Tanzania, Africa - 7B

Hi, As we continued our game drive we came across a family of Cheetahs.

It appeared that a mother had killed a young zebra and brought her 4 cubs to the kill (above and 6 below).  We remained watching as they fed for 1/2 an hour.  They would eat for a few minutes and then walk away.  After a few minutes they would come back.  Based on the size of their bellies they had been eating for quite awhile.  We were the only vehicle watching.

As we approached a kopie Mkenda spotted a couple of Tawny Eagles; one of them in a tree.

Further on was huge harem of Impala with

the male keeping watch.

Later we came upon this cub and

a couple of females.  It was interesting how many times we saw lionesses on their backs.

BFFs.

If I could add a balloon to the photo the zebra would be saying "gotta keep my eye on this guy."

Finally, another pretty sunset.  Thanks for looking.

Tanzania, Africa - 7A

Hi, This begins our first full day in the Serengeti National Park.

We were treated to another beautiful sunrise (above and below).

Almost at the very beginning of our drive Mkenda, our guide, spotted a Honey Badger and we tried to get into position for a photo.  As we were doing so I remarked that, at least in North America, badgers were very aggressive and very dangerous.  As if on cue the animal turned, charged the truck, bared its teeth and growled.  I took the above photo as it ran off.

Zebra and Wildebeest were all over the savannah. 

More Cheetahs, this time a male and female (above and below).

Wildebeest everywhere (above and two below).

It was always nice to have more than one species of animal in a photo.

In various places in the middle of the savannah there are massive rock formations called Kopies.  This is a small section of one of them.

King of all he surveys and looks the part.

Members of his pride.

Lions like to spend the daylight hours just lying about in the shade (above and below).

This young cub is getting restless.

Returning from his/her short jaunt of exploration.

Thanks for looking.

Railfanning 3/8 and 3/9

Hi, Friend Dale Diacont presented a program to the Baltimore Chapter of the NRHS on Monday evening, March 9.  As he would spend two nights with Ruthe and me I met him at Shenandoah Junction, WV around 1:00 PM on March 8.  Our plan was to spend the remainder of March 8 and all of March 9 railfanning and then attend the meeting.

I arrived about 11:30 AM and noticed the NS dispatcher had a northbound lined up.  Just as I was parking my truck the crossing bells starting ringing.  I grabbed a camera for this shot of a northbound coal train.

I relocated to the CSX track (NS passes overhead on the bridge here), our agreed meeting point.  About 1/2 hour later a coal train (above and below) and Q216 showed up running neck and neck.

The final train at Shenandoah Junction was Amtrak's Capitol Limited running a little late at 1:00 PM.  Dale arrived a few minutes later.

Dale wanted a shot at Harpers Ferry so we headed there after the Capitol.  First up was coal empties E725

followed by K273, an empty oil train, and

another empty coal train.

We finished the day at Brunswick, MD where we caught the west bound Capitol passing the now closed WB Tower.

The next day Dale asked to visit the Northeast Corridor.  We began our day at Bowie, MD.  Among the trains we photographed were this Acela and

and a MARC commuter train (above and below).

We then moved to the Martin State Airport station north of Baltimore.  Again a number of trains were photographed on this long straight stretch of track.  Here an Acela rushes south while another train approaches in the distance.

This was the first of three long distance trains we would see during the day.  We believe it is a very late Silver Meteor.

Another Acela, this time northbound.

A northbound Northeast Regional Train is pulled by one of the new ACS 64s.

After lunch we stopped at Halethorpe, MD.  An Amtrak Regional Train heads north as a MARC commuter train departs for Washington, DC.

One of two very unusual sitings (at least for me) was an ACS 64 pulling a train with a dead AEM-7.

Our second unusual siting was a GP15D/GP38 combination hauling an Acela, probably to Ivy City in Washington, DC.

Here an Amtrak regional train comes south.

We saw three MARC HHP-8s.  The train in the photo above is headed north.

This train slowed to a walk as it approached us and then passed our spot as it pushed south to DC.

In these "going away" photos an Acela rounds the curve north of our spot (above and below).

Thanks for looking.