side by side and in one another's presence; if respect is not shared between one and the other, conflict is inevitable. In many ways, the relationship between people and wildlife is much the same now as it was a thousand years ago (though, in others, it also couldn't be more different - ... read more

Minutes past 0100, the night hangs heavily over the wilds of East Africa; the bewitching hour begins. A full moon bathes the bush in a dramatic glow, giving it an eerie personality, for it is the dead of the night yet shadows are strewn across the monochrome landscape like lost souls. Save for the confused chirp of a diurnal bird, all is quiet; all is calm. A female waterbuck relaxes in the stillness, sitting, with legs tucked under her, in the same patch of the Kenyan highlands she occupies most nights. Her shaggy pelage bears the hue of the bush in the dry season - a washed khaki, on the verge of a warm brownish-grey through her midsection - and, despite her moderate size, she cryptically melds with her surroundings such that, even during the day, ... read more

Mike Rowe may not be impressed, but my job has been plenty dirty the past couple days. Allow me to elaborate, starting with a little background detail: The second phase of the Brain Hormone Project is proving a bit more difficult than anticipated. So far, in almost three weeks, we’ve only managed to catch five adult female starlings - four Superbs, and one Greater Blue-eared Glossy (hereafter simply referred to as "Glossy"). Ideally, Dustin would like us to get six of each within a three- or four-week timeframe. Five specimens is okay, four is doable, and three is probably not going to cut it. So it’s not looking good - we’re down to the last week of this phase, and need to get, at a bare minimum, three more Glossy Starlings. What happens if we don’t? ... read more

The Mpala School, attended by the children of Mpala staff, recently won a regional competition in gymnastics, and will subsequently be attending the national competition in a few weeks. Thus, they’ve been quite eager to show me their moves the past couple evenings while I’ve been netting birds near the staff village at the Ranch House, where many of them live. It started yesterday, when a small group of children (about six, ages 5-10) approached me to practice their English and say hello. When I returned the greeting, they literally began doing cartwheels. I had my small point-and-shoot digital camera on me and began taking pictures of the cartwheeling, handspringing, backarching gymnasts. They were more than pleased to see the camera come out and quickly performed a couple moves before hurrying over and crowding around to ... read more