Selinda, the return

[madaboutcheetah]

Hi Mike,

I've been away for the last 10 days .... But WOW on the photos so far!!!

 

Chat soon from home and hope to re visit this thread from my monitor.

Cheers

Hari

[Bush dog]

Well, Hari, thank you. I’ve been also away for ten days.

[Bush dog]

Zebras

 

Those eight pictures were taken, in the early morning, in five minutes.

[Peter Connan]

@@Bush dog, I always struggle with Zebra, but you do them so well! Beautiful.

[Bush dog]

@@Peter Connan

 

Thanks a lot. Usually, I also do struggle with zebras. I guess, I was very lucky, in this case, to find them at the right time in the right place.

[Game Warden]

@@Bush dog Mike, it's not only the light but the poses in which you've captured the zebra which brings life to the images. The challenge is, perhaps, how to capture something different when the subject is such a common place sighting on safari. (And there is a potential new topic for the photography forum...)

 

Matt

[Peter Connan]

@@Game Warden, I am not sure what is commonplace anymore.

 

As I have mentioned elsewhere, I recently took a day-trip through the KNP, from Paul Kruger gate to Skukuza area, along the river and then out at Malelane.

I saw the whole big 5, lion twice buffalo and elephant several times.

 

But not one single Zebra or Wildebeest...

[Bush dog]

@@Game Warden

 

First of all, Matt, the appreciation one can have of a photo is absolutely not related to the fact that the sighting is rare or common. This being said, it's rather difficult to give a precise answer to your question. Here in this case, the zebras are not in their usual habitat (plains, open spaces), but in miombo woodland. Then,It's a mixing of different things ; instinct, anticipation, quick reaction times (working hand held helps a lot).

Perhaps, you should ask @@Safaridude the same question because his photography is often the capture of something different.

[Bush dog]

Wild dogs

 

One morning, another guide informed us, by radio, that he had spotted wild dogs. After thirty minutes, we reached the place where they were. It was a pack of four and they were mobile. After a shortwhile, as it was almost noon, they decided to settle in the shade.

 

 

As it was obvious they were going to stay there all afternoon, we moved away, promising ourselves to return later in the day.

[Marks]

Great bee-eater display. From your description, it sounds like their aerial performance would've been a delight to witness.

Fascinating hybrid, too.

[ice]

@@Game Warden, I am not sure what is commonplace anymore.

 

As I have mentioned elsewhere, I recently took a day-trip through the KNP, from Paul Kruger gate to Skukuza area, along the river and then out at Malelane.

I saw the whole big 5, lion twice buffalo and elephant several times.

 

But not one single Zebra or Wildebeest...

 

I am not sure that during my 11 years of travelling to KNP I ever saw zebras or wildebeest that far south; however, I believe this is simply because it's not their preferred habitat; around Satara you'll always see plenty

[Bush dog]

Wild dogs

 

We arrived at about 4p.m. at the place where we had left them in the late morning. They were just about to move as if they had expected our arrival to do so. So, we followed them, on the road, and then in the tall grass and back on the road and so on. They were obviously in search of a prey.

 

 

Eventually, they spotted a warthog that immediately found shelter in its burrow (no photos because of the tall grass).

[Neeners815]

Great pics, again! Your photos inspire me to get out and practice before our trip.

[Bush dog]

Wild dogs

 

After their failed attempt to catch the warthog, here they go again on the road, in the tall grass, sniffing everywhere, jumping vertically to possibly locate prey in the grass.

 

 

Then it began to rain, only a shower but quite heavy. They spotted impalas. One of the dogs, while it was chasing one impala, suddenly found itself face to face with a young bull elephant. The latter, very upset, then began, while trumpeting, to go after the unhappy wild dog which disappeared, very far from its congeners, in the miombo woodlands. Unfortunately, I could not take any pictures of the scene because at the same time, I was struggling with my poncho.

 

 

The other three met on a higher ground to try to locate the fourth. When they heard it calling, they rushed at high speed in the direction of the call. We tried to follow them but they also disappeared in the woodland where we could not find them again.

 

 

That was the end of our encounter with the dogs.

[Bush dog]

Giraffes

 

Giraffes had always been a very common sighting at Selinda. It was not uncommon to see journeys of more than thirty individuals. This time, perhaps because of green season, they were seen daily but not many.

 

 

Buffaloes

 

Only a few dagga boys.

 

Impalas

 

 

 

[Geoff]

Just got my Selinda fix after being without the internet for days.

[Marks]

Giraffes, by their nature, tend to draw the eye upwards...and those magnificent skies are a nice reward.

Looking forward to more.

[Bush dog]

The Selinda Boys

 

One wet morning, we found the tracks of the Selinda boys and followed them on and off of the road. Eventually, we found the two males.

 

 

They did not stay a long time like showed on the above picture and continued their way in the wet grass.

 

 

It was time to stop for good and stay there for the day.

 

 

During my stay at Selinda, it was the only sighting of the two males.

[Bush dog]

The Selinda pride (first sighting)

 

Mots told Kops that he had spotted the pride on the tree line, on a big termite mound surrounded by thick bushes. Mots did not know that I was with Kops because Kops ignored that I knew him. When we reached the destination, I just said "Hello Mots". He was of course extremely surprised, telling me that he did not expect to see me again. As he was with guests from Zarafa, we only exchanged a few words. But the next day, as we stopped for tea at the same place, we had a longer talk.

 

 

We did not stay long as they were not mobile.

 

 

Python

 

After finding traces of struggle and some blood on the ground, Kops immediately understood that a python had caught an impala. He followed the tracks, mainly grass flattened by the snake and its prey, and found it, having started its long digestion, its head and the anterior part of its body hidden under a thick bush. One can see that it was a huge python. Being like that on the ground, in almost complete lethargy, made it extremely vulnerable and easy prey for predators like the leopard for example.

 

[Atravelynn]

"After finding traces of struggle and some blood on the ground, Kops immediately understood that a python had caught an impala. "

Some good detective work, I'd say.

 

"cross of a waterbuck and a red lechwe"

Fascinating, and rare. Antelope hybrids with different species are not common. Did you tell us what this animal is called? Was there speculation as to which species was the mother and which was the father? Or why this might occur, such as changing habitats? @@Safaridude would find this interesting.

 

Outstanding (full-blooded) roan!

Edited May 26, 2016 by Atravelynn

[madaboutcheetah]

Missed both Motsamai and the big Selinda pride when I was there in January, Mike ......... Glad they are doing awesome!!!

[Bush dog]

@@Atravelynn

 

I did not tell what this animal is called because I ignore it and I even wonder if this animal has a name.

 

It was said to me that the male is a waterbuck and the female a red lechwe. Can't tell you more, sorry.

[Atravelynn]

Fascinating you saw it, regardless of what is called. Just to clarify, I was not asking for the name of the particular animal. Wondered if this cross breed was called something. A Red Waterlech sounds good. I would have guessed that was the male/female parentage.

 

You always do well with the lions!

[Bush dog]

Wet morning

 

 

Elephant

 

Lonely bull in the tall grass.

 

[Peter Connan]

Red Waterlech sounds good.

Sounds a bit letcheruos to me @@Atravelynn?

 

Beautiful photography as always Mike, every detail so crisp!