Mashatu Game Reserve is located in south eastern Botswana. It is a dry part of Botswana where the rains usually only fall between November and April each year. In September, it is early spring in Mashatu and is very dry.

I am fortunate to be part of a syndicate which operates Rock Camp, a bush camp, located along the Limpopo river in Mashatu close to the Pont Drift border post. The camp has a water hole in front of it which attracts a variety of animals during the winter and spring months. The camp also has several stone bird baths which are filled daily and attract birds during the dry period. The stone bird baths are concave and have been shaped by rural women manually grinding maize in food preparation over many years. Many of the birds shown in this post were photographed at the camp’s bird baths. Others did not seem to require water as regularly.

“In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.” ~ Robert Lynd

A Yellow-bellied bulbul or Greenbul. It can be identified by its olive-green upperparts and yellow underparts. It has a red eyes and clear white eyelids. I have only ever seen Greenbuls in Mashatu.

Another unusual visitor was this Terrestrial Bulbul or Brownbul. This bird has the GISS ( General Shape and Size) of a bulbul. It has dull light brown upperparts and whitish throat and underparts and it has a dark red eye. This insect eater prefers thickly vegetated habitats such as the croton groves along the Limpopo river.

An Ashy flycatcher with grey upperparts and white underparts. Its wing feathers and tail have a brownish tinge to them. This dainty little flycatcher prefers the riverine forests and broad leafed woodlands. It hawks insects from same perch which helps photographers.

A Grey-headed bushshrike taking a few deep drinks of water in the midday heat. You will invariably hear this bushshrike’s long piping call well before you see it. Its colours are vivid with a grey-head and a bright yellow eye. It has an olive green back and tail feathers. Its throat and belly are a bright yellow and its breast is orange.

A Tropical boubou slating its thirst on a warm day in Mashatu. The Tropical boubou distribution overlaps the Southern boubou in the south eastern section of Botswana. The Tropical boubou differs from its Southern cousin as it has a almost white underparts with a slight pinkish tinge where as its Southern cousin has a deeper cinnamon-orange wash on its belly and vent.

A White-crested helmet-shrike. This pied coloured shrike has black upperparts and white underparts. It has a white forecrown and the rest of the crown is grey. It has a black stripe on its cheeks and a striking bright yellow eye wattle. This species is noisy and normally flies in groups of between six and 12 birds.

“Listen to silence. It has much to say.” ~ Rumi

When driving along the dry river beds in the game vehicle we often find White-fronted bee-eaters which are resident in Mashatu. They hawk insects from either a branch jutting of the riverbank or from a protruding rock in the dry river bed. They seem to call to each other continuously. They have to regurgitate the exoskeleton of many of the insects they catch which is what this character is about to do.

A special treat, a yellow-morph Crimson-breasted shrike. We found it in the dry thorn veld along a drainage line in Mashatu. We were privileged to have extensive sightings of this unusual morph on two separate days.

A Crimson-breasted shrike singing away to its mate a few trees away next to the Appleleaf grove alongside the vlei in Mashatu. The crimson plumes on its underparts is one of the most vivid colours in the bush. This shrike is resident in Mashatu. It is unusual to have this shrike perched out in the open as they are usually very active moving in and through thorn bushes.

Similar to the White-fronted bee-eater, this Lilac-breasted roller was agitated by an intruder in its territory. This roller hawks insects from a perch but does not always return to the same perch. It also has to regurgitate the exoskeleton of the insects it feeds on.

A Sabota lark singing away from a dead branch in a prominent position. All larks have the distinctive white eyebrow but this species has a white throat with uneven streaks, and dark brown streaks on its chest. The Sabota lark is resident in Mashatu and its preferred habitat is Mopane woodland with sparse grass cover.

This was the first time I had seen a Great sparrow. It is the one and only individual that I have ever seen. It came down to the bird bath, had a deep drink of water and left never to be seen again. We see many Southern grey-headed sparrows which come down to drink at the birdbath every 45 minutes in the heat of the day.

” As a photographer you focus on your subject, time the interaction, take notice of your background, recognise the direction and quality of the light which is about seeing the whole rather than just the subject.” ~ Mike Haworth

Also regular visitors to the bird bath during the heat of the day are Blue waxbills. It is unusual to find power blue colours in the bush. Being very small they usually have to give way to the larger birds. These waxbills have powder blue plumes on their face, neck, chest, and flanks. Their belly is white and their upperparts are a light brown colour. The shape of the beak indicates that these diminutive birds are seed eaters.

A male Red-billed firefinch. This species is a frequent daily visitor to the camp’s birdbath. This firefinch has red underparts with white spots on its flanks. Its upper parts are a brownish red and it has a red rump. A key factor distinguishing this firefinch from the Jameson’s firefinch is its red beak. The shape of its beak shows it is a seed eater.

A male Jameson’s firefinch drinking from the camp’s birdbath in the middle of the day. Note this firefinch has a black to steel-grey beak. The underparts are more rose pink than red.

A Tawny-flanked prinia waiting for the traffic around the bird bath to clear. This is a slender, unstreaked warbler (prinias are sometimes called long-tailed warblers) which has a long graduated tail and has light brown upper parts and pale beige underparts. This prinia has a distinctive light coloured eyebrow. This small bird likes to forage in riverine scrub and thickets which are found along the Limpopo. The prinia’s beak is typical of an insectivore being thin and slightly curved.

A Red-billed buffalo-weaver. This is a large black plumed weaver with a vivid red beak. It has white streaks on its shoulders and flanks.

A family of Natal spurfowls came to drink when the bird bath was clear. These spurfowls will not come to the bird bath to drink if there is chatter and movement on the lodge’s patio near the bird bath. In the foreground are two juvenile Natal spurfowls with their mother at the back. Female spurfowls do grow spurs but they are smaller than those on the male legs. The juveniles had not yet started to develop spurs.

” Be quiet and be patient, you will begin to see subtleties, notice more and start to recognise the interconnectedness.” ~ Mike Haworth

The Brown-hooded kingfisher is a resident around the camp in the winter and autumn months. It seems to get pushed out by the Woodland kingfishers when they arrive in late spring. The Brown-hooded kingfisher is one of the five southern African kingfishers which do not hunt fish, but insects instead. The Striped Kingfisher can be confused with the Brown-hooded Kingfisher but the striped is the smaller of the two and has well defined stripes on its crown, a black eyestripe and its beak is two coloured with the maxilla being dark brown and the lower mandible being red. The Brown-hooded kingfisher has a red maxilla and mandible and no black eye band.

A Burchell’s coucal in an unusual position. It has creamy-white underparts, a black head, a ruby red eye and a black beak. It looks similar to a Senegal coucal but it has finely barred upper tail coverts which can be seen backlit.

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” ~ Mohandas Gandhi

A female Red-crested korhaan. These korhaans are shy and will immediately start walking away from you as soon as they see you. The female has light brown upperparts with distinctive white V marks. It has a white breast and black belly plumes. The female does not have the red crest which the male uses during mating displays.

The birds I have shown were mostly seen around the bird bath in camp. The migrants had not yet arrived and when they do arrive they significantly multiply the numbers and species of bird that can bee seen. The several different ecosystems in Mashatu facilitate the diversity of birds resident in the south eastern part of Botswana.

“In silence there is eloquence. Stop weaving and see how the pattern improves.” ~ Rumi

A bird bath in a bush camp is likely to attract many different types of birds especially in the drier times where water is hard to find. Many of the birds are skittish and not used any close proximity to human activity. I have found the best time to photograph birds around the camp bird baths is after everyone has had brunch and they retire to their rooms for a siesta. When it is quiet in camp it is remarkable how many birds arrive at the bird bath. Some are regular daily visitors and come down to drink every hour or so, such as the waxbills, sparrows, weavers and starlings. Others visit occasionally.

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

Have fun, Mike

September in Mashatu is early spring but the rains have not fallen for the past five months so it is very dry, especially away from the main rivers. At this time of the year we get out of camp at 6h00 every morning because sunrise is a few minutes before 6h00.

“It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.” ~ Aristotle

This particular morning, our guide Justice, decided to drive along the M1 past the airfield. The M1, as it is affectionately known, is the main gravel road from the Pontdrift border post to Mashatu main and tented camps. We had been driving for about half an hour when Justice received a message over the radio that there were five cheetahs about 100 metres off the M1 opposite the airfield.

“Wake up early every day so that while others are still dreaming, you can make your dreams come true.” ~ Hal Elrod

After a short search we found the five cheetahs scattered about thirty metres apart lying down in the shade of various acacia and shepherd trees. The cheetah in the image below was playing with dried out ball of elephant dung. All cheetahs, even when they are a few months old, have black tear markings from under their eyes running either side of the nose down to the mouth. These black tear markings are thought to reduce the sun’s glare and improve focus on the targeted prey when moving at speed.

The five cheetahs comprised a cheetah mother and her four almost fully grown male cubs. The flick of the tail showed that the tail is flat from about 200mm from the body. The tail is flattened on a vertical axis and acts as a rudder when the cheetah is moving at high speed.

The terrain was very dry which helped the photography and also helped the cheetahs see further under the trees. You will notice that cheetahs do not all lie in the same direction. This is so they can see an incoming threat or prey from any direction.

We watched the cheetahs resting in the shade for about fifteen minutes when all of sudden all five cheetahs got up very quickly and rushed off together.

One of the cheetahs saw a leopard walking some distance away. Usually a cheetah would not take on a leopard which is much stronger and more aggressive. The leopard saw the incoming cheetahs in time and bolted.

The leopard decided not to take on the five cheetahs and climbed up a small shepherd’s tree. The cheetah were highly excited chirping constantly and moved to within 20 meters of the leopard in the shepherd tree. Cheetahs are able to climb inclined trees or trees with little vegetation but their climbing ability is restricted by their non-retractable claws. They climb the trees to be able to see further across the plains. These cheetahs could not have climbed the dense shepherd tree to get at the leopard.

The stand-off lasted a few minutes after which two of the cheetahs lost interest and started to move away. That was the cue for the leopard to get out of the shepherd tree and make a dash for it. The movement immediately triggered a reaction of all the cheetahs and they chased after the leopard. Realistically, not even five cheetahs would take on the leopard in a fight but the leopard was taking no chances and when the cheetahs were closing in, it scaled up a heavily thorned acacia tree. I looked at the size of the thorns in that acacia and the leopard must have been severely pricked by all the thorns.

“Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected. Sustainability is about survival. The goal of resilience is to thrive.” ~ Jamais Cascio

Eventually, it became clear to the cheetahs that the leopard was not going to come down from the acacia while they were around so they lost interest and moved off.

All the excitement caught the attention of a lone Spotted hyaena which came over to investigate. When the hyaena arrived on the scene all it found were five cheetahs lying the the shade so it moved off too.

The cheetahs lay in the shade for some time. They had moved quite a distance from the treed leopard and the hyaena disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

After a period one cheetah rose and started to move off with its eyes fixed on something in the distance. The other four watched the lone cheetah walking off with intent.

The other cheetahs quickly picked up on the targeted prey which was an impala. The cheetahs must have run half a kilometre before eventually catching their prey. The take down was too far away for the hyaena to have seen what had happened. The hyaena would have tried to steal the carcass if it had seen what had happened. Immediately after the chase the cheetahs needed to catch their breath and rest due to the buildup of lactic acid in their muscles.

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” ~ Henry Ford

For a long time wildlife guides indicated that cheetahs overheat in a hunt and need to cool down before eating their prey. In an article published by the Royal Society, researchers Robyn Hetem et al, studied cheetah hunts at the Tusk Trust Cheetah Rehabilitation Camp within the Okonjima Nature Reserve which is home to the AfriCat Foundation. The research team found that body temperature averaged 38.4 degrees centigrade when the chase was terminated. Storage of body heat did not compromise hunts. The increase in the body temperature following a successful hunts was double that of an unsuccessful hunt even though the level of activity in the hunts was similar. The research paper proposed that the increase in body temperature following successful hunt was a stress hyperthermia, rather than an exercise-induced hyperthermia (https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0472).

Cheetah’s eat their kill fast as it is often stolen by hyaenas or leopards. While the others were feeding there is always one or two cheetahs standing guard looking out for potential threats.

All the cheetahs got to feed on the kill without interruption. The cheetah mother is clearly a superb mother being able to bring up four male cheetah cubs almost to adulthood in a place where lions, leopards and hyaenas were ever present.

We must have spent around 90 minutes with this cheetah family experiencing the period of calm, the threats from unexpected visitors and eventually managing to get a successful kill which they got to finish themselves without interruption.

The interaction with the leopard is something that none of us had ever seen before especially when the appearance of the hyaena looked like it was going to destroy our chances any further action from the cheetahs. Given that cheetahs use a stalk and chase hunting strategy, if the hyaena had decided to shadow the cheetahs it would have seen the chase. The chase and kill took place more than half a kilometre from where we saw the hyaena so thankfully there was no interruption by the hyaena.

“You have got to be out there to experience unusual sightings. Fortune favours those who go out and look for the unexpected. Sitting in your armchair dreaming of fascinating experiences will never build memories and create stories.” ~ Mike Haworth

Our vehicle and one other game viewing vehicle were privileged to experience a fascinating morning watching this family of five cheetahs go through a gambit of experiences.

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

Have fun, Mike

Mashatu offers a variety of raptors many of which are resident but their numbers build as migrants arrive for the summer. I did not see a Martial eagle this trip but there is a pair resident in Mashatu and I am told that Black eagle’s have been seen hunting dassies in the rock outcrop next to Rock Camp near the Limpopo river.

I have a penchant for raptors which started in high school at Falcon College in Zimbabwe where falconry was encouraged as an extra mural activity and there was an active ornithological society which was overseen by our english teacher, Peter Steyn, now a recognised authority on raptors.

“If I have ever seen magic, it is in Africa.” ~ Ernest Hemmingway

A favourite of the larger raptors is the African Hawk-eagle. This is one of the most aggressive predators I have come across and it hunts in pairs making it even more dangerous. The female is the larger of the pair. Once the morning air warms up sufficiently for thermals to develop this pair of African hawk-eagles can be regularly seen soaring over Mashatu. This species prefers assorted woodland in drier areas. It is a relatively large diurnal and non-migratory bird of prey.

The African hawk-eagle can be mistaken for a Martial eagle from a distance but the Martial is around 30% larger than the African hawk-eagle and has dark brown plumage on its throat and chest whereas the African hawk-eagle has dark streaking from just below its beak and eyes down to its legs. The African Hawk-eagle has a varied diet preying upon birds, from francolins to hornbills and guineafowl. It also feeds on mammals (such as hares, dik-diks, squirrels, monkeys, and mongoose), reptiles and occasionally on insects.

Even though the main river coursing through Mashatu, the Majale, is seasonal, we often see Fish eagles along this river. Sometimes there are remaining pools of water which have trapped Catfish. More often than not in spring the Fish eagles can be seen along the Limpopo river on the southern and eastern border of Mashatu where large pools of water remain throughout the year.

A closeup of the Fish eagle reveals how big this raptor is, with its large strong beak to rip open its prey. Its feet has rough soles and are equipped with powerful talons to enable it to grasp slippery aquatic prey. When the fish are few and far between the Fish eagle will adapt and catch water birds such as ducks, ibis, storks, herons, Greater and Lesser flamingos, also small turtles and terrapins, baby crocodiles, lizards, frogs, and carrion. African fish eagles are known to steal the catch of other bird species (such as Goliath herons), which is behavior known as kleptoparasitism. Its distinctive cry is one of the more evocative sounds of Africa.

“Hearing a Fish eagle cry you are transported to a cathedral of large trees lining a river in Africa. It is early in the morning, it is fresh, the colours are soft pastels blues, mauves, greens, and apricots, the air is still and the river reflects the sky.” ~ Mike Haworth

A juvenile Gabar goshawk hunting red-billed queleas from a hidden vantage point. This is a small goshawk and the juvenile has quite different coloured plumage to the adult which has grey upper parts, a light grey throat and chest and grey horizontal barring on its belly legs and rump. Gabars tend to hunt in pairs. They perch on the sides of bushes and trees, waiting for hunting opportunities. They are highly agile and can climb through branches to attack their prey. Given their small size they prey on queleas and weavers and juvenile francolin and guineafowl. These goshawks will also prey on small mammals, reptiles and insects.

A melanistic Gabar goshawk perched on a dead tree trunk next to the Apple Leaf grove alongside the vlei. This is a dark morph and is seen occasionally. It seems to be able to hunt just as effectively as its normal coloured cousin. Melanism is known to occur more regularly in the Gabar goshawk than in other species of birds.  It is caused by an excess of the dark pigment in their feathers making the birds look dark all over.  This is one of the few raptors recognised to be polymorphic and the melanistic morph occurs in up to 25% of individuals in some areas.

A Greater kestrel is not often seen in Mashatu. It has a beige plumage with brown streaks on its throat and chest and brown bars on its upper parts and belly. It is a perch hunter. It feeds mainly on invertebrates such as grasshoppers, termites, beetles and sun spiders. It also preys on lizards and sometimes small birds, mammals and snakes.

“The eye never forgets what the heart has seen.” ~ African proverb

This Greater kestrel was perched on top of a Shepherd’s tree. These raptors are often seen perching conspicuously in an isolated tree which gives them a good view of the surrounding area. It is usually found in semi-desert, grassland, and arid savanna which in winter and spring makes Mashatu one of its hunting grounds.

A Verreaux eagle-owl first thing in the morning. These large owls are nocturnal hunters so retreat to the deep shade of a large Apple Leaf of Mashatu tree when the sun rises high in the sky. We usually see a pair of Verreaux’s eagle-owls when we leave camp first thing in the morning. They seem to enjoy the thick foliage of the Apple Leaf trees next to the rock outcrop near Rock Camp. This is the largest owl in Africa. Apart from its large size, an easy identifiable feature is its whitish face and noticeable pink eyelids when it blinks. The ears have distinct ear tufts. This eagle-owl is known to hunt mammals such as genets, hares, small monkeys, squirrels, bats, rats, birds (including other owls) and mice. They will even go for a reptiles, insects and fish if available.

There are numerous Tawny eagles in Mashatu, including the different coloured morphs. The most common is the tawny coloured plumage seen in the image below. The image was taken to give some perspective as to the size of tree that this large eagle was sitting in. Tawny eagles are good hunters in their own right but are happy to feed to carrion if they find it before the vultures.

This is just a small selection of raptors that you can see while travelling around Mashatu. Its varied landscapes facilitates the diversity of birdlife. Mashatu is also home to Martial eagles, Dark chanting goshawks, Lanner falcons and a variety of vultures. Springtime heralds the arrival of the migrants such as Wahlbergs, Lesser spotted and Greater spotted eagles. You will not see Bateleur or Crowned eagles in this environment.

“Africa is mystic; it is wild; it is a sweltering inferno; it is a photographer’s paradise, a hunter’s Valhalla, an escapist’s Utopia. It is what you will, and it withstands all interpretations. It is the last vestige of a dead world or the cradle of a shiny new one. To a lot of people, as to myself, it is just home.” ~ Beryl Markham

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

Have fun, Mike

Mashatu is a private game reserve in the Tuli Block which is in south-eastern Botswana. It has several ecosystems which are unique in Botswana. Along the seasonal rivers the vegetation is relatively thick, and the river is lined with large trees such as Leadwoods, Apple Leafs and Nyala Berries (affectionately called Mashatu trees). In the dry season from May to November much of the wildlife congregates around the remaining pools of water in the seasonal rivers. Away from the rivers there are grasslands, sections of mustard bushes, groves of crotons and large areas of mopanis and of dry acacia thornveld.

It is in the areas of acacia thornveld that we find Mashatu’s crimson jewels, Crimson-breasted shrikes. These shrikes have black upper parts and their tail is black. This shrike’s throat, chest and belly and vent are all a stunning scarlet-crimson red colour. Its beak is black and it has a purplish grey iris. It has a white flash on each wing, which is mainly black. The white flash does not show under the wing only on the upper side of the wing and by the look of it the white flash extends from the primary coverts to one or two primary feathers, similar to the Southern Boubou. Both sexes have the same colouration and are monomorphic.

Similar to the Southern boubou which is found along the rivers in Mashatu, this is a restless insect eater continuously hopping along the ground in search of insects and moving up and down and in and out of acacia thorn trees and semi-arid scrub.

Thankfully, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has rated this shrike as a “least-concern species”. That said, this shrike species is more often heard than seen. While this is not a shy bird but it is constantly moving which makes it relatively difficult to get a decent photograph of it. As is so often the case, persistence will reveal one shrike that will pose beautifully allowing worthwhile images to be captured.

Although it rates as a “least concern” species, it is usually only found in specific dry thornveld areas. In Mashatu, the shrike is non-migratory so we the Crimson-breasted shrikes in similar areas throughout the year.

In my experience, this species of shrike is more often found in pairs. Their breeding season is from October to January and the female lays two to three eggs which are incubated for around 16 days. The eggs vary in colour. All have variable sized brown blotches but the base shell colour varies from cream or light brown to a light blue-green colour. The Black cuckoo is known to be a brood parasite which lays its eggs in the cup-shaped nest of the Crimson-breasted shrike.

I have been visiting Mashatu regularly for 12 years and only in late 2022 did I see a yellow-morph Crimson-breasted shrike. This is only the second time I have seen one, the first occasion was at White River country club in Mpumalanga. The usual scarlet crimson red throat, chest and belly plumage is a vivid yellow in the yellow morph. In all other respects, the yellow morph behaves in the same way as the normal Crimson-breasted shrike. It was interesting to note that the Scarlet-crimson and yellow morph shrikes do not mix. It is well known that plumage colouration is important for birds as it helps them a variety of ways such as camouflage, mate selection, social signalling and many other physiological and behavioural processes.

There are times when you can be misled by the colours of the plumage and often this is just because the bird is moulting. On more rare occasions you come across and bird with a genetic mutation which interferes with its normal pigment. These mutations can be leucism (reduced melanin), melanism (excess of dark pigmentation), xanthochroism (excess of yellow and orange instead of the red pigment) or erythrism (more than normal red pigment). The yellow morph Crimson-breasted shrike probably has xanthochroism which is a relatively rare condition but also occurs in the Black collared barbet where the red coloured plumage on the head and throat is replaced by yellow. I have yet to see this colour morph on a Black-collared barbet.

The Crimson-breasted shrike forages on the ground and in shrubs and small acacia trees mainly for insects such as ants, beetles, caterpillars and small fruits.

Once you have heard the call of a Crimson-breasted shrike you will not forget it as it is so distinctive. The voice is a loud, penetrating bell-like, flute-like, zipping or tearing sound ‘kirik-dzui-kirik’ with several other snarling or clicking notes. (Source: https://dibird.com/species/crimson-breasted-shrike/).

Seeing and watching this yellow morph Crimson-breasted shrike on three occasions and having enough time to watch its behaviour was very special. Other than it was alone, this shrike behaved the same way was as the normal Crimson-breasted shrike.

Whether the bird is just moulting or is a colour morph it is still crucial to look at the General Impression of Size and Shape (GISS) of the bird when trying to identify it. The shape posture, wing type, flying style, preferred habitat and habits are all factors in the identification, even if the colour is not the same as in the reference bird book.

The birdlife in Mashatu is prolific and varied. The types of birds you are likely to see is governed by the seasons. For instance, in the southern hemisphere most of the inter-african and Palearctic migrants only arrive around September. Mashatu’s crimson jewel is resident and can be seen all year round.

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

Have fun, Mike

On several occasions, long-standing friends, Bill and Judy Pierce, invited Helen and I for a weekend at their syndicated bush cottage in Eagle’s Rock estate. This is a private wildlife estate located about 15 kilometres north of Witbank in Mpumalanga, a province in South Africa.

“Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.” ~ Athenaeus

The Eagle’s Rock wildlife estate is located in the flat farming area outside Witbank which is rapidly developing into an opencast coal mining area. This wildlife estate was unique because its eastern and northern border was the Olifant’s river which flows northwards from the Witbank dam to the Loskop dam and onto join the Letaba river in Kruger National Park.

The Olifants river has cut a steep canyon through the red sandstone in the area, an impressive feature which you would not know existed by just looking at the flat farming and mining surrounds. Eagle’s Rock estate has a unique geological character which determines the diverse flora, fauna and birdlife found on it. The red sandstone in the canyon is highly weathered and has developed steep cliffs in sections along the river.

“The river has great wisdom and whispers its secrets to the hearts of men.” ~ Mark Twain

The steep cliffs on sections of the canyon used to be home to White-backed vultures and are now home to baboons, dassies, Black eagles, and Peregrine and Lanner falcons.

One of my favourite things to do here was to get up early when everyone was still asleep, after an evening of fun and laughter, and drive around the estate as the sun was rising to watch all the diurnal wildlife getting started. It is not only the wildlife that is entrancing but the insects and flora too. First thing in the morning, this Common Dotted Border was sipping moisture from the wet soil.

One of the sand roads on the estate follows a valley on the northern side of the estate which has abundant flora and fauna. There are two dams on the river course, and I have often seen kudu and klipspringers on my wanderings. There are Cocqui francolin and Natal spurfowl and many species of seed eating birds in this river course.

Around the dams we have seen Marsh owls, several species of duck and of course in the evenings the frog orchestra warms up for its nightly symphony.

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

This Eupatorium was just one of the many flowers blooming along the sand track adjacent to the stream trickling down the valley.

You need to be wide awake when photographing Black eagles from the sandstone cliff edge. It is very exciting when these huge eagles fly past. Being caught up in all the excitement it would be very easy to take a step in the wrong direction and free fall about 300 metres to the bottom of the gorge. Even with that risk it was still a wonderful opportunity to photograph Black eagles in their natural habitat.

“Rivers are places that renew our spirit, connect us with our past, and link us directly with the flow and rhythm of the natural world.” ~ Ted Turner

While waiting for the Black eagles to appear there are always the Speckled pigeons which inhabit the cliffs. These pigeons together with numerous Little swifts are constantly flying past . On occasion, I have seen Fish eagles and even a Martial eagle fly along the river course. I have spent many happy hours musing over the beauty and majesty of this place and what a privilege it is to have your own private Black eagle viewing spot.

You need to remain alert as the Black eagles appear quickly from behind the ridge. They make no sound so you only have a visual cue. They can either come from high after riding a thermal or from down in the valley using the updraft to lift them up.

The pair of Black eagles usually fly together and use the updraft from the canyon to fly along the canyon. This gives a photographer many wonderful opportunities to get relatively close shots of these magnificent eagles gliding past.

From the eagle look-out point looking east up the Olifants river you can see the Presidentsrus resort which is mostly hidden by the cliff at the bend in the river. The Black eagles often sit on the red sandstone rocks. From this vantage point you get an almost 360 degree view of their hunting area. This vantage point also gives them close access to the nest which is about three hundred metres along the valley.

Once the sun has risen and it has warmed up enough for thermals to start developing, I usually drive to an eastern section of the estate where there is a resident pair of Black eagles which have produced offspring almost every year. There is a three hundred metre walk through the rocks to get to the edge of the sandstone canyon. From the main vantage point, you can see up and down the canyon. From this point you can also see the nest that the Black eagles use to raise a chick each year.

The male Black eagle is smaller than the female. The adult Black or Verreaux’s eagle is mostly jet-black in colour. The eye ring and cere are yellow, and the beak is horn grey with a black tip. When these magnificent eagles are flying and when seen from above the white on the back, rump and upper-tail coverts and part of the scapulars form a distinctive V-shaped patch.

There are plenty of dassies on the sandstone rocks which are a favourite part of the Black eagle’s diet. Dassies make up around 90% of this eagle’s diet.

It is a real thrill to watch these huge Black eagle’s fly past. During the breeding season which is in late winter the eagles are very busy preparing and repairing their huge stick nest structure sitting precariously on a cliff ledge.

These Black eagles are inquisitive and often fly above “our” lookout point just to check up on what we are doing as the lookout point is about 50 metres above and 50 metres away from the nest.

The weather in the late afternoons in summer can be quite colourful and dramatic. This was the view from the cottage patio looking north onto the gorge as a storm was building.

“There is something massively energising about the gathering storm. The gathering builds expectations of wild skies, where flashes of forked lightning were followed by booming thunder claps. The sky darkens, there is wind in your face and you can smell the rain coming.” ~ Mike Haworth

The last weekend we spent will Bill and Judy at Eagle’s Rock estate, a thunderstorm developed and with the lightning came the thunder. The view from the patio gave us the sunset to the west and the thunderstorm to the east which was both beautiful and dramatic.

As the storm moved west and the sun set the sky darkened and we got to see nature’s light show with sundowner in hand. It is very humbling to watch mother nature display like this.

“The thunder speaks, but the lightning strikes.” ~ Zulu proverb

The last time we visited Eagle’s Rock estate was in the March of 2020 just before the lockdown for the Covid-19. Bill and Judy’s syndicate has subsequently sold their bush cottage at Eagle’s Rock estate. We spent many happy weekends as guests of Bill and Judy over the years. There was always something to see during the days with long walks around the estate and at times down to the valley floor which took some navigating.

“Old friends are like wine — they grow much sweeter and more valuable as they get older. And they are irreplaceable.” ~ Ron Hale-Evans

Natural wild places and time spent with long standing friends is the perfect tonic and a great way to share ideas and have much fun and laughter together. Thank you Bill and Judy for many wonderful times spent with you at Eagle’s Rock.

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

Have fun Mike.