This post shows some of the sights, scenes and ideas gleaned from our travels through North KwaZulu Natal, specifically Ndumo National Park, Tembe Elephant Park and Cosy Bay Estuary. I will describe the trip the four day trip in two posts.

This first post is about Ndumo National Park. It is about 60 kilometres south east of Jozini nestled in the coastal plain below the Lebombo mountains which stretch down to the Pongola Dam. It is about a seven hour drive from Johannesburg. Part of the attraction of coming to this part of the world was the exceptional birding that is possible in Ndumo. We stayed at the Ndumu River Lodge which is about 18 kilometres south-west of Ndumo park, The road to get there will give you an “african massage”, it is under repair and the detour is rough. The roads in Ndumo National park are also reasonably rough not like the sand roads you will find in close by Tembe Elephant Park.

Ndumo is the Zulu word for ‘famous’ This park boosts about 430 birds which can be seen in the park. Obviously this varies depending on the time of the year. The bird count is  lower in winter, as would be expected. The park is a roughly 10,100 hectare reserve with its northern border bounded by the Usutu river. The Pongola river joins the Usutu river in the east of the park. The Lebombo mountains can be seen in the distance off to the west.

You will see one bird related  image in this post for a good reason. There are three hides in Ndumo. The Diphini hide no longer exists, The Nyamithi hide is at the northern end of the Nyamithi pan but only overlooks a small patch of water cut off from the main pan by a bank of reeds. The walkway to the hide is damaged and in serious need of repair. The one good hide is the Ezulweni hide. You are requested to park your car in the parking area which is about 450 metres from the hide, which is an issue if you have a lot of photographic kit. After speaking to the park management we got permission to park closer to the hide in the afternoon. The Ezulweni is a morning hide, meaning the sun shines from behind the hide in the morning. The sun is full frontal in the afternoon. The hide is in a good state of repair. It is ideal for birders but not for bird photographers. Most of the bird action is on the far side of the pan which is some 300 metres away or more. Bird identification is possible but the bird photography is difficult because of the distance.

We saw many water birds such as darters, reed cormorants and yellow-billed storks, spoonbills and few species of lapwing. We did not get to see the Senegal Lapwing. We did see a flock of Pink-backed Pelicans from a distance.

We saw no birds immediately around the hide so after a few hours decided to go and explore the park.

I had never really thought much about the difference between birders and bird photographers before this trip to Ndumo. It struck me while I was sitting in the Ezulweni hide what some of the differences were:

Both birders and bird photographers identify birds but bird photographer needs go well beyond ticking off the seen bird on a list.

• Bird photographers need to be reasonably close to the bird, even with a 600mm prime lens. The smaller the subject, the closer the photographer needs to be to the subject.
• The direction of the light is an important element in the quality of the light. I assess the quality of light using three metrics – the direction, the colour, and intensity or contrast. To get a reasonable image you will need at least two of these metrics working for you and preferrably all three.
• Bird photographers need to understand bird behaviour in order to get an unusual or striking image, and often to just get the image. To be able to anticipate a bird’s behaviour, to be in the right place at the right time, a photographer must get to know whether the bird is male or female, whether it is breeding or territorial and what it feeds on. All of these factors will help a photographer anticipate the shot.
• Photographers use three raw materials – light, time and distance. All are free but the optimum use of these raw materials is critical.
• Bird hides are often built high off the ground and a reasonable distance from the water, which is good for birders but not for photographers. The high perspective is usually not going to produce the best shot. Horizontal eye to eye perspective is ideal. If the distance to the subject is toofar, the resulting image will probably require too much cropping, which if the light is not good will create pixelation and image noise detracting from its quality.
• Photographers are also very fussy about backgrounds. The bush is thick in Ndumo which makes bird photography challenging.

Photographing birds is a wonderful way to get to learn more about them because you need to see them up close and secondly you need to get to understand their behaviour to be able to anticipate the shot.

On the road back out from the Ezulweni hide there was an open patch of ground with lots of dried bones scattered all around. The Nyala females and calves were munching on the bones, presumably for the calcium. I have see Giraffe doing this in Etosha.

There is extreme sexual dimorphism in Nyala. Males have two long manes, one is a dorsal mane stretching from the upper neck, down the spine to the tip of the tail and the second from the chin, down the throat to the chest and stomach.  The golden yellow-brown of the lower legs in adult bulls is unique.  Nyala ewes are much smaller weighing only 54-68 kg and have a shoulder height of 82-106 cm.  They are a bright, chestnut-brown and lack the furry coat of the bull.  Nyala lack the scent-marking pre-orbital glands of most other antelope species.

Nyala females and young of both sexes are very beautiful, being a chestnut, rusty-red with white vertical stripes on their bodies. The young Nyala are similarly coloured to the females. The young Nyala males look like females and so do not provoke aggression from the males usually enabling them to stay in the herd with the females until they are about a year old.

Interestingly, we saw many Nyala and no Kudu in the park. Kudu seem to prefer drier savanna. The Nyala prefers thick woodland dense riverine vegetation. The Nyala is an intermediate feeder both grazing and browsing.

In 1896, FC Selous journeyed from Matabeleland in Zimbabwe to Ndumo to collect specimens of Nyala for the Natural History Museum in London.

Just higher up the road we were fortunate enough to see a Palm-nut Vulture which was feeding on what looked to be a still-born Nyala calf. That was an unusual and special sighting but the light was not good and it was too far away to get anything more than a record shot. We did not get to see the variety of birds as we were had hoped. To get the best birding experience, it seems to me that a birder would be wise to get the services of one of the very knowledgable bird guides who will take you from the main camp down to the Pongola river.

‘It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes claim upon mens’ hearts,

as for that subtle something,

that quality of air ,

that emanation from old trees,

that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.’

 – Robert Louis Stevenson

An unexpected treat in the park were the trees. Driving up toward Red Cliffs, the road takes you through groves of Sycamore fig trees. Usually you see the odd Sycamore along a river but here there is a large grove of them. The dappled light and these unusually shaped tree trunks in the grove create the feeling of being in a Harry Potter-like forest.

We can’t see wind, only the things it moves. Likewise, we can’t hear wind unless it’s flowing past something that makes it vibrate; this causes it to adopt various sonic guises depending on what it interacts with. Trees provide some of the most common and admired ways for wind to make itself heard. This sound has been termed psithurism.

“I hear the wind among the trees
Playing celestial symphonies;

I see the branches downward bent,

Like keys of some great instrument.

 – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – “A day of Sunshine”

The  next image is taken from the picnic site at the Red cliffs which overlooks the Usutu river with the Lebombo mountains in the distant background.

After leaving the Red Cliffs, we travelled back towards the main camp. On our way we stopped to watch a Giraffe calf which was standing in the middle of the road. As soon as we tried to get closer to photograph the calf these four Giraffe came galloping out of the bush pushing the calf into the adjacent bush. While I was not surprised, I had never seen Giraffe acting in such a protective way.

 

There are few things more magical than finding yourself under a canopy of trees in a tree tunnel on some warm summer day dappled with sunlight. These tree tunnels are sure to enchant anyone fortunate enough to pass under their boughs.  It seems likely that magical spaces like these must have inspired architects through the ages to design the gorgeous vaulted ceiling of a gothic cathedral or other grand arches. Many ancient societies considered trees to be sacred and maintained holy groves of old trees, and with places this beautiful, it’s not hard to understand why.

The next image is an panorama taken from the Ezulweni hide. It shows the view across the Nyamithi pan of the fever trees lining the far side of the pan. It was a very beautiful and restful scene. We were unable to drive to the other side of the pan because the bridge over the river at the north east end of the pan was broken and unpassable. It was a great pity because we might have been able to get much closer to the plethora of bird life on that side of the pan.

Winter is a good time to visit the park if you are the kind of person who melts in the heat. It was cool at around 5 degrees centigrade early in the morning but by 14h00 the temperature had climbed to 29 degrees centigrade.

Ndumo has a long standing reputation for brilliant birding. but the bird photograph in this park is challenging.

Wise words from an old friend to remind you of why it is so good for the soul in the bush!

“May the sun bring you

new energy by day,

May the moon softly restore

you at night,

May the rain wash away

your worries,

May the breeze blow new

strength into your being,

May you walk gently through

the world and know its beauty and the days

of your life.

 – Apache Blessing

Explore, seek to understanding, marvel at its inter-connectedness and then let it be.

Have fun

Mike

This is the last post from our trip to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in mid-May 2014 and shares some of the wonderful sights we were privileged to see. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is not only a conservation area but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located 180 km west of Arusha in the Crater Highlands area of Tanzania.

The main feature of the Ngorongoro Conservation Authority is the Ngorongoro Crater. This is the world’s largest inactive and intact volcanic caldera. The crater was formed when a large volcano blew its top off two to three million years ago. The crater is about 600 metres deep and its floor is around 1,800 metres above sea level. The crater is approximately 16 kilometres wide and its floor covers 260 square kilometres.

The crater looks spectacular from the south western park gate. The image below is a panorama taken when we stopped on our way into the Serengeti. This was Joseph’s way of showing us what we were in for at the end of our trip.

Although the crater walls do create “a natural enclosure” for much of the wildlife, an estimated 20 percent or more of the Wildebeest and half the Zebra populations vacate the crater in the wet season. Buffalo and Eland do the opposite where their highest numbers are seen during the rains.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
-Mark Twain

The Crater is noticeably cooler than the Serengeti, especially in the morning. As we were waiting for the gate to open at 6h00 it was really chilly and remained so until about 10h00.

The only raptor we saw was this Augur Buzzard early in the morning, though we did hear Fish Eagles. There were no trees for the Augur Buzzard to perch on so it perched on rocks alongside the road. This is one of the most beautiful Buzzards, next to the Jackal Buzzard.

We don’t usually see these raptors down in SA as they don’t often go further south than Zimbabwe.

The Grey Crowned Crane is my favourite Crane. I think it is exquisitely beautiful with that golden crown, red wattles, black downy forehead and gorgeous blue eyes. They also make a distinct ‘whooping’ call.

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

– Wayne Dyer

There are many Grey Crowned Cranes in the crater, more than I have seen anywhere else. Pairs of Crowned Cranes are regularly seen flying between the dams, springs and lakes in the crater.

The crater floor is remarkably flat and the grass not too high so you can see almost all of the game.

I love this image of a Lioness looking down over the crater floor from the south eastern side. There is such a sense of space and benign beauty. You can almost see something coming up the hill from her fixed gaze.

“For me, the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity.”
― Henri Cartier-Bresson

There were two Lionesses who took turns to look after the cubs. The one Lioness and cubs looked very bedraggled from all the dew on the grass.

This Black-backed Jackal was hanging around the Lion family. He probably figured there was some food close by. This Jackal was extremely wary and must have had many close encounters of the dangerous kind.

Back down on the crater floor we saw this old black Rhino. One of the difficulties in the crater, from a photographic point of view, is that you cannot go off road to get into the right position in relation to the direction of the light. The number of vehicles in the crater at any one time is controlled. Joseph indicated that rangers have scopes trained on the vehicles in the crater to ensure that everyone is obeying the park rules – a good thing in my opinion.

Thankfully, there is nothing like the gross poaching abuse of Rhinos, and all game for that matter in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, that we see in SA, especially Kruger Park.

The highlands on the east side of crater face the prevailing winds and receive 800 to 1,200 millimetres of rain a year which supports the montane forest. The less-steep west wall receives only 400 to 600 millimetres and is grassland and bushland dotted with Tree Euphorbias. The crater floor is mostly open grassland with two small wooded areas dominated by Fever trees.

“There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality, or lower your expectations”
― Jodi Picoult

The main water source feeding the Lake Magadi, seasonal salt lake, flows from the north side. The second large water source in the crater is the Ngoitokitoki spring. A huge swamp which is fed by the spring and is enjoyed by all the wildlife, especially the Hippos.

There are numerous Black Kites scavenging around the picnic site down near the Ngoitokitoki spring. They look very similar to our Yellow-billed Kites but have a distinct greyish head.

After having a had a scrumptious lunch down in the acacia forest with the whole group, we wandered down to the salt lake to see the Crowned Cranes. On our way we stopped close to a pair of Kori Bustards. In Mashatu, the Koris will not let us get close but in the crater we managed to get very close to these impressive birds. Both male and female were displaying with their neck feathers fluffed out.

We were hoping for a full display from the male but he did not oblige. The female went and sat down in the flowers right alongside the road. We thought she might have a nest there so moved closer along the road  to have a look. As soon as we got close, this willy bird stood up and walked away. There was no nest she was luring us away from some other place, probably her nest.

Not far down the road at the closest point to the Magadi salt lake we stopped to watch the antics of a large group of Grey Crowned Cranes.

These birds are also majestic fliers

Down at the salt lake we were privileged to see layer upon layer of wildlife. In the foreground were Crowned Cranes, behind them were Pink-backed Pelicans, behind them on the water’s edge were Pied Avocets and behind them in the water were Lesser Flamingoes. Not only was he variety captivating but so too was the sheer number of birds.

The lake was a paradise for the birds, the birders and the photographers.

“I am interested in the nature of things. The nature of something is quite different from the way it looks.”

– Duane Michals

Something got the Pelicans moving and they all took to the air. We never realised just how many there where until they were all airborne.

This large flock of Pink-backed Pelicans circled the lake for about five minutes before flying off over the crater wall not be seen again that day. This was an unforgettable spectacle of wildlife.

Just to add to the wonderful view of all the birds in and around the lake, small groups of Zebra and Thompson’s Gazelles and the odd Hyaena would often walk into the foreground.

The next image shows Pied Avocets in the foreground, Lesser Flamingoes in the water and the Pink Backed Pelicans flying above them. The colour and movement in front of us was dazzling.

“Photography is a medium, a language, through which I might come to experience directly, live more closely with, the interaction between myself and nature.”

– Paul Caponigro

We were running out of time because we had to be back at the Ngorongoro Conservancy offices by 16h00 to sign out so we reluctantly had to leave this wildlife spectacle.

Who ever it was that said this is one of the wonders of the world – I agree. It is a very special place.

“When I started my adventure in photography, I was suddenly introduced to the world around me. I can’t believe I have been so blind for too many years.”

– Laura Tate Sutton

We drove out of the north eastern face of the crater. Looking back we had a stunning view of the crater. There are always clouds around the south western rim of the crater and it is the most moist part.

Storm clouds were building as we were driving out but we never drove through rain. Driving on the south-eastern rim of the crater it is like being in a rainforest.

We spent ten very happy hours in the crater. This is one place I need to spend more time in.

Our last night was spent at the Explorean Ngorongoro Lodge. This is a superb colonial style lodge about kilometre or two from the Ngorongoro Conservancy gate and about half an hour from the crater. What a pleasure to finish our trip in the lap of luxury – a wonderful finishing touch.

 

The hotel, staff and cuisine were top draw. I will definitely spend my last night here on our next trip.

To Rika and Mariska from ExplorePlus  – you put together a wonderful trip in Tanzania. Thank you very much. Even though our needs as photographers were different to the rest of the group, we really appreciated the extra care in arranging the vehicle and our ranger Joseph who was a real character and an excellent guide. To our group of fellow travellers, thank your for entertaining evenings. It was great to meet you all and I wish you many more opportunities to explore this amazing continent of ours.

To my photo-buddy, Elana, thank you for inviting me to join you on this trip. I spent eight very happy days in your company and it sounds like we both gained new understandings in our photography from each other. Your dedication, enthusiasm and striving for excellence were an inspiration.  I can’ t wait for our next trip.

“Take nothing but pictures
Kill nothing but time
Leave nothing but footprints”
 – John Kay

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and then let it be!

Have fun

Mike

Kwaheri is the Swahili word for goodbye. This is the last post describing our explorings in our latest trip around the Serengeti. After spending much of the morning close to Seronera watching lions we slowly made our way out of the Serengeti toward the Ngorongoro crater.

“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.”
― Socrates

Before heading out of the Serengeti, we did one last  trip along a section of the Seronera river we had not been down before. A couple of kilometres off the main road we came upon six Lionesses walking along the sand road. They all looked to be in great condition and there was a mix of ages in the group. You can see the age of a Lion in its eyes.

It was clear these Lionesses were hunting.  This younger female was rubbing her face against this older female’s face and neck – reaffirming the bond before the hunt.

Joseph, our ranger, knew exactly where these Lionesses were going. There was a open patch leading down to the river about a kilometre further down the road. He guessed they would go down there and wait for the game to come down to drink. We drove on down to the river and waited. About ten minutes later we saw the first Lioness walking towards us through the grass. All six Lionesses had spread out in a sweep.

Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.
-Henry Ford

All six Lionesses walked right down to within ten metres of where we were parked – Joseph’s intuition was spot on! I love this image of one of the six Lionesses in her prime. The front on image shows her power. She is a good looking Lioness and exudes strength, just look at those muscular front legs.

 There was wisdom and experience in her eyes. She was relaxed but alert.

This image of one of the older of the six Lionesses. It was about 8h00 in the morning so the light was still good – not too much contrast. What I liked about this image is that it shows the the flexibility of this Lioness – alert, relaxed, lithe and powerful.

The six girls milled around before spreading out to get into an unstructured ambush formation because they still had no idea which direction their potential prey would be coming from .

Two of the older Lionesses lay some distance away from the other four. Their back to back resting position showed that they were down near the river for a reason. They were hunting and knew the game would come to them. Their combination provided 360 degree vision.

Unusually, we were the only vehicle down near the river. Once the Lionesses had settled down it must have been about fifteen minutes later when a herd of Wildebeest came from the same direction as the lionesses on their way down to drink. Three of the Lionesses were not in position when the Wildebeest appeared. They immediately flattened themselves into the low grass. It was then that we saw how well camouflaged they were.

The strength of the team is each individual member.
The strength of each member is the team.
-Philip Douglas “Phil” Jackson

I thought the Wildebeest would have seen some of the Lionesses but they continued to come down into the kill zone on their way down to the water. Everything was set. The thrill of watching nature’s drama unfold was breath-taking.

One Lioness, who must have been about 20 metres away from the lead Wildebeest broke cover too early and the Wildebeest scattered. She she did not allow enough Wildebeest to go passed her down to the water.

It was surprising to watch all the Lionesses then rush forward from their cover only to see all the Wildebeest gallop away. They all looked surprised to have missed and looked around to see if there were any animals coming from behind them – no such luck.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

 – Winston Churchill

After the failed ambush, a few of the younger Lionesses started rubbing themselves against each other and licking each others’ face and neck. Bonds reaffirmed despite their failure.

We waited for quite a while with the Lionesses hoping that the Zebra and Wildebeest milling around in background might forget about the Lionesses and return to drink. No such luck, eventually the Wildebeest wandered off further down the river so we left the scene to look for other fascinating interactions. This was one occasion when I wished we had the whole day to sit and wait down next to the river because there would be a kill sometime later that day.

Once we left the six Lionesses, we got a message that a Leopard was under siege up a tree. A Lioness lay at the base of an Acacia Totalis preventing the Leopard from  coming down.  This looked like it could be a long siege. The light and perspective made the photography extremely difficult so the images are shown for their story-telling rather than image quality.

The male Leopard must have experienced this situation before because he had a larder of four Thompson’s Gazelle which was sufficient food to endure the siege but he would not be able to get to water. I had never seen a Leopard larder before, usually they have one kill stashed up a tree.

“Patience is power.
Patience is not an absence of action;
rather it is “timing”
it waits on the right time to act,
for the right principles
and in the right way.”
― Fulton J. Sheen

The Leopard had stashed five ‘Tommies’ in the tree but one must have fallen down and lay next to the Lioness. The Lioness had food for a day or so  we figured the Leopard had a long wait before he could get to the river to drink.

In the grasslands, we often saw Secretary birds striding through the grass foraging. They prey on anything from snakes, baby birds and small reptiles such as lizards. Most of the time we saw these Secretary birds in pairs, which were spread widely apart.

The wonderful aspect about the grasslands is that every now and then there are these igneous intrusions forming ‘kopjies’ which become a hub for wildlife. Picturesque islands in the grass.

Further along the road down near the river we found Grey Crowned Cranes. They normally forage in pairs. Unlike the Secretary Birds which forage in spread out pairs, the Grey Crowned Cranes move closely together.

The chances of seeing Lion in these ‘kopjies’ is very good. It provides them with shade and an observation point from which to watch the grazing herds.

“Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks.”
― Samuel Johnson

We were on our way down to the Hippo pool in the Mbalageti river. At points along the river small groves of date palms had established themselves. Each looked like a mini oasis.

This river was a lifeline for many animals who lived on these vast open grasslands. This breeding herd of Elephant had just slated their thirst. The Elephants seemed to be significantly more relaxed than those we have seen in Kruger Park.

Having left the Simba Hills region, we travelled for about an hour to get to the Naabi Hills park entrance gate. Once at the Naabi hills gate offices, we got out of the vehicle with our cameras to get images of the Superb and Hildebrandt Starlings which were  hopping around the parking area.

The Hildebrandt Starling looks quite similar to the Superb Starling but does not have a white collar and its eye is orange not white. It also has striking colouration.

While trying to get decent images of Hildebrandt’s Starling, I found this little Silverbird which was just starting its moult.

Having signed out of the Serengeti National Park, we left Naabi Hills and headed south for the Ngorongoro crater. It wasn’t two kilometres along the main dirt road when we passed a lone Lioness using the cut of the road to stalk up to a group of Grant’s Gazelle. She did not look like she had a chance but was obviously not fussed about the passing traffic.

The next image was taken at last light once we had arrived at the Serena Ngorongoro crater lodge. This lodge had a spectacular view looking over the crater. It was positioned at the top of the rim of the crater looking east over the crater.

This was the view from the wooden deck walkway at the lodge. It gave a hint of what we could expect the next day. It was our intention to get into the crater at 6h00 when the park gates opened.

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.”
― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and then let it be.

Have fun

Mike

This is the fourth post describing our wonderful trip to the Serengeti. ExplorePlus put the trip together. Their arrangements were well structured and worked like clockwork. The accommodation was ideal. The trip was eight days with 2 full days of travelling getting there and back. If your are passionate about your photography, there is so much photographic potential that you need to spend more than just a few days in the 25,000 square kilometre Serengeti National Park  – which is why we will be going back.

Our third day in the Serengeti was spent exploring the central area around Seronera. This is a transition zone where the southern area is mostly grassland and the northern area is woodland savanna. As usual we left the lodge around 6h00. It was dark, the chatter was animated and our expectations were sky high. As we got onto the main road we drove south toward Lake Magadi. Mother nature again started to magically paint the sky. At first light her palette had muted soft subtle pinks, apricots and gentle yellows.

“Wake! For the Sun, who scatter’d into flight The Stars before him from the Field of Night, Drives Night along with them from Heav’n, and strikes The Sultan’s Turret with a Shaft of Light”

― Omar Khayyam, Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

This is magical time of the day for me. The air is still and crisp. The bush is quiet and has a mystical sense about it. The drama of the night is over and the new colours in the sky offer promises for the day ahead. While colour was being infused into the sky, the full moon hung large in the morning sky as a guardian watching over the last of the nocturnal creatures making their way back to their places of rest. Instead of facing the sunrise, we looked west to watch the  beautifully soft, subtle light.

Just before sunrise when colours start to flood the sky, the bush has a sense of that ‘in between time’. It is neither dark nor light. The colours at this time of the day are unimaginable in the full light of the day. You get a feeling that we are witnessing something very special which instills a sense of wonder and anticipation whilst being bathed in this ‘other worldly’ light.

After watching the sunrise, we bid the moon good day and turned right off the main road to follow the Seronera river  for a few kilometres. The side road followed the river lined with fever trees and had open sandbanks which provided access for the game to come down to drink.

“We must begin thinking like a river if we are to leave a legacy of beauty and life for future generations.”

― David Brower

Just a short way along the river it opened up into a Hippo pool which was  boiling with Hippos, perhaps thirty or forty. There was not much going on but it smelt ripe so we moved along.

We moved on further up the river and stopped where a low drift crossed the river. Our timing was perfect because all the Sandgrouse were flying in to drink.  We caught the start of the air show. Their call has a distinctive squeaking sound a bit like a rubber duck being squeezed. Squadron after squadron flew in to drink. Some flew straight down to the water ‘s edge while others flew to within twenty metres of the water and watched to see what was going on before waddling down to have a drink.  It was such fun trying to photograph them flying in and landing. The first couple of tries you will be too slow but you soon get the hang of it.

The next image is of female Yellow-throated Sandgrouse coming in to land.

The next image of a male Yellow-throated Sandgrouse with landing gear down, air brakes on, alula extended with full flaps as he was coming into land. These birds are sleek and beautiful fliers.

We were lucky enough to also see a few Namaqua Sandgrouse coming in to drink.

After having had a drink of water this female Yellow-throated Sandgrouse did a little dance. I am not sure why, maybe she was displaying to the other members of the flock or just ‘chuffed’ to have had a drink.

After having watched the Sandgrouse for about an hour, we crossed the river and not fifty metres up the road we came across a small pride of Lion. This Lioness, in peak and lean condition, was lounging on a fallen tree trunk.

She had a cub with her who was lying in a fork of the fallen tree trunk. The Lioness was wide awake and attentively watching a large herd of Impala wandering around behind us.

Lying in the long grass some thirty metres away was a large but young male Lion, who every now and then raised his head to check out the lie of the land. The Impala were too tempting and eventually the Lioness got up to lie on the tree trunk in a position where she could face the Impala.

After watching and waiting for a while we decided to move back across the river and continue exploring.  As we crossed the river we saw two male Cheetah who looked to be coming down to drink. They suddenly stopped. We thought it might have been some of the vehicles which had put them off. Joseph, our ranger, assured us it was not the vehicles but,  being down wind, they probably got scent of the Lions. The Cheetah alliance immediately turned around and walked back into the long grass and that was the last we saw of them.

“Wilderness gave us knowledge. Wilderness made us human. We came from here. Perhaps that is why so many of us feel a strong bond to this land called Serengeti; it is the land of our youth.” ― Boyd Norton, Serengeti: The Eternal Beginning

A little further down the road the hot air aviators were playing. Carried by the prevailing wind, at times they flew at tree top-level to give their passengers a thrill. These balloons are dead quiet until they fire up their burners. When they are low, the sound of those burners usually mean they are heading for a row of trees and need some height.

After watching the ballooners for a few minutes we wandered back down the Seronera river. Next to the main road there was a grove of large fever trees and his lordship was lounging on a bough of one of these large fever trees. This male Leopard looked to have not a care in the world.

What is amazing about this area south of Seronera is that in the midst of these vast grasslands you will come across a river course bordered with verdant vegetation. It extends for miles, suggesting a perpetual spring is supplying the water. The source of the Seronera river is right up near the Maasai Hills.

The Seronera river is home to much bird life and provides water for a wide range of game from Buffalo to Elephant, Hippo, Rhino, Lion , Leopard, Wildebeest, Warthogs and Zebra. You may even find a Cheetah hiding in the reeds along the river. We were not sure what was going on but this young Cheetah had decided this was a good place to park, away from any unwanted attention. It was also not a bad place from which to ambush passing ‘Tommies’.

After watching this Cheetah doing not much, we decided he was not about to hunt and was likely to park there for most of the day, so we wandered further up the river course. On our way, Joseph got a message that there was a Lioness with three cubs in an grassed over old quarry not far from the headwaters of the Seronera river.

Knowledge is like a lion; it cannot be gently embraced. –South African Proverb

When we got there, one cub was lying in an old tyre, needless to say we did not take a shot of him. Much more intriguing was this cub inside the bush. He was lying in a contorted orthopedic slumber but seemed quite content. Despite his contortions we wondered why he would even try to get up into the bush and could only assume that he was up there to catch any passing breezes to keep himself cool.

We had our lunch watching this sleepy family. After lunch decided to drive down out of the quarry to continue our exploring. Not 100 metres down below the Lion family was this Wildebeest calf wandering directly toward to the Lions, oblivious of them. We immediately turned around to watch the inevitable. The lost calf wandered behind the Lions but the Lioness immediately picked up on the calf and started tracking it. We tried to get a better view but  is was not two minutes later when she wandered back towards her cubs with the erstwhile calf in her jaws.

Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest Lion or it will be killed. Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle… when the syn comes up, you had better start running.  – Unknown

That calf did not stand a chance. It was in the wrong place at the wrong time and so continued the circle of life. With mixed feelings after watching this hapless calf being despatched, we drove back down along the river. Grazing alongside the river were three large Buffalo bulls. They had all the making of ‘dagga boys’ but with no ‘dagga’ on their bosses. You always get the feeling that they are looking at you and saying “what the hell are you looking at!!”. The Buffalo bull had his grooming flock along for the ride. You don’t often see Yellow-billed Oxpeckers, the Red-bills are much more common.

Close to the Buffalo bulls we stopped at an open patch of water where the river had been partially dammed. There were Red-billed Teal and Egyptian Geese and this lone Black-winged Stilt tending her nest. At first glance it looked like she had made her nest on a crocodile’s head. It was a flat rock but the flimsy nest showed just how fragile this preparation for new life was in a dangerous world.

Further down the river we saw our first adult tree climbing Lion. This Lioness was perched up in this Sausage tree. It was a great lookout point. The rest of the pride was doing what Lions do best during the middle of the day.

“There is language going on out there- the language of the wild. Roars, snorts, trumpets, squeals, whoops, and chirps all have meaning derived over eons of expression… We have yet to become fluent in the language -and music- of the wild.” ― Boyd Norton, Serengeti: The Eternal Beginning 

The river course attracts all sorts. This one lone large bull Elephant was causally making his way down the river without a care in the world. He stopped occasionally to nibble on tasty grasses and leaves.

Down the Seronera river closer to the main road we got back to the fever tree grove. In one of the large fever trees about 30 metres off the road was what looked to be the same male leopard who had by now changed position probably because of the sun. This large male Leopard was in a classic Leopard pose sprawled out along this horizontal fever tree bough.

I had been a warm day so his aerial lounge must have been perfect to catch any passing breezes.

The evening was coming and it was clear the Leopard had no intention of coming down from his lofty perch anytime soon so we decided to head back toward the lodge. On the way we came upon a group of Reticulated Giraffe. One in particular caught our eye mainly because of the Red-billed Oxpeckers hard at work on his hide.

We saw plenty of Lions during the day and a great array of bird and other animals sightings. The Lioness killing that Wildebeest calf was dramatic but we were privileged to see all sort of intimate animal and bird behaviour. It was a  totally absorbing day.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away-– unknown  

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

Have fun,

Mike