In April 2016, my daughter Lauren and I were fortunate enough to spend four days on photographic safari with CNP Safaris on the Chobe River. A big thank you to friend, guide and excellent photographer, Johan Greyling for a productive four days on the river..

“Wild rivers are earth’s renegades, defying gravity, dancing to their own tunes, resisting the authority of humans, always chipping away, and eventually always winning.”

~ Richard Bangs & Christian Kallen, River Gods

The Chobe river flows along part of the northern border of Botswana. We were lodged at Chobe Safari Lodge in Kasane and went out on the CNP photographic boat every morning and afternoon up the Chobe river between Kasane and Serondela. This part of the river stretches up to the Chobe Game Lodge  and further upstream for another six or seven kilometres, all of which is in the Chobe National Park. 

I have been on the Chobe river before in April but the river was much higher than usual. The high waters enabled us to access places which were normally only available to the road safari vehicles.  The special aspect about the boat is that it gives photographers a unique perspective and the animals allow the boat to come closer than they would a road vehicle.

“Sit by a river. Find peace and meaning in the rhythm of the lifeblood of the Earth.”

~ Anonymous

The high waters were at least two months early and the river’s water level was the highest I have ever seen it. This was a paradox considering southern Africa is in the grip of the worst drought in over 20 years. The headwaters of the Chobe form on the slopes of Mount Tembo  and build into the Cuando river which flows through the central plateau in Angola into Namibia’s Caprivi Strip and into the Linyanti Swamp on the northern border of Botswana. Down river, below the swamp the river is called the Linyanti which flows west and becomes the Chobe River, before it flows into the Zambezi River.

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
~George Bernard Shaw

The high waters were a playground for not only Chobe’s massive Elephant herds, but also for the festival of water birds along the river. In this post, I have focused on one unusual water bird, the African Jacana. This is one of the two Jacanas found in southern Africa, the other is the Lesser Jacana. I was really hoping to get some decent images of the Lesser Jacana but they are seldom seen. All the conditions seemed right but we never saw one.

We found quite a few Jacana fathers with their chicks. The abundant Jacana chicks were unusual for this time of the year, as it was a later than usual. African Jacanas build a rough floating raft of water-lily stems and grass. The nest is not specially lined and the conical eggs are laid straight onto this rough floating raft. African Jacana females lay approximately four glossy eggs which are camouflaged with different markings. Once the eggs are laid, the female leaves the male to incubate them.

Jacana chicks are born precocial. According to Stanford Education Group, a precocial bird is “capable of moving around on its own soon after hatching.” There are degrees of precociality. Level 1 means the chicks are totally independent of their parents immediately after hatching. Level 2 of precocial development is found in ducklings and the chicks of many waders. They follow their parents but find their own food, which is what jacanas chicks do. The precocial chicks hatch with their eyes open, they are covered with down, and are capable of leaving the nest soon after hatching (they can walk and often swim).

The chicks would stay close to the river grass and reeds when their father was not close by, as they could quickly hide in the grass if threatened.

These new-born jacana chicks were foraging for snails, flies and small insects which landed on the water lilies.

These tiny waders must be a few grams in weight and are about two inches in size.

Every five or ten minutes the father would make a sound (which I could not hear) and the chicks all gathered around him and one-by- one tucked themselves under each of his wings.

At times the father would get up and walk with the chicks under his wings. In times of danger, the father is known to gather all the chicks under his wings and run across the water lilies to get his family into a safer area.

The African Jacana has evolved a  polyandrous mating system. This means that one female mates with multiple males and the male alone cares for the chicks. Such a system has evolved due to a combination of factors. Firstly,  jacanas live in a resource-rich environment so the energy expended by the female in producing each egg is minimal relative to its access to food. Secondly, the jacana lays an egg which can be equally well incubated by either parent.

The river is a dangerous place for new-born jacana chicks. There are raptors from above, water monitors in the grass and crocodiles and tigerfish in the water. When these chicks sense danger from above they either dash into the grass and reeds or alternatively dive under the water and float just below the surface with just their beaks protruding so they can breathe.

It was quite cold early in the mornings so every ten or fifteen minutes the male would fly back to his chicks and gather them under his wings, possibly to warm them up. They would remain nestled under his wing, two chicks under each wing for about five minutes before they started to get fidgety.

If an adult jacana stands on a flat round water-lily pad-like leaf too long it will slowly sink. The chicks do not have that problem.

One of the amazing aspects of the Chobe river, and it is true on any bush experience, it is never the same twice. This time the water levels were particularly high and this gave us a unique opportunity to photograph adult jacanas on lily pads in more open water which improved the backgrounds. Some mornings the water was so still it looked like blue glass.

When the wind blows its sometimes catches the underside of the water-lily pads lifting them up revealing a heavily textured underside with numerous veins. This also gives the jacanas an opportunity to search for snails and water insects which live under the lily pads. The flat round leaves have a waxy water-repellent upper side. The underside, however, seems to cling to the water by surface tension. Some water lily leaves are a purple brownish colour underneath. The pigments help concentrate the sunlight to maximise photosynthesis. The leaf stem is hollow and transports air from the surface to the underwater rhizomes which can grow to a massive size. Water Lilies grow best in calm freshwater.

The African Jacana is unique among Chobe’s water birds. Its colouring is striking with a bright blue frontal shield. This shield consists of a hard fleshy plate of specialised skin extending from the base of the upper bill over the forehead. This shield is thought to protect the face while the jacana is feeding in, or moving through, dense vegetation, as well as to courtship display and territorial defence. This shield is found in rail and jacana families.

“When people ask me what equipment I use – I tell them my eyes.”
~ Anonymous

The adult jacana has a  line of black feathers from its beak through its eye spreading out over its crown and neck. It has a golden necklace and its wings and body feathers are a rich chestnut-brown. Their most striking feature though, are their long legs and especially long toes which spread out over the water-lily pad enabling the jacana to distribute their light weight on the lily pad.

If jacanas are not looking for insects inside the water-lily flowers they are pecking insects off the surface of the lily pad.

The next few images show the African Jacana’s lily trotting ability.

“Taking pictures is savouring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.”
~ Marc Riboud

“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”
~Nhat Hanh

“We labour long and earnestly for peace, because war threatens the survival of man. It is time we labored with equal passion to defend our environment. A polluted stream can be as lethal as a bullet.”

~ Senator Alan Bible

Jacanas are good fliers and usually fly low over the water from one flotilla of lily pads to the next. This inevitably takes them into other jacana’s territories and causes conflict accompanied by much noise.

  

It is only once the African Jacana adult is flying that you get to see just how long its toes are.

African Jacanas are the ballerinas of the Chobe. They are very light on their feet and very nibble.

“Taking an image, freezing a moment, reveals how rich reality truly is.”
~ Anonymous

Jacanas don’t seem to show much respect for the water-lily flowers and often walk right over them once they have inspected their stamen for insects.

“Of course, there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask ‘how’, while others of a more curious nature will ask ‘why’. Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information.”

~Martin Parr

Although there are many jacanas along southern African water ways, it is seldom that you can get a clean shot of a jacana because they feed on insects on flotilla of water lilies and along river banks. We were lucky on this occasion finding a few relatively scattered waterlily pads in an open section of water which provided opportunities to shoot images of jacanas with clean backgrounds. This was in a section of water where we do not normally find water-lily pads but the flooded waters must have created this situation.

  

Late one afternoon on our way back to the lodge, we were making our way through the flooding grass when we came across this adult jacana, which was swimming. It did not try to fly away. We followed it for about ten minutes. African Jacanas are capable swimmers despite not having webbed feet but their very long toes do get caught in the grass under the water. 

At one point, we thought this might be a male which was carrying his chicks under its wings but the intervals between resting points were too long for the chicks to have survived. Another thought was that this bird was moulting but that was not obvious. We never got to find out why this Jacana was swimming and not flying.

I will never grow tired of climbing onto a boat and travelling up the Chobe river. Every journey is different, it offers new insights and mysteries revealed. I gain a deeper appreciation for how interconnected everything is with the river. The sublime beauty painted with soft hues, the peace at dawn punctuated by a fish eagle’s cry is heaven.

“Rivers hardly ever run in a straight line.
Rivers are willing to take ten thousand meanders
and enjoy every one
and grow from every one.
When they leave a meander,
they are always more
than when they entered it.
When rivers meet an obstacle,
they do not try to run over it.
They merely go around
but they always get to the other side.
Rivers accept things as they are,
conform to the shape they find the world in,
yet nothing changes things more than rivers.
Rivers move even mountains into the sea.
Rivers hardly ever are in a hurry
yet is there anything more likely
to reach the point it sets out for
than a river?”
~James Dillet Freeman

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

Have fun,

Mike

The two most abundant herbivores we saw in the Serengeti in March were Plains Zebras and Topis. The Plains Zebra is also called Burchell’s Zebra. These are the strange striped wild horses of Africa. There are three species of zebra in Africa, the Burchell’s or Plains Zebra, Grevy’s Zebra and the Mountain Zebra. The zebra’s stripes are an enigma in the savanna. For years, scientists have debated the evolutionary reason behind a zebra’s stripes. There is a reason for everything in nature so the first obvious question is why the zebra has such visible stripes in the bush veld where camouflage would be a evolutionary advantage in an environment seething with predators.

“These strange striped horses are caught in a permanent dance of  conflict and survival. Waves of zebras are caught in a desperate never ending race for survival. They trace ancient paths forming a delicate lacework in the sand, creating patterns in the grass.”

~Dereck Joubert

Zebras are nomads and follow the rain which leads to fresh new grass. Zebras have a characteristic neighing which has become an iconic sound on the plains and can be heard day and night. The next image was taken on our first afternoon out while watching a pair of the lions mating. The passing zebra were aware of the lions and gave them a wide berth.

Zebras stay in family groups within a bigger herd. They walk in strict hierarchy. Only the stallion can walk along the line. The zebras move in herds because they provide more eyes to watch for predators.

“We are the products of editing, rather than of authorship.”
~ George Wald

The riddle of the”painted horses'” stripes is progressively being decoded. One reason offered for their stripes is that in a herd, the stripes have a blinding effect on predators making it difficult for them to pick out a target in the blur of stripes. Other reasons have been offered:- 

In a fascinating article by National Geographic, Dell’Amore explains that the “stripe riddle” has puzzled scientists, including Darwin, for over a century. There are five main hypotheses why zebras have the stripes: to repel insects, to provide camouflage through some optical illusion, to confuse predators, to reduce body temperature, or to help the animals recognise each other. New analysis of the Plains Zebra show that temperature is the factor most strongly linked to striping: More specifically, the warmer it is, the more stripes on the zebra.

In a project supported by National Geographic Society’s Committee for Research and Exploration, Brenda Larison, a biologist at the University of California, together with colleagues , visited 16 zebra populations throughout Africa and studied their stripe patterns. They measured 29 different environmental factors – such as soil moisture, rainfall, prevalence of disease-carrying tsetse flies, and distribution of lions – looking for correlations to the stripe patterns across the zebra’s range. The two factors most correlated with the stripes were consistent temperature in a particular area and the average temperature during the coldest part of the year. Why temperature affects the number of stripes is another matter. One possible reason is that the black and white stripes absorb temperature at different rates creating micro eddies which provide a moderate cooling effect.

“Man masters nature not by force but by understanding. This is why science has succeeded where magic failed: because it has looked for no spell to cast on nature.”
~Jacob Bronowski

Another idea suggests that more stripes may be a barrier against disease, since disease-carrying biting flies, like horseflies, tend to like it hot. Experiments in the field have shown that biting flies don’t like landing on striped surfaces. While it gets warm in the Serengeti, rising to the early thirties centigrade, it does not get fiendishly hot, into the upper forties.

One stallion was walking with the group in the previous image, but must have got the scent of the mating lions on the wind. He stopped to get a good look to see exactly where and how many there were. These herds of zebra are usually the first to enter new grazing pastures. They trample down the long vegetation so the gazelle and wildebeest can follow.

We only saw one real fight among the thousands of zebra we saw. The fights are usually among males. They usually try to bite each other’s fetlocks or flanks. These two stallions decided to have a full on fight.

This fight was serious with one stallion going for the other’s neck, with intent.

  

What was more surprising was this fight went on for what seemed to be more than ten minutes. There was obviously a serious issue which had to be sorted out.

  

Further research by Professor Tim Caro, from the University of California, found that stripe visibility decreases dramatically as light falls. At dusk, when hunting by carnivores normally begins, humans can resolve stripes from greater distances than other mammals: 3 times those of lions, 5 times further than spotted hyenas, and 1.9 times more distant than zebras.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
~Attributed to Charles Darwin

This next image is of a small family group where one mare had a nasty gash on her shoulder from what must have been a lion attack. Hyaenas normally attack the rump. She obviously managed to get away. With luck it will not get infected and will heal, but zebra cannot lick their wounds clean, as they do not have the flexibility of cats. Zebras do tend to stand head to tail so each can use the other’s tail as a fly swat.

Births are usually timed to match the abundance of the new grass. Serengeti’s volcanic grasslands respond quickly to rain.  The new born foal imprints on the mother’s pattern from birth and its mother will shield the foal from seeing any other patterns for the first day or so. The stripes act as a kind of zoological barcode, allowing one individual to recognise another. Zebra mares do not adopt each others foals. The foal’s voice is also unique, and its survival depends on quick voice and pattern recognition. We saw many young in the various herds of differing ages. The abundance of young was a sure sign that the herd was migrating to new more abundant grasslands.

The zebra seemed to mingle easily with both topi and eland. The topi were more skittish and prone to gallop off in great numbers at high-speed .   Herbivores in the Serengeti take part in grazing successions in which species follow each other in characteristic sequences during their seasonal movements. In the Serengeti, the succession is zebra first, wildebeest second and lastly Thomson’s gazelle. The semi-migratory topi tend to associate with zebra. 

Zebra family groups are often thrown into disarray at night due to predator attacks. The next morning, Zebra families spent hours gathering together. The stallions are tireless in the quest to reassemble their family groups, calling until all the family members are together.

“Butterflies and Zebras And moonbeams and fairy tales, That’s all she ever thinks about Riding with the wind.”

~ Jimi Hendrix

On average, Plains Zebras are smaller than the other two species of zebra. They range in height from 1.0-1.5 metres and can weigh almost 450 kg. Plains zebras also have a different stripe pattern to the other species. They have broad stripes that run horizontally towards the back and vertically towards the front, meeting in a triangle in the middle of their bodies. They also have a stripe that runs down the center of their backs onto the tail. Plains Zebras also have underbelly stripes. Although all Plains Zebras share these similarities in stripe patterns, no two zebras have exactly the same pattern.  Foals are usually precocial and are up on their legs around 10 minutes after birth, and are able to walk within half an hour and run after an hour.

Down at the Ngokeo dam, we found a large herd of zebra where groups were coming down to drink in relays.

  

What was unusual about these zebra was that they walked deep into the water. This was unusual because the zebra have to cross a the number of rivers during their migration which are infested with crocodiles.  I would have thought they would have been programmed to be very wary of wading in too deep.

  

There must have been something about this dam that indicated to them there were no crocs in it. Perhaps it was that the dam was so far from the nearest river that the chances of  croc making it over land to the water was very remote. 

“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest – but the myth – persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.”
~John F. Kennedy

There were lions everywhere in the Serengeti. On the dam wall there were a couple of bushes and sure enough in the shade of one group of bushes were two young nomad male lions. They were definitely interested in the Zebra but there were too many eyes for them to make a surprise attack.

Invariably, when the rest of the group were drinking, there was always one zebra with its head up keeping guard.

The zebra were drinking deeply but their reactions were “hair-triggered”. It took very little to spook them and in a split second they spun around and gallop out of the water in a muddy spray. 

  

We must have watched the zebra for over an hour and the two young male lions did not move during that time.

There were groups of zebras which seemed to have a definite close bond.

“I asked the Zebra, 
are you black with white stripes? 
Or white with black stripes? 
And the zebra asked me, 
Are you good with bad habits? 
Or are you bad with good habits?”

~ Shel Silverstein

We found many large herds of zebra. They seemed to be clusters of family groups which had combined to walk through the high reed oat grass en mass. There is a strict hierarchy in the line of zebra from highest ranking at the front. The “harem” stallion is usually rear guard.

The zebra seemed to comfortably mingle with the topi, which were much more reactive to their environment. Perhaps the topi were early warning messengers.

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

~ Boyd Norton, Serengeti: The Eternal Beginning

  

We noticed that zebra, like many antelope drink in an arc, probably to get fresh water.

These strange striped horse of Africa are fascinating and are good example of the deeper you look into nature the more your discover its complexity and interconnectedness. Evolution has dictated that there is a reason for everything in nature.

“The zebras have arrived, like spirits they float through the ancient treeline. Bodies dancing in the heat haze, feet and legs lost in the mirage.”

~ Dereck Joubert from ‘Patterns in the grass’.

This is the last post from our Serengeti trip in March. A big thank you again to CNP Safaris and Wenzel Kotze for a wonderful, exciting and fascinating 10 days in a place I love.

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

Have fun,

Mike

Serengeti is known for its tree climbing Lions. On the open plains of the Serengeti, the trees are not in groves but are scattered around, with belts of trees and bushes on the fringes of the open plains.  The Balanites and Sausage trees seem to be preferred by the Lions.

“Every living thing is a masterpiece, written by nature and edited by evolution.”

~ Neil Degrasse Tyson

There are apparently four prime reasons for Lions climbing trees in this area. The first is that they are likely to catch any passing breeze higher in a tree rather than lying in the grass. Secondly, they have a good visual of the surrounding area and can see game approaching from afar. Thirdly, seemingly the tsetse flies due not bother them as much up in the trees. Finally, the Lionesses can get away from the cubs and get some peace.

After her stretch this Lioness walked down to the dam for a drink and was inevitably joined by a cub.

 

This female was not impressed with the cubs. She literally walked right over this cub.

“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They came through you but not from you and though they are with you yet they belong not to you.”

~ Khalil Gibran
The irritated Lioness walked away from the pride to a tree about forty metres away. First things first – she sharpened her claws to ensure her grip on the tree trunk she was about to climb. Looking at the muscular shoulders of this Lioness, she was one really powerful cat.

“Your mind is your best camera . . . Go out and take some beautiful pictures.”
~ Daryl Ryman

It is quite clear that Lions are not built for climbing trees due to their bulk. This Lioness, rippling with muscle, used all her strength to get into the tree. It also helps when you have grappling hooks on your feet.

Once in the tree she seemed to visibly relax and after a while looked quite content.

“Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated.”

~ Confucius

After  a decent break the Lioness decided to come down the tree – head first. She was still suckling her cubs so there must have been a call or sound that we did not hear which motivated her to come down. She walked straight over to her cubs and they started to suckle.

 

The next day we returned to the dam where we had found the pride from the previous day. They had moved some way from the dam but were still within easy walking distance of it. On this occasion our timing was good as we watched a number of the lionesses climb a tree in what looked to be an effort to get away from the constant demands of their cubs. One by one the Lionesses climbed the tree.

“If you desire to see, learn how to act.”
~ Heinz von Foerster

Some of the older cubs decided to follow their mothers to the tree and watched as they climbed the tree.

Each Lioness sharpened her claws on the trees trunk before climbing. This very young cub was mimicking its mother but had no chance of getting up the tree trunk

“We do not remember days, we remember moments.”

~ Cesare Pavese

 Peace at last. The Lionesses looked suitably relaxed and seemed to mould their bodies along the shape of the branches.

Lions are big and bulky so do not have the grace and ease of a Leopard in a tree. Watching these lions gingerly move about among the branches highlights their lack of natural tree climbing ability. Their awkward hesitance contrasts sharply with the agility and ease of a leopard’s movements in trees. 

Once up, they seemed to be quite comfortable.

“Learn to see, and then you’ll know that there is no end to the new worlds of our vision.”
~ Carlos Castaneda

The Lionesses could watch the cubs from above with out being constantly pestered by them or the flies.

 

Lion wind chimes!?!

This Lioness does not look comfortable but she lay in this position for over half an hour.

This Lioness looked reluctant to go down the tree to her calling cubs, knowing only too well that their needle-like teeth would latch onto her already tender nipples.

Some trees offer better shade and even camouflage. Comfort is a relative concept in the bush.

Peace does not last long. One of the older cubs decided to copy the adults and managed to get up the tree, then a second cub followed but only two were able to get up the tree trunk. The adults did not afford them any special place once in  the tree. They had to find their own spot.

“We never see anything completely. We never see a tree, we see the tree through the image that we have of it, the concept of that tree; but the concept, the knowledge, the experience, is entirely different from the actual tree.”
~ Jiddu Krishnamurti

Once up the tree the cub blended in well with the well feed adults.

One of the two cubs  managed to climb the tree. They were afforded no special positions in the tree.

Not comfortable with its position and no where to lie.

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

~ Buddha

It does not look comfortable but this Lion remained in the same spot for an hour and was still there when we left.

Every now and then a Lioness would descend the tree to go and attend to her cubs.

“One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.”

~ William Feather
Descending the tree was always face first but there was no jumping from great heights.

Slowly the mothering instinct took over and one by one the Lionesses descended the tree to attend to their calling cubs.

Climbing trees is unusual behaviour for most Lion prides, though it seems to be fairly common and repeated behaviour among specific prides. This may indicate that there is a measure of behavioural learning that occurs. Young Lions see older lions climb trees and copy the behaviour so the habit remains in that pride. And like any skill, the more that they do it, the more adept and confident they become. Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

“Life just seems so full of connections. Most of the time we don’t even pay attention to the depth of life. We only see flat surfaces.”
~ Colin Neenan

Have fun,

Mike

Serengeti is well known for its herds and predators. I visited the Western Corridor section of the Serengeti in mid-March around two months before the Wildebeest herds were due to arrive. I was surprised to see substantial herds of Zebra, Topi, Buffalo and Eland already heading northwards in the Western Corridor in mid-March. But another pleasant surprise was the variety of our avian friends. This post shows some of that variety.

“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

White-bellied Bustard adults have blue-grey necks. The adult female has a grey crown, a brown and buff line below the eye, and black speckling on the throat. The adult male has a black crown, black lines on his white cheeks, a black throat patch, and a pinkish-red bill.

This adult female White-bellied Bustard was busy stretching. I did not see the male  but they usually forage in pairs or small family groups.

 

A juvenile Yellow-throated Longclaw with breakfast.

This was an adult Yellow-throated Longclaw conspicuously perched on top of a bush declaring its territory. It was all puffed up as it had just been shuffling its feathers to get them back into place after the bird had been moving in what looked like a puzzle bush, Commiphora Africana.

Male Saddle-billed Stork perched on top of a dead tree getting ready to settle down for the night. It is easy to identify the male as he has a yellow wattle under his throat and a black eye.

This pair of Saddle-billed Storks settling in to roost for the night at the top of a dead tree, out of nocturnal harm’s way. They were busy preening and adjusting to the most comfortable position.

This was also a male Saddle-bill Stork, the female has no yellow wattle under its chin but has a yellow eye ring.

“Nothing but breathing the air of Africa, and actually walking through it, can communicate the indescribable sensations.”

~ William Burchell

At the dam where we found the large pride of Lions were a resident family group of White-faced Whistling Ducks. It was a flock of about 12 birds. They were surprisingly quiet, possibly because of the lions.

The characteristic whistling call of this duck is one of my favourite and an iconic sound along waterways in sub-Saharan Africa. This character was a little muddy because it had rained recently but they are exquisitely coloured ducks. They can comfortably stand dead still on one leg with no wobbling like we do.

At the same dam where we saw the White-faced Whistling Ducks were a number of passers-by. One such passer-by was this Hammerkop. Among certain African tribes the Hammerkop is believed to be the “lightning bird”. Among others the “lightning bird” is believed to manifest itself only through lightning, except to women, to whom it reveals itself as a bird. In these instances the bird is of imaginary nature and may take several forms. The lightning bird is a mythological creature in the folklore of the tribes of South Africa including the Pondo, the Zulu and the Xhosa. The impundulu (which translates as “lightning bird”) takes the form of a black and white bird, the size of a person, which is said to summon thunder and lightning with its wings and talons.

This Wood Sandpiper is a small wader with green-yellow legs. It has a dark brown streaked crown, white eyebrow, and dark line through eye. It also has white underparts with brown-gray streaks and marks on neck, breast, and flanks and a white rump. Its back is a grey-brown and its wings have a pale brown mottling. A group of sandpipers has many collective nouns, including a “bind”, “contradiction”, “fling”, “hill”, and “time-step” of sandpipers.

The Wood Sandpiper can easily be mistaken for a Green Sandpiper which has the same distribution but has darker colouring on its upper wing and back feathers and is lightly larger and dumpier than the more elegant Wood Sandpiper

 

This juvenile Grey Crowned Crane was foraging alongside its two parents quite close to the Grumeti Tented Camp. These youngsters definitely improve with age.

We came across many pairs of Grey Crowned Cranes scattered all over the Western Corridor. These two were performing a ritualised mating dance. This breeding display involves dancing, bowing, and jumping. This Crane has a booming call which involves inflating the red gular sac. It also makes a honking sound quite different to the trumpeting of other crane species.

There are two species of Crowned Crane in east and central Africa. The one species, which we saw in the Serengeti and which we see in southern Africa, is the Grey Crowned Crane. There is also a Black Crowned Crane which is found  in northwest Kenya and Uganda. The Black Crowned Crane looks similar in size and shape but its body feathers are black and it has different facial markings and less prominent red facial skin and red throat wattles.

These are exquisitely beautiful birds whose honking or croaking call does not match their feathered finery.

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”

~Langston Hughes

Tanzania and Kenya have an incredible variety of Barbets and Tinkerbirds. This next character is an Usambiro Barbet and found mainly in the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem.

Usambiro Barbets are usually found in pairs and are often  seen and heard performing a rattling duet. While “duetting” the pair bob up and down with their tails waving up and down.

A frequent visitor around the camp during the day, when we were editing our images, was this Slate-coloured Boubou. It was very inquisitive and would hop onto the tables where we were working presumably looking for food.  The Slate-coloured Boubou is one of four types of Black Boubou in East Africa but the only one found in the Serengeti area. It had that distinctive rich BouBou-like call.

As you would expect there are a huge variety of seed eaters in the Serengeti. This was a male Purple Grenadier similar to our Violet-eared Waxbill in southern Africa but with a much greater covering of purple on its breast belly and tail feathers.

The Silverbird is found in the Serengeti, western border of Kenya and Uganda. This is a Flycatcher which prefers wooded acacia and bushed grassland areas.

This Silverbird, in full plumage, was having a good stretch. Both sexes have similar colouring.

“I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while
I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more
distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any
epaulet I could have worn.” 
~ Henry David Thoreau

This White-headed Buffalo-Weaver was gathering grass for its nest which is a rough construction. The Buffalo-Weavers are weavers but are bigger, and heavier set with thicker bills than their normal weaver cousins. I think the White-Headed Buffalo-Weaver is the most attractively coloured of the three Buffalo-Weaver species found in East Africa

This Northern White-crowned Shrike is similar to its southern cousin but has a darker back and upper wing feathers and its white crown does not extend down its neck like its southern cousin.

These Northern White-crowned Shrikes gather in small flocks. As with many East African species of birds there is an extensive variety and these are one of the six species in the Helmet-shrikes clan.

East Africa has a fantastic array of Starling species which are grouped into Rufous-bellied, Bi-coloured, Glossy Blue, Red-winged and Elegant Starlings. This Superb Starling has a  small insect in its beak. The Superb Starling is similarly coloured to the Hildebrandt’s Starling but the former has a white eye and white colour stripe across its chest. Its nape and back feathers are bluer and not as purplish as the Hildebrandt’s Starling.

Its ordinary name belies the gorgeous colouring of this Grey-breasted Spurfowl. This Spurfowl has a grey chest and belly with black streaking which  is combined with blood chestnut stripes along its underparts.

This lone Grey-breasted Spurfowl was sitting on a branch jutting horizontally out of a large tree and in between extensive preening it was declaring to the whole world that this was its patch.

The Grey-breasted Spurfowl is slightly larger than the Red-necked Spurfowl which looks very similar but the former has  grey breast feathers and no white stripes on its neck and chest but does have chestnut stripes on its belly. The Grey-breasted Spurfowl has grey legs while the Red-necked Spurfowl has orange-red legs.

The white malar stripe is evident in both the Grey-breasted and Red-necked Spurfowl. The Grey-breasted Spurfowl is narrowly distributed in the western Corridor of the Serengeti.

“The very idea of a bird is a symbol and a suggestion to the poet.
A bird seems to be at the top of the scale, so vehement and
intense his life. . . . The beautiful vagabonds, endowed with
every grace, masters of all climes, and knowing no bounds — how
many human aspirations are realised in their free, holiday-lives
— and how many suggestions to the poet in their flight and song! “
~ John Burroughs

There are five woodland Woodpeckers in East Africa and they look very similar but can be identified according to their facial markings, breast spots or stripes and home ranges. The male woodpeckers, in all but the Green-backed Woodpecker, have a red stripe on either side of their throat.

Three species of male woodland Woodpeckers are found in the Serengeti, Nubian, Golden-tailed and Green-backed. The Green-backed does not have a red facial moustache and the Golden-tailed has streaked markings on its breast so I presume this must be a Nubian Woodpecker.

   

The Grey-backed Fiscal Shrike looks like the Fiscal Shrike we see in South Africa but has a long tail and has a black mask across its eyes and its fore crown.

These are noisy birds which like to gather and display by waving their tails up and down much like Wood-Hoopoes
 

Down at the Ngokeo dam the bird life was prolific. The Ngokeo dam was around 20 kilometres due east of the Grumeti camp.

I think this is a juvenile Yellow Wagtail. It certainly has the size and shape of a Wagtail. It also had the characteristic tail wag action.

This was a real beauty and a can only imagine how pretty the adult is, even with its highly varied head colouring.

This next little character looked like a juvenile Killitz Plover. It could be mistaken for a White-fronted Plover but the Western Corridor is not its distribution range.

These little Plovers tend to operate alone foraging along the water’s edge.

Again the Serengeti delivers a variety of Plovers and their larger Lapwing cousins. This next image is of a Black winged Lapwing.

This Lapwing, like most of its family, had a harsh, strident and staccato call.

We saw the occasional Kori Bustard in the Western Corridor but they were relatively scarce.

As in Mashatu, these Kori’s do not like you to get too close. The best place to get close up images of Kori Bustards is in the Ngorogoro crater.

Like the Kori, this Southern Ground Hornbill was striding out in the open grasslands foraging for anything from small birds to rats, insects, reptiles and snakes. The male has a bare bright red skin around its eye and has red throat wattles.

 

The female Southern Ground Hornbill looks very similar to the male but has a violet-blue coloured skin throat patch. 

These Ground Hornbills would rather walk away from you than fly but are capable fliers for a few hundred metres. When they do fly their bright white primary wing feathers are clearly visible.

 

“There is nothing in which the birds differ more from man than the
way in which they can build and yet leave a landscape as it was
before.”
~ Robert Lynd

This pair of Marabou Storks were bathing at Ngokeo dam. They are really ugly storks and tend to hang around on the fringe of all the action at a carcass because they  eat scraps as their beaks are not designed for tearing meat off the bones. Marabous have two inflatable air sacs, one bright red one at the base of their hind neck and a bulbous throat sac.

 

This was an unusual resting pose. It just shows that some yoga poses are very natural. A Marabou Stork’s legs are dark grey in colour but often appear white as they have been splattered with excrement.

On a few occasions we saw small flocks of Yellow-throated Sandgrouse drinking at the water’s edge of the Ngokeo dam. The male Yellow-throated Sandgrouse is a bulky Sandgrouse which has a pale Yellow throat encircled by a black band. Its wing coverts are a chestnut-brown and its belly is a dark chestnut-brown.

These Sandgrouse seemed to arrive at the dam around mid-morning just before we stopped for our coffee and rusk break. They fly in from foraging in the open grasslands for seed.

These Yellow-throated Sandgrouse seemed to always arrive in pairs, The female had a similarly coloured head but with no black neck-band. Her body and wing feathers are heavily mottled with black, brown and buff colouring.

This was a group of Egyptian Goose goslings. There were only five goslings left. The typical clutch size is around eight eggs.

Both Egyptian Goose parents were in attendance. The parents are highly aggressive towards any other birds which are a perceived threat.

A White Stork resting on a log partially submerged in the dam. Most of the White Storks where not “washing powder” white because it has been raining and it was reasonably muddy.

These White Storks, which had migrated down from Europe, spent most of their time foraging for food in the grass plains.

There were lots of Black-headed Herons in the Serengeti. They tended to forage close to water.

These Black-headed Herons are not fussy eaters and will devour frogs, reptiles, terrapins, baby birds and mice if they can find them.

“The bird of paradise alights only on the hand that does not
grasp.”

~ John Berry

We found this solitary White-winged Tern at Ngokeo dam. It would not let us get close but its colouring makes me think this was its non-breeding plumage.

Wattled Lapwing about to land in a patch of shallow water at the Ngokeo dam.

 

There were a pair of Wattled Lapwings at the water’s edge which were very busy defending their turf from lots of other passers-by.

One of the passers-by which was chased off was this Blacksmith Lapwing.

We saw African Hoopoes regularly  and they were usually foraging in the open patches of ground in the grasslands.

It is quite something to be a ground feeder in open Serengeti plains where there are some many animals constantly on the move.

We saw Spur-winged Lapwings both close to Grumeti tented camp and next to the Ngokeo dam

  

We saw this Black-faced Sandgrouse also down at the water’s edge of Ngokeo dam.  The various Sandgrouse species do not seem to mingle.

A female Black-faced Sandgrouse about to take off.

“Use those talents you have. You will make it. You will give joy
to the world. Take this tip from nature: The woods would be a
very silent place if no birds sang except those who sang best.” 
~ Bernard Meltzer

A girls morning out. This was a large “waddle” of female Ostriches. We could not work out why their were so many females together.

On many occasions we saw pairs of Ostriches but only once did we see a gathering of females like this.

The Two-banded Courser is easily identified by its heavily scaled upper parts and  two clear narrow black breast bands. 

These Coursers can be found on the open patches of ground in the vast grassy plains. This particular species of Courser has a call much like a Thick-Knee.

  

A large flock of Abdim Storks was resting along the side of the Ngokeo dam.  They were all standing around and preening themselves. I was intrigued by this congregation.We saw them once and never again.

I hope you enjoyed this narrow selection of the birds you could see in this part of the world. The variety of birds is spectacular.

“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

After taking our constitutional sunrise images on the Serengeti, the sun begun climbing into the clear blue sky heralding the start of a new and fascinating day on the plains. We decided to drive south towards the Grumeti ranger’s camp. It was sublimely quiet and fresh at that time of the morning. Suddenly Waziri, our ranger, speaking softly told is that there were two young Leopards in the middle distance off to our right. Waziri has the most incredible eyesight. Not one of us picked up the Leopards until we were told where to look. We turned off the main dirt road to drive into a grove of trees and low bushes to have a closer look.

“If intelligence is our only edge, we must learn to use it better, to shape it, to understand its limitations and deficiencies – to use it as cats use stealth, as katydids use camouflage – to make it the tool of our survival.”

~ Carl Sagan

We went to watch “rosettes in the dappled light”.

Two young Leopards were patrolling the tree line and its immediate grass surrounds. One Leopard optimistically decided to stalk a Topi. It was such fun to watch. It did not have a “rosetted” hope of pulling the Topi down and its game was in full view for us. The Topi was not fussed!!!

The optimistic youngster broke off its stalk as the Topi led it further out into the open away from the tree line.

“The only sure camouflage is unpredictability.”
~ Margaret Atwood

The “Topi stalking” Leopard turned its attention onto its companion and began stalking its friend. The two played this game for a few minutes before one made a dash for the tree line.

This was fun photography and something different as you very seldom see Leopards running

The two had such fun cavorting. The early morning light was soft and colours saturated, but our subjects were against the light .

There seemed to be sheer joy in their play!

Once out of the grass and in among the trees, the youngsters settled down. I managed to catch this young Leopard in an open patch of grass among the trees. What gorgeous, lithe, alert creatures. This leopard’s spots on its front graduated into rosettes on its torso and hind legs.

The young Leopards continued to stalk each other into thicker bush where the shade was deeper.

“In art and dream may you proceed with abandon. In life may your proceed with stealth and balance.”

~ Patti Smith

These predators were wide awake, with all their senses “bristling”. This young Leopard stopped to listen with its ears constantly moving back and forth locating the direction of the different sounds.

I loved the rosettes in dappled light but it was that eye that caught my attention!

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

Walking quietly in deep shade in the grass wet with morning dew.

We spent a special hour watching these two young Leopards. They must have recently been pushed out on their own by the mother. The Lions and Hyaenas seem so well oriented to the open plains, but these stealth specialists looked to be thriving, while operating in the narrow tree lines between the plains.

“Life just seems so full of connections. Most of the time we don’t even pay attention to the depth of life. We only see flat surfaces.“
~ Colin Neenan

Leopard cubs are born without a clear coat of spots. The spots begin to develop after a few days. This also sounds like a metaphor for their unique skills of climbing, stealth, camouflage and hunting. Leopard cubs will stay with their mothers for over two years, this is how they learn to hunt and survive on their own. These two young Leopards must have been between two and three years old and presumably have not been away from their mother long, so still stay together but that will change with time.

Leopards have lost 75 percent of their historic range across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, with three Asian subspecies in danger of eradication, a new study says. A three-year review of data published in the scientific journal PeerJ challenges the conventional assumption that the iconic and famously elusive spotted cats are thriving in the wild. It finds Leopards have almost disappeared from vast ranges in China, Southeast Asia and the Arabian peninsula while African Leopards confront mounting challenges in the north and west.

These big cats are threatened by spreading farmlands, declining abundance of prey, conflict with livestock owners, trophy hunting and illegal trade in their skins and teeth. Even today, Leopard skins are sometimes worn as a symbol of power by African chiefs and Presidents!!!!!!! Source: PeerJ

“Woven into our lives is the very fire from the stars and genes from the sea creatures, and everyone, utterly everyone, is kin in the radiant tapestry of being.”
~ Elizabeth A. Johnson

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

Have fun,

Mike

After an early morning start to take some images of the sunrise we wandered east towards the Grumeti ranger’s camp  in the Sabora plains.

“Living wild species are like a library of books still unread. Our heedless destruction of them is akin to burning the library without ever having read its books.”

~ John Dingell, Balancing on the Brink of Extinction: The Endangered Species Act and Lessons for the Future

We were watching a group of Topis cavorting around. A Topi is a subspecies of the Tsessebe. They are incredibly quick sprinters which are able to pronk and can do a high knee prance just like a Lipizzaner stallion. At the same time we were keeping an eye on two large female Hyaenas who were guarding their den out in the open at the top of a rise. All of sudden one of the female Spotted Hyaenas got up and started to run down the hill. Our ranger, Waziri, told us something was up and the next moment he shouted “Wild Dogs”.

Down in the shallow valley were a few Wild Dogs, not the whole pack. They had caught a Thompson’s Gazelle and were busy shredding it. When we got down there we found three Wild Dogs, two pups and an adult. The pups were sub-adults but looked strange as their skin was black and they had no hair. No one knew what caused the dogs to lose their hair but it must have been some form of mange.

The pups must have heard the Hyaenas coming. presumably the female racing down the hill had been “whooping” and calling for reinforcements. The first Hyaena arrived at the Wild Dogs just as we did.

The Hyaena came running in but the three Wild Dogs stood their ground, for a few seconds.

The Wild Dogs quickly realised that the Hyaena mob was descending on them.

“Competition has been shown to be useful
up to a certain point and no further,
but cooperation, which is the thing
we must strive for today,
begins where competition leaves off.”
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

Within a few seconds, more Hyaenas arrived and the Wild Dogs gave way, being badly ‘outsized’ and outnumbered.

It was amazing to see all these Hyaenas appear out of nowhere. Presumably, the Hyaenas lay hidden in the tufts of red oat grass scattered all over the plain, waiting for the call to intercept.

There was no fighting between the Hyaenas over the carcass.

Two large females were the first to the carcass and the larger one quickly showed her dominance.

The largest female Hyaena, presumably the matriarch, grabbed the remains of the “Tommy” and ran back toward her den at the top of the hill. She  must have had pups at the den.

Having scattered all directions when the Hyaenas had descended on them, the three Wild Dogs quickly reassembled and looked around assessing the lie of the land now that all the Hyaenas in the area had been “called to arms”.

 

It was surprising to see the three Wild Dogs on their own but they quickly regrouped with the main pack.

“The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.”

~ E. O. Wilson

Two Wild Dog packs had been reintroduced into this part of the Serengeti according to Waziri. One of the two alpha dogs had a tracking collar around its neck as presumably research was being done on the new immigrants.

The dogs were quite some distance from us and did not stand still for long. The loss of the meal was quickly forgotten and the pack was on the hunt again. Wild Dogs are nomadic and only den when they have pups which are too young to keep up with the pack.

There were 12 dogs in this pack, two of which were sub-adults. It looked like one or two of the adults were getting mange too. The Wild Dogs ears pricked up when they heard the Hyaenas again.

 

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

~Henry Ford

This time the Wild Dogs turned the tables and gave the Hyaenas a “rev” and chased them away. 

The Wild Dogs never stopped moving and it did not take long for them to move beyond the range of our lenses.

According to the UCIN Red List the African Wild Dog is classified as Endangered with its population declining.  (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/12436/0).  There are around 6,600 African Wild Dogs left in the wild. They have been endangered for more than  20 years. The loss of living space is one of the main reasons why this species’ population is in decline, as a pack range can be 900 square kilometres, according to The Endangered Wildlife Society.

The African wild dog has a very different pack life compared to other pack or group predators, they have a very caring and social nature towards each other.Within the pack there is a breeding pair. This means that only one female and male will have pups, but every dog in the pack takes part in raising the young. Unlike other group predators wild dogs let their young feed first, they also rarely show aggression towards each other when feeding or hunting. The hunting dogs will also return to the den and regurgitate food for the pups and those who stayed behind to guard them. (regurgitate means to spit food back up after its been swallowed) Wild dogs are almost never aggressive towards each other, even the hierarchy (this is the order of importance and power within the pack) is decided in a completely non-violent way. Wild dogs are some of Africa’s most successful hunters, with a kill rate as high as 80%. This means they are even more successful than lions. They use different sounds and calls to communicate amongst each other before and during the hunt. Source: http://www.londolozi.com/cubsden/why-is-the-african-wild-dog-an-endangered-species/

“Every creature was designed to serve a purpose. Learn from animals for they are there to teach you the way of life. There is a wealth of knowledge that is openly accessible in nature. Our ancestors knew this and embraced the natural cures found in the bosoms of the earth. Their classroom was nature. They studied the lessons to be learned from animals. Much of human behavior can be explained by watching the wild beasts around us. They are constantly teaching us things about ourselves and the way of the universe, but most people are too blind to watch and listen.”
~ Suzy Kassem

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

Have fun,

Mike

   

 

My penchant for raptors developed at the senior boarding school I attended called Falcon College in Zimbabwe. There was a very active Ornithological Society at the school and one of the extra mural activities was Falconry. My fascination for raptors has remained undiminished for the last 45 years. This Serengeti trip provided ample opportunity to feed my fascination for birds of prey.

“Photography is a love affair with life.”

~ Burt Uzzle

The second morning we were in the Serengeti we drove out north across the Grumeti River past the viewpoint close to one of the two dams in the area towards the the Raho river. Here we found a pride of Lion that had killed and almost completely finished off three Zebras. There were left overs and still some meat on the bones, but not very much.

It was incredible to watch, while the Lions are feeding on the carcass there were one or two Vultures and a Tawny Eagle circling patiently waiting for the Lions to have their fill and leave the carcass. As soon as the Lions moved away, the raptors descended onto the carcasses from everywhere.

The Hooded Vultures were the first to fly in to feast. They are a similar size to a Tawny Eagle, and so have a chance of taking their share of the feast. The size and shape of the bill indicates that it eats the scraps around the carcass  but does not have the ability to mix it up with the larger Vultures and tear meat off the carcass. Like a Bateleur and African Harrier Hawk, the Hooded Vulture’s facial skin  brightens when its excited or alarmed. The adult Hooded Vulture has pinkish facial skin.

The big guns flew past, Lappet-faced Vultures. This particular one was a juvenile who decided there was not enough to make it worthwhile joining the party.

A few White-headed Vultures flew in to pick from the remains but did not stay long.

White-head Vultures are uncommon. Size wise they are considerably bigger than Hooded Vultures but smaller than the Whited-backed  and Lappet-faced Vultures. They are big enough to claim their share but there was not enough to go around.

“Of course, there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask ‘how’, while others of a more curious nature will ask ‘why’. Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information.”

~ Man Ray

A dark morph Tawny Eagle was the first of the Eagles to arrive.

The Tawny Eagle can be mistaken for a Steppe Eagle during summer when the Steppe Eagle migrates down into Africa. There are two key differences. The Steppe Eagle is much larger than a Tawny and its gape extends past its eye whereas the Tawny’s gap stops just in front of the middle of the eye. Obviously very difficult to tell the difference from a distance.

This particular morning was defined by three different morph Tawnys flying into feast on the remains of the carcasses. This was a buff or blonde morph Tawny flying in. These raptors must watch each other very carefully to see when one has found some food.

“Photography is the art of frozen time… the ability to store emotion and feelings within a frame.”
 – Unknown

Pale morph Tawny Eagle flying in and dominating a piece of meat and pushing a dark morph Tawny away.

The Tawnys are more aggressive than the larger White-backed Vulture and the spreading of its wings is a clear signal of dominance.

A juvenile Bateleur Eagle also flew in having watched the Vultures and Tawnys descending from their aerial vantage point. This Bateleur had been feeding a some scattered pieces of meat away from the main action which is why its feet were blood stained. Carrion is an important part of a Bateleur’s diet. 

The Bateleur also had to give way to the Tawny invasion.

“The two most engaging powers of a photograph are to make new things familiar and familiar things new.”
~ William Thackeray

The third Tawny morph was the streaked type. There were two streaked morphs which flew in and they looked much stronger and more dominant, than the dark and pale morphs.

The way these raptors fly into a feeding area is fast and dramatic.

They certainly look intimidating on “finals”.

I love the way raptors’ wing tips spread out like fingers when they are slowing down.

The alula on the wing elbow was still in place suggesting that this streaked Tawny was coming in fast.

This streaked morph Tawny was not going to take any nonsense from the bigger White-back Vulture and pushed it off the piece of bone it was pecking at.

“Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.”
 ~ Duane Michals

  

On a separate occasion, we saw this blonde morph Tawny try to push in between two Hooded Vultures perched on a dead tree branch quite close to the aforementioned dam. The interaction between these two species was the subject of my first post from my Serengeti trip.

This was a particularly handsome character who decided to look for richer pickings.

“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.”
~ Ansel Adams

In the tree overlooking the dam just above where the lions had been feeding on a Zebra carcass, we saw a pair of Verreaux Eagle-Owls. We thought they might have  been waiting to fed on the remains of the Zebra carcass.

Not so, they had other intentions. I did not manage to get a shot of the Verreaux Eagle Owl swooping down to the water’s edge to snatch up a large frog. This pair were hawking frogs from their perch overlooking the dam. I never realised they preyed on frogs. Normally when you see these huge raptors during the day they are in deep shade and their eyes are closed.  They have a diagnostic pink eyelid which is clearly seen when their eyes are closed.

“Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.”
~ Leonardo da Vinci

These Eagle-Owls always look so sleepy during the day but they were clearly watching all the goings on around the dam.

This specie of Owls has especially long talons, similar to those seen on a Pel’s Fishing Owl. It is also Africa’s  largest Owl.

We found this Secretary Bird quite close to the open area near the Grumeti runway. This character was striding through the grass and its mouth was open because it was panting as it was quite hot. This is Africa’s only very long-legged raptor. Both sexes look-alike.

The next second it saw something ahead in the grass and ran off through the grass to catch it but missed. The Secretary Bird has substantial pads on the underside of its feet. It usually stamps on the ground to disturb its prey and then reigns blows on the victim with its feet to kill it. Secretary Birds are partial to snakes, insects, small birds, and small reptiles.

After watching the Lion pride for much of the early morning, we decided to explore further north. In our travels we came across this Dark Chanting Goshawk. It did not let us get too close. The two types of Chanting Goshawk get their names from their melodious chanting calls.

This is only the second time I have seen a Dark Chanting Goshawk, the other time was in Mashatu Game Reserve in southern Botswana. We usually see Pale Chanting Goshawks in South Africa and they are commonly seen in Etosha in Namibia. Dark Chanting Goshawks tend to frequent denser woodland areas than their pale counterparts which is why they are not usually seen as often as their pale cousins.

On our last morning in the Serengeti this Black-chested Snake-Eagle was sitting at the top of a tree with a good view of its surrounding area, minding its own business. These Snake-Eagles are known to be a perch hunter but it also spends considerable time  on the wing in search of prey. They are known to hover frequently and are the largest raptors to do so.

As with Rollers, Drongos and Lapwings, they taunt and harass any raptor close by.

“Distance lends enchantment to the view.”

~ Mark Twain

Raptors have a nictitating membrane which covers their eye when they are washing, feeding or fighting or being attacked. This Snake -Eagle never knew which direction the Roller was coming from but instinctively its nictitating membrane started to cover its eyes during the aerial raid.

After being pestered, and once it had seen some prey in the grass, this Black-chested Snake-Eagle flew down from the tree into the grass but we did not see it catch anything.

We saw an amazing variety of raptors when we were in the Grumeti area of the Serengeti. We had concentrated bouts of raptor sightings. You cannot but hold your breath when trying to capture decent raptor images, it is thrilling.

“And those who were seen dancing, were thought to be crazy, by those who could not hear the music.”

~ Friedrich Nietzsche

One of the more intriguing aspects was the number of colour variations of Tawny Eagle we saw in one morning. All of this took place outside the main migration period showing just how much life and variety remain in the Serengeti outside the migration.

“No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.”

~ Ansel Adams

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

Have fun,

Mike

I do not usually publish a post about where we stay on our photographic trips but this one was exceptional. We spent 10 wonderful days at the Grumeti Tented Camp in early March as part of a CNP Safari’s photographic trip.

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.”

– Anonymous

We flew to the Grumeti by charter plane from Mount Kilimanjaro airport, a two-hour flight as you stop at all the landing strips along the way to pick up and drop visitors. The alternative is to drive for six hours on rough roads which gives you what is affectionately called an “African massage”.

The Grumeti Tented Camp is owned and operated by &Beyond. The camp is sited along the Grumeti river in the Western Corridor section of the Serengeti Nature Reserve in Tanzania. The Grumeti river flows into the southern part of Lake Victoria. The next map shows the Serengeti and the clockwise circular path that the “Great Migration” follows and the its approximate timing.

Courtesy of Mahlatini Safari (https://www.mahlatini.com)

A view up river of the camp. The river had been naturally dammed at this section and provided ideal pools for a number of large pods of Hippos.

An understated entrance to a beautiful tented camp. On occasions you could find a Hippo browsing on the grass next to the path.

 

The entrance to the main lounge and dining areas.

A view from inside the lounge looking out over the deck onto the Grumeti river – heaven!!

“People don’t take trips, trips take people.”

~ John Steinbeck

 

The main lounge area. It is warm all year-long so no need for walls.

 

On the deck in front of the main lounge area.

 

My kind of swimming pool providing cool respite from the midday heat. It was private and sited right next to the river with the sound of birds all around and Hippos grunting to each other all day long.

The swimming pool was about ten to 15 metres above the Grumeti river with a spectacular view up the Grumeti river.  The bush here is not quiet but somehow it is peaceful far away from barking dogs, high-pitched motor bike exhausts, traffic drone and house alarms.

Hippo antics in front of the camp in the Grumeti river.

Territorial tussle between bulls.

Breakfast in the park – far away from the maddening crowds. In the foreground is the new specially fitted photographic vehicle provided by CNP and &Beyond.

Our team of photographers,clockwise from front left, Elana Erasmus, Aubrey Siebert, CNP guide Wenzel Kotze, ranger Waziri, Duncan Blackburn and Dave Champion. Behind them were chef Jona, and waiters Elia and Raphael.

“Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.”

~ Ray Bradbury

My tent under a palm roof.

The view from my tent at sunset as I was getting ready for dinner. The Grumeti river was about thirty metres away.

At night after a wonderful cuisine from chef Mbesi and his team, I would sink in to bed and drift off into a dream-filled sleep serenaded by Hippos. During the night I could hear Lions roaring in the distance, Hyaena whooping to each and in the early hours a lone Leopard coughing on the far side of the river.

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination with reality, and instead of thinking of how things may be, see them as they are.”

~ Samuel Johnson

To camp manager Joseph and his team, your camp is top draw. A wonderful setting, thankfully not glitzy but very comfortable and with exceptional service from your staff . A big thank you to you and your staff for making our stay so memorable.

“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.”

~ Mark Twain

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

Have fun,

Mike

This post shows some of the scenes we were fortunate enough to witness while wandering around the Western Corridor of the Serengeti. We were based at the Grumeti Tented Camp and were privileged to be able to shoot from a CNP/&Beyond 4×4 vehicle specially adapted for five photographers.

“Whatever we are waiting for – peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance – it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart.”
~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

The grandeur and space together with an abundance of wildlife make the scenes in the Serengeti breathtaking. One of the unanticipated benefits were the building rain clouds. The rains start in the Western Corridor in late March and April.  The migratory herd follows the rains so they were making their way north from the southern part of the Serengeti toward the Western Corridor in early March. The great migration should reach the Western corridor around May on its way further north towards the Mara. Much of the wildlife synchronises with the rhythm of the region. Lions though breed all year round. This pair of mating Lions are likely to produce the next generation of cubs just after the migration has passed through this area, as the gestation period of a Lioness is around 100 days. 

 

A small herd of Zebra was moving north through the red oat grass with a darkening afternoon sky as a backdrop. The atmosphere prickles with excitement when the African sky darkens like this, heralding an impending storm.

Generally, Zebra are peaceful but every now and then males decide that they have to sort out their differences and establish the hierarchy. This fight started with a little pushing and kicking but surprisingly developed into a full on battle where each fighter was trying to bite the other and not on the flanks or legs but each other’s neck and throat.  The fight eventually broke up but it was one of the longest fights I have ever seen between two Zebras.

Family treehouse! This pride of Lion seemed to be very comfortable up in an expansive Balanite tree. The Serengeti is known for this kind of Lion behaviour. Higher up, these Lions catch any passing breeze. The Tsetse flies are less troublesome and the Lionesses adults can get away from their demanding small cubs. The trees also provide good lookouts. The Serengeti is flat so that a little elevation combined with excellent eyesight is an advantage.

Morning lounge! This pride had finished feeding on three Zebra which the adults had killed the night before. All of the pride members were just relaxing after what must have been a busy night of dining. There are not many waterholes around in this part of the Serengeti but there is the Grumeti river, and just to add to the excitement it is full of massive crocodiles.

“Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.”
~ Epicurus

An afternoon view while looking for Lions. March is the month before the  rains begin in earnest in this part of the Serengeti. The clouds built up every afternoon creating a wonderful dramatic blue background to the red oat grass.

Dawn on the Serengeti. I am not sure why but the dawn and dusk phases are characterised by a yellow-orange which looks yellower than we are used to in South Africa. There was a reasonable amount of moisture in the air so there was also mist in the low-lying areas at dawn. As the sun rose , the heat quickly removed the mist.

“To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance.”
~ Buddha

One of the attractions in the Serengeti is the abundance of Lions. On this occasion, we found two Lionesses with their new-born cubs. It was the last light of the day and the grass was lush and long. The cubs could only see above the long grass by climbing up on their mothers. Great maternal patience was exercised when these needle sharp teeth and claws dug into their necks.

This was not the main migratory herd but an advance column of Zebra and Topi. There is something very spiritual about seeing such abundance! 

“Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.”
~ Wayne Dyer

It had rained the night before. Now it was breathless, cool, quiet and fresh at dawn on the Serengeti plain.

Predator gaze! A lioness peers over the long grass in search of prey.

Late one afternoon gazing across the golden grass at the storm brewing in the distance, we treated to an incredible display of light and colour.

“I’ve always been one to love a good storm
The warmth of the air when a storm is brewing
The look of the clouds when they come rolling in
The rushing of the wind passed my ears
The feeling of rain falling on my skin
The sound of thunder and the flash of lightning
The warmth you feel when the sun finally comes out and life is calm again
How fast it can come and go …….”
~ Unknown

A “tower of Giraffe” making their way down the hill towards a broad valley with many trees to browse on. You often see family groups but this was an unusually large herd of Giraffe  at around 07h00.

Another afternoon storm where the cumulonimbus were releasing their bounty. Somewhat surprisingly, we heard little thunder and did not see much lightning. This was unusual given the size of those cumulonimbus clouds.

One afternoon, while we were watching the Lionesses with their very small cubs, we looked behind us and there was a build up of massive cumulonimbus formations which were pouring down on a section of the Serengeti way off to the west of us.

“Wind’s in the east, a mist coming in
Like something is brewing and about to begin
Can’t put my finger on what lies in store
but I feel what’s to happen has happened before.”
~ Bert in Mary Poppins

Another golden dawn across the Serengeti. It was a gloriously colourful start to the day. You have to pinch yourself because it is hard to believe you are bathed in this wonderful light.

A “wade of Zebras”.

A “tower of giraffe” wandering off at dawn. 

Yet another afternoon looking off to the west. The colours were soft with diffused light after a rain storm a long way off to the west of us.

A herd of Zebra and Topi making their way slowly northward. There were plenty of Hyaena around but there were also many eyes.

We often got back to camp at last light. This was the view from my tent at dusk – paradise!

Given that the migratory Zebra have to contend with crocodiles in almost every river they have to cross, I would have thought this group would have been conditioned to be very wary of wading into the water. Somehow they knew there were no crocodiles in this waterhole.

The Grumeti river was wide at this point and bubbling with Hippo and crocodiles.

I saw more Eland (together) on this trip than I have ever seen before. On a few occasions we saw herds of over a thousand. Normally we would see small groups of up to 20 in South Africa. Like all Eland, these were very skittish so they did not allow us to get close.

Red dawn with the sun just starting to peek above the horizon heralding a new day on the Serengeti.

“Gratitude is the open door to abundance .”
~ unknown

An air-borne Impala ram racing between the towering Giraffe.

All girls! This was a large “waddle” of Ostriches and there was not a male to be seen. Nature invariably offers more questions than answers.

A large group of Topi and Zebra mingling together on their migration north following the rains.

A gorgeous start to yet another amazing day in the Serengeti where you are able to feast your eyes on such natural abundance.

This is a small selection of the scenes we were privileged to photograph. I wish more people could experience this incredible beauty, wonder and abundance because perhaps then there would be more appreciation for what we already exists and more readiness to preserve and cherish it.

“The universe operates through dynamic exchange… giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. and in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.”
~Deepak Chopra

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

Have fun,

Mike

After finding the large Lion pride in the area around a dam the previous afternoon, first thing the next morning we headed off west back to that small dam. The earth ridge around the west side of the dam was ideal for the morning directional light. We found the pride of 24 Lions had draped themselves along the ridge behind the dam. This pride comprised females and cubs. The male was off with one of the females, privately working hard to increase the pride.

“A world without the distant roar of Lions at dawn as the mist starts to lift would be too terrible to contemplate.”

~ Derek Joubert

This pride of 24 Lions excluded the mating pair and also excluded two females with three cubs which had separated from the pride while their cubs were too young to join the pride.

While the large pride of Lions lay along the earth ridge, we were hoping for some great portrait shots. It had rained the night before so many of the cubs looked bedraggled and as you can see in the next image the clouds still hung heavily in the sky.

The size of this Lion pride and the number of cubs of different ages suggests that the structure of the pride has been stable for some time.

“Stop and unplug,” say I; “look around you, at the vastness and greatness of the natural world.” Some stop. Others need binoculars to tie their shoelaces.”
~ Fennel Hudson

These two mischief makers came down to the water’s edge for a drink.  All their “rough and tumbling” had made them very dirty and what they saw reflected in the water worried them. You will notice how full both cubs’ bellies were, full of Zebra.

Other cubs just relaxed. It must have been busy the night before as you can see from the cub at the back soaking up all the sun’s warmth on his tum.

Two cubs came down off the ridge with their mother to drink at the water’s edge. The water surface was still with their reflections only broken by the ripples from them lapping up of the water. The Lioness had been kicked in the face by a Zebra the night before which is why her right eye looked swollen and bruised. The one thing you will never see is a Lion looking sorry for itself.

This cub was very wary of his reflection in the water.

You can see how easily a little mud can turn those beautiful tawny coats into dirty bedraggled looking ones.

The beauty of the ridge was that when the Lions walked on top of it, the background was far behind creating perfectly blurred backdrops.

On this particular morning, the Lions were relatively inactive so we did not get any real action like play fighting.

It is interesting to see some cubs, just like human children, like to watch all the goings on from a distance.

This shot was taken of one of the Lionesses after just having had a drink of water.

After their usually busy nights, Lions rest up for most of the day. They also spend time re-affirming their bonds with the pride through touching, head rubbing, licking and purring. When it comes to feeding, it is every Lion for itself and biggest first. Growling, snarling and paw slaps are common around a kill, where ranks are enforced, with adult males usually eating first, followed by the females and then the cubs. It is probably necessary for both the cub and the Lioness to re-affirm the bonds the next day.

One of the Lionesses got up and had a good stretch before wandering down to have a drink from the dam. You can see from the shape of this Lioness she was a powerful killer.

This cub was snarling at its own reflection in the water.

Later on that day we found the same pride of Lions some distance from the dam lying in the afternoon shade provided by a large Balanite. The next image is a panorama which shows the environment which suited the Lions perfectly. There was open space with relatively long red oat grass which Lions could just disappear in when they lay down.

Real family time. The cubs  bonding with their mothers and aunts. The Lionesses do not seem to get much peace with all the cubs around. The younger ones are very demanding, wanting to suckle frequently.

A day later, in the same area, when found the pride on the move. I liked the image of these two Lionesses, alert and looking for prey in long grass.

Early one morning, we found these Lionesses lying in a patch of short grass as the sun was just starting to rise. The colours look strange but at first light with lots of dew on the grass that was the colour of the light they were bathed in.

A hour or so later when the sun was higher in the sky and the colours turned to something we were more familiar with. One of the Lionesses got up and started to walk off. On her way she stopped to sharpen her claws on these tree trunks. A few minutes later the cubs followed suit.

For me, this is an iconic image of Lioness in a sea of grass, ready to crouch down and disappear into the sea of tawny grass as soon as she could see prey.

One evening, we found the two Lionesses with very small cubs. The cubs might have been small but their demands were big. This Lioness was grimacing because two cubs were trying to suckle and fighting over one of her teats.

This was one of the causes of her grimace – cuteness with sharp teeth and claws.

This family was lying in the cool, long grass. The only way the cubs could get any perspective was to climb on top of their mother. “While you are climbing you should also attack the neck – just in case!!!”

These images were taken in the last light of the day and are testament to the incredible low light capabilities of Nikon’s D4s camera.

The cubs were not sure about this big green thing (our vehicle) which had moved in quite close, so the cub was hiding behind its mother.

Once they relaxed with us around, the cubs were very playful so we had to wait to get a gap in the grass to take a shot.

Already all the signs of a “lionheart” were developing.

Populations of African Lions have declined by 42 percent over the past 21 years, according to data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in July 2015, with fewer than 20,000 Lions remaining. The latest update to the IUCN Red List continues to identify Lions as “vulnerable to extinction” (one level above endangered).

According to Scientific American, the African Lion is not classified as endangered mainly because conservation efforts have resulted in an 11 percent growth in lion populations in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Most of these southern populations live within fenced reserves which have reached their carrying capacity and can not support additional lion numbers. Outside of those four nations, the situation is altogether more serious. Lion populations have fallen in most other countries, with an average decline of 60 percent. The worst hit has been the West African population of lions, which has now been classified as critically endangered. A study published in 2014 found that only about 400 lions remained in the 17 nations of West Africa.

“Where did we human beings get the idea that we have the right to commercialise everything we come across in nature for our sole benefit. With our lack of awareness we have no conception of how we upset the interconnectedness of nature through our ignorant, selfish interference. Canned Lion farming for hunting purposes is just one horrific example.”

~ Mike Haworth

Serengeti is one of the major African National Parks where you can see Lion in vast unfenced areas. Swelling population pressure and loss of habitat is unrelenting. Even in National Parks long known for their conservation efforts such as Kenya’s Masai Mara, the Lions are under threat. The Marsh pride became well known through the wonderful BBC series “Big Cat Diary”. In December 2015, a number of Lionesses in the Marsh pride were poisoned by herdsmen for interfering with their cattle. The poisoning does not stop at the Lions but also impacts others in the food chain from Hyaena and Jackal to Vultures and Eagles.

“Here is your country,

Cherish these natural wonders,

Cherish the natural resources,

Cherish the history and romance,

as a sacred heritage,

for your children,

and your children’s children.

Do not let selfish men

or greedy interests

skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.”

~ Theodore Roosevelt

At the current rate of destruction, I wonder how many more generations are going to have the privilege of seeing these magnificent beasts in their natural, uncontained habitat – wild and free.

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

Have fun,

Mike