My first TR - a return to South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi National Parks

[Soukous]

Maybe a quiet drive, but some special moments none the less. Thanks for sharing

[Tdgraves]

Day 5 Morning drive from Tena Tena

 

A bit more action today. We were focused more on the river – trying to get some quintessential hippo shots, as the groom of the honeymoon couple was also a keen photographer.

 

 

 

We also spent a long time trying to capture the carmines (impossible).

 

 

 

We followed a fish eagle and kept trying to catch it taking off, but inevitably, there would be a branch or a leaf in the way, or it would go in the wrong direction.

 

 

This hippo didn’t look happy to be out in the heat of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we went around a bend, we were very surprised to see a bateleur on the ground, but it took off before we could react.

 

 

We found these guys having a drink and a bath on the way back to camp

 

[TonyQ]

@@Tdgraves

Nice kingfisher

I remember the carmines being impossible!

[Tdgraves]

@@Tdgraves

Nice kingfisher

I remember the carmines being impossible!

yes, i'm not sure the hide would've helped - it was tracking and focussing which was the main issue...

[Soukous]

Carmines always get me excited because there are always so many of them buzzing around feeding. I could sit and watch them for hours trying to get the shot I want, but most people want to move on so I rarely do.

[Tdgraves]

but as you can see, time doesn't always help....

[Soukous]

Maybe with a Nikon.......???

[Tdgraves]

Maybe with a Nikon.......???

 

hahahah

 

this was with the very basic 500D - now that I have my 5D - would clearly be much better

[wilddog]

Lovely report @@Tdgraves and what fantastic sightings!

 

I loved your comment on an uneventful drive when the only thing you saw was the leopard. Just shows how successful your trip was.

 

Strange about the guide and the lion tracks, no doubt a great diasspointment.

 

As for carmines........... such a challenge. We observed a bank from the river and I have a whole series of pictures of a poo stained river bank with holes in it and the occasional blur as a carmine crosses the scene.

 

Loving this.

[Tdgraves]

Day 5 Evening drive from Tena Tena

 

Our last night in camp and still no lions. Some other guests arrived from Nsefu and told us about a kill that they had seen in the morning, so we ventured further out from camp, in order to try an spot them. This meant we had to go quite fast to cover the ground. However, it was nice to see a different area and type of terrain.

 

We found the buffalo carcass, but no predators. So we carried on exploring the area and were tipped off by a vehicle from Nsefu that there was a leopard in a crevice. It was very hard to actually find him, but there was a lot of blood on the level above and this fine example of a hyaena was hanging around. It was difficult to work out who had made the kill, but the leopard definitely had control of it in the gully (we couldn’t see what it was) but the hyaena had clearly eaten lots!

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we went back past the buffalo, the lions had returned, but they were very nervous and we had to high tail it back to camp for dinner!

 

 

Another one for the "not quite what I planned thread".....

 

 

Should have mentioned before, there were a lot of buffalo around camp – the last 2 nights we had to be driven back and forth to our rooms!

[Tdgraves]

Day 6 Game drive transfer to Nsefu

 

A private drive as it was a transfer, but not much to photograph. Some nice bushbuck and impala posing in the light.

 

 

 

We also saw a lot of Eland (for the first time) and plenty of monkey business

 

 

 

 

 

[wilddog]

Some great sightings and lovely shots. Is that an acacia pod in the bushbuck's mouth? For a moment I thought it was a deformed tongue!

[Tdgraves]

Some great sightings and lovely shots. Is that an acacia pod in the bushbuck's mouth? For a moment I thought it was a deformed tongue!

 

yes, I think it is - initially I thought it was a sausage tree flower

[wilddog]

Ah yes it could easily be a sausage tree flower. Thanks

[Tdgraves]

Just looked at the shot before - definitely an acacia pod

[TonyQ]

@@Tdgraves

Great photos - beautiful bushbuck, the elusive lions, and the carmine bee-eaters (which I found impossible to get a decent picture of!)

[Soukous]

More super sightings.

good to see you finally manged t glue a few of those carmine bee eaters to a branch long enough to photograph them.

[Tdgraves]

More super sightings.

good to see you finally manged t glue a few of those carmine bee eaters to a branch long enough to photograph them.

 

@@Soukous it is the flying ones I have a problem with

[Tdgraves]

Day 6 Evening drive from Nsefu

 

Nsefu is my favourite camp in SLNP so far, the position cannot be beaten. This view was taken from the motion sensitive camera.

 

 

As you can see, the heat was really building, 38 was the highest that the camera recorded.

 

We were with a couple on their first safari, so we were stopping for all animals and birds. There were leopard in the area, so we were slowly searching, but to no avail. George, the South African guide was very knowledgeable and it was just nice taking it easy and taking in the new terrain. We saw hyaena at the lion buffalo kill, but they were very nervous and it was impossible to get any photos.

 

 

 

 

[Tdgraves]

Day 7 Morning drive from Nsefu

 

The couple from last night were off on a walking safari, so we had a private vehicle. We decided to venture out to the salt marshes, to see some different scenery and the dogs had been spotted there in the previous week. Firstly though, we stopped in at the buffalo kill – there wasn’t much left!

 

 

 

We found some very fresh lion tracks, but as we were off to the marshes, we couldn’t follow them up.

 

 

Some nice birds at the salt marshes, but not much else.

 

 

It was very strange seeing the locals commuting on their bicycles though! Because we were on our own, it ended up being a longer drive than usual and it was getting very hot.

[Soukous]

Good to see that there are some vultures left. On recent trips in Kenya and Sa I've hardly seen any.

[pault]

Catching up at last.....lions making an appearance in the nick of time.

 

That's a beautiful postiion on the river. No better place to be in 38C heat than those chairs I bet.

[Tdgraves]

Good to see that there are some vultures left. On recent trips in Kenya and Sa I've hardly seen any.

 

will keep my eye out in the Kruger next week then @@Soukous

[Tdgraves]

Catching up at last.....lions making an appearance in the nick of time.

 

That's a beautiful postiion on the river. No better place to be in 38C heat than those chairs I bet.

 

better in the room under the fan @@pault

[Geoff]

 

We found some very fresh lion tracks, but as we were off to the marshes, we couldn’t follow them up.

 

 

Why couldn't you follow them up? It's your safari and flexibility is the name of the game.