Month: October 2020

Lockdown Reflection 8 – The herd animals of the Massai mara, Kenya

Zebra and Topi

The grassy planes of the Massai Mara

The beautiful markings of the Zebra and the Topi

topi

This trip taken in late November with the grasslands flourishing from the rainy season,

Young animals parrt of the herds

Topi antelope and calf
Hartebeast with young

For the Wilderbeest Great Migration had moved south out of Kenya by this time of the year

There were some older or weaker beasts left in the masai mara

Wiiderbeest

Their fate most likely to a feast for the parts predators

Sneaking through the grasslands is a predator

Its is unlikely that the Jackal would take on the bigger herd animals more likely small er mammals and rodents. But what a sight prowling through the grasslands.

Its the big cats the herd animals really have to look out for.

But we will come to those in a further post

Because sometimes you miss much by looking for the star attraction!

Moonrise Sunset

There is a little place I go

A peaceful place that juts all so slightly, out into the bay

At the right time of the year

On the the night of a full moon

On a still cloudless night

When the water of the bay is smooth like the surface of a mirror

I can watch the moonrise

I can watch the sunset

Simultaneously

Look to the east and the moon makes its ascent

At first pale in the twilight

She creeps higher and higher slowly asserting her power over the night sky

Its her night

Once a month she fills the sky

As she rises its as if she is pushing the big red globe of the sun below the horizon

The sun as if in anger fills the sky with orange red

As if unwilling to leave the sky stage for the moons solo performance

Casting a pinkish reflected glow in the moons direction

But the suns end is inevitable

Soon the moon dominates the sky

less pale, more bright

casting her silver beam across the water.

The vapour pale of a jet

A rare sight in the Melbourne lockdown

Like a knife slash across the sunset sky.

Its a warm evening

Early spring

The first full moon of the spring equinox here in the southern hemisphere

I cycle around the peninsula

To catch the moon as she reaches her full glory

Spirit of Tasmania leaving port under a full moon

And there she is filling the sky with her soft silver light

Her glow sparkling on the water.