With the inevitably dry winter creeping ever closer and the consistent mumblings of a summer not delivering enough rain, it would be a lie to say that this last week was not unusual.
We are long passed the scheduled February rains, and have been experiencing fast colour changes of the surrounding vegetation as the last of early March’s rainfall dissipates. Last weekend, however, we were pleasantly surprised by a sudden burst of clouds and a much-needed rejuvenation of our surroundings. Puddles, mud wallows and slippery roads were the order for the week and this late-April adventure was celebrated by all.
Even more exciting than the uncharacteristic weather was the wildlife. Herds of Elephant and Buffalo were a plenty, Leopards and Lions were as active as ever, and the huge numbers of Impala have begun moving and mixing as their breeding season is nearing. This week has taught me that no matter how prepared you have planned to be out in the wild, there is often another surprise around the corner. If a surprise throws you off course, there is no need to rethink everything, but rather a need to adapt and recalculate. This beautiful autumn rain kickstarted many animals and plants into heightened activity this last week as opposed to dampening everything, and ironically has got us all looking forward to the dry spell ahead.
Enjoy this interesting past week in pictures…
We start the week with a raging sun rising through the mist and drizzle of the past weekend; outlooking from atop Ximpalapala koppie. 1/160 at f/11; ISO 200.
The ever stunning Nanga female suddenly noticing a passing Bushbuck and begins to stalk. Despite being unsuccessful, her immediate focus and drive left all in awe. 1/1250 at f/2.8; ISO 1600.
This Buffalo bull enjoys the edges of a freshly filled mud wallow. The late afternoon light warms his face, illuminating his armoury; his shield of “boss” shining. 1/800 at f/2.8; ISO 500.
Some of the most pleased with the late rain would be the countless Termite colonies. They take the opportunity of soft soil to maintain and add to their towering mounds. However, this provided many insectivorous animals with the chance to devour thousands of them at a time. It was a time of much risk and reward for the colonies going into the dry winter. 1/160 at f/5.6; ISO 1000.
The young Lioness of the Tsalala Pride may be searching for a suitable male to mate with, as we have seen her separate from the pride for the most of this week. She is quickly maturing and signs of potential mating are slowly becoming apparent. For now, though, she makes her way back across the Sand River toward where she last saw her pride. 1/400 at f/4.5; ISO 1250.
Much time was spent with a mating pair of Leopards, the Piva male and Tamboti female were at it again. We have seen these two spend longer than the general 5-7 days together before, but this mating bout only lasted two days. Here, Tamboti quickly jumps out the way as Piva descends a tree after resting a short while, ready to engage in copulation once again! 1/1250 at f/2.8; ISO 320.
A vicious affair. Underneath the growling and rumbling, both cats draw claws and bare teeth. As they explode apart, a moment is captured where muscle, flying fur, tails, rosettes and weaponry stand out. 1/1600 at f/2.8; ISO 400.
Lion dynamics, as always, intrigue us as story-tellers of the wilderness. This unfolding script keeps us glued to every page. The solid figures of the Styx males were present far into the centre of the property, consistently pushing the parameters with the Majingilane’s territory, their fathers. 1/250 at f/4.5; ISO 200.
A male Cheetah stretches on the far side of a fallen tree out in the open areas of our South-Western region, flaunting his front claws; the running spikes which help him achieve the highest animal speed on land. 1/1600 at f/2.8; ISO 200.
Soon thereafter, he uses the tree as a vantage point to look for both prey and any potential threats. The soft sunlight only briefly pierced through the gloom to illuminate his tear-marked face and hazel eyes. 1/800 at f/2.8; ISO 200.
The most photographed bird in Southern Africa, the Lilac-breasted Roller. However, I couldn’t resist taking this picture as he was perched so close to us and gave my 70-200mm lens so much more effect. 1/4000 at f/2.8; ISO 200.
Another sighting of the Piva male as he patrolled his newly established territory, scent marking and scraping the ground with his hind legs; a face of Royalty? 1/1600 at f/2.8; ISO 200.
The Piva male’s maturity is evident is his bulk size with strong shoulders and a wide muscular neck, but his slightly young age of only 5 years gives him the pristine coat which lacks scars, damage or tatty ears. He is a pleasure to photograph. 1/1250 at f/2.8; ISO 320.
As the sun goes down behind this Waterbuck bull, the windless evening provides a mirror of water and a light prism around him as he finishes a quick drink of water, droplets trailing his chin. 1/500 at f/2.8; ISO 400.
The week comes to an end with the two Styx males about to engage in a brotherly greeting before the busy night begins; monochrome emphasising their prominent manes and striking faces. Power stored in the potential. 1/500 at f/2.8; ISO 100.
The vast activity experienced here was an interesting and surprising change to the expected. Did anything throw you out of routine this last week? And which photographs did you enjoy the most?
Have a phenomenal weekend.
Written and Photographed by Sean Cresswell.
The styx dark mane is a joy to see! Piva male is gunning fast for the second favorite leopard spot on my list. 1) Anderson 2) Big Max 3) Piva!!! 4) Vin diesel! The rest are all pretenders!
Yes, Piva is always a favourite of mine to photograph, royalty no doubt! He has the size element but without the battle scars and tatty ears.. That is an impressive list of male leopards! Am looking forward to hopefully seeing Anderson in NW Londolozi at some stage, have heard lots about him…
And the dark maned Styx boy is also stunning, a great mane already!
Great pics this week. Love the leopard pics
Thanks, Marinda!
I love ALL the leopard pics! Also particularly like the 2 male lions walking side-by-side – they look SO confident! Lastly, the waterbuck with his reflection in the water is beautiful – well done!
Thanks! And yes, the two boys are growing more confident every day. Will be an interesting next few months at Londolozi! Also loved seeing and photographing that reflection…
Thank you for these beautiful photos.
It is always my pleasure to share, and thank you for reading and commenting, Norberto.
Wow Sean the quality of the photos is amazing! IS the Piva male territory north west?
Hi Trevor, thank you for the complement! The Piva male has started establishing territory in the east of Londolozi. Sometimes he is seen a little to the south-east, and does not venture too far north toward the Sand River nor too far west toward Singita. He is often seen east of our boundary too, in Mala Mala.
Stunning pictures Sean, especially of the Piva Male. He is a force to be reckoned with! I love the one taken from behind the mating couple. Good to hear you’ve had rain, better late than never!! Have a great long weekend too.
Wendy, my weekend is going great – thank you.
Yes, any rain at the moment is welcomed with open arms…
And I agree, the Piva male is certainly a force to be reckoned with. It has been a privilege to watch him come into his own, and I look forward to seeing where he ends up in the next year or so. The mating image is an interesting angle and moment, I am pleased with it.
LOVE love love these pictures! They are all great! Of course, I was looking for one of my favorite, the Nanja female….she is so beautiful. I’m really impressed with the Piva male, too….very handsome! 🙂
The 2 cheetah shots are breathtaking! First time I’ve seen cheetah claws…WOW! LOL The other cheetah shot is mesmerizing….just an incredibly gorgeous animal; stunning.
Gotta give a shout out to the “vicious affair” photo…
I really like the B&W of the Styx males, too.
Very nice pics, all of them. Thanks!
Thank you, Kim, I am always happy to see the Nanga female and any chance to photograph her is a bonus! She often provides photographers with beautiful moments! And yes, as everyone agrees, the Piva male is one of the more handsome cats around!
The cheetah images are each very special; one revealing his sharp claws and the other illustrating such a strong posture in the afternoon light. I was so excited to see a cheetah again!
Great images Sean! I love the Cheetah and lion shots. Have a great weekend and thanks for another week of great blogs and beautiful photos.
You’re more than welcome, Jill, and as always thank you for reading and commenting – we all appreciate the feedback!
I am glad you enjoyed the images.
Loved the photo’s! I always enjoy seeing what you have captured this week.. Always appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed!
Thank you very much, there is a lot happening here at the moment and so I’m sure there is lots to come in the next few days, and then another exciting summary on Friday again! Keep your eyes peeled…
Follow the Londolozi blog every day. Thoroughly enjoying both the pictures and the writing.
That’s great to hear, Dianne. Thank you for the support and feedback, we will keep them coming!
I love the cheetahs, actually I love all the cats.
I have never seen these animals in the wild so I am living vicariously (spelling?) through all you beautiful photos.
Each cat has something really special about them and so each is enjoyed in different ways. The rarity and beauty of that male cheetah was awesome, and his performance for us up on that fallen tree made it spectacular! I’m glad we could provide you with these photos, Mary Kate, and yes, keep living vicariously through our photos but then you should also plunge into the deep end and come to visit us at some stage to see these cats for yourself and take your own photos! What do you say?
What beautiful pics an commentary!
Thank you, Judes.