I was fortunate enough to spend ten days in the Serengeti with three old friends and two new ones as part a CNP Safari in mid-March. We were based in the Western corridor at the Grumeti Tented Camp, which is sited on the banks of the Grumeti river, about 50 kilometres from Lake Victoria. The main Wildebeest migration was still down in the south-western part of the Serengeti but the huge herds were slowly making their way North following the rains. The migration herd was led by Topi, Eland and Zebra. March is usually the last month that visitors can get around in the western corridor before the heavy rains, which start in April. Once the rains start in earnest, it pours and the black cotton clay becomes impassable in many areas by vehicle.

“To witness that calm rhythm of life revives our worn souls and recaptures a feeling of belonging to the natural world. No one can return from the Serengeti unchanged, for tawny lions will forever prowl our memory and great herds throng our imagination.”

~ George Schaller

On our first afternoon, we went west into an area of relatively long grass. This was an ideal environment for Lions as their coats blend so well with the colour of the grass. When Lions lie flat on their sides in the knee-high grass you would not know they are there but for the odd flick of a black tipped tail. We found a pair of mating Lions only because our ranger, Waziri, knew the general area in which to look. As we approached this Lioness raised her head.

With the female getting up, this was the male’s cue to get into action.

This mating pair were part of a pride of 50 Lions controlled by a coalition of three male Lions. This large pride had split into two groups presumably because the hunting was more difficult outside the migration period. In this particular area we found one group, which was a sub-pride of 26 Lions. This pair had moved away from the pride to involve themselves in their courting rituals.

The mating process is not all about snarling and biting and can be quite tender in the early phase with the male licking and stroking the female’s neck and head.

“…few can sojourn long within the unspoilt wilderness of a game sanctuary, surrounded on all sides by its confiding animals, without absorbing its atmosphere; the Spirit of the Wild is quick to assert supremacy, and no man of any sensibility can resist her.”

~ James Stevenson-Hamilton

Lions mate every twenty minutes of so and seem to be oblivious of the passing parade. This Zebra saw the Lions once the male got up to begin mating.

The penis of a male lion is covered with tiny barbs, made of hard protein called keratin. These barbs tear at the female’s uterus wall during mating which is painful for the female. This process allows the male to remove previously inseminated rival male’s sperm and thereby minimise sperm competition. Stimulation by the barbs also induces ovulation. Source: Animal Behaviour Chapter 6 by Zenobia Lewis.

Lion mating is often accompanied by snarling, biting, growling, and threats.

 Each mating is a brief coupling lasting usually less than a minute. Sometimes the female turns and swats the male during dismount (most likely as a result of the pain invoked by a barbed penis).

A male Lion often bites the female’s ear or neck at the end of mating to distract her from the pain of the withdrawal of his barbed penis. Like all felines they have short penises and the barbs helps secure it long enough for ejaculation. Despite his attempts at distraction the Lioness inevitably ends up trying to give him a swipe with her large paw. 

“If I have ever seen magic, it has been in Africa.”

~ John Hemingway

During his dismount the male makes sure he turns his face well away from the potential paw slap.

You can see from the condition of this male Lion’s teeth that he was young and in his  prime.

Our mating Lions were lying in the long red oat grass in the warm sun of the afternoon as heavy cumulus cloud were forming.

One of the rules of the bush is to ensure there is sufficient distance between you and your enemy to make your escape. This small herd of Zebra knew where the mating Lions were and gave them a wide berth, outside attack range.

“Africa has her mysteries and even a wise man cannot understand them. But a wise man respects them.”

~ Miriam Makeba

Within the pride, the territorial males are the fathers of all the cubs. When a lioness is in heat, a male will join her, staying with her constantly. The mating itself is a quick affair lasting not more than a minute or so and often ends with a roar from both parties. Both parties then promptly rollover and rest or sleep. This process can go on every twenty minutes to half an hour for days.

When you look at a pride of Lions, and it is clear that there are more females than males, usually a ratio of about two or even three to one. Considering that male and female Lions are born in equal numbers, the question arises: What happens to the missing males? Only about 1 in 8 male Lions survive to adulthood, according to Dereck Joubert.

The genesis of new life under African skies.

Lionesses have a gestation period of three and a half months (about 108 days). Lions live up to about 18 years old in the wild but the males do not usually get past 10 years due to fights and being deposed from their pride.

All lions face high mortality as cubs, for a variety of reasons, including injuries, lack of food, illness and being killed by adult lions. When male Lions begin to reach sexual maturity around two years old, the dominant males within the pride kick them out. After being kicked out, the young males roam the savannah on their own or in small bands, often with their brothers or cousins, negotiating the “no-cat’s” land between territories of other lions. If they stray into these territories, they are likely to be attacked and killed. A majority of male Lions die during this time. The territorial male you see mating has therefore been through the “fire of life” to have his own pride and the right to mate and represents the best of the best.

“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 Markha

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

Have fun,

Mike

Mashatu Game Reserve is located in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve of Botswana between the Tuli Safari Area(a national park in Zimbabwe) and the Mapungubwe National Park, a World Heritage Site in South Africa. Mashatu shares unfenced borders with both these South African and Zimbabwean national parks in the south and north respectively. This is a massive cross boundary wildlife conservation area protecting the biodiversity of fauna and flora in this region. In this post, I wanted to show a small part of the avian diversity which a visitor to Mashatu is likely to see on their game drive wanderings.

“Serenity flows through the natural world

Listen ad you can hear the beating of your own heart

And the deepening of your breath

In rhythm and connection

With the powerful tranquility of creation

That becomes fully alive in you

As you return to the roots of your being.”

~ Bella Bleue

My fascination with the bush and birds was seeded in Zimbabwe as a youngster, fueled by friends such as  Adrian Lombard, the Condy family and the ornithological society at Falcon College. My interest in birds has been life long, sketching them when we were youngsters, collecting birds eggs and nests, and even preserving dead ones with formalin. As pre-teenagers we even had a mini  museum which was housed in life long friend Adrian Lombard’s bedroom.

My fascination with our avian friends is borne out of their remarkable diversity, incredible colours, and fascinating natural intelligence embedded in their purpose-built shapes and the fact that they are usually much more active than most animals. In the bird world, mother nature has a purpose for every shape, colour and behaviour.

Half of the southern African Coursers are nocturnal and the other half diurnal. Temminck’s is diurnal but is also active at night. The Temmnick’s is the smallest of the Southern African Coursers. Being ground birds their backs are cryptically coloured and they usually turn their backs to you when alarmed.

This Courser is named after Coenraad Jacob Temminck, a Dutch zoologist who has a long list of European and Asian birds named after him. He was the first director of  the National Natural History Museum in Holland in 1820.

I saw more Temmnick’s Coursers on this trip than in all of my previous trips to Mashatu put together. We found them in small groups of three or four. These Coursers seem to prefer open stony or sandy areas. In common with ground birds they have no hind toes so cannot perch on branches.

There are five species of Sparrow in southern Africa. The next image is of a Southern Grey-headed Sparrow. These are gregarious birds which feed on the ground usually eating seeds, fruit or insects and nectar when they can find it. Southern Grey-headed Sparrows have no sexual dimorphism, meaning that the male and female look the same though their bills change colour in the breeding season.

Raptors stir a little extra excitement in bush wanderers, as do terrestrial predators. The Martial Eagle is Africa’s largest Eagle and is one of the largest species of Eagle in the world. It has a body length between 78 and 86 cms , a wingspan of up to 2.6 m and can weigh up to 6 kgs. Martial Eagles can be found in sub-Saharan Africa inhabiting semi-desert, open savanna and moderately forested areas which suits their hunting technique.

From a distance you might be forgiven for mistaking the Martial for a Black Chested Snake Eagle from the back.  Once you get closer you will see how big the Martial is and its crown and white abdomen with grey/black speckling are distinctive.

Martial Eagles feed on gamebirds (even bustards and storks), hares, hyraxes, small antelope, monitor lizards and other medium-sized vertebrates that they can catch. While travelling along the Majale river, we came upon this Martial Eagle which had caught a Water Monitor and was busy feeding on it when we arrived. The Martial Eagle is a massive raptor. When it turns around and looks directly at you it sends a shiver down your spine. Martial Eagles can soar for hours and only when they have located prey, they use a long slanting stoop to gain great speed to hunt. It is really thrilling to watch a Martial stoop to gain speed then level out about ten metres off the ground at high-speed in full attack on  a flock of Guineafowl – easily as exciting as a Lion hunt. The Martial sounds like a Boeing as it flies past in its stoop.

“We  must take adventures to know where we truly belong.”

The next image is of a African Hoopoe on the ground searching for insects. The characteristic lengthy, slightly bent beak of the Hoopoe allows it to forage through vegetation, dig into the ground to find insects to eat, and quickly feed nestlings in mid-flight. They also use their beaks aggressively in territorial fights.

This Hoopoe has large, round wings which it closes halfway giving its flight an undulating look. The movement of its wings resembles that of a butterfly. Although beautiful it can stink. Breeding females and growing young smell like rotting meat, and all African Hoopoes excrete a  foul-smelling liquid from the preen gland when alarmed.

The White-fronted Bee-eater is a year round resident in Mashatu, unlike the Carmine Bee-Eater. They can often be found perching on a dead branch from which they hawk insects. As its name suggests, the Bee-eater’s favorite food is bees. Many other insects are taken, including wasps, grasshoppers, moths and dragonflies.
The Bee-eater catches all its prey in flight. To make bees and wasps safe to eat, the Bee-eater holds the insect in the tip of its bill, then rubs the insect’s tail-end against a branch causing venom to be discharged or the sting to be pulled out. It’s an acquired skill, young Bee-eaters are frequently stung during their first attempts.

The White-fronted Bee-eater prepares for parenthood several months before it actually mates. At the end of the rainy season, when the ground is still soft, the bird digs a new nesting tunnel— usually about a metre long—in a sandy riverbank. The nest is then abandoned until the breeding season begins.

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”
~ Rachel Carson

A juvenile Red-billed Buffalo Weaver. The adults have a red bill and look the same, no sexual dimorphism. Their nest is one of the most scruffy of the Weavers but they are highly social and talkative birds. Buffalo Weavers thrive in the dry thornveld section of Mashatu.

A young male Wattled Starling. He had the facial colouring but his wattles had not yet grown. These Starlings move in relatively large flocks and are usually found following herbivores such as Elephants which disturb the ground and grass and flush out the insects.

A pair of young Wattled Starlings – a male (with the yellow facial skin) and a brown coloured female – noisy, gregarious birds.

A Wood Sandpiper foraging at the water’s edge of the weir on the Matabole river. The beauty of this location is that you are almost at eye level with the birds at the water’s edge.

“…drink in the beauty and wonder at the meaning of what you see.”
~ Rachel Carson

The Wood Sandpiper is distinguished from its similarly sized cousin the Common Sandpiper as its  upper chest and throat are a dark olive-brown with prominent spotting and streaking on its breast and head.

I am not good at identifying the Larks. The geography is one distinguishing factor but the dark markings make me think this next image is of a Dusky Lark. The markings on its back and upper parts of its wings are striking. Sabota Larks are common in Mashatu.

A male Saddle-billed Stork is identified by its yellow wattle under its chin and its black eye. Both the male and female have the characteristic yellow saddle on their red bill. This species is highly endangered but fortunately there seem to be a few pairs in the reserve. You can see a pinkish-red patch on the chest of this male. Both the male and female have this “brood patch” which is used to transfer body heat to their eggs when they are brooding. 

“Nature has introduced great variety into the landscape, but man has displayed a passion for simplifying it. Thus he undoes the built-in checks and balances by which nature holds the species within bounds.”
~ Rachel Carson

The female Saddle-billed Stork is similarly coloured but does not have the yellow wattle and has a distinguishing yellow eye-ring. Their knees always look sore but it is only their colouring. They are found in a range of habitats including marches, rivers, lakes and areas of wet grasslands. Saddle-billed Storks prefer wide, open spaces and avoid forested areas. These storks forage, in river pans and pools of water, for grasshoppers, frogs, fish, crabs, molluscs, lizards, and even young birds.

The ubiquitous Lilac-breasted Roller. I defy any photographer to just pass one of these Rollers sitting on a clean perch in good light.

In breeding season, the Lilac-breasted Rollers do thrilling rolling mating displays. These rolling displays are extremely fast and spectacular to watch.

The next image is of a female Namaqua Sandgrouse. These birds have cryptic colouring and must be very difficult to spot from above as they are so well camouflaged. In the field it can be quite tricky to tell the female species of Sandgrouse apart but their eyes are usually their defining features and from my experience you seldom the different species mixing. Though having said that, we did see Namaqua and Yellow-throated Sandgrouse mixing near a waterhole in the Serengeti.

This female Namaqua Sandgrouse was just stretching her wings in preparation for a quick get away if needed.

A male Namaqua Sandgrouse. They prefer dry savanna or semi-desert areas where they feed on seeds. The Namaqua Sandgrouse is the only Sandgrouse in southern Africa with a long pointed tail.

“Wherever your mind goes, your body follows. Wherever your thoughts go, your life follows.”

~Unknown

The Kori Bustard is one of Mashatu’s big seven. It is an omnivore, eating both plant-like berries and animals like lizards and snakes. 

This is the heaviest flying bird in Africa and can weigh up to just under 20kgs. The Kori Bustard would rather than walk or waddle away from you if possible. When it takes off you can really hear it pumping the air with its wings.

They are ground dwellers, hence the name Bustard, meaning birds that walk. We usually see them individually and very occasionally in pairs. They forage mainly in grassy plains and scrub. The Kori Bustard walks slowly with measured strides and flies reluctantly because of its weight.

The Arrow-marked Babblers will tell you well in advance that they are coming to drink. They forage in small flocks of up to eight individuals and are very talkative, hence the name. The White-crowned Helmeted Shrikes are similar in behaviour but we did not see any this trip.

It was hot in Mashatu in mid-February, so the birds would come down to bathe in the bird pool near the camp. They particularly liked the patches of water which were in the shade.

You have to be awake when these small seed-eaters arrive at the water’s edge. They make no noise and drink quickly. Every day around the same time in the afternoon the Jameson’s Firefinches and Blue Waxbills would come down to drink.

The next image is of a male Jameson’s Firefinch down at the water’s edge with his female higher up the bank. The Jameson’s Firefinch can be mistaken for a Red-billed Firefinch because its body colouring is so similar but the colour of the latter’s back is brownish and its bill is red. We saw many Village Indigobirds which brood parasite the Firefinches. 

The Blue Waxbills seem to hang out with the Fire Finches. There is probably safety in numbers though I did not see any Goshawks which might give them a hard time.

I have found Mashatu to be an unusually good area to see a diverse number of Cuckoo species. Cuckoos are migrants so you will only hear and sometimes see them in the summer. I have seen many Great Spotted, Jacobin and Levaillants or Striped Cuckoos in Mashatu. I have often heard Black, Didericks and Klaas’s Cuckoos. The next image is of a Striped or Levaillant’s Cuckoo.

“One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, “What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew i would never see it again?”
~ Rachel Carson

One afternoon at the camp, I saw this Striped Cuckoo come down to drink at the bird bath. There is plenty of water in the reserve so I figured this must be one of its drinking spots. The next afternoon I waited until a similar time around 15h00 just before our game drive to see if it would return and sure enough!! These birds drink quickly and are gone so you have to be ready.

The trick was the area around the bird pool had to be quiet with no human movement or disturbance. Cuckoos are very  secretive and skittish birds probably because most of the bird world don’t want them anywhere near. The Striped Cuckoo can be mistaken for the Jacobin Cuckoo from the back but the Jacobin’s breast is pure white with no stripes.

African Grey Hornbill is a greyish dun coloured bird. It has a distinctive white eyebrow. The male’s bill is black  and the female’s bill has a splash of red at the tip, and greater part of the upper mandible is a creamy-white. The African Grey Hornbill is very vocal and has a plaintive whistling call which is distinctive. It generally prefers wooded savannas and woodland. The Hornbill’s beak is honeycombed with air chambers, making it as light as a sponge. The casque on the top mandible is thought to serve as a means of visual recognition but may also be used to amplify calls. The more dense the habitat the bigger the casque is likely to be to project the call.

A Long -tailed Starling looking like a sparrow with the wind blowing up his tail feathers. These  Starlings are ubiquitous in Mashatu and are very talkative.

Only once did we see a few Double-banded Sandgrouse. This male was easily identified by the white and black marking on its forehead. The Double-banded Sandgrouse prefer the more wooded areas than the Namaquas but their habitat does overlap as in Mashatu.

The next side-on image did not properly show this male Double-banded Sandgrouse’s double band (white and black) running from its shoulders across its breast. The double band demarcates very different colouring and markings on its belly  and breast.

Southern Ground Hornbill with a beak filled with food ranging from snakes to crickets. These are shy birds so it is tricky to get good shots of them particularly in the low mopani shrub type bush.

“They won’t remember the latest tablet or the latest smart phone.

They will remember walks in the bush and the quality time they spent with you.

Invest in what matters!

The male is distinguished from the female by its red throat patch and the female has a blue throat patch.  Both have the red facial skin on their face and neck. The male and female duet with a booming “ooomph, ooomph, ooomph” which is usually heard in the early morning.

There are plenty of Crowned and Blacksmith Lapwings to be found in Mashatu. The Blacksmith Lapwings are usually found near water. 

Pied Kingfishers were abundant due to plenty of water in Mashatu’s rivers at this time of the year. There are obviously enough small fish for them to feed on. Males are distinguished from females by their double black breast bands. The next image is of a female Pied Kingfisher.

The ubiquitous Grey Lourie or “go-away ” bird so-called after its distinctive call. These birds are clumsy fliers but are highly agile in the branches of well wooded trees and bushes. A Goshawk will have to work hard to catch one of these Louries in a bush.

A male Namaqua Dove with his black face mask and black throat and yellow bill. This bird has bright chestnut coloured wings which are instantly recognisable when it flies. The Namaqua Dove is one of the quietest of the dove species.

A female Namaqua Dove is not nearly as attractive as the male but both sexes have their distinctive long tail. These doves avoid dense wooded areas and seem to prefer semi-desert grassland and savanna type bush.

“Why should we tolerate a diet of weak poisons, a home in insipid surroundings, a circle of acquaintances who are not quite our enemies, the noise of motors with just enough relief to prevent insanity? Who would want to live in a world which is just not quite fatal?”
~ Rachel Carson, Silent Spring

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

Have fun,

Mike

I spent six days in Mashatu in the middle of February which although just past mid-summer, can be the hottest month in summer. Southern Africa is enduring a major drought, the likes of which has not been experienced for at least 22 years. Thankfully, Mashatu has had some decent rain and the rivers have plenty of water in them. Mashatu can look like a moonscape in the depths of winter when there has been no rain for months. It can also look like the Garden of Eden after the rains where the trees are bursting with verdant green leaves, the grass lush and thick and the yellow devil-thorn flowers carpet the ground.

“There is a magic, a poignancy, a sense of excitement about the bush that is not only gripping, it is addictive. Once bitten by the ‘bush bug’ a person is infected for life. Bush fever is a kind of madness that compels you to return and return – a longing which will seize you by the throat until, you would gladly sell soul for the sight of a dry thorn tree against an empty sky, a herd of wildebeest wheeling under their cloud of dust, or the deep rasping “augh!” of a lion prowling in the night. The veld has a scent all of its own too, a combination of dust and dung and sunshine, a heady fragrance that fills the lungs and intoxicates the blood like strong wine.”

~C. Emily Dibb

Each morning we would rise at 5h15 to be ready for a cup of coffee and a rusk at 6h00 before setting out on our game drive. I took this first image standing in my outside shower at 5h30 in the morning looking east at the dawning of a new day when everything looks, smells and sounds right with the world. It was cool, fresh and the birds were singing – Spurfowl, Hornbills, Turtle Doves and a Woodland Kingfisher.

I saw more Wildebeest this trip than I have ever seen before. For a change they were more relaxed and allowed me to take a few shots.

This time of the year the animals are plagued with flies, some of which bite.

There were plenty of new Wildebeest calves and they were full of the joys of summer, dashing in and out of the herd, having a great time. This was a newly born youngster with part of its umbilical cord still attached.

The Eland are always skittish, especially the females. This Eland bull knew we were close but he was relaxed. You could see he was an old bull by the large dewlap (Eland’s radiator) and he had substantial hair loss on his body. He also had a healthy crown of auburn coloured hair on his forehead.

We found this old bull browsing down alongside the Majale river. I took this image to show you the flies which plague these herbivores at this time of the year.We were pestered by these flies but nothing like this Eland bull.

The end of a wonderful day in the bush. The sky was laden with heavy rain clouds as a storm was building but the sinking sun managed to find a break to show off its African evening colours.

“The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth … the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need — if only we had the eyes to see.”

~ Edward Abbey

Blue Wildebeest are thriving in Mashatu and there were plenty of calves.

Late one afternoon, the brewing storm created an unusual light on these Elephants who were quietly feeding. You can see the ground cover had already started to dry out in the intense heat, which was around 40 degrees centigrade most days.

Another afternoon as storm clouds were brewing, we were driving alongside the Majale river and looked up to the ridge to see a few Giraffe feeding in the falling light. One Giraffe was browsing right on top of the ridge, which made a perfect silhouette against the darkening blue evening sky.

“Is not the sky a father and the earth a mother, and are not all living things with feet or wings or roots their children? “

~ Black Elk (Medicine man of the Lakota)

The next day after the previous evening’s storm,  the air was crystal clear and Mashatu’s wildlife was out in force.

Having seen how dry Mashatu can get in winter and spring, it is wonderful to see so much water in the rivers. The rivers were not flowing but had big pools of water.

Some afternoons, Mashatu offers unusual lighting with long shadows. This next image was taken on the bank above the Majale river looking down at the river bend which winds passed the White-fronted Bee-eaters’ nesting bank.

In the next image, the rays of light were shaped by clouds behind the horizon. I never cease to be bewitched by the spectacular light show in the evenings just around sundowner time. Usually the light show goes on for at least half an hour after the sun has set. The colours become more saturated  15 to 20 minutes after the sun has set below the horizon.

“Africa is waiting – come!
Since you’ve touched the open sky
And learned to love the rustling grass,
The wild fish-eagles cry.
You’ll always hunger for the bush,
For the lion’s rasping roar,
To camp at last beneath the stars
And to be at peace once more.”

~Extract from C.Emily Dibb’s poem The Call of Africa

A bevy of beauties – of the Kudu kind. Unusually exposed, this small group of female Kudu were standing on an island in the Majale river. They were relaxed and milled around on the island for a few minutes before one by one walking off back into the bush.

Always wary of the ever-present threat from Crocodiles.

A summer afternoon view looking east along the Majale river. It is wonderful to see so much water in Mashatu’s rivers. With plenty of water around it does mean that the game is more spread out so you have to work harder to see it but the vistas are superb.

Stoney ridges and giant Mashatu trees line sections of the Majale river.

On Sunset hill with friends, toasting the setting sun and a wonderful day.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.”

~Saint Augustine

I am not sure why but I get such a “spark” when I see game down at the river with a backdrop of long deep shadows. The variation in light seems to add perspective, drama and a sense of anticipation.

A peaceful late afternoon drink was disturbed by an unusual sound from the adjacent bank. All but one of the Impala rams looked around and a few seconds later they all dashed for cover. We never got to see what caused the dash.

One afternoon, our game guide, Maifala, took us down to the Matabole river just up from the weir. He simply said look there!! We all looked and just couldn’t see what he was looking at.

.

There in a small alcove in the river bank, lying in the water with her head in the shade was a female Hyaena fast asleep.

Although there are plenty of snakes in Mashatu,we seldom see them. Mashatu is known for its pythons, which are usually seen in the Mashatu trees. Our guide, Maifala, spotted a Black Mamba, one of southern Africa’s deadliest snakes, gliding over the stoney ground. The venom of the Black Mamba is extremely potent. Mambas usually deliver about 100-120mg of venom in a single bite – enough to kill 8-14 people, according to EarthTouch.

Although the Black Mamba is a light beige-brown, it gets its name from the colour of the inside of its mouth which is black. That is the part you do not want to see!! Mambas can move fast and this one was motoring. Black Mambas are reputed to be able to move at speeds up to 11 miles per hour over short distances.

We saw a few Vervet Monkeys at the same spot on the Majale river each day. This happened to be in the late morning when the light was the right direction.  

Hanging around with the male Vervet was this youngster who was very inquisitive.

Even this small beautiful Steenbok was plagued by the small flies.

“When you’ve acquired a taste for dust,
The scent of our first rain,
You’re hooked for life on Africa
And you’ll not be right again
Till you can watch the setting moon
And hear the jackals bark
And know that they’re around you,
Waiting in the dark.”

~Extract from C. Emily-Dibb’s poem The Call of Africa taken from the book, The Conundrum Trees

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

Have fun,

Mike

I was privileged enough to go to Mashatu in mid-February for a few days. At this time of the year in Southern Africa the weather can be quite variable. Usually very hot daytime temperature and big blue skies mixed with thunderstorms. The thunderstorms are great because anyone who has been out on a game vehicle when a major cumulus nimbus storm is brewing is in for a show. The power of the light and sound show is humbling. You get a first hand sense of the enormity and power of nature.

“We have a calling: a need to be close to Nature, where she may cleanse our souls and wash away the stresses of yesterday. It is emotional recompense for the cost of living.”
~ Fennel Hudson

On our first morning game drive, we found this magnificent male Lion who is the dominant male in this part of Mashatu.  I loved the colours of his male’s mane and he looked more like a lover than a fighter as he had few scars on his face.

He was with his Lioness who was on heat. Our guide Maifala told us they had been mating for the previous few days.

The wind was blowing quite hard as it was the early build up to a major storm later than day. This male walked out from behind a Boscia foetida “stink Shepherds tree” to find a cooler resting place. I liked the way his mane was blown flat by the strong wind. He went deep into a croton thicket about 50 metres away to get some shade and peace.

His Lioness continued to lie in the limited shade under the “stink Shepherd’s tree”.

It is interesting to watch these Lions when they are resting. They appear to be fast asleep until a sound or smell catches their attention.

Later that afternoon we found the male and his Lioness in a similar place to where we left them in the morning. The male was lying some distance from the Lioness. He was being plagued by small flies and as Lions do tried to bite them.

This male had a cut right next to the tear duct area of his eye which seemed to be worrying him. He would lick his paw and them rub that part of his paw across his eye.

This was one large confident male Lion.

“Strength is seen on the outside but built on the inside.”

~Chalene Johnson

A yawn after a “snoozy” day. The size and intact structure of his canines suggest he is in his youthful prime.

I liked the way his massive male Lion placed his left paw on top of his right one. This pose disguised the contained aggression latent in this dominant male.

He looked straight at us as he was getting up. My large lens must have looked like an eye to this Lion and this caught his attention, but  amazingly he does not associate the people and the “big eye” on the vehicle with potential food – thankfully.

“Knowledge is like a lion; it cannot be gently embraced.”

~South African proverb

The male began to walk towards the Majale river in the late afternoon. The side-on image showed the  size and muscular profile of this magnificent male.

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

~Mahatma Gandhi

From a distance, his Lioness was watching his every move from her cool, lush resting place. The light was starting to dim as the storm clouds were building.

Eventually this Lioness followed the male down towards the river to drink at the end of what had been a hot day with temperatures around 40 degrees centigrade.

She kept her eye on the male at all times.

Even after many days of frequent mating, this male was still attracted by his Lioness. A noise caught his attention while he stood at the top of the Majale river bank looking down at her as she was drinking from the river.

“All nature’s creatures join to express nature’s purpose. Somewhere in their mounting and mating, rutting and butting is the very secret of nature itself.”

~Graham Swift

We did not follow the pair down into the river but rather stayed on top of the bank looking down. The reflection of the sky gave the water in the stoney river bed a vibrant blue colour.

The male eventually joined his lioness at the water. Every time the male walked behind the Lioness she would whirl around and give him a “paw slap” as she obviously wanted to drink in peace.

“You can flirt with mother nature but don’t ever think she is you chick”

~Anonymous

On another occasion, we found a few of the youngsters which the dominant male had kicked out. This young male knew his place and valued his life so moved out of the dominant male’s territory. This young male has the makings of being a large, well built adult in a few years.

One of the young Lionesses who had moved away with the young male had been bitten by something and was licking the bite area. I took this image to show the spinal flexibility of this young Lioness.

The next image shows four of the five youngsters who had moved away after the dominant male take-over. They were lying in the shade to get some respite for the already intense morning heat. These youngsters were quite capable of hunting and feeding themselves.

“A young outcast will often feel that there is something wrong with himself, but as he gets older, grows more confident in who he is, he will adapt, he will begin to feel that there is something wrong with everyone else.”
― Criss Jami

Another of Mashatu’s cats, the Cheetah. This was one of the coalition of three males in the area. They have been the dominant Cheetah coalition for an extended period.

You can see that these males were quite old and had lived a rugged life.

The three males were doing very little on the two occasions we saw them other than trying to keep cool and sleeping.

The other more secretive cat which you are likely to see in Mashatu is the Leopard. Mashatu is well-known for its Leopard sightings. This young female must have woken up in the late afternoon after lying up in the cool of a large tree the whole day. She was walking upstream along the Majale river below the Euphorbia covered cliffs.

The light was low in the shady cliffs in the late afternoon while this young Leopardess was scent marking her territory.

“You are what you love, not what loves you. ”
― Charlie Kaufman

She also had a good rub against the rough bark.

After scenting marking she proceeded up the river stopping every few steps to take in all the scent messages.

On our last afternoon, we were lucky enough to see this young female Leopard lying astride a large tree branch above the Majale river close to the area we had found the male Lion and his Lioness a few days earlier.

“Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed … We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in.”
~Wallace Stegner

When we first found her she was breathing very heavily and seemed to take quite a while to recover. It was hot but something else must have happened which we did not see.

As the light faded and it began to cool down she seemed to perk up. This was an iconic sighting of a Leopard resting on the bough of a large hanging branch.

In mid-summer it is a “hit and miss” when its comes to Leopard sightings because there is lots of vegetation and the game is more dispersed as there is more water around.

“There’s an exact moment for leaping into the lives of wild animals. You have to feel their lives first, how they fit the world around them. It’s like the beat of music. Their eyes, the sounds they make, their head, movements, their feet and their whole body, the closeness of things around them – all this and more make up the way they perceive and adjust to their world.”
― Richard O’Barry

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

Have fun,

Mike

This is another post showing some of the preparation for the Serengeti trip in March. The previous two posts focused on technique and the behavioural aspects of wildlife photography to capture the right moment and get  the right mix of focus and motion in the image. This post is about some experimentation using the editing programme, Lightroom to push the use of colour and its saturation, hue and luminosity, in order to emphasize the subject and change the visual mood of the image. Often the lighting conditions in the bush are not ideal but that is the only opportunity you have so you must make the best of it. This is where the preparation comes in with some advance testing of the editing variables to see what is possible. CNP safari guide and good friend Johan Greyling taught me Lightroom eight months ago and I am still getting to grips with the software which is incredibly powerful.  Here are a few examples of my playing with Lightroom. I hope you like them.

“The camera makes you forget you’re there. It’s not like you are hiding but you forget, you are just looking so much.”

~Annie Leibovitz

This is of a group of Topi silhouetted, but instead of a simple silhouette the addition of a little colour gives it an added dimension.

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1/5000, f9, iso800, 600mm

The light in the Mara at the time we were shooting was not good. The colour of grass looked very saturated so I reduced the saturation in the green grass to emphasis this magnificent male lion.

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1/400, f9, iso2000, 400mm

The contrast of the red facial skin against the black feathers of the Southern Ground Hornbill is dramatic. By desaturating the background the subject  stands out more.

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1/2000, f7.1, iso500, 600mm

Hyaena snack! This was a curious young Topi. The calves have a gorgeous tan colouring which I wanted to show against a muted green grass background.

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1/800, f9, iso500, 600mm

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”

~ Elliott Erwitt

Art in nature! This Grey Crowned Crane turned around to preen itself and I loved the shape of its neck, the golden crown and striking neck feathers.

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1/1250, f5, iso800, 600mm

That long neck provides the photographer with many opportunities to get some interesting poses.

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1/800, f5, iso800, 600mm

A very ordinary image with the subjects emphasised by desaturation of the colour in the foreground and background. There is no particular style here, I was just playing.

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1/2000, f14, iso1000, 600mm

It has been a revelation to me that altering the hue and saturation of the background can have a surprisingly positive effect on the image. This was a family of Elephants walking  down in the marsh area of the Masai Mara. There was still quite a lot of low lying mist at that time of the morning so some contrast was needed. 

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1/640, f13, iso640, 230mm

“There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.”

~ Ernest Haas

In colour, this male was majestic but I thought I would try to emphasise the character in his face –  and that stare.

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1/800, f7.1, iso640, 380mm

The evenings in the Mara can be sublimely beautiful. Those “Desert Dates” provide the unique character.

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1/500, f18, iso1000, 140mm

Southern Ground Hornbill in black and white. Interesting but the stunning red of the facial skin is lost. In black and white it is more about texture and form. It comes back to the same idea over and over, what are you trying to show in the image, colour or texture or shape or behaviour or just an interesting composition or a combination of those. You need it be conscious of what you are trying to say with your image.

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1/1600, f5.6, iso500, 600mm

This Bat-eared Fox climbed out of its burrow only to find there was pride of lions hunting warthog piglets close by. Needless to say it to not stay above ground long. Altering the saturation in the green grass improved the feel of the image significantly.

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1/800, f7.1, iso800, 600mm

Two Yellow-billed Oxpeckers sitting on the boss of a large Buffalo bull. The colour of the eyes and beaks of this “grooming service squad” stood out perfectly against a desaturated background.

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1/1000, f9, iso640, 400mm

“The pictures are there, and you just take them.”

~ Robert Capa

A Mara evening in black and white. This treatment shows off the trees which is interesting but the emotional element provided by the colour of the sunset altered the mood of the image.

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1/800, f25, iso1000, 140mm

The Secretary Bird is ideally suited to a little black and white treatment with its facial skin colours emphasised.

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1/3200, f14, iso800, 850mm

This was that large Buffalo bull which the Yellow-billed Oxpeckers (in the earlier photo) were sitting on.  He looked positively well fed and probably the fattest Buffalo I have ever seen. The darkish colour and texture of his hide stood out better in black and white.

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1/2000, f11, iso1600, 600mm

Giraffes on the horizon make a perfect silhouette.

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1/4000, f13, iso500, 600mm

Southern Ground Hornbill foraging in the grass for small rodents, reptiles and insects.You can see what a difference a high shutter speed makes!!

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1/4000, f7.1, iso500, 600mm

This was the “mummy’s boy” and his mother that I referred to in the “Lion Family Time” post. They made ideal subjects to emphasis their colour against a muted background.

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1/1250, f8, iso800, 600mm

Another silhouette, this time with Buffalo on the horizon. I thought I would alter the colour to make it look as if it was taken in the evening.

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1/8000, f8, iso800, 600mm

“A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety.”
~ Ansel Adams

This female Leopard had come down from the tree she was chased up by a pride of Lions. She emerged from the undergrowth and was desperately looking for her cub which had been killed by the Lions. I toned down the background to give it more of an undergrowth feel. It was a very sad but unique sighting. The lions killed the cub but did not eat it.

Photographic safari in Masai Mara,Kenya
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1/1/3200, f10, iso800, 600mm

Southern Ground Hornbill up close and personal, displaying that colourful yellowy-red facial skin, long eyelashes and huge watery eyes.

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1/1600, f9, iso500, 600mm

Particularly with small subjects, it is important to try to de-emphasis the background. This was one of a pair of Temmnick’s Coursers foraging out on the plain in the &Beyond conservancy.

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1/8000, f6.3, iso500, 600mm

The Grey Crowned Cranes provide photographers with wonderful poses. I am not sure what the character was doing but its partner was close by so maybe it was a ritual.

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1/8000, f6.3, iso500, 600mm

“Photography is an austere and blazing poetry of the real.”
~ Ansel Adams

This male had just marked his territory on the tree trunk.

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1/800, f18, iso800, 400mm

The coalition of two male Cheetahs climbed up the side of the Oloololo hills to get away from all the Lion activity on the plain. They found a spot which still gave them a good view of the action on the plain.

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1/4000, f9, iso640, 850mm

This large male lion was walking towards us and I wanted to emphasis him and subdue the background. Desaturation of the background only works in some images but it has its place is the editing tool kit.

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1/2500, f7.1, iso800, 600mm

A Spur-winged Lapwing digging around for insects in old elephant dug on the dirt road. Again I was surprised, with a little playing with the background colour it is possible to bring forward the subject in the image.

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1/800, f5.6, iso800, 600mm

“The important thing is, you have to have something important to say about the world.”
~ Paul Strand

The same Leopardess treed by the pride of lions. She was very upset watching her cub being mauled by a lioness.

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1/1/1250, f8, iso800, 600mm

A lone Impala ram standing on the horizon – perfect for a silhouette.

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1/6400, f13, iso1000, 850mm

This was one of a coalition of two Cheetah males which had been hunting down on the conservancy plain but the two of them decided there were just too many Lions for comfort and moved up onto higher ground where there was much longer grass. That flicking tail indicated how alert he was as there were a few Impala further along.

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1/3200, f11, iso1000, 850mm

This was a bedraggled young Hyaena. It was soaking wet, as was the grass. By desaturating the colour of the grass, the browns of the Hyaena were emphasised. 

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1/100, f5, iso800, 600mm

The same Secretary Bird as before, this time striding out looking for snakes, reptiles of insects to eat.

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1/4000, f14, iso800, 850mm

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

It was an overcast afternoon and the colours were very saturated. To emphasise this female Hyaena, who had just stolen a young hippo calf skull from a jackal and a few vultures, I needed to desaturate the background. This female must have carried this heavy skull and part of the spine in her mouth for about a kilometre without stopping. An incredibly powerful predator.

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1/1000, f14, iso2000, 600mm

A silhouette of a few Impala and a Thompson’s Gazelle in the late afternoon.

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1/2500, f5, iso800, 600mm

 A Scrub Hare having a good look around to see that no Jackal or Cheetah were close by. Again by just changing the colour of the background slightly, brought out the shape of the hare.

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1/2000, f10, iso800, 850mm

One of a coalition of two male Cheetahs resting in the shade.

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1/2000, f16, iso1600, 850mm

These Topi were attentively watching the Lion activity on the conservancy.

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1/250, f20, iso800, 400mm

This is the first time I have taken the time and effort to prepare for a major wildlife photographic trip. I have found it very useful and hopefully will be able to apply some of my preparation into producing more interesting and higher quality images. I am striving to bring more artistic intent into my images while still trying to capture that interesting behaviour in wildlife. The more photographers can show the fascinating and beautiful aspects of wildlife perhaps the more we will appreciate our wild friends and all try harder to protect them rather than abuse or consume them.

“Photography is a contest between a photographer and the presumptions of approximate and habitual seeing. The contest can be held anywhere …”
~ John Szarkowski

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

Have fun,

Mike

This post is a continuation of my review of some images from a trip to the Masai Mara a year ago. I am reviewing these images to see where I can improve my techniques and look for new ways to see my subjects – a preparation for my trip to the Serengeti in March. These are very special places with wonderful photographic opportunities and good preparation is a must!

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

The cubs keep their distance from their fathers. These two large males showed tolerance but not affection. The cubs were with the males while the lionesses were trying to take down a buffalo, but with no success on this occasion. There was no drama or interaction but the image showed the relational space.

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1/640, f11, iso2000, 210mm

Early in the morning while it was still cool, the youngsters had a great time mock fighting and chasing each other around. This type of interaction can provide wonderful photographic opportunities, but watch the shutter speed.

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1/1000, f8, iso800, 600mm

With a mother or aunt like this I would get out of the way too. This cub must have been another lioness’ offspring because she would not let it near the warthog piglet she had just killed.

“Even the brave are scared by a lion three times: first by its tracks, again by its roar, and one last time face to face.”
~Somali Proverb

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1/1600, f7.1, iso800, 600mm

This looks like a sub-adult male with that gangly teenager look about him where he hasn’t fully grown into his is paws yet and they look over sized. The shot is reasonable but there is no interesting behaviour and the white balance is slightly off.

“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”
~Helen Keller

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1/500, f9, iso1000, 400mm

After a mating session these two were relaxing in the grass. I liked the spreadeagled posture of the large male, well as spreadeagled as  a large male lion can be. These two were right next to the road otherwise we would not have seen them, even in the short grass.

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1/1250, f10, iso1000, 165mm

The next shot was about trying to catch the intimacy between a lioness and her cub. It was late afternoon down near Figtree bend and we found this lioness and her cub about ten metres away from two large males who were feeding on a kill in the bushes nearby. This lioness was very gently cleaning her cub in the dappled shade – I was captured by the gentleness of the scene.

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1/500, f16, iso1250, 600mm

Timing is very important in these situations. The essence is to try to wait for mother and cub to open their eyes. Whenever the lioness licked her cub she did so with her eyes closed. This was the only time I could get both of them with their eyes open. Again, I loved the serenity of the  scene.

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1/800, f16, iso1250, 600mm

We were quite close so I needed a reasonable depth of field hence the narrow aperture of F16. Again my shutter speeds were lower than I wanted but I also did not want to push up my ISO too much and mother and cub were not moving much.

“The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.”
~Richard Bach

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1/1000, f16, iso1250, 600mm

Out on the plain in front of the Kitchwa Tembo camp, the pride was relaxing in the early morning sun. This young male seemed to really love his mother. Again patience was required to wait for them to get into a position which showed their bond.

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1/200, f20, iso1600, 400mm

Head rubbing is a greeting and social affirmation and probably has a scent transfer role too. The females are remarkably tolerant for such a powerful animal which can also be so aggressive.

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1/100, f20, iso1600, 400mm

This lioness did not want a sub-adult to steal the warthog piglet from her two cubs. There was no biting but the message was clear. The lions seem hard-wired to go for any available prey even from their siblings. The warthog piglet was being savagely hauled around and unfortunately was still alive and squealing. This lioness was obviously trying to teach her youngsters how to tackle and subdue their prey. This is wonderful interaction but shutter speed is critical –  the higher the better as their legs are moving much faster than their bodies.

“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

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1/320, f9, iso1000, 220mm

This young male looks like a “mummy’s boy”. I guess he should enjoy the closeness while he can, because all too soon he will be kicked out to become a nomad or will need to form a coalition with his brothers.

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1/1000, f8, iso800, 600mm

This young male was enjoying the closeness with his mother who was very accommodating. No other cub came up to the two of them lying there while we were watching. It is really astounding how gentle they can be with each other at times. At other times they can be brutally savage.

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1/640, f8, iso800, 600mm

“Do stuff. be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention. attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. stay eager.”
~ Susan Sontag

Out walking with his big brother. The cubs were following the adults around who were catching warthog piglets.

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1/1250, f6.3, iso800, 600mm

The need to play was irresistible. You can see that this sort of play begins to develop the necessary skills to take down large prey when they are older.

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1/1600, f5.6, iso800, 600mm

The older cub decided that it had enough back-biting from its younger brother. A problem easily solved with a little wrestling. The younger cub was up for the rough and tumble. Again shutter speed was critical.

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1/800, f7.1, iso800, 600mm

The wrestling became increasingly boisterous. It was great fun to watch and no one got hurt.

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1/800, f7.1, iso800, 600mm

Subdued mischief! Just make sure you get the eyes and face pin sharp.

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1/160, f8, iso500, 600mm

It is fascinating to watch how there is some form of communication between the lionesses and their cubs where the latter are told to stay put while two lionesses were trying to catch warthog piglets. The cubs know not to get in the way. I used a F16 aperture to get the necessary depth of field to get all the cubs in focus. Shutter speed was not such an issue because they were lying quietly among the rocks.

“When was ever honey made with one bee in a hive?”
~Thomas Hood

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1/160, f16, iso1600, 400mm

A lioness and two sub-adult cubs lying on top of an earth mound. The perspective was great but I could have used a shallower depth of field with a wider aperture to achieve a more blurred background. Presence of mind is required to keep adjusting.

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1/125, f9, iso1000, 260mm

More of the youngsters gathered on the mound and one of the adults seemed a bit irritated by the pushing in and tried to nip the newcomer.

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1/100, f8, iso1000, 180mm

Living dangerously! This cub is trying to play with its father. Shortly after this shot the male snarled at the cub and it backed away to a respectful distance. We needed to wait for the unusual interactions. You can spend half an hour with nothing happening then out of the blue a cub will get up and walk over to the male and it all starts happening. This is why you have to keep focused on your subject as the action is usually over in a few seconds.

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1/640, f8, iso640, 400mm

“Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of others…for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received and am still receiving.”
~ Albert Einstein

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

Have fun,

Mike

I am fortunate enough to be going to Grumeti in the Serengeti in early March. Part of my preparation is to look back on some of my images from the Masai Mara a year ago. The idea behind the “look back” is to identify mistakes such as incorrect exposures and shutter speeds which were too low and also to critically assess how effective I was in portraying the dynamics of a pride of lions and the supreme power of the big males. It is also to look critically at the way I was taking the images with respect to timing and artistic intent.

“Photography is a love affair with life.”

~Burk Uzzle

At that time, the Marsh pride coalition of four large males dominated the area. The four males were named Scar, Hunter, Morani and Sikio. Most of the images of the males we saw were of Hunter and Sikio, as Scar and Morani were with the other half of the Marsh pride on the east side of the Mara river.

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1/640, f8, iso2000, 600mm

All the images of Lions were taken in the 10,000 hectare conservancy in front of Kitchwa Tembo on the north-east corner of Masai Mara. The light was peculiar. It rained each night and was overcast every morning and it looked like there was smoke in the atmosphere. The result was strongly filtered light. One of the key challenges in this strongly filtered light using long lenses was to achieve enough shutter speed without having to push up my ISO too much so as to minimise “noise”. Another challenge was creative, and it was to portray this male as a majestic animal.

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1/200, f9, iso1000, 600mm

As you can see from the shooting data my shutter speeds were too low. Our rule of thumb is that, at a minimum, your shutter speed needs to be three times the focal length of the lens. The F9 aperture was aimed at getting enough depth of field because this male was lying diagonally to us. One of the adaptations I need to make is to be more dynamic and open up  my apertures when an animal moves parallel to me as I do not need the same depth of field and in this case did need the additional shutter speed.

This male had been constantly surveying the plain in front of him and saw that a female had caught a Warthog piglet some way off. His regal pose quickly turned into that of a thief. One aspect I want to capture better next time is the flowing mane when this lion runs.

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1/640, f7.1, iso1000, 600mm

One of the tricky aspects of shooting in the Mara in the strange kind of light, is to get the white balance right. One of the editing dangers was, because the light was so diffused, it was tempting to put too much contrast in the image creating artificial looking colours.

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1/500, f7.1, iso1000, 600mm

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”

~Ansel Adams

Out on the conservancy there was no place to hide. The ground was uneven so a lion could remain hidden for a while but would be exposed close up. Another key part of the photography was to try to capture the dynamics of the wildlife interaction on the Mara. This Buffalo took no nonsense.

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1/1600, f6.3, iso1000, 600mm

The light might not have been right but there were pheromones in the air. This male was using his Jacobson’s organ to test the scent on the wind and grass. Some scent in that area definitely caught his attention. This male was stationary so no additional shutter speed was required beyond the three times focal length.

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1/640, f9, iso400, 600mm

One of the key elements required in wildlife photography which creates more compelling images, is to see the eyes, preferably both eyes. Human beings seem to need to be able recognise and interpret intention through the eyes. Although this image shows the shape and power of this male that key element of eye contact was missing. Often it is just a question of being patient and choosing to shoot at just the right time rather than just firing away. The trick is to shoot at just the right moment when he opens his eyes, looks up, has one paw up and is flicking his tail.

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1/2500, f7.1, iso800, 600mm

One of the beguiling aspects of wildlife photography is that there are occasions when you just like the “feel” of a shot. The problem is that it is very contextual and for anyone looking at the image without having been there they would not have that same feeling and the image would probably look very ordinary to a casual observer. It is therefore important to look for compositional elements which hold and tie the image together and provide some compelling context. The bushes acted a modest frame to this male. The rule must be to do most of the work in camera. This can be tough sometimes as your excitement overtakes and you lose your compositional composure.

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1/80, f8, iso1000, 400mm

Part of the reason for looking back through some of these images is to see what works and what is just OK. The very low shutter speed is a killer if there is any real movement in the image. This magnificent male was just lying in the grass watching the goings on all around him – supreme confidence in his own size and strength.

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1/400, f9, iso2000, 400mm

This male stole this Warthog piglet from the lioness who had caught it. The buffalo close by did not appreciate the neighbour’s antics and decided to give the big guy  a “rev”. Again here depth of field was an issue with the buffalo and Lion both facing us.

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1/640, f9, iso2000, 155mm

I could not get the composition right but I liked the idea of the Buffalo giving this big male lion a “rev” with the Hyaena looking on in the background.

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1/640, f9, iso2000, 165mm

The Buffalo soon co-ordinated their aggression against this male lion. Even if you cannot get a great image it is still a privilege seeing the battle of the titans playing out in the wild.

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1/500, f9, iso2000, 165mm

This must be a wildlife classic. You manage to find a magnificent male lion in an open area with a relatively clean background and he lies down next to a pile of buffalo dung!!! Rather self-centredly, I assume he was pushing out his tongue at us.

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1/800, f7.1, iso640, 320mm

“… we are there with our cameras to record reality. Once we start modifying that which exists, we are robbing photography of its most valuable attribute.”

~ Philip Jones Griffiths

With parts of the background unwanted, I had to crop the image closer. Perhaps I could have opened up my aperture and reduced my iso as low as possible to reduce the image grain. Somehow in the excitement it takes a real presence of mind to realise that you will have to do a closeup and your shooting parameters need to change. The level of consciousness required in photography is often underestimated. Without trying to sound funny,this is why you do not find many photographers having too many beers or glasses of wine the night before.

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1/800, f7.1, iso640, 380mm

Sometimes you have to wait to try to get something different it could be a look or a pose or a yawn.

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1/1250, f6.3, iso640, 400mm

With so much wildlife on the plains there is always something going on. Again the compositional aspects become important to get a decent image. One Giraffe cannot be looking into the edge of the photograph. They need visual space.

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1/1000, f8, iso640, 140mm

In the same area we found a pride with a few lionesses and many youngsters. This pride had trapped a leopard cub on the ground and killed it while forcing the mother leopard up the tree. We had been shooting with long lenses. They would not work in this scene as a shorter lens was needed somewhere around a 70 to 200mm focal length. It was a very sad scene and is upsetting to see the ruthlessness of mother nature in the raw. The lionesses killed the leopard cub and just left it and did not try to eat it.

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1/1000, f8, iso640, 230mm

“Photography is the story I fail to put into words.”
~ Destin Sparks

One of the young males picked up the lifeless Leopard cub and ran off with it. The lionesses let him run off with the dead leopard cub. These kind of scenes are so unique in the wild and photographically is takes some doing to keep calm and remain very much in the present trying to capture the most poignant images you can.

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1/1600, f8, iso640, 140mm

The young male carried the leopard cub about ten to 15 metres away from the kill point and the rest of the pride followed. Suddenly they were spooked by something, but I was not sure what. One of the key aspects about good wildlife photography is to understand the behaviour of your subject so that you can be ready with the right lens/camera combination and settings. Nothing I have ever seen in the bush prepared me for this.

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1/1000, f8, iso640, 175mm

The young male lion was very protective over his “capture”. The sudden and erratic movements of these lions meant that you needed high shutter speeds to ensure pin sharp images of this unique interaction.

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1/1000, f8, iso640, 280mm

Sometimes things happen fast in the wild. The brilliant aspect of photography is that you are trying to capture fractions of a second which portray the movement or look.  You can spend hours in the sun when nothing happens and all of a sudden in a second or two all the action takes place – you have to be alert all the time – anticipation!

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1/1600, f8, iso640, 360mm

The lions killed six warthog piglets that morning alone. The lionesses managed to get most of them and the males only stole two that we saw. Remember the light is constantly changing especially if it is a variable and cloudy day which changes not only the exposure but the white balance too. Editing in Lightroom helps correct exposure and white balance as long as you are shooting in the raw format.

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1/250, f9, iso1000, 400mm

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

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1/2000, f5.6, iso500, 600mm

With buffalo dung next to his right paw, a closeup of his face was preferable. A little more contrast makes quite an impression.

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1/800, f7.1, iso640, 380mm

Again to make the image more interesting, it is worth waiting for your subject to do something a little more unusual.

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1/1000, f7.1, iso640, 380mm

This lioness got to keep her kill. The warthog families took a beating that day. We were very fortunate to see all the activity as the warthogs could not be decimated at that rate every day

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1/160, f16, iso1000, 360mm

Another piglet caught. The lionesses were much faster than the warthog piglets in the open. This lioness was not going to let this cub have a look in. It probably was not her cub. This kind of interaction was all some distance off so a long lens was needed and with it high shutter speeds. If there was anything I learnt from this trip was to make sure I kept my shutter speeds up above three times the focal length of my lens.

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1/1000, f7.1, iso800, 600mm

“Essentially what photography is, is life lit up.”
— Sam Abell

Again presence of mind is needed. There were three animals, the lioness and two cubs fighting over the still alive piglet and they were running fast. I needed depth of field for the three lions and shutter speed because they were running fast, and of course their feet were moving much faster than their bodies.

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1/2000, f7.1, iso800, 600mm

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1/2000, f7.1, iso800, 600mm

This young female cub was pure tenacity. She was not about to give up her prize without a real fight. She was being dragged along by the larger lion cub and trying to slow it up by putting her paw in its eye, but to no avail. At times like this you need shutter speed and no grass in front of the subjects. We are not fussy, we want it all!!

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1/250, f9, iso1000, 270mm

The cub interaction was brilliant photographic material. The trick was to keep up the shutter speed.

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1/250, f9, iso1000, 270mm

I am not sure whether this was Hunter or Sikio. The predator experts would know immediately from telltale marks and scars. The images do not give you a good idea of just how big these male lions were. One of the key elements in wildlife photography was to try to  capture images at eye level. With lions this size close  by, eye level was not a smart idea.

Photographic safari in Masai Mara,Kenya
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1/2500, f7.1, iso800, 600mm

“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

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter-c0nnectedness and let it be.

Have fun,

Mike

Helen and I went off to Marievale on 27 December to have a look to see whether the little bit of rain over Christmas had made a difference to the wetland bird sanctuary. This part of the world has had very little rain this summer season. I have never seen the Marievale wetlands this dry. Many of the waterways had become mud flats with large areas of dead reeds. There still seemed to be as many wetland and grassland birds but that is a casual passerby’s observation. I am sure there are many more subtle changes in the bird population and behaviours as a result of the drought.

“Nature, it seems, has a way of returning things to how they should be.”
― Fennel Hudson

Adult Black Crake skulking around in among the reeds looking for food. Like other members of the Rail family these birds are secretive.

I had to “shoot” as this adult Black Crake walked between reed clusters, as it would not come out into the open.These birds are diurnal and feed on  invertebrates, small fish, frogs and seeds. They are even known to eat the eggs of other birds.

Female Ruff looking for food in the mud flats, exposed by the lack of rain.

Upon reflection, these Ruffs are truly amazing having flown from Europe and Russia for our summer.

A lone Black Shouldered Kite perched on a dead tree looking for mice and any small reptiles it could find.

The piercing ruby eyes of a Black Shouldered Kite.

There I was minding my own business enjoying the early morning sun when a flock of Greater Flamingoes suddenly flew overhead in formation.

We drove to the northern part of the bird sanctuary hoping that the Flamingoes had landed in some of the remaining shallow pools of water in that part of the wetland and sure enough there they were!!

These Greater Flamingoes were a fair distance away, so a long prime lens was needed. Unfortunately, I could not find any group with a decent background. The dry reeds behind them back made the background very busy.

We saw many seed eating birds. The Widowbirds and Bishops were feeding together in great numbers. This is a female southern Red Bishop.

You will find Grey, Purple and Black Headed Herons in Marievale Bird Sanctuary. I captured this shot as this Black Headed Heron was flying past us. 

Something must have been wrong with one of this Black Headed Heron’s legs, as they usually  have both legs equally extended in flight with their heads tucked in for longitudinal balance.

On this particular trip we saw more Grassbirds than I have ever seen before.

A Grassbird doing gymnastics in the dry Statice stems.

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A male Pin-tailed Wydah. I waited for quite a while, without luck to get him with a less busy background. This was the spot that he felt was best for catching the eye of the passing females.

Pied Avocet about to take off.

I did not manage to get a Pied Avocet in flight but the pied colouring on the top side of its wings is striking.

Juvenile Three banded Plover striding around the mud flat exposed in the wetland by the lack of rain. The adults have more definitively coloured eye rings and neck bands.

Cape Longclaw also known as the Orange Throated Longclaw. It has cryptic colouring on its back but is very beautiful from the front with a black throat ring emphasising its orange throat.

“As the natural world grows smaller, so too does its intensity and the size of the window through which it may be viewed.”
― Fennel Hudson

A small group within the thirty to forty Greater Flamingoes which were sieving the very shallow water for algae.

These Flamingoes seemed to be too busy feeding to undertake any displays or even to fight. It got close at times but nothing extravagant transpired.

A male Southern Red Bishop in full breeding colours.

The Southern Red Bishop should not be confused with the Fire-crowned Bishop who has an entirely red head but for a black mask. They Fore-crowned Bishops are usually only found in northern Mozambique and along the souther Zambezi river.

Golden Crowned Bishop with his distinctive golden crown. Most bishop birds seem comfortable holding onto vertical reed stems.The male Golden-crowned Bishop should not be confused with the male Yellow Bishop in his breeding plumage which is black apart from his bright yellow lower back, rump, and shoulder patches, and brown edging to the wing feathers.

The Southern Red and Golden-crowned Bishops are seed eaters and they were abundant and thriving in the current conditions. Perhaps the late and light rains have helped over produce grass seed.

Greater Egret fishing at the edge of the reeds.

A lone Spoonbill having a good scratch.

Red-collared Widow bird. All male Widowbirds are dressed in black during the breeding season whereas Whydahs are not. Also Widowbirds are not brood parasites like Whydahs.

Red-winged Widowbird looks similar to the long-tailed in terms of body shape and size but lacks the long tail and its shouldering colouring is just red.

Long-tailed Widow bird in flight. Unfortunately, I did not see the males displaying to the females which can be really impressive. The male flies slowly and almost fans out those ceremonial long tail feathers and he seems to hop in the sky.

Long-tailed Widowbird taking off from a dried old Statice stem. The purple flowers in the foreground are the new season’s Statice.

This male Long-tailed Widow bird dressed in his full breeding regalia. They tend to congregate in flocks of a few males and many females.

There were many Long-tailed Widow birds and I was waiting for them to fly and display but they were too busy eating the grass seed.

Black-winged Stilt. These birds have proportionately the longest legs in the bird world. That slim long bill is loaded with tactile sensors enabling it to forage on insects and small aquatic vertebrates.

“A wise old owl sat upon an oak,

The more he saw the less he spoke,

The less he spoke the more he heard,

Why aren’t we like that wise old bird.”
– Edward Hersey Richards

Black Heron, previous called a Black Egret. It has bright yellow feet which makes it look as if it had walked in a pool of yellow road marking paint. It was standing in shallow water so you could not see its fancy feet.

A pair of Hottentot Teal foraging. All teal have a wing speculum, a panel on their secondary wing feathers which are a different colour.

This Hottentot Teal stopped to preen itself in the warmth of the sunny morning. Teal are the smallest in the duck family.

A female Brimstone Canary singing its heart out from a dead Statice stem.

Whiskered Tern scouting the remain pools of water for small fish and reptiles.

These Whiskered Terns are highly agile fliers, and seem to be the most prevalent inland terns. They have long pointed wings which enable them to glide over the water surface and you will notice they do not have deep slotted wing tips which are prevalent in soaring birds.

I am not sure but I think this is a Little Stint. Common in these parts though I have never stopped to have a good look before.

Purple Gallenule striding through an exposed dead reed bed.

There were not many green bushes in the dead reed beds but this Purple Gallinule was very interested in this one.

It is interesting to see how often these wetland birds look at the sky, presumably they are very wary of Marsh Harriers and the like.

A pair of Red-billed Teal sunning themselves on this Sunday morning.

You are likely to see many Yellow-billed Duck at Marievale and they don’t seem to be as skittish as the Teal.

African Hoopoe scouting for grubs and insects in the road. Hoopoe is an onomatopoeic name – its name sounds like its call. 

This character was quite relaxed. If they are alarmed they normally spread that crest into an impressive fan shape on their head. Its long beak is used to probe the ground when searching for insects.

We have been to Marievale many times but in the last two occasions we have seen more Avocets than in all the previous visits combined. As a visitor it is not obvious what conditions have changed to attract more than usual numbers of Avocets. I am sure it is not the drought. The most distinctive feature on the body of Avocet is its long, upward curled beak. Unusual beak is specific adaptation to the life in swampy areas. When searching for food, Avocet relies on the eyesight. As soon as the prey is located, the Avocet will sweep its long beak through the water to grab it.

They are good swimmers and very busy feeders.

Their pied colouring makes them particularly attractive birds.

Marievale is a fascinating place to visit if you are a birder and or a photographer. The diversity of birds is quite amazing.

We are experiencing a devastating drought in South Africa. So many songbirds rely on insects such as flies and other bugs for food. Less water in the environment means lower hatching levels for these insects. This drop in insects can be due to less standing water or a reduction in flowering trees. The fact of a severe drought can have a long tail meaning that it can take a few years to really see the impact of drought. In most cases, birds don’t just visibly die. Instead, they just don’t reproduce, and you’ll see the population levels decline for several year.

Birds must replenish body water lost to respiration, evaporation and defecation on a daily basis. With an absence of sufficient water, a bird’s body raids its own cells of water, and the cells begin drying up and dying. Blood volume plummets, and the heart, liver and kidneys become inefficient.
Adult birds must leave the nest daily to obtain fresh water and food. If they have to travel greater distances to find these resources, the nestlings are exposed to sun and predators for longer periods increasing their risk of mortality.

“There can be occasions when we suddenly and involuntarily find ourselves loving the natural world with a startling intensity, in a burst of emotion which we may not fully understand, and the only word that seems to me to be appropriate for this feeling is joy”
― Michael McCarthy

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

Have fun,

Mike

This post shows a few of the images taken during a weekend in mid-December at Indlovu River Lodge. This Lodge is located on the banks of Kuvjenami river,  in the 9000 hectare Karongwe Private Game Reserve. This reserve forms part of an area called the greater Kruger National Park. Near Hoedspruit, Indlovu River lodge is one of only a handful of lodges in  Africa which have specially setup, sunken photographic hides looking out onto carefully structured waterholes. These hides enable photographers to capture close up images, with a  perspective of their subjects at water level.

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul”

~ John Muir

It was very hot and had rained for a couple of days before we arrived so the animals and birds had dispersed somewhat and did not need to concentrate at the hide waterholes. We went to two different hides over the course of the three day trip, one a bird hide and other an animal hide next to a bigger waterhole.

Male Golden breasted Bunting at the animal hide.

Male Red-billed Quelea in his breeding plumage. He was  panting because it was very hot.

Male and female Village Weaver. They are slightly bigger than the Southern Masked Weavers and the male has a yellow crown, black mask and black stripe down his throat.

“No water, no life. No blue, no green”

~ Sylvia Earle

Male Cinnamon-breasted Bunting with its characteristic cinnamon coloured breast feathers and the defining black and white striped head.

A Yellow-fronted Canary with its bold facial markings and greyish crown and nape.

This Nyala bull wandered past the hide in the late afternoon.

“Our health relies entirely on the vitality of our fellow species on Earth”

~ Harrison Ford

We were all set up to photograph small birds, so when a bull Nyala walked past the best I do do was get a head shot. I am not sure how these antelope cope in the intense heat with their long hair.

Two male Village Weavers.

A pair of Laughing Doves looking very serious.

A small herd of plains Zebra approach the bird hide to drink but were very were of the “things” clicking away inside the hide. Eventually the caution got the better of them and they moved off to browse in the shade. They were probably waiting for us to leave.

“Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty, if only we have the eyes to see them.”

~ John Ruskin

When activity went quiet in the hide we looked for more abstract images.

This southern masked Weaver was enjoying his bath  and being able to cool down in the heat.

The “dip and shake” bathing technique – the no hands adaptation.

Male Red-billed Quelea with a female Village Weaver, both thirsty and looking to cool off in the water.

A pair of Blue Waxbills. There are not many southern African birds with this powder blue colouring.

A lone Blue Waxbill. These birds are small, only 12 cm, so you need a long lens ( minimum of 600mm) to get a decent image.

Group bath  – a pair of  Village weavers bathing together with a Blue Waxbill.

“Joy in looking and comprehending is nature’s most beautiful gift.”

~ Albert Einstein

A lone Red-billed Oxpecker. This character must have broken off from its cleaning chores on antelope and Buffalo to come and have a drink. Usually you will find them in a small flock rather than singly.

This lone young Cheetah had killed and, by the time we got there, had almost completely eaten an Impala fawn.

This Cheetah had a collar on so I had to wait to get an angle where the collar was hidden. The bush is dense in this area so finding the Cheetah would be almost impossible without a tracking collar. Unfortunately, three of the Cheetah on the reserve had been killed by lions in the past year.

This Cheetah had been habituated so we were able to walk through the bush to within about 15 metres of it while it was feeding without upsetting the animal. This seemed very strange to me and I did not like the idea. Good for photography but not the Cheetah.

“Man’s heart away from nature becomes hard.”

~ Standing Bear

Having had its fill of Impala, this young Cheetah walked around the kill site taking in all the scents.

We found two Black-backed Jackal pups waiting in the sand road for their parents to return from their foraging with some food.

There was no noise, they just waited patiently. We never saw the parents.

It was very hot (around 40 degrees centigrade) in December in the hides in the Hoedspruit area, which was to be expected at that time of the year. The Cheetah and Jackal images were taken with flash as the weather closed in on the last day of our trip and thankfully cooled everything down. The photographic pickings were slim as there had recently been rains. With plenty of water around, the animals and birds did not need to congregate at the hide waterholes. Regardless of whether the hides were busy or quiet it was wonderful to be in the bush again. 

Many thanks to Derek and Norma Pearman for organising the trip. It was first time photographing from bird hides other than the Giant’s Castle one. Thanks also to Louis Swart, a photo buddy, for inviting me to join him on this trip. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people and going to a new place and of course all the stories that go with this sort of trip. We will try to get back there in winter when it is cooler and there is less water around. The hides are well set up and I think in the right conditions you will  get excellent close up opportunities.

“The conservation of nature, the proper care for the human environment and a general concern for the long-term future of the whole of our planet are absolutely vital if future generations are to have a chance to enjoy their existence on this earth.”
~ HRH Prince Philip

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

Have fun,

Mike

This post is a quick look back through some of the wonderful photographic opportunities I have been privileged to have in 2015. I hope you enjoy the images.

“A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.”

~ Moslih Eddin Saadi

Avocet taking off in Marievale Bird Sanctuary in late December.

Sunset over the Zambezi near Kalizo in the Caprivi Strip in October.

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

~ Samuel Johnson

The sandbanks in the Zambezi river opposite the Kalizo Lodge in the Caprivi Strip in Namibia in October. This was early in the morning looking east.

A look west at the iconic trio of Jackalberry trees on Sedudu island in the Chobe river bathed in soft warm African sunset colours.

A small family of Elephants crossing the Chobe river from Botswana to Namibia as the sun was setting.

“When we get out of the glass bottle of our ego and when we escape like the squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the forest again, we shall shiver with cold and fright. But things will happen to us so that we don’t know ourselves. Cool, unlying life will rush in.”

~ D. H. Lawrence

One of the 5000 plus Carmine Bee-eaters in the colony just upriver from the Kalizo Lodge along the Zambezi river in Namibia.

A young bull Elephant walking along the sandy river bank having just crossed the Chobe river.

A small herd of young Sable antelope had come down to Elephant Valley just upstream from Chobe Game Lodge along the Chobe river.

I think Sable are perhaps the most majestic looking antelope we have in southern Africa.

A pair of Skimmers in an aerial courtship display above the Chobe river in October.

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” 

~ Jawaharial Nehru

It is not often you get a Fish Eagle flying directly towards you. A unique opportunity along the Chobe river in October.

One of the four surviving cubs in the Cheetah family in Mashatu in September.

A pensive look from one of the Cheetah cubs in September in Mashatu.

Daily, the Elephant herds would come down to the river to feed and drink having been in the higher areas at night in September in Mashatu.

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” 

~ Lao Tzu

One of two young male Lions which had returned to Mashatu sometime after having been chased out by two male lions that had crossed from Zimbabwe.

We got to meet film maker Kim Wolhuter in front of a Spotted Hyaena den with many cubs playing at its entrance in Mashatu in September.

A white Lion in the Timbavati Reserve in South Africa in June

Rock Fig Junior taking her cub back to a hidden kill in Timbavati Reserve in South Africa

A lone Cheetah female drinking from the river early one icy winter morning just in front of Walker’s River Lodge in the Timbavati in June.

“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” 

~ Benjamin Disraeli

A winter sunset over one of the small dams in the Timbavati in June.

One of two large adult male Lions we came across in the Timbavati early one morning in June.

Golden ivory in Etosha in May.

Two young male Giraffe in a tangle in Etosha in May.

Blacksmith Lapwing dive bombing a Kori Bustard at Chudob waterhole in Etosha in May.

Two Spotted Hyaena having a bath in the icy water at Chudob waterhole in May.

Two young male Lions playing at dawn in the dust at Klein Namutoni waterhole in Etosha.

“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” 

~ Seneca

Predators’ dawn dance in May in Etosha.

A Martial Eagle protecting the Guinea Fowl it had just killed in Mashatu in April.

A male Swainson’s Spurfowl declaring his territorial rights first thing in the morning in Mashatu in April.

My brother Jerry holding the moon in the palm of his hand as the night sets in over Mashatu in March.

A trio of Blue Waxbills drinking from a natural bird bath at Rock Camp in Mashatu in March.

One of the four young Cheetah cubs tucking into an Impala which its mother had killed in Mashatu in March.

Two of the Cheetah cubs having fun and chasing each other in Mashatu in March.

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”

~ Saint Augustine

A young female leopard stopped for a few minutes in her wanderings along the river late one afternoon in Mashatu in March.

We followed this adult female Leopard as she walked along the Majale river for about an hour in Mashatu in March.

A male Cheetah on an outlook mound looking down over the Masai Mara plains in January.

The spotted plains that are the Masai Mara at sunset in January.

This young Lion was walking away from the rest of the pride with this Leopard cub which the adult females had just killed in the Kitchwa Tembo Conservancy in the Masai Mara.

After her cub had been killed and the Lion pride had moved away, this Leopardess cautiously came down from the safety of a high tree to look for her cub in the Kitchwa Tembo Conservancy in the Masai Mara in January.

“Take only memories, leave only footprints.” 

~ Chief Seattle

One of the four males which ruled the Marsh Pride in the Masai Mara.

Incredible strength of this female Hyaena in the Masai Mara as she carried away the skull and part of the spine of a young Hippo killed by Lions the night before.

This female cub wanted her share of this live Warthog piglet and was hanging on tenaciously in the Masai Mara in January.

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.”

~ Mark Jenkins

The wonderful experiences in 2015 have only stirred greater excitement in me to travel more, marvel at our natural world  and take bigger strides in my quest for wildlife images that have greater impact and show what a wonderful interconnected world we live in.

I wish you an inspired 2016 where your journey and experiences turn out to be far better than you plan for.

Have fun,

Mike