This Week At Angama #101

10 January 2020 | This Week at Angama | Jeffrey Thige

Reading time: 7 minutes

It’s been another busy week in the Mara – morning, noon and dusk, no matter the time of day, there is always a beautiful scene to capture

A jackal at sunrise

We stumbled upon this jackal lying in the middle of the road amid some elephant dung. He was using the dung to warm himself up on this chilly morning and would not budge until we were very close. We stopped to take a few pictures and most obligingly, he walked back to the dung and posed.

A jackal observes me as I captured the shot f 5.0 1/5000, ISO 400 -1.33

Elephant at first light f 7.1, 1/500, ISO 320 -0.33

Focusing can be tricky when it comes to backlighting. You have to focus manually when taking such shots, but when it works, the result can be amazing.

A backlit Balanite f 5.0, 5000, ISO 320 -0.67

We have had many beautiful mornings this week with golden yellow sunrises.

The view from up high f 4.0, 1/800, ISO 500 +0.33

A small hippo pod captured from above f 5.0, 1/250, ISO 500

I was excited to join our guests in a hot air balloon this week for a photoshoot. The views are simply astounding.

A beautiful line of ox-peckers fly off of a giraffe as it makes a move f 6.3 1/5000, ISO 320 -0.67

A high contrast black-and-white shot of a giraffe amid the beautiful balanites f 5.6, 1/4000, ISO 320 -0.67

Some scenes I look forward to every day.

One of the Boarder Brothers captured in the tall grass f 5.6, 1/640, ISO 100 -0.33

It was wonderful to catch up with the Border Brothers this week. Their bellies were full from a kill they had made in the Serengeti and had just crossed over to our side to get enjoy some shade.

This week has been all about the birds. Here is a sequence showing a black-chested snake eagle hovering over a snake before swooping in to make its kill.

A black-chested snake eagle hovers over a snake before making its kill

Some other wonderful moments included watching a pied kingfisher fluttering over a small pool of water; with a fish in its sights. It stays in the air for close to 30 seconds before taking the plunge. For a fraction of a second it dips underwater before coming up with a fish in its beak.

With the rains slowly coming to an end, the pools of water near the roads have started drying up, exposing the fish. A spur-winged plover enjoyed a small mudfish on the road.

We wonderful week of birds from a pied kingfisher catching a fish to a spur-winged plover and best of all a Verreaux’s eagle-owl

This week also brought a rare sighting; the Verreaux’s eagle-owl.

A glorious sunset in the Mara f 6.3, 1/50, ISO 100 -1

There’s no better way to end the day then with one of our famed Mara sunsets.

The sweetest pup in the Mara f 6.3 1/800, ISO 400 -0.67

Except perhaps with the sweetest jackal pup in all the Mara?

This Week a Year Ago

A bee-eater eyeing out some lunch f 4.5, 1/2500, ISO 320, +0.33

This week a year ago, Adam captured this amazing image of a little bee-eater eyeing a bee. The bee was too large for the bird and actually successfully chased the bird away.

Filed under: This Week at Angama

Tagged with:

Angama Mara , Bird Photography , Birdlife , This Week At Angama , Wildlife , Wildlife Photography

About: Jeffrey Thige

Hailing from Nairobi, Jeff’s younger years were spent watching Big Cat Diaries with his mother. Images of wild animals roaming across the savanna inspired Jeff to travel the country, study wildlife management and move into photography. Jeff aims to use his camera to become an ambassador for conservation. He joined Angama Mara as an intern in 2018 and is now employed full time as assistant photographer at the lodge’s Photographic Studio.

Browse all articles by Jeffrey Thige Meet the angama team

Keep Reading

Dramatic clouds and lighting in the rainy season

This Week At Angama #102 17 January 2020 Jeffrey Thige writes about how the rains are back in the Mara and one of the best things about this is that the wet savanna brings wildlife closer to the road making, for some exciting sightings By Jeffrey Thige

A leopard doses happily on a warm afternoon in the Mara - Adam Bannister

This Week At Angama #100 3 January 2020 The photographic blog series that showcases weekly visual stories from the Maasai Mara celebrates its 100th edition By Adam Bannister

This Week At Angama #92 8 November 2019 Wide open spaces conjure a feeling which is difficult to express, but is simply unmistakable to experience By Adam Bannister

Above: A dragonfly let loose in nature's paint box

This Week at Angama #310 19 January 2024 One-tusked Ganesh makes his introduction in Amboseli while in the Mara, an impala is swallowed practically whole By The Photographic Studios

Join the Conversation (4 comments)

Comments (4):

Maryanne Wambui

10 January 2020

Wooow such beautiful photos o. You can tell the levels of seriousness and love put in capturing them. I love the mara and even more, I love the work of this particular photographer Jeff Thige. Great work.