A Safari of Returns: Tswalu and Welgevonden, South Africa, September 2015

[Tdgraves]

_{Hurrah! those Aardvark photos made me smile even in the face of another Engalnd batting collapse !!}

@@Towlersonsafari at least bad light stopped play....

[Peter Connan]

And here I was hoping against hope for a win!

[Tdgraves]

And here I was hoping against hope for a win!

@@Peter Connan I hope this will set it up well for Saturday when we are at the Wanderers!

[Marks]

Great stuff...fantastic aardvark pics. Cheetah videos are nice, too.

[SafariChick]

Loving this report! Wonderful photos of the dogs and aardvark - terrific!

[madaboutcheetah]

Wow on the Aardvark ......... basically, winter or not - they produce Aardvarks on demand in Tswalu? Very impressive.........

 

England batting collapse wasn't any worse when compared to letting SA off the hook with 10 dropped catches (their batting confidence took a total beating in India last month)

[Peter Connan]

 

And here I was hoping against hope for a win!

@@Peter Connan I hope this will set it up well for Saturday when we are at the Wanderers!

 

Unfortunately I suspect it's going to rain... At least, I hope it is. We really need it.

[Tdgraves]

 

 

And here I was hoping against hope for a win!

@@Peter Connan I hope this will set it up well for Saturday when we are at the Wanderers!

Unfortunately I suspect it's going to rain... At least, I hope it is. We really need it.

Don't say that @@Peter Connan I have tickets in a box!

[optig]

These photos are simply awesome. I can't wait to visit Tswalu Kalahari.

[xelas]

Regarding the b'day present: Zvezda has one when we will be in Kgalagadi. Should I start whispering "leopard" in her ear after she fall asleep ??

[Tdgraves]

Regarding the b'day present: Zvezda has one when we will be in Kgalagadi. Should I start whispering "leopard" in her ear after she fall asleep ??

@@xelas it's a good idea, but I hope you've got her a gift as well. Do I need to start looking for braai cake recipes?

 

We did a drive looking for leopard from Mata Mata as we reckoned the rocky ledges would be perfect spotty cat territory. Be warned, there is an outcrop that looks exactly like the profile of a leopard.......

[Big_Dog]

Fantastic TR so far. Tswalu delivered, and the photography of all animals, but especially the cheetah, dogs and aardvark, is excellent!

[Tdgraves]

Day 4 Morning Drive 3/9/15

 

Today was the day for meerkats. On our last visit, we ended up going to the meerkats twice, as our initial attempt in the evening failed, as they used an alternative burrow system. The advantage of a morning viewing is that you know where they slept the night before, it is just a question of waiting for them to get up! So although the light may be better in the evening, we opted for a morning trip. When we arrived another vehicle was also there, you guessed it, containing @@Alexander33

 

It was quite cold and windy, so the little guys took their time getting up. We set up a blanket behind some bushes as a wind break and waited. And waited. The other guide was getting impatient and his guests were wandering around looking at birds etc. He asked out guide what was going on and it they would come out. Finally, at 7.30, they came out, very slowly, as the other guide was asking the question!!

 

 

First just a couple of heads appeared........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gradually, more and more appeared (and disappeared)

 

 

 

 

And as they warmed up, they became more active

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once they were warmed up, they were off for a day of hunting!

 

Our guide had heard about another sighting, so we made our way there - a couple of cheetahs sunbathing on a small mound

 

 

 

 

 

And back to camp for breakfast

[Zim Girl]

Great meerkats - like the two group shots

[Tdgraves]

Great meerkats - like the two group shots

 

thanks @@Zim Girl we were 90 degrees to the left and I saw them all line up, so our guide walked us up closer to them and in front, so we could capture it!

[xelas]

Observing and photographing meerkats is always great fun. Getting so close to cheetah, priceless.

[Tdgraves]

Observing and photographing meerkats is always great fun. Getting so close to cheetah, priceless.

But surprising difficult@@xelas especially if they are moving.....

[Tdgraves]

some videos

 

 

 

[Tdgraves]

And the cheetahs

 

 

[Atravelynn]

How ironic, your head is in the bird book when a life comes along. Good thing you pulled it out of the book in time.

 

Per your camera problems. Isn't the 7D more advanced than the 5D? So the newer camera has a little bit of a glitch not present in the previous model? Is that right?

 

Aardvarks and meerkats, both in nice light. Happy Birthday to you!

[Tdgraves]

How ironic, your head is in the bird book when a life comes along. Good thing you pulled it out of the book in time.

 

Per your camera problems. Isn't the 7D more advanced than the 5D? So the newer camera has a little bit of a glitch not present in the previous model? Is that right?

 

Aardvarks and meerkats, both in nice light. Happy Birthday to you!

@@Atravelynn It is a 5d mark iii and a 7d mark i, so no. But in a weeks' time, I will be the proud new owner of a 7d mark ii, so it'll no longer be an issue.......

Edited January 8, 2016 by Tdgraves

[Peter Connan]

@@Tdgraves, stunning photos all round, but that last one of the cheetah "covering it's mouth" while yawning is just stunning!

Who knew they had such good manners at Tswalu!

[Tdgraves]

Who knew they had such good manners at Tswalu!

 

That's why it costs so much @@Peter Connan

[Tom Kellie]

@@Atravelynn It is a 5d mark iii and a 7d mark i, so no. But in a weeks' time, I will be the proud new owner of a 7d mark ii, so it'll no longer be an issue.......

 

~ @@Tdgraves

 

That's one nice step for a British wildlife photographer and one giant leap for us on Safaritalk who'll enjoy seeing here future images!

Very glad to know this.

Use it with joy!

Tom K.

[Tdgraves]

Game around camp

 

Our room was the end of the row and at the convergence of several game trails down to the water hole, which is situated in front of the main lodge. So we thought we'd catch loads on our motion-sensitive camera, but we couldn't really find a good spot to place it, as you need to avoid branches that move in front of the sensor, but it also needs to be near enough to the path that it gets triggered

 

 

 

 

So it wasn't altogether successful, and no nocturnal creatures at all

 

However, overlooking the game path did have its' advantages. These guys gathering to come down....

 

 

And these two sizing each other up...

 

 

 

and three hard to see species, all in the same shot

 

 

as well as generalised commotion, all from the shade of our deck

 

 

The sable seemed to like hanging around the buildings, we literally nearly bumped into one as we walked up to the lodge

 

 

And as with most camps, there were plenty of birds, including some new species for us...

 

Acacia pied barbet

 

 

 

Mountain wheatear

 

 

and the brown-capped tchagra (the one I was looking up in the book)

 

 

grey lourie