Ruaha and Zanzibar - September / October 2014

[FlyTraveler]

I also like the trees - and all the wider shots (whether they are intentionally wide or just of animals too far away to capture any other way does not matter - I like those wider shots). I was glad to ehar you say you still have some way to go in Ruaha,

 

I also like the wider shots, @@pault, they show a great view of animals plus scenery. Thanks for the attention, I will check to see if you have started the Ruaha part of your last safari yet.

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, morning game drive.

 

 

The elephants kept coming out of the mud pool in the Mwagusi riverbed:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, morning game drive.

 

 

After observing the elephants for a while, we kept driving along the Mwagusi riverbed and soon spotted the big buffalo herd again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Saddle-billed storks among the buffalo:

 

[Kitsafari]

such scenic shots of Kilimatonge Hill and the riverbed. I'm writing this as I'm watching the lions eat a buffalo on the virtual live game drive on wildsafari! so no need for predator shots in your pix. the trees are stunning.

 

You make Ruaha very picturesque and @Zimgirl makes it so appealing. I've got to check out the other Ruaha report now...

[michael-ibk]

Lots of great shots here, but the ones of the young eles practically jumping out of the mudholes, obviously just having fun, are special - they are making me smile!

[FlyTraveler]

Lots of great shots here, but the ones of the young eles practically jumping out of the mudholes, obviously just having fun, are special - they are making me smile!

 

 

It was a fabulous sighting, we arrived just in time when the eles were leaving the mudhole, three minutes later they were all gone...

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, morning game drive.

 

 

Still on the morning game drive on October 01, that was a long one and kind of dedicated to eles and especially buffalo. Here are some more photos from the big herd in the Mwagusi dry riverbed sighting:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The two saddle-billed storks among the buffalo herd:

 

 

 

After about 45 minutes we left the buffalo herd sighting and kept driving along the Mwagusi riverbed. The next sighting was of some Masai giraffes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One-tusked ele:

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, morning game drive.

 

 

Some more giraffes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then we saw another buffalo herd, this time we were able to drive down to the riverbed, right next to them. One of the bulls has just taken a mud bath:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Marks]

I've come to really appreciate the color and brightness in your photos, and this recent batch is no exception.

[FlyTraveler]

I've come to really appreciate the color and brightness in your photos, and this recent batch is no exception.

 

These can be achieved during post processing... sharpness and composition are the real stuff, which I miss in many cases

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, morning game drive.

 

 

Down on the riverbed we met a Ruaha River Lodge vehicle and a little bit further there were several elephants. When the vehicle departed and drove close to them, a young male mock-charged it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loved having buffalo and elephants in the same frame:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Marks]

 

I've come to really appreciate the color and brightness in your photos, and this recent batch is no exception.

 

These can be achieved during post processing... sharpness and composition are the real stuff, which I miss in many cases

 

 

 

Haha, well done in any case!

[Atravelynn]

I cannot get over all those flies on the male lion. No wonder they head up the trees.

 

You have done a wonderful job of photographing the vehicle, along with all the other more interesting subjects. It looks so inviting to just hop in and take off on safari.

 

Baobabs are certainly one of the interesting subjects in this park.

 

The ele mud bath shots are standouts.

 

People always recount ele (mock) charges, but rarely do they get photos of it. That was a close one.

 

Can you tell us about your Oct viewing conditions vs. other years? Had the rainfall been fairly normal, was your experience typical? Seems early Oct is a good time.

Edited November 17, 2014 by Atravelynn

[pault]

Lovely elephant at mudhole and buffalo herd shots on page 8. We saw the latter (exciting) but not the former,- probably because there was still quite a bit of water around in teh Ruaha and of course not even any mud left in the Mwagusi.

[FlyTraveler]

Lovely elephant at mudhole and buffalo herd shots on page 8. We saw the latter (exciting) but not the former,- probably because there was still quite a bit of water around in teh Ruaha and of course not even any mud left in the Mwagusi.

 

The mudhole was actually in the Mwagusi riverbed (kind of difficult to see from the road), not in Ruaha river. The only thing to "complaint" about Ruaha NP would be the road system and the inability to drive off-road, at least for Big 5 sightings, like in Mara), very often we would see lions far away, once a mating couple and not being able to approach is kind of a pain. I understand the point for preserving the park, too.

[FlyTraveler]

I cannot get over all those flies on the male lion. No wonder they head up the trees.

 

You have done a wonderful job of photographing the vehicle, along with all the other more interesting subjects. It looks so inviting to just hop in and take off on safari.

 

Baobabs are certainly one of the interesting subjects in this park.

 

The ele mud bath shots are standouts.

 

People always recount ele (mock) charges, but rarely do they get photos of it. That was a close one.

 

Can you tell us about your Oct viewing conditions vs. other years? Had the rainfall been fairly normal, was your experience typical? Seems early Oct is a good time.

 

Hi Lynn, unfortunately I don't have your extensive safari experience and this was the only time we've been to Ruaha NP, therefore I can not compare with other times of the year. For me the conditions in early October were fine - we got clouds only one afternoon (out of six) which immediately changed the ambiance and made me realize how lucky we've been on the other days. It was hot, but dry, no problem during the game drives at all, kind of a pain between 14:00 and 16:00 h. in the cottage.

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, morning game drive.

 

 

The last sighting on this long game drive was... yet another group of buffalo, just a bit away from Mwagusi river.

 

 

 

These were posing for us:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the cottages after a great game drive with beautiful scenery (Ruaha River, Kilimatonge Hill, Mdonya River, Mwagusi River), lots of buffalo and elephants. During lunch could not resist to take a photo of the view that we were having from the dining place:

 

Edited November 20, 2014 by FlyTraveler

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, afternoon game drive.

 

 

We had about an hour and a half - two hours between the morning and the afternoon game drives, which I spent going through my photos - deleting the non-keepers and backing up the rest twice - once on an external hard drive, and a second time on the HD of the notebook that I always carry with me while traveling. We always started the afternoon drives at 16:00 h.

 

The fist sighting on this drive were three Ground hornbills. Seeing those for a second time, the first one being last year in central Mara:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second sighting was a breeding herd of elephants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A young elephant with candelabra tree in the background:

 

 

 

There was also a baby elephant with the group:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, afternoon game drive.

 

 

I continue with the breeding herd of elephants sighting.

 

 

Who is hiding under mommy?

 

 

 

Excuse me, can I get through?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2014 by FlyTraveler

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, afternoon game drive.

 

 

We crossed the Mwagusi dry riverbed right in front of Mwagusi Safari Camp. The location was perfect and the camp looked really nice:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the other bank of the river we saw a pair of Kirk's dik-diks.


The male:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The female:

 

 

 

 

Both male and female in the same frame:

 

Edited November 21, 2014 by FlyTraveler

[Marks]

That is indeed a great view for a meal. Beautiful blue hills fading into the haze in the background.

[Bush dog]

@@FlyTraveler

 

Concerning Mwagusi Camp, it's indeed a nice camp and like you said, the location is perfect. It was the first camp in the park. It began in 1987 with a fly camp that after a few years became permanent. As the owner, Chris Fox, was the first to be there, he of course, had the first choice.

 

Excellent TR, it looks like you really enjoyed your safari!

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, afternoon game drive.

 

 

I've been quite irresponsible regarding my TR lately, so I felt that I should post an installment, even with baboon photos only. Have not had the time to review and edit any photos from Ruaha from this point on.

 

We stopped at the Mwagusi dry riverbed to watch troop of baboons going after their daily routine.

 

 

Photos are not very sharp and I would assume that apart from the cheap entry-level lens that I am using (Nikon 70-300 VR), the main reason for this must have been myself, overplaying with the lens stabilization system and taking photos with camera on a beanbag with relatively high shutter speed (1/800 sec and up) with VR on. Any comments on that issue (using VR or IS) from experienced photographers would be greatly appreciated. The website of @@Soukous made me think about this, he has posted a link to a great article of Thom Hogan on this issue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FlyTraveler]

Oct. 01, 2014. Ruaha National Park, afternoon game drive.

 

 

Some photos of a baby baboon on the riverbank:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

Looks a bit Gollum-like in the fifth pic. Don´t worry about your "irresponsibility", you have time to finish at least till you go on your next trip, so no rush there.