Mana Days in Mana Pools

[madaboutcheetah]

Would have been super cool to track down the cheetah, but, dogs are awesome !! They appear well fed.

[Hads]

Loving your report as usual @michael-ibk.That Bull eland is an absolute tank.

You had amazing sightings in October.

[Julian]

@michael-ibk

Really interesting report and superb photos. We were there just a month before you and there always seemed to be dust in the air, so not so good for photos, whereas it looks like there was no dust at all seeing just how clear the air seems in all your photos so far. Of course when we were there it was the peak time and many of the camps were full, and with all those vehicles plus the self-drive people it obviously created more dust.

 

[Galago]

Really interesting, and what lovely sighting of the dogs. Love the Lillian’s channeling a torpedo!

[michael-ibk]

15 hours ago, madaboutcheetah said:

Would have been super cool to track down the cheetah, but, dogs are awesome !! They appear well fed.

 

Indeed, very content Dogs Hari.

 

12 hours ago, Hads said:

Loving your report as usual @michael-ibk.That Bull eland is an absolute tank.

You had amazing sightings in October.

 

Thanks Hads! Mana is just a magical place, and I´m very happy we decided to add those four nights to our trip after all.

 

10 hours ago, Julian said:

Really interesting report and superb photos. We were there just a month before you and there always seemed to be dust in the air, so not so good for photos, whereas it looks like there was no dust at all seeing just how clear the air seems in all your photos so far. Of course when we were there it was the peak time and many of the camps were full, and with all those vehicles plus the self-drive people it obviously created more dust.

 

Thanks Julian. It was dusty (you can see how dry it was) but you´re right, the air was much cleaner than during our last visit in October. We´ve had extremely hazy days in Mana in the past. We´ve all seen your teasers about your trip, you must have had an awesome time. I´m looking forward to your report. We met Stretch a couple of times btw.

 

3 hours ago, Galago said:

Really interesting, and what lovely sighting of the dogs. Love the Lillian’s channeling a torpedo!

 

Thanks Annie!

Edited January 30, 2023 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

We´ll get back to my Doggies but since linear storytelling is overrated anyway I´m fast forwarding to the next day for a while. Just 10 minutes out of camp we ran into two Lions early next morning.

 

 

The Hyena in the background was interestingly coloured - very pale, a bit of a "strawberry look". (I never understood that colour despription - are they talking about unripe straberries when that term is being used?)

 

 

We waited a bit until the first sunrays came out - much nicer now.

 

 

Remember the poor lonely Buffalo calf I mentioned? Indeed it had not made the night. Must have been one of the easiest kills those Lions ever made.

 

 

We did not stay on the roads long but went for a good walk again. This time we started somewhere around the Mucheni campsites (at least I think we did) and walked in the area between the two main roads to Chisasiku.

 

 

Our only Ground Hornbill sighting in Mana IIRC.

 

 

Another really beautiful day.

 

 

This old lonesome Stallion was getting to the end of his days I´d wager. His behaviour was weird, walked almost straight into us, could not even bother to evade us anymore. Or maybe he just was deep in thought. I can be like that when I walk through the city, people often tell me I have the uncanny ability to walk past just about anybody I know without noticing them.

 

 

 

We did not see anything major, but the usual combination of Elephants, Impala, Waterbuck, a few Zebra and the odd Kudu. 

 

 

 

 

It was much hotter today - really had to hold ourselves back in order not to empty our bottles too early.

 

 

 

Edited January 30, 2023 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

We reached Chisasiku after about 2 1/2 hours - very thirsty! Good thing our car was waiting for us with coffee, cookies and ice-cold drinks.

 

 

I love Chisasiku, especially the Western end. We enjoyed a good long coffee break here.

 

 

 

White-Fronted Bee-Eater

 

 

We soon got company, we were not the only ones thinking Chisasiku is just a nice area to hang around.

 

 

Very cute youngster.

 

 

 

The magic of Mana Pools!

 

 

 

 

And then some gory action - an all-out (but somewhat uneven) fight to the death between Intermediate Egret and Mana Mayhem Frog!

 

 

Poor Frog, it was alive for at least 10 minutes or so. The Egret always smashed it to the ground, and then seemed to start to wash it, always dunkin´in into the water.

 

 

This Hippo couldn´t have cared less about the frog´s last dance.

 

 

I asked to drive to Mana Mouth then. Another of the park´s classic spots.

 

 

No activity going on now - it was already late and way too hot for anything to move.

 

 

 

Case in point.

[Julian]

30 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

 

 

 

 

Thanks Julian. It was dusty (you can see how dry it was) but you´re right, the air was much cleaner than during our last visit in October. We´ve had extremely hazy days in Mana in the past. We´ve all seen your teasers about your trip, you must have had an awesome time. I´m looking forward to your report. We met Stretch a couple of times btw.

 

 

@michael-ibk

We did have an awesome time and are determined to go back again  relatively soon -  before Stretch stops doing this. I believe he has been guiding there for nearly 40 years and obviously at some point will eventually stop. We are all getting older  - and I need to go back while I am still relatively fit enough to do all the walking, so  the return trip will be no later than Sept 2024, but going back this year looks to be unlikely as we are going to Uganda in June. 
The trip report will come , but as usual I struggle to find the time to sort, reduce, edit the photos and videos. 
During our 5 days there a lot of other guides stopped to say hello/ have a chat with Stretch- I think all the guides there know him - he is hard to  not notice!

 

[michael-ibk]

It was already well past noon when we returned to camp. We were tired but just did not manage to nap - there was always something going on.

 

 

This Yellow-Bellied Greenbul apparently really cared about his personal hygiene!

 

T

 

The Lovebirds were also performing nicely today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plenty of Waterbuck in front of us.

 

 

 

Our campsite:

 

 

 

 

And just like every day the Elephants stopped by in the afternoon. Yesterday they had caught me by surprise while I was in the shower - all of a sudden a lot of huge eyes were staring at me less than three metres away, just a thin piece of canvas between us. 

 

 

Today they were a bit late, joining us for teatime. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 30, 2023 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

 

Doug is looking a bit grumpy here. Maybe the thought of still having to bear with us for another 12 nights. 

 

 

A two-in-one tree we passed every day. Finally I gave in and asked to stop for a photo. 

 

Of course we did a walk again for our last afternoon - I love the flood plains.

 

 

They really own the diabolical grin thing, the Joker could learn from them!

 

 

If this is not paradise I don´t know what is!

 

 

 

 

The second Hippo was using a kind of plant blanket.

 

 

"Run, Forrest, Ruuun!"

 

 

 

We decided to visit the Carmines again, but they were not really complying. None of them flew where I wanted them to, they behaved like real spoilsports.

 

 

 

 

So I decided to punish them by photographing Lapwings instead. I hope that will teach them!

 

 

 

 

 

Quite incredibly I took one(!) photo of a Pied Kingfisher this trip even though I like them so much. And it was so distant and lousy I had to b&w it.

 

We spotted one of the male Lions again and tried to approach him. Quite absurd, we were really trying hard not to scare this poor little kittykat and were very concerned we could stress him. The poor Super-predator who could kill us in a heartbeat. 

 

 

And he really was a scaredycat - ran off into the forest before we could get close. "Coward", Doug hissed after him with contempt.

 

 

Not exactly the most thrilling end to our walk but there you go. Seriously though, it was another really enjoyable outing - we had not seen a single soul out here.

 

 

 

 

Last G&T in Mana. Really should have asked the Gentlemen to pose for that occasion. 

 

 

Edited January 30, 2023 by michael-ibk

[Atravelynn]

 

 

"Doug is looking a bit grumpy here. Maybe the thought of still having to bear with us for another 12 nights"

He knew I would soon be added to the mix!

 

The carmine bee eaters are probably still upset at your slight.

Great shots of paradise!

[Galago]

On 1/30/2023 at 7:47 PM, michael-ibk said:

The Hyena in the background was interestingly coloured - very pale, a bit of a "strawberry look". (I never understood that colour despription - are they talking about unripe straberries when that term is being used?)

It comes from the term 'strawberry blonde' meaning someone who had reddish-blonde hair. And that hyena fits the bill pretty well!

 

You were incredibly close to the eles at times. When you were near the water and mum plus very small baby came by intrigued me because I thought you had to keep your distance from mothers and calves. Or is it that the Mana eles are more chilled?

[michael-ibk]

@Galago

 

They are very used to people walking around. We did not walk in on them (something Doug never does with Cows and little ones) but they saw us from a distance and came to us (or rather the water).  The important thing is not to surprise them and give them a scare. 

 

And thanks! 

[Galana]

Enjoying this very much indeed. It is putting Zimbabwe in a totally new light for me. I am a total addict for close encounters on foot with ellies or lion. As you say, "let them make the decision" and honour it.

Sitting up waiting for KLM On line check in to open and  have now  stopped wondering where next year?

I think I like the idea of a late Autumn visit to lose the crowds.

I have bookmarked the rest of this for my return. I assume that there is more to follow..

[PeterHG]

What an amazing place, Michael. It must be an incredible feeling to encounter wild dogs, buffaloes and lions on a walk there!

[John M.]

On 1/30/2023 at 8:36 PM, Julian said:

@michael-ibk

Really interesting report and superb photos. We were there just a month before you and there always seemed to be dust in the air, so not so good for photos, whereas it looks like there was no dust at all seeing just how clear the air seems in all your photos so far. Of course when we were there it was the peak time and many of the camps were full, and with all those vehicles plus the self-drive people it obviously created more dust.

 

   I share frustration/annoyance over man-made dust, one of the reasons I avoided places where I knew there were likely to be traffic jams. But naturally occurring dust, I got it to work for me, as I wanted to record the wildlife in their settings and environment just as much as near studio-style closeups.  It was a hard ask at times, because I worked with film and couldn't afford the multitude of shots that digital cameras allow people nowadays. But some of the most enjoyable and atmospheric images in the archives of my wife and myself show animals and dust (and smokey light caused by fire, whether natural or man-made by farmers). 

  The subject reminds me of an occasion in a nature photography forum (they were a really serious mob) when a photographer criticised the balls of elephant dung in one of my lions-in-landscape photos. I was tempted to ask if he wanted his lions in a studio, but I refrained ; he obviously had never been to Africa.

   That said, I love michael's wildlife-in-landscape images. The good ones are always winners.

   

   

 

[Kitsafari]

Mana Pools is beautiful, well depicted in your images. 

[John M.]

  After another browse, michael-ibk, I've fallen for the hyena with the diabolical grin 🥰 

  I'm a sucker for that style of image.

 

[michael-ibk]

On 2/2/2023 at 7:52 PM, PeterHG said:

It must be an incredible feeling to encounter wild dogs, buffaloes and lions on a walk there!

 

It is - I love it!

 

On 1/31/2023 at 11:44 PM, Galana said:

I have bookmarked the rest of this for my return. I assume that there is more to follow..

 

Thanks Fred. Not much more I´m afraid - almost at the finish line. At least in this report.

 

On 2/3/2023 at 4:18 AM, John M. said:

That said, I love michael's wildlife-in-landscape images. The good ones are always winners.

 Thanks John!

 

On 2/4/2023 at 11:15 AM, Kitsafari said:

Mana Pools is beautiful, well depicted in your images. 

 

Thanks Kit - you must go one of these days!

 

On 2/4/2023 at 12:25 PM, John M. said:

After another browse, michael-ibk, I've fallen for the hyena with the diabolical grin

 

It is a cool grimace - just a shame  there was vegetation between the Hyena and my camera. (Now I´m sounding like your Elephant Dung critic, I know. ;-))

[michael-ibk]

Dog time - I said we´d get back to them. Remember, they were all sitting basically ON the road now (where a lot of cars were joining them) and we had almost given up hope our patience would be rewarded. And the sun set, we soon had to return to camp. But good things come to those who wait.

 

 

Finally they became thirsty and approached us.

 

 

 

A pleasing angle - I was sitting right at the trickle of water there, so below them.

 

 

 

They quickly came down. At first unfortunately a bit blocked from my view but (so did not get them drinking) but soon they were gravitating towards me. And started having fun.

 

 

 

The light was gone now, so all very high ISO shots here.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

 

What followed was my best ever Dog experience. They started to play, closer and close to me, and after a while they would run by me less than five metres at times! Pure Mana magic, safari gold!

 

 

 

 

I made a conscious effort to take the camera down a few times, just enjoy this, just be right in the middle of this Dog frenzy.

 

 

 

Obviously I was physically unable to keep my camera down though, just had to try shooting this. 

 

 

 

 

 

I was the only one down here in this gulley, at eye level with my friends. Andreas and Doug had stayed a few metres above. Quite a lot of people were also approaching now from the road but they also had to stay up. They did not really register to me. As far as I was concerned it was just the Dogs and me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Worth coming to Zimbabwe just for this one sighting. Fortunately there was lots of other good stuff too.. ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then they were off - leaving two very happy Austrians. 

 

It was a bit of a race to camp back then, we were late - but still had to stop for a Python. I was quite excited about this, have never seen one in Africa before IIRC.

 

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

And that´s it - next morning we left early to catch our 07:30 flight.

 

 

Doug had had an unwanted bedfellow in his tent this night - this interestingly patterned Brown House Snake. He found it when he was getting packed.

 

So just a quick circle on the plains before we had to leave Mana for good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heuglin´s Courser with chick. A nice bird to see in the daylight, they are nocturnal or at least crepuscular.

 

 

 

We just missed an apparently absolutely epic sighting. Stretch told us - the Hyenas had just killed a Nyala (rare enough on the flood plains) by Long Pool, many Crocs had come out to snatch some goodies. The only thing we saw was a Nyala leg. 

 

 

 

Time to say Good Bye to Mana - we´ll be back. 

 

And that´s it - @Atravelynn, the Vumba Mountains and Gonarezhou were waiting for us - the trip continues here.

 

Up, up and away!

 

 

 

Edited February 8, 2023 by michael-ibk

[Ginny]

@michael-ibk

I really have enjoyed your wonderful photos, but WOW! those last two are exceptional!!

[TonyQ]

Wonderful report. The dog sightings and photos are stunning!

[Zubbie15]

Awesome dog sighting @michael-ibk, and how fortunate to be in the right place. Thanks for sharing this portion of your trip.