Kgalagadi 2016: A Lion A Day Keeps A Doctor Awake

[xelas]

(continue)

 

Close to the Kij Kij waterhole, in the Nossob camp direction, is a natural(?) pond. Filled with water and with trees with dense foliage, it was a buzzing place for birds ... and for birders. Lanner falcons are the main attractions, and doves its targets. There was already a pro who was after Lanner falcon in hunting mode; Zvezda decided to train her skills on FBIF. Darn those falcons are really fast. We have witnessed a couple of (failed) attempts yet each was just too fast to get any photo at all. Luckily there were other birds also, and at least those were more willing to pose.

 

Lesser Grey Shrike, adult

Namaqua Dove, male

 

A family of eagles has arrived shortly after, so more targets for Zvezda. Not only springboks, also ostriches were out in numbers this day.

 

One very young springbok

A pro running-back move

Cheerful guys

A couple on a corso

What's new, dude?

 

At midday we drove to Twee Rivieren again, for ice cream and fuel, and next to the cabin for the nap. We exited again around 4 pm, heading left to Auob riverbed. It continues to be a slow day, or better to say, a bird's day.

 

Flying high ...

... and flying low ...

... is a Jackal Buzzard

Pale Chanting Goshawk - afternoon edition

Close to the camp road we have encounter this little fellow who I have not seen many (if any) photos in reports from Kgalagadi.

 

​Those huge brown eyes belongs to ...

... a lovely Cape Hare

 

We did return to the camp earlier than usual, and that was not entirely due to the fact that the big cats were on holidays. KK is the #1 camp we have been to in Kgalagadi, and we have had great time sitting on the balcony and doing sweet nothing. As for the waterhole, the second day in a row it was almost empty (yet just the next day, we have been informed later, a group of several lions tried to deal with the annoying spot light ) so you never knows when and where the action will take place.

Edited March 23, 2016 by xelas

[Peter Connan]

Better and better @@xelas!

[bettel]

Lots of nice photos! I need to take a few lessons from Zvezda. Your report just shows that cats are not that important on safari (I can't believe I am saying it )

[kittykat23uk]

Gorgeous bunny!!

[xelas]

@@kittykat23uk , @@jeremie , @@kilopascal , welcome to this trip report!

[Zim Girl]

Great set of Ostrich pictures.

 

and another vote for the Cape Hare

[kittykat23uk]

I am still catching up with this report as I have been busy sorting through images from my last trip. But I am really enjoying it so far. I just had to comment on the latest photos of the hare- such lovely images, but haven't really got that far in reading it yet.

[xelas]

9 February – The Cheetah Hunt Redux

 

 

Time to move to our last camp in this visit of Kgalagadi, to Kalahari Tented Camp. Relatively short distance to cover (90 km), and our wish to enjoy the KK "to the brim" resulted in a very late start. Again we have been out on the balcony before the sunrise, and again the waterhole did not provide for any meaningful wildlife sightings. Yet we have kept our spirits high ... and were rewarded by a fantastic sighting of cheetah hunt!

 

But first a few other photos. For whoever is interested how a gravel road in Kgalagadi looks like, here is a segment of KK private road

 

When the big animals are on holidays, its time for small ones to take the front row

 

Ground Squirrel

And with plenty of rain also botanists gets its share. It is good that there is no livestock in this park as the flower is as beautiful as poisonous to them.

 

Nerine (Nerine laticoma)

Somewhere between Batulama and Montrose waterholes a lonely car was parked on the cliff side of the road, and when asked what and where, the man pointed to the ridge above the road. At the same moment also Zvezda spotted the cat (is there a pun in this sentence ??). A black silhouette of a cheetah head could be seen just on top of the cliff.

Not more than a minute later the cat decided to walk down the cliff to the road, and then, followed by two cars, strolled leisurely along it.

 

At one point it decided to look if there is something of interest on the riverbed.

 

Not seeing anything the cheetah crossed the riverbed and, after finding the proper spot in the shade of a larger tree, decided to wait there. The cat has waited, and we have also waited, as being instructed by experienced safaristas on this forum . It was hot, and to same extent also boring, and not only the cat has yawned frequently .

 

 

 

 

60 minutes later, cheetah became agitated; a lone springbok approached in the direction of the tree. The cheetah tensed the whole body, and it looked like a steel coil spring ready to explode.

 

Then it happened; too fast for my slow reflexes but not for Zvezda's :

 

At the decisive moment the springbok made a sharp right turn and they both disappeared behind a large bushy area. A few minutes later the cheetah emerges from that general direction, limping lightly, and obviously without a springbok.

 

 

 

This could easily be awarded as The Sight of the Trip!

 

As we have later discussed with the photographer in the second car, the cheetah started maybe 5 meters too early, and has had no chances to catch the springbok. The man should know as, according to his words, he visits Kgalagadi frequently with only one mission: to photograph a cheetah hunt. Again, according to his words, Kgalagadi is the best place on the planet to photograph this event, as the area where it happens is flat, confined by two river banks, and devoid of obstacles that would prevent the clear sight of view (well, not completely). And we must agree with him, in only 12 days we have witnessed two cheetah hunts ... and got decent photos in both occasions.

 

 

(to be continued)

Edited March 24, 2016 by xelas

[michael-ibk]

Far more than decent - these are terrific!

[Peter Connan]

Terrific indeed!

[TonyQ]

@@xelas

Decent pictures

Superb - excellent work from Zvezdana and her assistant. Brilliant pictures of the cheetah running (and the springbok)

 

Looking at your cheetah, it looks very slender compared to the ones we saw at Ol Pejeta and OMC (and I don't just mean underfed) -the legs and neck look more slender and the fur looks smoother. It could be my imagination! (Just looking at internet - it seems there are different sub-species. I didn't know that!)

[xelas]

@@TonyQ

Don't praise the assistant ... as i have almost ruined this photo-shooting !! The result taken by a TC-E17II + 70-200f/4 is brilliant, IMO. Now you know why I have bought 200-500f/5.6 the day after returning from Africa . No more lens swapping !

 

The full confession: we started the session with D7100 + TC17II + 300 f/4 and D610 + TC-E14II + 70-200f/4. Although I have had a full 60 minutes to swap the lenses, it dawned on me only just before the hunt has started (or maybe the cheetah has waited for my move?!) that Zvezda will have or too narrow (500 mm) or too wide (100-280 mm) FOV (which, at the end of the action, was a wrong assumption). I have been able to assemble (last second ) only one body for 120-340mm FOV ... and was not quick enough to assemble also D610 for 420mm FOV. Looking at exif data, the sequence was done at 180mm FOV. So, if I would leave the bodies as they were, Zvezda would have used D610 + TC-E14II + 70-200f/4 with 100-280 FOV ... and then she could also use the Ch mode ... oh, well, one learns all the time ... .

 

@@michael-ibk and @@Peter Connan

This time I completely share your opinions; and with the added knowledge that Zvezda was shooting in Single frames ...

Edited March 24, 2016 by xelas

[Galana]

Great capture of the action. Photos to be proud of.

[Pennyanne]

@@xelas This report keeps getting better and better. That Cheetah chase is awesome!

[xelas]

@@Galana

Thanks! Already back?!

 

@@Pennyanne

I am afraid this was the last action sequence . But there are more nice sightings waiting to be posted .

[dlo]

@@xelas

 

Zvezdana has even made that gravel road look fantastic!

[dlo]

Oh yeah that cheetah hunt was pretty spectacular too!

[xelas]

@@dlo

And she can make even me to appear at least half good-lookin' on a photo ! When I follow her instructions .

[xyz99]

The cheetah sequence is amazing!!!!

[dlo]

She is a magician

Edited March 24, 2016 by dlo

[elefromoz]

@@xelas, all the photography has been beautiful, but the Cheetah chase....spectacular, every step,every muscle and every pile of flying dirt. And then the finale of the failure and a residual limp for the effort, almost unbearable.

[pomkiwi]

@@xelas Thank-you again. Exceptional report and photography

[ice]

Again, according to his words, Kgalagadi is the best place on the planet to photograph this event, as the area where it happens is flat, confined by two river banks, and devoid of obstacles that would prevent the clear sight of view (well, not completely).

 

 

 

 

That is one bold statement And I would like to whole heartedly agree: my family and I have been coming to KTP for exactly ten years now, must have spent close to 70-80 days in the park and have yet to see a cheetah hunt. On the other hand, during my two stays in Tanzania's NCA (20 days combined) I witnessed at least 100 stalkings, 50 chases and 19 kills. I love KTP for all its beauty, its super affordable rates, etc etc (otherwise we wouldn't keep coming back) but there are lots of other places where the chances to see cheetah hunt are much better, simply because the density of cheetahs is bigger and because one can go off-road.

[xelas]

@@ice

As I am a total greenhorn regarding Africa, safaris, etc, I have very limited personal experiences to depend on, thus I have added "according to his words".

Anyway, what I have learned is that there are fast days and there are slow days with Mother Nature. This time around we have had many "fast days" .

In respect of Kgalagadi, it is a great place where self-driving and self-guided visitors have good chances to experience the wildlife up-close and personal.

[xelas]

@@BieneMaja , @@mapumbo , @@Ladouce I am happy you have found our trip report. I hope you are enjoying it!