We have just returned from Giant’s Castle. This is the place of emerald-green mountain sides, sparkling mountain streams, Eland and Reedbuck.  A place where the long walks among the huge majestic mountain peaks instil wonder, perspective and humbleness. When sunny, it is a place which sparkles. When misty, it can be intensely moody and ominous when thunderstorms are brewing.  It is a place of dragons and soaring eagles. Its Zulu people call the mountain range, the Barrier of Spears, Ukhahlamba.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most  amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.

Edward  Abbey

Drakensberg or Dragon Mountains are characterised by a 1400 metre thick basalt layer on top of sedimentary rock formations resulting in  a combination of steep-sided blocks and pinnacles which conjure up the image of a barrier of spears. The highest peak is Thabana Ntlenyana, at 3,482 metres (11,424 ft).

This post shows a number of images taken in and around Giant’s Castle Game Reserve located in the Drakensberg Mountains of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. One of the main reasons for going to Giant’s Castle was to photograph birds of prey from its Vulture Hide. Here a number of rare raptors can often be seen such as Bearded and Cape Vultures, and Black Eagles, and not so rare Jackal Buzzards. These raptors would charm any bird of prey photographer. We booked the Thursday and Monday at the Vulture’s hide. Getting a booking over the weekend is difficult and needs to be arranged way ahead of time because of its popularity.

On the Thursday, we got up at 6h00 because it was overcast. Had it been a clear sky morning, we would have been up at 4h30 or 5h00. A key element of wildlife and bird photography is understanding the habits and behaviour of the wildlife you are trying to photograph. Accurate anticipation of behaviour is fundamental to getting good images. Without prior knowledge of  how nature worked around the Vulture Hide, we got going when there was sufficient light. I was keenly aware of the low quality of light (more the lack of brightness than too much contrast). I was using a long lens (600mm) and needed reasonable brightness to keep down my ISO and  associated image noise. Nevertheless, Helen and I drove up to the hide. You need a 4×4 to get there, especially if the weather turns and it starts to get very wet. Having arrived at the hide, we quickly got settled in, brimming with expectation about what we would see. I had images of Bearded Vultures, Cape Vultures, Black Eagles and Jackal Buzzards gliding in my imagination.

The cost of the exclusive use of the hide for a day includes a bucket of bones. While this is feeding the raptors it is for conservation purposes. Feeding wildlife for photographic purposes is not considered ethical and would not be allowed in a photographic competition. We were at the hide for unusual raptor sightings and great photographs even if they were not eligible for competitions. Without the Vulture’s Hide and given the vastness of the mountain range, the chances of seeing the appointed raptors let alone photographing them would have been very slim.

After a few frustrating hours during which White Necked Ravens and Red Winged Starlings were tucking into the fat and meat on the bones, we finally got our first raptor sighting. As a photographer in a hide you can spend many boring hours waiting. Nevertheless, your adrenalin remains on low burn  fueled by  the knowledge that the raptor will come in silently, quickly and when you least expect it, so you had better be ready. Helen, also a keen birder, plays an invaluable role as spotter calling the direction of the incoming raptor -“2 o’clock high or low over the rocks”. At one point just when I was getting really bored, without warning this Jackal Buzzard  flew up and in from over the edge of the cliff.

The Jackal Buzzard usually hunts from a perch, or sometime a hover, so you often don’t see them coming until the last moment.

The markings on the Jackal Buzzard are stunning. It has black back and primary wing feathers. The secondary wing feathers are white with a black trailing edge. It has magnificent rufous coloured breast feathers. This particular female Jackal Buzzard was soon chased away by a pair of very greedy White Necked Ravens. It is very clear in nature you pick your fights, and only stay to tangle where you sense you have a clear advantage. The Jackal Buzzard soon vacated the feeding site. These Ravens are wonderful fliers and needless to say their massive beak enables them to tear the meat and fat off the bones.

The Ravens are not the only competition for the bones.  Around mid-morning the Black-Backed Jackal arrived hoping for a snatch. I was surprised how timid and cautious this lone Jackal was especially given the wonderful images by Albert and Marietjie Froneman of Jackal trying to steal bones from Cape Vultures.

The Vultures hide is located about five kilometres north of Giant’s Castle Resort on the edge of a high ridge with a steep cliff face. The location is fantastic because of the up draught it provides for larger birds such as raptors.

When the sun is out the vistas are dramatic and exquisitely beautiful. At this time of the year the mountain sides are exceptionally green. Some so green they look like they should be in Ireland in summer. The Giant’s Castle Resort is in the Giant’s Castle Game Reserve one of the many National Park Reserves. This is a scenic mountain wonderland tucked into the central region of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park overlooking the Bushman’s river. It takes its name from the massive ramparts of rock rising above the resort. The silhouette of the peaks and escarpment against the sky resembles the profile of a sleeping giant.

At this time of the year  the weather is highly variable, which for photographers means changing light conditions. Since photographers write with light, our writing materials become ever-changing. About fifteen years ago, just farther north at Injasuti, some friends and I set off in bright sunshine for an afternoon hike in the surrounding mountains. At half of our planned hike time we turned back. The weather changed so fast due to a thunderstorm racing into the area round 16h30. By 18h00 it was pouring with rain and was so black that we had to hold onto each other’s backpacks because we could not see. We were only about half a kilometre from camp but it was raining hard and was pitch black so we had to spent the night on the side of the mountain under a rock overhang in the pouring rain. It was the coldest I have ever been in my life – mid-summer in the Berg.

An increasingly rare and endangered raptor which can be seen at Giant’s Castle is the Cape Vulture. This Vulture has a massive wingspan of between 2.2 metres and 2.6 metres. We did not see these vultures thermalling as they did not need to. Interestingly, they tuck their long necks into their chest feathers when flying presumably to improve their aerodynamic drag. Once they come into land, the undercarriage is lowered, neck extended and they enter finals with purpose.

Final adjustments before landing.

 The Cape Vulture is classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. This is a carrion-feeder which specialises on large carcasses. There are times when staff at the Giant Castle resort put out entire carcasses for these birds. The Cape Vulture range is wide-spread over southern Africa but the population is estimated to be down to between 9000 and 10,000 birds. They are usually found near mountains, where they breed and roost on cliffs.

The dining at the vulture’s hide is exclusive. Seldom do you see more than one raptor at the bones at any point. Earlier two White Necked Ravens pushed a female Jackal Buzzard off the feast. Undeterred, and much later, the Jackal Buzzards returned. The female flew in first.

The Jackal Buzzard gets its name from its call (weeah ka-ka-ka) which sounds like that of a Black-backed Jackal.

 The Jackal Buzzard lives in the mountains, hunting in the adjacent savannah and grassland. Its range is vast so it is not considered vulnerable through habitat loss. It is resident in these regions so does not  migrate.

Once the battlefield was clear was clear of Ravens, the male  graced us with his presence. One aspect I was hoping to see was their noisy aerial displays – perhaps next time.

The male Jackal Buzzard is bigger than the female, unlike the Fish Eagle. The male has a greater area of rust coloured feathers on his breast which extends up to his neck.

One of the key reasons for going to the Vulture’s hide was to see Bearded Vulture, otherwise called a Lammergeier. In fact, the name Lammergeier is a misnomer because Bearded Vultures do not kill lambs. Their feet do not have the strength for killing that the eagles have. The Bearded Vulture is sparsely distributed across a considerable range and can be found in mountainous regions from Europe, Asia and Africa. They are considered endangered in South Africa with around 300 known pairs remaining in the Drakensberg and Maluti range.  The next image is of a juvenile whose body is mostly dark black-brown, with a buff-brown breast. Unusually for a bird of prey, it takes five years to reach full maturity. Like all juvenile’s his beard has yet to grow.

The hide is well placed for the Bearded Vulture flybys. They patrol the  mountain cliff faces gliding with no effort on the up draughts. These Vultures have a wingspan which varies between 2,3 and 2.8 metres. The adult birds have white head and breast feathers but dust-bathing in the iron-rich soils gives them their rufous tone.

The vulture’s hide is positioned right on the edge of a steep cliff face which traverses a few kilometres. The prevailing wind appeared to be from the North East up the valley creating a continuous up draught.

Bearded Vultures flew passed the hide looking at the bones on many occasions but never came into to land. Pity, I was hoping to get some landing and take-off shots of the huge birds of prey.

 The Bearded and Egyptian Vultures are the only ones that have feathered necks and heads. The Bearded Vultures live on a diet which is typically 85–90% bone marrow. This is the only living bird species that specialises in feeding on marrow. The Bearded Vulture takes bones in its talons, flies high and drops them onto rocks far below to break the bones open for their marrow. The acid concentration of the Bearded Vulture stomach is estimated to have a pH of 1 enabling the bird to digest large bones in about 24 hours. The high fat content of bone marrow makes the net energy value of bone almost as good as that of muscle.

I find it interesting that the latest Boeings and Airbuses now all have up turned winglets. The aviation industry found  that an upturned extension of airplane wings reduces drag and improves fuel efficiency. These winglets had been used in private and military jets, but were only recently used by the commercial airlines once the higher fuel prices improved their viability. We seem to mimic nature. In many instances we still do not understand her and can seldom improve on her designs.

I am the eagle, I live in high country, 

In rocky cathedrals that reach to the sky,

I am the hawk and there’s blood on my feathers, 

But time is still turning, they soon will be dry, 

And all those who see me, and all who believe in me,

Share in the freedom I feel when I fly!

Come dance with the west wind,

And touch all the mountain tops,

Sail o’er the canyons, and up to the stars,

And reach for the heavens, and hope for the future,

And all that we can be, not what we are.

Seek to understand nature, marvel at its interconnectedness and then let it be.

Have fun,

Mike

There is one more group of images I wanted to show you from our trip with Lou and Veronica Coetzer of Coetzer Nature Photography to the Masai Mara in September.

“It can be a trap of the photographer to think that his or her best pictures were the ones that were hardest to get”.

– Timothy Allen

We visited a Hyaena clan’s den late one afternoon . This male came into the den site, returning from what appeared to have been a scouting expedition.

In true Hyaena style everyone had to smell everyone’s crutch. I am really pleased that human beings just settle for a hello!!

Late the same afternoon after having watched this clan of Hyaenas at their den, close to the Mara river, for about an hour, we set off back to the camp. On the way Sammy, our guide, pointed out a pair of Bohor’s Reedbuck. They were hiding in the short grass and were so well camouflaged that without being shown where they were we would never have seen them. When threatened, they usually remain motionless or retreat slowly into cover. They only break cover once the threat is very close. Their alarm call is a shrill whistle. They only eat grass and live in groups of up to seven females and one male. This particular young female remained motionless.

The next image is of a few Waterbuck. Nothing special about the photographic quality of the image but I thought it was interesting to see the different markings in the East African Waterbuck. For a Southern African this was quite a novelty. Our Common Waterbuck looks like it has sat down on a toilet seat freshly painted with white paint. In  East Africa there are two types of Waterbuck, the common Waterbuck with the white ring on its rump and the Defassa Waterbuck, which has large white patches either side of its rump.

Other unique herbivores in the Mara are the Thompson’s and Grant’s Gazelle. The Thompson’s Gazelle superficially looks like a Springbok. Both have reddish brown backs and flanks and a dark brown side stripe. Their horns are a different shape and the Springbok’s face is white as is its throat. Both have a dark brown stripe down their cheek, from the eye to the mouth. The Thompson’s Gazelle has a much smaller mouth than a Wildebeest so can nibble at the smaller grass shoots left by the passing Wildebeest.

The Grant’s Gazelle has different colouring and is bigger than the Thompson’s Gazelle but is found in the same area. The Grant’s Gazelle has white on its rump which extends above the tail. It also does not have a dark brown side stripe but has a white stripe on the side of its face  from above the eye to the mouth.

The internet connection at our camp Kitchwa Tembo was down so on a number of days the group adjourned, around late morning, to Serena Lodge which was sited on top of a ridge in the Masai Mara overlooking the Mara River. The views were so good that I was more interested in scouting around the Lodge than getting on the internet. Out basking on the hot rocks around the lodge were these Red Headed Agamas -amazing colours.

The next four images are of Serena Lodge. The first was taken at the entrance looking through the reception area onto the viewing deck. The second image was taken looking east down between the rooms which were sited along a ridge with views north and south over the Mara.

The next image was taken from the viewing deck looking east along one row of rooms down onto the Mara and the river in the distance. The second image was taken from above the swimming pool looking north-east out down to the Mara river. As you can see the views from this lodge were forever.

Down below the lodge,  there are  numerous anthills scattered across the Mara. These anthills provide valuable elevation points enabling the animals to see some distance above the grass. These anthills were actively used by Topis to look out for Lions, Hyaenas and Cheetahs and by Cheetahs looking for the next meal.

We stayed at Kitchwa Tembo tented camp. It was situated in a riverine forest which gave it a lush, cool feel – superb. The last thing you want in the bush is a glitzy camp. This was perfect. The main dining and bar area were under thatch with low parapet walls which opened out onto lush lawns.

The lawn in front of the main dining and bar area stretched down to a swimming pool which overlooked the Mara. It was great to see people lying on their deck chairs watching Giraffe and Elephant directly in front of them on the Mara .

The low parapet walls in main dining and bar area allowed open views onto the lawn and invited in any passing breezes. The temperature was warm but not hot by South African standards.

We found three male Cheetahs in among the Inselbergs down near the Tanzanian border. It was hot and they were doing a lot of nothing. Every now and then one of the males would get up to have a look around and then flop back down to resume his dozing.

In a previous post, I had mentioned that the Elephant looked different in the Mara, somewhere between an Indian and a Southern African Elephant. The Giraffe were also different, specifically their markings were different. There are eight distinct Giraffe coat patterns, each found in a different geographic region.

One of the features of the trees, specifically the Desert Dates, scattered all over the Mara is that they have all been browsed to a similar height. Desert Dates are not umbrella trees but have been browsed into that shape.  The next image shows a Giraffe bending down to browse on low bushes because almost all of the trees have been eaten to the point where they are out of reach for all but the tallest Giraffe. Another place where you will see the underside of the trees have been browsed to a similar level is in Mana Pools in Zimbabwe.

We often saw Black-backed Jackal in the Mara despite them being diurnal. Mostly we saw them first thing in the morning or at dusk.  There are three types of Jackal in East Africa, the Golden, Side-striped and Black Backed. The Black-backed Jackal in the Mara was more slender and upright and had longer ears than we are used to seeing in Southern Africa.

Up on the slopes of the Oloololo Hills below were Denys was buried in ‘Out of Africa’ , we found these Oribis. The male was marking his territory with a scent gland positioned just below his eye, much like a Duiker or Klipspringer.

The Mara has many predators because there is so much food available. We were fortunate to see Lionesses with cubs and were able to spend quite some time on different occasions watching and photographing them.

On our last evening, we were out near Serena lodge and came across a mother with her new-born calf. I have never seen such a small Elephant calf. It could barely reach its mothers nipple.

One of the guys in our vehicle, Nic said he wanted to get some shots of Elephant because on his last trip to Tanzania he had not managed to get good ‘Elie’ shots. That afternoon we saw more Elephant than we had seen at any point on the trip. A small breeding herd came out of the riverine forest next to the Mara. Nic also got to see the new-born calf on the same afternoon. Needless to say he got good images.

The modus operandi after an exciting morning’s photography was to retreat from the action to have a coffee break to catch up and chat. Lou converted the two  vehicles you see in the next image into photographic platforms, with highly versatile seats bolted onto the vehicle base. Each seat had a camera support which effectively acted like a tripod – ingenious. The goose-wing windows allowed excellent viewing space and ability to move our cameras.

Our two game guides and drivers in the Mara – Douglas and Sammy – were great guys, very affable and knowledgeable. A real asset to the team.

One of the key attractions of the trip were sightings of the Mara river crossing. We were on the west side of the river and the Wildebeest were coming from the east to cross the river. Time and time again, the tour vehicles on the east side of the river drove too close to the Wildebeest and cut off the crossing. The poor Wildebeest are terrified enough of the crossing without vehicles pushing them too. The next image is of three such tour vehicles, which drove too close to the herd and forced them away from the river’s edge. These ‘dedicated nature lovers’ then proceeded to drive right into the crossing point, where they stopped and chatted. The lack of understanding and respect for the animals was starkly apparent!!!!

Once it all comes together and the crossing starts it is dramatic and spectacular.

Thank you again to Lou and Veronica for a memorable trip. We got to see new things and capture some great images. That is a must do trip but beware it pushes up you standards. I now see sub-Saharan Africa as my playground.

“ Which of my photographs is my favourite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow“.

– Imogen Cunningham

Seek to understand nature, marvel at its interconnectedness and then let it be.

Have fun,

Mike

This is my fourth and final post from our recent trip to magical Mashatu Game Reserve. Mashatu is known as the ‘Land of Giants’ because of the many Elephants which live in its environs and the huge Mashatu and Baobab trees which tower over the fauna and flora. I will build up to the giants but I want to start with the little things.

One of the little things you will see frequently in Mashatu is the Tree Squirrel. Often you will hear it chirping first. These are highly territorial little mammals who protest noisily if their territory boundaries are being breached. The game rangers use their chirping as a signal that their might be something worth investigating like a Wild Cat or Python.

Along the Majali river near Mashatu Main camp there is a wonderfully scenic section with high rocky cliffs, lots of Euphorbias and sentinel Baobabs towering on top of the cliffs. Rock Hyraxes love the rocky cliffs along the river. They provide many accessible hiding places when Black Eagles and other predators pass by looking for a snack. These Rock Hyraxes seem to be very comfortable on he ground and in the Mashatu trees. Another place we found them was in a big rock outcrop down near the border post. When it is cold, these little relatives of the Elephant huddle together to keep warm. They can usually be seen warming themselves early in the morning sun on east facing rocks.

Early spring time can be very dry in Mashatu. Nature in her own way signals on the onset of a season of rebirth. One of the signals is the Apple Leaf trees bursting into splays of subtle mauve flowers. These tress are scattered all over the Game Reserve. At this time of the year their feet are carpeted in mauve flowers.

Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the  embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!

Sitting Bull 

I have named the next not-so-little character ‘Percy’, for obvious reasons. This male Baboon seemed to be contemplating his next move in the romantic part of the evening with little need for modestly or subtlety.

Early one morning while looking for Lion, we came across this pair of Double Banded Coursers. This was an unusual daytime sighting as they are nocturnal. You can see the male, which was standing, was very sleepy. The female was protecting her single egg from the direct sun and passing animals. We often see Temnicks Courser in the early mornings but this Double Banded Courser sighting was special.

I have a penchant for images of animals in a river bed lined with huge trees. There is something peaceful about the scene with the large trees standing as guardians of the river.

In the rocky areas near the rivers look out for Rock Hyraxes, Black Eagles and Klipspingers. This Klipspringer pair had come down off the rocks to browse on the vegetation alongside the river but remained close to the protection of the rocks. They are territorial so were marking their territory on a tree stump using scent from the gland just below the eye, in much the same way as Duiker and Oribis.

Close to where we saw the Cheetah mother and her cub feeding on an Impala they had killed, we saw a small family herd of Kudu. This young female appeared to be a favourite of the Yellow-billed Oxpeckers. It was a cold overcast morning and you can see this Kudu’s coat  was slightly fluffed out to improve her insulation. The Kudu seemed to be unfazed by the Cheetah mother because of their size and because she already had a kill. If there had been three hungry adult Cheetah males, this young Kudu would have had to be much more careful.

These Warthog were relaxed with us. Usually you just see their backsides with their tails erected like aerials waving in the air behind them as they are running away from you. It is remarkable how tough their snouts are. Even in this rocky environment they are rummaging in the ground using their snouts. What they lack in beauty they make up in toughness and speed.

Now to the giants with long noses, to use Rudyard Kliping’s expression, and they were close to the ‘Great Green Greasy Limpopo River’ described in the Just So Stories.

This Elephant came down the steep bank and only saw us when it had got onto the river-bed. It was startled but not aggressive.

One afternoon while travelling along the Majali River we came across this female Elephant lying in the sand on a sloping bank leading down to the river-bed. She was happily lying there and spraying herself with dust. Once she had finished her beauty treatment she did something I have never seen an Elephant do before. She crawled on her knees for about 15 metres before getting onto her feet. The sand was soft, but I have never seen an Elephant do that before. It is not uncommon to see a large Elephant descend a steep sandy river bank dragging its hind legs in the sand but kneeling on all fours is unusual because of their weight.

On our last morning, after seeing the Cheetahs and the herd of Kudu, we were treated to what looked to be a stampede by a herd of Elephants. They were clearly agitated and moving fast. We had no idea what caused the distress. Elephants, like most of the game, are not happy when the wind blows hard. It impairs their hearing and smell senses making them more agitated and skittish.

Every photographer wants to get  images of different textures, shape and pattern. Elephants are wonderful models for this purpose. This is just one example of many possibilities. It is always tricky to get a good image of Elephant’s eyes with their long eyelashes.

Spring time is a time of renewal in the bush. This year was no exception. There were many young predators and Elephant calves in Mashatu early this spring. The antics of the youngsters can be very amusing because of their unbounded energy and in the case of young Elephants, limited control of their long noses!!!

“It was such a spring day as breathes into a man an ineffable yearning, a painful sweetness, a longing that makes him stand motionless, looking at the leaves or grass, and fling out his arms to embrace he knows not what.”
―     John Galsworthy,     The Forsyte Saga

Thank you Mashatu for another unforgettable walk on the wild side!!

Seek to understand nature, marvel at its interconnectedness and then let it be.

Have fun,

Mike