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Kwando Lagoon/Lebala June/July 2014

madaboutcheetah

By madaboutcheetah
in Botswana

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Marks

Marks

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I just love the 10th photo in post #299. Soft, warm colors and a sun that looks like liquid seen through a glass.

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madaboutcheetah
madaboutcheetah

Driving through the woodland (wanting to find Roan/Sable/kudu) ...... we stumbled upon this Fab Four ..... they posed for just one second before they went back to their feeding.

madaboutcheetah
madaboutcheetah

Now for pictures of those puppies from the Lebala triple wild dog den ....... Details already mentioned in some of the previous posts. About the location of the den - it's right behind the BDF camp o

madaboutcheetah
madaboutcheetah

Lions sleep or stay idle for too long (for my liking) ......... Yet, this keeps my brain working in terms of possible composition ideas.

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CDL111

CDL111

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It has been so enjoyable to look at your photographs and I am looking forward to "only cheetah and other general game/birds left". I am sure that your photographs will first rate and leave us all wishing that we could be on the next plane out to Botswana. Yes I will do a trip report when I go in November/December, but your report is a hard act to follow.

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madaboutcheetah

madaboutcheetah

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What can I say??? You guys are just too kind and generous with your comments! Thank You!!!!!

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madaboutcheetah

madaboutcheetah

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Thanks @@TonyQ

 

@@michael-ibk and others ...... Apparently the dogs at Lebala have shifted den ...... Not far though - just along Fish Road. Wonder if it had something to do with politics amongst the 3 females?

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madaboutcheetah

madaboutcheetah

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Thanks @@FlyTraveler

 

Time for some birding ..... I admit, I should do more justice to the brilliant Birdlife of Botswana.

 

Also, found a portrait of that Reedbuck that wasn't edited earlier.

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Bush dog

Bush dog

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Hari,

 

Your reedbuck's portrait is also excellent.

 

Mike

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madaboutcheetah

madaboutcheetah

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Thanks, Mike.

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madaboutcheetah

madaboutcheetah

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Crimson Breasted Shrike; YB Stork

 

Back to the cheetah photo editing ;)

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madaboutcheetah

madaboutcheetah

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The two cheetah brothers are brilliant at posing for the camera (I hate to admit this; the 3 Boys of Lagoon aren't consistently this photogenic - I'm guessing because they came into the game drive areas only in their prime (post Blood brothers) )

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michael-ibk

michael-ibk

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A bit like Siamese twins here. :)

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madaboutcheetah

madaboutcheetah

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Thanks Michael and Flytraveler ......

 

Guess what - Phew!!! These two boys have such a huge range that i just think I was super lucky to have had great sightings of them! They were found by Selinda explorer's camp according to the GPC facebook feed.

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Bush dog

Bush dog

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Hari,

 

Great shots of the cheetahs' pair, perfect framing (especially the 2 last one, the heads in the diagonal's axis), perfect light and perfect composition. I do not like this, I love it.

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madaboutcheetah

madaboutcheetah

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Mike.... Thank You!!!

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madaboutcheetah

madaboutcheetah

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One day, while following the boys ..... we found that they encountered some mixed plains game (from memory it was wildebeest; zebra and impala) - it was thick vegetation and we thought we were best served parking in a distance and observing with binocs as we didn't want to disturb either predator or prey and get them off their game plan! Suddenly, we just saw dust (we were quite a distance away, and by the time we raced over ..... realized that the boys got split up in the hunt) .........

 

We stayed put with the one lost boy - here are a couple of images of him calling for his brother (this went on - from that same termite mound for about 20 minutes) ..... NO RESPONSE BACK!!!

 

We then drove round and round in circles and didn't find the other brother ....... We then opted to hang with this one brother so that we didn't have to go tracking again (that would have been brutal!) ....... We found him feasting on a young warthog piglet (Initially, we thought they were lining up for a couple of young wildebeest)...... some blood stained dracula faces too ;)

 

The Cheetah boys/Wildebeest pic is the territorial male Wildebeest at the Lebala airstrip (Interesting how each cheetah coalition loves to hang out for a bit at the airstrip - I have similar images of the boys of Lagoon from a couple years before)

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madaboutcheetah

madaboutcheetah

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Waterbuck in Kwando aren't very photogenic - So, when we came across this small group at Lagoon ...... I was pleasantly surprised (I've seen very relaxed ones in the Mara who'd pose for the camera - I guess even the Eland there can be photogenic).

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madaboutcheetah

madaboutcheetah

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More cheetah marking......

 

The waterhole scene would be the last photo opportunity for me during the safari ..... shortly after the drink, they went to rest by a termite mound and we left them to their own devices. My friends were to transfer onwards to Little Kwara that afternoon - so, we went on with our game drive and onwards to Lebala for brunch etc etc.,

 

The boys were not far from the airstrip - so, after the flight took off ....... Spencer suggested that we go check on them right away - alas, they had already packed up and taken off Selinda Way and the rest of the afternoon was spent tracking; only to find the tracks heading straight into the boundary. Sniff sniff ........ Yet - the Lion pride popped in from the other side and I was kept entertained the rest of the stay at Lebala.

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madaboutcheetah

madaboutcheetah

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That's it then! Kwando safari 2014 in the archives ........ Big Thank You to everybody at Kwando safaris; The staff at Lebala and Lagoon for taking such good care of us and a special Big Thank You to Spencer and Mr.Moe who provided yet another CLASSIC safari.

 

One question to ponder - What about the "boys of Lagoon" cheetah coalition ..... What does the future hold for them given their age; decline in territory; pressure from the new males ........... I most definitely missed them!

 

Thank you all so much for your interest in this report; the encouragement and support that kept me motivated to edit and get done with posting the pictures here on safaritalk!!! Appreciate all your kind words and what can I say? you guys are much too kind .......

 

Regards,

Hari

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Peter Connan

Peter Connan

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Thank you for a mamoth effort with lots of amazing photos!

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TonyQ

TonyQ

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@@madaboutcheetah

Thank you for another wonderful report. Your passion really comes through, both in your writing and in your excellent photos.

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CDL111

CDL111

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Thankyou for your time and effort in producing such an marvellous report. It has been a pleasure in being able to read it. I am sure that I will read it many times again.

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Marks

Marks

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Thank you all so much for your interest in this report; the encouragement and support that kept me motivated to edit and get done with posting the pictures here on safaritalk!!! Appreciate all your kind words and what can I say? you guys are much too kind .......

 

 

You've earned all your praise! Pleased to see this conclude with a sequence of gorgeous cheetahs, as well.

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michael-ibk

michael-ibk

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Thank you so much, Hari, I loved this report - really brought me back. You had terrific sightings, wild dogs (with pups), leopard (with cub), lion prides, and your beloved cheetahs of course. Lots of wonderful pics, so therefore very hard to choose favourites - but somehow "The Kuduettes" made a big impact for me.

 

So, when´s the next Kwando trip? (Needing my regular trip report fix here...)

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