Selous : Siwandu 2010 & 2014

[Atravelynn]

@@Atravelynn

 

Part of the tail is indeed gone, but not during this confrontation, probably during a previous battle for life?

That tale injury might have emboldened the Martial Eagle, thinking it was easier prey. A tough life for the monitor. Who knows what else? How long did that whole encounter last?

[Atravelynn]

Mating hammerkops are interesting. You caught some good action at the fishing party. Did not expect a Colobus. Such nice variety in your typical beautiful form.

Edited January 9, 2015 by Atravelynn

[Bush dog]

@@Soukous

 

 

Thanks a lot for those kind words that, honestly and without false modesty, surprise me, but I must also admit that I am delighted to read them!

 

@@Marks

 

Tank you for your comments

[Bush dog]

@@Atravelynn

 

Thanks a lot for your comments, Lynn.

 

 

 

@@Atravelynn

 

Part of the tail is indeed gone, but not during this confrontation, probably during a previous battle for life?

That tale injury might have emboldened the Martial Eagle, thinking it was easier prey. A tough life for the monitor. Who knows what else? How long did that whole encounter last?

 

About 30 minutes, between my arrival and the vanishing of the monitor behind the tree.

[SimplyRed]

Stunning photos all. I am especially jealous of your bird photos. Just amazing! May I ask what equipment you carry? Thank you for sharing.

 

Cheers,

'Red

[Big_Dog]

The shrinking pools of fish photos - the fishing party some have called it - are awesome. A lot of cool birds crammed into one frame, good action shots of them catching prey - or both!

[Bush dog]

@@SimplyRed

 

Thanks a lot for your comments.

 

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.

 

@@Big_Dog

 

Thank you for your comments.

[graceland]

Love the bird sequence,

 

and the sudden appearance of the leopard. Nice day in the bush!

[Bush dog]

@@graceland

 

Your comments are always highly appreciated!

 

5th DAY 2014

 

Afternoon boat trip

 

White-crowned plover.

 

 

The only decent sighting, in 2014, of a malachite kingfisher.

 

 

African fish eagle on a palm tree, taking off and in flight.

 

 

Scenes of baboon’s family life.

 

 

To be continued

[Bush dog]

Continued (afternoon boat trip 5th day 2014)

 

There was a lot of wind, thus almost no clouds and clear sky. I really love to photograph the local crocodiles because of their skin’s colouration. They were not as golden as I would have liked, but anyway.

 

 

Water thick-knee

 

 

Black heron

 

 

African fish eagle ready to fly, taking off and in flight

 

 

To be continued

[Bush dog]

Continued (afternoon boat trip 5th day 2014)

 

Some more skimmer’s flights

 

 

Crocodile with a skimmers’ flight behind

 

 

Crocodile swallowing a fish in the middle of the lake

 

 

African fish eagle subadult

 

[madaboutcheetah]

The skimmers are brilliant again, Mike.....

[Bush dog]

@@madaboutcheetah

 

Thanks, Hari, you like skimmers, don't you!

[madaboutcheetah]

Mike, I've only seen them twice .......... First time at Skimmer pan (I'm told they don't come there anymore) ; subsequently at the lagoon in front of Kwara........ I haven't seen a skimmer since maybe 2008?

[Bush dog]

@@madaboutcheetah

 

Oh, I did not know that! But, it's true that to find them in great number, you need water, river or lake, with flat islets or sandbanks, so that they can lay their eggs on the ground, in almost full security. In 2010, I only saw a few of them because the water level was still too high for the sandbanks to emerge. The only serious threat are heavy rains during a few days, that may occur in the course of a dry season, after they have layed their eggs, with as a consequence the submersion of the sandbanks and their destruction. This is what happened, last year, at Barranco Alto, on the Rio Negro. All the black skimmers' eggs were swept away by the water. Then, they had to lay new eggs, hoping that the rainy season would not be too early and too violent in its beginning.

 

Personally, I have great pleasure to observe them.

[Bush dog]

6th DAY 2010

 

Morning game drive

 

It was better than the day before, but it would have been difficult not to be.

 

Elephants on the lake’s shores

 

 

African fish eagle and the remains of its catch

 

 

Baboon’s head

 

 

White-browed sparrow-weaver’s nest

 

 

Solitary lion

 

[Bush dog]

6th DAY 2010

 

Afternoon boat trip

 

A couple of african fish eagles

 

.

 

Goliath heron

 

 

Pied Kingfisher

 

 

Girafe washing the lower part of its legs and its hooves ?

 

 

Malachite kingfisher

 

 

To be continued

[Game Warden]

Fantastic colours and detail in those last two images. They definitely need to be added to this topic...

[Bush dog]

@@Game Warden

 

Thanks, will do.

[Bush dog]

Continued (afternoon boat trip 6th day 2010)

 

Spur-winged plover

 

 

It was sometimes possible to see a crocodile floating with open mouth or not in the dark shade under the lower branches of the bushes in the middle of the lake.

 

 

On those bushes, the black-headed herons

 

 

Egyptian goose

 

[graceland]

I fell in love with Kingfishers while at Rhino Camp in Zimbabwe. They were on the lake and I could only gasp at the colors. Your snaps are spectacular...

 

Funny, I feel I could go on a birding safari. Who knew; I certainly did not on my very first safari ever; and our second camp, the guide was a bird enthusiast. I wanted cats; he wanted birds. He won.

 

Now I really look for them. Thanks for sharing yours @@Bush dog!

[Marks]

Awesome detail once again. I really like the vivid red color that comes through on the legs of the kingfisher and goose.

[Bush dog]

@@graceland

 

Thank you for your very kind comments!

 

I was myself, on my first ever safari and some following ones, only focused on big animals. By constantly going, I began to take progressively an interest in smaller creatures, landscapes and plant life. Now, when I'm going in the bush, it's without any list of what I want to see. It will be useless, in any case, an always different. For me the best way to approach the bush is to expect nothing and all the sightings, whatever or whoever they involve, will be a bonus.

[Bush dog]

@@Marks

 

Thanks a lot for your always apposite comments!

[Bush dog]

6th DAY 2014

 

Last morning game drive

 

This guy was close to the road, in the underwood. Its head bending down, it looked very unhappy. So we did not insist and continued our way.

 

 

Juvenile bateleur eagle with its father.

 

 

Then we found a group of four dagga boys.

 

 

This buffalo obviously came up against something unpleasant, probably lion(s) in the circumstances. Its muzzle and ears are partly teared out and one can see many scars on its face and neck.

 

 

Further, Allen spotted, at 150 meters in front of the car, a leopard, a young male, that was on patrol.

 

Find the leopard

 

 

As usual, we, progressively and slowly, got closer to it, when it decided to go in thick bushes. We moved where we thought that it could come out. And there it was, after a few minutes. It walked at a short distance from the car and had a look at us.

 

 

It was time to go back to the camp and prepare ourselves to our trip back home. To close the chapter, a girafe, on the way back.