Kgalagadi 2016: A Lion A Day Keeps A Doctor Awake

[elefromoz]

@@xelas, oh what beautiful creatures those Lions are, even captured some flowers and birds in the background. The last photo is stunning, many women would pay a lot of money for such a good hair colour job.

[Terry]

You have captured the beauty and the elegance of the male lions wonderfully! Looking forward to more!

[Galana]

Looking for more. Great capture of the drinking male, reflections and all. Not sure which is best, the one looking at the camera or the one with the pink tongue lapping. When you decide it will make a great print for your lounge wall.

[dlo]

Those manes are fantastic and its amazing what a little green will do on safari.

[xelas]

(continued)

 

We were all ooohing and aaahing and the hide was filled with the cacophony of high speed shutter clicks ... and all of this just increased when the sun has reached the edge of the clouds!

The sun rays have slowly started to colour the cats.

 

 

 

It was like Mother Nature decided to show her beautiful predators in the best light possible ... the golden light!

 

 

 

The second lion woke up and heads towards the waterhole, passing by the youngsters. He was greeted by them also, yet with much less affection as the first one.

 

Approaching the waterhole the lion was like a primadona on the stage, in the middle of the spotlight!

 

The sun rays reached the lion and the waterhole just at the right angle for perfect reflections.

 

The male drinking by himself ...

... and in the company

That was just a perfect end to a perfect day! Brown hyena, the jackal with the carcass, the cheetah hunt, and the lion pride at the waterhole ... if that would be the only day in the park we would return home with so many great memories, and also plenty of good photos. The Kgalagadi Day !! Thank You, members of the Golden Pride!!

 

[Galana]

Lovely photo of the three drinking. Purfect!

[PCNW]

@@xelas oh my gosh there isn't a photo her that could benefit from PP, a testament to true photography skill.

[pault]

Great day to make up for the unshaded cabin next to the garbage! Enjoyed your first few days very much and some very memorable photos. Magical Kalahari.

[xelas]

@@PCNW

 

Thanks ... but yes there must always be post processing when working with RAW. Cropping being the most used, adding some sharpness and contrast ... yet only at basic levels (using ViewNX2 and from today on ViewNX-i).

Without having a great photo to start with, I would be "lost in space" .

[xelas]

@@pault

 

That is how the Nature repay you back if one is not complaining too much!! Many are skipping Nossob camp for its very hot cabins ... which are very hot. OTOH its position is most strategical one in all of Kgalagadi park, and one has to stay here at least once.

[xelas]

I have been so busy last three days with posting that one long day that I have missed to welcome new guests to this thread. So here I go:

 

@@PCNW , @@apfac , @@SafariChick , @@pault , welcome to the show !

 

 

And my sincere apologies to @@Alexander33 and to @@Kavita to miss your presence earlier !

[Peter Connan]

What beautiful shows the Cheetah and Lion have put on for you!

True ambassadors they are!

[Towlersonsafari]

Absolutely gorgeous lion photos!

[Uh_oh busted]

Wow...haven't been to the reports in a while, but caught up with this today. Simply gorgeous.

[Terry]

The "Golden-Light" lion photos are absolutely fabulous! Lions drinking, in golden light, with reflections - no one can ask for more!

[Alexander33]

That dominant male lion is a most impressive creature. Beautiful photos all around!

[pomkiwi]

@@xelas Just catching up - lovely writing style and pictures. Could certainly encourage me to look at self-driving. Thank-you

[xelas]

@@Uh_oh busted , @@pomkiwi

 

Welcomed to my humble trip report! Be aware, it will be a rather long show.

[xelas]

3 February - The Love Is In The Air

 

 

Time to move on. We skipped the morning drive, and instead packed our stuff in the car and drove towards Grootkolk. It has rained again during the night. It was hot and humid and we repeated the "shower walk" several times. The main difference was, instead of thunders, the night air was reverberating with the lion's roaring! I would not be very calm if it would be only a tent canvas between me and that sound!

 

Morning was fresh and rain puddles were everywhere. New and larger pools of water have emerged in the riverbed. Animals have plenty of choices of where to drink. I thought that they will stay away from the riverbed, and the road. At first I was right.

 

 

Cubitje Quap was without any sightings again. At Kwang a lonely jackal quenched his thirst (but you have already seen enough of jackals at the waterhole). At the sight of the kill now were vultures feasting accompanied by a lone jackal. It looked like all lives in a perfect harmony.

 

The sergeant and his "demolition squad"

White-backed vulture

 

Along the road the sharp eye of my main spotter found this lovely lizard

 

Male ground agama (Agama aculeata) in breeding colors

 

We have stopped at Bedinkt, as two other cars were parked there. Not much action, just several gemsboks.

 

 

After a while, first the gemsboks started to become alert,

 

 

and then Zvezda spotted two lions crossing the road to our left.

 

 

 

We quickly moved closer, and had a privilege to enjoy up close and personal time with a couple in love:

 

Handsome partners

Love is in the air

Something is on his mind

What will be her reaction?

Such strong expressions on their faces

Two lions in love

 

I remembered @@Morkel Erasmus comment there were lions everywhere in Nossob riverbed, and indeed they were out in numbers! What did surprised me that neither of the two cars at the waterhole followed us. Maybe they were "fed up" seeing all those lions?! Maybe they have waited for the leopard??

 

 

Further towards Grootkolk we have passed by a dancing group of ostriches.

 

Dancing ostriches

Running at full speed

Primabalerina with entourage

 

 

(to be continued)

Edited March 7, 2016 by xelas

[xyz99]

Wow! Love the landscapes with gembsoks....love the lions in love series....love the ostrich ballerina...you had an amazing trip. Again, self driving is not something that we are contemplating, but your experiences might change that, I don't know...

[anthracosaur]

@@xelas Terrific trip report. Really enjoying the wonderful photography.

[Terry]

Love the "Lions in Love". That male with the black mane is such a handsome dude! The " Dancing ostriches" are special also. All those feathers up in the air and their bare thighs - remind me of the actress Marilyn Monroe in the movie scene where a blast of air comes out of a grate and blows her dress up. So scandalous that was!

[xelas]

@@xyz99

Kgalagadi is perfect place to try self-driving. Only 2 roads, very limited traffic, helpful guests, ... You can fly to and from Upington, and the paved road from Upington to Kgalagadi is straight and with few cars on it.

 

@@anthracosaur

Thanks for joining our trip report. We are glad that you like it.

 

@@Terry

Ahhhh, good old movies ... and that one is even older than me ... "The Seven Year Itch" (1955).

Edited March 8, 2016 by xelas

[Zim Girl]

Great lion sequence and love the dancing ostriches

[TonyQ]

I really like the dancing ostriches.

The lions look lovely against the grren background - but the gemsbok look stunning.