Mashatu is a private game reserve located in south eastern Botswana which undergoes the most amazing seasonal transformations. This post is about the avians we saw when we visited Mashatu in mid-summer in February which is also the rainy season in the southern Africa.

“Travel in Africa is not always easy. Sometimes the journey is difficult but it is also punctuated with experiences which are so evocative that they linger with you forever.” ~ Mike Haworth

At that time of the year you get to see not only the resident avians but also the international visitors. Migrants include the cuckoos, Lesser spotted eagles, sandpipers, both European and Carmine bee-eaters and kingfishers such as the Woodland.

“The way to make your dream to come true is to wake up”. ~Paul Valery

At the summer solstice, the sun rises around 5h15 and rises one minute later everyday until the winter solstice, so by mid-February the sun was rising around 6H15. On our first morning game drive we drove to the opposite side of the vlei (marsh) which was blanketed in a light mist, which was cool air trapped in the vlei for a short period.

Guineafowl and Spurfowl declare their territory early in the morning. This character was standing on a dead tree trunk talking to the world. There were a few Helmeted guineafowl on the ground around him but he seemed to be gathering the troops.

If you make too much noise you cannot hear. So every now and then this guineafowl would stop calling and listen intently.

The mist evaporated as the morning began to warm up. It was certainly not cold when we started our drive. When we first drove into Mashatu, it was wet but still looked barren. A day or so later with rain and a little sunshine this was the result. Acres carpeted with these yellow devil thorn flowers. The devil thorns are the seeds which germinate into the plants which produce this beautiful yellow bush carpet. The devil thorns are very soft at this point and most of the herbivores love to eat the soft shoots and flowers. Once the devil thorns dry out it is easy to understand why they were so named. This is not a place you want to walk barefoot in the dry season.

“Outer beauty is a gift. Inner beauty is an accomplishment.”~ Randi G. Fine,

The Lilac-breasted roller is the most widespread of the African rollers. There are 12 species in total, of which eight occur in Africa. This gorgeous multi-vibrant coloured insectivore is endemic to southern Africa. The birds prefer live in open woodland and savannah country with well spaced trees. The conspicuous colour and behaviour of this roller has captivated people since ancient times. In Zimbabwe, the lilac-breasted roller is often known as Mzilikazi’s roller – its feathers having once been used to adorn the head-gear of the 19th century Matabele king, a Zulu who founded the Matabele kingdom in what is now Zimbabwe. Mzilikatzi was originally a lieutenant of the Zulu king, Shaka and who revolted against the Zulu king and was forced to retreat North.

“The best and most beautiful things in life cannot be seen, not touched, but are felt in the heart.” ~ Helen Keller

Lilac breasted rollers are frequently seen perched on a stump or on top of a bush. They are perch hunters swooping down to catch insects, frogs and lizards on the ground. These rollers are highly territorial. They breed between August and February so we were looking out for their breeding displays but it was little late in their breeding season. It is always a thrill to see these rollers swoop from great heights in a high speed dive, rocking and rolling from side to side – their hallmark breeding display.

Mashatu has numerous Kori bustards. This is the heaviest flying bird in Africa. It can be up to 120 cm tall and has a wingspan reaching 275cm. It does not match a Martial eagle for power or the wingspan of a Wandering albatross (4metres) but it’s impressive nevertheless. It is an omnivore, eating both plant-like berries and animals like lizards and snakes. These birds are fundamentally walkers. Ground dwellers which would rather walk away from you than fly away. In breeding season the males inflate their neck and trail its wings and dances impressively in front of the female.

Soloman’s Wall is in the north west part of Mashatu game reserve. It is a vertical igneous dyke which formed a natural dam wall across the Motloutse river. The dyke decomposed over the millennia and was eventually breached by the river. For much of the year it is just a dry sand river bed but when the rains come it can flow from bank to bank. In mid-February there was still enough water in the river to make it impassable for all but the most intrepid off-road adventurer. Its vista was impressive sprinkled with cattle egrets flying across the water in front of the buttress.

Down on the banks of the river we found this Wood sandpiper very busy foraging for morsels in the sand. This little wader migrates down to southern Africa to escape the northern hemisphere winters. It can be confused with a Green sandpiper but has a darker brown face with white flecks and a white supercilium and short dark beak. The plumage on top of its head, back and rump is dark brown with white spangling. Its neck has dark brown spots and its belly and top of its legs are white. It has yellowish green legs. The Green sandpiper has shorter greyish legs and a more distinct brown to white transition between its breast and belly. It always a wonder when looking at these small waders how they manage to migrate such vast distances each year.

We were on our way back to camp after a successful morning’s game drive when, in a tall dead tree which had grown out of the large rock outcrop near camp, we saw a pair of African Hawk-eagles. We sat in the vehicle watching them for about ten minutes. This looked like a serious hunting party. Perched in a lofty lookout, both were very alert with the sun behind them. They have piercing yellow eyes.

“Memories of old Africa are punctuated with dust, sleeping bags around campfires and stories around told by the flickering flames. Hyaenas whooping and nightjars trilling all night long. Early morning walks where all the fragrances make your senses swim. Big blue skies and emptiness.”~ Mike Haworth

When I was around 10 years old in Zimbabwe, long standing family friends, the Condys had a menagerie of wildlife at their home across the valley in Harare. Dr. John Condy was the chief wildlife vet for the Zimbabwean Department of Veterinary Services. In the Condy’s garden down near the stables, John had series of chicken wire cages to hold various birds some of which were raptors. In one of the cages he had an African hawk-eagle called Nimbus. On one particular occasion, John Condy asked his son Mike and myself to go and feed Nimbus. So we dutifully went and got some mince and entered the cage. To my astonishment and horror this hawk-eagle went for us. Throwing the mince in all directions we hastily escaped from the cage. That was my first taste of how aggressive this raptor could be.

Eventually the female, the larger of the pair, took off from the dead tree right in front of us. This Hawk eagle is not as big as a Tawny or Fish eagle but it makes up for it with aggression. An African hawk-eagle pair is a cooperative hunting team where the one partner flushes the prey and the other ambushes the fleeing victim.

An African hawk-eagle has a distinctive shape, size and colouring. Being around 1.5kgs it does not have the bulk of an eagle. A Tawny eagle weighs around 2.3kgs and Steppe eagle at 2.7kgs. This hawk-eagle’s plumage is blackish on its upper parts and its breast and belly are white and heavily streaked with black. The female is larger than the male and was the first to take off and she flew between us and the rocks.

On another sortie out into the game reserve, we saw this White-backed vulture which was waiting in the early morning summer sun for the thermals to start developing. It would use the thermals to give it the cue to catch the thermal elevator to reach great heights it needed to start its aerial surveillance for the next meal.

Another early morning just after dawn looking across the Mashatu vlei. The promise of a colourful day ahead.

“There is a silence in the imminence of animals and also in the echo of their noise, but the dread silence is the one that rises from a wilderness from which all the wild animals have gone.” ~ Peter Matthiessen

A Red-billed hornbill with breakfast. There are four species of hornbill in Mashatu, the Red, Yellow and Grey billed hornbill and the Southern ground hornbill. We saw many Red and Yellow billed hornbills on this trip and heard the piping call of the Grey hornbill.

On our last morning in Mashatu, we were privileged to find a pair of Martial eagles. I have a penchant for raptors created from my schoolboy days at Falcon College in Zimbabwe. The first time I saw a Martial eagle was on a Sunday morning when a few of us from the ornithological society went out with photographer and now raptor expert, Peter Steyn, to check raptor nests. The Martial eagle nest we went to see was located at the top of a tall tree high on the side of a hill with a spectacular view looking down into a valley. I was a good tree climber so I was summoned to climbed the tree to see what was in the nest. It was a very tall tree with few climbing branches, I eventually manage to crest the nest and as I did I saw the fledged juvenile Martial eagle launch itself off the nest, open its massive wings, and soar down into the valley below. It was an experience I will never forget as, for me, it represented the ultimate physical freedom.

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”
~ Ansel Adams

This male Martial eagle was in a tree some distance from his nest. He took off and in doing so broke off a large branch. These are powerful raptors. They are the largest raptors in southern Africa. Martial eagles can weight up to 3.7kg, much larger than Steppe eagles.

It was exciting to see a Martial eagle pair. They were building a nest as they tend to breed in the wet season. The female does the incubation but the male does not feed her, though he does help with feeding the chick. You can see the female is much bigger than the male.

Martial eagles are strategic hunters. They are excellent flyers and hunters. The last time I saw a Martial eagle hunt was at Chudob waterhole in Etosha. There was a large flock of guineafowl drinking at the waterhole around mid-morning. We saw a Martial eagle sitting in a large tree about one hundred metres to the right far away from the waterhole. This Martial eagle took off and flew away in the opposite direction to the waterhole. Far way from the waterhole it gained sufficient height. It must have been a couple of hundred metres away and suddenly it tucked its wings in went into a stoop. This Martial leveled out about 20 metres above the ground flying at such a speed that its sounded like a low flying Boeing coming past, such was the roar of the air over its wings. The guineafowl heard or saw the Martial eagle and the flock scattered. The Martial hit one guineafowl which was taking off and hit it so hard that its was dead before it hit the ground. Before the Martial had time to collect its prize, a Black-backed jackal which had been watching the hunt from the ground stole the fallen guineafowl. It is difficult to explain how thrilling it was to experience a hunt like this, it is beyond imagination, utterly thrilling.

The wonderful thing about these sightings in the bush is that they are unexpected and often trigger floods of memories of previous incidents in the bush. Intriguingly what you see often rhymes but is never the same. The behaviour rhymes but the context and scene is always different. Understanding behaviour is a critical part of anticipating wildlife interaction and anticipating what is likely to unfold in a scene is a critical success factor to achieve these exceptional wildlife images.

“Anticipation is a craft. It is about seeing ahead. Being prepared, getting into the right position ahead of time. It is about understanding and interpreting behaviour and knowing what to expect.” ~ Mike Haworth

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

Have fun, Mike

Mashatu is a private game reserve in south-eastern Botswana. We visited this diverse and prolific reserve in mid-February this year and were fortunate to do so one month before the lockdown.

“A river doesn’t just carry water, it carries life.” ~Amit Kalantri

Mid-February is in the midst of the rainy season in southern Africa. The wildness of the place was emphasised by the strongly flowing Limpopo river which prevented us from crossing into Botswana via Pont Drift, the closest border post to Mashatu. We had to detour via the Platjan border post which is about 110 kilomteres to the south west of Pont Drift along the Limpopo river. This was the only way to cross the mighty Limpopo into Botswana by road from this part of South Africa. The dirt road from Platjan was very rough with numerous wash-aways and deep rain scoured ruts.

“Rivers are roads that move and carry us whither we wish to go.” ~Blaise Pascal

On our way to toward Mashatu we were surprised how barren and still relatively brown the area looked, indicating that the rains had come late and had not had enough time to bring the bush to life and transform into its summer colours. Only after a day or two in the game reserve did we see the transformation begin. The brown barren looking open spaces metamorphosed into a green Eden carpeted in yellow devil thorn flowers.

Summer is a time of frequent thunderstorms, wet gravel roads, and avian migrants. It is also a time of luxurious, verdant greens and vast carpets of yellow flowers. The rains allow the herbivores to scatter and not be obligated to make the daily hazardous walk down to the river for water.

One predator we always want to see when we go to Mashatu is a leopard. Mashatu is known for its exceptional leopard sightings which occur most frequently along the Majale river. This is the largest of the three main rivers flowing through the Mashatu game reserve. The other two are the Matabole and Pitsani.

There is a high density of leopards along the Majale river due to the abundance of prey and massive trees along its banks which provide them with protection. Leopard sightings are excellent and frequent in winter but can be more challenging in summer. When the rains come in summer, the vegetation grows much thicker along the river making the leopards more difficult to see and the prey is more scattered so the predators have to work harder to feed themselves.

“In art and dream may you proceed with abandon. In life may you proceed with balance and stealth.”~ Patti Smith

We often see leopards up trees, especially in Mashatu where there are enormous Mashatu (Nyala berry) trees, Jackalberries and Figtrees along the main rivers. For some reason, unknown to me, on this particular trip we only saw leopards on the ground and they were active in the late afternoon and early mornings.

On our second afternoon, we were driving in the southern area close to the Majale river through the Mustard bushes when we came across this female leopard. She was on the move and clearly following something.

“She is free in her wildness, she is a wanderess, a drop of free water. She knows nothing of borders and cares nothing for rules or customs. ‘Time’ for her isn’t something to fight against. Her life flows clean, with passion, like fresh water.” ~ Roman Payne

Leopards are by nature secretive and rely on stealth and camouflage so are seldom seen in the open. This female was using the Mustard bushes as cover and moving between them to get closer and closer to a single Steenbok she had spotted. This area was about 30 metres from the Majale river.

As she was stalking between the Mustard bushes she would stop and listen. Judging from the turn of her head, a sound to her left must have caught her attention and made her stop in mid stride.

“Sometimes when you lose your way, you find yourself.” ~ Mandy Hale,

This is a view of one of the small tributaries which feeds into the main Majale river. Although it was in the midst of the rainy season these tributaries only flow when there is excessive rain. Several of these tributaries flow through Croton forests. The atmosphere in these forests is cool providing relief from the summer heat and wonderful cover for predators.

The female leopard closed the gap between to around 20 metres before the Steenbok looked up and dashed away. These dainty little antelope have especially acute hearing, a sense which saved its life that afternoon. Only when you get into the bush do you realise that these animals have senses which are so much more finely tuned than ours.

After missing the Steenbok, our female leopard melted back into the undergrowth. In the shade, a leopard will disappear from sight and just sit and wait until the next hunting opportunity arises.

Two mornings later we were driving in the same area along the Majale river when we saw another young female leopard as we came around a cluster of large Mustard bushes. There lying in the open was this young female leopard. Quite relaxed and unfazed by us.

We sat and watched her for quite a while but it started to get quite warm so she moved into the shade of some nearby bushes. This gave her cover and allowed her to watch all the comings and goings around her from relative concealment.

“It is only upon reflection that we learn to see.”~ Mike Haworth

It is fascinating to watch a leopard for a reasonable period of time. It is as if her eyes were not fixed on anything in particular but her ears were constantly adjusting to locate the direction of the different sounds.

Leopards, although masters of stealth, are vulnerable on the ground due to the lions in the area, and Mashatu is also home to numerous hyaenas. This young female leopard must have felt relaxed enough to begin preening herself. You will seldom see a dirty leopard.

“Freedom cannot be bestowed — it must be achieved.”~Elbert Hubbard

She was a beautiful leopardess – relaxed, alert and deadly.

The leopard’s spotted pelage transforms into rosettes from the neck down and then turns back into spots on her stomach and lower parts of her legs. Her tail is also spotted.

A large Mashatu tree between a Apple-leaf on the left and a Leadwood tree on the right. These large trees provide refuge and shade for many animals from leopards to baboons, squirrels and numerous birds. This Mashatu tree was anchored onto the bank of the Majale river. This also give leopards a good vantage point form which to scout for prey.

On our last morning, we were driving along the Majale river at about 7h30 and suddenly Justice, our guide, stopped the game vehicle. Without saying anything he pointed to a spot on the far river bank about a hundred metres from us. We could not see anything. After carefully explaining where to look we finally saw this mature female leopard lying in the shade on the cool sand of the river bank. She had a good view of an extensive section of the river in front of her. Justice drove us to a point on the opposite bank which gave us a much better view and this is what we saw.

This female leopard lay on the river bank for about half an hour just watching and listening to everything around her. Eventually she got up and strolled back in the thick underground behind her. Without our guide Justice, we would never have noticed her lying in the shade on the far bank.

It is very seldom you will see more than one leopard at a time. They are solitary cats. The only time you will see two leopards together are when they are fighting or mating. Alternatively you many be lucky enough to see a mother with her cubs – that would be a real treat.

“A photograph is like a wormhole into a memory or vision. The colour creates the mood and contrast creates the attention.” ~ Mike Haworth

This trip turned into a treat as we realised would be lucky to see a leopard given the thickness of the bush in summer. I have been to Mashatu in summer and not seen one leopard during our stay. The one aspect about the bush you can expect is to see the unexpected.

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

Have fun, Mike

A cryptic title perhaps but this post describes one of the most fascinating experiences I have had in the bush for a while and one that is deeply etched in my consciousness. It was a wonderful example of the complexity and inter-connectedness in nature. What we saw and experienced powerfully confirmed and reinforced my ideas about the bush.

Lake Panic is a well-known and favourite bird hide located a few kilometres west of Skukuza, the headquarters of Kruger National Park in South Africa. We visited the hide on a few mornings during our week’s stay at Burchell’s Lodge just outside the Kruger gate. This particular morning it was raining and the light was low. I was well armed with all my photographic kit and a head full of expectation. While the rainy overcast weather was not going to provide instant gratification, I knew that a degree of patience and quiet observance would yield something unusual and unexpected – and it did.

“Rain hangs about the place, like a friendly ghost. If it’s not coming down in delicate droplets, then it’s in buckets; and if neither, it tends to lurk suspiciously in the atmosphere.” ~    Barbara Acton-Bond

There was prolific birdlife all around with White faced whistling ducks flying in, White-breasted cormorants trying to dry off, African darters fishing, wide-eyed Spotted thick-knees, African jacanas lily trotting, Pied and Malachite kingfishers fishing, Fish eagles waiting for opportunities, goshawks and sparrowhawks hunting and an assortment of small herons foraging along the water’s edge. To add a little extra variety, terrapins and elephants also came to visit.

Amongst all the wildlife’s comings and goings there were moments of apparent inactivity. The pond at the hide end of Lake Panic is surrounded by large trees, some of which were acacias with large branches hanging over the water. There were two weaver colonies around the pond. The first was to the left of the pond shown in the next image. The further the nest hangs out over the water, the greater the protection from snakes and baboons.

“Nothing shouts “spring” louder than a frenzied colony of weaverbirds building new nests and their emergence of dazzling breeding plumages… ” ~South Africa.co.za

The second larger colony was positioned directly across the pond in a well armoured, large acacia tree.

Weavers are gregarious and build their nests in colonies usually above the water. Newman’s Birds describes the weaver’s call as a prolonged swizzling sound with a sharp “zit zit” sound. Imagine hundreds of these weavers all calling simultaneously in a colony. The whole side of the tree seemed to be alive and making that swizzling sound.

There are 14 weaver species in southern Africa, of which 12 are found in South Africa and all but three have predominately yellow plumage.

I noticed two types of weavers at Lake Panic, the Village weaver and the Lesser masked weaver. I did not get an image of a Southern masked weaver and at the time mistook the Village for a Southern masked weaver. All three species prefer to live in large colonies and build similar sized nests in trees with branches which hang over water.

Many birds build unusual nests but the weaver bird is the only one that has the ability to weave and tie knots. The weaver tears strips of fresh grass or shreds reed streamers off their stem and selects a suitable thin branch which extends out over the water to start tying its knots to anchor the nest to the branch. The first knots are structurally critical as they secure the nest chamber to the branch. The males do the structural building of the nest. The next image is of a male Village weaver in the early stage of his construction, assembling the structural hanging frame.

The male will build the basic structure of the nest by weaving threads of grass and reed to form a sturdy shell fully enclosed but for a circular entrance under the front of the nest. The nest is accessed from beneath to make access more difficult for anything but a weaver bird. Different species of weavers have there own style and shape of nest, each with its own different shaped entrance, some even have a long tunnel entrance into the nest shell.

Weavers are known for their roofed nests which are complex hanging woven chambers which male weaver birds construct during mating season to attract prospective mates.

Once the male has completed the basic structure of the nest he will go out of his way to attract a passing female with lots of calls. He also displays by hanging underneath the nest and twists and turns while flapping his wings. His bright yellow plumage must catch the female’s eye and then his display under the nest shows how well it has been constructed.

Impressed with the position, structural integrity of the woven nest shell and the male’s virile display, the female will then inspect the nest. If it passes her inspection she will begin to line the nest in preparation for mating and egg laying. The females are extremely choosy and males often have to tear apart their hard built nest and start again until he meets a female’s demanding standards. The nest building and attracting females continued irrespective of the rain.

“And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.”   G. K. Chesterton

The rain was intermittent and all of the “birders”, apart from Helen and I left the hide because of the rain and because there was nothing obvious going on. Both species of weaver continued flying from their nests to the reeds directly in front of the hide to gather nest building material. The male weaver would carefully strip off a long thread of reed or strand of grass and fly back to his nest and busily weave it into his nest structure.

All the weavers in the colony were very talkative as they were nest building and trying to attract partners. The chatter was noisy. Then all of a sudden, in unison, the entire colony went silent. Not one weaver flew to or from his nest. The entire pond area became dead quiet. It was so noticeable we were quite taken aback for a while and then realised there must be a raptor or predator around. We scanned the banks of the pond and could see nothing. Then, at the top of a dead tree overlooking the large acacia at the opposite side of the pond, was a Little Sparrowhawk.

These Little Sparrowhawks like riverine forests and woodlands and they also like weavers. The Little Sparrowhawk likes to perch concealed in a nearby tree then ambushes the unsuspecting weaver by swooping down on it before it has time to escape. We never saw this Little Sparrowhawk catch a weaver but it tried quite a few times before giving up and flying off. Each time the raptor flew into the colony the chattering stopped immediately and the weavers froze. The colony operated as one living organism and each member cooperated for the safety of the whole.

“Why is it you can never hope to describe the emotion Africa creates? You are lifted. Out of whatever pit, unbound from whatever tie, released from whatever fear. You are lifted and you see it all from above.” ~ Francesca Marciano

Colonial nest building is a defence against predators There are more eyes to look for danger so there is safety in numbers. That does not seem to stop predation from small raptors and harrierhawks, or brood parasitism from cuckoos, honeyguides, Indigobirds, whydahs and cuckoo-finches. The Diederick’s cuckoo and Greater honeyguide are generalist parasitic breeders. We heard many Diedericks cuckoos in the surrounding trees, possibly for good reason, as the weaver breeding season is from October to March and we were there right in the middle of the breeding season.

“… fortune is not in time or place or things; but, good or bad, in the man’s own self for him alone to find and prove.” ~ Percy FitzPatrick

The more I watched the weavers flying back and forth gathering nesting material more I noticed differences in them. I had never noticed the mixed colony before with Village and Lesser masked weavers all co-mingled in the same large colony. The Village, Southern masked and Lesser masked weavers all have yellow plumage on the throat, breast and under tail coverts. Below the nape, the back feathers are speckled yellow and black, and the wing feathers are dark brown to black with yellow borders.

The main physical differences lie in their size and the position of the black face mask and eye colour. The Village weaver has a black face mask and a yellow crown which extends down to its beak, and it has red eyes and pinkish legs. The Southern masked weaver looks very similar but is smaller. It also has a black mask but its mask extends over its forehead just above the beak. It also has red eyes and pinkish legs. The Lesser masked weaver is the smallest of the three masked weavers. Its black face mask extends over the top of its forehead and it has yellow eyes and dark grey legs.

Time and again all the chattering in the colony would suddenly stop. There would be no sounds from any of the weavers. Every weaver was dead still. Even the weavers stripping strands off the reeds directly in front of the hide went dead quiet and still. We now knew that the sudden quiet signalled danger for the colony. This time it turned out to be a Gabar goshawk. It must have flown in (out of sight) from behind the trees and then settled down semi concealed in the branches near the weaver nests to wait for a hunting opportunity. The Gabar goshawk is identified by its grey plumage, red cere and red legs. It has light horizontal barring on its breast and belly and a white rump. It has horizontal thick black and grey bars on its tail feathers.

This Gabar had a few sorties among the weavers without success and eventually flew off. These small raptors do a good job of terrorising the weavers. It was fascinating to watch how this colony worked cooperatively to ensure its safety.

Research done by Nicholas E. Collias of the University of California has shown that social signals of a species are social signals and guides to its social life. Vocal signals are composed of basic elements that vary in duration, frequency, loudness, and tonality of notes. Sound spectrograms were made of 21 of the 26 vocal signals in the extensive vocal repertoire of the African Village Weaver. Short-distance contact calls are given in favorable situations and are generally characterized by low amplitude and great brevity of notes. Alarm cries are longer, louder, and often strident calls with much energy at high frequencies, whereas threat notes, also relatively long and harsh, emphasize lower frequencies. Each male displays his newest nest in a colony with an individually distinctive call to unmated females. The most harmonic calls of the species include a loud call by a male when an unmated female first enters his nest, and also very soft, brief notes given by parent birds to attract a fledgling. Males use somewhat different songs to defend territory, for courtship, and for advertisement.

“To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter… to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring – these are some of the rewards of the simple life.”~
John Burroughs

I will never again look at a humble weaver colony the same way, I will always stop and take some time to take in the dynamics of the colony and its surroundings.

“Art helps us see with new eyes what we knew was there but never really recognized. I photograph not to record or document—but rather, to capture and hold, just for a moment, the essence of what exists beyond the scene.” ~ Robert Hall

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

Have fun, Mike