This is the fourth post from my recent trip to Mashatu. I wanted to give you a sense of the variety of birds you are likely to see on the game drives in Mashatu. This is by no measure exhaustive but gives you a taste of the diversity of avian life in this reserve.

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.”
 –Henry David Thoreau

The rivers in Mashatu are seasonal. The next image is of a lone Wood Sandpiper scouring the water’s edge for something to eat.

I haven’t seen Giant Kingfishers but there are plenty of Pied Kingfishers along the river in Mashatu. I haven’t seen Half-collared or Malachites yet. Where an image has a blue border, you can double click on the image and will be linked to its bird call on the Xeno Canto website. Just press the back arrow on the top left hand side of your browser to get back to this post.

You will also find Crowned and Blacksmith Lapwings and Three-Banded Plovers such as this one in the next image. They can be found along the edge of the water looking for insects.

Swainson’s Francolin are noisy. They are usually seen running through the grass away from you, but every now a then you will find one on a rock or bush declaring to all the world that this is its turf. You will also see lots of Crested Francolin.

“There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself.”
 – Henry David Thoreau

Swainson’s Francolin in full cry early in the morning with soft light.

A White-Fronted Bee-eater flying in front of its nesting bank.

These avian gems are resident in Mashatu and can be found along and close to the rivers all year through.

White-Fronted Bee-eater clinging to the river bank just next to its subterranean nest.

Migrant Carmine Bee-eaters are summer residents. Exquisitely beautiful but usually seen singly in Mashatu. My hope is that a Carmine colony will, some day, develop in Mashatu much like can be seen at Beatrice, near Harare in Zimbabwe and at Kalizo on the western bank of the Zambezi River in the Caprivi region of Namibia. 

“The universe is wider than our views of it.”
― Henry David Thoreau

The main reason why migrants such as the Carmine Bee-eaters are down in southern Africa in summer is because of the abundance of insects. In winter the insect population dies down as so many of the insectivores migrate into central and northern Africa and beyond to access increased insect activity.

I have a penchant for these Bee-eaters. I have fond memories as a youngster going out to Beatrice near Harare in Zimbabwe to see the dazzling colours of all the Carmines nesting in a sandbank alongside the Hunyani river.

There are numerous species of Shrikes in Mashatu. This is a Red-backed Shrike which is common resident in the open thornveld parts of Mashatu.

Besides the common Red-backed Shrike you will also find many Lesser Grey Shrikes.

Ostriches can also be seen in Mashatu, though not in abundance. On this occasion, there were no Elephants around to disturb the insects in the grass, so the Cattle Egrets followed the Ostriches to get the same benefit.  The male Ostrich is black and the female a duller brown, tawny colour.

There  are numerous species of Pigeons and Doves on Mashatu. There were Green Pigeons in the fig trees close to camp but I could not get a decent photograph of them. Often on a game drive you will see these beautiful Namaqua Doves flying in front of you on the road ahead. This next image is of a male Namaqua Dove.

Many Cape Turtle Doves come down to drink from the rivers. They are also ubiquitous on the flat areas around the rivers searching for seed in the sand.

The Tawny, like the Martial, Eagle is a resident in Mashatu. The Steppe and Lesser Spotted Eagles are migrants retreating north in winter.

“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.”

 –John Burroughs

The heaviest flying bird in the bush veld, is the Kori Bustard. They can be found throughout southern and Central Africa. 

Koris seldom fly and would rather quicken their pace and walk away from you.

Being so big, these birds have to canter down the runway to get enough airspeed to take off. Once airborne they are good fliers but fly just far enough to get away from a perceived threat and do not seem to be big cross-country fliers. The next image is of  a Kori having just landed. This one seems to have a wattle but Kori’s usually do not have wattles!?

Mashatu is well-known for its plethora of Cuckoos in summer. You have a good chance of seeing Diedericks, Klass, Great Spotted, Striped and Jacobin Cuckoos, such as the one below. You will hear the Red-chested Cuckoo but are less likely to see them.

It does not happen often, but every now and then you might be lucky enough to come across a Yellow-billed Hornbill displaying to a female close by. 

The males put on quite show with much vocalisation and head bowing.

“Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.”
 – William Wordsworth

Ubiquitous in the southern African bushveld is the Woodland Kingfisher with its insistent trilling call.

The last trip was the first time I had seen White Storks in Mashatu. I have seen Black Storks and Abdim Storks before. You will also see the rarer Saddle-billed Storks in Mashatu.

This is a juvenile Martial Eagle. These must be the most spectacular large raptors on Africa alongside the “flying leopard”, the Crowned Eagle. You will not find a Crowned Eagle in Mashatu as they prefer more forested areas such as are could along the Natal coast. The Martials frequently hunt Guinea Fowl when they gather to drink down at the river’s edge.

Interestingly, I haven’t seen a European Roller in Mashatu, but you will find the Purple and Lilac-breasted Rollers in the reserve. The latter is ubiquitous. They are stunningly beautiful birds.

Who would think of putting these colours together, but they work perfectly in this context.

“How important is a constant intercourse with nature and the contemplation of natural phenomena to the preservation of moral and intellectual health!”

– Henry David Thoreau

The Meves or Long-tailed Starling is very talkative and is as good as a Tree Squirrel at giving away the location of a Wild cat or snake. 

Secretary birds are likely to be seen each time you travel around Mashatu. There are not many pairs but we saw them often. This is very much the theme in Mashatu there are not great quantities of bird and animals (except Elephants), but there is a wonderful variety.

Like the Kori Bustard, the Secretary bird will normally walk away from you rather than fly. We happened to just surprise this individual and it did not stay to chat.

That squeaky rubber-duck sound coming from among the grass and rocks is probably a Sandgrouse, in this case a Namaqua Sandgrouse. You are likely to hear these beautiful camouflage experts before you see them. Again you will not see the large flocks flying in to drink around 9h00 that you will see in Etosha or the Serengeti. 

These Sandgrouse are superb fliers but would try to scuttle away from you in the grass before flying.

There are plenty of Red and Yellow-billed Hornbills in Mashatu, but fewer Grey Hornbills and you are likely to hear the Grey Hornbill first before you see it. They tend to frequent the more wooded parts of Mashatu rather than the open savanna/thornveld like the Red and Yellow-billed Hornbills.

“I love Nature partly because she is not man, but a retreat from him. None of his institutions control or pervade her. There a different kind of right prevails. In her midst I can be glad with an entire gladness. if this world were all man, I could not stretch myself, I should lose al hope. He is constraint, she is freedom to me. He makes me wish for another world. She makes me content with this.”

 – Henry David Thoreau

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

Have fun,

Mike

This is the third post from my recent trip to Mashatu in February 2015.

“Be inspired by your journeys travelled and those yet to come”

 – Sam Clark

We saw the coalition of three male Cheetahs on two occasions and the female with her four cubs on two separate occasions. I think Mashatu ranks right up there with Masai Mara when it comes to Cheetah sightings. Mashatu does not give you the huge, almost treeless plains which improve you chances of seeing a full Cheetah hunt  but the Cheetah sightings are intimate and unusual.

To prove my point, I have selected a few images from our different Cheetah sightings in our last trip. The first was the coalition of three males. They were noticeably bigger than the female and looked to have been living hard in the bush.

This was not a grimace but the facial expression when this character was chirping to another male some distance off in the bush.

I was amazed to see how tolerant this male was with a Black-backed Jackal so close.

As soon as the other two males started to wander over to join the first male lying under the tree, the Jackal wisely decided a little more space between was probably a good idea.

The other two males stopped to smell a scent in the grass, probably from a female who had passed that way some time before. They were intrigued and captivated by the scent.

The next day we found the Cheetah mother with her four remaining cubs. She lost one cub a few weeks after the litter was born. We are not sure whether it was Lion, Leopard or Hyaenas that killed the cub as it was not found.

The female had killed an Impala doe and the youngsters were heartily tucking in.

They had the Impala in the shade under a small Shepherd tree.

All of the Cheetahs remained very alert. They would have a few mouthfulls of Impala and look around to make sure that they were still had no unwanted company.

The cubs ate with gusto, faces soaked in Impala blood.

It was seldom all five Cheetahs had their heads down eating. There was always one or two who were looking around to ensure the “coast was clear”.

Cheetahs tend to hunt mostly during the day to reduce conflict with other predators such as Lions and Hyaenas. This Cheetah family managed to eat in peace without Jackals giving their position away.

On our last morning game drive, we came across the four cubs with their mother wandering over a stoney ridge.

The female Cheetah looked in superb condition. This was no mean feat when rearing four rapidly growing, but vulnerable cubs in an environment with many Lion, Leopards and Hyaenas around.

The cubs looked a lot thinner than their mother, but this could have been because they were growing so fast.

It became apparent why the Cheetahs were walking over this stoney ridge. There was a fresh water spring part the way up in a gully.

Again the Cheetahs were very alert, always looking around them.

The Cheetah family scattered when a small flock of doves flew low and fast over them. They got a huge fright. It took a good few minutes for the family to regroup at the spring.

Having quenched her thirst, the Cheetah mother continued up the hill leaving the cubs behind at the spring.

“Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way.”

 –John Muir

She was walking with purpose probably because it was still early in the morning and relatively cool.

Needless to say, after a refreshing drink of pure clean spring water the cubs started to dash around chasing each other.

 That characteristic Cheetah run was developing with its sprung-loaded spine. 

They had great fun chasing each other and were all well matched, speed wise.

The chasing part of the hunting technique was coming on.

The catching and stopping part had still to be developed.

Perhaps because the rangers and their guests were respectful of the animals they seemed to be relaxed around the vehicles. It is wonderful to be able to watch this unaffected interaction.

Kim Wolhuter has taken up residence in Mashatu to make a new wildlife documentary. I have never met the man but have huge respect for him in the way he is showing us intimate insights into the behaviour and life of African predators. I have seen all of his documentaries. They are  unique and spellbinding. Kim shows unmatched intimacy and insight into Cheetahs in his documentary “Man, Cheetah, Wild”.  Double click on the image below of Kim and the female Cheetah to be taken to Discovery’s blog on Kim. I wish him much success in Mashatu.

“If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man.  All things are connected.  Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth.”  

–Chief Seattle of the Suquamish Tribe, in a letter to President Franklin Pierce

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

Have fun,

Mike

This is the second post from my recent trip to Mashatu in February 2015.

“Our relationship with nature is more one of being than having.  We are nature: we do not have nature.”  

– Steven Harper

On our first afternoon in Mashatu we were privileged to see this young Leopard. It was late after 17h00 and she was walking through the croton grove next to the Majale river. She stopped several times to smell scent marked signposts. I was struggling to get a clear image of her with a suitable background when all of sudden she jumped up into the fallen branch of a Mashatu tree.

You can see she was alert to all the sights, sounds and scents wafting around her.

Tree squirrels are quick to alert everything in the bush that they have seen a Leopard. She looked up to see if it was worthwhile silencing the irritation.

Rather than waste energy, this young Leopard decided to carry on with her walk in the cool of the evening. Surprisingly, she walked out of the croton thicket next to the river up to a stoney hillock, probably to get a better view of possibilities and plan her evening’s hunting.

The thrill of watching these solitary, camouflage experts is something I will never tire of. 

“What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night.  It is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time.  It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the Sunset.”

– Crowfoot

In summer, the vegetation is thicker, there is more water and the game is more dispersed so you should consider yourself lucky if you see a Leopard. Winter is usually much better time to see these elusive predators.

Luck was with us as the next morning, we spent around an hour watching this beautiful female Leopard walking along the river bed. It is very unusual to see a Leopard in the open, let alone be allowed to watch her walk along a riverbed for such a long time – thank you.

I graciously acknowledge the privilege of being able to watch this female Leopard walking along the river but the lighting conditions were so variable that photographing her was a challenge, both in terms of exposure and white balance, as the shadows tend to have a blue cast.

The perspective of this Leopard walking on the top of the river bank was ideal, but the lighting was complicated as she walked mainly in the shadows under the trees.

At times, this Leopard walked on top of the river bank and at other times she hugged the far bank of the riverbed. She stopped often to smell the grass and rub her neck, back and tail along the grass, probably scent marking.

The next few images show the Leopard walking along the riverbed

She exuded a confidence borne out of experience and an intimate knowledge of this area.

” I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”  

–  Elwyn Brooks White

It was cool in the shade along the river bank, but not cold.

The next image shows a typical scene of this Leopard as she walked along the edge of the riverbed.

There was clearly much more information in the grass on the bank of the riverbed than we were aware of. She stopped often to smell and ponder, almost as if she was deciphering the message, before leaving her scent and moving on.

The dappled light on this Leopard, as she walked along the edge of the riverbed, was beautiful but difficult to capture well.

Being summer, there were lots of insects some of which were buzzing around her face which irritated her.

This Leopard had the most beautiful, piercing green eyes.

“There is no other door to knowledge than the door nature opens; there is no truth except the truths we discover in nature.”

– Luther Burbank

If she were to stop and lie flat in the riverbed you probably would not see her, as she would be so well camouflaged.

We were all in awe and captivated for an hour. It was wonderful to watch this relaxed, but alert, female patrol along a riverbed at around 8h00 in the morning. Our ranger Mollman reckoned she might have been returning to a cub which she had left somewhere along the river. We never got to see whether he was right. We were thankful for the incredible sighting and wanted to leave her in peace.

“Wonderful how completely everything in wild nature fits into us, as if truly part and parent of us.  The sun shines not on us, but in us.  The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fibre and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing.”

– John Muir

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

Have fun,

Mike