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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have fun, Mike

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have fun, Mike

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have fun, Mike

Mashatu Game Reserve is fondly known as the land of giants. There are seven giants which are the African elephant, lion, giraffe, the baobab tree, the eland, ostrich and the kori bustard. These giants can be found over the 31 000 hectares of rugged landscape. The animals are free to move in and out of the unfenced Mashatu and Tuli Bloc, and the Mapungubwe National Park in South Africa and the south western corner of Zimbabwe. Mashatu is a sanctuary for wildlife so no hunting or poaching is allowed.

“Our ability to perceive quality in nature begins, as in art, with the pretty. It expands through successive stages of the beautiful to values as yet uncaptured by language.” ~ Aldo Leopold

Elephants are master landscapers. They are bush clearers, they open up channels in the reeds of perennial rivers and dig holes in dry river beds to access the groundwater just below the surface. This young elephant bull was descending a steep bank into the Majale river. If the slope is too steep an elephant will bend his back legs and drag them down the slope controlling his descend with his front legs.

Elephants are highly social animals with a complex range of behaviours. Their herds function as a ordered, matriarchal society. Adult males and females live separately in differently structured societies. In the wild, families live in herds of 10 to 25 individuals where a dominant cow leads her female relatives and their offspring. The activity of the group and their movements are set by the ‘matriarch’. She is usually the largest cow in the herd who walks at the front of the herd, with another large female taking up the rear.

Mashatu is a place for elephants. They tend to spend the nights on higher ground and in the mornings wander down to the rivers often in family herds and in single file to drink and feed on the lush vegetation along the river. On occasions, elephant families gather to form a huge herd of over 300 elephants. I have never found out why they do this but it only happens in times of plenty.

“We face the question whether a still higher “standard of living” is worth its cost in things natural, wild, and free.” ~ Aldo Leopold

One of a coalition of two male lions which have taken over the Mashatu territory. They overthrew a solitary male who had reigned for about five years. The two males are relatively young but have already sired two litters of cubs.

The dominant male lion’s coalition partner looks to have been a few fights judging from the scars on his face.

The male often sleeps away from his pride leaving the lionesses to look after the cubs. The pride comprised three females, two of which had cubs. The four cubs had just finished feeding and were lying next to their mother, some asleep and others intrigued by our game vehicle.

Lion cubs only start walking 10 to 15 days after they were born. The cubs survival rate is around one in eight. The low survival rate is due to injuries, infanticide, predation, illness and starvation. Predation occurs when hyaenas or leopards find them while their mother is away hunting. The very small cubs are also vulnerable to large raptors such as Martial eagles.

I thought this was an appropriate image of a lioness. She has to hunt every few days and the cubs are hugely demanding. She must have been very tired judging from her flattened position and she looked to be very hot so she was lying on her back with her legs open wide to cool down.

“Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges.” ~ Bryant McGill

A leopardess walking along the dry bed of the Majale river. It looked like she was patrolling her territory.

One of two leopard cubs that we found in a dead fallen tree trunk next to an erosion gully a few hundred metres away from the Majale river. They were very cautious but also curious about our game vehicle.

The cubs mother returned from a hunting expedition. She did not return directly to her cubs because there were hyaenas around. She climbed a dead tree to get out of the hyaenas reach and wait from them to get bored and leave her and her family alone.

A Spotted hyaena family had their den in the rock outcrop adjacent to our camp in Mashatu. We came across them when we were returning to camp after each morning game drive. One female was rolling in the dust offering some amusing poses.

While driving through a croton grove we found this small family herd of Kudu. I am not sure whether these kudu were browsing on the croton leaves as they are known to be poisonous.

The dominant kudu bull in the family herd. It always amazes me that these bulls can get through thickly wooded areas with those large horns. The kudu bull just stretches out his neck and flattens his horns against his shoulders while he is walking through the thickets. The horns of a mature bull kudu have two and a half twists. Occasionally a bull has three full twists.

A favourite prey for lions and leopards. This family group of Warthogs were foraging for grasses, roots and bulbs. They are omnivorous and will also scavenge on a carcass when the opportunity presents itself. Warthogs usually have between two and four piglets so these parents had successfully raised their family to this point.

“People are learning to grasp the diversity of nature, to understand its unifying principles and to sweep away the hierarchies and see the real connections.” ~ Frank Schatzing

It was quite unusual to find a giraffe in the river bed browsing on the lower branches of a large Mashatu ( Nyala berry) tree. On occasions, we find Leadwood and Apple leaf trees growing alongside a huge Mashatu tree.

Driving along the dry bed of the Majale river we found a male southern African giraffe feeding on the leaves of the hanging branches of a Mashatu ( Nyala berry) tree. An adult giraffe’s tongue can be as a long as 30 to 40 cm. This tongue is highly prehensile enabling the giraffe to grasp and pull leaves off the branches, in a manner similar to an elephant’s trunk. Giraffe usually stand next to a tree and forage from the top of that tree but on this occasion this large giraffe stood in the riverbed and stretched up to feed on the leaves from an overhanging branch.

This male giraffe was enjoying the Nyala berries on the overhanging branches of a Mashatu tree. The giraffe was at full stretch to get at the berries. This was a male giraffe as evidenced by his worn and bloody ossicones. These are columular bone structures on top of the head of a giraffe. Male giraffe reach sexual maturity around five to six years of age. At this time the ossicones fuse with the underlying skull bone. Growth of the ossicones continues as bone is added to the ossicone surface beneath the skin. Male giraffe also usually have a single shallow ossicone on the forehead bone and two stunted ossicones behind the main ones on top of the head. This male must have been fighting with another male in the preceding day judging from the dried blood on the top of his ossicones. The males fighting normally removes the hair off the top of their ossicones. This male was obviously a fighter judging from all the scars on his face.

A female giraffe with her newly born calf. The calf had a small length of umbilical cord still hanging below its belly. Births occur throughout the year and the gestation period is around 14 months. A newborn giraffe can weigh 100 kilograms and be over 185cm tall. Young giraffes suckle for about eight months and remain with their mother for about a year.

A male Steenbok lying under a Shepherd tree for shade and among some fallen, dead branches for cover and protection.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” ~ John Muir

On every game drive you are likely to see something that will catch you eye. This was a Tree squirrel stretching but downward facing on a near vertical tree trunk.

On our way to and from the camp we passed a large outcrop of rocks which are home a variety of wildlife from leopards and hyaenas to hyraxes, porcupines and klipspringers. A family of klipspringers ventured down from the rocks into the camp daily. They are not tame so are cautious around the camp but enjoy all the edible vegetation around the camp. Only the males have horns.

Sundowner time. We usually stop our afternoon game drive wanderings just before the sun sets. This is a wonderful time to get off the vehicle, stretch our legs and leisurely sip a sundowner and watch the sky change colour into vivid oranges, reds and mauves. The colour of the sky becomes increasing saturated for about twenty minutes are the sun has fallen below the horizon.

“To those devoid of imagination a blank place on the map is a useless waste; to others, the most valuable part.” ~ Aldo Leopold

The last vestiges of light from a wonderful day exploring in the wild. At times we extend our sundowner period until the last light has gone. For safety reasons, it is wise to get back onto the vehicle once it is dark. On one notable sundowner session next to the vlei we only packed up our sundowner drinks when it was dark. A few minutes later we drove past three young lions watching us from about 100 metres from where we were sipping our sundowners. There is also lots more to see as we drive back to camp because this is the time when all the nocturnal wildlife come out to hunt and feed.

The daily routine from camp we were staying in, Rock Camp, in Mashatu Nature Reserve was a 6h00 get together for a cup of coffee and a rusk and onto the vehicle for the start of the game drive at 6h30. It was light but, being winter, the sunrise was only around 6h45, cloud allowing. The game drive would last about three to four hours depending on what we were seeing. We would get back to camp around mid morning to have a brunch. After the meal we would read or sit on the patio with binoculars watching the passing parade at the waterhole which is about 80 metres from the camp buildings. There was a wonderful variety of birds in camp attracted by the water in the bird baths.

“This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor ever rising.” ~ John Muir

We would gather again around 15h30 for a cup of tea and a light snack before climbing back on the game vehicle for next three hours. At sunset we normally stopped to have a sundowner while watching the sun set for the day. The last hour of the evening game drive was usually in the dark but this can also be a productive time as there is a chance of seeing genets, porcupines, antbears and even lion, hyaena and leopards.

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

Have fun, Mike

Mashatu Nature Reserve has a wonderful diversity of birds. It is a dry region in south eastern Botswana but has several distinct ecozones due to its geology and rivers, the largest of which is the Limpopo on its southern border. The Majale river is the largest river coursing through Mashatu but it is seasonal. Mashatu is also visited by many migratory birds during summer, some of which are inter-African migrants and others are from Europe and Asia.

“One reason that birds matter – ought to matter – is that they are our last, best connection to a natural world that is otherwise receding. They’re the most vivid and widespread representatives of the Earth as it was before people arrived on it.” ~ Jonathan Franzen

Early in the morning male spurfowl tend to stand on a prominent perch and declare their territorial position. His brown upper and lower parts and red facial and neck skin are diagnostic. The young male Swainson’s spurfowl in the next image was no exception. His youth was evident from the spurs on the back of his legs still being relatively sharp and not having been worn down and blunted through many fights.

An adult Brown-hooded Kingfisher perched on a dead branch on the bank of the Majale river watching for insects. This kingfisher was cold which is why it had its breast and back feathers puffed out. This kingfisher is resident in Mashatu and feeds mainly on insects. We do see Pied and Giant kingfishers along the Limpopo river all through the year but seldom in winter along the Majale because there is so little water in the Majale during that period.

“In order to see birds we need to become part of the silence.” ~ Robert Lynd

The Little bee-eater is a year round resident, together with the White-fronted bee-eater. The Little bee-eater, like most other bee-eaters, hawks flying insects from a perch. This is a diminutive bee-eater with a black eye band and a cobalt blue eye line above its eye, a yellow throat and black gorget under the yellow throat and beautiful emerald green upper parts.

This trip to Mashatu was in June, which is winter in the southern hemisphere. The summer migrants had left for warmer climes. At this time of the year the days are warm and the nights cold and it is usually dry. Unusual for this time of the year, the Limpopo was still flowing strongly.

The Limpopo river is the southern border of Mashatu. A Fish eagle was feeding on the remains of a carcass in the Limpopo river. I could not see what animal had died but a pair of Fish eagles were taking advantage of the free meal. It was difficult to determine whether this was a male or female Fish eagle because I did not see them together and the subject was far away. The female tends to be larger than the male and has a larger back facing talon than the male.

A surprising find. A adult Verreaux eagle-owl resting in a large Apple leaf tree along the Limpopo river with a guineafowl that it had caught. This is a nocturnal hunter but is opportunistic so will hunt in the twilight hours too. The Verreaux’s eagle owl preys on mammals, varying from hedgehogs to mole-rats, and ground squirrels to hares, and bushbabies, vervet monkeys to baby warthogs, dik-diks, mongooses, even genets, small wild felines, and bats. This eagle-owl also preys on a wide variety of birds from herons and egrets to ducks and coots from sandgrouse and doves to guineafowl and small bustards. It is also known to prey on other owls such as Barn Owls, Marsh Owls, and African Grass Owls.

A Crested barbet is also fondly referred to as “marmalade bird” because of its colouring. This barbet is a resident species in Mashatu. It is territorial and is aggressive towards other birds when feeding and breeding. Its diet comprises mainly insects and fruit found in the wild. This is a very vocal barbet communicating with a sustained trill but does not duet like the Black-collared barbet. The Crested barbet does not have a marked tooth-edge beak like other barbets.

A Temminck’s courser is a diurnal terrestrial wader which prefers a hot dry habitat, which is why we regularly find them in Mashatu. There are three diurnal coursers in southern Africa; Temminck’s, Burchell’s and Double-banded. The Temminck’s is identified by its rufous crown and black belly. The colouring of its back is a sand colour which camouflages well with its dry terrestrial surroundings.

A female Namaqua sandgrouse. This female sandgrouse has cryptic colouring which is ideal for its preferred dry habitat. These sandgrouse feed mainly on seeds supplemented with flowers, small insects and molluscs such as snails and slugs. The Double-banded sandgrouse is also common in Mashatu.

“Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird? ~ David Attenborough

A Kori bustard. These birds are largest and heaviest flying birds native to Africa and seem to be always walking and flying away from us. These bustards have three forward facing toes so cannot perch. The female is much smaller than the male. This bustard is an omnivore and opportunistics hunter. This bustard prefers open short grass areas with patch of trees and bushes which it uses for shade. It needs the space provided by the open grassland to take off. Being a large and heavy bird, it avoids flying if possible. When alarmed it will first run and, if pushed, will take to the air by running to get enough airspeed much like a flamingo or albatross.

An African pipit with its characteristic upright stance and slender build. It has a creamy supercilium (eyebrow) which tapers near the ear. Its beak has a dark upper mandible and light pinkish-yellow lower mandible. It has a small malar stripe. Its throat and belly are beige coloured. It has long legs. It has anisodactylic feet with three toes pointing forward and one hind toe. The hind toe has a claw that is longer than is hind toe. This is typical of a pipit. It’s primary and primary covert wing feathers are dark brown with beige edges.

A Lilac-breasted roller. This is a ubiquitous roller in southern Africa. It is a perch hunter. Like most photographers, I find it difficult not to pick up my camera when I see such beautiful birds.

“Every bird, every tree, every flower reminds me what a blessing and privilege it is just to be alive.” — Marty Rubin

A male Green-winged pytilia foraging in the shade. A vividly coloured waxbill with a red beak, rump, and tail, and an olive-green back and wings. The male’s forehead and throat are orange-red. Pairs and small flocks are resident in arid thorn savanna, dry woodland areas like Mashatu. The Orange-winged pytilia differs from this species because of the yellow-golden edges on its wing feathers.

A White-browed scrub-robin. Its white eyebrow and white moustache are diagnostic as is its streaked breast and flanks. This scrub-robin prefers dry savannah and woodlands. This is a restless and shy species which is often heard and usually only seen deep in the bushes.

“Tame birds sing of freedom. Wild birds fly.” — John Lennon

A Temminck’s courser has a black eye band and a rufous crown which cover the top its head from its forehead to the back of its head. By contrast, the Burchell’s courser has a white eye band and a rufous forehead but blue-grey crown reaching to the back of its head. All coursers have a down curved beak.

A White-backed vulture grounded in the early winter morning. It was trying to warm up while waiting for the thermals to develop around mid morning.

A juvenile African Harrier-hawk. Its mottled brown and fawn colouring and its flight indicated that it is a fledged juvenile. Like all hawks, harriers have sharp curved beaks and sharp talons on their feet. Their tails are long and narrow, and their wings are quite long in relation to their body size. This harrier-hawk was cruising along the erosion gully looking for potential prey. It flew quite close to where we found the two leopard cubs which I referred to in my previous post. The African harrier-hawk is omnivorous meaning it will eat everything from fruit to eggs, mice, squirrels and birds from pigeons to sparrows. It has unique ability to climb, using wings as well as feet, together with its long double-jointed legs. It has a reversible intertarsal (“knee”) joint which can bend backward, as well as forward.  It is often seen climbing around on tree trunks and limbs, peering into crevices and holes while hanging at odd angles. This technique enables this raptor to raid the nests of cavity-nesters such as barbets and woodhoopoes for eggs and nestlings.

This was just a small smattering of the birds that can be seen in Mashatu. I am not a birder with a list but 350 different bird species have been recording in Mashatu and a successful day could yield up to 140 different bird sightings. As a photographer a sighting it not enough I need to capture a decent image of the bird.

“Creative expression, whether that means writing, dancing, bird-watching, or cooking, can give a person almost everything that he or she has been searching for: enlivenment, peace, meaning, and the incalculable wealth of time spent quietly in beauty.” ~ Anne Lamott

I often find that while I am at a mammal sighting be it of elephants, lion or leopards if there is not much action I look around and often see a variety of different birds. Some birds follow the animals and some are just active in the area you happen to be in.

Part of the photograph fun of birds is that is that they are much more active than animals and they are usually much more vocal and colourful.

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

Have fun, Mike

Mashatu Nature Reserve is a private game reserve located in the Tuli Bloc in south eastern Botswana. The nature reserve covers an area of 29 000 hectares and encompasses a variety of different ecological and geological areas yielding a surprising diversity of fauna and flora. June is early winter in Mashatu and is usually a dry period but there had been good rains for an extended period during the prior summer. The good rains resulted pools of water at the bends of the Majale river. This is the main river coursing through Mashatu.

“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit.” ~Edward Abbey

Together with the Sabi Sands reserve in Greater Kruger National Park, Mashatu is the only other place in southern Africa I have been to that has an abundance of leopards. The leopards in Mashatu hunt all over the reserve but tend to concentrate their hunting along the Majale river, especially in winter when the remaining water is found in the rivers. The main rivers are lined with large Mashatu (Nyala berry), Leadwoods and Apple-leaf trees and fig trees which offer plenty of shade, cover and protection for the leopard population.

“Watching a leopard move through the bush is like being let into a secret”~ Mike Haworth

Female leopards tend to be more habituated to the game vehicles than the males. One of the possible reasons is that the young male leopards get chased out of the prime hunting areas by the dominant males, which are also the best game viewing areas. As a result male leopards have much less interaction with the game vehicles and are therefore much more wary and secretive. Leopards can be seen all over the reserve but most sightings are along the Majale and Limpopo rivers and around the vlei (or marsh) area which is around a kilometre north of the Limpopo river.

Being more used to the game vehicles, the female leopards tend to not slink away at the sight and sound of a game vehicle. I have been a regular visitor to Mashatu over the last ten years. During that period the female leopard population has varied but seem to range around eight territories along the Majale river.

At or near Figtree crossing in the Majale river, we often find a solitary leopardess lying on the river bank in the warmth of the early morning sun. This female was just warming up and watching the wildlife activity and listening intently.

Young female leopards usually start seeking their independence at around 18 to 24 months.

A close up of this beautiful leopardess soaking up the warmth of the early morning sun on a winter’s morning.

Leopards’ eye colour varies from blue to yellow, but the most common colours are green and copper. Adult eye colour results from the pigmentation of the structure of the iris. Most of the genes associated with eye colour are involved in the production, transport, or storage of a pigment called melanin. The more melanin, a complex polymer that originates from the amino acid, Tyrosine, which controls the colour of skin, fur, and eyes, the darker the eyes. It is interesting to note that melanin affects the eyes and fur differently. The eye colour in melanistic leopards varies between pale blue and yellow.

” Close up you can see so much more. The looking becomes seeing. This casts a spell of intrigue, wonder and more questions.” ~ Mike Haworth

Leopards have round pupils unlike smaller cat species which have vertical slits. Researchers at UC Berkeley found that the way animals spend their day determines the shape of their pupils. The round pupils dilate allowing more light onto the retina which gives large cat species an advantage when hunting at night.

This was a different leopardess, a young female who was walking along the top of the bank of the Majale river. She walked through the croton bushes growing on top of the river bank which provided plenty of cover for her. Every now and then she would stop and just listen.

“By being still you can be more attentive. With attention you will see more and hear more.”~ Mike Haworth

This young leopardess walked quite a distance along the top of the bank. Stopping when a scent caught her attention and then adding her scent to the morning news.

This young leopardess eventually moved away from the edge of the river, walked through the croton groves and into a large section of mustard bushes.

The mustard bushes offer wonderful cover and we have often seen impala and steenbok grazing quietly in amongst these bushes. Leopards are ambush hunters so this type of terrain is ideal for them.

She was clearly looking for something to hunt. Every now and then when she came across an old elephant dropping she would roll in it in an attempt to disguise her scent. The mustard bushes tend to reduce the prevailing wind so she had to be more careful of her scent giving her position away.

We were privileged that she allowed us to follow her wanderings for about an hour before we decided to leave her in peace.

The usual way to identify leopards is using a spot pattern. The most preferable one is the pattern above the first whisker line. On the evening of the same day, we found the same leopardess some distance away from the Majale on the other side of the river. It was getting dark and she looked as though she was preparing to hunt.

The area she was in was where we regularly found lions. In the low light, just before it got dark she was on high alert. Apart from having to push up your camera’s ISO, you can usually gauge the amount of ambient light by the size of the leopard’s pupils. At this time her pupils were getting significantly larger. Leopards have exceptional night vision which is estimated to be seven time better than a humans. This makes them highly effective nocturnal hunters. Leopards hunting along the Majale have to stay alert because of the lions and hyaenas in the area.

“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.” ~ Lao Tzu

On occasions we have found leopards, mainly males, hunting in the erosion gullies which lead away from the river. The gullies offer many effective ambush sites. On this particular morning, our guide, Justice, told us that the leopardess in the next image had two cubs tucked away in a fallen tree trunk. There had been a lot of hyaena activity in the area the night before so she was up a dead tree relatively close to the den site ensuring that the hyaenas had moved on.

A leopardess will keep her cubs well hidden for at least six weeks after they are born. She is usually very careful not to draw any attention to the den site.

The den site in this case was a fallen tree trunk on the edge of an erosion gully about a kilometre from the Majale river. She would regularly go to hunt and leave the cubs for many hours and in some cases up to two days. This left the cubs vulnerable so they stayed hidden for most of the time. Apart from hunting, the leopardess still needed to patrol and protect her territory.

The den site (in the image below). The leopard cubs were hidden in the split in the top section of the tree trunk. Unless you had seen the cubs or seen the leopardess you would never have known there was anything there. The leopard mother will usually have several den sites and will move the cubs every three days to a week because of the inevitable scent concentration which will attract other predators.

We think the cubs were around seven to eight weeks old. One cub was definitively more brave, and more inquisitive, than the other.

Leopard cubs are born with their eyes closed, and they only open about ten days after birth. When cubs are still young, their irises don’t contain enough melanin to display their true colour. It’s only as they develop that their eyes begin to produce the melanin that creates their true colour, which typically starts around seven weeks old. New born leopard cubs usually have blue eyes but you can see the image below shows the cub’s iris colour had turned to a fawn colour.

It was clear that the cubs were very inquisitive and presumably had seen many game vehicles since they were born.

It was interesting that the cubs only peeked out of the hiding place in the fallen tree trunk at certain times of the day. This probably had something to do with when their mother usually returned to the den site.

Leopard cubs are known to suckle for around 12 weeks, so these two cubs were totally dependent on their mother for nutrition.

“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” ~ Franklin D Roosevelt

On occasions both cubs came out of hiding and climbed on top of the fallen tree trunk. They were still a little uncoordinated so manoeuvring around the Shepherd tree branches at the back of the fallen tree trunk was challenging.

At their young age these leopard cubs already had sharp claws. It appeared that learning to sheath and unsheathing them was still needed.

We never saw the cubs on the ground. They only moved a couple of feet away from the entrance to their hiding place. Even when the cubs were playing they never made a sound. Our guide told us that the cubs did come down onto the ground when they were allowed to suckle from their mother.

Cub mortality rate is high among leopards. The main threats are male leopards, lions, hyaenas, baboons and snakes. The opportunity for disaster is created when their mother is away patrolling or hunting. If the cubs survive their first year, they will be learning to hunt small prey up from 18 months to two years after which they will be forced by their mother, or circumstance, to fend for themselves.

“Watching the leopard cubs instilled wonder and hope, and showed nature’s innate fragility.” ~ Mike Haworth

The wonderful aspect of wildlife photography is that you can see close ups of your wildlife subject. This helps identification and being able to see much more detail which inevitably raises questions about colour, pattern and physiology.

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

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

Have fun, Mike

Summer in southern Africa is a time of warm evenings, hot days, rain and moody skies with thunder cloud build up in the afternoons. The rains normally begin in December and continue until April. The warmer wetter weather attracts summer avian palearctic migrants from as far as Russia. It is a time of bounty for the wildlife, especially the herbivores.

“Go to the banks of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, and find out.” ~ Rudyard Kipling

The next image was taken looking north east into the glare of the early morning sun from the Mashatu side of the Limpopo river. The river was flowing full but not in flood. The Limpopo meets the Shashe river at Shalimpo which is about 15 kilometres down river from where the next image was taken. When these two rivers are in flood there is a huge volume of water flowing along the South African-Zimbabwe boundary and on into Mozambique sometimes with devastating effects.

Looking west up the Limpopo river without the glare of the early morning sun. At this point, the Limpopo river is banked by South Africa on the south and Botswana and Mashatu on the north side. Although the earthen banks of the Limpopo are steep in places this river does, when in flood, burst its banks. Back in 2013, the Limpopo river burst its banks pouring a massive volume of water onto its flood plain in Mashatu. The flood waters reached well beyond the vlei about a kilometre from the normal course of the river.

Some mornings we were unsure of whether to go out for a game drive as the rain clouds were threatening. Of course this is just the time a wildlife photographer wants to go out as it offers unusual colours and moods and the wildlife behaves differently. The next image shows the cloud build up in the west which created a wonderful moody and threatening atmosphere.

“Jobs fill your pocket but adventures fill your soul.” ~ Jamie Lyn Beatty

On the south side of Mashatu lies a vlei (marsh) which becomes a wetland in summer. The low earth embankment serves as a dam wall which holds back big pools of water. These seasonal pools of rain water attract many species of waterfowl and waders. This dam wall is about a kilometre from the Limpopo river.

A view looking west across the vlei towards the red sandstone ridge which stretches for many kilometres from Mapungubwe in South Africa to Mmamagwa and Soloman’s wall at the far west boundary of Mashatu.

Down at Figtree crossing on the Majale river is a rocky section. It forms a bend in the river which holds deep pools of water in summer. This is a favourite part of the river for leopards. Late in the afternoon, the west bank is cast in shade affording wildlife some respite from the afternoon sun.

“How many times have you noticed that it’s the little quiet moments in the midst of life that seem to give the rest extra-special meaning?” ~ Fred Rogers

Early one morning down at the vlei’s dam wall. We were parked on the wall looking at a pair of Fish eagles in a large dead tree when a flock of White-faced Whistling ducks flew in front of the dead tree to land on the dam wall. The large trees in the background are Mashatu trees, Leadwoods, Figtrees and Apple leafs which were growing close to the Limpopo river.

As the sun sets over the horizon we usually stop for sundowners. While the colours of the sky in the sunset are wonderful often by looking behind us the colours and scene can be just as beautiful and often more moody. The following image is of the moon rising partly obscured by clouds.

“Travel doesn’t become adventure until you leave yourself behind” ~ Marty Rubin

The impala rutting season is usually around April-May each year. The rutting is where males fight each other for the right to mate with the females. Successful mating usually results in a spate of new impala births around November-December to coincide with the rains and new grazing.

This is a view looking south across the vlei toward the large trees lining the Limpopo river. The edge of vlei close to the large trees is a favourite place for elephant families to forage. Beyond the trees on the South African side of the Limpopo is the sandstone ridge which runs through Mapungubwe National Park and Mashatu.

Leopards use these horizontal boughs of the large trees along the rivers to lie and sleep on. They usually spread their legs either side of the bough and look supremely comfortable. These boughs are high off the ground away from most diurnal threats except baboons.

The sandstone ridge runs from Mapungubwe in South Africa across the Limpopo river into Mashatu and on to Mmawagwa and Soloman’s wall on the far west side of Mashatu. In the sandstone ridge there are large dolerite intrusions which form massive rock outcrops.

Mapungubwe lies on the opposite side of the Limpopo river to Mashatu in a basin, called the Limpopo Mobile Belt, between two cratons (a large section of stable crust). About 250 million years ago the crust began to shift along the belt and molten rock from the mantle was pushed up through cracks in the sandstone. The molten rock formed dolerite dykes. Once the sandstone eroded away, the harder dolerite left behind created regular shaped ridges. These features can be seen in Mapungubwe National Park and Mmamagwa Hill on top of which can be found the so-called “Rhodes Baobab”. Solomon’s wall is an example of a vertical dolerite dyke which formed a dam wall across the Motloutse river. Over an extended period the dyke weathered to the point where the river breached the dyke. The two sides of the breached dyke either side of the Motloutse river are now called Solomon’s wall. (Source: South Africa.co.za/mapungubwe-geology.html).

” The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” ~ Marcel Proust

Mashatu is a place of great diversity. There are several different ecosystems. The area is steeped in history and the geology records a place of much change over the millenia. Wildlife lovers, photographers, botanists, ecologists, historians and geologists alike will find this a fascinating place worth exploring. Although Mashatu is Botswana soil, the dynamics of the area are strongly influenced by both South Africa and Zimbabwe.

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

Have fun, Mike

Mashatu Nature Reserve offers the photographer and wildlife lover endless fascination.

“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.” ~ David Attenborough

The Limpopo river was flowing full. The first image was taken from the Mashatu side of the river looking west. The earth embankment shows how high the river level gets on occasions. There is a significant flood plain on the Mashatu side of the Limpopo river, the flatness of which allows the river, when it has burst its banks, to reach above the far side of the vlei which must be around a kilometre from the normal river course.

A pair of White-fronted bee-eaters which were hawking insects from a dead branch. The White-fronted and Little bee-eaters are resident in Mashatu. The Carmine and European bee-eaters are summer migrants.

We had great fun photographing the White-fronted bee-eaters flying from this perch, to catch insects, and then returning to the same perch. They did not always return to the same perch but they did often enough to encourage us to stay and try to photograph them.

Unlike the White-fronted bee-eater the Carmine bee-eater is an intra-African migrant. We saw many Carmines in the reserve in summer enjoying the feast of insects brought out by the rains and warm weather.

Each day we visited a Bat-eared fox den which we had found some distance above the vlei. The parents had three pups. When the wind blows they tend to flatten their ears to reduce the roaring sound of the wind. The sandy den entrance was surrounded by wild flowers creating a beautiful and peaceful scene.

“It is that range of biodiversity that we must care for – the whole thing – rather than just one or two stars.” ~David Attenborough

A Lesser Spotted eagle, one which did not fly away when we go fairly close. The stove-pipe leggings and size are diagnostic features of this predominately insect eating eagle.

Mashatu has several ecosystems. In summer the pans fill with rain water which attracts birds and animals alike. These spots can be very productive for wildlife photography.

“Your life requires your mindful presence in order to live it. Be here now.” ―~ Akiroq Brost

A summer migrant from Europe. There were many White storks in Mashatu in summer, all enjoying the bounty of insects in the grass and open plains.

I think there are two or three pairs of Saddle-billed storks resident in Mashatu. They can usually be found in the vlei or foraging in the river beds. This female Saddle-billed stork is identified by her yellow eye ring and she no yellow wattle under her beak. The male has a black eye and a yellow wattle under his beak.

The water filled pans attract waders of all sorts. This was a young member of a family of Kittlitz plovers foraging on the edge of the pan.

In the same pan as the Kittlitz plover family, this lone juvenile Marsh sandpiper was enjoying foraging in the shallow waters which offered rich pickings.

It was mid-morning and we were driving in the sand bed of a tributary which led down to the Majale river. In an open clearing in a croton grove we came across a leopardess relaxing with apparently not a care in the world.

There was also another vehicle at this sighting but she was completely relaxed and took no notice of either vehicle while we watched her for about 20 minutes.

“Life gives you plenty of time to do whatever you want to do if you stay in the present moment.” — Deepak Chopra

Leopards look completely relaxed but they could react to a threat or hunting opportunity in an instant. Don’t ever be fooled!

She was a beautiful leopardess, majestic in her prime. Confident in her knowledge and capabilities.

The dam wall at the east end of the vlei in Mashatu. In summer it holds back water making large pools which attract waterfowl, pelicans and storks. I have never seen the water higher than what is shown in the image below other than when the flood broke the dam wall many years ago.

A breeding herd of elephants making their way out of the Croton grove feeding on the lush grasses in an open clearing. They must have been down at the Majale river to drink and bathe.

A lone lioness lying in the shade in the Majale river bed. This is the coolest place to be as the moist sand also helps her keep cool. It was still fairly early in the morning so she was relatively alert.

“Always hold fast to the present. Every situation, indeed every moment, is of infinite value, for it is the representative of a whole eternity.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I have been to Mashatu many times over the past 12 years and never grow tired of climbing on the game vehicle full of expectation of what I will see in the next few hours. The wildlife sightings and photographic opportunities are many and varied.

“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” ~ Alice Morse Earle

There is also a benefit from getting to know a place intimately. The wildlife is dynamic and the weather is ever changing so I am always seeing different sightings in different places with the weather creating different moods and colours.

“Wherever you are be all there.” ~ Jim Elliot

In my next post from this trip to Mashatu I will show the different moods which Mashatu offers.

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

Have fun, Mike

Mashatu Nature Reserve is a private game reserve in the Tuli Bloc and is located in the south east corner of Botswana. It is a place of great contrasts and offers an unusual and remarkable diversity of ecosystems and wildlife.

Our family is fortunate to be part of a closed syndicate whose camp is located along the Limpopo river in Mashatu. The camp is positioned next to a large outcrop of rocks which gives the camp its name.

“We live in deeds, not years: in thoughts, not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives
Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best.” ~ Philip James Bailey

Everyday, weather allowing, we go out on two guided game drives, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. In this post I decided to show the eclectic mix of sightings we were privileged to see on just one morning game drive. Each game drive provides wonderful photographic opportunities and the chance to be immersed in the bush with all its colours, sounds and smells. No game drive is ever the same. You see different wildlife in different places doing different things each time.

In summer, we gather on the veranda of the camp’s main lodge for a cup of coffee and a rusk at around 5h30. We are on the game vehicle and off out of the camp by 6h00. It is light by then and affords us approximately four hours on the game drive.

“The world is a great book, of which they that never stir from home read only a page.” ~ St. Augustine

This particular morning we had been travelling for about 15 minutes and were near the landing strip when we came across a clan of Spotted hyaenas. The clan has a den in the rocks near the camp so we hear them most nights with occasional visits by them while we are telling stories around the camp fire after supper.

The adults in the clan were still out hunting at first light.

The adult hyaenas picked up on a smell of the remains of a kill the night before perhaps from a leopard or lion. The older members of the clan have a well worn muzzle which gives them an even more unnerving look.

Very close to where we saw the hyaenas, who eventually found a few remaining bones from the carcass, a herd of blue wildebeest were watching the hyaena with interest as they had young among them. A group of the young bulls started advancing towards the hyaenas but were careful not to get too close.

We travelled further north above the vlei (marsh) where we found a family of Bat-eared foxes enjoying the warmth of the early morning sun.

The Bat-eared foxes were skittish so we did not try to get too close to them. This is where the long focal length lenses help.

“We are all too much inclined, I think, to walk through life with our eyes shut. There are things all round us and right at our very feet that we have never seen, because we have never really looked.” ~ Alexander Graham Bell

One of the Bat-eared foxes was watching a Steppe buzzard intently.

This Steppe buzzard which was the focus of the Bat-eared fox’s attention looked to have found a grasshopper or field mouse which it was feeding on.

Another Steppe buzzard had just taken off with its tail and wing feathers spread wide for maximum lift at low speed. Steppe buzzards are summer migrants like the Lesser Spotted and Wahlberg’s eagles.

On this particular trip we saw an unusual number of Lesser Spotted eagles. Although eagles, they feed mainly on insects such as flying ants and grasshoppers. We saw many of them down near the vlei. They are also skittish and do no like you to get too close. The stove-pipe like leggings are a diagnostic feature of this species.

In recent trips to Mashatu we have regularly seen Lanner falcons. They are usually solitary. Lanner falcons are fast and agile flyers and usually hunt by horizontal pursuit; they take mainly bird prey in flight.

“None but the ignorant can be bored by life. To the lovers of learning, life is pure adventure shared with adventurers.” ~ Pearl S. Buck

By around 9h00 it was already getting hot. The weather was variable with quite a bit of cloud around. Nevertheless, this leopard must have had a busy night because it was already asleep on a horizontal bough in deep shade high above harm’s way.

Near the Majale river we found many Village indigo birds. The Village indigo bird is identified by it back plumage and red beak. This is a small bird the size of a waxbill.

On the ridge between the vlei and the Majale river came upon a herd of Burchell’s zebra. One mare was lying down asleep while her two family members watched over her. This type of behaviour is more often seen among foals. You can identify the Burchell’s zebra by the brown shadow stripe in between the black stripes on its coat.

This was lucky shot of a Kurrichane buttonquail. This character happened to stop in the road to see what we were doing. Normally they flush at the last moment and you just see their backs as they fly 10 to 20 metres into the grass on the side of the road and are lost from view.

“We live in a mystery. Our lives have flowed from exploding stars, from tides of time and gravity beyond our ken.” ~ John Daniel

We got back to camp around 10h00. By now the sun was high and light was getting harsher. As we were driving past the rock outcrop outside camp we saw a family of Klipspringers. The adult male was on lookout. We saw several species of herbivores on top of the rock outcrop including zebra and wildebeest.

A female Klipspringer with her young appeared in the shadows. It is always intriguing to see these unique herbivores standing on what appears to be tip toes. Klipspringers are extremely agile on rocks with their unique hooves.

The sub adult Klipspringer settled down in the shade with its attention firmly focused on the Rock hyraxes running around on the rocks in front of him.

Back in camp around mid morning, we had breakfast together while chatting about all the sights and experiences we had during the game drive. The camp overlooks a waterhole so the game viewing continues all day with great views from the veranda of the camp’s main lodge.

After brunch everyone relaxes and we get together around 15h30 for the afternoon game drive. We were lucky enough to do this for six days.

“Be brave enough to live creatively. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. You can only get there by hard work, by risking and by not quite knowing what you are doing. What you will discover will be wonderful: Yourself.” ~ Alan Alda

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

Have fun, Mike

Mashatu is known, among many other things, for its wonderful leopard sightings. Most of the sightings take place along the Majale river or in the drainage lines feeding into the Majale. The Majale is the main river coursing through Mashatu Nature Reserve and it is seasonal. In the summer, December to March, the rains create numerous pools of water in this meandering river. Even in the rainy season it seldom flows bank to bank. The rains also fill up the pans so the wildlife spreads out and does not need to come to the Majale to drink.

“Life is like the river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere.” ~ Emma Smith

Along the Majale is a selection of large Mashatu trees (Nyala berry), Leadwoods and Apple-leafs which provide ample shade and places for leopards to lie in the heat of the day, and there are also many Croton groves in which leopards can hunt.

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

Late one afternoon our guide, Justice, was driving the southern bank of the Majale. We had been following the meandering course of the river driving under all the large Mashatu trees looking for leopards. We also drove through the Croton groves where leopards can sometimes be found lying on the ground in the shade of the Croton bushes. Eventually travelling west we arrived at Figtree crossing. There lying among the rocks in the afternoon shade next to one of the remaining pools of water we found a solitary young male leopard.

This leopard, after spending some time just looking and listening, got up and went down to the water’s edge for a drink.

There were no baboons around so he got to drink in peace. Nevertheless he was alert and looking around while he was drinking.

After sating his thirst he got up and started walking east along the dry riverbed.

The late afternoon light cast a warm hue of golden light over the northern bank which was reflected in the remaining pool of water.

This young male leopard eventually climbed up the northern bank. He looked ready to hunt rather than just patrolling his territory. Regularly he would stop and just look and listen.

“In stillness lives wisdom. In quiet you’ll find peace. In solitude you’ll remember yourself.”~ Robin Sharma

The vegetation away from the northern bank of the Majale was verdant and gave him plenty of cover. As he wandered along the edge of a Croton grove he stopped in mid stride to listen to something that caught his attention.

After wandering for about 20 minutes he eventually climbed the trunk of a fallen acacia tree. This tree was probably pushed over by elephants but the fallen trunk gave him an elevated view of the surrounding area.

It was dusk and the light was fading fast. There was plenty of cloud so the late afternoon light would break through the cloud for fleeting moments. The leopard found a comfortable spot to lie down and just look and listen. In the distance he could hear baboons barking which made his ears turn back slightly. The baboons were far way, so there was no encroaching threat to him.

It is a real privilege to sit quietly and just watch a leopard sensing its environment.

This young male appeared relaxed and from a distance his coat blended in with the fallen tree remarkably well. In the fading light, if we had not seen him climb into the fallen tree trunk we might have not seen him at all. 

” Learning to be still, to really be still and let life happen – that stillness becomes a radiance.”~ Morgan Freeman

Young male leopards are usually chased away from the rich hunting ground along the Majale river by the mature males. The older males are considerably more secretive and less used to the game vehicles.

We spent an entrancing hour with this young male leopard. We did not need to get too close because I was using a long camera lens so while he was aware of us he ignored us.

“Can you be alone without being lonely? Can you spend time by yourself without craving noise or company of other people? Have you discovered the glory of quiet time spent alone, time spent listening to your soul? Solitude brings with it gifts that come from nowhere else.” ~ Steve Goodier

We usually see leopards in the early morning or at dusk. Often at dusk, a leopard will come down from his arboreal shady resting place and lie on the ground gathering himself for the night’s hunting. Last light is often a good time to see leopards come down to the pools of remaining water in the otherwise dry Majale riverbed. The baboons are usually making their way to the trees where the troop will sleep so the leopards are less likely to bump into a troop of baboons at last light. The early mornings can be quite a different interaction where the leopards have to be more careful.

Have fun, Mike