Tales and memories from the Kwando concession Sept 2015

[madaboutcheetah]

Here's two quick BW images of Elephants coming right in front of tent 1 at lagoon camp - My mid-day entertainment ........ In prior years, we have taken the boat out to the corner to wait for and photograph the herds come down for a drink to quench their thirst - not this year! The boat couldn't go round the corner due to the shallow water and not enough depth -

 

 

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks so much @@CDL111

[madaboutcheetah]

As much as I've complained about the fires, the haze, smoke and light - there have been a few special sunsets

 

One evening with the Lagoon pride just waking up at Second Lagoon, we were following them slowly when through the corner of my eye I noticed a quick photo opportunity .........

[Safaridude]

@@madaboutcheetah

 

Great cheetah kill sequence.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks a lot @@Safaridude - Btw, I shared that cheetah sighting with mutual friends of ours from NYC

 

I do realise that sable are shy/woodland antelope ..... but, I'm starting to think they hardly relax enough to take even a few sips of water ......... Reason i say this, they keep moving close to the water and then they run away; follow this up by coming upto the water again and this goes on and on ........

[madaboutcheetah]

Let's go birding ........ This series is from the Lebala end of the concession in the South.

 

 

[Atravelynn]

Great slice of life in the lion pride, including the flies in flight!

 

The atmosphere in #70 is very unusual for cheetah subjects. Nice addition to you many other cheetahs over the years.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks, Lynn ........ Indeed - something new of the boys walking through the burnt grounds with the sunset/haze BG. New composition was a challenge for me, since anything they did I already had identical images from before -so, this was indeed unique!

[elefromoz]

@@madaboutcheetah, goodness me, but that Sable is a beautiful creature. The second and third Fish Eagle photos, wow, you can almost hear the power in those big strong wings as it lifts off, lovely.

[madaboutcheetah]

@@elefromoz - Thanks so much for your kind comments. Will have photos of a larger Sable herd later on when I get a chance to edit the photos.

 

Today's segment is, a Southern Ground Hornbill around the corner from Lebala that just stayed up a high branch in stunning evening light and just sat there to say, "Watch me if you want- I'm a poser" ......... During this time period, we got a radio call from Jacob (one of the Lebala guides) to say, that he had located a Leopard, but, unfortunately she looked extremely ill; on further inquiry he said it looked very bad so we didn't want to respond. We went onwards to Twin Pools to see how the area is fast drying out - and of course, to take a traditional sundowner stop at the famous Strangler fig tree.......

[madaboutcheetah]

Next segment is also from Lebala Way; early in the morning we came upon the most bizarre scene of a Hyena clan (at Kubu Pan) with a Serval carcass. The behaviour of the young Hyena rolling all over it was pretty extraordinary. At first, from a distance we just saw a spotted cat (I was hesitant at first screaming "Cheetah Cub") ........ Until, Spencer validated the find via his binoculars.

 

The clan paraded off into the Kalahari apple leaf with the carcass and we just let them be .......

[madaboutcheetah]

Sunsets are a quintessential element of an African safari - Here's a few photos from lagoon ........ The famous Lebala "Baobab" maybe down and out; forever knocked out ...... Here's one from Lagoon though! Not sure if the Elephants will take this one down too?

[Big_Dog]

Top Sable photos...oddly paranoid behaviour too!

Fantastic hyaena photos, what interesting behaviour! Interesting from a study in Savuti, hyaenas will kill other carnivores but often not eat them, nor carrion (but will steal other predator kills to consume). I remember reading the reports when I was at kwando and found a found hyaena doing the same to a young adult leopard it likely killed in the night. Delicacy of a sighting!

[madaboutcheetah]

@@Big_Dog - Thank You!!!

 

Now to the Lagoon pack of dog ........ Large pack at the moment - 17 adults and 7 puppies (was 8 apparently early in September - but, when they returned from lebala we only counted 7 puppies) ....... In the past, with other packs; when the puppies are mobile I've always seen a baby sitter with the puppies. Not the couple of times I observed the puppies on the move here - they were left to their own devices. Quite strange?

 

During my early visits to the Linyanti area, the packs were really large - I wonder if this pack will too given the upcoming dry cycle? Who knows ..... To be seen! Anyways, it was nice to see some yearlings in this pack (They survived that infamous triple den situation from the winter of 2014).

 

In this series, the pack does a mini-greeting then sets out on the move - and just lay down!!! Mentioned the full moon cycle earlier - think they hunt later on with the moon ........

[Atravelynn]

You are perfecting your cheetah at sunrise or set photos. The boys making the kill series is phenomenal. I'm glad to learn there is a female and cubs on the scene in Kwando.

[Zim Girl]

Wow, really love the hyena with the dead serval pictures.

 

Great dog shots, lots of puppy/adult interation, lovely to see.

[Marks]

Wow - the hyena/serval carcass series is just splendid! Fascinating to see them rolling and rubbing on it. If your goal were to accumulate unusual sightings, this would surely rank amongst them.

Really nice fish eagle and baobab, too.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks a lot Lynn, @@Zim Girl and @@Marks

 

@@egilio - sorry it took so long - my files are all over the place and it was hard for me to sort out a picture of that Collared (supposedly Namibian) male Lion....... Found one for now - will look later to see if I can find a better one. This guy was totally comfortable with vehicles - his brother (the one in the picture in one of the first posts) liked his comfort zone away from the Landcruisers. As mentioned, this guy seemed to attract a helicopter from time to time to check his location.

[jeremie]

I just discovered this report I have to admit I have been fascinated by your pictures and unique scenes you have been the whiteness!

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks so much @@jeremie

 

Next instalment is our welcoming party at Lebala ........ About an hour after a car swap at (Half Way Pan) - Kelebang, the mechanic; who brought us the Lebala vehicle screamed, "Lion" - It was the duo Black Sabbath and old Gun with a whole dazzle of entourage. They were the atypical fat/flat cats - instead, spent a few minutes with the Zebra.

[madaboutcheetah]

We came across a very photogenic and co-operative Kudu at Lebala; munching on the flowers that had dropped off a sausage tree -

 

However, this segment (although heavily Kudu biased) features other general game too ........ Pity we couldn't cross the marsh to get to those Wattled cranes - it does make for a landscape sort of image, though.

[madaboutcheetah]

Lebala' s Home Boys ....... "Sebastian" and "Drop the Pilot" - They look well fed because I think they had gotten buffalo calves the previous night.

 

These images were from the evening drive; I really wanted to find them for golden light the next morning, but, alas .... no such luck! They disappeared into the Selinda overnight.

[Safaridude]

@@madaboutcheetah

 

Are these guys fairly new to the area?

[madaboutcheetah]

@@Safaridude - Yes, I think perhaps in the last 6 months? They have several skirmishes with Lion coalitions from both Lagoon and Selinda.

 

The odd ball Roan - who just kept running round and round second Lagoon - Yet, I never managed a picture straight on ..... Very odd behaviour - maybe separated from the herd? We were stopped for morning coffee

[Safaridude]

@@madaboutcheetah

 

That roan has a smiley face on his bum. He is taunting you.