A picture a day.

[Tom Kellie]

@@Tom Kellie - the ostrich family wins this set of your postings for me

 

~ @@Sangeeta

 

Thank you so much!

The unseen reality is that there were other small family members and an adult male which were slightly out of the image frame.

In her recent trip report @@amybatt mentioned seeing what I suspect was the same large family of young ostriches.

Her sighting was also in the same area.

I'm very glad that you liked seeing them.

Tom K.

[Ben mosquito]

@@IamFisheye , another bus (of the KWS ) in Meru NP, july 2015:

 

"come enjoy"

[Tom Kellie]

Resting Leopard in Sabi Sands

Photographed on 5 October, 2015, at 8:56 am in Leopard Hills, Sabi Sands, South Africa with an EOS 1D X camera and an EF 400mm f/5.6L super-telephoto lens

ISO 200, 1/200 sec., f/5.6, handheld Manual mode exposure

******************************************************************************************************************************

~ The safari vehicle was parked to the south of the resting female leopard, with sunlight coming from the east. Her resting place was in a number of stalks and branches, most of which were bare of foliage.

The lens was near the focal limit, as it's designed for distant subjects or birds-in-flight, not for a leopard a few meters away. What impressed was her utter nonchalance at our presence. Something about this portrait angle brought to mind lionesses I've photographed during other safaris.

[PT123]

What a beautiful shot Tom. Someday I'll have to invest in a decent camera (and then learn how to use it)!

[Tom Kellie]

Grazer in Grey

Photographed on 5 October, 2015, at 9:17 am in Leopard Hills, Sabi Sands, South Africa with an EOS 1D X camera and an EF 400mm f/5.6L super-telephoto lens

ISO 200, 1/800 sec., f/5.6, handheld Manual mode exposure

******************************************************************************************************************************

~ My above average interest in African rhinos began in early childhood after seeing rhinos in a zoo. Their massive strength, out-of-the-ordinary form and non-threatening nature all appealed to me.

This white rhinoceros had been grazing in tall grass growing along a seasonal river course. When we repositioned, it hove into view. That such an organism was placidly eating grass near us was delightful!

[Morkel Erasmus]

@@Tom Kellie gotta love them rhinos and leopards!

[Morkel Erasmus]

A gemsbok (oryx) in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park this past January...

[IamFisheye]

A pair of lionesses, Nabiosho Conservancy, masai mara

Olympus EM-1, 50-200mm F2.8-3.5mm @50mm

 

 

There is a story behind this shot that I will detail when I get around to writing up my trip report. In summary we found these two lying on a plain as the sun was coming up. Lots of game around and wandering close towards these ladies. One of the lionesses looked like she was going to spring into action and then a couple of honey badgers came into view and she went for them. The badgers fled and she left in hot pursuit. We followed, the badgers escaped. The other lioness came to meet her friend/sister and they greeted each other in front of our vehicle.

[Tom Kellie]

At Ease

Photographed on 20 August, 2014, at 12:16 pm in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya with an EOS 1D X camera and an EF 400mm f/2.8L 1S II super-telephoto lens

ISO 100, 1/1250 sec., f/2.8, handheld Manual mode exposure

******************************************************************************************************************************

~ As it happens, I'm attracted to lichen growth patterns on tree limbs. This image combines such patterns with another of my favorite patterns — leopard coat rosettes.

This leopard was resting above a small pond, her kill in the tree. Nearby her recently born cubs were in hiding. Even a mother leopard occasionally needs to take a few moments for herself.

[TonyQ]

@@Tom Kellie

A lovely photo of a beautiful animal

[Tom Kellie]

Delichon dasypus Mother's Return

Photographed at 12:40 pm on 28 July, 2016 at the Baohe Dam, Hanzhong, China using an EOS 1D X camera and an EF 135mm f/2L telephoto lens.

ISO 400, 1/320 sec., f/5.6. 135mm focal length, handheld Manual exposure.

******************************************************************************************************

While visiting the Shimen Plank Road, which is cantilevered over the Bao River near Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, in central China, the Baohe Dam was encountered with substantial infrastructure.

A pair of hungry unfledged Delichon dasypus, Asian House Martin, nestlings were fed by their mother who came and went in the blink of an eye. They must be very fast eaters!

[Kitsafari]

@@Tom Kellie great to have you back, and lovely to see those nestlings! Rdid they make a racket that only baby birds can? Is this species common in China?

Edited July 30, 2016 by Kitsafari

[Tom Kellie]

@@Tom Kellie great to have you back, and lovely to see those nestlings! Rdid they make a racket that only baby birds can? Is this species common in China?

 

~ @@Kitsafari

 

Thank you so much for your kind words.

I've never seen the species before, as nearly all of my time in China has been spent in heavily polluted urban settings where the bird species typically consist of magpies, sparrows and a few crows.

Period.

These birds were observed and photographed in a gloriously pollution-free mountain environment in central China. Whether or not they're common is unknown to me.

I didn't hear their cries but their beaks were open. The reason that I noticed them at all was that I noticed adult birds briefly flying up into the shaded concrete ceiling of dam infrastructure.

What most surprised me was their relatively large eyes, as I didn't know that unfledged nestlings had eyes so large.

Tom K.

[Big Andy]

The early morning Brecon Beacons in South Wales UK.

[PHALANX]

A long time ago, camera was a Canon, which?

100-300 lens. Settings? Sorry

Taken near to Keekorok lodge, Masai mara.

I thought they looked so Regal.

[theplainswanderer]

Recently back from Namibia - included a visit into the worlds oldest and dramatically beautiful Namib desert.

 

This Gemsbok (or Oryx) photographed near the Dead Vlei.

 

We saw these wonderful animals across Namibia including Etosha but the magical dune backdrop made this image a favourite of mine.

 

Canon EOS 7D Mark 2

100-400 Mark2

1.4 Converter

 

David Taylor

Brisbane, Australia

 

 

[PHALANX]

BREAKING GNU'S.

Another oldie, sorry no info

 

[Geoff]

Testing their strength. This image was captured at Selinda in Aug, 2005.

[PHALANX]

A SHAGGY BUCK STORY.

F/m Defassa Waterbuck Oserian Conservancy.

 

Olympus C760US

f/4 1/320. App 3.8. ISO 64. 63mm

 

[PHALANX]

This is a memory that will stay with me forever.

06.30hrs. Kilimanjaro, taken from the entrance to Kimana lodge 50km from Amboseli reserve.

It was a beautiful morning, bird song filled the air and as I came out of reception, Wow!

This was 1991, Canon A1: 28-55mm, but I can not remember settings etc, Sorry.

Edited August 3, 2016 by PHALANX

[theplainswanderer]

Aardwolf

Kamanjab, Northern Namibia

Canon EOS 7D Mark 2

Canon 100-400 Mark 2

1.4 Converter

Flash and Better Beamer

 

Another exciting find on our recent Namibia safari. We travelled to Kamanjab to Toko Lodge where Aardwolfs are seen. We did two night drives - we saw Aarwolfs a number of times but getting a photo was a real challenge! In the end this was the only real keeper but was so happy to see and photograph a species that is notoriously elusive.

 

Regards

 

David Taylor

Brisbane

 

 

Edited August 3, 2016 by theplainswanderer

[PHALANX]

My neighbours at Mara Serena lodge. Tree Hyrax.

 

Fuji finepix M603. f/3.2, 1/125sec, ISO 200, 17mm

[PHALANX]

The Galana river in Tsavo east.

One of my most favourite places.

 

FinePix S8000fd: f/5, 1/500, ISO 100.

[TonyQ]

@@theplainswanderer

Well done - agreat sighting well photographed!

[PHALANX]

When we drove into Hells gate near Naivasha (Kenya)

I though we had accidentally driven onto a set of Jurassic park.

 

Canon A1. ISO100, 28-55mm, 1/500