Kgalagadi 2016: A Lion A Day Keeps A Doctor Awake

[xelas]

@@Galana

 

Based on the photo of the construction site, also "Workers sleep during the midday heat!

[Galana]

@@Galana

 

Based on the photo of the construction site, also "Workers sleep during the midday heat!

With some workers it is hard to tell sleepers from idlers without a 2nd opinion. At least if they are still vertical you can be reasonably sure they are not dead!

[Terry]

Great trip report with wonderful photographs. How exciting to see the cheetah hunt! You captured it all spectacularly. Love the pictures of the starling and the crow. Those birds, which we would never think photograph here in the USA, are so beautiful in South Africa with the blue iridescent feathers and all that gloss. I am also marveling over the beauty captured in the jackal photographs.

[JohnR]

@@xelas The drongo is one of my favourite birds. Quite mischievous and a good mimic.

[cheetah80]

That Nossob construction is proceeding really slowly. Were you disturbed at all by construction noise? Pity the walking trail is closed due to it ... I am pretty sure there must be a way around though.

 

Love the Drongo photo! Ever since I saw the documentary where they are tricking the meerkats (I believe it was BBC's Africa) I have a new found respect for them - though I have always liked how they look.

[xelas]

@@cheetah80

 

When in camp there was no noise from the construction site ... but also no activity ! That was at midday. As you will be out from dawn till dusk I am sure you will not be bothered at all.

Edited March 3, 2016 by xelas

[xelas]

(continued)

 

Around 2 pm we have been rested enough and after another refreshing shower, we started our afternoon game drive. Maybe worth mentioning is that I have followed very closely the instructions given by Mario & Jennifer Fazes in their "Photographers Guide To Kgalagadi". I highly recommend this book, as the Kgalagadi waterholes and game drives are perfectly covered for any wildlife photographer! I have seen mr.Fazekas has recently become also a member of this excellent forum, so I forward my thanks to @Kruger2Kalahari !

 

The better waterholes for afternoon photography are positioned south of Nossob, and that was the direction we took. It was still early in the day. The sky was cloudy and it was still hot and only birds of prey were on display.

 

Steppe Buzzard

Then nothing all the way to Cheleka waterhole. Just before it Zvezda spotted something lying in the shade under the tree in the middle of the riverbed. It was a cheetah!

 

We stayed with it for a while but as no grazers were visible we decided to move on, or better, to move back. Looks like Kaspersdraai waterhole is particularly loved by Bateleurs. Last year we have had an adult one flying in, and this year it was a juvenile that offered us a nice show.

 

Landing gear extended

Looking seriously

One very different pose

The light changed every few minutes due to passing clouds. One good light window gave us this photo

 

Kori Bustard

But when we saw these little gems it was a challenging light again

 

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater couple

And at Marie se draai (or Marie se Gat, depending on which map one is using) waterhole, great light.

 

Gemsbok at the waterhole

Close-up portrait

There was some storm clouds building to the east, and rain was surely appreciated for whoever receives it. I am sure this herd of springboks surely did.

 

For the two of us, there was a short but sweet rainbow display.

 

 

 

Perfect end to a fantastic day?? Not by far, as Kgalagadi gave us one more spectacle !

 

(too be continued)

 

[xelas]

And, as today is March 3rd and thus it is World Wildlife Day, I wish you all to enjoy in your past, present and future wildlife sightings! And I wish the creatures of all shapes, sizes, colours, etc to find a way to survive for also our kids and their kids and many generations after us will be able to enjoy them as much as we are.

[bettel]

I just LOVE the photo of landing bateleur! Such a great catch!

[Galana]

As you say a good day all round. I love that Buzzard photo and the trousers but the rest are well up to the standards Zvezdana has led us to expect. It raises the bar for the rest of us.

Keep it coming please.

[PCNW]

Oh wow, what fund. And so many great images. It's unanimous it seems about the waterbucks, a personal favorite antelope. And the brown hyenas, I agree they're on my list too. But the jackal drinking is special.

[xelas]

@@PCNW

 

Coming from You it means a lot to me! And if only I would have your PP skills ...

[Alexander33]

I really like that shot of the swallow-tailed bee eaters. You get the bird from both angles with an almost minimalist composition.

 

For owls, look up in the trees? Wow, that was valuable advice. Now I know what to do next time.

 

I'm enjoying your report so much that I think I'll just sit back and wait until your finished before starting mine. Yea, another excuse to procrastinate!

[xelas]

@@Alexander33

 

I fully support your decision to wait with your TR ... as otherwise all my followers would flock to your side !

 

However, you have time to prepare it so once it will be started, it has to "flow" daily !!

[bettel]

I'm enjoying your report so much that I think I'll just sit back and wait until your finished before starting mine. Yea, another excuse to procrastinate!

No, no, no! We want more reports please!!! Please start yours

[xelas]

(continued)

 

So we are returning back to the Nossob camp, earlier than the day before hoping that the pride we have seen will return to have their "sundowners". And indeed, we have seen them slowly walking towards the waterhole.

 

From the roadside, subadults first.

 

A young male with its toy

Yawning in the sun

Two brothers

Three brothers

Afternoon yoga class

All five of them

Brotherhood at the waterhole

(to be continued)

[Hads]

@@xelas great TR - Looking forward to the rest.

[Terry]

Great lion shots. It's supposed to be very rare to capture photos of lions drinking so you did well. Enjoying all your trip report. Green season is beautiful.

 

Terry

[xelas]

Zvezda complained that I have become lazy, posting only her photos and none of mine text . Yet there was not much to write about. As already stated, we have hoped for the pride to return to the waterhole once more, so we have returned back to the Nossob camp earlier that we would do otherwise, skipping on waiting at the waterholes along the way (if not of the immediate photo opportunity). We were lucky as the pride did returned. First was a batch of youngsters. They were quite big so my initial thought was that we are looking at lionesses. In fact, after reviewing all the photos, there were one (maybe two) lionesses but they tend to kept away both from youngsters and from adult males.

The above batch of photos were done from the car and the road. The higher position of the seats in the Toyota Hilux helped a lot because it gives us about 30 cm height advantage, and thus the sand bank and the vegetation on it did not obstruct the views too much.

Weather was still cloudy, and that helped very much as there were no high contrast between bright and dark parts of the photos. And, at the end of the day, we have been blessed with a few minutes of "golden light".

[xelas]

(continued)

 

As there was a break in the activity as young lions have moved away from the waterhole, and adults didn't showed yet, we have quickly entered the camp gates, and parked the car next to the hide. And when I say quickly I really meant quickly as in 2-3 minutes.

 

Luckily for us the word that the lions are at the waterhole didn't get out yet so we have been able to secure our seats in the first row. Well, there is only one row of benches. I would say about 12 persons can sit in front of the window. As for those planning to use support in this hide: the shelf below the window is very narrow. A bean bag or a molar bag would be the most efficient supports for this hide. And monopod.

 

As soon as we have taken our position, and prepared the cameras, the big males decided to walk on the scene!

 

Bad boys, bad boys
What'cha gonna do?
What'cha gonna do when they come for you? (*)

 

(*) Bob Marley - Bad boys

 

The moment I have opened this photo on my computer his song started to fill my ears!! I remember it from the movie but original is even better! Do find it on YouTube it really complements this post nicely.

 

 

The Kalahari lions are renowned for its black mane ... and this two males were perfect representatives.

 

There was an obvious hierarchy between the two; I assume that the dominant one is the one that gets the right to drink first.

 

Passing by the youngsters he received an enthusiast welcome from them; no doubts that they were all his offsprings.

 

I should ask one of my UK friends to help me in describing the raw beauty and elegance of this animal as my vocabulary is just too limited.

 

More of the same lion, this time drinking:

 

I know, too many photos of lion(s) already yet please bear with me as there are more to come. Like this study of a perfect top tier predator!

 

So, no more moaning about other Safaritalker's lion sightings! That was just as good as it gets, in our book!! The playful youngsters, the lions at the waterhole, the perfect black mane adult ... can it get any better??!!

 

Yes, it can! Remember the "golden light"?!

 

(to be continued)

 

 

[michael-ibk]

Good-looking dudes indeed!

[SaminKaz]

@@xelas

 

Fantastic lion photos. They look wonderful with the green background. Well done.

[TonyQ]

A wonderful sequence - I really like the pictures with the youngsters - and the lion drinking is superb!

("Raw beauty and elegance" seems like an excellent choice of words!)

[xyz99]

@@xelas Great lions pics - no complaints here, I'm ready for more

[deano]

@@xelas - - your photographs do the lions justice - no need for words. Really impressive with those black manes. The two pics with the gemsbok are standouts for me especially the portrait image with the detail on the face and horns. I'd have that one on a wall in my house if I'd taken it (or even taken one half as good as yours). I know that 2017 is a long way off and I have two safaris to go before then but KTP is now also on my radar (along with everywhere else I read about on Safaritalk).

 

kind regards

 

deano.