Thunderstorm and high winds

The soundscape is pretty sparse at 4000m/13000 feet elevation on the Sanetti plateau, sometimes called the Roof of Africa. At a first glance this is a barren, lifeless place where thunderstorms arrive without notice and gale-force wind pelts everything with icy gusts. This unique alpine heathland and moorland habitat harbours plenty of wildlife. There are millions of small rodents living in the mossy humid soil. They feed on grasses and seeds, and they form a basis for a complex and entangled ecosystem. Most predators living in this unforgiving landscape feed on the rodents. The Augur buzzard, pictured here white morph, is a talented raptor that takes full advantage of the abundant prey. Eagle owls do the same, along with a myriad other birds of prey and mammals.