Jump to content

Of Heresy, Old Friends and Near Misses


twaffle

Recommended Posts

Excellent images and excellent PP treatment. No wonder you keep winning photography awards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, WOW! Great update, even more so with the 'promise' of more cats later.

 

Thank you!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If those folks had seen your great lion shots, maybe they'd be jealous. Hot on the trail of honey badgers!

Edited by Atravelynn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great photos, as befits a prize winning photographer. Thankyou, twaffle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you all for your kind words.

 

Lyn, I'd have swapped 10 lions for really good honey badger sightings. :mellow: But I'm grateful for every blessed cat hair of them, really.

 

The funniest sighting was the poor young male who spent a long time gazing at the tree his companion had climbed, trying to gather the courage to climb. Surprisingly, the tree climbing was in the heart of busy Ndutu and yet we didn't share it with any other vehicles, which is why I always feel some caution when considering people's stories of crowded sightings in busy places. It is often possible to forgo a lion sighting and go in another direction where you may be rewarded with something quieter.

 

Anyway, it has been fun playing in the cat pen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyway, it has been fun playing in the cat pen.

 

Better the cat pen than the cat pan.

 

 

I can completely relate to your comments about comparisons with what you saw, what others saw, what you hope to see. I think that's one reason there is such a large element of repeat visitors.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, you know about the honey badger-he don't give a s---!

 

All great stuff and not OTT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Twaffle, all are stunning shots but I really liked the close composition of the last several. Thanks so much, I know it took time to do this report. Patsy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Twaffle,

 

Your prose and your pictures are equally stunning!

 

Cheers,

 

PT123

 

 

PS -

 

I prefer both blondes and cats...

 

...and dogs too!

Edited by PT123
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back to the cat pen.

 

I'm sorry that the colours and various adjustments are a bit 'all over the place', I've been distracted and haven't paid much attention to post production.

 

gallery_5545_572_137657.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_122859.jpg

 

A short story about the below lioness. There is an area at the marshes near Lake Ndutu, which most people will know if they've been in that area, where many vehicles congregate to have their breakfast or lunch. Not crowded on top of each other, each vehicle staking out their own vantage spot, and trying to maintain some seclusion. We were one such vehicle and enjoyed a restful lunch watching massive herds of zebras below us. Another vehicle set up their lunch within view and one of the visitors started walking steadily down the track to the zebras, whereupon his guide started calling out frantically to come back. He eventually wandered back and we could hear his guide telling him that lions hang out in the bushes because of the prey animals around the marsh. Naturally, we couldn't see anything. So finishing our lunch we started to drive across the ridge where there were a few solitary zebras hanging about as we were trying to get some specific photos. We stopped by a rather attractive path, then realised that we had parked just above a safari truck where a small group of tourists were sitting around eating their lunch and chatting cheerfully. Turning in the opposite direction, we saw the lioness under the tree looking at the zebras and not particularly concerned by the human meal very close by. Mmm, what to do. The tourists looked like they were finishing their meal, but were too far away to yell at them, although we tried waving and making signals. We couldn't drive down to them as that part of the ridge was blocked. We made 'lion' signals … have you ever tried to make lion signals? Yes, well they didn't understand them either. So we decided to stay by this lioness until the vehicle packed up and left and although she looked interested in hunting zebra, she was on her own and perhaps they were all too big for her. Once the lunch trucks had left, we left as well as we weren't going to get any action.

 

We found out from Alex, when back in camp, that he had seen her in much the same spot when he stopped for breakfast, hours before we pulled in. What a lazy lion, and how many people had been walking around within pouncing distance? Makes you think......

 

gallery_5545_572_77843.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_89012.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_115461.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheetahs were particularly abundant in the Southern Serengeti and I have lost count of the number we saw. Some were too shy to photograph, one female with cub was very thin and one female without cub was also painfully thin. One always hopes that they find food sooner rather than later, but who would know.

 

This is a small selection of photos of some of the cheetahs we saw, nothing spectacular as regards images, but the animals themselves were beautiful as always. The harsh light in most of them was hard to deal with, but what the heck........ :rolleyes:

 

gallery_5545_572_123699.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_134850.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_233994.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_201216.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_223458.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_71840.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_124879.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And just a few more;

 

gallery_5545_572_128313.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_219322.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_120506.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_43413.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_219764.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_101826.jpg

 

gallery_5545_572_141881.jpg

 

 

I have to say that the cheetah viewing was amazing and we didn't go out of our way to find them at all. Very productive indeed, although in retrospect we should have targeted them more so that we could have been with them early and late, but other things intervened. Next time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I looove that one of the cheetah turning it's head to look back behind its body, the entire frame filled with nothing but cheetah, a fantastic image!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Need I say, add those cheetah pics here, and lion pics here... GW looks for smiley cracking whip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You don't have to stop with the cheetahs, you know... I can handle some more - fat or skinny. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys, but before the (pseudo) professionals get stuck into me, I realise that the photos have lots of faults and aren't going to win any comps but they illustrate just how fruitful the area was. I'm glad you enjoyed them. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great cat sightings -superbly documented in word and image!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I very much enjoyed your trip with you. Thanks, lovely photos.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WOW...I just spent the day reading your report and loving the photos - cats for me!

 

Thanks Twaffle; really great read as usual! Felt as if I were there along side, enjoying the ride.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You handled the harsh light of midday very well. That's something the cheetahs must contend with on a daily basis while the rest of the predator world is napping in the shade. Looks like one of them had a recent meal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I realise that the photos have lots of faults and aren't going to win any comps

 

My thoughts exactly :P

 

Just kidding, of course. Its impossible to take a bad photo of a cheetah cub - any cub for that matter - and yours is fantastic!! All the pics are, imo.

 

Loved the story of the lion near the diners. Any chance of a pic or a demo of how one goes about making "beware the lion" signs.... just in case?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Loved the story of the lion near the diners. Any chance of a pic or a demo of how one goes about making "beware the lion" signs.... just in case?

 

 

Not a chance! :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Safaritalk uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By using Safaritalk you agree to our use of cookies. If you wish to refuse the setting of cookies you can change settings on your browser to clear and block cookies. However, by doing so, Safaritalk may not work properly and you may not be able to access all areas. If you are happy to accept cookies and haven't adjusted browser settings to refuse cookies, Safaritalk will issue cookies when you log on to our site. Please also take a moment to read the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy: Terms of Use l Privacy Policy