This is a postscript from our weekend in Mashatu in mid-April. You might remember that it was very wet and overcast but we had two bright spots on the Sunday and Monday morning. Many of the animal and bird images I have included show off the garden of flowers which bloomed after the rain.

“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive safely in a pretty and well preserved body; but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a ride!”

Dawn with the sun rising behind a low hill.

Early on the Sunday morning just as the sun was starting to illuminate the mist down on the northern side of the Majale river.

This sleepy Black-backed Jackal was warming up lying in among the flowers early on the Sunday morning. His coat was luxuriant which I take to be  a sign of excellent health and good feeding conditions.

This White-backed Vulture was one of a group of five which were also warming themselves in the early morning sun while waiting for the Lioness to leave the kill scene.

It was unusual to see two Kori Bustards so close together, so I presumed that the one on the left was a juvenile and the female was on the right. The males are not monogamous and leave the female with the task of raising the young.

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste it, to experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”

Here is one more image of the Martial Eagle which had caught a Guineafowl and was busy killing it at the top of the tree. The Martial’s wings were open to balance itself as the Guineafowl was still wriggling around. That savage look implied that we should not be there – go!!

On the Monday morning, the last game drive of our weekend, we saw this herd of Elephants making its way down to the river. It was an spectacular sighting of a breeding herd of Elephant walking through the trees towards us in park like conditions with yellow flowers everywhere.

“There are many paths through the Ring of Life. They are a constant movement toward self-fulfillment through growth of your mind, expansion of your experiences, widening of your senses and growing your spirit. It’s ceaseless and constant throughout one’s life.”

Along the Majale river we found a flock of about 30 White-fronted Bee-eaters busy digging their nesting holes in the river bank.

“Let me, O let me bathe my soul in colours; let me swallow the sunset and drink the rainbow.”
― Kahlil Gibran

There was a distinct pairing and each member of a pair would take a turn to dig.

I always thought they used old holes in the river bank but this group were digging new holes. They use their beak in a similar way to a Woodpecker.

It was early on the Sunday morning and the sun was out for a while. The soft early morning light really contrasted their stunning colouring against the river bank.

We can only marvel at the colours which nature displays.

On our travels around the park we came across two pairs of Southern Ground Hornbills. This pair was close to the game lodge on a stoney ridge above the Majale river. The male Southern Ground Hornbill has a bulbous red wattle (throat pouch). When calling, this wattle inflates helping to generate a “lion-like” sound which carries quite a distance and can sometimes heard as a duet in the early morning.

These Ground Hornbills are very wary and will not let you get close. They were patrolling the stoney ridge and, being omnivorous, eat any reptiles, frogs, birds, snakes and large insects they can find, using their sharp bills to stab their quarry.

The female ground Hornbill is slightly smaller, and her throat sac under her beak is a bluey-purple and she has a number of white primary wing feathers.

These Hornbills have one of the slowest reproductive rates in the bird kingdom, producing only one chick approximately every nine years. They are co-operative breeders, with just one dominant breeding pair in a social group, and the rest of the group being helpers. Ground Hornbills are the only birds in the Hornbill family which do not seal the entrances of their nests when eggs are laid.

It is impossible not to photograph a Lilac-breasted Roller, this beautiful, emblazened, resting acrobat.

An Impala ram eating the Yellow Devil thorn flowers.

A lone Eland bull browsing on Mopani leaves. This was a middle aged male as his dewlap was not yet fully developed and his hide was still a relatively light colour. I did not hear the tenon clicking, so typical of large heavy males.

Eland are wary of the game vehicles and usually do not let you get close. This character was relaxed and did not run away from us. Eland males can grow to a shoulder height of 1.7 metres and weight 900 kilograms, so they are huge. Surprisingly, they are also excellent high jumpers. I have seen a large Eland jump over a two metre high Mopani bush, with ease, which was in its flight path.

A large mature male Warthog grazing on the lush wet grass. This large male had huge tusks and large facial warts. These “warts” give Warthogs their name but are actually protective bumps. They store fat and help protect Warthogs during fights. Sometimes, males will fight for mates, and the protective “warts” help to cushion blows during these battles.

Warthogs have the peculiar habit of kneeling on the front knees while feeding and foraging in a localised area. They shelter in burrows at night, which they enter tail first. Boars play no part in rearing piglets and seldom associate with sows outside the mating process.

Warthogs can frequently be found at waterholes where they dig in the marsh and wallow in the mud with obvious enthusiasm.

Close up of a Zebra stallion.

This stallion stayed behind allowing his harem to move away.

A spotted Hyaena walking through the yellow flower garden probably returning to her den after a night’s hunting.

 A Little Banded Mongoose standing as sentry outside the anthill which the Mongoose family had taken over. The rest of the family were down inside the old ant nest.

The next image was taken on our way out of the park. This was the stoney ridge where we saw the Ground Hornbills and we were looking south down onto the Majale river. Of course, there was beautiful sunshine on our last morning!!!

It was amazing to see how quickly the Limpopo river had subsided. At lunchtime on the Saturday, the river was deep and flowing strongly.

By the following Monday midday, the river had drained to the point where we could easily cross by vehicle. You can see how much water had drained because the water level was around five metres below the wire catenary on Saturday and way below on Monday.

“Plunge boldly into the thick of life, and seize it where you will, it is always interesting.”

A big thank you to Peter Bale and his team at Mashatu main camp for the wonderful luxury in the bush and great hospitality. Also to Eric Maripane, our guide for the weekend together with tracker Albert, you guys are very knowledgeable, have unbelievable eyesight and were great company – thank you so much.

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

Have fun,

Mike

Last weekend, Helen and I returned to Mashatu Game Reserve. The main reason for the trip was to take a converted game vehicle from Polokwane in South Africa to Mashatu. With an early start, we were in Polokwane by around 8h30 on the Saturday morning and were due to meet a Mashatu representative to collect the new vehicle and get the appropriate papers for border clearance. The idea was that once cleared at the South African customs we would drive the vehicle across the Limpopo river get border clearance on the Botswana side and deliver the vehicle to main Mashatu office which is located about 100 metres from the border post. The Limpopo river had been passable by vehicle up until that weekend.

“Life is adventure, not predicament.”  

– James Broughton

The next image shows how the river had filled in one day and by Saturday was very deep and flowing fast. The steel wire cables carry the ponte across the river. When the river is up it is the only way to cross the river, which only adds to the adventure of the trip.

Needless to say there was problem. The paperwork would only allow us to cross the border at Ponte Drift. To cut a long story short, we never collected the new converted game vehicle in Polokwane because of the specific border clearance requirement. We had booked a two night stay in Mashatu main camp to take advantage of the trip and we were already half way to Mashatu from Johannesburg so we decided to just have a fun weekend anyway.

“The rain to the wind said,
You push and I’ll pelt.’
They so smote the garden bed
That the flowers actually knelt,
And lay lodged–though not dead.
I know how the flowers felt.”
― Robert Frost

The next shot was taken looking upstream of what the Kolokolo Bird said, in the Elephant Child story in Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories, was the “great grey–green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees“. As you can see the sky was heavily overcast and dark and it looked like there was more rain way on the way. This image was taken at midday.

One of the many magical things about Mashatu is that with a little rain the bush springs back to life very quickly. It is mid-autumn in southern Africa and the rain had transformed the bush from a drying green-brown colour into a verdant green Eden with carpets of yellow Devil-thorn flowers. 

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add colour to my sunset sky.” 
 – Rabindranath Tagore

On the way to the main camp we crossed the Majale river. This is a seasonal river but was now filled with many pools of water. With all the water around the game was likely to be dispersed as it no longer needed to come down to the rivers.

We were lucky to see this young Lioness as the bush was thick and access was much more difficult because it was so wet and muddy. The predators have a tougher time during the wet season because the game is more dispersed and with the abundant food the prey is fitter, healthier and more difficult to catch. 

The rest of the pride, which we did not see, must have finished off a Wildebeest the night before but this lone Lioness was left gnawing at the skull. We found her as a number of Hyaenas were lurking around her and a few white-backed Vultures were patiently waiting on top of a Shepherd tree close by.

The next day, intermittent spears of sunlight pierced through the heavy cloud layer creating brief photographic opportunities with wonderful light. The sky was very heavy but made a wonderful dark moody background.

“I am sure it is a great mistake always to know enough to go in when it rains. One may keep snug and dry by such knowledge, but one misses a world of loveliness.”

– Adeline Knapp

The rain had brought the “garden of Eden” to life providing enrichment for all. Everything from Elephants to Steenbok and Guineafowl seemed to like the Devil-thorn flowers and this photographer was reveling in the beauty and bounty of it all. 

We came across a pair of Steenbok feeding on the new flowers. These are beautiful, dainty, small buck with a reddish-brown coat and a white belly. Only the males have horns.

Steenbok are browsers and grazers and seemed to enjoy the yellow Devil-thorn flowers.

Both ram and ewe Steenbok are territorial and have separate territories which they scent mark with their pre-orbital, inter-digital and inter-mandibular glands. They are diurnal and often rest up in the shade of a tree in midday heat. Leopards love Steenbok!

The pre-orbital glands are clearly visible below the eye along the nose. The male Steenbok has two short straight horns and those big eyes are ” all the better to see you with”.

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” 

– Martin Buber

Not five minutes after we were watching the pair of Steenbok, our guide Eric and tracker Albert alerted us to a Martial Eagle in a tree close by. 

It had caught a Guineafowl and its prey was still alive and wriggling around so this raptor had its wings open to balance and stop the Guineafowl from escaping. We moved closer but the background changed from being dark to the bright sky making the contrast more tricky.

“The best journeys in life are those that answer questions you never thought to ask.” 

– Rich Ridgeway

This Martial Eagle was agitated and vocalising because a large Tawny Eagle had seen what had happened and had come to check out the possibilities.

The Tawny Eagle was very relaxed and waiting patiently.

The Martial Eagle was not relaxed and flew into a higher tree nearby. This made the photography even more difficult because of the stark contracts with the white cloud-filled sky.

Eventually, the Martial eagle decided there were too many interested parties watching its meal and it flew off to feed in private.

The Kori Bustard is Botswana’s national bird. It will not let you get close and will quickly walk away in much the same way as the Secretary Bird. The male Kori Bustard is considered to be the heaviest living animal capable of flight. Like most Bustards, the Kori Bustard is a ground-dwelling and an opportunistic omnivore. A male Kori Bustard can be more than twice as heavy than the female, and are definitely not monogamous. The name kori is derived from the Tswana name for this bird –Kgori

When driving around Mashatu you will come across many of these talkative Long-tailed Starlings and great at giving away the position of predators such as a Mongooses, Wildcat or snake. They have this stunning iridescent sheen in the morning light, even when it is so cloudy.

We were also fortunate enough to find the female Cheetah with her four cubs. They were growing fast and had grown in confidence since we last saw them in February.

This is one competent Cheetah mum to have raised four cubs to this point in a wild place filled with competing predators.

For those of you who have been to Mashatu in the winter season when it is bone dry, brown and dusty, this image will be quite novel for you. The dirt roads were saturated and indentations were filled with water. You had to be careful when going off-road as it was very easy to get stuck in the mud. Thank goodness for those tough 4×4 Landcruisers.

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing”

– Sir Rannulph Fiennes

At last light just before we got stuck in the mud, we found these two young males lying on top of the dam wall. We got stuck in the mud about two hundred metres further on. With all the commotion whilst trying to get out of the mud, these two Lions came down to investigate. Fortunately, we had got the vehicle out of the mud and were safety ensconced in our vehicle before they arrived.

Some of our close relatives having a relaxing day in the park.

The troop leader would sit away from his harem and keep a wary eye on the party.

“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning to sail my ship.”

– Louisa May Alcott

More often than not Spurfowl will run away from you but every now and then a photographer gets a break and one individual does not flee. This male Swainson’s Spurfowl was declaring his position with great gusto.

The background was perfect and he was perched in an ideal position. It is very satisfying when it all comes together.

I could not believe this young female Hyaena gnawing at this old desiccated Elephant pelvic bone. We must have watched her breaking bits off the bone off for about half an hour. It was quite remarkable that she did not break any teeth and is testament to her bite strength.

The Majale river had a small stream of water flowing from pool to pool, a wonderful sight considering it will be bone dry in a few months. Perhaps this winter season there will be more water around than usual because of the late rains. You can see how dark it was even at mid-morning.

“Life is like a flowing stream; once the flow stops, our life becomes stagnant. When we remove the dams and debris we have accumulated and encourage it to flow freely, it becomes a source of sustenance and renewal and growth for us and for all with whom we share it.”
― Tom Hackett

I hope you enjoyed the eclectic mix of images and the moody rain-laden skies. I will do one more post from the weekend next week.

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

Have fun,

Mike

Friends Bill and Judy Pierce invited us to join them at their lodge in Eagle’s Rock Estate last weekend. This is a wildlife estate located about 15 kilometres due north of Witbank in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The estate is characterised by its sandstone formations and a wonderful deep, rugged valley down which the Olifants river flows, fed by the Witbank dam and feeding the Loskop dam some 25 kilometres downstream.

“What a joy it is to feel the soft, springy earth under my feet once more, to follow grassy roads that lead to ferny brooks where I can bathe my fingers in a cataract of rippling notes, or to clamber over a stone wall into green fields that tumble and roll and climb into riotous gladness!”

– Helen Keller

I got up early on the Saturday morning to catch the sunrise. The next image was taken around 6h00. I awoke at 5h30 and looked out of the window to see the sky ablaze with the first light shining on the clouds well before sunrise. I was surprised as it had been very overcast and cloudy the day before but sky had cleared beautifully.

I moved a short distance up the valley to change the perspective. Even though it was mid-autumn, the flora was still remarkably green because of the recent rains. The sky was painted with warm, early morning light.

The colours changed as the sun climbed higher in the sky. I waited until the sun moved behind a bank of clouds to take the next shot. When editing the image, I saturated the colours to emphasise the mist in the valley.

A short while later when the sun was well up in the sky, I took the next image of the vista looking north-west. It was still early enough for long shadows.

“Cherish sunsets, wild creatures and wild places. Have a love affair with the wonder and beauty of the earth.”

 – Stewart Udall

On the estate, apart from the main Olifants river valley, there are a number of lesser valleys but there is one along which a stream flows into two small dams. This valley has lush flora and its sides have rugged, steep sandstone faces about 30 metres high. There is plenty of wildlife which also seems to like this valley. The next image shows one of the many pairs of Natal Spurfowl which forage along the valley road. The males grow spurs which they use for fighting. You can tell the age of a male Spurfowl by the degree to which his spurs are worn down.

As a photographer, one of the of the aspects I am constantly intrigued by is the remarkable colours and moods the backgrounds can provide. I liked the heavy dew on the grass where this Natal Spurfowl was foraging.

Another member of Francolin/Spurfowl family which you are likely to see in the main valley in Eagle’s Rock estate is the Coqui Francolin. It gets its name from its call. As with most Francolins and Spurfowl they would rather skulk away through the undergrowth than fly away from you. The next image is of a female Coqui Francolin with its distinctive white throat bordered by a black ring and black facial markings. The female is more cryptically coloured than the male.

The male Coqui Francolin has a distinctive ochre/golden head and throat. Its colouring becomes black and white stripped along its neck, nape and belly. Its back is cryptically coloured. The male Coqui Francolin has rudimentary spurs. This Francolin is smaller than the normal Spurfowl.

I have only ever seen Coqui Francolin at Eagle’s Rock and in the Pilansberg National Park in the North West province of South Africa.

“Wisdom begins in wonder.”

 – Socrates

The  valley I was wandering down was characterised by steep, rugged sandstone sides. This is a perfect home for Rock Hyraxes. The  Rock Hyrax ( Dassie) in the next image gave itself away with its distinctive barking. Rock Hyraxes  spend the night in dark, cold cavities in the rocks so early in the morning they sit on the rocks to warm up. Rock Hyraxes are territorial which makes they a convenient and constant source of prey for the resident pair of Black Eagles.

Being rugged sandstone terrain, this is also a perfect environment for Klipspringer. This female was watching me intently for a short while.

As I was moving down the valley road around 8h00, this pair of Klipspringers were alarmed by something they could see among the grass and boulders below them. They hardly took any notice of me and were transfixed on what must have been a potential threat. They were clearly alarmed and called to each other continuously. I never saw the threat but there are Leopards resident on the estate. Most antelope are territorial and the Klipspringer uses its pre-oribital scent gland below its eye to mark twigs and grass much like a Duiker and Oribi.

Sometime later, the threat had disappeared and the Klipspringer family were out on the sandstone boulders. The male and female were on the right hand side and the youngster on the left. Smaller antelope tend to be solitary and monogamous, and occupy constant territories throughout the year. Klipspringers are browsers but are unique antelope by virtue of the hooves and hair. Their hooves are cylindrical and blunt allowing them to walk on “tip toes” on the rocks. Their hair is very coarse and brittle and stands on end providing excellent insulation. This adaption has taken place because they generally live in areas with wide temperature variation, heat in the day and cold temperatures at night.

“One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.”

 – Helen Keller

One of the signature species on the estate are a pair of Black Eagles.  The last time I was photographing these Black Eagles they had a chick which was standing but had not yet grown its feathers. Last weekend the female Black Eagle was busy relining her nest in preparation for the next brood.

The nest was about 100 metres up on a sheer sandstone cliff face. They do this to minimise predation from baboons and other nimble cliff climbers.

Having positioned the green leaves in the right place the female would sit in the nest to flatten the leaves.

Even though I was a good fifty plus metres away she was very wary of me perched on top of the rocks.

She flew back and forth a few times collecting dead branches and free leaves for the nest.

I have included the next image just to show you the Eagle’s launch along the cliff face and show the size of this Eagle’s talons. They take off and fly along the cliff face to catch the updraft to enable them to gain altitude.

Being perched on the edge of the cliff face an enthusiastic photographer has to be very careful not to walk of the edge of the cliff in their excitement. A walk over the edge would mean  that  you would have about three or four seconds to learn to fly.

 I have included the next image of a male Black Eagle standing as sentinel on a jutting sandstone rock in a steep cliff close to the pair’s nest. It gives a sense of the steepness of the cliff face.

“The eagle likes to fly above the world, not to look down on people, but to encourage them to look up.”

 – Unknown

Watching these Eagles fly by is a real thrill especially when they tuck their wings in and tip into a dive.

This female was carrying nest material back to reinforce the existing nest structure.

Full extension at launch! 

Once they extend their wings they are impressive raptors. Their Black and white colouration makes them even more dramatic.

The Black Eagles dominate the cliffs, but they do not get it all their own way as a pair of Lanner and Peregrine Falcons also nest on this cliff complex. Needless to say, every now and then the Lanners and Peregrines give the Black Eagles a “rev” by dive bombing them but usually well away from the cliff face.

Away from the cliff faces on the flat open grasslands we came across this Cape Longclaw or Orange-throated Longclaw. It is a passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which comprises the Longclaws, Pipits and Wagtails. It occurs in Southern Africa in Zimbabwe and southern and eastern South Africa. This species is found in coastal and mountain grassland, often near water.The Cape Longclaw is usually found in pairs throughout the year. It feeds on the ground on insects and seeds.

Other than Klipspringers there are a number of other herbivores on the estate. There are Zebra, Black Wildebeest, Impala, Eland, Duikers and Springbok. There are also Blesbok but I have not seen them recently. The Zebra breed successfully as there are no big cats on the estate other than Leopards. The smaller antelope are more threatened by Leopard predation.

Another species which adds a unique character to the estate is the Black Wildebeest. They look quite different to the Blue Wildebeest. The Black Wildebeest is much darker giving them the black appearance and their horns do not grow laterally but drop forward and curve up sharply. Black Wildebeest occur naturally in the high altitude grasslands of the highveld in South Africa.

The Black Wildebeest are very wary and will not let you get close so a long lens is needed.

The vistas on the estate are exceptional and there is an incredible diversity of flora. The latter character is the result of no farming taking place on the estate as it is too rocky for crop farming and the grasses are not suitable for cattle ranching. 

This is the view looking west from Bill and Judy’s lodge. You look over the indigenous flora at a massive sandstone cliff face. The sandstone cliffs have white markings because vultures used to inhabit the cliffs many years ago. At night you do not see any lights – bliss!!!

I have never been downstream along the Olifants river from here but looking at a contour map it looks to be a rugged valley all the way down to the Loskop dam. I am very grateful to Bill and Judy for the opportunity to spend time with them out at Eagle’s Rock estate and the opportunity to photograph unusual wildlife subjects.

“If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them something more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.”

“We must not only protect the country side and save it from destruction, we must restore what has been destroyed and salvage the beauty and charm of our cities … Once our natural splendor is destroyed, it can never be recaptured. And once man can no longer walk with beauty or wonder at nature, his spirit will wither and his sustenance be wasted.”

– Lyndon B. Johnson   President of the United States

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

Have fun,

Mike

For all of you who have been privileged enough to go to Mashatu,  you might recognise some of these spots.  The variety of wildlife and birdlife in Mashatu is exceptional. This is a place unlike any other in Botswana because of the variety of its scenery. In this post, I want to show you some of the spots we visited, which you will likely see when game driving around Mashatu.

“We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in. For it can be a means of reassuring ourselves of our sanity as creatures, a part of the geography of hope.”

– Wallace Stegner

A bend in the Matabole river. The outside part of the bend is usually deeper because the water flows faster that side. This was the first time I had seen Elephant swimming in the river. We stopped at the top of the river bank for early morning coffee and rusks and could see the whole herd milling around on the sand bank below.

Higher up away from the river in the thornveld you will find many Giraffe, sometimes big family groups.

Driving north towards the Majale river in the distance. The sky was overcast and moody – great for photography as it softens some of the harshness in the high contrast daylight. The clouds cooled the ground temperature somewhat making it warm but not hot. You can see how green it was early in the year. Come July it will have changed to browns, yellows and some orange from the drying Mopani leaves. Thankfully, all the roads in Mashatu are dirt so you still get that feeling of really being in the bush.

The next image is of a waterhole just up from the Limpopo river. The Elephant seemed to visit it for a mud bath rather than to drink. They usually came to visit around midday or early afternoon when it was hottest.  Often on our morning game drive we would see them slowly making their way down  for their afternoon beauty treatment.

“Because the heart beats under a covering of hair, of fur, feathers, or wings, it is, for that reason, to be of no account? “

 – Jean Paul Richter

A typical seen in a riverbed. The flash floods cut deeply into the riverbank creating almost vertical cliffs which can be 10 to 15 metres high in some places. The direction of the sun indicates that it was late afternoon with the light directed from the west. The mood of the place can be quite different in the morning when the vertical banks are in deep shadow. The water in the river creates the anticipation of unexpected birds at the water’s edge or coming around a bend to find a Leopard drinking quietly with the sun setting and shadows cooling.

Our game vehicle got stuck in the riverbed on one occasion. It was the last light of the afternoon. We had to get out of the vehicle to reduce the weight so it could be towed out of the loose gravel in the river. This gave me a chance to take a shot of the serene scene down in the river.

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

– Rachel Carson

This was the scene once the sun had set as we were having our sundowners.  It was warm and balmy, the drinks were “bitterly” cold, the conversation between old family friends was animated and the sky was on fire!!!! These are times when you have to pinch yourself just to be sure you are not dreaming. The feeling and the colours are sublime.

Watching darkness descend over Mashatu as the daylight gave way allowing the moon and the evening star to make their appearance in a darkening colour stained evening sky.

One afternoon we went down to Soloman’s Wall to see how the Mouloutse river had altered the scenery since we were last there. On our way back rather than go to Mmagwa, we went down to the Mouloutse lookout. Once we turned off the main dirt road to go down to the lookout we saw more game than we had ever seen before in that area with herds of Zebra, Wildebeest and many Elephant.

“Our relationship with nature is more one of being than having.  We are nature: we do not have nature.”

– Steven Harper

At the look out point the terrain is shaped by rugged sandstone ridges. In amongst these sandstones ridges are lush arenas of grass and bushes.

 Looking west from Mouloutse outlook.

The lookout point gives you a 360 degree panorama and a what a wonderful view of the surrounding area and the Mouloutse river.

The area is characterised by its rugged sandstone outcrops and ridges. In the evening light, the sandstone and the grass at the foot of the sandstone outcrops take on an ethereal light.

“The wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask.”

– Nancy Newhall

At last light, the ground darkens and the sky is illuminated  with blues, yellows, pinks and oranges as the stars start to shine through the coloured evening sky.

The climb down from the outlook in the semi-dark gets quite interesting with camera kit. It is worth it because part the way down I was able to stop, set up my tripod and get silhouettes in the fading light.

I could not resist it, my brother Jerry with the moon in the palm of his hand.

By now is was quite dark, the Hyaenas had started their nightly whooping telling us it was a good time to get back on the game vehicle. For a quiet moment on the vehicle all your senses are swimming as you become aware of all the colours, smells and sounds you are immersed in and feel really alive.

The next morning we came across a herd of zebra and Wildebeest in an open plain just south of the Majale river. They were wary having spent the night in the open area for protection to give them some time to react to approaching predators. The herds seemed to have made it through the night intact.

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

 – John Dingell

The herds of Wildebeest are small but wary because there are so many predators around day and night.

There are many young to be seen at this time of plenty.

I took this panorama during one of our morning coffee breaks to give you a sense of the view from one of the hilltops overlooking the Majale river, characterised by the large Mashatu trees along its course.

One of the many giants to be found in Mashatu. This size Mashatu tree can be home to Pythons, Leopards, Baboon and many more. These are enormous trees which offer wonderful cool shade for the animals in the heat of the day and protection, for some, at night.

The third last day we travelled east down to Shalimpo. This is the utmost Eastern corner of the Mashatu Game Reserve where the Limpopo and Shashe rivers meet. I was “blown away” by how beautiful it was down here.  On the river banks, massive trees have rooted themselves. There are not many places you can go where you get the confluence of three countries, in this case Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The three closest are the quadripoint at the eastern tip of Impalila Island which is an eastern point of Namibia, the confluence of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia, the tripoint on the Kuando River where Angola, Namibia and Botswana converge into the Linyanti Swamp and the third is the tripoint at Kanyemba in Zimbabwe ( the confluence of Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique).

The vistas from the beacon are breath-taking. The next image shows a view looking north-west up the Shashe river.  I am not sure how wide the Shashe is at this point but it must be at least half  a kilometre. The massive sand riverbed gives a hint of what this must look like when the river is in flood.

Looking directly north, from the lookout point across the vast sand riverbed was this sandstone outcrop. There is something very special about this place. Not only because it is the meeting point of three countries but there is a different energy about the place. The landscape is imposing. It is not difficult to understand why the Mapungubwe empire was centred here.

In the last few posts, hopefully you have got a sense of the wonderful variety in Mashatu, and that is just the natural history. This was also a place steeped in man-made history.

“Cooperation for mutual benefit, a survival strategy very common in natural systems, is one that humanity needs to emulate.”

 – Eugene Odum

Louie Schwartzberg is a special human being with wonderful vision. The following video is not new but timeless and I think appropriate  after having seen the variety of landscapes in Mashatu. Double click on the Granadilla flower to be taken to Louie’s Ted talk on Gratitude.

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

Have fun,

Mike

While I would never miss a game drive, I am told by those who decide to rise late that there is plenty of life around the camp in the first part of the morning. Once we get back from the game drive and have had “brunch”, everyone usually retires to relax and chat, read or has a midday snooze. For me there is too much to see. I can sleep once I am back in the “big smoke”. One of my favourite pastimes around the camp is to seek out the bird bath. Normally, this is a piece of smoothed granite which has a concave basin to it. I make sure it is filled with water and then wait!!

“For man, as for flower and beast and bird, the supreme triumph is to be most vividly, most perfectly alive.”
 – D. H. Lawrence

Sitting quietly and not too close, you will be amazed at the variety of birds and animals that come to drink from the bird bath. Besides birds, you will see visitors such as Baboons, Vervet Monkeys, Warthog and Tree Squirrels. I never saw either a Tree or Rock Hyrax (Dassie) drinking from the birdbath, despite there being many around the camp.

Often in the early morning while having a cup of coffee and a rusk before the morning game drive, we would find Leopard spoor around the birdbath, so I guess the Leopards also drink from it. Presumably, the Hyaenas do too, especially in winter when it is so dry.

I was treated to quite a spectacle from the Mashatu birds around the camp in February. It was hot during the day so the Waxbills, Firefinches and quite a variety of other birds flew in to drink, every hour or so.

One of the best ways to photograph Blue Waxbills is around a bird bath. In the bush, they are very difficult to photograph because they are always moving and flying away in front of you and the perspective from a vehicle is not ideal for such small birds. This first image was taken of a Blue Waxbill beneath the bird bath.

It was hot at midday around 35 degrees centigrade so almost all of the birds took the opportunity to bathe as well as drink at that time.

Getting an image of one “bluey” was great, but then two came down to drink at the same time.

Then three…

Red-billed Firefinches also came down to drink. Superficially, they look similar to Jameson’s Firefinch but their bills are red and their bellies are beige to light brown not ruddy/black. The female Red-billed Firefinch is very different to the female Jameson’s Firefinch as it is beige and not a ruddy orange colour.

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

–Robert Lynd

“You can’t be suspicious of a tree, or accuse a bird or a squirrel of subversion or challenge the ideology of a violet.”

 –Hal Borland

The next image is of a Southern Masked Weaver. This particular Masked Weaver had a black mask  which stretched down its throat onto its breast. This is similar to Spotted-backed Weaver but the Southern Masked Weaver does not have  spotted back and is slightly smaller. It was not a Lesser Masked Weaver as its black mask extends over its forehead to the top of its head and it has a white and not a red-eye.

Southern Masked Weaver and his mate. The long black throat of this Masked Weaver made me think its was a Spotted-backed Weaver at first but the female was the give away showing the pair  to be of the Southern Masked variety.

Honeyguides feed on wax and bees and were given their name because this bird guides people to beehives. The non-guiding species are called Honeybirds. The next image is of a Lesser Honeyguide. 

The Lesser Honeyguide feeds on a wide range of insects, including Honeybees  and the honey they produce. It is a brood parasite, laying mainly in Barbets nests, and it can lay about 18-20 eggs during a breeding season. As romantic as their name might be, Honeyguides have a savage side. Beyond being brood parasites, the Honeyguide chick has an especially curved sharp beak which it uses to kill its host’s chicks even when all the chicks eyes are still closed. After about a week, when the Honeyguide chick has disposed of its hosts eggs or chicks it loses the sharp hook at the end of its beak-quite incredible evolution.

The Crested Barbet, is sometimes called the “Marmalade bird” for obvious reasons. You will not find the lesser Honeyguide and Crested Barbet together as the Lesser Honeyguide is parasitic much like a Cuckoo, laying its eggs in the Barbet’s nest once they fly off to feed. They are serious enemies.

“Colour is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.”

– Claude Monet

Green Bulbul or Yellow-bellied Bulbul. This was a first for me. I have never seen a Green Bulbul before. At first I thought it was an Eastern Nicator but they are not found in Mashatu and their eye is white with a black eye ring.

There were plenty of Meves or Long tailed Starlings around the camp. These are very talkative birds and are also quite cheeky around the bird bath chasing all the smaller birds away.

I could hear them coming. A small flock of Arrow-marked Babblers dropped in for a drink. They did not stay long but it was a noisy drink. Surprisingly, not all of the flock stopped to drink. You also find Pied babblers in Mashatu but I have never seen them in camp.

Female Green winged Pytilia. Its previous name was Melba Finch. The female is colourful but the male is stunningly coloured with his red forehead and throat and orange chest.

This Red-billed Buffalo Weaver was a frequent visitor to the bird bath and was also the most active bather.

Neighbourhood drinking spot! A Jameson’s Firefinch drinking right next to a Lesser Honeyguide. 

Size is an important differentiator in nature but this Lesser Honeyguide seemed quite relaxed with the smaller Jameson’s Firefinch right next to it.

“I have not yet lost a feeling of wonder, and of delight, that the delicate motion should reside in all the things around us, revealing itself only to him who looks for it.”
― Edmund Burke

A male and female Jameson’s Firefinch with their distinctive blue-black bill colour and red-pink nape and mantle. Jameson’s could be mistaken for an African Firefinch which also has a blue-black bill but the latter has a greyish back, nape and crown and a black belly.

The Estrildidae family, which includes Finches, Waxbills, Twinspots and Mannikins, offer an array of some of the most colourful birds you will see in the African bush. They are all small, conical billed and gregarious seed-eaters.

The Firefinches are often the host to brood parasites such as Indigo birds. I have only seen Indigo birds down along the main rivers in Mashatu never around the camp.

One aspect that was very evident in the images in this post was the variation in light falling on the birdbath. It was situated under a large tree so the light was always changing but I think that is part of the charm. 

There were many other birds seen and heard around the camp but I did not see them come down to drink from the bird bath. The most frequently seen and heard birds around the camp where the Cape Turtle Doves, Black-eyed Bulbuls, Laughing Doves, Red-eyed Doves, a Black Headed Oriole, a Tropical Boubou, a Woodland Kingfisher, Grey Louries and a Golden-tailed Woodpecker. The odd Crested Francolin would also wander through camp.

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead —his eyes are closed.

The insight into the mystery of life, coupled though it be with fear, has also given rise to religion. To know what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms

—this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true religiousness.”
― Albert Einstein

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

Have fun,

Mike

This is the fourth post from my recent trip to Mashatu. I wanted to give you a sense of the variety of birds you are likely to see on the game drives in Mashatu. This is by no measure exhaustive but gives you a taste of the diversity of avian life in this reserve.

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.”
 –Henry David Thoreau

The rivers in Mashatu are seasonal. The next image is of a lone Wood Sandpiper scouring the water’s edge for something to eat.

I haven’t seen Giant Kingfishers but there are plenty of Pied Kingfishers along the river in Mashatu. I haven’t seen Half-collared or Malachites yet. Where an image has a blue border, you can double click on the image and will be linked to its bird call on the Xeno Canto website. Just press the back arrow on the top left hand side of your browser to get back to this post.

You will also find Crowned and Blacksmith Lapwings and Three-Banded Plovers such as this one in the next image. They can be found along the edge of the water looking for insects.

Swainson’s Francolin are noisy. They are usually seen running through the grass away from you, but every now a then you will find one on a rock or bush declaring to all the world that this is its turf. You will also see lots of Crested Francolin.

“There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself.”
 – Henry David Thoreau

Swainson’s Francolin in full cry early in the morning with soft light.

A White-Fronted Bee-eater flying in front of its nesting bank.

These avian gems are resident in Mashatu and can be found along and close to the rivers all year through.

White-Fronted Bee-eater clinging to the river bank just next to its subterranean nest.

Migrant Carmine Bee-eaters are summer residents. Exquisitely beautiful but usually seen singly in Mashatu. My hope is that a Carmine colony will, some day, develop in Mashatu much like can be seen at Beatrice, near Harare in Zimbabwe and at Kalizo on the western bank of the Zambezi River in the Caprivi region of Namibia. 

“The universe is wider than our views of it.”
― Henry David Thoreau

The main reason why migrants such as the Carmine Bee-eaters are down in southern Africa in summer is because of the abundance of insects. In winter the insect population dies down as so many of the insectivores migrate into central and northern Africa and beyond to access increased insect activity.

I have a penchant for these Bee-eaters. I have fond memories as a youngster going out to Beatrice near Harare in Zimbabwe to see the dazzling colours of all the Carmines nesting in a sandbank alongside the Hunyani river.

There are numerous species of Shrikes in Mashatu. This is a Red-backed Shrike which is common resident in the open thornveld parts of Mashatu.

Besides the common Red-backed Shrike you will also find many Lesser Grey Shrikes.

Ostriches can also be seen in Mashatu, though not in abundance. On this occasion, there were no Elephants around to disturb the insects in the grass, so the Cattle Egrets followed the Ostriches to get the same benefit.  The male Ostrich is black and the female a duller brown, tawny colour.

There  are numerous species of Pigeons and Doves on Mashatu. There were Green Pigeons in the fig trees close to camp but I could not get a decent photograph of them. Often on a game drive you will see these beautiful Namaqua Doves flying in front of you on the road ahead. This next image is of a male Namaqua Dove.

Many Cape Turtle Doves come down to drink from the rivers. They are also ubiquitous on the flat areas around the rivers searching for seed in the sand.

The Tawny, like the Martial, Eagle is a resident in Mashatu. The Steppe and Lesser Spotted Eagles are migrants retreating north in winter.

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

 –John Burroughs

The heaviest flying bird in the bush veld, is the Kori Bustard. They can be found throughout southern and Central Africa. 

Koris seldom fly and would rather quicken their pace and walk away from you.

Being so big, these birds have to canter down the runway to get enough airspeed to take off. Once airborne they are good fliers but fly just far enough to get away from a perceived threat and do not seem to be big cross-country fliers. The next image is of  a Kori having just landed. This one seems to have a wattle but Kori’s usually do not have wattles!?

Mashatu is well-known for its plethora of Cuckoos in summer. You have a good chance of seeing Diedericks, Klass, Great Spotted, Striped and Jacobin Cuckoos, such as the one below. You will hear the Red-chested Cuckoo but are less likely to see them.

It does not happen often, but every now and then you might be lucky enough to come across a Yellow-billed Hornbill displaying to a female close by. 

The males put on quite show with much vocalisation and head bowing.

“Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.”
 – William Wordsworth

Ubiquitous in the southern African bushveld is the Woodland Kingfisher with its insistent trilling call.

The last trip was the first time I had seen White Storks in Mashatu. I have seen Black Storks and Abdim Storks before. You will also see the rarer Saddle-billed Storks in Mashatu.

This is a juvenile Martial Eagle. These must be the most spectacular large raptors on Africa alongside the “flying leopard”, the Crowned Eagle. You will not find a Crowned Eagle in Mashatu as they prefer more forested areas such as are could along the Natal coast. The Martials frequently hunt Guinea Fowl when they gather to drink down at the river’s edge.

Interestingly, I haven’t seen a European Roller in Mashatu, but you will find the Purple and Lilac-breasted Rollers in the reserve. The latter is ubiquitous. They are stunningly beautiful birds.

Who would think of putting these colours together, but they work perfectly in this context.

“How important is a constant intercourse with nature and the contemplation of natural phenomena to the preservation of moral and intellectual health!”

– Henry David Thoreau

The Meves or Long-tailed Starling is very talkative and is as good as a Tree Squirrel at giving away the location of a Wild cat or snake. 

Secretary birds are likely to be seen each time you travel around Mashatu. There are not many pairs but we saw them often. This is very much the theme in Mashatu there are not great quantities of bird and animals (except Elephants), but there is a wonderful variety.

Like the Kori Bustard, the Secretary bird will normally walk away from you rather than fly. We happened to just surprise this individual and it did not stay to chat.

That squeaky rubber-duck sound coming from among the grass and rocks is probably a Sandgrouse, in this case a Namaqua Sandgrouse. You are likely to hear these beautiful camouflage experts before you see them. Again you will not see the large flocks flying in to drink around 9h00 that you will see in Etosha or the Serengeti. 

These Sandgrouse are superb fliers but would try to scuttle away from you in the grass before flying.

There are plenty of Red and Yellow-billed Hornbills in Mashatu, but fewer Grey Hornbills and you are likely to hear the Grey Hornbill first before you see it. They tend to frequent the more wooded parts of Mashatu rather than the open savanna/thornveld like the Red and Yellow-billed Hornbills.

“I love Nature partly because she is not man, but a retreat from him. None of his institutions control or pervade her. There a different kind of right prevails. In her midst I can be glad with an entire gladness. if this world were all man, I could not stretch myself, I should lose al hope. He is constraint, she is freedom to me. He makes me wish for another world. She makes me content with this.”

 – Henry David Thoreau

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

Have fun,

Mike

This is the third post from my recent trip to Mashatu in February 2015.

“Be inspired by your journeys travelled and those yet to come”

 – Sam Clark

We saw the coalition of three male Cheetahs on two occasions and the female with her four cubs on two separate occasions. I think Mashatu ranks right up there with Masai Mara when it comes to Cheetah sightings. Mashatu does not give you the huge, almost treeless plains which improve you chances of seeing a full Cheetah hunt  but the Cheetah sightings are intimate and unusual.

To prove my point, I have selected a few images from our different Cheetah sightings in our last trip. The first was the coalition of three males. They were noticeably bigger than the female and looked to have been living hard in the bush.

This was not a grimace but the facial expression when this character was chirping to another male some distance off in the bush.

I was amazed to see how tolerant this male was with a Black-backed Jackal so close.

As soon as the other two males started to wander over to join the first male lying under the tree, the Jackal wisely decided a little more space between was probably a good idea.

The other two males stopped to smell a scent in the grass, probably from a female who had passed that way some time before. They were intrigued and captivated by the scent.

The next day we found the Cheetah mother with her four remaining cubs. She lost one cub a few weeks after the litter was born. We are not sure whether it was Lion, Leopard or Hyaenas that killed the cub as it was not found.

The female had killed an Impala doe and the youngsters were heartily tucking in.

They had the Impala in the shade under a small Shepherd tree.

All of the Cheetahs remained very alert. They would have a few mouthfulls of Impala and look around to make sure that they were still had no unwanted company.

The cubs ate with gusto, faces soaked in Impala blood.

It was seldom all five Cheetahs had their heads down eating. There was always one or two who were looking around to ensure the “coast was clear”.

Cheetahs tend to hunt mostly during the day to reduce conflict with other predators such as Lions and Hyaenas. This Cheetah family managed to eat in peace without Jackals giving their position away.

On our last morning game drive, we came across the four cubs with their mother wandering over a stoney ridge.

The female Cheetah looked in superb condition. This was no mean feat when rearing four rapidly growing, but vulnerable cubs in an environment with many Lion, Leopards and Hyaenas around.

The cubs looked a lot thinner than their mother, but this could have been because they were growing so fast.

It became apparent why the Cheetahs were walking over this stoney ridge. There was a fresh water spring part the way up in a gully.

Again the Cheetahs were very alert, always looking around them.

The Cheetah family scattered when a small flock of doves flew low and fast over them. They got a huge fright. It took a good few minutes for the family to regroup at the spring.

Having quenched her thirst, the Cheetah mother continued up the hill leaving the cubs behind at the spring.

“Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way.”

 –John Muir

She was walking with purpose probably because it was still early in the morning and relatively cool.

Needless to say, after a refreshing drink of pure clean spring water the cubs started to dash around chasing each other.

 That characteristic Cheetah run was developing with its sprung-loaded spine. 

They had great fun chasing each other and were all well matched, speed wise.

The chasing part of the hunting technique was coming on.

The catching and stopping part had still to be developed.

Perhaps because the rangers and their guests were respectful of the animals they seemed to be relaxed around the vehicles. It is wonderful to be able to watch this unaffected interaction.

Kim Wolhuter has taken up residence in Mashatu to make a new wildlife documentary. I have never met the man but have huge respect for him in the way he is showing us intimate insights into the behaviour and life of African predators. I have seen all of his documentaries. They are  unique and spellbinding. Kim shows unmatched intimacy and insight into Cheetahs in his documentary “Man, Cheetah, Wild”.  Double click on the image below of Kim and the female Cheetah to be taken to Discovery’s blog on Kim. I wish him much success in Mashatu.

“If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man.  All things are connected.  Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth.”  

–Chief Seattle of the Suquamish Tribe, in a letter to President Franklin Pierce

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

Have fun,

Mike

This is the second post from my recent trip to Mashatu in February 2015.

“Our relationship with nature is more one of being than having.  We are nature: we do not have nature.”  

– Steven Harper

On our first afternoon in Mashatu we were privileged to see this young Leopard. It was late after 17h00 and she was walking through the croton grove next to the Majale river. She stopped several times to smell scent marked signposts. I was struggling to get a clear image of her with a suitable background when all of sudden she jumped up into the fallen branch of a Mashatu tree.

You can see she was alert to all the sights, sounds and scents wafting around her.

Tree squirrels are quick to alert everything in the bush that they have seen a Leopard. She looked up to see if it was worthwhile silencing the irritation.

Rather than waste energy, this young Leopard decided to carry on with her walk in the cool of the evening. Surprisingly, she walked out of the croton thicket next to the river up to a stoney hillock, probably to get a better view of possibilities and plan her evening’s hunting.

The thrill of watching these solitary, camouflage experts is something I will never tire of. 

“What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night.  It is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time.  It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the Sunset.”

– Crowfoot

In summer, the vegetation is thicker, there is more water and the game is more dispersed so you should consider yourself lucky if you see a Leopard. Winter is usually much better time to see these elusive predators.

Luck was with us as the next morning, we spent around an hour watching this beautiful female Leopard walking along the river bed. It is very unusual to see a Leopard in the open, let alone be allowed to watch her walk along a riverbed for such a long time – thank you.

I graciously acknowledge the privilege of being able to watch this female Leopard walking along the river but the lighting conditions were so variable that photographing her was a challenge, both in terms of exposure and white balance, as the shadows tend to have a blue cast.

The perspective of this Leopard walking on the top of the river bank was ideal, but the lighting was complicated as she walked mainly in the shadows under the trees.

At times, this Leopard walked on top of the river bank and at other times she hugged the far bank of the riverbed. She stopped often to smell the grass and rub her neck, back and tail along the grass, probably scent marking.

The next few images show the Leopard walking along the riverbed

She exuded a confidence borne out of experience and an intimate knowledge of this area.

” I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”  

–  Elwyn Brooks White

It was cool in the shade along the river bank, but not cold.

The next image shows a typical scene of this Leopard as she walked along the edge of the riverbed.

There was clearly much more information in the grass on the bank of the riverbed than we were aware of. She stopped often to smell and ponder, almost as if she was deciphering the message, before leaving her scent and moving on.

The dappled light on this Leopard, as she walked along the edge of the riverbed, was beautiful but difficult to capture well.

Being summer, there were lots of insects some of which were buzzing around her face which irritated her.

This Leopard had the most beautiful, piercing green eyes.

“There is no other door to knowledge than the door nature opens; there is no truth except the truths we discover in nature.”

– Luther Burbank

If she were to stop and lie flat in the riverbed you probably would not see her, as she would be so well camouflaged.

We were all in awe and captivated for an hour. It was wonderful to watch this relaxed, but alert, female patrol along a riverbed at around 8h00 in the morning. Our ranger Mollman reckoned she might have been returning to a cub which she had left somewhere along the river. We never got to see whether he was right. We were thankful for the incredible sighting and wanted to leave her in peace.

“Wonderful how completely everything in wild nature fits into us, as if truly part and parent of us.  The sun shines not on us, but in us.  The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fibre and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing.”

– John Muir

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

Have fun,

Mike