Hi to all of you who love looking at wildiife photographs!

As part of my effort to deepen the widen and gallery. I have added two new categories to widen the choice of categories and add new shots to existing categories to deepen the categories.

Thank you to those of you who have responded. Your comments are much appreciated and fire me up to do more.

I have added one sub-category- Hills and Mountains – to the Scenes Category.

A scene near Cathedral Peak in the Drakensberg.

The Drakensberg in KwaZulu Natal offers wonderful opportunities for landscape photography. The weather changes quickly so this can add to the drama to not only the shot but also taking the shot. The backdrops are massive, majestic and often moody.

Looking down on a sacred hill from Rhodes Baobab in Mashatu.

The rugged terrain in Mashatu/Tuli Block area is quite different to the Drakensberg, but in places just as dramatic and of course there is much more wildlife.

The second addition is Hornbills – a sub-category  introduced into the Birds category.

Just close your eyes and think of being in the lowveld in mid-summer when it is as hot as hades. What can you hear – yes the cackling of either the Red or Yellow-Billed Hornbills.

They are certainly unusual looking birds with unusual nesting behaviour.

Close up of the Ground Hornbill. The deep red colour is seen in the adult birds.

The Southern Ground Hornbill is a large bird which spends much of its time marching through the bush looking for insects, rats, squirrels, frogs and snakes. Males have blue patches in their red throat skin which can be puffed up. These Hornbills have a deep booming call nothing like their smaller cousins. This species is considered vulnerable and is usually only found in Kruger Park environs and in eastern Botswana and Zimbs.

This Yellow-billed Hornbill was feasting on a this large grasshopper. It was quite a job to subdue the grasshopper and get it the right way round to swallow. A wonderful sighting at Leeupan beyond Skukuza in Kruger Park.

I always associate Hornbills with hot areas  like the lowveld in SA or the dry hot areas of Botswana. I am still trying to get decent shots of the Trumpeter Hornbill which we often hear and fleetingly see along the Chobe River.

There are more categories to come in the following weeks.

I hope you enjoy the additions and the shots make you daydream about being back in the bush.

Have fun

Mike

A weekend at the Quiet Mountain Country Lodge in the Magaliesburg, just outside Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Of course, I never go out without my beloved cameras. Here are a few wildlife shots from that weekend.

For those of you who are hikers you will recognise the Magaliesburg terrain. Early in the morning when the sun lights up the east face of the range is the best time to do justice to the craggyness of the top of the range, highlighting its texture.

At the lodge itself there is a little dam where wild waterfowl congregate with the locals. This provided opportunities to photograph Fluvous Whistling ducks, White-face Whistling ducks and female South African Shellducks – never saw the male.

Interestingly, the Fluvous Whistling duck were very aggressive toward the White-face despite being a similar size, it could have been a territorial imperative. I managed to get a few shots of the White-face trying to escape the Fluvous attentions.

Apart from being a very restful weekend, we were lucky enough to see many Swallowtail butterflies on the Zinias in the large attractive garden at the lodge.

The Swallowtails were very specific about the time they came to browse and which flowers they harvested.

I am no Lepidopterologist, but the male Swallowtail repeatedly and very gently touched the female’s back and wings probably to test whether she was ready to mate.

I will add another category to the gallery later this week, which I hope you will enjoy.

Have fun

Mike

This week I have  introduced Storks  and Rhinos.

Southern Africa has a wonderful selection of storks some of which are Southern African residents such as the Openbill, Saddle-billed and Yellow-billed Storks,

and others are migrants such as the White Stork, Abdim,  Wooly-necked and Black Storks.

Spoonbill landing with full flaps next to the Chobe River.

It is fascinating how different the storks are, some migrate some are resident, some congregate in flocks and some are usually only seen in pairs.

Some storks like open grassland and others prefer wetlands and riverine areas.

A close up of a male Saddle-billed Stork. Black eye and yellow-wattle under the chin.

Some of the storks have spectacular colouring such as the Saddle-billed Stork. The male and female are clearly identifiable despite their overall similar colouring. We watched a pair of Saddle-billed Storks eat around six to seven reasonable sized bream one morning in one of the last remaining pools of water in one of the rivers in Mashatu game Reserve.

If you want to see huge flocks of storks, Chobe is a good place to start as you will see vast flocks of Openbill Storks usually in the late afternoons.

A Open-billed Stork drying itself on an island in the Chobe River.

We only saw the Openbill Storks hunting for and feeding on shell-like clams. Storks seem to be much more active when feeding than Herons, which are unbelievably patient hunters.

Rhinos

I am not going to post any of my images of rhino so that no one can identify where the shots were taken – for the reasons described below!!!!!

32 rhinos have been poached so far in 2013

http://www.thenewage.co.za/79898-1007-53-32_rhinos_poached_in_2013

“The latest rhino poaching statistics show that 32 rhinos have been poached in SA since the beginning of 2013. This brings to 18 the number of rhino poached in the Kruger National Park for their horns. Six rhino were poached in North West and five in KwaZulu-Natal since the start of the year,” said the statistical release.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201301240543.html

South Africa: 32 Rhinos Poached This Year

24 January 2013

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism says at least 32 rhinos have been poached in South Africa since the beginning of the year. This, according to the department, brings to 18 the number of rhinos poached in the Kruger National Park for their horns. Six rhinos were poached in the North West and five in KwaZulu-Natal since the beginning of the year.

The Kruger National Park figures includes carcasses of rhinos killed in 2012, but were only discovered recently due to thick bush. Anti-poaching efforts have resulted in 13 arrests this year. Six of the arrests were made in the Kruger National Park during two successful operations, despite serious flooding, this past weekend.

On Friday special operations team members and rangers arrested two alleged poachers in the Pafuri region, confiscating 375 high calibre hunting rifle and poaching equipment. Four more poachers were arrested in the Tshokwane and Nwanedi areas. Two of the suspects, who had been chased with the help of air support, managed to flee to Mozambique. Three rhino horns, a firearm and poaching equipment were confiscated. During the follow-up investigation, two rhino carcasses were found with their horns removed.

The department said in 2010, 146 rhinos were killed at the Kruger National Park; 252 in 2011, and 424 in 2012. In Gauteng in 2010,15 rhinos were killed, nine in 2011, and last year only one rhino was killed. In Limpopo in 2010, 52 rhinos were killed, 74 in 2011, 59 in 2012 and two this year. In Mpumalanga in 2010, 17 rhinos were killed, 31 in 2011 and one in 2012.

In the North West in 2010, 57 rhinos were killed, 21 in 2011, 77 in 2012 and this year six. In the Eastern Cape, four rhinos were killed, 11 in 2011, seven in 2012, and no rhinos were killed this year. In the Free State in 2010, three rhinos were killed and four in 2011. In KwaZulu-Natal in 2010, 38 rhinos were killed, 34 in 2011, 66 in 2012 and five this year. In the Western Cape no rhinos were killed in 2010, six were killed 2011, two in 2012 and this year no rhinos were killed. In the Northern Cape in 2010, only one rhino was killed and thereafter no rhinos were killed to date.

How many rhino are left in the world

http://en.avaaz.org/762/how-many-rhinos-left

There are five different species of Rhinoceros:

White Rhinoceros: 20,000 (Near Threatened)

Black Rhinoceros: 4,880 (Critically Endangered)

Javan Rhinoceros: 50 (Critically Endangered)

Sumatran Rhinoceros: 200 (Critically Endangered)

Indian Rhinoceros: 2,913 (Vulnerable)

The reason for all this slaughter is based on a deep-rooted, ancient belief that is nothing more than myth. Rhino horn is composed of keratin – gelatinous hair – with no beneficial medical properties; just hundreds of years of reputation and rumour. Jessamy Calkin, The Telegraph

http://www.africa-wildlife-detective.com/rhino-poaching.html

Graphic images

If you want to be left in no doubt about the brutality involved in  rhino poaching just go to google images and enter ‘rhino poaching’ = you will be shocked and saddened by the disregard  we human locusts have for our fellow living creatures.

http://troubledbiologist.blogspot.com/2012/03/war-with-rhino-poachers.html

South Africa you are home to around 70% of the rhino left in the world. All your hard-won conservation gains in the 1990s and early 2000s have started to rapidly unravel. Look at your statistics!  Southern Africa soon you will have the big four – and in not to many years after that you will have the ‘big zero’. Are you going to let others rob you of your heritage and just take what they want ????????!!!!!!!!!!

The storks are a symbol of bringing life and the rhino is becoming a symbol of taking life!!!

I continue to build categories in my gallery. This week I have introduced ducks. In Southern Africa we have a selection of beautiful ducks

White faced Whistling duck are very wary and are easily scared away.

White-faced whistling ducks are ubiquitous in Southern Africa. They are incredibly beautiful waterbirds, as are most of our wild ducks.

The whistling call of the White -faced whistling duck is a true African sound often heard along rivers and dams.

Having drunk it was time to stretch- the colouring of the Hottentot Teal is subtle and beautiful.

The Hottentot Teal is not as common as the White-face and usually does not allow you to get too close so a long lens will be needed to get a reasonable shot. Small ducks with beautiful colouring.

The same male South African Shelduck sorting out a possible threat.

This South African male Shellduck was taking no prisoners. He was very aggressive toward the Guineafowl around the water in the Etosha National Park.

The reason for the heightened aggression, as we found out later, were four tiny Shellduck chicks.

We desperately need rain in Gauteng in South Africa but good rains have finally started to fall in Mashatu Game Reserve in southern Botswana after nearly 18 months of drought.

Sweet relief for the wildlife.

I have also added the Blyde River in the Rivers grouping. You might have seen some of these shots in the New Year post. This is at the very Northern part of the Drakensberg mountain range.

The mountains are huge and majestic and somewhat incongruent in the lowveld.

I hope you enjoy the ducks.

I have also added some more raptor , roller and  Jacana shots.

Have fun

Mike

I said I would expand the gallery to include two more categories – one mammal and one reptile category.

Tree Squirrels look very cute. `They are common in Mashatu Game Reserve.

They are very wary when coming down from  their main tree to eat and drink on the ground.

This Tree Squirrel found a seed pod to eat. A perfect spot to survey his domain in Mashatu Game Reserve.

As cute as they look they are highly territorial and will savage another male which comes into its turf.

Winter time can be tough for them due to the lack of water. Their familiar chucking is a sure sign there is a snake or wildcat or bird or prey around.

Tree Squirrel drinking from this small waterhole in Mashatu with some brightly coloured Mopani leaves to add some zing to the decor.

The second category I have added its snakes. I have still to build a reasonable collection but this is a start.

In Namibia, sociable weaver nests are often good places to start looking for a Cape Cobra.

They seem to enjoy raid the nests for eggs and chicks. The picking can be good at the right time.

Cape Cobra raiding Social Weaver nests in the Naukuft Nature Reserve in Namibia.

nother snakes seen along the banks of the Chobe is the Green Water Snake.

It is small so easily missed in the reeds but in the sunlight it has a stunning emerald green colouring.

Green water snake about to get into the Chobe River.

I will continue to add new categories and insert fresh images into existing categories to keep your interest up.

Enjoy

Best wishes

Mike

We had a wonderful New Year shared with old friends in Hoespruit (Hat-creek), a little town adjacent to Kruger Park, mid-way between Phalaborwa and Orpen gates.

Hoedspruit was a revelation. It is at the centre of numerous natural attractions and is steeped in history.

One of the natural attractions is the Blyde River dam. The drive to the dam is spectacular as the road winds its way through the imposing mountains at the start of the Drakensberg.

The drive up to the dam is along a beautiful avenue of Knob-thorn trees. The mountains are imposing.

Up at the dam, the scenery is beautiful. The mass concrete spillway holds back the dam which  backs up through the mountains.

Another natural attraction is Mariepskop. The road to the top is steep but concrete lined. Yes, you drive right up to the telecommunication towers, which are right on top on he edge facing east.

On the way up to the top of Mariepskop you will cross beautiful tranquil mountain streams.

Up on top of Mariepskop it is very much like Table Mountain. Interestingly, it has a greater bio-diversity than Table Mountain.

We saw a pair of falcons up on Mariepskop but could not see whether they were Lanner or Peregrine. There were hundreds and hundreds of white butterflies,

they looked like cabbage whites, which were busy testing all the flowers on the top of the mountain.

The next few shots show a minute portion of all the flowers.

A third natural attraction in the Hoedspruit area is the Kruger Park. For a R50 entrance fee per person you will get a day filled with expectation and surprises.

It is hot at this time of the year, reaching temperatures of over 35 degrees centigrade.The scenery in Kruger is nostalgically identifiable for anyone who has been there.

There is a profusion of mammals. What you see is the luck of the draw. Wildlife photography in Kruger is quite tricky mainly because of difficult backgrounds.

Bird photography can be very rewarding in Kruger Park because of the wide variety and ability to move to get better backgrounds.

Below, the first shot is of a juvenile Lesser Grey Shrike, then a Lillac-breasted Roller followed by a European Roller.

Not all birds give you the chance of shooting with clean backgrounds but the shots, although not award winning, are interesting nevertheless.

The Woodland Kingfisher has a striking powder blue colouring and a distinctive trill – a real bushveld sound. Once you have heard it you will never forget it.

The second shot is of a Levaillant’s Cuckoo. We saw the pair. They flew into the reeds in front of the Ratelpan hide along the Timbavati River. It was brief but an unusual sighting.

The third shot is of a Magpie Shrike. A relatively dark background is needed to reduce the contrast to see detail in the blacks. Backgrounds are usually busy as they love sitting in thorn bushes.

The fist of the two shots above is of the Levaillant’s Cuckoo taking off from the reeds in front of the Ratelpan hide along the Timbavati River.

The second shot above is of a female Red-crested Korhaan. They often sit in a  bush. More often they are heard before they are seen.

Finally, at the Sweni waterhole near Satara camp. I saw this one posy of beautiful pink flowers. They were the only ones that I could see in the area.

They seemed so incongruent in the bush.This is an example of the bush delivering the most unexpected sights.

I hope 2013 will turn out to be much better than you expect!!

Best wishes

Mike