Selous : Siwandu 2010 & 2014

[Soukous]

@@Bush dog I'm enjoying the way you link past & current visits. and I'm especially enjoying your bird photos.

[Bush dog]

@JohnT@Soukous

 

Thanks a lot for your comments!

[TonyQ]

@@Bush dog

Loveley lighting on the spoonbill (and I and enjoying all of your photos)

The buffalo behaviour is very interesting.

[Bush dog]

@@TonyQ

 

Thanks for your comments

 

2nd DAY 2014

 

During the night, we had the visit of several groups of elephants.

 

Morning game drive

 

As soon as we departed from the camp, another car radioed us that a big male leopard had been spotted close to the camp. When we saw it, we tried to follow it, staying a distance to get it use to our presence and not disturb it. As it was hunting, it was mobile in a small trees and bush area. Unfortunately, some cars from other camps arrived and, trying to get close to it, adopted what I consider to be an harassment behavior. Tired of it, the animal decided to disappear in thick bushes and to stay there out of sight of all. Sorry, no pictures.

 

Though other birds’ species, like a nubian woodpecker and aquatic birds, were seen, this morning was mainly a bee-eaters’ morning.

 

First some carmine bee-eaters.

 

 

And then a couple of little bee-eaters, catching insects to feed their chicks. Their nest was in the inner side of a hole of about one meter’s diameter next to the road.

 

 

Crested francolin, close to the bee-eaters.

 

 

On the way back, we followed the lake’s shores.

[Bush dog]

2nd DAY 2014

 

Afternoon game drive

 

Very quiet afternoon game drive . We, first, went in the forest, where we saw a lot of girafes. Then we followed lake Siwandu’s shores, where we observed the usual wildlife that you can find on and around a lake and then went back to camp by the main road.

 

 

This next picture has been scarcely processed (I just slightly increased the contrast). It’s the result of unintentional wrong settings.

 

 

Crested barbet

 

 

Great white egret

 

 

Canopy feeding of the black heron

 

[Marks]

Absolutely stunning crocodiles. The red coloration (especially on the teeth) is so striking.

I like the way you approach your reports, too, as others have mentioned. Your many years of safari experience makes them feel especially well-informed.

[AfricIan]

You are taking me down memory lane again Mike - Is it my imagination or are the "tents" even bigger & more opulent than they were in 2009?

 

Elephants were reasonably common back then but were sometimes very skittish (if an elephant can be skittish!) - at the time I remember being told it was because they were from the hunting areas to the south & like to keep a good distance between themselves and any potential threat, including vehicles.

[twaffle]

Crazy good bee eater photos

[Bush dog]

@@AfricIan

 

I can't tell you how the tents were in 2009. But in 2010, they were the same or similar anyway.

 

Elephants were still skittish, except when in the camp, a

[Bush dog]

@@AfricIan

 

This is the continuation of the previous post, I made a false move!

...... except when in the camp, as if they were frightened by the cars and the boats only? I also heard that poaching is still a threat, so close to the limits of the reserve.

[Bush dog]

@Marks@twaffle

 

Thanks a lot for your comments !

[madaboutcheetah]

@@Bush dog - Lovely images, all of them ........

 

Mike, I met a lovely couple at Lagoon this winter - they are absolutely crazy about Wild dogs and go when ever possible in October to Selous (I think that's what they mentioned) .............. they were very generous with their comments regarding the park.

[Bush dog]

3rd DAY 2010

 

Morning game drive

 

A game drive begins, most of the time, by following the lake’s shores. We saw a palm-nut vulture, african spoonbills, bushbucks and also

 

Great White pelicans

 

 

Malachite kingfisher

 

 

Squacco heron

 

 

Lilac-breasted roller

 

 

Leaving the shores, we saw many giraffes and a giraffes’ kindergarten

 

 

Then we went on the main road and at one of the gullies, we found lionesses and their cubs. The gully was very bushy, in and outside. It was not easy to take good shots.

 

[Bush dog]

3rd DAY 2010

 

Afternoon boat trip

 

The boat trip produces the usual sightings, african fish eagles, goliath herons, yellow-billed storcks, malachite & pied kingfishers, african spoonbills, black-headed herons, hippos & crocs and a lot of giraffes on the shores.

 

 

[Safaridude]

Great stuff @@Bush dog

 

It looks like Selous is a bird photographer's paradise.

 

What lens are you using for bird photography? And are you using a full-frame sensor camera?

[TonyQ]

@@Bush dog

I agree about the quality of your bird pictures - they continue the very high quality shown in your Pantanal report and are a real pleasure to look at.

[Bush dog]

@@TonyQ

 

Thanks a lot for your support.

[Bush dog]

@@Safaridude, Selous is indeed a paradise for birds' photographers, like any place where there is a river or a lake. I noticed that when you're on a boat, it's easier to get closer to birds, and often to less than ten meters. In 2010, I used an Eos 7D with 700 mm and in 2014 an Eos 1D MkIV with 600 mm. I also, sometimes use an Eos 1Ds MkIII with 400 mm.

 

[Bush dog]

Here, I'm back again, after some technical problems.

 

3rd DAY 2014

 

The hippos and hyenas visited the camp during the night and at 5.30, it was full of elephants.

 

Morning game drive

 

As usual, we began the drive by the lake’s shores.

 

 

We found this baboon lying on the sand in a very unusual position.

 

 

Then a couple of lilac-breasted rollers. It seems that the female was not very happy with the offering of the male.

 

 

We, then, decided to go to lake Manze. It was almost completely dried. In the few remaining pools, the concentration of pelicans and marabou storcks was high and they were all arguing about who was to get the remaining fishes.

 

 

We then spotted a juvenile martial eagle on the ground, next to a bush. It’s difficult to see on the picture, but it must have caught a snake or a lizard. Anyway, what ever it is, it had something, otherwise, it would not have remained there with us so close, it would have been long gone.

 

[Bush dog]

3rd DAY 2014

 

Afternoon boat trip

 

This trip was rich in sightings and photographic opportunities, with the usual water birds, crocodiles and hippos, but also with one or two more unusual one.

 

Some pelicans were already at one of their roosting places.

 

 

An african fish eagle on a dead tree.

 

 

Some details and close-ups of the crocodile’s anatomy.

 

 

On one of the islets, a colony of black-headed weavers had built their nests. To try to attract the females, they display, grapple on to the lower part of the nest, flapping their wings while chirping.

 

 

A elephants’ herd moving away as the boat came up.

 

 

To be continued

[Bush dog]

Continued (afternoon boat trip 3rd day 2014)

 

An hadada ibis on a dead tree.

 

 

A lonely lionness and a girafe on the shores.

 

 

Another hadada ibis on a dead tree.

 

 

Another elephants’ herd moving away as the boat came up.

 

 

To be continued

 

 

[Bush dog]

Continued (afternoon boat trip 3rd day 2014)

 

 

On one of the islets, there was a colony of skimmers. As the boat was coming up, they flew off, but stayed around the islet, flying in close formation, spliting in 2 or 3 flocks, with elegance and precision.

 

 

To be continued

[graceland]

Very enjoyable;love, love those skimmers. I've never had the fortune to see so many. Your boat ride produced quite a bit of photo creativity!

 

Nice to come back to trip reports after too much holiday madness

 

Real life.

[Bush dog]

@@graceland

 

Thanks a lot for your comments!

Four years ago, when the water level was higher, I saw only a few individuals. This year, with a lower level, they found bigger islets and sandbanks to welcome them, in great number, and in full security.

[TonyQ]

@@Bush dog

Those are beautiful pictures of the skimmers