Leopard Hills, Sabi Sands, South Africa — October, 2015

[Tom Kellie]

Corvinella melanoleuca's tail,

Is as extravagant as it may be.

Does it function like a flapping sail,

When the dashing shrike flies from tree to tree?

Tree for Two

Magpie Shrikes

[Tom Kellie]

We left the three lions by and by.

Driving near the water on a track,

Observed a bateleur in the sky,

Who was too occupied to look back.

Wind-borne Street Performer

Bateleur Passing Overhead

Large Wings, Short Tail

[Peter Connan]

Such a distinctive and beautiful bird, and so beautifully captured Tom!

 

Thanks for brightening up my day once again,

Edited March 8, 2016 by Peter Connan

[Tom Kellie]

Such a distinctive and beautiful bird, and so beautifully captured Tom!

 

Thanks for brightening up my day once again,

 

~ @@Peter Connan

 

Your country has such beautiful birds!

Observing the circles of a bataleur overhead gilds a game drive with wonder.

I'm so pleased that you liked it.

Thank you for telling me.

Tom K.

[deano]

@@Tom Kellie - glad you are back posting despite the issues peculiar to your place of residence. If there is one thing that says Africa to me other than elephants it is a male lion so a coalition really shouts AFRICA at me. I always like to see images that show the animal in their surroundings and even adding the safari vehicles adds to that so that I can actually show people how close we get if we are really lucky. Which then prompts the inevitable follow up question ...weren't you scared bla bla bla.

 

Good stuff Tom. Keep at it buddy.

 

kind regards

 

deano.

[Tom Kellie]

@@Tom Kellie - glad you are back posting despite the issues peculiar to your place of residence. If there is one thing that says Africa to me other than elephants it is a male lion so a coalition really shouts AFRICA at me. I always like to see images that show the animal in their surroundings and even adding the safari vehicles adds to that so that I can actually show people how close we get if we are really lucky. Which then prompts the inevitable follow up question ...weren't you scared bla bla bla.

 

~ @@deano

 

It's just before 7 am here. I'm on-line as I'd mistakenly supposed that the strict restraints on the Internet here might be relaxed in the early hours.

I've tried to upload a single image for three hours, but it's so slow that it would take half a day more.

This abrupt shift here is a beloved local technique to impress on one and all that Internet access is a privilege which may be taken away, on whim, at a moment's notice.

Those who live here get the message, as it's repeatedly drummed into everyone's consciousness, year after year.

Until it lets up, it will be necessary to wait for further additions to the trip report.

I'll continue trying, but must accept that the mercurial powers-that-be are unpredictable in their malice, thus trip report uploads may be irregular, if at all.

**********************************************************************************

The four brother lion coalition at Leopard Hills is quite a sight to see.

Two months ago I observed them eating a freshly killed buffalo on two separate occasions.

Their power and cooperative spirit deeply impressed me.

I've never worked with conservation in my career, instead being a descriptive ecologist of plants, invertebrates and smaller organisms.

In my field context is all. Tight close-ups of a subject have considerable impact. Broader shots of animals in their habitat also have considerable value.

I'm so pleased that you've been enjoying the images.

As it becomes feasible, I'll continue uploading images and verse.

Thank you so much for your patient support and thoughtful encouragement.

Tom K.

Edited March 8, 2016 by Tom Kellie

[Lala]

@@Tom Kellie

 

WOW - I just dropped in to read this TR and ended up totally engaged with the photos and the verses - and liking just about every single post until I realized how long I had been distracted by ST once again!!!! I'm noting that I had to exit this thread and will pick up on page 7, message 121 -- soon, I hope. Right now, I have to write - stories on deadline - procrastination gives me agita (Italian - probably similar to tizzy with stress) but what fun to read Tom's verses, prose and see his pix and then read everyone's comments...

 

The siren song of SafariTalk -- @@Game Warden - your brain-child is a temptation as good as the best dark chocolate truffles (you bet -- I can't eat just one!), possibly even better, because I get so engrossed in threads that I often forget to eat!

 

Okay, safari enthusiasts, I must go back to work, but I shall return... What a great virtual getaway the TRs can be -

 

Love love love the photos... the pair of hornbills - lovely, would make a great framed print, but not without permission! - and the cheetah pix - such a rare sighting - so glad Tom "owns" it!!!! The wild dogs - I'm a horse and dog person, and I love big ears on dogs. I wonder if anyone has ever domesticated one, possibly an orphan from birth... Oh, the river life - hippos, elephants, the birds the birds - omg, love the birds - and I love everything about this SA safari...

 

Thank you and now, kicking and screaming -- NO NO NO, NOT DEADLINES!!!! -- I must drag myself away and try to get something done or else...

 

it's just too much fun and way too interesting on ST!!!!

 

: )

 

 

PS edited to apologize to @@Tom Kellie for clogging up his notifications with so many likes! Wish there were a "Like ALL" button!!!

Edited March 9, 2016 by Lala

[Terry]

@@Tom Kellie, I am enjoying your trip report very much. I really appreciate that you have had the patience to persist in posting pictures on such a slow internet.

 

I am especially enjoying the pictures of the male lions along the river, magnificent creatures as they are. You even have a picture of one of them drinking!

 

I do hope you can continue sharing your stories of your safari and describing what you saw even if you can't post the pictures now.

 

Hopefully someday soon you can catch up on the pictures.

 

Terry

[Tom Kellie]

WOW - I just dropped in to read this TR and ended up totally engaged with the photos and the verses - and liking just about every single post until I realized how long I had been distracted by ST once again!!!! I'm noting that I had to exit this thread and will pick up on page 7, message 121 -- soon, I hope.

 

Love love love the photos... the pair of hornbills - lovely, would make a great framed print, but not without permission! - and the cheetah pix - such a rare sighting - so glad Tom "owns" it!!!! The wild dogs - I'm a horse and dog person, and I love big ears on dogs. I wonder if anyone has ever domesticated one, possibly an orphan from birth... Oh, the river life - hippos, elephants, the birds the birds - omg, love the birds - and I love everything about this SA safari...

 

PS edited to apologize to @@Tom Kellie for clogging up his notifications with so many likes! Wish there were a "Like ALL" button!!!

 

~ @@Lala

 

You're enthusiastic support is a “picker-upper”! Made my night to read it!

I too have wondered about wild dogs and possible domestication several millennia ago, in the prehistoric past.

Their enormous ears stand up to take in any fragment of sound in their vicinity.

Yes, the cheetah sighting was a highlight. As it happens, what's been posted is neither the best nor the last cheetah photos.

The blunt reality is that very recent severe international Internet interference here has essentially made uploading individual photos impractical, even when the file size has been reduced to a minimum.

I especially appreciate your enthusiasm for birds. While I'm not even remotely a birder, per se, I love the added dimension which birds provide to game drives.

As a die-hard Kenya safari specialist, I'd been reluctant to go to South Africa. Thanks to the steady friendship of @@Peter Connan and the unwavering support for South African safaris from @@Tdgraves, I went.

It turned out to be one of the best decisions I've made. South Africa wildlife sightings in Sabi Sands are varied, fully wild, and unpredictable.

What's not to like?

Your many “likes” are no nuisance, but rather are a highly welcome friendly encouragement.

Thank you so much for taking your limited time to read through this trip report!

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

@@Tom Kellie, I am enjoying your trip report very much. I really appreciate that you have had the patience to persist in posting pictures on such a slow internet.

 

I am especially enjoying the pictures of the male lions along the river, magnificent creatures as they are. You even have a picture of one of them drinking!

 

I do hope you can continue sharing your stories of your safari and describing what you saw even if you can't post the pictures now.

 

Hopefully someday soon you can catch up on the pictures.

 

~ @@Terry

 

It's so nice of you to take time to visit this trip report and give warm encouragement to me.

Thank you very much for your support and kind comments.

Yes, the authorities here have intentionally slowed all international Internet links to slower than a crawl, as a means of emphasizing their control, and to discourage exchange of information overseas.

Those of you living in relatively free countries are truly fortunate. Not all locations around the globe have kindness, consideration for others, and helpfulness in mind, when dealing with local residents.

For the coming two days I'll be away for work. I hope that upon my return this situation might have been ameliorated, although I realize that may be no more than naive wishful thinking.

During the past eight hours I've been attempting to upload another trip report segment, with seven images. What would otherwise have required no more than a few minutes has been an all-night task.

If I'm able to upload it, I'll stop for now, awaiting a thaw in the grimly hostile international Internet restrictions currently in place.

Hoping for better days to come,

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

My heart's refreshed when I return,

To life's basics — plants, water, stone.
From them there is so much to learn,
For they manifest truths unknown.

Idyllic

Plants, Water, Stone

Flowing Past a Hamerkop Nest

Side Branch Through Boulders

Substrate for Animal Life

Frothing Surface

Riverine Trees

[deano]

@@Tom Kellie - looks like you managed to get some good upload time. Very peaceful scenes with the river and the boulders worn smooth by the water that has gently - and in equal measure - not so gently passed over them them for thousands of years. I will gladly wait 3 hours for more pictures of Africa like that (provided that you have the will and the patience which I am sure you have...in equal measure).

 

We saw a coalition of males at Mala Mala a few years ago - four of them; and it is still one of my all time favorite sightings. They are magnificent creatures.

 

kind regards

 

deano.

[TonyQ]

@@Tom Kellie

"Plants, water stone"

What a beautiful scene - I understand why it refreshes your heart - especially when living in a busy city.

(When we were in Kenya, we taked a few times about the details that you show us, and it had an influence at how we look at things and how we photograph them)

Your investment of time (though frustrating for you) is appreciated here.

[Lala]

 

WOW - I just dropped in to read this TR and ended up totally engaged with the photos and the verses - and liking just about every single post until I realized how long I had been distracted by ST once again!!!! I'm noting that I had to exit this thread and will pick up on page 7, message 121 -- soon, I hope.

 

Love love love the photos... the pair of hornbills - lovely, would make a great framed print, but not without permission! - and the cheetah pix - such a rare sighting - so glad Tom "owns" it!!!! The wild dogs - I'm a horse and dog person, and I love big ears on dogs. I wonder if anyone has ever domesticated one, possibly an orphan from birth... Oh, the river life - hippos, elephants, the birds the birds - omg, love the birds - and I love everything about this SA safari...

 

PS edited to apologize to @@Tom Kellie for clogging up his notifications with so many likes! Wish there were a "Like ALL" button!!!

 

~ @@Lala

 

You're enthusiastic support is a “picker-upper”! Made my night to read it!

I too have wondered about wild dogs and possible domestication several millennia ago, in the prehistoric past.

Their enormous ears stand up to take in any fragment of sound in their vicinity.

Yes, the cheetah sighting was a highlight. As it happens, what's been posted is neither the best nor the last cheetah photos.

The blunt reality is that very recent severe international Internet interference here has essentially made uploading individual photos impractical, even when the file size has been reduced to a minimum.

I especially appreciate your enthusiasm for birds. While I'm not even remotely a birder, per se, I love the added dimension which birds provide to game drives.

As a die-hard Kenya safari specialist, I'd been reluctant to go to South Africa. Thanks to the steady friendship of @@Peter Connan and the unwavering support for South African safaris from @@Tdgraves, I went.

It turned out to be one of the best decisions I've made. South Africa wildlife sightings in Sabi Sands are varied, fully wild, and unpredictable.

What's not to like?

Your many “likes” are no nuisance, but rather are a highly welcome friendly encouragement.

Thank you so much for taking your limited time to read through this trip report!

Tom K.

 

Thank you, @@Tom Kellie - you're very very kind - and here I am being bad AGAIN - and dropping in on ST because it's "family" - re birds - I'm terrible at identifying birds, here in Virginia and elsewhere - but I love them, I love the feathers, the prehistoric features, their wings - oh, to fly!!!! - but most of all, I love the birds in Kenya because they are right there with the wildlife. Your photos are beautiful.

must vacate the ST premises in 10 minutes - phone interviews, lots of writing, but I shall return...

 

@@Game Warden - you sneaky rascal you, creating such a hot spot for us to enjoy!!!!!

 

xxxxx : )

[Tom Kellie]

@@Tom Kellie - looks like you managed to get some good upload time. Very peaceful scenes with the river and the boulders worn smooth by the water that has gently - and in equal measure - not so gently passed over them them for thousands of years. I will gladly wait 3 hours for more pictures of Africa like that (provided that you have the will and the patience which I am sure you have...in equal measure).

 

We saw a coalition of males at Mala Mala a few years ago - four of them; and it is still one of my all time favorite sightings. They are magnificent creatures.

 

~ @@deano

 

What you saw in the images is what I saw.

The timelessness of the scenes.

We're heirs of what has been shaped by eons of action, bit by bit, day by day.

I'm once again seeking to uplaod, but the bandwidth transmission rate here has been very, very carefully adjusted downward to be a barrier to uploading to “foreign” Web sites.

To the extent that it's feasible, I'll continue attempting to upload.

I'm glad that you, too, saw a lion coalition. They truly are magnificent animals!

Thank you.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

@@Tom Kellie

"Plants, water stone"

What a beautiful scene - I understand why it refreshes your heart - especially when living in a busy city.

(When we were in Kenya, we taked a few times about the details that you show us, and it had an influence at how we look at things and how we photograph them)

Your investment of time (though frustrating for you) is appreciated here.

 

~ @@TonyQ

 

Thank you so much for your very kind encouragement!

The great beauty of Africa results in an emotional lift, even when seem through photographs.

The recent carefully calibrated, intentional hampering of overseas uploading rates continues, stymieing efforts be those of us living here to connect with “foreign” Web sites.

I'll continue to try to upload, but the barriers are steeper than ever.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Thank you, @@Tom Kellie - you're very very kind - and here I am being bad AGAIN - and dropping in on ST because it's "family" - re birds - I'm terrible at identifying birds, here in Virginia and elsewhere - but I love them, I love the feathers, the prehistoric features, their wings - oh, to fly!!!! - but most of all, I love the birds in Kenya because they are right there with the wildlife. Your photos are beautiful.

must vacate the ST premises in 10 minutes - phone interviews, lots of writing, but I shall return...

 

~ @@Lala

 

Thank you so much for breaking away from your editorial responsibilities to canter over to this trip report!

Birds are glinting jewels of motion, sound and color. They supply lively energy and mild grace to otherwise bland scenes.

While I'm no birder by any stretch of the imagination, I do appreciate the presence of birds on safari.

Kenya's birds have been an ongoing revelation to me, never having realized that there was such a rich variety in East Africa.

Tom K.

[Game Warden]

@Game Warden - you sneaky rascal you, creating such a hot spot for us to enjoy!!!!!

 

@@Lala I'm just the bloke who runs the website, it's you the members who make ST what it is.

 

Matt

[Tom Kellie]

The lambent river surface seems,

To scatter light in all hues,

Such are Africa's placid streams,

Whose beauty is never news.

Unsullied

Water Surface

Wildflowers on the Verge

Egyptian Geese and Palm

Thick-knee Watching Egyptian Geese

[Tom Kellie]

Peerless predator, aviator and seer,

Natural selection's brightest jewel,

Four flexible wings taking you far and near,

Your dazzling eyes so much more than a tool.

Dragonfly and Web Strand

Fiat Lux

Form and Function

[Tom Kellie]

Break out the best bubbly, clink the flutes,

A Giant Kingfisher has been sighted at last!

Sometimes on branches, also on roots,

Have your camera ready for it dives so fast.

Perched Near the Sand River

Reddish-Brown Breast Band

Giant Kingfisher

[Tom Kellie]

Where land and water meet is both beginning and end,

The event horizon is where reflection comes to pass.
Atmosphere, water surface, plant-bearing soil all blend,
The interplay goes on, the Sand River flows, smooth as glass.

Event Horizon

[Terry]

Hi Tom Kellie, So glad to see you can post again. That photo titled "Fiat Lux" is very striking. I really like it!

 

Terry.

[Tom Kellie]

As an opportunist and gifted mimic,

The fork-tailed drongo's life is high art.

Its whistling call often causes herd panic,

Flushing insects as grazers depart.

Lichen and Drongo in a Tree

Reliable Sentinel

Drongo's Departure

[Tom Kellie]

Hi Tom Kellie, So glad to see you can post again. That photo titled "Fiat Lux" is very striking. I really like it!

 

~ @@Terry

 

It's very nice of you to mention that particular image.

When it was being composed, I fiddled with the camera settings in hopes of bringing out the distinctive luminosity of both the grass and the dragonfly.

That the dragonfly remained motionless provided adequate time to find a combination of settings to yield a dark background with light passing through the subjects.

Knowing that that you noticed and liked it means a lot to me.

Candidly speaking, uploading images is and remains an arduous task, due to the continuing intentional malicious interference here with links to the “foreign” Web.

The trio of drongo images which were just uploaded required a far, far longer upload time than ever before.

Sadly, student friends elsewhere have relayed stories of their comparable frustration in working with an abruptly super-slowed down Internet.

Connections wholly within this country are as rapid and efficient as ever, underscoring the carefully planned and implemented strategy of hobbling access to the outside world.

One adapts to such realities, but feels dismay as it will necessarily slow completion of this trip report by a large time factor.

Nonetheless as much as possible, in the spirit of an aged tortoise crawling across a dry pan, I'll continue slowly uploading trip report segments, one at a time.

Tom K.