This is the last post from our CNP safari on the Chobe River in August, but certainly not the last trip to the Chobe.

I have entitled this post “Chobe – a photographic wonderland”. The images I have included show in a small way the vistas, moods, light and vast opportunity to photograph mammals, bird, reptiles and landscapes.

“Light makes photography.

Embrace it, admire it and use it.

But above all, know light.

Know it for all you are worth and you will know the key to photography.”

 – George Eastman

In winter the sun rises a little later so we normally have coffee around 6h30 and leave the lodge around 6h45. For the first 15 minutes of the journey the sun is still behind the ridge on the east of the river and the new morn light  creates soft pastel colours exuding sense of serenity and peace – an in-between time.

This is the time when I feel I am experiencing heaven on earth. It is exquisitely beautiful, calm and quiet and we are bathed in soft beautiful light.

On a clear morning the sky turns a reddy-orange at sunrise making it look like it is on fire.

On this first part of the river there are two pairs of Fish Eagles and they normally herald the morning with their iconic call, reminding us that a new day is starting in Africa.

We normally travel up river passed the army camp towards “Pygmy Goose” bend.

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste it, to experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt

Just passed “Pygmy Goose” bend we often see Baboons, Impala and at this time of the year many Spurwing Geese.

It is such fun photographing Baboons because they are always up to something, especially the youngsters. They are human-like in so many ways which normally causes many chuckles on the boat.

The “Oshkosh band” invariably remind us to respect their space. We call Hippos “Oshkoshs” because they sound like the air brake of an Oshkosh truck when it is slowing down.

This last trip we were fortunate to see a reasonable size herd of Waterbuck just passed “Pygmy Goose bend”. It is flat on the flood plain which are intersected by gullies which are filled with water. The Waterbuck are extremely wary of these gullies, probably because lurking in their dark waters are “flat dogs”, our nickname for crocodiles. The Waterbuck and Lechwe jump high over these gullies making sure they clear the gap easily. We only get to see just how strong their legs are when you see how high and far they are able to jump.

The Lechwe graze with the Waterbuck. Presumably there is greater safety in numbers.

This lone Puku caught sight of a Lioness some distance off at the edge of the treeline. He was very nervous even though the Lioness was a long way away.

Down near Skimmer Island we saw a small herd of Buffalo cross the channel between the main island and Skimmer Island. Unlike Wildebeest, they have one good look at the water and then go for it on mass. No crocodile would get in the way of the mass of thrashing hooves under the water.

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
– Henry Miller

August is early blossom time for the Knob Thorn tree. This Knob Thorn was amongst the trees at the water’s edge at Chobe Game Lodge. I have never before noticed  how beautiful they are in blossom.

On upstream toward “Elephant Valley” and  you pass steep tree-lined banks where you will see Giant and Pied Kingfishers, Baboons, Impala and the odd family group of Kudu. Once you get to “Elephant Valley”, especially in the afternoons, you are usually rewarded with close sightings of Elephant  families drinking and having fun in the water.

Even the opportunists need to sunbath in the warm late winter sun.

On up river toward Puku Flats you often see Elephant, Giraffe, Hippo and plenty of birdlife. You may even be lucky enough to see a Roller display.

“Regard Heaven as your father, Earth as your Mother and all things as your Brothers and Sisters”.

– Unknown tribe

Mother Oshkosh does not like to be caught on land. When you are moving into position to photograph wildlife, it is always wise to see where the Hippos are and watch and wait to see their intentions.

Further up river beyond Lechwe Flats you travel along a wide bend in the river on your way up to Serondela. At this point, if you are lucky you can get some great perspectives because the boat is below the elevated sand bank.

Once you having been travelling for at least an hour up river you come to the Serondela part of the river. Here the river is tree lined. The trees are home to Black -crowned Night Herons and many species of Kingfishers. This is where we saw the African Harrier-Hawk lazily hunting along the treeline.

“Walk lightly in the spring; Mother Earth is pregnant”.

– Kiowa

This is about as far up river as you can go in an afternoon.

Late winter produced an unexpectedly beautiful and colourful treeline along the river’s edge.

On our way back to Kasane just past the Chobe Game Lodge it was early evening. This is the time when the Skimmers start using the evening light and still water surface to start skimming.

The unusual hunting technique in the golden light is special – you have to remind yourself that what you are seeing is real.

We must be out of the park by 18h00 in winter. The trick was to get on the east side of the main Chobe island to be able to get evening silhouette shots. Elephants make ideal silhouette subjects, especially if they are mock fighting.

This bull Elephant was slowly making his way up along the island at last light grabbing swathes of grass with his truck and trashing them around to remove the water and soil.

Photographers are not the only ones enjoying the river at sunset.

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”
– Miriam Beard

These images, show in a small way the photographic wonderland along the Chobe river. I hope you enjoyed the ride.

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

Have fun

Mike

This is the fourth post from our August trip with Coetzer Nature Photography (CNP) to Chobe. August is the last of the winter period in Southern Africa. This means that the endemics and residents are around but not the migrants. This post shows off the feathers of those who stay during winter.

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything”.

 – Aaron Siskind

Travelling by boat up to Serondela, we saw this African Harrier-Hawk close to Buffalo bend. I much prefer the old name “Gymnogene”. It conjours up an image of something unusual. Given its predatory habits and double-jointed legs, it is unusual. It’s very broad wings allow it to fly slowly along the river bank hunting for prey. This character stopped in front of us to have a drink of water.

This is probably one of the most feared and hated birds along the river’s edge because it raids other birds nests.

As the water level had been falling since June, many barbel seemed to have been caught on the grass islands. This made easy pickings for Marabou Storks and Fish Eagles alike. This Fish Eagle took an exception to an opportunistic Marabou Stork invading his personal space.

In the scurry, an Egyptian Goose was madly scrabbling out of the way. The Fish Eagle was just scaring the Marabou away. There was no major fight.

Down at Elephant Valley, you are likely to see at least one Red-billed Spurfowl come down to drink. You don’t normally seem them in South Africa, only in Botswana and the northern half of Namibia.

They are very wary and easily scared off – running away at break-neck speed and seeming to prefer running rather than flying, though they are good short distance fliers.

Jewel in the reeds. This little Malachite Kingfisher had just caught a small fish. A big mouthful for such a small bird. You will find these jewels along the sand banks exposed as the river subsides.

It did not try to swallow its catch straight away so was probably taking it back to its mate at the nest site. The low contrast in the image indicates that it was perched in the shade of the bank.

“To learn the magic of light, get up before sunrise…and watch”.

– Ted Grant

We nickname the Marabou Stork “Doctor Death” as it often sits on the tops of trees in the evening waiting for darkness. They look like the night’s undertakers waiting to get to work. A pair of Marabou were fighting over a strand of grass – this gives you a sense of how busy it was in that area that morning!?!

The Marabou Stork has got to be one of the ugliest birds on the Chobe. It is that pink head and neck  and almost bald head with scruffy strands of hair (or perhaps very thin feathers) sticking out.

It was cold that morning so this Marabou  tucked its bare neck into its fleecy jacket. It kept a beady eye on us as we went passed.

The Grey-headed Gulls were back. They are really good fishermen, easily as good as the Yellow-billed Kites.

We saw surprisingly few Giant Kingfishers on this trip. Although the male and female superficially look the same, the male has a chestnut breast, white belly with black spots and white under wing coverts.

The female has a white breast with black spots and chestnut belly with chestnut underwing coverts. The Giant Kingfisher below is a juvenile female and was being spooked by every bird that flew overhead. She was sitting on a sand bank with grass all around, so could not see anything coming and consequently got a fright each time a bird flew passed. With each scare she would spread her wings to look bigger and more aggressive.

The iconic Fish Eagle. There are many pairs resident along the river from Kasane down to Serondela. I defy any photographer not to want to take shots of these majestic raptors.

I have always seen Yellow-billed Storks as placid birds. No so that day.

The aggressor was not having another feeding on his turf. Those big wings give them considerable lift when they need it.

These large Yellow-billed Storks seemed quite happy catching “tiddlers”. There were probably no large fish around.

This female Saddle-billed Stork was standing on one leg in reasonably strong wind hence the feathers on her back rising – quite incredible balance. The female has the yellow eye-ring and no yellow wattle under her chin. The male’s eye is black with no yellow eye-ring. We did not see the male.

A White-faced Whistling Duck coming in to land. Who needs air brakes when you have feet like that. Normally you would see the alula extended.

“Of what use are lens and light to those who lack in mind and sight? “

– Anonymous

Young and scruffy looking White-faced Whistling Duck coming in to land.

It was too early in the season for the Carmine Bee-eaters but we always love watching these Little bee-Eaters. They are exquisitely beautiful and skilful hunters.

The African Darter is also known as the “Snake bird’. It is that flexible neck which gives it its snake-like appearance.

“A wise old owl sat on an oak;

The more he saw the less he spoke;

The less he spoke the more he heard;

Why aren’t we like that wise old bird?”

– Edward Hersey Richards

Lilac-breasted Roller displaying – its colours are exquisite and its rolling displays even more impressive.

Three is a crowd – the male in the middle could not break this pair’s bond, but the threesome provided a spell binding sighting.

I have seen young Jacana’s tucked under their father’s wing. I have seen them under the water using their beaks as a snorkel but I did not know they could swim so well.

This young African Jacana casually stepped into the water and swam just like a duck – amazing.

Trying to photograph flying Jacana’s is a photographic necessity but the backgrounds can be problematic!!!

“Nature is so powerful, so strong. Capturing its essence is not easy – your work becomes a dance with light and weather. It takes you to a place within yourself”.

 – Annie Leibovitz

Common Sandpiper searching for food along the river’s edge – bobbing as its went along. I use its white shoulder patch as my main identification marker.

Young Black-winged Stilt – the tendons in those spindly legs must be very strong.

The Glossy Ibis is every bit as beautiful as its cousins – thankfully it is quiet unlike it Hadeda cousin.

“Catching some rays” – this Spoonbill was drying its wings. I have seen Fish Eagles and Bateleurs do the same thing.

The birdlife along the Chobe is something to behold. The sightings and photographic opportunities are always prolific, which makes this a premier destination for any birder or photographer.

“The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream.

The oak sleeps in the acorn,

the bird waits in the egg,

and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs.

Dreams are the seedlings of realities”.

– James Allen

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

Have fun

Mike