Etosha West to East - Part 2 of our trip to Namibia

[penolva]

@@penolva

 

Birds of prey can be tricky but I think it is a Greater Kestrel (Falco rupocoloides).

Sounds like you had a great time.

Thanks for the identification. It was a great trip. Pen

[Marks]

Love this one. It's as though someone said "all hands in," which I realize I'm not describing particularly well, but hopefully you know what I mean.

[Alexander33]

I'd like to give a shout-out for that bat-eared fox. I love them, but all I've ever seen of them in my camera's viewfinder is their blurred tail end. Good job!

[penolva]

@@Alexander33 love the BEF been lucky to see them up close our last three trips and fingers crossed for Kgalagadi TP In February where they are quite common. Pen

[Peter Connan]

Lovely @@penolva

 

Just how dark is the water-hole at night? This last batch is really looking very good, but I would love to know what the exposure settings were?

[penolva]

@ Peter Connan The waterhole is well lit with an orange glow, not a white light. You can see the water and some of the surroundings so its quite spooky when a lion, rhino or elephant emerges from the dark. Very atmospheric.

 

The rhino photographs were taken on

ISO 12800, f/4, 150mm, 1/5 sec. I used my new Canon 5D MK3 and the EF 70-200 lens.

 

The trouble with the tripod head is that the weight of the lens caused it to droop which is why we bought the Manfrotto head and will up grade the tripod after Christmas before we to to South Africa. Pen

[Atravelynn]

Your night time shots are truly gorgeous! Day and night, always something happening.

[Peter Connan]

Those photos are stunning for ISO12800 and 1/5thof a second @@penolva!

 

I have a cheap Chinese gimbal head which doesn't droop, but I doubt it will give sharp photos at 1/5th. For that I think you need a very sturdy head well clamped down?

[penolva]

Those photos are stunning for ISO12800 and 1/5thof a second @@penolva!

 

I have a cheap Chinese gimbal head which doesn't droop, but I doubt it will give sharp photos at 1/5th. For that I think you need a very sturdy head well clamped down?

@@Peter Connan the new Manfrotto head is rock solid with the Canon on it so I will be using the tripod more often. Pen

[penolva]

 

Love this one. It's as though someone said "all hands in," which I realize I'm not describing particularly well, but hopefully you know what I mean.

 

@@Marks that sums it up perfectly, I just loved the way they touched him with such love. Elephants are wonderful

 

@Atravelyn I have to say that water hole is fantastic and the bad reviews, and there are many, didn't add up for us. I suppose its not the 'pure' safari experience that we can get elsewhere but, as I said the animals were acting normally and totally ignored the humans behind the wall. Pen

[penolva]

The next morning we had breakfast in the restaurant, buffet style and you could help yourself to as much as you liked. We set off towards Halali camp where we refuelled and bought some more wine. It was very very dry and we called into Springbokfontein waterhole which was nothing like its name. The pipe had broken and not filling the waterhole and there were some very distressed animals there. A big eland bull had spotted the water running out of the broken pipe and was making the most of it.

 

We reported the broken pipe to some rangers we met and they promised to do something urgently. At this dry time of year the waterholes are a life saver for thousands of animals.

 

 

The road ran up to the salt pans which were simply beautiful. We spotted some wildebeest running down towards them and felt really sorry for them as there was no water. They had much better instincts than us as they started drinking in hidden pools amongst the rocks.

 

 

A brief stop at Namutoni to buy three more days park fees. We were staying at Onguma Bush Camp which is just outside the eastern gate but we intended to go in and out of Etosha during the three days we were staying at Onguma. A walk and drive through the disinfectant at Von Lindquist Gate and next left to Onguma.

 

Its quite a drive up to the Bush Camp and there are signs warning of animals and to keep in your vehicle. We checked in and went to our waterhole chalet. Its in the unfenced part of Onguma and you pass through a gate, on foot, to the room. We both laughed and said 'Well we are not going to see anything much here with all these buildings around" - Wrong!!! The unit is built on the ground with no fence etc around it to the front and sides.

 

 

We saw some black faced impala around the waterhole, very pretty animals. There was a big herd living there. We had a swim in the pool and a lovely dinner as we were on full board rate. Onguma Bush Camp is lovely and the food is very good. We sat outside our room watching the sun set with a glass of wine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[penolva]

@dio this post might interest you as I notice we followed you in Etosha from Okaukuejo to Onguma Bush Camp and the visit we had that morning will probably be appreciated by you as you know the camp well!

 

I woke up early as jackals were howling the noise they make when a leopard is around. I looked outside but there was nothing to be seen. I went back to bed and then hear a growling! "Did you hear that?" we both jumped out of bed and opened the door, bit stupid really as I mentioned already how unprotected the room was. We looked across to the waterhole, less than 50 metres from our door and there was a lion there. We could not believe our eyes.

 

 

The lodge had a lot of young children staying there and did seem very 'tame' compared to places we have stayed in the bush which made it even more of a surprise.The lion looked as if she might have had cubs and she was looking out to the bushes as she left. The herd of black faced impala arrived an hour later to drink and were very nervous.

 

 

After breakfast we set off for the Fischers Pan loop and Twee Palms. It is a lovely drive. We went to Klein Okevi and Groot Okevi waterholes and there were some zebra calmly drinking. Moments later they ran in panic but we couldn't see any lions or other predators. Suddenly a huge martial eagle landed and we realised what had caused the panic and I got another great photo opportunity of panicked zebra. The martial eagle had its drink much to the consternation of some sandgrouse.

 

 

We drove the loop and the scenery was very stark and beautiful. We saw another bird, goshawk? which I admired but can't be sure what it is. As we turned off the loop and back towards the gate I had a feeling a cat was watching me! John thought I was mad but after scanning with the binoculars and the long lens on the camera I spotted two cheetah far away under a tree. It was strange as I felt the stare before I saw them. That's a first!

 

 

We drove back to Onguma late afternoon and had another swim. After dinner we sat outside the room again but this time with a bit more respect

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Marks]

Fantastic eagle shots. Love the water streaming from its beak.

[xelas]

I love the landscape shot with the tree. It looks so familiar ....

[penolva]

Our last day in the park before we drove back to Windhoek. We decided to drive to Chudop waterhole and then do the dik dik drive. An early breakfast and the impala were are the waterhole again.

 

 

Drive to the gate and turn left before Namutoni. It was hot and sunny again and the sky clear. First thing was a lovely LBR posing nicely on a thorn bush.

 

 

We stopped at Chudop and has a great iteraction between kudu, giraffe, rhino and elephants. The kudu and giraffe were peacefully drinking when a black rhino approached. This caused the others to run off in fright. The rhino plodded down to drink and immediately the kudu and then the giraffe came back to join it. It must be a general rule that you run away and look back afterwards. They all drank happily together and we were able to observe them close up and we were the only car there.

 

 

The kudu looked around and John said 'Look at that, its a big herd of elephants!". They came running down to the waterhole and the rhino, kudu and giraffe all left. The rhino trudged away with its head down, can't compete with a herd of elephants.

 

They proceeded to bathe, drink and dust bath surrounding the waterhole at at times our vehicle. The babies had great fun rolling in the dust trumpeting with excitement. After fifteen minutes they were finished and ran off. Just as they left another car arrived and all they saw were bums, right place right time, always the same in Africa!

 

 

We set off for dik dik drive and suddenly came upon this giraffe. At first we thought it had a bone stuck in its throat but it seemed fine. We think it might have been getting the calcium or bone marrow out? Never seen this behaviour before.

 

 

Dik dik drive was memorable because of its lack of dik dik's. The only ones we saw hid in the bushes. This lovely kudu bull made up for that and just as we drove towards the park gates we saw our last rhino in the bushes.

 

 

The first visit to Etosha, although brief, had made us vow to come back and after such a fantastic week if we can get there again some time we won't hesitate. Pen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Marks]

I've seen that bone behavior once or twice here on ST, but not in real life. Always fascinating.

Handsome shaggy kudu.

[penolva]

@@Marks I must have missed those posts as it was a surprise to us! Pen

[Treepol]

@@penolva I saw a giraffe chewing a bone in Etosha in 2008. I wonder if this is something that is widespread amongst giraffes or more common in Etosha?

 

There is a medical sounding name for this behaviour but it escapes me just right now.

 

Edited December 18, 2015 by Treepol

[mvecht]

@@Treepol

Osteophagy

[Peter Connan]

I believe it is fairly common, and have seen it in the greater Kruger area as well as in Moremi.

[penolva]

@@Treepol @@mvecht. @@Peter Connan very interesting it's even got a name is it for the calcium? Pen

[mvecht]

@@penolva

 

It is believed that it is mainly for phosphorous (Merriam - Webster and other sources) but probably also calcium

[Treepol]

@@mvecht thanks!

[Galana]

A great series of photographs and a lovely report. Thanks for taking us along with you.

Just to confirm. That was a Goshawk, Juv Chanting.

Loved the Martial Eagle series too. I can see you have been practicing.

Some great Rhino sightings too.

[Csaba]

There were a lot of people around, sitting on the benches and the big viewing platform. The whole time we were there everyone was very quiet and respectful and did not disturb the animals. It was really nice to see. At night some even slept on the bench seats waiting for something to happen, they must have had units further back. As it was if anything happened, rhino, lion etc we could grab our cameras and nip down to the wall in seconds.

 

I stayed by the waterhole all night on my last day there. Managed to stay up all night (muchas gracias Red Bull). I had an hour long lion sighting around 1am which made it worthwhile.