Duba Plains : the Tsaro pride, elephants and some others

[Bush dog]

@@madaboutcheetah

 

Well, Hari, Dereck Joubert told me that Great Plains has five priorities and guests are their first. I was impressed but not as much as by the atmosphere and staff of Selinda Camp.

[Bush dog]

@@Atravelynn

 

Yes, Lynn, the lions sightings are going "crescendo" until their grand finale during the tenth and last game drive.

 

There is, indeed, a wound on the male face. Everything considered, I think it got it while hunting?

[Atravelynn]

@@Atravelynn

 

Yes, Lynn, the lions sightings are going "crescendo" until their grand finale during the tenth and last game drive.

 

There is, indeed, a wound on the male face. Everything considered, I think it got it while hunting?

Yes, for a lion, that is barely an owie.

 

It is nice when the action builds rather than wanes.

[madaboutcheetah]

@@madaboutcheetah

 

Well, Hari, Dereck Joubert told me that Great Plains has five priorities and guests are their first. I was impressed but not as much as by the atmosphere and staff of Selinda Camp.

 

Oh yes - they were amazing at Selinda too! Noxy and Gobo were the brilliant managers during my stay!

[Kitsafari]

@@Bush dog - awesome pics of your 6th lion sighting. i do love those portraits of the pride male, and that one particular portrait of the wise young cub with such seriousness in its eyes.

 

they appeared to be walking on a raised and man-made path made up of some plastic or metal grids in the post #96? is that a road track?

[Bush dog]

@@Kitsafari

 

Thank you for your comments!

 

Those grids are placed there to prevent vehicles from getting stuck. Others probably will appear in the following months when water will slowly and progressively invade the plains. This phenomenon had already begun during my stay.

[Bush dog]

The Tsaro pride

 

Sixth sighting (eighth game drive end)

 

Now they are in the dense vegetation where I mostly concentrated my shots on the male. It was stalking a warthog and tried to follow it but lost it rather quickly in the tall grass. It decided that it was enough and went in the shade of a bush to spend the day.

[Neeners815]

Every day I come in now to see what new pics you have posted. What a gift!

[SafariChick]

@@Bush dog Love the cub photos in post 93 - fabulous!

 

Edited to add - love the photos in post 96 too!

Edited April 15, 2016 by SafariChick

[Bush dog]

Side-striped Jackals

 

They are the only jackal species to be seen on the plains.

 

 

Those pictures show how green are the plains, dotted with mainly yellow, blue and white spots that are wildflowers and mushrooms.

 

Wildflowers and mushrooms

 

Talking about wildflowers and mushrooms,

 

Tree vernonia

 

 

Hibiscus

 

 

Mushrooms, much appreciated by baboons.

 

 

[Bush dog]

Kudus, Tsessebes and Reedbucks

 

Tsessebes are easily seen on the plains and kudus at the edge of them where there are trees and more bushes. Reedbucks are in the area just after the bridge where reeds are plentiful. Bushbucks are also present but rarer.

 

 

 

Some animals are so relax that a family of kudus was seen every day in the camp. The next picture was taken just a few meters from my tent

 

 

[Atravelynn]

Like the tent visitor. Great lighting and angles, all!

[Bush dog]

Elephants

 

Some more elephants, displaying their trunk.

 

 

Early in the morning, we heard the call of the Verreaux’s eagle-owl and decided to try to find it. We went off road and unfortunately disturbed elephants lying and sleeping on the ground. They of course quickly stood up.

 

 

Yet, we found the calling owl.

 

[michael-ibk]

Beautiful antelope photos, Mike!

[Bush dog]

Leopard

 

This is the only leopard that I saw, at Duba Plains, in the late afternoon, on a sausage tree.

 

 

Giraffe

 

Giraffes were only seen on the island where the camp is, on and close by the airstrip.

 

 

Bat-eared foxes

 

[madaboutcheetah]

"only" Leopard, Mike? ........ Wow - amazing sighting for Duba! I was told they had a Leopard sighting for the two days prior to my visit - so, we did look!

Love the giraffe sunset silhouette!!!

[Bush dog]

@@madaboutcheetah

 

Yes, Hari and they had seen another one the day before I arrived.

[Atravelynn]

Your one leopard posed cooperatively. I was surprised at the # of bat eared foxes at Duba Plains. Your photo places them all together.

[Marks]

Beautiful lechwe on page 4!

The lions messing about in that beautiful light are also something I'm marveling at.

 

Don't know if there's a "Show us your mushrooms" topic, but it would have some top tier selections from your posts above!

[Neeners815]

The leopard looks all coy in the last pic. "Who, me? I wouldn't hurt a fly!"

[Bush dog]

@@Atravelynn

 

I've forgotten to mention that I saw the same group of six foxes two days after.

[Bush dog]

The Tsaro pride

 

Seventh sighting (ninth game drive)

 

A couple of hours before we found them, in the late afternoon, at the place we left them in the morning, we saw the short mane, deeply sleeping under a thick bush, so deeply that it did not hear the car coming and stopping. It woke up with a start when I could not hold a loud sneeze.

We stayed some time with them but as they did not seem to want to move, we came back to the camp.

 

 

 

Baboons

 

The king of the mountain.

 

 

 

The sentinel.

 

 

Honeymooners.

 

[Bush dog]

Warthogs

 

There is a great population of warthogs on the plains.

 

 

Squirrels

 

Playing on the balustrade of the outside shower of my tent.

 

 

Francolins

 

Swainson’s francolin.

 

 

Red-billed francolin.

 

 

 

[Atravelynn]

@@Atravelynn

 

I've forgotten to mention that I saw the same group of six foxes two days after.

They're everywhere ! They're everywhere!

 

Those playing squirrels deserve every bit the accolades of the more prominent Duba Plains creatures, in my opinion.

[Bush dog]

Birds

 

Second and last selection of species present on and above the plains.

African darter, the guardian of the bridge. It was there everyday, morning and afternoon.

 

 

Coppery-tailed coucal.

 

 

Wattled crane.

 

 

African openbill.

 

 

Brown snake-eagle.

 

 

Little egret.

 

 

Lilac-breasted Roller.

 

 

Rosy-throated Longclaw.

 

 

Tawny-flanked prinia.

 

 

Long-toed plover.