Hwange, past and present

[Bush dog]

The following pictures were taken sixteen years ago in the surroundings of Scott’s Pan, already many elephants.

 

 

Back to 2016, always around Scott’s Pan.

 

[Bush dog]

The morning of the fourth day was devoted to Gweshla again, where we found the usual wildlife, zebras, wildebeests, impalas, waterbucks, flocks of amur falcons and, on the way to it, a beautiful secretary bird.

 

 

On the way back, we came across lion tracks. We followed them until Broken Rifle where they disappeared in the woods.

[ld1]

@@Bush dog That first shot of the secretary bird looks almost like a watercolour, what a beautiful shot!

Edited July 6, 2016 by ld1

[madaboutcheetah]

Mike, enjoying your fabulous images as always ..... Quick question - does Little Makololo and Linkwasha sit on the same private concession? or different? thanks........

[SafariChick]

@@Bush dog Those hippo closeups from the 2000 trip are just stunning - but then, all your photos are.

[Bush dog]

Mike, enjoying your fabulous images as always ..... Quick question - does Little Makololo and Linkwasha sit on the same private concession? or different? thanks........

 

Thanks, Hari!

 

Little Makalolo and Linkwasha sit on two different concessions and Davison's Camp is on the Linkwasha concession. But, as they are both Wilderness Safaris and adjacent, it makes no difference for the game drives.

[optig]

I stand corrected because I thought that all of the Wilderness Camps were located in the same gigantic concession. None the less I realize that the game viewing was excellent at all four of their camps.

[Bush dog]

The afternoon game drive of the fourth day led us again to Ngamo.

 

 

Young giraffes with the railway line Bulawayo-Vic Falls in the background.

 

 

Red-backed shrike.

 

 

Red-knobbed coot.

 

 

Whiskered Terns.

 

 

Red-winged pratincole

 

 

Juvenile Kittlitz’s plover ?

 

[Bush dog]

I have forgotten to add the next two pictures to the previous post.

 

 

Well, it’s a good opportunity to also add somme baboons photos from 2000 and also to mention something I witnessed, outside the park, in 1998. As I passed, in the late afternoon, near aerial power lines, I noticed that troops of baboons where preparing to spend the night on the steel masts carrying the lines. Probably, because they knew that it was impossible for the leopard to climb on this kind of structure. That shows how clever baboons can be.

 

[Bush dog]

During the morning game drive of the fifth day, we found, on the road to Makalolo, Xanda (pronounce Zanda), a son of Cecil. Xanda is collared and has been given a name like, from what I understood, all adult males in Hwange. One can see that it also is a yoga master.

 

 

As it seemed that it had decided not to move anymore, we left it lying on the road.

[Bush dog]

A few hundreds meters after we left Xanda, we encountered another curious elephant.

 

 

Close to camp, we came across a very relaxed sable herd with young ones.

 

 

Our last sighting before reaching the camp.

 

[Bush dog]

The afternoon game drive of the fifth day led us to Madison Pan. Wilderness has created a place, overlooking the pan, where you can spend the night under the stars.

 

For those who did not have a look at my report on Selinda, this is what I wrote in it about the carmine bee-eaters following cars. I had seen already drongos and other birds following, in or along tall grass, rhinos, elephants or any other big species because they drive out all kinds of insects. It was the first time that I witnessed it with the carmine bee-eaters following cars. What a tremendous sighting ! They were sometimes more than fifteen, flying around the car, synchronizing them with the speed of the vehicle. They were often so close that one could almost touch them. It was like a superb aerial ballet or even a fight of combat aircrafts in the sky, highlighting the colors of their plumage and their ability to catch their prey in flight, far or close to the car. Those sightings were one of the highlights of my trip. Trying to get some decent pictures was not exactly a rest cure.

 

 

They were not the only birds following the car.

 

 

High grass and tree line behind it.

 

 

Other species seen during the game drive.

 

March terapin.

 

 

Waterbuck.

 

 

Baboons.

 

 

Kori bustard.

 

 

Reedbuck.

 

[optig]

@@Bush dog I love all of your photos however, I'm particular impressed with your photos of the sable.I had no idea that there were so many wildlife to be seen in Hwange during the green season It's quite encouraging.

[Bush dog]

@@optig

 

Thanks for your comments. There is wildlife, indeed, to be seen during the green season but do not go for only three days, go for at least a week and be ready not to see some species. I did not see any leopard, for example, but one was seen at a place where I was thirty minutes before.

[ld1]

@@Bush dog ahhhh those bee-eaters. We were outside of bee-eater season at Lebala but a pair managed to dance around our vehicle one morning and it was such a privilege. Thanks for reminding me how great those fleeting moments are

[Alexander33]

@@Bush dog

 

Beautiful photos.

 

You make a strong case for a Green Season safari, with the light, the clouds and the more gentle green backdrop to it all.

[Bush dog]

The sixth day was the tranfer day from Linkwasha to Somalisa. The meeting point was at Gweshla close to the picnic and public camping site. The game drive led us thus along the road to, and around Gweshla.

 

 

Wood sandpiper

 

 

European roller

 

 

We stopped for tea under a big tree. A glossy starling, extremely habituated to human beings because of the proximity of the camping site, was waiting for crumbs to fall on the ground.

 

 

In the meanwhile the Somalisa car arrived. It was time to say goodbye to Honest. I wished him all the best for the future.

 

Some pictures taken in 2000.

 

 

Capped wheatear.

 

 

Purple roller.

 

[Kitsafari]

@@Bush dog those sable young were very charming.

 

I particularly am intrigued by the bottom-up photos of the elephants. really neat photos as they were at an unusual angle, as if they were right on top of you or you were right under their noses, or trunks, I should have said.

[Bush dog]

@@Kitsafari

 

Thanks a lot for your comments.

 

I would not say that the elephant was right on top of me but it was very close to the front of the vehicle and facing it. As I was sitting in the front seat next to the driver-guide, it gives the impression that it was on top of me. Have a look again at post #8, to the pictures of the car, to better imagine the situation.

[AfricanQueen]

@@Bush dog Wonderful pictures! The close ups of the carmine bee-eater reveal such a lot of hues (I hope that is the right expression)!

I think my husband is right when calling me a "bird nerd" but I'm not able to get such amazing pics as you, because I don't have the right equipment. All the more I love to see pics from other travellers.

As I will be going to Hwange for the first time in about 5 weeks (Davison's) I'm looking forward to it very much and I really hope to see sable! Beautiful antelopes!

I've only seen one once in Chobe and not too close to me...

So your TR and the photos increase my anticipation and they come at the right time!

Thanks a lot!

[Bush dog]

@@AfricanQueen

 

Thank you so much for your comments.

 

I do not think that "a lot of hues" is the right expression. Can you tell me in german what you meant to say.

There are great chances that you will see sables.

 

Enjoy your stay in Hwange.

[AfricanQueen]

@@Bush dog

I'm sorry for having used a wrong expression - looked up the word "Farbschattierungen" in the dictionary.

I wanted to comment on the different shades of red in the close-up of the carmine bee-eater.

 

We will enjoy our stay in Hwange, I'm sure, - can't wait to get there...

[Bush dog]

@@AfricanQueen

 

The translation in english of the word "Farbschattierungen" is, in my opinion, color shades.

You don't have to be sorry about it, there is a lot of people that can speak german like you speak english.

[Bush dog]

Somalisa Camp is located on a smaller concession, at about twelve kilometers from Gweshla. The concession is beautifully wooded, with, amongst others, superb teak forests. Apart from elephants, zebras, kudus and waterbucks, I did not see a lot more on the concession itself because of its dense « green season » vegetation. So, I guess in high season it must be quite different. Most of the game drives were made, in the public areas of the park, at Gweshla and around and all along the road to Main Camp and the Kennedy Pans.

 

The seven rooms camp belongs to African Bush Camps, Beks Ndlovu ‘s company. It has been recently refurbished. It overlooks a natural waterhole where, in dry season, elephants congregate in great numbers. I saw some of them every evening.

 

 

The rooms are very comfortable.

 

 

The staff is very professional but in a more relaxed way than the one of Linkwasha. The food is also excellent. Though they had some guests before my arrival and after my departure, I was the only guest of the camp during the five days of my stay. So, everything was private. I really enjoyed it. In five days, I don’t think I saw more than ten vehicles in the public areas of the park.

 

My excellent guide was Peter Gava. Peter has twenty-five years of experience in Hwange, he is a real walking encyclopedia of the park he deeply loves. He told me long stories about the Hwange lions, their dynasties and their interactions with all the prides. Believe me, it’s as complicated as « Game of Thrones ». Somalisa also uses the services of another well-known guide, Nic Polinakis.

 

 

The first game drive with Peter led us along the road to Main Camp. Unfortunately, there was nothing that was worth being reported. We just met three rangers, young recruits, including one from Harare who was for the first time in the bush, dropped in the wild for tend ays of patrol and orienteering. They had almost no drinking water. We gave them some bottles and sodas.

[Bush dog]

We did the morning game drive of the seventh day around Gweshla. The sky was threatening and you could hear the thunder in the distance. So, we did not see a lot, two dagga boys, one roan, baboons, elands, impalas, kudus, wildebeests and birds.

 

 

At 10.00 AM, it began to rain seriously and it will not stop until 6.00 AM the next day, an uninterrupted series of heavy showers and drizzle.