A Day in the bush

Some more images from our time in Pafuri.

Crested Francolin shout at the breaking day and their raucous duets replace the ever present, prolonged churring sound of Square tailed nightjars and the distant hoots of African Wood Owls that kept us company throughout the night. Smoke blows in from Zimbabwe to the north and filters the suns first rays.

Night time holds numerous dangers. Glad to survive the darkness an Eland calf keeps a low profile in its unusually open hideaway where its mother had left it for the night.

Pafuri is elephant country where numerous breeding herds and mature old bulls make their home. In the woodland adjacent to the Limpopo floodplain we find this majestic bull as he fed in the last rays of light.

Even though this is early spring, midday temperatures soar into the mid-thirties. All but the baboon troop at the waterhole take refuge in the shade until the sun sets to a more tolerable angle.

As the sun sets again the night is reclaimed by the predators. A Spotted Hyena voices its claim to darkness from the nearby den as a full moon rise behind the familiar shape of a Lala Palm.

Pafuri - Land of Legends

Iconic Boababs Tower over the Landscape

I have just returned from co instructing an Ecoquest Course. Eco Training, the leader in field guide training in South Africa has designed this course based on the FGASA level 1 syllabus for anyone interested in gaining deeper insights into the functioning of ecosystems without having the stress of formal exams. The first part of the course was held at the Pafuri region in the far northern wilderness of Kruger on the banks of the Limpopo. What a place! Ancient Baobab’s tower over the tropical landscape where hunters, traders, poachers and other eccentrics (including the infamous Bvekenya Barnard) followed the Ivory Trail from their headquarters at Crook’s Corner where Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa meet.

Elephant Cows Sparring on the Limpopo Floodplain.

This time of the year Kipling’s immortal Great Grey- green Greasy Limpopo has been transformed into a sandy stretch of almost a kilometre in width at certain places and the once mighty current now reduced to a trickle. Even though September is a dry month, it still remains a spectacular area and wildlife and birdlife are abundant. Amongst the wide variety of antelope, large herds of Buffalo and Elephant are around. Even though the migrants have not arrived back from the wintering grounds, birds were equally spectacular. Specials includes Meves’s Starling, African Yellow White Eye, Black Throated Wattle Eye and Bohms Spinetail. During the next few days I will add more snippets about our time there.

A wonderful group of enthusiastic guests made the course so much fun.

Hide Photography

Top of the Log, a recent article in Birds and Birding documenting Red Billed Oxpeckers, click on picture to follow link.

Some of my most rewarding bird photography is hide based. As it is often in the breeding season and thus nest photography you are guaranteed action. In particular I enjoy the fact that you really get to know your subject when spending a considerable time with them, something not possible when photographing opportunistically. An article of mine have appeared recently in Africa Birds and Birding that documented the breeding cycle of endangered Red-Billed Oxpeckers. Due to its endangered status I paid extra care not to do the birds any harm. I am often asked how to go about photographing birds without doing them any harm so below follows a few guidelines that I employ when photographing sensitive (and all nests are sensitive!) situations. These I have gathered both from personal experience as well as speaking to some of the countries leading bird photographers. Notably Dr Warwick Tarboton.

Action and interaction are allways guaranteed and offers the photographer the chance to document very interesting behavior!

Place the hide a respectable distance away from the nest.
Reduce the distance by 50% each day.
Move the hide into the right position over several days.
Ensure that all flaps are securely tied up. Loose flaps will scare the birds away from the nest.
In very sensitive cases, move the hide in at night.
When photographing, always go to the hide accompanied and let the other person walk away from the hide once you are inside. That will give the impression that you have come and gone. Apply the same tactic when exiting the hide.
I try never to stay too late into the evening at the hide as a disturbance at the nest too late may prevent the birds from coming in to roost.
Once in the hide:
Place camera gear in position and do not move unnecessarily.
Remain as silent as possible.

If the birds are stressed in any way move away! No photographs is worth a dead chick – no matter the species.

Picture of a well placed hide.

Kalahari Birding

Two Male Namaqua Sandgrouse enjoying a much needed drink.

Still in the Kalahari, I thought to pay a bit of attention to the birds in particular. As a birding destination the Kalahari has few equals. Although a semi arid region (some even refer to it as a desert) a short time spent at a waterhole observing birds may indeed produce more numbers and species diversity than walking through a tropical forest for the same period of time. Although we were hosting a photographic trip for C4 images and Safari’s I couldn’t resist indulging my ornithological interest, albeit on a very casual pace. En route there we already ticked off Martial eagle, Lappet Faced and White-backed Vulture. In Twee Rivieren the regular Kalahari species showed themselves. Chestnut-vented titbabbler, Dusky Sunbird, Scaly Feathered Finch and Black Cheeked Waxbill to mention but a few.

In terms of raptors the Kalahari probably has no equal and regular sightings of Lanner falcon, African Pigmy Falcon and Greater Kestrel were all on the menu, as well as the localised and sought after Red Necked Falcon. In camp were both Verraux’s Eagle owl and Pearl Spotted Owlet, the former putting on a great display with its recently caught prey in the dead tree right in front of our chalet. Except for the charismatic Kalahari beauties such as Swallow tailed bee eater, Crimson Breasted Shrike, and Marico Flycatcher, Kori Bustard and Secretary Bird numerous others made the trip more than worth while.

Kalahari Specials: An enornous Verraux's Eagle Owl and Dusky Sunbird

The highlight of the trip though was a pair of breeding African Pigmy Falcons but for more information on them I can only say “Watch this Space”.

Mating Pair of African Pigmy Falcons

Male Sandgrouse such as the Burchell's Sandgrouse were all "belly wetting" in order to provide their chicks at the nest with much needed moisture far out in the desert.

Back in the Kalahari

A young male Cheetah surveys his domain from the crest of a dune.

I recently co-hosted a photographic workshop with good friend and Pro photographer Greg du Toit in the Kgalagadi for C4 images and Safaris. What a blast! The Kalahari is such an amazing place and the photographic opportunities were plentiful. Having spent a considerable time visiting the Kalahari when growing up, it was indeed like a homecoming in many ways. A great bunch of lively guests ensured that even the time away from the cameras was loads of fun. The first two nights we spent in Twee Rivieren from where we explored the Auob riverbed.On the second game drive we had already seen and photographed two of the Kalahari’s famous big cats, the only one eluding us was (not surprisingly) leopard. Other wildlife was abundant with numerous antelope, smaller predators and innumerable birds. The last two nights in Rooiputs campsite added greatly to the wilderness feel of the Kalahari where we were serenaded to sleep by the countless jackals and the occasional Lion.

The numerous Black Backed Jackal of the Nosob Riverbed provides ammple opportunity to practice your photographic skills under any lighting conditions.

One of my favourite stake outs of the trip. A herd of Springbuck on the crest of the riverbed in incredible Kalahari light.

A Swallow Tailed Bee Eater enjoying the Kalahari as much as we are!

Field Guiding

Field Guides getting maximum exposure at a lion sighting.

I have just spent a few days at EcoTraining’s field guide course doing some FGASA level 1 field guide assessments. All guides gave a very good account of themselves and I was happy to sign them all off as competent. Well done and welcome to this amazing industry. Credit to Rob and Jaco for the high level of student competency.

The Karongwe camp is situated in the big 5 Karongwe conservancy north of Hoedspruit and traverses more than 10 000 hectares. This provides students the opportunity to enter their bush career under the guidance of highly capable trainers within a very authentic and exciting environment. The campsite itself is situated within riverine forest on the banks of the Karongwe river and when not on a practical outing or studying offers the students a wonderful setting to experience bush life.

Abundant wildlife of all shapes and sizes are guaranteed and incredible photographic opportunities presents itself to the aspirant guide.

Wonderful sighting up close and personal...

...including the best of the big stuff !!!

And at the end the day await nightfall under an ancient Jackalberry as the scent of woodsmoke fills all your senses.

Caught in the Act

A while ago I stumbled upon and photographed this fascinating scene. The story was accepted as an article in Africa Geographic but subsequently I entered it into the Caught in th Act competition. A good call I suppose as it was then awarded first prize.
My whole approach to photography is to use it as a tool to communicate the wonder of Nature. Thus I am presenting the sequence to those who care to read the somewhat lengthy blog post. Hope you enjoy and please feel free to let me know of your comments.

With its yellow belly clearly visible, I initially mistook the drama unfolding as a misplaced toy.
I soon enough realized that this was in fact a Stripe bellied Sand snake caught in the act of procuring its next meal, in this case a Turner’s Gecko Pachydactylus turneri.
The whole scenario played off not where one would expect to find these reptiles but on a recently stacked pile of bricks at a construction site This incident bears testimony to the fact that we do not necessarily have to travel the great African wilderness to observe nature’s dramas unfolding but it may happen in the unlikeliest of places – quite literally in our own back yards!
Initial interest and curiosity was rapidly replaced with a Paris-Dakar-like rush for my camera. Suffice to say the camera and me made it back in good enough state to capture the following images.

When threatened, the gecko’s first line of defense is the well known shedding of its tail in order to fool predators, a distraction strategy known as autotomy. Sadly evident it proved ineffective and the only evidence left of its desperate attempt at escape is the blunt termination where its spiny tail used to be.
In addition to its venom it is interesting to note that in order to aid capture the snake coils around its prey constricting it. This killing method is more associated with primitive snakes which lack venom such as pythons and house snakes.

Knowing that these interactions can last a mere few minutes I was struck by the time it took for the snake to kill its prey. A closer inspection from a different angle revealed the reason. The gecko, ever willing to bite managed to get hold of the snake’s neck preventing it from injecting its venom. It is difficult to imagine a more uncomfortable stale mate!

With its neck touching the base of its tail the gecko is holding on for dear life. The snakes determined constriction however finally pays off and the gecko’s grip starts to weaken. This allows the snake to deliver a proper bite to the gecko’s hind leg even though the gecko is still firmly locked onto the snake’s neck.

At this stage the two have literally been at one another’s throats for more than an hour and a half. Satisfied that his opponent is sufficiently immobilized the snake starts searching for the head of the gecko from which it would start swallowing it.

Once the snake gets hold of the gecko’s head it lifts its prey’s entire body off the ground and disappears without any apparent harm into the nearest shrubs from where it would no doubt enjoy its hard earned meal.