Kgalagadi 2016: A Lion A Day Keeps A Doctor Awake

[Peter Connan]

Oh my goodness the bee-eater shots with the dust from the moth flying is fantastic!

 

Wish i have a few like that.

[dlo]

Thanks for this report @@xelas you continue to deliver more amzing shots in every post. The bee eater shots are quite fantastic.

[Marks]

The bee-eater sequence is indeed stupendous!

[TonyQ]

Another vote for the bee-eaer sequence - and the light in the giraffe's eye - very beautiful

[deano]

@@xelas - fantastic bee eater sequence and I really like the springbok procession. Fantastic colors in everything in the scene.

 

And If I do both (KTP and Kenya) in the same year how am I supposed to afford a 600mm Nikon lens as well?

 

kind regards,

 

deano.

[Towlersonsafari]

@@deano do both holidays (not jealous at all) don't buy the lens a fill your trip reports descriptions of prize winning photo's you would have taken if you only had that lens!

Edited April 2, 2016 by Towlersonsafari

[xelas]

@@deano

Tough question. Myself I am buying lotto tickets. Yourself you might go 300 + TC20 way !

[lmSA84]

@@xelas - you and your wife just keep setting new bars for all to aspire to with your photography. Just fantastic.

 

We thought about KTP at Xmas 2015 but we were put off by the prospective heat but having seen these results I think that we would re-consider.

[xelas]

@ImSA84

Zvezda was also very nervous about the prospective heat, and only two weeks ago it was 50+ degrees. Yet once at the park, as reported, we have slept well (apart of Nossob camp) and there was no shortage of excellent sightings.

IMO Kgalagadi is almost a perfect place to go for a D-I-Y enthusiasts.

[xelas]

@@Jaycees2012

I can see you are doing some heavy overtime reading ! I hope you are enjoying all the chapters ... it is kind of a sequel, and in 2017 there will be also part 4 .

[Atravelynn]

I love the waterbucks in the flowers.

Me too. Something different.

 

The bush pig family is really different. Bush pig coup! What great variety in the first couple of posts!

[Atravelynn]

Thank you for the brai education. Stone chat = excellent quality. Stone chat and bee = elevated to new level. Then I come to the outstanding BB Jackal series and see the fluttering butterfly. Do I detect a theme?

 

News of the Day is the perfect caption for the Lappet faced vultures, along with Landing Gear of the juvenile Bateleur and Bad Boys Bad Boys.

 

Brown hyena at the waterhole. Way to go!

 

Excellent cheetah hunt series. I too was left in the dust wondering what happened, probably along with the empty "handed" cheetah.

 

Golden light, just in time for the nicely posing lions.

 

I'm up to page 8 and want to book Kgalagadi!

Edited April 3, 2016 by Atravelynn

[xelas]

@@Atravelynn

Thanks for joining the group and for liking the photos. Page 8 and not yet on the phone with Sanparks ?!

Well, plenty or photos waiting for you further down the report to increase your "Need for KTP" !

Edited April 3, 2016 by xelas

[cheetah80]

@@xelas Outstanding sequence with the bee-eater and the moth, the other photos are fantastic too.

[Morkel Erasmus]

@@xelas just caught up again - great sightings and boy did the Kgalagadi treat you well!

Well done on the cheetah chase sequence too.

 

Eager to see what the last day had in store...

[xelas]

12 February – The Walking Safari

 

 

Our last day (of this trip) in Kgalagadi. Of course we have woke up early, and while I have loaded what remained from our items into the car, the camp manager (Kenneth) drove by, stopped and asked me: "Have you seen lions?" What a question?! Of course we have seen lions, plenty of them, in last 11 days. On my slightly unanimated "Yes, we have seen them" he looked at me, understanding that I have missed the point of his question, and so he repeated "Do you want to see lions? Here they are, in the camp!" pointing in the general direction of the dune above the camp. Oh my, now I have changed from "slow morning drive to the office" to "where is the bloody camera" mood. The two brothers(?) that we saw them the evening before have obviously overnight near the camp, and have decided to stroll down towards the riverbed. It was just too dark, or my hands were too shaky, so not one of the photos when they have crossed to camp road close to the last cabin is useful.

 

They have disappeared in the thick bushes, and I have finished with loading the car, and we stopped at the reception for our paper. Kenneth was not there. About 30 seconds later another guests came by car asking where Kenneth might be. Suddenly I understood where he might be ... where the lions are! So off we go, to that last cabin, and there he was plus about 6 other guests, all birders (judging by the collection of Leitz and Swarovski binoculars) all looking attentively in the same direction. And yes, there they were, not more than 50 meters from us. More guests arrived, and while cameras were working I have time to look around; there was a tall brick wall of the cabin, but not one person, including myself, would be able to jump it over, adrenaline or no adrenaline, in case the lion(s) decided to go for a change in the daily menu.

 

Kenneth was the most nervous person among us, all others we were mesmerised by the two powerful big cats so close to us, and nothing between them and us (i.e. no car). Now I can understand the thrill of walking safari!

 

 

The grand finale was when the golden sun rays have reached the two males. One decided to gave us a show so he stand up, and looked several times in our direction.

 

That was a fitting end to a fabulous trip! Now we are ready to leave Kgalagadi without ant remorse. Even the fact that we have not seen the leopard could not diminish the overall excellent sightings we have had over last 11 days. We were of course late again for early morning leopard stalking. We did the usual routine, checking each waterhole on our route to Twee Rivieren. On hindsight, it was like the park is saying good-bye to us by showing its most viewed species:

Blue Wildebeest

African Wild Cat

Red Hartebeest

Lanner Falcon

Lions

Spotted Hyenas

Springboks @ Kori Bustard

 

 

To finish the Kgalagadi part, I wanted to post one photo only; but cannot decide so I will post all three

 

When we will come back again??

Just like the two of us

The panoramic view

Edited April 4, 2016 by xelas

[Galana]

Sorry that this is coming to an end. Or is it? More to come outside Kgalagadi perhaps? I hope so. If no leopard then a nice Wild Cat will do for me.

[deano]

@@xelas - nothing like seeing lions on foot is there? That last image with the golden light picking out the one male lion is fantastic (and I like that you can see the other male in the foreground too). More great sightings and photos from you both and I think you will be back there soon.

 

kind regards

 

deano.

[michael-ibk]

Wow, that light on the lion - fantastic!!!! You really are a Wild Cat magnet. Love the Springbok/Wildebeest pic. About the "just like us" photo: Who´s who?

[xelas]

@@Galana

Yes, it is the last post from within Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Outside it was one day of birding in Marienvale with @@Peter Connan . Birds, birds, and more birds. Anyone interested in those??

 

@@deano

It does pump the adrenaline into the blood stream! Specially when knowing how fast a cat can cover 50 meters. "We will be back!" - to paraphrase our neighbour Arnie. Just not so soon as we would like to.

 

@@michael-ibk

Isn't this obvious?! I am on the left side, always looking what is around the next hill, and Zvezda is on the right side, keeping herself out of the "spotlight" .

[Galana]

 

. Birds, birds, and more birds. Anyone interested in those??

 

Well a poor substitute for Leopards but I think we can live with it.

[elefromoz]

@@xelas, have really enjoyed travelling along with you both and sharing all those lovely creatures along the way through the beautiful photography. "We will be back"....so life goes on.

[cheetah80]

What a magical send-off! Absolutely gorgeous lion photos with incredible light! I am sad to see the KTP trip report come to an end, I feel withdrawal symptoms coming on already!! Many thanks for the wonderful stories and photos.

[Tom Kellie]

~ @@xelas

 

Although we were unable to meet, our time in South Africa was in the same month.

We also both enjoyed the witty and gracious hospitality of South African bird photographer par excellence, @@Peter Connan.

Our trip report styles are completely dissimilar, which has been why I've so much enjoyed following your posts.

I learn from your style of preparing your wife's images for inclusion with your down-to-earth commentary.

You're consistently such a good-humored, generous Safaritalk member, which all appreciate.

It's been a real joy to take a break from preparing my own South African trip report to read yours, as it's inevitably fun and well-informed.

I hope that your wife knows how much we've all admired her superb photography. Please do tell her, as she's earned our plaudits.

The one aspect of your trip report which remains unfulfilled is food. You've persuaded me that a meal at your table might be very satisfying.

@@michael-ibk is very fortunate in having dined with you in Europe.

I hope that wherever you and your wife next go on safari, it will be as satisfying as was your recent South Africa safari.

Thank you so much for the labor of love of writing your trip report in lovely English, your wife's photographs as a source of happiness for all who read it.

With Much Appreciation,

Tom K.

[xelas]

@@Tom Kellie

I have told, many times to Zvezda that she is an excellent photographer. Preparing the photos, well, that one was not so easy as our "field of view" on the same shot was very different (too) many times.

However, as she is the author (and the wife), and I am the producenr (and the husband) mine was the last word: "Yes, Darling!"

 

Dining with @micahel-ibk and with @@AndMic and with @@Seniortraveller was indeed a culinary delight ... but no credits goes to our way, as the main dish was prepared by Michael and the desert by Andrew and the table lovely arranged by the lady of the house! Once it will be our turn to host them, we will try our best to come at least close to their tasty food. To add on our "dinning with Safaritalk members" experiences, we have enjoyed very much also eating and sharing stories with @@Sangeeta in Vienna, and with @@Peter Connan in Jo'burg. I am looking forward to "meet and greet" also other ST members, both those living closer as others living far away.