Somkhanda - Wildlife ACT Wild dog monitoring

[Big_Dog]

Glad you got your Turaco! And I can see why, what an exotic looking bird. Also a really nice shot of a Trumpeter Hornbill from below.
St Lucia seems to have been a very productive birding trip for you!
And a python / lapwing chicks, not too bad! Really good night photos too.

[Marks]

Awesome turaco and giant kingfisher. The hairdo of the crested guineafowl is hard to beat, though.

Scary to think that people would actually attempt to feed crocs...

 

I love the murky blue quality of the nighttime giraffe photo; really atmospheric.

[Zim Girl]

Love the 'one-eyed hippo' picture in post #72

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks all, I am glad we were able to get this little side trip in, even thought I was initially in two minds about going as it meant less time with the dogs. In hindsight, had I known before I booked I would probably have chosen to do the sunset drive rather than the night drive, but I didn't realise they offered that until after I booked it and then picked up a flyer in the office. Incidentally, I don't know if I mentioned, but there is a nice little pool in the lodge to the left of Bib's (Bib's has a small plunge pool but it didn't look very appealing to me) you can pay a small fee to use the pool, although my impression was that they don't get a lot of white folk using it!

[kittykat23uk]

Wednesday December 16^th

I took an early bird walk along the trails. Then later I went shopping for some new sandals, as my old ones were only fit for the bin. Afterwards Lior and I had a milkshake in one of the little coffee shops before we returned to be collected at 12.00 for our return to the reserves.

PC160042 Crowned hornbill by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC160049 Bushbuck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC160051 Tree Squirrel by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC160056 Tree Squirrel by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC160062 Bushbuck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC160068 Hammerkop by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC160071 Giant African land snail by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC160072 Fork-tailed drongo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC160082 Blue-mantled crested flycatcher by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC160086 Blue-mantled crested flycatcher by Jo Dale, on Flickr

Collared sunbird by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC160110 Collared sunbird by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC160120 red-capped robin-chat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC160128 White-eared barbet by Jo Dale, on Flickr

We swapped vehicles back at the petrol station and were very lucky to dodge a huge thunderstorm on our way back to the research base. We really did think we were going to get a complete soaking as it was so close to us.

[kittykat23uk]

Somkhanda had received quite a lot of rain by the time we headed out, which made traversing the park rather tricky. We frequently got stuck in the black cotton soil as our tyres became caked in the slippery mud. At one point we became well and truly stuck, and slid into a bush. Graeme got out and started hacking away at the offending vegetation with a machete. Then, disaster struck for me! One of the other volunteers accidentally knocked my camera off the bench seat onto the floor of the vehicle. It didn't fall far, but must have landed awkwardly, breaking the barrel mechanism of my best lens. With my spare lens back at the ranch, that was any opportunities for photography out the window for the rest of the drive, though thankfully not for the rest of the trip.

 

We finally got on our way again, and managed to briefly locate the dogs. On the way back we spied a Pearl-spotted owlet. Not a very long video this time.

 

[kittykat23uk]

Thursday December 17^th

it was another overcast day and we spotted the jackals near to the airstrip early on.

PC170165 Black-backed jackal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170172 Black-backed jackal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170173 Black-backed jackal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170183 Black-backed jackals by Jo Dale, on Flickr

We tracked the dogs to a recent impala kill where they fed and played for quite a while before settling down to rest.

PC170238 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170241 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170249 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170255 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170298 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170299 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170307 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

PC170317 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170332 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170331 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170333 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170344 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170359 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170362 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170360 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170374 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170380 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170375 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170376 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170381 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170382 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170386 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170402 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

PC170403 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We went to a viewpoint for tea and when we returned the dogs had moved on and we couldn't see where they had gone.

 

PC170416 Impala by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

At this point we headed back to the research base.

[Marks]

Loving these pictures.

The jackals are also quite handsome animals, even if they don't usually get as much fanfare as wild dogs!

[Big_Dog]

Lovely pics, terrible to hear about the lens though!

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks,it's been fixed now, thanks to Luton Cameras. They did a first class job too!

[TonyQ]

@@kittykat23uk

Just catching up as we have been away! What a brilliant idea for a trip - I really admire you for choosing it.

Although you were doing your volunteer work, you still had the opportunity to take many superb photos of the dogs, and an excellent range of birds and other wildlife.

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks @@TonyQ, it was well worth doing, that's for sure!

 

In the afternoon, we'd been invited to go out with Zamma, so all the others took up this option to have abreak from the driving. But I couldn't miss more time with my precious dogs! So I joined Graeme and we headed out.

PC170417 Nyala by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170422 Nyala by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170425 Impala by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170429 Imala by Jo Dale, on Flickr

On our way out we stopped to watch some white backed vultures feeding on a female nyala carcass.

PC170431 White-backed vultures by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170439 Nyala by Jo Dale, on Flickr

We found the dogs easily as they were heading back to feed on the same impala carcass from that morning. The carcass was now humming with flies, their wings glowing like so many fireflies in the light of the afternoon sun.

PC170459 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170461 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170468 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170473 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC170496 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

PC170497 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170499 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170514 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170521 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170524 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170538 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170541 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170545 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170548 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170553 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170568 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170578 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170586 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170589 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170599 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170614 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170616 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

PC170619 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170633 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC170644 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC175209 Views of Somkhanda by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC175210 Views of Somkhanda by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC175211 Views of Somkhanda by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC175212 Views of Somkhanda by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC175213 Views of Somkhanda by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

I didn't note anything on the way back.

[kittykat23uk]

Here's the video from that morning:

 

[kittykat23uk]

Friday December 18^th

We spotted a herd of zebra on the way in. The dogs led us on a merry chase and we only spotted them briefly before they disappeared over the brow of a hill and we didn't see them again. Graeme did find a baby praying mantis which he showed us.

PC180654 Zebra by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC185226 Baby Mantis by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC185228 Views of Somkhanda by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC180656 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC180677 butterfly by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC180681 dark-capped bulbul by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC180709 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

In the afternoon, we fed Battie half a female nyala and didn't have any luck with the dogs, who were hidden in thick cover. On the previous nights we had left via a different gate which had been less productive for spotlighting. This time we came out via the main gate and spotlighting was a lot more productive with maybe half a dozen genet sightings and two white tailed mongoose sightings on our way out.

[kittykat23uk]

Saturday 19^th December

It took us until half six to spot the dogs and five minutes later they ran off down a hill. So we headed down the nearest track to the bottom of the hill.

PC190728 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190734 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190737 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190742 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190750 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190755 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190778 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190788 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

At this point a small herd of kudu galloped past us in a panic. As we continued around the bottom of the hill we found the dogs, on a freshly killed female kudu, already they were into the belly, gorging themselves on the fresh meat.

PC190793 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190801 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190802 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190821 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190833 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190837 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190841 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190846 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190850 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190857 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190871 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190877 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190882 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

PC190885 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC190892 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC190894 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC190904 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC190951 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC190962 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC190964 Views of Somkhanda by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Between sighting them on the top of the hill and seeing them with the kill was only a matter of a few minutes, such is the efficiency of the wild dogs.

By 07.20 the dogs had settled in to rest and we left them to it. Afterwards we drove to a viewpoint for coffee before heading out via the other gate, spotting a pair of mountain reedbuck on the way (sadly Graeme didn't stop in time for us to get pictures).

The bats were hanging around back at the research base.

PC190966 Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190970 Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190992 Vervet monkey by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC190999 Vervet monkeys by Jo Dale, on Flickr

A leaking pipe provide vital fresh water for the birds.

PC191025 Dark-capped bulbul by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC191026 cape white eye by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC191037 Spectacled weaver by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC191041 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC191051 Spectacled weaver by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC191056 Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[Big_Dog]

Great to see a Kudu kill! Lovely pics.
Find the camp bats and birds very charming also.

[Marks]

Cute mantis amongst all the dogs, which continue to be some of the best I've ever seen on here.

Does the project need volunteers pretty much year-round?

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks @@Big_Dog and @@Marks yes this project is open year round. It's not as popular as the others because of no big five. By the way, Wildlife ACT are now looking for volunteers to join the new caracal project that I mentioned before.

[kittykat23uk]

Here's some video from the morning: