This post is a gallery of images from an unusual interaction between a Tawny Eagle and Hooded Vultures. This gathering of raptors occurred because Lions had killed a Zebra under a dead tree the night before. There was plenty of meat left on the Zebra carcass but a Lioness was lying next to the carcass, so the raptors were sitting patiently above in the dead tree waiting for the Lioness to finish dining. 

~ William Blake

Two aspects made this sighting unusual. Hooded Vultures have been listed to Critically Endangered. Recently published evidence suggests the population of Hooded Vultures is declining extremely rapidly due to indiscriminate human interference and habitat loss. 

The next sequence of images shows a blonde morph Tawny Eagle interacting with two Hooded Vultures.

The Hooded Vulture is a scruffy-looking, small Vulture with dark brown plumage, a long thin bill, bare crown, face and fore-neck, and a downy nape and hind-neck. It typically scavenges on carcasses.  The Hooded Vulture is a typical Vulture, with a bald head (which is usually white, but flushes red when agitated) and a greyish “hood”. It has broad wings for soaring and short tail feathers for maneuverability. 

Tawny Eagles are usually a rusty brown in colour but on this particular morning were were treated to a display of a variety of morphs.  Although two distinct plumage morphs are typical, in fact the plumage of Tawny Eagle can be very variable, from creamy to dark brown and with or without brownish streaking. 

“Your vision, rather than just your seeing, displays a thousand or more possible paintings in the simplest things.”

~Andrew Baker

One of the signs that a raptor is about to fly is that after preening it shakes all its feathers to realign them, usually in preparation for flight. 

“In order to fly, you have to let go of the world you’re hanging onto.”

~Kurek Ashley

With its preened feathers in place, the Tawny took off from the dead tree and flew in a wide circle, only to return to the dead tree. It was not clear why it did this!

During the time the Tawny circled, the Hooded Vultures had moved to a different part of the dead tree.

The Tawny decided to push its way in between the two Hooded Vultures.

“The eyesight for an eagle is what thought is to a man.”
~ Dejan Stojanovic

The Tawny was using the direct, intimidation approach.

The Hooded Vultures did not move and the Tawny had to start flaring on finals.

At this point, it looked like the Tawny still believed it could land in between the Hooded Vultures.

It was interesting to see the Tawny put on its air brakes in mid flight, at the last second.

The Tawny quickly realised that there was no room for it on the dead branch and almost started to hover. You can see some of the feathers rising on the top of its wings showing that the airflow was at stall speed  on parts of the top of its wings.

The Tawny then turned to avoid the Hooded Vultures and one Vulture ducked to avoid the Tawny’s talons.

“A friend is like an eagle; you don’t find them flying in flocks”

It was a close call, the Tawny very nearly connected with the lower Hooded Vulture.

This next image clearly shows the stalling airflow over the Tawny’s wings as it manoeuvred away from the Hooded Vulture lower down the dead branch.

The Tawny flew away and circled again.

This time it found an unoccupied section of the dead tree.

“Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”
~ Neil Armstrong

This Tawny was a magnificent specimen and its blonde morph just added to the spectacle.

Another Hooded Vulture came in to join the party waiting for the Lioness to leave the carcass below.

Majestic

Regal

“The eagle has ceased to scream, but the parrots will now begin to chatter. The war of the giants is over and the pigmies will now start to squabble.”
~ Winston Churchill

This Tawny was clearly hungry and soon started looking around for alternatives.

Time to move on. The Tawny decided not to wait, the party was getting crowded so was time to look for other pickings.

The power in those wings!

As a wildlife photographer with a penchant for raptors, this was a special sighting.

“With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things.”
~ William Wordsworth

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

Have fun,

Mike

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

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

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

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1/640, f11, iso2000, 210mm

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

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1/1000, f8, iso800, 600mm

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

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

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

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

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

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1/500, f9, iso1000, 400mm

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

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1/1250, f10, iso1000, 165mm

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

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1/500, f16, iso1250, 600mm

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

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1/800, f16, iso1250, 600mm

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

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

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1/1000, f16, iso1250, 600mm

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

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1/200, f20, iso1600, 400mm

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

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1/100, f20, iso1600, 400mm

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

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

~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

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1/320, f9, iso1000, 220mm

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

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1/1000, f8, iso800, 600mm

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

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1/640, f8, iso800, 600mm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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1/160, f8, iso500, 600mm

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

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

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1/160, f16, iso1600, 400mm

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

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1/125, f9, iso1000, 260mm

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

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1/100, f8, iso1000, 180mm

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

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1/640, f8, iso640, 400mm

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

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

Have fun,

Mike

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

“Photography is a love affair with life.”

~Burk Uzzle

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

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1/640, f8, iso2000, 600mm

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

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1/200, f9, iso1000, 600mm

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

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

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

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

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

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

~Ansel Adams

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

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

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

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1/640, f9, iso400, 600mm

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

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

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

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1/80, f8, iso1000, 400mm

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

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1/400, f9, iso2000, 400mm

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

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1/640, f9, iso2000, 155mm

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

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1/640, f9, iso2000, 165mm

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

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1/500, f9, iso2000, 165mm

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

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

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

~ Philip Jones Griffiths

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

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

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

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

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

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1/1000, f8, iso640, 140mm

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

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1/1000, f8, iso640, 230mm

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

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

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1/1600, f8, iso640, 140mm

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

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1/1000, f8, iso640, 175mm

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

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1/1000, f8, iso640, 280mm

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

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1/1600, f8, iso640, 360mm

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

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1/250, f9, iso1000, 400mm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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1/160, f16, iso1000, 360mm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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1/250, f9, iso1000, 270mm

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

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1/250, f9, iso1000, 270mm

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

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

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

~Man Ray

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

Have fun,

Mike

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

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

~ John Muir

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

Male Golden breasted Bunting at the animal hide.

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

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

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

~ Sylvia Earle

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

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

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

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

~ Harrison Ford

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

Two male Village Weavers.

A pair of Laughing Doves looking very serious.

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

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

~ John Ruskin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~ Albert Einstein

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

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

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

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

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

~ Standing Bear

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have fun,

Mike

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

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

~ Moslih Eddin Saadi

Avocet taking off in Marievale Bird Sanctuary in late December.

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

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

~ Samuel Johnson

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

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

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

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

~ D. H. Lawrence

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

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

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

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

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

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

~ Jawaharial Nehru

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

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

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

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

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

~ Lao Tzu

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

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

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

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

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

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

~ Benjamin Disraeli

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

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

Golden ivory in Etosha in May.

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

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

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

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

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

~ Seneca

Predators’ dawn dance in May in Etosha.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~ Saint Augustine

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Take only memories, leave only footprints.” 

~ Chief Seattle

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

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

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

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

~ Mark Jenkins

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

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

Have fun,

Mike

This is a message of cheer and goodwill to wish you and your family a wonderful time together over this festive season filled with fun, laughter and merriment .

A special thanks goes to those many dedicated, extremely hardworking people, many of which put their lives on the line, who put so much effort into protecting our wildlife.

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

~David Attenborough

My wish for 2016 is that more people come to realise that we are part of this whole and it is not there purely for our capture and consumption.

Here’s wishing that 2016 turns our to be way better than you plan for!!

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

Have fun

Mike

This post shows some of the scenes we were privileged to be immersed in during our trip to Kalizo – what a wonderful experience. It was hot, really hot, but well worthwhile. The photography was brilliant.

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

~David Attenborough

On our first morning the sky was cloudy at around 6h00. In that heat it was not long before the clouds were burnt off.

As it was cloudy we decided to explore up river passed the Carmines. There were many inlets along the river and they were teeming with life. We came across this flock of White-faced Whistling Ducks – I love the sound they make and I think they have one of the iconic African bird calls, next to Fish Eagle’s, Scops Owls and Fiery-necked Nightjars.

On our way back from venturing up river we drifted passed this “makoro harbour”. Judging from the well worn path up the bank there must have been a village beyond the embankment. The makoros were not tied but just pulled up the sand bank. The villagers must know there is very little change in the river level at this time of the year.

One of the the many beautiful features of this part of the river are its sandbanks with their graduated colouring. There are times of the day when the colours are very moody.

“Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.”
~ Terry Tempest Williams

One hazy morning, as we were trying to photograph Skimmers, we saw this young Namibian family on route up river in their makoro. For any of you who have been in a canoe you know the kind of balance you need to keep it stable. I am sure the same applies to a makoro.  Life is simple but real for these people. The reality is emphasised by the infant in the centre of the makoro. How many city dwellers would take their one year old out in a small-draft dug-out tree trunk in a river full of crocodiles without an engine or life jacket!!!! The youngsters were using the eddy current to pole their way up river. The Zambezi seems to flow at a lazy three to four kilometres per hour along this section. 

The smiles on their faces reflected their inquisitiveness and happiness in the moment.

One evening on the way back from the Carmines we stopped to try and get some images of the Skimmers at sunset. While waiting I took this sunset image looking upstream to the west with an abandoned makoro in the foreground.

The Carmines nesting along the bank above the Zambezi river.

Another late afternoon, while waiting for some Skimmer action. The clouds were building for rain that night making the scene irresistible.

“No sun outlasts its sunset, but it will rise again and bring the dawn.”
~ Maya Angelou

We decided to have a look down river on one of the mornings. We were looking for Skimmers. On our way we saw this couple having breakfast on the beach with their guide – what an amazing holiday by boat – glorious freedom!!!!!

Further down river we found our Skimmers.

Around mid-morning it was getting hot but the air was still allowing the river to reflect the building clouds.

The sun was still relatively high in the sky this particular evening but the clouds had built up, darkening the scene. It is hard to describe the changing colours and moods in a place like this. Most of the time you just want to be quiet and take photographs.

A typical African sunset, rich in those red earthy colours.

“… and in her starry shade
Of dim and solitary loveliness,
I learn’d the language of another world.”
~ Lord Byron

Early one morning around 6h00 looking at east at the sunrise, there were the remnants of the storm the evening before. It was still warm but the colours had come alive heralding a new day full of promise.

Our Carmines never let us down – the only limitation was our photographic skills.

On our last evening, at the sand bank opposite the lodge, the sun was setting and in doing so painting our world with these soft, rich pastels colours.

We spent a brief three days at Kalizo Lodge along the Zambezi river – too short. The fishermen at the lodge seemed to really enjoy themselves judging by the noise they made. There were quite a few photographers and birders enjoying the Carmines. I have seen the Zambezi river from Victoria Falls right the way down to Kanyemba on the Zimbabwe side but this part of the Zambezi was quite different showing that the Zambezi river has many characters. This was one of benign beauty with glorious secrets tucked away for those were were prepared to look for them. In conversation with the lodge owners it was clear that there is much more to explore in this area such as three pans which I gather teem with birds, so we will be back.

“Our challenge isn’t so much to teach children about the natural world, but to find ways to nurture and sustain the instinctive connections they already carry.”
~ Terry Krautwurst

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

Have fun,

Mike

This is the seventh post from my recent trip with CNP Safaris to northern Botswana. At least once each year, I make my pilgrimage to the Chobe river which is a photographer’s paradise and playground. On this particular Chobe trip we added on three days at Kalizo. It is in Namibia about 20 kilometres from Katimo Mulilo in the Caprivi Strip.

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

~Wayne Gretzky

Kalizo Lodge is known for its exceptional bird life being located on the banks of the Zambezi river. There are numerous inlets along the river and three pans close to the Lodge. We did not go to the pans because we only found out about them on the last of our three days at the lodge. Our focus this trip was on Carmine Bee-eaters and African Skimmers.

This post offers a selection of images taken of the Carmine Bee-eaters. Earlier, I published a separate post focusing exclusively on African Skimmers.

There are nine types of Bee-eaters found in southern Africa. Some are resident like the Swallow-tailed, Little Bee-eater and White-fronted Bee-eater and others are summer visitors such as the Carmine, European, Blue Cheeked and Olive Bee-eaters. I have yet to see a rare vagrant like the White-throated Bee-eater and have not seen a Bohm’s Bee-eater which is found north of the Zambezi river in Zambia and Mozambique.

There are two types of Carmine Bee-eaters, the Northern and Southern species. Both are equally beautiful, both have the gorgeous carmine colouring but the colour combinations on their heads are different.

Within a few hundred metres up river of Kalizo Lodge are three Southern Carmine Bee-eater colonies or three parts of one big colony, I am not sure which.

I do not know how many Carmines were nesting there but thousands, five thousand – perhaps more. It is nigh impossible to count them because there is a constant flux of birds flying in and out of the colony breeding area. There are two colonies on top of the embankment a short distance away from the Zambezi river and the third in the river bank directly above the river.

The Southern Carmines are inter-African migrants which come down to southern Africa in summer to breed and are also attracted by the increase in the insect population. I had never been to Kalizo in October and the daytime temperatures were above 40 degrees centigrade. The Carmines were nesting in the sand so you can imagine that the surface of the embankment was like an oven for those birds and they needed to cool off which they did in the Zambezi river.

The Carmines would fly out thirty metres or so over the water and dive in head first. It was a shallow dive almost belly flopping.

This all took place in a split second after which the Carmine powered itself out of the water. There was a distinct  skill acquired to photographing these speedsters.

Unfortunately almost all of the birds dived some distance from us and the few that did dive close to us were so fast that we invariably missed them.

“Not all who wander are lost”.

~ J. R. R. Tolkien

The Northern and Southern Carmine Bee-eater populations are separate and do not overlap. The Northern Carmines breed in the savanna woodlands just south of the Sahara while the Southern Carmines breed in open dry country in interior southern Africa. 

The colours of these Carmines are just exquisite. They have carmine upper parts and belly, an azure rump and under tail coverts. On the upper wing, the visible part of the tertial flight feathers is green-blue, and the primaries and secondaries area brownish-carmine-red combination with a black trailing edge. The underwing-coverts are cinnamon-buff and also have a black trailing edge.
The tail is carmine with longer central streamers.

What I found surprising is that there were enough insects in the area to feed all the Carmines in the three colonies. At Kalizo, the Carmines hawk flying insects, everything from wasps to bees and dragonflies.

The Southern Carmine is the largest of the southern African Bee-eaters, with a length of approximately 25 cm excluding the 12 cm tail streamers. The evolutionary purpose of tail streamers is thought to be for increased aerodynamic and flight performance, rather than for mating display. 

I had been hankering for over 50 years to see a Carmine colony again. When I was 11, long-standing family friend Mike Condy’s father John Condy took a couple of us youngsters to see a Carmine colony outside Beatrice, south of Harare in Zimbabwe. I was so beguiled by the colour, noise and activity that I wanted to see this spectacle again. Fifty years later I got the opportunity and it was every bit as beguiling half a century later – same species, different place, different colony.

Carmines hunt from perches, chasing and catching flying prey in mid-air before to returning to the perch where the insect is beaten and swallowed. They are also known to perch on mammals and even some large birds too. I have seen a wonderful image of two Carmines perched on a Kori Bustard’s back as it was walking through the grass.

This was a narrow view of one of the colonies nesting in an open field. It was extremely hot so other than bathing in the Zambezi I presume the Carmines sit in the adjacent trees and bushes to catch any passing breeze.

These birds seem to be able to tolerate extreme heat, though even they start panting after a while.

“You are the sky, everything else is just the weather.”

~Pema Chodron

Like all other Bee-eaters, the Carmine has a de-curved bill, allowing unobstructed sight of its prey until the point of capture.

This male Carmine had just brought back a meal for his partner who was busy digging their nest. They dig with their bills and scrape the sand out behind them with their small feet.

Our Kalizo routine was that we would go and photograph the Carmines early in the morning and later in the afternoon. We would spend about two hours at each visit. During each visit  Yellow-billed Kites would patrol the colony regularly looking for an opportunity to raid. We only saw the “Yellow-bill” catch one Carmine. When a raptor approaches, the colony explodes into the air in a blur of colour and noise making it very difficult for the raptor, usually a Yellow-billed kite,  to focus in on one individual.

“To see ten thousand animals untamed and not branded with the symbols of human commerce is like scaling an unconquered mountain for the first time, or like finding a forest without roads or footpaths, or the blemish of an axe.”

~ Mark Twain

Marabou Storks, Water Monitors and snakes are also the Carmines’ natural predators. The Carmines have no defense against either aggressive predator. As is normally the case, humans are the Carmines’ main threat. There is even a guard at the colonies  who has a lookout tower to watch the goings on and chase off potential human raiders. The nests on top of the embankment have a much longer tunnel, probably to make it more difficult for predators to get at the eggs and chicks. Presumably there is also a more constant and cooler temperature much deeper in the sand.

Carmines are gregarious and breed in communal areas, forming colonies. The same area is used annually, although new tunnels are dug each year. The nest is either in the face of the bank of the river or on top of the embankment. Colonies of bee-eaters may consist of only a few nesting burrows, though it is more likely that the colony will consist of hundreds, and even thousands, of nesting tunnels. 

These Carmines have their beaks open as they are panting because it was extremely hot, over 40 degrees centigrade, and the nests on top of the embankment had the disadvantage of the surface sand acting as an oven from mid-morning until late afternoon.

The Northern Carmine Bee-eater looks very similar to its southern cousin from its lower neck to tip of its tail. Both have a black bill and black eye mask. Both have a greenish blue head and but the Northern Carmine has greenish-blue throat feathers whereas the southern Carmine has carmine coloured throat feathers.

“Colours are the smiles of nature.”

~ Leigh Hunt

Once they catch their prey they invariably land and beat it on the ground or branch to kill it and then rub it against a rough surface to remove the sting. They have rudimentary feet and short legs so cannot use their legs and feet as a raptor would.

Carmines  have pointed wings enabling speed and long tail feathers with one long streamer feather extending from the centre of the tail. This bird is fast and a highly agile flier, necessary skills to hawk flying insects.

These Carmines appear to love playing with the wind, gliding and managing to hover into the wind with open wings.

It was fun to watch these Carmines as there are many squabbles with neighbours especially when they return to their nests after the colony was disturbed by a predator. Location was important because it was where they were building their temporary home to raise their young.

There is little or no sexual dimorphism except the males are slightly bigger.

The Southern Carmine Bee-eater forages in effortless sailing direct flight, circling at times. They can soar and use thermals just like falcons.

” In nature’s infinite book of secrecy.

A little I can read.”

~ William Shakespeare

The tunnels are located very close together. The tunnel in the side of the embankment is slightly inclined to prevent water from entering.  

The ever-present Yellow-billed Kite having regular sorties through the colony. It is remarkable how agile these Kites are but nine times out of ten the Carmines were faster.

This was the embankment leading down to the Zambezi river. The Carmines were constantly flying in and out. It was never quiet and still, the colony was in constant flux. When the Yellow-bill flew passed you would see an explosion of colour from the bank.

You can just see the tails of a few of the Carmines which were busy digging out their tunnels.

“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”
~Albert Einstein

The nest is excavated by both sexes, and consists of a one to three metres long tunnel, ending in an unlined nest chamber. The nesting chamber is separated from the tunnel by a small lip, preventing the eggs from rolling out (http://www.wilkinsonsworld.com/southern-carmine-bee-eater/). The Carmines lay one to six eggs, which are incubated by both sexes, for 11-13 days.

The better perspective was looking down on the Carmines as they flew along the embankment. We were very fortunate one morning to have quite strong wind blowing directly up the river. This slowed up the Carmines in flight in one direction making the photography  much easier.

The experience of seeing and hearing the Carmines after over 50 years was every bit as fun and exciting as when I was a child bedazzled by thousands of these flying jewels. I am definitely going back. I also want to see the pans which are supposed to be teeming with bird life and we did not get to see the Ospreys just up river!!!

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
~Maya Angelou

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

Have fun,

Mike

This is the fourth post from our recent trip with CNP Safaris to the Chobe river, and focuses on Elephants. The Chobe river is one of the major southern African rivers. It flows along the northern border of Botswana and meets the mighty Zambezi just east of Kasane, continues along Zimbabwe’s northern border with Zambia, through Mozambique and down to the Indian Ocean.

“We admire Elephants in part because they demonstrate what we consider the finest human traits: empathy, self-awareness, and social intelligence. But the way we treat them puts on display the very worst of human behavior.”
~ Graydon Carter

We would leave the lodge around 6h30 and cruise straight to the little office at the park entrance to sign in and then head up river to just enjoy the big sky, peace and serenity that envelopes you at this time of the morning. We usually have a look in Jacana Alley, which is the inlet close to the three large iconic Jackalberry trees. One of which is home to a Fish Eagle family. October is not Jacana breeding season so it was relatively quiet but we found this lone bull Elephant. He was standing shoulder deep in the river eating the new grasses. It was very quiet and peaceful and somehow everything seemed right with the world while we were watching him feeding.

After June, the river level drops and the water level can fall one to two metres below the level of the islands. In certain spots, this provides photographers with wonderful perspective when the bulls are grazing close the edge. Those massive ears act as fans and radiators and the dual system is required in the summer months when it can be very hot along the Chobe river.

We came across a few Elephant bulls who were feeding on the grasses on the island. They kick loose tufts of grass and then pull them out of the ground with their trunks. They wrap their trunk around the tuft and pull. Having removed the tuft, they hit it against the ground to remove the loose soil and delicately placed it in their mouth. It is impressive how dexterous these massive mammals are with their trunks.

The water levels do not worry the larger Elephant, especially the bulls. They just wade through and if it gets too deep they have a snorkel and crocodiles are not a threat.

Family herds are a common sight along the Chobe. They vary from in size from small groups of four to as many as fifty. You don’t often see Elephant down at the river in the early mornings as they are usually feeding inland. Unfortunately, the Elephant herds have expanded to such as extend in northern Botswana they have decimated the bush for some distance from the water. The result is that most of the animals now have quite a “trek”  between food and water.

“Elephants have long term supportive bonds between family members, so it’s not just a species facing extinction, its massive individual suffering.”

~Jane Goodall

October was especially hot, around 40 degrees centrigrade, so by the afternoon the Elephant were hot, well fed and needed to drink. Once they had slated their thirst, it was time for a little beauty treatment – even the boys!! They use their trunks to suck up a dollops of mud and then squirt it over themselves. The mud seems to be soothing and provides some sunscreen and protection from biting insects.

When big bulls are slowly making their way towards you is always an impressive sight. The older bulls seldom take much notice of the boats. They must have seen it all before – many times! Elephants have a number of ways in which they communicate. Long distance communication is either infra-sonic (low frequency) or seismic (vibrations felt through their feet). To get a sense of the range of frequencies used by Elephants it may be useful to compare them with the range used by people. A typical human male’s voice in speech fluctuates around 110 Hertz (Hz, or cycles per second), a female’s voice around 220 Hz and a child’s around 300 Hz. Among Elephants, a typical male rumble fluctuates around an average minimum of 12 Hz (more than 3 octaves below a man’s voice), a female’s rumble around 13 Hz and a calf’s around 22 Hz (Source http://www.elephantvoices.org/).

Further up river just next to Puku Flats, we found a small family group of Elephants crossing one of the deeper channels. As you can see from the dry patch on top of the Elephant’s head, in the next image, the river must have been quite deep at one point. The calves have to swim but get helped and pushed along by the adults. They are very protective of their young when crossing a channel because that is the time the calves are vulnerable to a crocodile attack. The females have a lot invested in those calves, they carried them in their wombs for almost two years.

Bronzed, refreshed and ready to take on the world, these three Elephants have just crossed a deep channel to feed on the grass on the other side. The Elephants could have walked around the inlet but that was probably one to two kilometres so they just crossed the channel instead – quite human like!!

Up at Elephant Valley we found more of our beloved Elephants but they were not alone. A small group of young Sable Antelope had also come down to drink. The adults were fine with their neighbours but one young bull decided they should not drink near them and began chasing off the Sable. This particular young bull had been eating soil from a steep bank. The white soil is rich in minerals which is why he had white over his legs, trunk and forehead. The calcium-based minerals must be one of the key reasons Elephant Valley is so attractive the antelope and Elephant.

Elephant Valley is a superb spot to watch game come down to drink. It is incredible to see how ordered and patient the Elephant families are at this spot. One family will wait, even though they must be thirsty, until the family drinking at the water’s edge are finished. We humans could learn a thing or two from our pachyderm friends.

The Elephant mothers are very protective over their families and the youngsters know to stay close.

The next image was taken of a lone bull Elephant on an island in the main river about a kilometre downstream from Chobe Game Lodge. This is the island we moored at to take the Skimmer shots which I showed in a post in late October. Something disturbed this lone Elephant feeding on the grass on the island.

Large game moving onto these islands can be problematic for the Skimmers as they lay their eggs in a scrape in sand on these islands. Lone Elephants are not too much of a problem but if there are many they can stand on the eggs or chicks. Buffalo are usually the main problem as they do not seem to be nearly as careful where they walk. The startled Elephant eventually left the island. It was a short walk through shallow water to the mainland. On the way he passed a watchful Goliath Heron.

“Of all African animals, the Elephant is the most difficult for man to live with, yet its passing – if this must come – seems the most tragic of all. I can watch Elephants (and Elephants alone) for hours at a time, for sooner or later the Elephant will do something very strange such as mow grass with its toenails or draw the tusks from the rotted carcass of another Elephant and carry them off into the bush. There is mystery behind that masked gray visage, and ancient life force, delicate and mighty, awesome and enchanted, commanding the silence ordinarily reserved for mountain peaks, great fires, and the sea.”
~ Peter Matthiessen, The Tree Where Man Was Born

On another occasion down at Lechwe Plains, we found these two youngsters drinking from the river. Their mother had been drinking with them and once finished walked over to an Elephant around 50 metres away which had died close to the water’s edge. It seemed from her very gentle smelling and touching of the bones that she was paying her respects to her fallen neighbour or perhaps a fallen family member.

Not only is the river a place to quench their thirst but it is also a playground. This young bull was having an absolute “gas” playing in the water. He was swishing his head back and forth stirring up the water. You can see all the veins in his ear which carry the blood to be cooled on this big surface area.

He would then lift his head up and smash it down into the water making a huge splash. He did this over and over again was obviously enjoying himself.

Beauty treatment is an essential part of an Elephant’s life and all the family members participate. This particular family group were revelling in the mud throwing it all over themselves and each other.

As you can see they thoroughly covered themselves in mud. They also covered whoever was standing next to them too. There is little or no noise other than the sound of sloshing around in the mud and the slapping of  large dollops of mud all over their wet bodies.

The next image shows one of four bulls in the area which saw what all the fun around the mud bath and came to join in. The females know only too well to take the youngsters away when the big guys arrive. The bulls can often be seen driving their tusks into the mud and digging up the earth to increase the supply of mud.

This was one of the bulls which heard all the action and was coming over to join in. You can see from the watermark on this bull that he had just crossed a fairly deep part of the river. 

“Elephants are living treasures. Nature’s gardeners. Nature’s great teachers. Tragically some people don’t give a damn. They prefer the dead treasure to the living one. The ivory. We must challenge this so-called ‘trade’ with all our might and shame on those who would condone it.”
~Virginia McKenna, OBE Founder & Trustee Born Free Foundation

One evening, at the end of a very hot day, we were slowly making our way back to the lodge as we had to be out of the park by 18h30. On the far side of the river we saw a small herd walking, with purpose, down to the river and it looked like they were going to cross. The fading evening light shining from behind us cast a bluish, mauve hue, which I thought was gorgeous.

This group stopped at the water’s edge to assess the whole area before the one of the large females led the group into the river to begin their crossing.

We moved down river to photograph into the setting sun. As you would expect, the colour of the light changes significantly. You can see the youngsters are clustered in the middle of the herd as they cross to protect them from crocodiles and give them assistance. The babies would have to swim as it would be too deep for then to walk across. The adults give them a helping push when they are struggling.

It was probably a three hundred metre crossing, shallow at first but much deeper in the main channel. There was quite a haze so it the light was lower than normal at that time of the evening. We had to pick our shots as everyone else on the river at that time had the same idea. In the early mornings we have the river almost to ourselves. The afternoons on the river can be like coming into Auckland harbour on a Sunday evening after a beautiful sunny day.

The perspective from the boat is ideal and we could move around until we were facing the setting sun, which created different, warmer colours and gave a very different feeling to the image.

The Elephant family passed a pod of Hippos while wading through the shimmering, golden water. The Elephant calf looked to be almost holding onto its mother’s tail, which enabled the mother to constantly feel that her calf was still with her.

Having successfully crossed the Chobe river in the fading light they walked over a sand ridge and were gone into the fading light for some peace away from all the boats.

The beauty and splendour of the scene was breathtaking. As raw and harsh as nature can be it, can be equally beautiful and serene.

“If Africa’s poaching crisis were a novel it would read like a chilling thriller filled with penurious poachers and Asian King Pins, determined conservationists and dirty politicians, pimps and prostitutes, war lords and white-collar criminals, and rangers risking their lives against all odds to protect what little wildlife we have left.”

 ~Jamie Joseph, Founder of Savingthewild.com

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

Have fun,

Mike

This is the last post from our trip to the Timbavati with Sue and Neville.

“Within my soul, within my mind,
There lies a place I cannot find.
Home of my heart. Land of my birth.
Smoke-coloured stone and flame-coloured earth.
Electric skies. Shivering heat.
Blood-red clay beneath my feet.

At night when finally alone,
I close my eyes – and I am home.
I kneel and touch the blood-warm sand
And feel the pulse beneath my hand
Of an ancient life too old to name,
In an ancient land too wild to tame.”

 –Michelle Frost ( part of the poem – WHITE SKIN AND AN AFRICAN SOUL)

It was our last morning and there was no way anyone was going to miss our last game drive. At 6h30 we were all out of camp. It was freezing cold, the sky was clear and dawn was breaking. We did our requisite stop at “hide waterhole” to see what, if anything, was drinking there – nothing. The Hippo family were watching us with their eyes and snouts just above the water. The scene was very peaceful and ablaze with colour from the rising sun.

Not ten minutes later as we were driving up the hill, a small herd of Wildebeest galloped passed us. Pat immediately picked up on this, saying that it was strange for them to be behaving like this and there was probably a predator around.

Pat was right, there was a predator around and another and another….. In fact there was a pride of seven Lion around. Our luck  – this was the pride with two white Lions. The sun was still rising and it was probably around 7h00.

Even in the early low light their white coats were very distinctive.

The first record of White Lions dates back over 400 years in African history. The first White Lion sighting by an European was only in the early 1930’s. This was in the Timbavati region. In the ancient Shangaan language, Timbavati means “The Place Where Star Lions Came Down From The Heavens”.  (http://www.cango.co.za/lions). These majestic creatures are said to be descendants of celestial beings that gave rise to a sacred lineage of noble African kings.

According to the legends of the Shangaan people living deep in the wilds of Southern Africa, White Lions are the Messengers of the Gods, and their presence in their tribal lands ensures peace and prosperity for all. Scientists were unable to document their existence until they were spotted again in the mid 1970s. (http://www.whitelionjourneys.com)

“Gentle pink dawns and shimmering vermilion days
Harsh desert heat where life cowers
Blood sunsets on red sands
Freezing dry nights, where ready predators lurk.”

part of a poem Listen by Graham Vivian Lancaster

For many centuries, African kings identified the lands of Timbavati as a protected area. It falls on the Nile meridian (31 degrees East), a ley line which is also referred to as “Zep Tepi,” believed to be the spot at which life first emerged on the planet. This area also happens to be exactly aligned with the great Sphinx of ancient Egypt, a representation of the fusion of human beings and lions, both considered to be at the apex of their respective kingdoms.(http://www.whitelionjourneys.com). These are the kinds of stories you listen to while sitting around the camp fire and gazing into the flames while your imagination dances with the sparks up into the the dark star-filled sky.

Judging from the pride interaction, the Lions do not pay any attention to the differences in the colour of their coats.

Soft early morning light in the bush.

The pride eventually stopped to rest and laid up in reasonably thick bush above one of the waterholes.

It was very peaceful scene with just the sound of the odd Crested Spurfowl calling in the distance.

These Lions looked very comfortable soaking up the warm winter sun after what must have been a busy night.

The White Lions are very popular probably because of all the mystic and legend surrounding them, so we had to give others a chance to see them and left them to go a find a place to talk about what we had just seen over a cup of coffee and muffin. Pat took us to a familar waterhole, at which we had stopped on day two. We stopped on the dam wall so we could see what was coming. Pat had heard that there was a large herd of Buffalo in the area and what a brilliant surprise, they stopped for a drink too.

It was a very large herd, I did not count them but there must have been over 500. A part of the herd had already drunk and had moved on into the bush.

This old bull was at the back of the herd. By the look of the colour on his hind leg  I think he might have recently had a tangle with Lions.

Once the Buffalo had moved away from the waterhole, a few Zebra came down to drink. They walked down and immediately had a good look around, saw us and figured we were far enough away not to be a problem and proceeded to drink. The wildlife does not hang around once it has had its drink of water and quickly merges back into the bush, probably because there is a good chance predators will be lurking in the surrounding bush.

 On our way back to camp, we came across this very cold Lilac-breasted Roller.

A little further on we saw this Steenbok close to the road but it seemed quite relaxed, standing still long enough to get a shot.

The end of a brilliant four days in the bush. Thank you Timbavati, thank you Walker’s Camp staff and a big thank you to Pat and Eileen for a wonderful four days with some great sightings. It was fun meeting Joan, Eddie and Lizette, and Richard and Wendy. We all got on really well together spiced with animated conversations about life the country and wildlife stories. To Sue and Neville thank you again for inviting us to join your group of friends for a memorable four days in the Timbavati.

AFRICA, MY AFRICA
“The smell of rain upon parched, dry ground
Songs of Africa fill the air as drums pound
Majestic sunsets, vistas grand
My soul dissolved within this land

The roar of a lion, call of the wild
Music to the ears of an innocent child
The smell of smoke from a charcoal fire
Fancy toy gallimotos made from wire

Mangoes, paw paws, sugar cane too
The sweetest delights for me and you
Elephant grass, black jacks in our socks
Skimming the river with small flat rocks

Slag heaps, slimes dams, ant hills abound
Bare feet raise dust swirls as we run around
The pure white smile of a picannin’s grin
Acapella harmony as rich voices sing

A million stars grace the African skies
The beat of wings as a fish eagle flies
Bright chitengi wrapped around hips that sway
Dusty children, laughing at play

Maize pounded diligently, thud after thud
Little round huts made from grass and mud
A canoe bobbing silently at water’s edge
A creeping, purple bougainvillea hedge

White floating clouds, in a deep blue sky
Memories like these bring a tear to my eye
For here I am in the land of the free
But I forgot to bring my heart with me…

Africa, My Africa
You will always burn bright in my soul.”
 – Linda (Dore) Hayes 2001

The poems can be found at Linda Smith’s WordPress website. Have a look, it is superb with special meaning to those who have lived in Rhodesia, now called Zimbabwe.

https://lindasmithinspiration.wordpress.com

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

Have fun,

Mike