This is my third post on birds seen and photographed in Mashatu Nature Reserve in January. Mashatu is a private nature reserve in the Tuli Bloc in south eastern Botswana, in southern Africa.

In this post I show 27 different species of bird seen and photographed in Mashatu. There are many birds seen but not photographed. I am not a birder with a list. I prefer to see the bird, enjoy and photograph it. No bird will ever be a tick on a bird list. In my world the number does not count but seeing understanding and identifying its unique character and behaviour is much more important to me.

“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” ~ John Burroughs

My photography has gone a long way towards improving my knowledge of birds because I get to see them up close and have a lingering image to be able to search for the identifying characteristics. Often I get a chance to sit quietly on the game vehicle and just observe the behaviour of the bird which adds to my general bird knowledge.

The next image is of an adult female Saddle-billed stork which had been fishing in one of the small remaining pools of water in the Majale river. The female is identified by her yellow eye and lack of yellow wattle under her chin. Both the male and female have the characteristic bi-coloured red beak with a black band across the bill just below the yellow wattle above the upper mandible. The Saddle-billed stork also has the pink knees which, look sore. This is a tall strikingly coloured black and white stork.

A Spotted flycatcher sitting on a twig just above the sand bank along the Majale river. Spotted flycatchers hunt from conspicuous perches, making sallies after passing flying insects, and often returning to the same perch. Their upright posture is characteristic. This is an undistinguished looking bird with long wings and tail. The adults have grey-brown upperparts and whitish underparts, with a streaked crown and breast, giving rise to the bird’s common name. The legs are short and black, and the bill is black and has the broad but pointed shape typical of aerial insectivores.

A Marsh Sandpiper foraging along the bank of a shallow pan which had formed in the recent rains. This is a medium-sized wading bird, with a long thin straight beak which is yellowish around the nares and darkens to a black tip. It has yellowish legs. It is most similar to the Green sandpiper but differs by lighter colouring, white underwings, and larger white spots on back. Like the Wood the Marsh sandpiper has a diffuse border between speckled chest and white belly. Its tail is not banded like the Green sandpiper, The Wood and Marsh sandpipers’ plumage leaves an overall much paler impression than Green Sandpiper, particularly in flight.

“The lesson which life constantly repeats is to ‘look under your feet.’
You are always nearer to the divine and the true sources of your power than you think.
The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive.
The great opportunity is where you are.
Do not despise your own place and hour.
Every place is under the stars.
Every place is the center of the world.”
~ John Burroughs

An immature Steppe buzzard. It was perch hunting from a dry tree close to the Apple-tree grove down near the vlei in Mashatu. This a migratory raptor and one of the most common species of raptor in southern Africa during the summer months. The Steppe buzzard shows great variation in colour which vary from rufous to grey in its plumage. Common to all morphs of the Steppe buzzard is a pale zone across the breast which separates the streaked underpart on the breast with a more brown banded belly and rump. The juvenile does not have the belly banding. Like all buzzards it has yellow legs which are bare to half way its tarsals and a yellow cere and small aquiline black beak.

The Red-backed shrike is a summer visitor. The male has distinctive colouring, with blue-gray head, black eye mask, rusty-brown back; female has warm brown upperparts, fine dark scalloping on breast and flanks. It has a typical shrike like beak with a sharp tip to it. It is found in open areas with scattered bushes and trees. This carnivorous shrike hunts from perches on top of bushes and favours areas with thorny plants on which prey (small birds, large insects, rodents) can be impaled in “larders.”

A lone White-backed vulture patiently waiting for the air to warm up in the morning and thermals to develop. It uses these thermals to climb to great heights without major effort. It is always remarkable that you may not see a raptor in the sky and when a carcass is discovered by one how all the others, watching each other, soon get a lock on the position of the carcass on the ground and descending rapidly from great heights in numbers.

A Kori bustard foraging in the long grass for edibles. This bustard is omnivorous and will eat anything it can find ranging from small birds, to insects and rodents. These large birds are shy and will walk away as soon as they see you. The males put on majestic mating displays by standing upright, lifting his black crest feathers, fluffing out his neck feathers, pushing down its wings and lifting his tail.

We found a small flock of Abdim storks on the open grassland south of the Majale river which was unusual. This bird breeds north of the equator, but spends the rest of the year in eastern and southern parts of Africa. This is a medium-sized stork with glossy, black body except for its white belly. The Abdim’s Stork underparts are pure white, except its throat, chin, and upper breast, which have the same colour as its upperparts. Its underwings have black flight feathers and white coverts. It face is bare skinned and blue in colour with red lores. The legs are grey and the feet and ankles are pink in colour. The Abdim’s diet consists mainly of insects including swarming locust, grasshoppers, and crickets but can extend to small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, crabs, scorpions, and molluscs. This gregarious African migrant often appears in huge nomadic flocks numbering in the thousands, normally in response to heavy rains or large fires, after which they forage on the escaping insects.

The White stork is another summer migrant from Europe. It is a large stork standing around one metre in height substantially bigger the the Abdim stork which stands just over 70 cm. The White stork has white plumage with black flight feathers and wing coverts. It has a long pointed vivid red beak which it uses for probing in the grass and stabbing its prey. This stork’s legs are red but often appear whitish. White storks direct their faeces and urine onto their own legs, making them appear white. This acts as a cooling mechanism. When it evaporates creating a similar cooling effect when we sweat. The White stork is a carnivorous and its diet varies from insects to earthworms, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals. Less commonly, they also eat bird eggs and young birds, fish, molluscs, crustaceans and scorpions.

An adult southern Carmine bee-eater perched on a small branch of a Shepherd’s tree ready to hawk flying insects. The adult bee-eaters are mostly aerial foragers. Their diet consists of various invertebrates (e.g. dragonflies, termites and locusts), There are two species of Carmine bee-eater, the southern and northern both of which are found in Africa. Southern Carmine Bee-eaters are summer migrants to woodland savanna. They have a wide distribution range within Africa. The Carmine is the largest of the southern African bee-eaters. It has dark brownish carmine colouring on its back and wings and a lighter carmine colour on its breast and belly. Its neck has pink plumage and under tail coverts are a power blue. It has a dark aquamarine coloured crown, and a black eye band extending from its lores to its ear coverts which is thought to reduce glare in the bright summer daylight.

An adult male Village indigo bird. This is a small 11 cm dark steel blue finch-like seedeater identified by its red beak and legs. The other three species of Indigo birds have white beaks. The Village Indigobird mimics the song of another species, especially the Red-Billed Firefinch. The Indigobird is another brood parasite and specialises in deceiving the Red-billed Firefinch. This mimcry is “diagnostic” because, although the other Indigobirds are also brood parasites, each of them mimics the species it uses as a host. As a brood parasite the female Village Indigobird lays her eggs in the nests of Red-billed firefinches. Unlike the common cuckoo, it does not destroy the host’s egg. Typically, 2-4 eggs are added to those already present. The eggs of both the host and the firefinch are white, although the indigobird’s are slightly larger.

The next image is of a male Indigobird coming into its breeding plumage. This Indigobird visited the bird bath in front of Rock Camp’s main lodge.

A Sabota lark talking to the whole world from on top of a dead tree stump. A medium-sized, streaky lark with a strong white eyebrow that gives it a capped appearance. It has a bold face pattern which is emphasised by a white crescent under the eye and strong moustachial streaks. The heavily streaked breast contrasts with a plain whitish belly and throat. In spring and summer, the male sits up on a prominent perch singing a rich, melodious, variable song that often includes imitations of other birds. The Sabota Lark lacks the rufous wing panel present in Fawn-coloured, Flappet, and Rufous-naped Larks. The Sabota Lark feeds on seeds and insects, the latter of which include ants, spiders, grasshoppers, termites and beetles.

An adult Barn swallow perched precariously at the end of a twig while being buffeted in the wind. This swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. The adult Barn swallow has a chestnut rufous throat and forehead, a blue-black breast band, glossy steel-blue upperparts and a deeply forked tail. It has a white belly and flank which clearly shows on the tail when spread. This swallow typically feeds about 7 to 8 m above shallow water or the ground and is a highly agile flier which flies in an erratic pattern. It is often seen following animals, humans or farm machinery to catch disturbed insects.

A trio of White-fronted bee-eaters nestling close to each other in the cool early morning. This species of bee-eater is resident in Mashatu. The White-fronted bee-eater has a black eye band like most bee-eaters and a white and red band on its throat. Its neck and belly are a brownish buff colour and its upper and lower tail coverts are a powder blue. Its upper parts and wings are an emerald green. These birds hawk bees, as well as other small flying insects such as wasps, dragonflies, butterflies and flies. These aerial insectivores use their tweezer-shaped bills and wide open gapes to catch the flyting insects and displaying incredible manoeuvrability on the wing to do so. They have one of the most complex of all avian societies, featuring families, clans, and pirates!

A male Square-tailed nightjar resting on the ground early in the morning on a bank next to the Limpopo river. These nightjars are usually found in shady gravel areas where their camouflage helps them blend in to their surroundings. Key identifying features are the white markings on the outer tail feathers and folded wings, , in the case of the male, and its tawny-buff collar. It has a prominent black crown markings without clear cut grey surround. The adult of this species has vermiculated grey wings, richly marked with white and salmon teardrop-shaped spots on it median and greater wing coverts which are interspersed with black markings. A line of white spots on the lesser wing coverts form a white bar. This species prefers more open woodland than the fiery-necked nightjar and have a steady trilling call.

We watched these two African hoopoes for about 40 minutes. We saw them first foraging on the ground in the sand in one track of the road. They then flew up into a nearby high dead tree. One partner seemed to be searching for food under the bark while the other was very interested in a hole in the knot of the tree which could have been a nest.

A Brown-hooded kingfisher on top of a dead branch looking up at the storks circling high above. This is a medium-sized woodland-dwelling kingfisher. Its tail and flight feathers are blue, and its back and shoulders are dark brown. It has grey-brown streaked head, a a red beak and red feet. It has all the qualities of a kingfisher, but does not feed on fish. It is an insectivore eating insects, small lizards, centipedes, spiders, scorpions and even chameleons. Brown Hooded Kingfishers usually catch their prey on the ground and kill it by beating it against a tree and in the process break the exoskeleton to facilitate digestion. After a few meals, this kingfisher will often cough up a small pellet removing part of the exoskeleton it cannot digest.

A fledged but young Martial eagle perched on top of a Shepherd tree. This a large eagle, close in size to that of a Black eagle. The juvenile has mostly white underparts and brown upper parts. The adult by contrast has a brown head neck and chest and the belly and legs are white with brown spots. The Martial, like the African Crowned Eagle and African Hawk-eagle, has piercing yellow eyes. It has a grey beak with a black tip and a yellow cere. Birds form an important part of this eagle’s diet, and include guineafowl, francolins and bustards. It will also prey on small mammals and reptiles as large as a full grown monitor lizards. Martial Eagles spend around 85% of their time perched and take to the wing later in the morning once the thermals have begun to develop. This eagle is predominantly opportunistic perch and ambush hunter.

A male Diederick cuckoo sitting call in a Purple-pod Terminalia. These birds can been hard to see as they are small and blend well with the trees and bushes they occupy, especially when looking at them from behind. The Diederick cuckoo has a distinctive red eye, emerald green head, nape and back and white underparts which become strongly barred from the breast to the belly. It has a central white stripe over its crown and several white markings on its secondary feathers and upper coverts. All cuckoos are summer residents and are parasitic breeders. The Diederick cuckoo parasites weaver, bishops and sparrow nests. The female lays either one or two eggs in the host nest and will remove the host egg before laying her own. 

“Nature we have always with us, an in exhaustible store-house of that which moves the heart, appeals to the mind and fires the imagination — health to the body, a stimulus to the intellect, and joy to the soul.”
~ John Burroughs

An adult Tawny eagle perched on top of a Shepherd tree which it was using as a lookout. Tawny’s have a huge variety of plumage morphs but this one was a rich rufous colour all over. A Tawny is a mid-sized eagle with a long neck, well-feathered legs, well-proportioned frame and large bill which lacks a deep gape. The gape only extends in line with the middle of the eye. It has strong yellow feet. Like many large raptors, the Tawny eagle spends the majority of its day perched but take wing a few times a day once the thermal have developed. They scavenge and pirate when they can, and hunt when they cannot. The Tawny’s diet varies from what they can scavenge at a kill to birds and small mammals to termites.

A Burchell’s coucal perched on a dead branch. Identified by the fine barring on its upper and low tail coverts.

A yellow-rumped widow also known s a yellow bishop was displaying to passing females from the top of a thorn bush. This widow bird was seen on the west side of the vlei in Mashatu. This male was in full breeding plumage which is black with yellow upper coverts and a yellow rump. The female is brown and heavily streaked below, without yellow highlights.

This was one of three alarmed Three-banded coursers on the gravel road encountered when we were returning to camp around 19h00. This is one of the only two nocturnal coursers in southern Africa, the other being the Bronze-winged courser. This courser is not often seen possibly because it is nocturnal and it has cryptic markings on its upper parts make it difficult to see in daylight. It has a prominent dark brown crown with a broad white stripe extending from its buff coloured supercilium. These white stripes meet on the back of the neck forming a “v”. It has large brown eyes with a thin yellow eye-ring. It has a short yellow beak with a black tip. It has three bands on its throat and breast. The upper band is dark brown and extends from the ear coverts to to the upper chest to form a “v” shape. Below that band is a white band. Below the white band is a broad buff band with dark brown streaks. The third band is a rust coloured extending across its white lower chest and belly. This courser prefers semi-arid areas. During the day these coursers roost on the ground in the shade of a bush. They are insectivorous.

A Swainson’s spurfowl sitting on a dead log early in the morning. The distinguishing characteristics are red skin on its throat and face, and black/brown legs. Swainson’s spurfowl appear brown at a distance but a closer look shows vermiculated upper parts and light brown underparts with dark brown streaks. Its legs and feet are dark grey to black. These birds are found in savanna areas in the northern and eastern area of southern Africa.

This male Swainson’s spurfowl was declaring his presence to the world. This character’s spurs had been worn down signalling an old bird which had been in numerous scuffles over mates. Spurfowl are omnivorous in their habits and feed on bulbs, seeds, berries, shoots insects and molluscs. Swainson’s perch low down in trees at night and don’t drink much during the day but will typically drink before they go to roost.

A Lesser Grey-backed shrike. This is another summer migrant from Europe. It has a distinctive black forecrown and mask which extends to its ear coverts. It has a grey nape, back and upper rump coverts. It has a white underparts from its throat to its rump coverts. and contrast between pinky breast and white throat distinctive. This shrike prefers thornveld areas and is insectivorous. This species of shrike migrates back to Europe in the early part of April each year and by mid-April they have all gone north to breed and feed.

A male long-tailed Paradise whydah looking out for females. In his breeding plumage the male has a black head crown and throat. His chest is a rust brown-orange and his belly and back of his neck are a rich creamy light yellow colour. Its back wings and tail feathers are all a glossy black. This whydah is polygynous and will mate with as many as 10 females. The female is a host-specific brood parasite and lays her eggs in the nest of the Green-winged pytilia. Unlike other brood parasites, paradise whydahs do not remove the host’s eggs when laying its own and the parasite chick does not kill its host “sibling”.

A European roller is yet another summer visitor. This roller was preening itself while sitting on an elevated dead branch. Two other types of roller are seen in Mashatu, the Lilac-breasted and the Purple roller. Like all rollers the European roller is known for its aerial acrobatics during courtship or territorial flights. This roller is light azure powder blue colour on its head and underparts and the underside of its tail feathers. It has a light brown back and rump but reveals electric blue wings in flight. This roller perches on a prominent lookout and hawks prey. Its diet includes large insects, small reptiles, rodents, and small frogs.

The small sample of bird images I have shown in the last three posts offer an idea of the prolific bird life to be found in Mashatu, especially when all the migrants have arrived for the southern African summer months from November to March.

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

~ John Burroughs

Game vehicles are allowed to go off road in Mashatu which contributes greatly to the photographic opportunities. There is also a varied occurrence of smaller birds around the camps which adds to the interest when in camp.

Have fun, Mike

Mashatu Nature Reserve in January. It was a time of good rains which transformed the colour palette of the area from brown and gold to verdant greens and yellows. The migrants, inter-African and Eurasian had arrived. It was hot and blazing with colour. The Majale, the main river coursing through Mashatu, had plenty of large pools of water. It never flows perennially but can flow strongly after good rains.

“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

This post shows a further small selection of birds which were seen and photographed in Mashatu.

A Lesser Spotted eagle perched in a dead tree looking and waiting for insects to appear. This is a medium-sized, compact eagle which migrates from Eastern Europe to feed in southern Africa during summer. When perched, the adults are characteristically two toned with their dark flight feathers contrasting their paler brown body feathers and upper wing coverts. Usually, a white patch occurs on the upper wings, and adults have a clearly marked white “V” on the rump, usually only seen when flying. The head and beak are small for an eagle possibly because it is mainly an insect eater.

A pair of Red-billed hornbills. There are five species of Red-billed, but we find the southern species in southern Africa. This group of birds are conspicuous visually and sound-wise. It has mainly whitish underparts and head. Its back and head are dark grey and the upper parts of its wings are a dark grey with vivid white splotches. It has a long black tail and a long curved red bill which lacks a casque, which is usually only present in hornbills living in forests or heavily wooded areas. This species of hornbill has a characteristic long decurved red bill with pink skin around its yellow eyes. In the image above the male was about to present his female with a gift of bark as part of his courting process.

A Fork-tailed drongo perched on the branch of a Shepherd tree. This species typically perches on a branch and hawks insects. This bird has a large head with a hooked black bill (similar to a shrike), and a red eye. A key diagnostic feature is its deeply forked tail. This bird is a highly agile flier similar to bee-eater. The drongo is talkative and an accomplished mimic. The Fork-tailed drongo is a kleptoparasite specialist, using its mimic abilities to get effect. Birds of prey are often mobbed by the agile Fork-tailed drongo, who see the raptor as a threat.

“Birds are indicators of the environment. If they are in trouble, we know we will soon be in trouble.” Roger Tory Peterson

A female Bearded woodpecker. The female has a black crown on her head not a red one seen on the male. Both male and female have the characteristic black throat which looks like a beard and a black eye band which extends from the beak to the ear coverts. A woodpecker’s tongue wraps around its skull, acting as a cushion for the brain when it taps on the hard surface of a branch. The pecking and tapping on branches have several functions, one to claim territory, two to attract mates and three to reach insects and grubs the bark of the tree.

A Kurrichane Buttonquail on the track in front of the game vehicle. This is a small 15 cm high quail. Usually it flushes late when approached or surprised and flies about 20 metres before landing in the thick grass cover again. Its cryptic upper parts make it very difficult to see in the grass. The head and back are mainly russet brown. The eye is cream and clearly is visible, and its beak is blue grey and its legs pinkish. It feeds on insects and seeds on the ground.

A Burchell’s coucal with a large caterpillar for breakfast. This is one of four species of coucal found in southern Africa. The coucal is a member of the cuckoo family. It has the characteristic ochre brown back and wing feathers. Its head and nape are black, its eye is ruby red and its throat and underparts a creamy white. A key differentiating feature is the finely barred upper tail coverts. It has a beautiful liquid call which sounds remarkably like water being poured from a narrow-necked bottle followed by a series of “tu tu tu tu”. This species is often called the “rainbird” because it is often seen before the onset of rain. Its attractive appearance and gentle liquid song disguises its voracious predatory nature. It is feared by smaller birds as it frequently raids the nests of other birds to prey on any young nestlings and eggs. It will also prey on frogs, lizards, rodents and insects.

A Natal spurfowl declaring its territory from a prominent lookout early one morning. This species of spurfowl has distinctive yellow nostrils and a bright orange-red bill and legs. The spurs on this spurfowl were well worn signaling it was an older bird which must have been in many fights.

There are six francolin species and six spurfowl species in Southern Africa. The distinction be­tween these groups is apparent in their plumage, escape flight behaviour and vocalisations. The francolin is smaller and has yellow legs. It typically crouches and sits tight before flushing when disturbed, where­as spurfowls tend to run for cover. Francolins also have a more musical call whereas spurfowl have a more raucous harsh call. A spurfowl is larger and has orange, red or black legs. The spurfowl roosts in trees at night like a guineafowl whereas francolin trend to stay on the ground. The Crested francolin is the exception to the rule among francolins.

A male Namaqua dove. It has a very long black tapered tail, and the size and shape have led to comparison with the budgerigar. The plumage is mostly a grey-brown apart from a white belly. Its primary feathers are chestnut and very visible in flight. The adult male has a yellow and red beak and a black face, throat and breast. The adult female lacks the black and has a red-based grey beak. There is no difference between a pigeon and a dove in scientific nomenclature, but colloquial English tends to categorise them by size where a dove is generally smaller than something called a pigeon.

A Grey heron standing alert on the branch of a dead tree. The Grey heron has a black streak on its head whereas the Black-Headed heron has a solid black head and the former’s feathers are predominantly grey. The Grey heron has a yellow beak and brown legs, whereas the Black-Headed heron has a dark grey beak and grey legs. The Grey heron has light grey feathers, whereas the Black-Headed heron has dark grey feathers. Herons are waders, and have long legs and can measure up to a metre in height. Their preferred diet is aquatic creatures, caught while foraging in shallow water or from the bank. The beak is large and pointed to assist its predatory behaviour. Its diet comprises fish, frogs, insects, beetles and small birds.

A Terrestrial Brownbul having a bath in the bird bath in front of Rock Camp which is one of several camps located along the Limpopo river. It is inconspicuous and camouflaged, occupying the shadowy undergrowth of thickly vegetated habitats, It mainly eats arthropods (spiders, beetles, mantises, moths and butterflies etc.), probing and overturning leaf litter in search of prey.

A White-browed Robin-chat, also known as the Heuglin’s robin. This character also came to the bird bath to cool off in the heat of January. It has a black head and face with a white brow. Its neck and underparts are a bright orange. One of the charming features of the bird is its beautiful call where a pair’s duet can often be heard just after dawn and at dusk.

“The homing instinct in birds and animals is one of their most remarkable traits: their strong local attachments and their skill in finding their way back when removed to a distance. It seems at times as if they possessed some extra sense – the home sense – which operates unerringly.” ~ John Burroughs

A Wood sandpiper foraging in the pans filled by the recent rains. This sandpiper is a summer visitor from Eurasia. It eats a variety of insects, small fish and frogs, foraging by slowly walking on the ground or in shallow water, probing, pecking and sweeping its bill from side to side in search of prey.  This sandpiper has dark brown upper parts with white spots and a broad distinctive white eyebrow which starts above its lore and extends above and behind the eye. Its neck and breast feathers are a light buff-brown colour which transitions gradually into white belly and rump feathers. Its beak is dark grey but transitions into a green-yellow around the lores and gape. It has long yellow legs. By contrast, a Green sandpiper tends to be stockier than the Wood sandpiper, and is less elegant and shorter-legged. The Green sandpiper’s legs are a greenish-grey colour.

An adult Hammerkop preening itself on the jutting branch a dead tree above the Majale river around mid-morning. This is a squat, brown bird the size of a small ibis with a bushy-crested “hammer-head”. It is commonly found near wetlands and rivers. Hammerkops eat frogs, fish, invertebrates, and crustaceans found in shallow water. The Hammerkop is also known as the “Lightning bird” in certain African tribe’s folklore. It takes the form of a bird which is the size of a person, with the power to summon thunder and lightning with its wings and talons. The bird is of imaginary nature and may take several forms. According to folklore, the Lightning Bird is impervious to gunshots or stabbing, it cannot be poisoned or drowned, but according to folklore can be destroyed by fire.

A Lanner falcon hunting from its perch on a dead Shepherd bush. It is the largest falcon in southern Africa and is differentiated from the Peregrine falcon by its larger size and and whitish-buff coloured underparts with brown spots. This was a juvenile as seen by its light buff coloured crown. The adult usually has a russet coloured crown. The yellow eye-ring and black teardrop-like moustache extending from the eye down its cheek are characteristic features of most falcons and Hobbys.

I have a special interest in Lanner falcons. I have not seen them often and they have a special place in my birding heart from memories of senior school friends, especially Adrian Lombard, flying their Lanners at our bush boarding school, Falcon College, located south of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe.

Mashatu boasts more than 350 species of birds on the reserve. During the winter months the variety diminishes as the migrants return north to feed and breed. In winter in Mashatu, the resident birds gather around the small pools of water that remain from the wet season. During the summer months huge flocks of birds arrive from the north to feed. The unique variety of ecosystems in Mashatu ensure a wide variety of bird species can be seen from wader and waterbirds at the vlei to coursers and sandgrouse in the drier areas.

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

I have one more post on birds from my Mashatu trip in January after which I will shift onto mammals and the varied scenery.

Have fun, Mike

This is the first post after a long break due to an overseas trip and having caught Covid on the flight back from overseas. I intend to resume my regular wildlife posts. I have a significant backlog to catch up from 2022.

Mashatu is a private game reserve in the south eastern section of Botswana called the Tuli Block. The landscape and fauna is diverse and so too is the wildlife.

“Climb on to the game vehicle after your cup of coffee and a rusk and get ready to be bewitched for the next few hours.” ~ Mike Haworth

The next three posts offer a small glimpse into the wide variety of birds that can be seen on a few game drives in Mashatu. This post shows a few examples of different birds in flight.

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

January in Mashatu is a time when the migrants are around. Some of the more notable migrants are Lesser Spotted eagle, White storks, Carmine and European bee-eaters, European rollers, and Woodland kingfishers to name just a few.

The next image is of a Steppe buzzard having just taken off from its perch. This buzzard feeds on insects, small mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. I have not seen it every summer in Mashatu. We saw several members of this species during this trip so there must have been many insects around.

The White-fronted bee-eater is a resident in Mashatu and is seen mainly along the banks of the Majale river, the main river flowing through Mashatu into the Limpopo river. In the hot mornings and afternoons when there are plenty of flying insects in the air, these bee-eaters are very busy hawking the insects.

This female Saddle-billed stork had just taken off after feeding in a pool in the Majale river. The female Saddle-billed stork has a yellow eye-ring and no yellow wattle under her beak. This stork had been hunting for frogs and fish in the shallow pools of water in the Majale river.

There were numerous White storks in the open grassland in Mashatu. They were feeding on insects in the grass. These storks urinate on their legs making them appear white. This provides a cooling mechanism similar to sweating, a phenomenon known as urohidrosis.

Summer brings the Yellow-billed kites. They are wonderful, agile fliers and are recognisable in flight by their brown plumage and forked tail. The Yellow-billed kite and Black kite ranges overlap and look very similar. The simplest way to tell them apart is by looking at the beak. The Yellow-billed kite has a totally yellow beak and the Black kite has a yellow beak with a black tip.

The banks of the Majale river provide a wonderful hunting ground for the skulking Burchell’s coucal. This bird flushed as we drove towards it. The Burchell’s coucal is identified by its finely barred upper tail coverts. It’s beautiful plumage disguises its predatory nature.

I have only seen a Lanner falcon on rare occasions in Mashatu. On this particular trip I had good sightings of a Lanner on two occasions. I was interested to see how it had fanned out its wing and tail feathers on take off to get maximum lift at low speed.

On a different occasion we found a lone Lanner falcon on a patch of bare earth. I could not see what it was eating but it looked more like an insect than a bird. Those black tear drops below the eyes are so characteristic of these falcons.

In Mashatu, the Kori bustards are skittish. It would be very unusual to have one walking towards you. They are normally walking or flying away. The Kori bustard is the heaviest flying bird native to Africa. These birds have to run to take off but are good fliers though only for a short distance to get away from a perceived threat. Kori’s thrive in the grasslands of Mashatu and are omnivorous, tending to be more carnivorous than most other bustards.

Mashatu is a wonderful place to see and photograph birds or all sizes and colours. We spent a week at the syndicated camp called Rock camp and its guide Justice is particularly knowledgable about birds. If the guests on the game vehicle enjoy their birds, Mashatu offers a stunning variety which will keep you and your guests enthralled for hours.

“Life is a photo album. Loaded with some black and white memories, some colorful dreams, some abstract expressionism and some out of focus images.” ~ Biju Karakkonam

In the next post I will show a variety of wild birds which are perching or feeding.

I hope you enjoyed the flights of fancy!

Have fun,

Mike

In this post I want to show other carnivores beyond the popular lions, leopards and cheetahs. Mashatu is home to hyaenas, jackals, and Bat-eared foxes which we see during the day and civets, genets and, occasionally, Aardwolf seen mainly at night.

“Looking outside the spotlight of popularity you can find a wonderland of treasures” ~ Mike Haworth

Not all carnivores are exclusively meat eating. The Bat-eared foxes, civets, genets and Aardwolf are mainly nocturnal and insect eaters, though civets and genets are omnivorous. In this post, I show a few images of hyaenas, Black-backed jackals and Bat-eared foxes.

“Mashatu is dry in winter and spring but there is life in abundance. Looking beyond the popular and obvious reveals another world of fascination and wonder.” ~ Mike Haworth

Spotted hyaenas thrive in Mashatu. There is plenty of food and many leopards, several lions and a small population of cheetahs to steal food from.

Although hyaenas keep their young in dens the clan of adults generally spread out during the day to form a system of sentries. The females with young will return to the den to feed and tend their young. This sentry system ensures the clan can cover a greater surveillance area for them to kill or steal prey. Spotted hyaenas have acute senses of smell and hearing.

Although Spotted hyaenas are well known for scavenging and stealing food they are are excellent hunters in their own right. The majority of all the prey they consume comes from their own hunting efforts. Given the opportunity to scavenge or steal prey from another carnivore they will take it – but so will lions and leopards.

Hyaenas live and operate in female dominated clans led by the matriarch. The dominant female exercises her authority ruthlessly. Armed with great strength, speed and endurance a Spotted hyaena is quite capable of running at speeds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour, fast enough to catch and take down an adult wildebeest. Hyaenas are also able to pursue their prey until the latter’s exhaustion. The longest recorded pursuit was know to have occurred over 24 kilometres.

“Odours have a power of persuasion stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions, or will. The persuasive power of an odour cannot be fended off, it enters into us like breath into our lungs, it fills us up, imbues us totally. There is no remedy for it.” ~ Patrick Süskind

During the day the Spotted hyaena will lie in a drainage ditch or under a tree or bush for shade watching and waiting for any opportunity to feed. They have extraordinary senses of hearing and smell.

The Spotted hyaena loves water. While it is thirst quenching, it is also a place to lie in the heat of the day to keep cool. Spotted hyaena are also known to hide food in water to keep it out of sight and hide the smell.

Hyaenas have exceptionally powerful carnassial teeth behind the premolars which they use for sawing flesh and premolars for crushing bones. Hyaenas are different in their feeding to other animals as they clearly go for the joints and bones first. Hyaenas have a particularly strong and quick acting digestive system enabling them to eat and digest the entire prey: meat, skin, bones and horn. Spotted Hyenas have an incredible bite force of 1100 psi (pounds per square inch). To put this into perspective, humans have a bite force of around 162 psi, a lion 650 psi, a hippo around 1 800 psi and a five metre long Nile crocodile around 3 500 psi.

There are three species of jackal in Africa, the Black-backed, Side-striped and Golden. The Black-backed jackal is most often seen in southern Africa. I have only seen Black-backed jackal in Mashatu.

“To learn to see- to accustom the eye to calmness, to patience, and to allow things to come up to it; to defer judgment, and to acquire the habit of approaching and grasping an individual case from all sides.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Where ever you see lion, hyaenas and cheetah you will often find Black-backed jackals hoping to benefit from morsels left by the other carnivores. These jackals are cunning and daring especially around lions at a kill. Although scavengers, they are also hunters in their own right, but they are omnivorous so are highly adaptable. This jackal species is mainly nocturnal but often seen during the day, normally lying in the shade of a bush.

During our November safari in Mashatu, on the drive out of camp on the other side of the rock outcrop next to the camp, we found a female jackal had created a den in a PVC pipe which acted as a culvert under the gravel road. Interestingly, this den was frequently watched by a few Spotted hyaenas.

Black-backed jackal mating usually occurs between June and August and with a gestation period of two months produces one to six pups between August and October each year. We estimated the three jackal pups we saw were around one month to two months old.

As with most youngsters these jackal pups were very curious but never ventured too far from their den if their mother was not close by.

Pups are suckled initially and thereafter fed on regurgitated food for up to three months. Thereafter young are able to forage with the adults.

Black-backed jackals are monogamous, so pair for life. The young initially use their parents territory to gain experience and assist in raising subsequent litters. Later in life they range more widely until they find their own mates and territories. Black-backed jackals have a well-developed communication system and are frequently heard at dawn and dusk.

The third frequently seen carnivore in Mashatu is the Bat-eared fox. There are two species of fox found in southern Africa, the Bat-eared fox and the Cape fox, with only the former found in Mashatu. This fox gets its name because it has abnormally large ears for a fox. It has a racoon-like black facial mask.

“The diversity of life is there for all to see but is not immediately apparent. Some wildlife you see during the day, some at night and some only in the diurnal hours. Timing is important and so too are senses and interpretation. Some you hear before you see. Some you only see because you heard from others. You need to waken all your senses to appreciate the diversity.” ~ Mike Haworth

The Bat-eared fox is predominately nocturnal but is often seen at diurnal times. It does most of its foraging during the night where around 80% of its diet is thought to comprise termites and dung beetles. It will also eat birds eggs, rodents, lizards and even chicks if it can find them.

The most distinctive feature of the Bat-eared fox is obviously its bat-like ears which can be 12.5cm in length. These enlarged ears give this fox species acute hearing and with numerous blood vessel act as a heat radiator. These foxes locate their prey mainly by hearing. Characteristically while foraging, this fox species will stop, cock its head pointing its ears towards the ground to accurately locate insects and termites below the ground. Once located they dig their prey out with long claws on their forepaws.

“The web of life both cradles us and calls us to weave it further.” ~Joanna Macy

As you can imagine, these long ears become problematic when the wind is blowing which is why they flatten them to reduce the roaring sound of the wind.

The hyaenas and jackals are always around in the dry and rainy periods and all survived the major floods in 2013. By contrast the Bat-eared foxes usually found near Nel’s vlei, which is an extension of the Limpopo river flood plain, were decimated by the flood. We assume most of the foxes drowned in their burrows and others escaped to higher ground. We did not see the Bat-eared foxes for several years after the flood but slowly and surely they returned and we saw them in 2018.

While it is always interesting to see the larger predators, often the smaller carnivores are more interesting and more active. The nocturnal carnivores are more skittish and more difficult to photograph by spotlight.

“Shallow ecology is anthropocentric, or human-centred. It views humans as above or outside nature, as the source of all value, and ascribes only instrumental, or ‘use’, value to nature. Deep ecology does not separate humans – or anything else – from the natural environment. It does see the world not as a collection of isolated objects but as a network of phenomena that are fundamentally interconnected and interdependent. Deep ecology recognises the intrinsic value of all human beings and views humans as just one particular strand in the web of life.” ~Fritjof Capra

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

Have fun, Mike

This was November in Mashatu. Many changes had taken place in the lions’ world in Mashatu. The handsome unscarred male lion who had been dominant for several years was deposed and pushed out into the adjacent property called Charter. Two younger males in the early phase of their prime had taken over the Mashatu territory. The manes of these males were still relatively blonde. The older the male generally the darker his mane. Dark-maned male lions are known to have a higher level of testosterone, which means they are stronger and more aggressive fighters. An aggressive male is better able to defend his pride.

“We no longer have the luxury of time when it comes to big cats. They are in such a downward spiral that if we hesitate now, we will be responsible for extinctions across the globe. If there was ever a time to take action, it is now.” ~ Dereck Joubert

On our second morning we found the two males with three lionesses. The blonder male was lying on his own away from the other male and two lionesses.

It was late afternoon and there were many stinging flies biting the male lying on his own. To prevent being stung the male was swishing his tail back and forth and was also trying to bite at the flies.

The third lioness who had been lying away from the other lions walked up to the male lying on his own. She lingered for a few months taking in his scent.

“Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many.” ~Phaedrus

She then brushed past and nuzzled him catching his attention. She then without a pause walked past him with without a backward glance and strode over to the other male lying with the other two lionesses.

It was clear from the first interaction that the male lying with the two lionesses was the dominant member of the male coalition. The third lioness walked straight up to the dominant male and started rubbing herself against him ensuring that he caught her scent. She was ready to mate.

The female usually invites the male to have intercourse by assuming a position known as lordosis. The dominant male quickly got the message and began mating with her right next to the other two lionesses who seemed unfazed. The mating did not raise a reaction from either of the other two lionesses.

Lions have no particular breeding season, and often synchronise breeding, especially after a pride takeover, which enables them to raise the cubs communally. A lioness mates up to 100 times per day with an average interval of 17 minutes, each mating lasting for around 21 seconds. Male cats have spines on their penis to cause slight trauma to the vagina upon withdrawal.  The resulting pain triggers ovulation.  It probably also explains why females bare their teeth at males during mating. (Source: ALERT: African Lion & Environmental Research Trust). We came away from this sighting with the firm impression that the mating male lion was the dominant member of the coalition so all the females gravitated towards him and were effectively his.

Two days later, in a much more open windswept part of the reserve near the vlei (local name for a marsh) we found all five lions. This time the male previously seen on his own had a female with him.

“True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes.” ~ Edward Wood

He was very protective of her and every time she got up to walk back to the other lionesses he followed her. As soon as she got close to the other male he would shield her from him. There was no antagonism between the two males.

The less dominate male started to mate with the female right next to the dominate male and two lionesses. The dominant male just looked on with complete acceptance despite the fact that he had mated with her two days before.

“The greatest fear in the world is of the opinions of others. And the moment you are unafraid of the crowd you are no longer a sheep, you become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom.” ~ Osho

The slightly overcast afternoon was very peaceful and the mating took place every twenty minutes or so.

At one point the two mating lions got close to the dominant male and he backed away to lie in-between the lionesses. This behaviour looked amusing and stirred the ire of one lioness who was sat on.

The mating pair eventually moved further away from the other three lions. The wind was blowing but it was warm. At one point the mating male lay a metre or two from his lioness. He looked relaxed but pensive.

“See life as if it is perfectly framed. Look for the good light, best composition, framing, because it will make you view life in a different, more perfect way. It makes life better if you can see perfection in an image you make, even if the image is of a slaughtered elephant, or people caught in rubble after an earthquake. ” ~ Dereck Joubert

At no point did the mating male lion close his eyes but just watched the whole scene with a quiet acceptance.

Lions live in prides that consist of one primary male lion, several females and one or two lesser males. The primary male mates with his lionesses. Females might also mate with more than one partner. Several females are likely to be in heat at the same time. The pride leader, usually is the first to mate with each female in heat. He might tire of them during their cycle which gives the lesser male get an opportunity to mate.

“Without conservation, nature fails. Without nature, our souls wither, ecosystems fail, culture disappears, and it takes with it our integrity, our self worth, our common drive to strive for better. The eternal battle within each of us is mirrored in the way we interact with nature. If we lose this battle we don’t just lose animals, or litter a few highways. We lose our souls.” ~ Dereck Joubert

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

Have fun, Mike

In south eastern Botswana, Mashatu is a dry place for most of the year. It is home to numerous predators. The active and growing cheetah population in Mashatu competes with lions, leopards and hyaenas.

“The rules of survival never change, whether you’re in a desert or in an arena.” – Bear Grylls

Cheetahs are best known for their unique physiology which enables them to run down their prey at extremely high speeds. A less obvious adaptation, but nonetheless essential for survival, is their adaptability to local conditions, where larger more dominant predators compete with them for prey and will kill them if given a chance.

According to National Geographic, there are various theories concerning cheetah evolution. A popular one postulates that cheetahs descended from the same ancestor as the American puma. About 10 000 to 12 000 years ago, around the end of the last ice age, an extinction event took place that wiped out many large mammal species around the world, including the wild cheetahs of North America and Europe. The extinction of these early cheetah species left only the Asian and African populations of cheetahs.

At the turn of the 19th century, more than 100 000 cheetahs were estimated to have been living in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Today there are estimated to be only 7 100 cheetahs left in the wild, so they are listed as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. A recent study revealed significant population declines, so scientists are calling for cheetahs to be uplisted to “Endangered.” In North Africa and Asia, they are considered “Critically Endangered.”

Cheetahs today are heading toward extinction, a trend they have faced twice before. Genetic analysis of wild cheetahs shows they may have survived two historical bottlenecks, events that sharply reduce the size of a population.

“Evolution is the floating bridge on turbulent waters.” ~ Sukant Ratnakar

The first bottleneck event that cheetahs may have undergone occurred around 100 00 years ago when they expanded their range into Asia, Europe, and Africa. This range expansion is believed to have occurred rapidly, dispersing the cheetahs over a very large area, which reduced their ability to exchange genes.

The second likely bottleneck event occurred about 10 000 to 12 000 years ago, around the end of the last ice age. In this bottleneck the cheetahs of North America and Europe went extinct, leaving extant only the species’ Asian and African populations. As large mammals died out across the world, the number of surviving cheetahs dwindled, causing inbreeding. Even though the number of cheetahs grew to as many as 100,000 during the 19th century, their genetic variability remained low due to the second extreme bottleneck event which took place thousands of years before.

“Every being has its own important and unique place in the cosmic dance.” ~ Laurence Overmire

Cheetahs now face extinction pressure from climate change, hunting by humans, and habitat destruction. Cheetahs’ own genes also pose a challenge to their continued survival. Cheetahs have a low rate of reproductive success. The result is the few remaining individuals end up inbreeding, or mating with relatives. Inbreeding reduces the size of the gene pool, which can lead to problems such as decreased genetic variability and the persistence of potentially harmful mutations. These factors make it harder for the remaining population to adapt to changes in their environment. In a very small population, any mutations that occur are much more likely to be passed on to offspring and propagate through successive generations.

Adult life for a cheetah in the wild is difficult. Female cheetahs in the wild have an average age span of 10 – 12 years. The average lifespan of an adult male in the wild skews lower (8 years), due in part to territorial conflicts with competing groups of males. Adult mortality is one of the most significant limiting factors for the growth and survival of the wild cheetah population. (Source: Cheetah Conservation fund.)

“Sooner or later, every last echo fades. Even the loudest thunder in the deepest valley.” ~ Brian K. Vaughan

With its long legs and very slender body, the cheetah is quite different from all other cats and is the only member of its genus, Acinonyx. The scientific genus name Acinonyx is a reference to the species’ semi-retractile claws. The cheetah’s unique morphology and physiology allow it phenomenal acceleration and to attain the extreme speeds for which it’s famous.

Distinctive black tear stripes run from the eyes to the mouth. The stripes are thought to protect the eyes from the sun’s glare. It is believed that they also have the same function as a rifle scope, helping cheetahs focus on their prey at a long distance range by minimising the glare of the sun.

“It is a law of nature we overlook, that intellectual versatility is the compensation for change, danger, and trouble. An animal perfectly in harmony with its environment is a perfect mechanism. Nature never appeals to intelligence until habit and instinct are useless. There is no intelligence where there is no change and no need of change. Only those animals partake of intelligence that have a huge variety of needs and dangers.” ~ H.G. Wells

Cheetah scent marking involves spraying urine and defecating on landmarks. It is often done by males competing for the best hunting grounds. Scent is one of the main communication channels among cheetahs. These sleek cats spend a considerable amount of their time smelling and depositing their own scent on previously marked places. This is most often on elevated points such as termite mounds or fallen trees. Such spots serve as ideal observational outlooks and act almost correspondingly to a status update of who is or has been in the area – a regular station for receiving and leaving olfactory information. (https://www.wildlifeact.com/blog/cheetah-scent-marking/)

The study of scat can provide valuable information. It identifies the species, diet composition, provides genetic information such as sex, age and the individual, it provides the hormone levels and parasite load in the individual signalling its overall health and vigour.

Cheetah tails end with a bushy tuft encircled by three or four dark rings. These markings provide them with excellent camouflage while hunting and make them more difficult for other predators to detect. The tail is also thought to be a signaling device, helping young cubs follow their mothers in tall grass. The tip of the tail varies in colour from white to black among individuals.

Cheetah have a hunting success rate of just under 60%. Most of the hunting takes place in the early morning or dusk when it is cooler. If an opportunity to hunt in the heat of the day presents itself the cheetah will take it mainly because there is much less competition from nocturnal predators such as lion, leopards and hyaenas at that time of the day. In Mashatu, the Shepherd Tree provides valuable shade in the heat of the day while the cheetahs rest and look out for prey.

Our second sighting of the cheetah coalition was the next day late in the afternoon. The cheetahs were on the move and looking for prey. On the south side of the Majale river it is dry and rocky in many places.

The two cheetahs were making their way toward the Majale river. Looking at the stones on the ground in this area it is hard to believe that these speedsters can run at top speed over this type of ground.

The cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal. At top speed, their stride is seven meters long. The cheetah’s unique body structure: flexible spine, semi-retractable claws, long legs and tail allow it to achieve a top speed of 110 kilometres per hour. The cheetah’s body is narrow and lightweight with long slender limbs. Its specialised muscles allow for a greater swing to the limbs increasing acceleration. Increasing stride frequency is key to reaching faster speeds. This is mainly achieved through rapidly swinging the limb to decrease swing time. Cheetah muscle has been shown to contain a high proportion of fast-twitch fibres, which would be highly beneficial for rapidly swinging the limb and reducing swing time. (Functional Anatomy of the cheetah forelimb -https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3077521/)

“Cheetahs succeed not because they are the fastest animal on land but because of their incredible acceleration and unmatched turning speeds.” ~ Alan Wilson

Cheetahs have a thin frame with a narrow waist and deep chest. They have large nostrils that allow for increased oxygen intake. Cheetahs have a large lungs and hearts connected to a circulatory system with strong arteries and adrenals that work in tandem to circulate oxygen through their blood very efficiently. The cheetah’s heart rate is between 120 and 170 beats a minute at rest and between 200 and 250 beats per minute when running.

Cheetahs’ foot pads are hard and less rounded than the other cats. The pads function like tire treads providing them with increased traction in fast, sharp turns. The short blunt claws, which are considered semi-retractable, are closer to that of a dog than of other cats. The claws work like the cleats of a track shoe to grip the ground for traction when running to help increase speed.

“Change can be reversed, but evolution only moves forward and once it moves forward, it can never be reversed.” ~ Sukant Ratnakar

This cheetah was very wary and reacted to every sound. It was late in the afternoon, a time when the nocturnal predators begin to stir. The river is also a place where lions and leopards frequent because the river attracts prey which come to the river in search of water.

The cheetahs eventually made their way down to the bank of the Majale river where lions and leopards are regularly seen. The cheetahs were on high alert knowing that crossing the dry river bed was a dangerous venture.

To watch these cheetah hunting from a distance was a privilege. At dawn and dusk they were very wary and were constantly looking around to ensure that there were no potential threats approaching. The cheetah’s colouring is especially effective at these diurnal times making their camouflage even more effective.

Cheetah are able to wander all over the Northern Tuli Game Reserve (NOTUGRE) but tend to frequent the area around the Majale, Matabole and Pitsani rivers especially in the drier periods because of the proximity of water. We have been fortunate enough to see cheetahs almost very time we have visited Mashatu but the free range movement does not guarantee cheetah sightings.

“Life is neither static nor unchanging. With no individuality, there can be no change, no adaptation and, in an inherently changing world, any species unable to adapt is also doomed.” ~ Jean M. Auel

A cheetah sighting is always a thrill because something can happen at any time. Cheetahs are the most active cats during the day so the potential to see a hunt develop is relatively high if you find these cats. If there are cheetah cubs they are very playful offering wonderful photographic opportunities.

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

Have fun, Mike

This the second post from my trip to Mashatu Nature Reserve in November last year. Mashatu Nature Reserve is the largest privately owned nature reserve in southern Africa and is located in the Tuli Block between the Shashe and Limpopo rivers in south eastern Botswana.

“It is in the wild places, where the edge of the earth meets the corners of the sky, the human spirit is fed.” “~ Art Wolfe

This is a dry place between May and November each year which is winter and spring. Then the summer rains arrive in late November until around March. The rains turn this dry place into the garden of Eden.

“I can kind of go into the wild places and immediately feel rested and rejuvenated.” ~Jorja Fox

The summer months bring all the avian migrants which swells the number of bird species to around 360. This post shows just a small selection of the variety of birds which can be seen. The avian sightings are excellent when on a game vehicle and there are many birds around the camps. I visit Rock Camp which is a syndicated non-commercial bush camp located close to the Ponte Drift border post on the Limpopo river.

White fronted bee-eater in the crotons next to the Majale river. This is the main river coursing through Mashatu Nature Reserve.

Crested barbet at the bird bath at Rock Camp, which we affectionately call the “marmalade bird”.

Blue waxbills fly in every half an hour of so for a quick drink at the bird bath. These little seed-eaters usually arrive in small flocks.

Male Red-billed firefinch is happy to share the bird bath with Blue waxbills, Jameson’s firefinches and Grey-headed sparrows and even ants.

A male Red-billed fire finch progressively moulting into his summer breeding plumage.

The ever striking Crimson breasted shrike. This species of shrike prefers the drier thorn bush areas, in thickets and riparian scrub which can be found along the banks of the Majale river.

“It is impossible not to be enthralled by the kaleidoscope of colours that birds offer.”~ Mike Haworth

The Southern White-crowned shrike characterised by its distinctive white crown and forehead, and black mask which extends above and below the eye to the side of its neck.

Southern White crowned Shrike. You can usually find them in small family groups.

Kurrichane thrushes are daily visitors to Rock Camp’s bird bath. These thrushes prefer dry savanna and miombo woodland areas which are found along the Limpopo river. They are often seen running on the ground and flicking through the fallen leaves near the bird bath looking for insects.

The Kurrichane thrush has a distinctive orange beak and orange eye-ring. On either side of its throat, it has black stripes extending from its beak down to its chest.

A non descript female White-breasted sunbird. Her belly is a lighter whitish-beige which is different to most other female sunbird species.

Male White breasted sunbird. The iridescence is more vivid in the shade. Both the male and female sunbirds drink at the bird bath by sucking up water with their long beak. Given their high energy needs in a hot climate they do need to supplement their nectar intake with water.

The ubiquitous Kori bustard is always walking away from you. This is one of Mashatu’s “big seven”. It is the largest flying bird in southern Africa. It is a ground-dwelling bird and an opportunistic omnivore. The Kori bustard is cryptically coloured, being mostly grey and brown, finely patterned with black and white colouring on its neck. Both male and female Kori bustards are similarly coloured but the male can be more than twice as heavy as the female.

Female Red-crested korhaan is cryptically coloured and stands motionless in the shade making it difficult to see.

“In a nature reserve, the more you look for birds the more you will see. Listening will help your seeing.” ~ Mike Haworth

The Lesser Striped swallow has a distinctive burnt-orange skullcap extending onto the cheeks like a helmet, and boldly streaked underparts. It is a partial migrant meaning it flies higher up into Africa in the winter months.

Greater honeyguide is the most distinctive members of its family. It has frosted white edgings to the shoulder feathers. The male has a pink bill, black-dark brown throat, and large white “ear muffs’; the female has a dark bill and pale throat.

An African spoonbill foraging for fish in the water next to the dam wall at the vlei in Mashatu Nature Reserve.

Also at the vlei (marsh) was a large flock of Great white pelicans. The flock must have been attracted by the “fish trap” created by the last pool of water next to the vlei’s dam wall.

A squadron of Great white pelicans flying into the remaining water at the vlei’s dam wall.

“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 we arrived.” ~ Jonathan Franzen

A Wahlberg’s eagle is a seasonal intra-African migrant. This a small Brown eagle. Its short crest at the back of the head gives its a distinct “squared-off” look. Being smaller than the larger Brown eagles such as a Tawny or Steppe eagle, this eagles hunts mainly birds but will feed on reptiles if it can find them.

This Wahlberg’s eagle did not like being watched. This species can have many different morph colourations like the Tawny eagle.

A juvenile Verreaux’s eagle-owl in the grove of Apple-leaf trees next to the rock outcrop near Rock Camp. We regularly see a pair of adult Verreaux eagle-owls in this area but it is extra special to see the new generation.

A closer view of a young Verreaux’s eagle-owl still wide awake air mid-morning. This is the largest African owl and has distinctive bright pink eyelids.

At the other end of the owl size scale is the Pearl-spotted owlet. It is around a quarter the size of the Verreaux eagle-owl. This is one of the few owls which is active during the day and night. It has an iconic call which is a loud series of shrill, short whistles that accelerate in tempo and rise in volume to a crescendo of long, loud whistles that descend in pitch and volume “peu peu peu-peu-peu peeuu peeeuu”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V-hHieK27A

The pseudo eyes in the back of the head of a Pearl-spotted owlet. The eyes are yellow but at the back of the head there are two striking false black ‘eyes’ with a white outline.

An adult Black headed oriole is a daily visitor to the Rock Camp bird bath. It can usually be heard before it is seen. It has a beautiful clear liquid melodious whistle “bo bo weeu” interspersed with low drawn out screeching sounds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kK_-9rCXSE

An adult Black-headed oriole with is vivid yellow body and black head with a bright red eye and pink beak.

An adult Green Wood hoopoe has a metallic dark green, with a purple back. It has a bright red bill and feet. Its tail is dark metallic blue with distinctive white chevrons. Its wings have white markings which are highly visible when it flies.

Green wood hoopoes move in family groups of around six members. They cackle like babblers and rock back and forth in regular group displays.

I have waited a long time to get a reasonable image of an African Paradise flycatcher. This flycatcher flits around in the upper branches of thickly leafed trees are usually difficult to photograph. A pair of African Paradise flycatchers are resident at Rock Camp during the summer months. Both the male and female have a blue-grey head and neck and chest and white belly. Their wings are a vivid ochre colour and they have a royal blue eye ring and beak. The female has a short tail and the male two luxurious long ribbon-like ochre coloured tail feathers.

An adult female African Paradise flycatcher.

An adult male Paradise flycatcher has similar colouring to the female but its crest is larger and it has the long ribbon-like ochre coloured tail feathers.

An adult male African Paradise flycatcher showing off his two long ribbon-like ochre tail feathers. This flycatcher is very vocal, often giving a repeated “dzee-zwee” call and a sweet melodic “willie-willie-willie-wee-wooo” song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeqAtMnVPO4

These trips to Mashatu are not exclusively for birding so we see many more species of birds than we photograph. We also do not specifically look for birds but these images are of birds we happen to see on our game drives. The birds seen at the camp’s bird baths come from a more dedicated view. Rocks which had in the past been used to mill maize and have been ground down to a saucer shape make ideal natural bird baths. I sit on the patio in plain sight of the birds and photograph in the period after brunch and before the afternoon tea when all our guests have gone for a midday snooze or quiet time to read. When the patio area is quiet it is quite amazing how many different species of birds fly into the bird bath for a drink or a bath to cool down.

The birds always fly into the branches near the bird bath to have a look around and ensure it is safe to approach for a drink or bath.

“True solitude is found in the wild places, where one is without human obligation. One’s inner voices become audible… In consequence, one responds more clearly to other lives.” ~Wendell Berry

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

Have fun, Mike

In November last year, friends together with my wife Helen and I spent a week at Rock Camp, which is a syndicated camp in Mashatu Nature Reserve in south eastern Botswana. It is not a commercial camp and has retained its bush camp ethos over the years, which we love.

There are wonderful places to see leopards in southern Africa but to my knowledge there are only two places where you are almost guaranteed to see leopards when you visit. The one is the Sabi Sands Reserve and the other is Mashatu Nature Reserve in south east Botswana.

I have included three interesting sightings and interactions which we were privileged to see.

“Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance” ~The Lion King

The first was this young adult female Leopard. We caught sight of her in a croton glade lying quietly on a fallen tree trunk. She was just listening to all the sounds around her.

At one point she looked left out into the open area next to the glade and she caught sight of a Steenbok.

Immediately she got up and started to walk into the open area away from the Majale river. She was careful to use the earth mounds and vegetation to hide her approach.

The leopardess walked around the side of a fallen tree and there, in the top right hand upper third of the image, next to a Stink Shepherd’s bush, lay the Steenbok in the shade. The Steenbok saw the leopardess and moved further along the river bank.

Very quickly the Steenbok caught sight of the leopardess, thanks in part to an alarm call from a Natal spurfowl. I was fascinated to watch the predator and prey interact. The Steenbok just watched her knowing it had enough flight distance between the two of them. The leopardess acted as if it was her intention all along to go and sit in the shade of Stink Shepherd tree and nonchalantly gazed at the exposed Steenbok.

The Steenbok actually walked closer to have a good look at the leopardess. We assumed the Steenbok was trying to get a better look to see whether the leopardess was injured or not. The leopardess never looked directly at the Steenbok while the latter was directly looking at her. The sighting ended with the Steenbok circling the area and then running off unscathed.

“Whatever you do, do with deep alertness, then even small things become sacred.” ~ Rajneesh

The next morning we found a young male leopard looking very relaxed in one of the forks in a large Mashatu tree. He had a good lookout. It was shady and cool but only offered him a view away from the Majale river.

“If you are intelligent, if you are alert, the ordinary becomes the extraordinary.” ~ Osho

He was completely unfazed by our game vehicle which was parked about 30 metres away.

This male leopard was watching a herd of impala in the distance which were slowly making their way toward him.

“I am not my thoughts, feelings, circumstances or changing events in my life. I am the awareness, the alertness, the changelessness which remains present behind it.” ~ Marcus Thomas

The one thing this male leopard did not take into account was that he could not see anything approaching the Mashatu tree from the river side. Consequently he did not see a troop of baboons approaching the Mashatu tree. The troop was quiet until it got to within about 20 metres from the Mashatu tree and then the baboons must have smelt the leopard because they started to bark in a particular way. The large male baboons quickly ran in from the rear of the troop. The barking baboons gave this young male leopard a fright. His whole demeanor changed. He was staring out of the tree but not seeing only focusing on what he could hear. He was assessing the threat.

“He heard them barking but was instinctively still so he could listen to assess where they where, how many there were and what their intentions were. Listening means so much more than hearing.” ~ Mike Haworth

The baboons, far from being afraid of the leopard, must have sensed the predator was a youngster. They quickly climbed up the tree far enough away not to be caught by the leopard. The large male baboons were followed up the tree by brazen youngsters. The safety in numbers added to the troop’s bravery.

There was no way the leopard could escape from the Mashatu tree because it was surrounded by baboons. A large male baboon stayed on the ground and kept a close eye on the leopard’s movements.

The young male leopard climbed higher into the Mashatu tree onto a wide bough which could give him purchase if he was attacked. Needless to say the baboons shouted and barked at him and even threw branches at him but his deep throated growl even unnerved us in the game vehicle watching the whole scene. Eventually having given the leopard enough of a hard time they realised he had an advantage and they wandered off. The leopard did not come down from the Mashatu tree but moved to an unphotographable position, so we left him in peace.

On our second last afternoon game drive we came across a female leopard lying in the shade on the bank of the Majale river.

She was minding her own business just lying quietly listening.

“Life is a dance. Mindfulness is witnessing that dance.” ~ Amit Ray

A small family herd of elephants walking on the riverbed passed below the leopardess. The elephants wandered about 50 metres further down to a bend in the river where they had previously dug into the sand for water. In November, the Majale river was dry but the water table remained high so the elephants dug down in the sand to get the filtered water.

Having slated their thirst they even used some of the water to cool themselves. The elephants returned in the direction they had come but took a path up the bank where the leopard was lying. I was surprised that the female elephant did not see the leopard until she was about ten metres away. The elephant got a fright, trumpeted and kicked sand at the leopardess who quickly got out of the way.

There are numerous leopards along the Majale river which courses through the centre of the Mashatu Nature Reserve. The banks of Majale river are lined with Mashatu trees (Nyala Berries) , Apple-Leafs and Leadwoods. There are also many croton groves all of which provide the leopard population with plenty of cover, shade and areas in which to to hunt.

“Our senses are the doorway to the present moment and the more we expand our awareness in every moment, the less we’re lost in our thoughts, and the more we’re fully living and getting the most out of our lives.” ~ Todd Perelmuter

The sightings of leopard are usually very good because of most of them have been habituated to the game vehicles. The adult male leopards tend to avoid the game vehicles and are not nearly as relaxed around the vehicles as the females. This possibly has to do with young male leopards being forced away from the Majale river by the older more dominant males. The young males consequently do not get the degree of habituation as the females.

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

Have fun, Mike

It was our last game drive in Mashatu in south east Botswana in August 2021. At that time of the year, the mornings were chilly but the days warmed up beautifully. Every morning we met for coffee and a rusk at 6h00. It was still dark and the idea was to leave camp at first light around 6h30 to be in the reserve at sunrise. It took at least forty five minutes to make our way down to the Majale river where we knew the wildlife sightings would improve. In winter wildlife is forced to congregate around the remaining pools of water in the Majale river. The leopards tend to centre their activities in this area because of the abundance of game and wonderful enormous trees to hide and lie in during the heat of the day.

“If you do not expect the unexpected you will not find it, for it is not to be reached by search or trail.” ~Heraclitus.

We were ambling along, wondering what we would see next when we were privileged to come upon a young male leopard. At around 22 months, the sub-adult leopard should be independent of his mother. Each young male is forced out of his natal territory, away from his mother and out of the sanctuary of his father’s territory. Beyond his familiar boundaries he is forced to fend for himself. His new reality is harsh, now alone he has to survive and thrive despite many arch enemies, such as lions and hyaenas and territorial male leopards.

It is estimated that a young male, independent of its mother can venture up to 24km from his home territory in search of new areas, scouting new hunting areas while trying to avoid other predators. Leopard cubs normally leave their mother when they are between 12 and 18 months’ old. The males leave earlier, while female cubs may stay near their natal range for longer. Leopards reach sexual maturity around 24 to 28 months but rarely breed before three to four years of age. After about four and a half years, these now mature male leopards, which have survived battles, injury, hunger, conflict, and tangles with lions and hyaenas, start to challenge for their own territory. With fortitude they will progressively dominate that area and take over female leopards and their territories.

“Imagine for only a moment what this world would be like if change did not occur. You may say life was simpler, yes in some cases that is right. But just as children grow, we grow with change. Imagine trying to stop a child from growing up, it is impossible to do. Accepting change as a way of life allows you to continue to develop and move forward.”~ Catherine Pulsifer

This young male looked to be around two to two-and-a-half years’ old. Alone, he was wandering along the river course. He stopped regularly to rest and lie on fallen tree trunks. There, he would just listen and observe what was going on around him.

The colours of winter, with its browns, oranges and yellows, enabled this male leopard to blend beautifully into his surroundings.

He walked into a croton grove which provided dappled light and great camouflage. In the grove he found a sign post and spent some time reading the scents left on the tree trunk. Satisfied that all was well he sharpened his claws on the tree trunk leaving his own scent. Leopards have interdigital glands on their paws and leave their scent by reaching up to scratch trees with their claws at just above eye level.

“Sensory perception is the silken web that binds our separate nervous systems into the encompassing ecosystem.” ~ David Abram

Tree-clawing or scratching have been interpreted as conveying a variety of signals, from territorial marking to simple sharpening of claws. Scratching leaves traces of interdigital glands which act as chemical signals and the visual claw marks give an indication of the size and strength of the leopard.

This male was very active. It was not enough to read the “sign post” as had to climb the tree. Perhaps there was the faint scent of an old kill in the tree which caught his attention.

Once up the tree he had a good lookout. Leopards are supremely adapted to the arboreal habitat. Finding a comfortable horizontal branch he stopped sat down and just watched all the goings on around him.

After spending some time observing from his high lookout he decided to come back to terra firma. He then decided to walk parallel to the Majale river bank around 20 metres in from the bank. He had plenty of cover and many big trees to escape into if he unexpectedly bumped into lions or hyaenas.

It is fascinating to watch a leopard wander along the top of a river bank. It is clear he is walking through a world of sensory impulses. Smells and sounds guide him along his path.

On his way down to the Majale river he crossed several small sand tributaries which when flowing fed into the Majale. The beauty of the sandy background is that it presented the leopard in an uncluttered background. The shape of his face suggests this will be a large male leopard when he is fully grown.

“We live in a world which in some respects is mysterious, things can be experienced which remain inexplicable, not everything which happens can be anticipated. The unexpected and the incredible belong in this world, only then is life whole. For me the world has from the beginning been infinite and ungraspable.”~ Carl Jung.

In an interesting article from the Pondoro website at Pondoro.co.za. , the reasons for scent marking might be anyone of the following:

• territorial advertising to inform other leopards of their presence.
• a female might mark more regularly than normal to advertise her going into oestrus.

The function would be to either avoid (it acts a warning to stay away from the territory) or to find each other more easily (mating).

Scent marking can be done in a variety of ways:

• the spraying of urine upwards and horizontally onto trees and bushes.
• marking with interdigital glands by clawing the bark of trees just above eye level, but still easily visible.
• marking by raking the ground with their hind claws leaving their scent with interdigital glands.
• reaching up to prominent branches situated just above eye level and rubbing against it with scent glands on their cheeks and heads. Cats have sebaceous glands that coat their hair and skin with an oily secretion. Grooming the fur by their roughly barbed tongue stimulate these glands that are attached to the roots to release secretions. These secretions waterproof the fur, and by rubbing against something, a chemical signature would also be left behind.

These scent markings can persist for weeks. Leopards are also creatures of habit and will mark the same trees and bushes while patrolling well worn trails. A leopard scent marking with glands on the head and cheeks would be done as high as possible to try and amplify their height or size.

Leopards of both sexes patrol their ranges and scent-mark trees, bushes and rocks with urine mixed with anal gland secretions. Scraping, urine-spraying and tree-clawing are most commonly used by leopards

Eventually he walked down into one of the larger tributaries feeding into the Majale river. The landscape view shows the wonderful camouflage that his rossetted coat offers him.

After walking for quite a while he decided to lie down and rest. His resting place gave him a good view along the tributary.

He lay on the edge of the tributary for quite a while. Although his head and eyes were stationary his ears were constantly moving backwards, forwards and sideways accessing the direction and nature of the sounds around him.

In his wanderings he did not cross paths with any potential prey. Eventually as the winter morning started to heat up he climbed into a Mashatu tree where it looked as though he was going to rest for the day.

Once a leopard has settled down to sleep on an elevated tree bough it looks supremely comfortable. No lions or hyaenas can get at it. It will be a peaceful rest provided a troop of baboons do not see him.

It was a privilege to spend an hour or so following this wandering leopard. The leopards in Mashatu are, for the most part, habituated to game vehicles and take little notice of them. The game vehicles are allowed to drive off-road which allows guests to follow a leopard in its wanderings. This provides exceptional photographic opportunities.

“The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” ~ Bertrand Russell.

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

Have fun, Mike

This post shows a small selection for birds you can see in winter in Mashatu. These are all resident as the migrants have flown north to warmer climes.

“There is something exciting about waiting quietly for winged visitors. You know they are coming but you never know who will be next. Most visitors arrive quietly and some arrive like winged wild jewels.” ~ Mike Haworth

A pair of Jameson’s firefinches. The adult male has entirely scarlet plumage apart from brownish wings. The female has a scarlet tinge but is “browner”. Their beaks are steel blue. The beak shape indicates that they are seed-eaters.

A female Jameson’s firefinch taking a bath around midday at Rock Camp. This image was taken from the patio which offers a good view of the bird bath. Usually, at the lodge, once we have had brunch, friends go back to their room for a siesta. The human activity around the patio at the main lodge quietens and the bird activity picks up. As with all things birding a good dose of patience is required – but the rewards are great.

For the first time in a decade I saw a pair of Black-faced waxbills come down to drink at Rock Camp’s bird bath. When photographing birds around the bird bath near the main lodge patio one has to pay attention all the time. Many of the birds do not make a sound and fly in quickly and quietly to have a drink. The birds fly onto a branch close to the bird bath. They will have a good look around to check and see if the area around the bird bath is safe to drink.

A bevy of blue waxbills. These are frequent visitors to the camp’s bird bath. Waxbills, Bulbuls and Sparrows return every hour or so to drink at the bird bath.

A juvenile Black-headed oriole. This one of the more colourful species frequenting the camp’s bird bath. These orioles are usually heard well before they are seen, but when they come close the bird bath they are quick and quiet.

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” ~Aaron Siskind

An adult Black-headed oriole. This oriole has vivid colours with a bright yellow body and a black head with a red eye and pinkish red beak. Once you have heard this oriole in the vicinity of the camp it is a case of watching out for flashes of vivid yellow in the surrounding trees. The shape of the oriole’s beak indicates that it is an insect and fruit eater.

A single Double-banded sandgrouse chick hiding in the sand and short dead grass. The size of this chick was about the length of my thumb. The camouflage was superb. The parents quickly moved away from the chick to divert attention from it. The chick instinctively knows to lie still in the dead grass to maximise the effectiveness of its camouflage.

The male Double-banded sandgrouse moved away from his chick as soon as he saw us to divert our attention away from the chick. The female did the same thing.

An adult Black stork. This is a widespread but uncommon stork species. It has mainly black plumage with a white belly. The black plumage has an iridescent green and mauve tinge. It has vivid red legs and a red beak and eye ring. The Black stork prefers more wooded areas than the White stork which favours open grasslands.

An adult female Cape weaver. The female has a less complete yellow plumage with white underparts. Its head and back are yellow like the male’s colouring. The eye is a pale colour unlike the red eye of the Southern masked weaver. The beak is a dark brown upper mandible and light pinkish mandible. The beak is longer and more pointed than the masked weavers.

An adult female Red-billed firefinch. Females have uniformly brown upperparts and buff underparts. There is a small red patch in front of both eyes, and the beak is pink. The adult male has entirely scarlet plumage apart apart from his wings which are a light brown. Firefinches are frequent visitors drink at the bird bath during the day. They normally come to drink in small groups.

“Photography helps people to see.” ~ Berenice Abbott

An adult Natal spurfowl. We only see Crested and Natal spurfowl come into the camp to drink. For some unknown reason we never see Swainson’s spurfowl in camp. The Natal spurfowl has a mottled brown back plumage. The underpart plumage has a brown and white marbled scaled appearance. This spurfowl has distinctive yellow nostrils with a bright orange-red bill and legs. Each spurfowl has a different loud and raucous call.

An adult Kori bustard walking away – as they always do. A Kori will tend to stride away from you as fast as it can but being a heavy bird will fly if pushed. It is the heaviest flying bird in in Africa and can weigh as much as 19 kilograms.

A Tawny eagle on the lookout from the top of a tall tree for any potential prey. This is one of the few resident eagles in Mashatu. Others include Martial, Verreaux, African Hawk-eagle, and Snake eagles. I have not seen Bateleur eagles flying over Mashatu.

The beautifully coloured Lilac-breasted roller. There are many in Mashatu and they can usually be seen on prominent lookouts watching carefully for insect and small reptile prey. I have also infrequently seen Purple rollers and once seen a Broad-billed roller.

A White-fronted bee-eater, one of the only two species of bee-eater resident in this part of the world. The other is the Little bee-eater. During winter the Carmine and European bee-eaters fly north in search of greater insect activity in warmer climes.

“Snaps are images of what you were looking at. Photographs are images of what you anticipated, experienced and wanted to reveal.” ~ Mike Haworth

A juvenile Verreaux eagle-owl very interested in its surroundings There is a family of Verreaux eagle-owls resident in the grove of Apple leaf trees next to the rock outcrop near Rock Camp close to the Pont Drift border area. We saw these eagle-owls first thing each morning on our way out of camp into the reserve.

A Crimson-breasted shrike. Its distinctive scarlet red underparts and black upperparts are diagnostic. The wings are black with a white streak in its primary feathers. It prefers the dry thorn veld areas. There is no sexual dimorphism. I was told by our guide that a yellow morph has been seen in the reserve but I have only ever seen one at White river near Kruger Park.

“You just have to live and life will give you pictures.” ~ Henri Cartier Bresson

An adult Sabota lark with its distinctive white streak above the eye and strongly streaked on the breast.

An adult female White-browed Sparrow-weaver with her distinctive white eyebrow and light spots and her breast and a light horn coloured beak. The male has a black beak.

We watched this melanistic Gabar goshawk hunting Queleas in a thick thorn bush. It was a real game of “cat and mouse”. We never saw it catch a Quelea. The traditional plumage of a Gabar goshawk consists a light grey head, neck and back feathers. The tail has white and dark brown barring and the belly and covert underparts and legs to its knee have white feathers with grey streaks. The legs from the knee to the feet are an orange pink as is the cere and top of the beak. The Gabar goshawk seems to prefer to hunt queleas, sparrow and weavers.

Just a few of the hundred of thousands of Red-billed queleas which had flown up to the Shepherds bush for safety after having been foraging on the ground for seeds.

“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

An adult Burchell’s Coucal judging from the fine barring on the lower belly feathers. You can see it was quite cool that morning as it was all puffed up trying to keep warm. Smaller birds do not like this coucal as it is a voracious hunter and will feed on their eggs and young if it can find them. This is one member of the coucal family that remains resident in Mashatu all year round.

A male Saddle-billed stork was fishing in the waterhole in front of our camp, Rock Camp. He managed to catch frogs and this small terrapin which he eventually subdued and swallowed whole. There is sexual dimorphism in this species. Both male and females have the bright yellow saddle on the upper part of the upper mandible. The male has a yellow throat wattle and black eye. The female has a yellow eye ring but no yellow throat wattle.

These were just a few of the wide variety of avian species you can see in Mashatu Nature Reserve in winter. There is a marked seasonality in the variety of birds you will see in Mashatu with the numbers swelling significantly once the migrants return in the warmer summer months. Enthusiastic birders regularly see 120 to 145 birds species in the few days they are in Mashatu.

“My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport.” ~ Steve McCurry

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

Have fun, Mike