As I look at the date I’m frightened to think that the first month of this year is drawing to an end. Time really has flown past. My first thought is the classic, “Where did all that time go, what have I done with it..?” . I then begin to remember all the game drives, guests and amazing sightings I’ve had over the past month, and wow… what a start to the year it has been.
With January marking my one year anniversary at Londolozi it’s been an exciting month. Stirring up all the memories of first arriving here not knowing what to expect, that sense of nervousness and uncertainty, January 2016 has certainly re-emphasised the point that this is the place I want to be!
Having had some incredible sightings with my guests, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the start to the year in the bush and look forward to what it has to offer us in the future. Some sightings I was able to capture, others not, sometimes even just leaving my camera tucked away to just watch the unfolding events in awe. Nonetheless I’ve managed to round up a few of my images from the past week and bring you a little closer to this incredible wilderness we are privileged to work and live in every day.
Enjoy this Week in Pictures…
The Nkoveni female has a massive yawn before she gets ready for her evening activities. A yawn from a cat is always a good sign that it may get moving quite soon. We followed her for quite some time after finding her, until she snuck off into a thick drainage line, no doubt in search of food. 1/640 @ f2.8 ; ISO400.
A pack of wild dogs that visited our property recently ran into the resident hyena clan a few mornings back, making for some very interesting interaction. Conflict amongst predators is usually bought about because of the competition for food or the protection of young. 1/640 @ f4.0 ; ISO800.
A different angle on an elephants eye. I’m forever fascinated by the length of the eye lashes and the detail of the skin. 1/2500 @ f2.8 ; ISO500.
The Tamboti Young Female stalks through the grass towards an unsuspecting herd of impala. We watched her for about two hours trying to get closer to the impala, but they were always just too far for her to make an attempt. The patience predators have is incredible. 1/320 @ f2.8 ; ISO1000.
A female giraffe has a drink on a very warm summer’s afternoon. Giraffe are extremely nervous when drinking, as they are very vulnerable to attack when they are bent down. 1/2000 @ f4.0 ; ISO400.
A vervet monkey stares off into the distance with a far off look in its eye. These animals provide us with endless entertainment around the camp with their very comical behaviour. 1/400 @ f2.8 ; ISO400.
The Mashaba Females cub rests up in the safety of a tree after a pack of wild dogs ran past. Even at a young age, leopards are very aware of their surroundings, ready to escape danger at any time. 1/1600 @ f4.0 ; ISO500.
A White-Backed Vulture descends on a carcass where others were already feeding. Vultures are an extremely important part of the ecosystem, being responsible for cleaning up a lot of the carcasses left by predators. 1/5000 @ f4.0 ; ISO500.
One of the Mhangeni lionesses and a Matimba male become extremely interested in the female ostrich standing nearby. They chased her for a while and then lost interest, much to the ostrich’s relief. 1/1000 @ f5.6 ; ISO800.
A young elephant shows us how how big he can look when his ears are spread out; after a few paces he decided to scurry back to his mother with his tail between his legs. 1/1000 @ f4.0 ; ISO500.
We found the Tatowa female very far south in her territory one morning. She was heading even further south, scent marking along the way. Is her territory slowly shifting south, possibly with a bit of pressure from the females further north? 1/320 @ f4.0 ; ISO640.
Whilst watching vultures finish off the remains of an impala kill, we noticed the not-so-common Cape Vulture. One can see that the Cape vulture is slightly larger than the surrounding White-Backed vultures. They also have a very diagnostic “golden” eye. This was the first time I had seen this vulture in the wild. 1/2500 @ f4.0 ; ISO500.
The lighter maned Matimba male pauses his drink of water to look into the wind as he listens for the distant call of his brother. The two had split up overnight but managed to find one another the next day. 1/400 @ f4.0 ; ISO400.
The Tutlwa female rests up in the safety of the branches of a Marula tree in order to escape the impending heat of the summers day. 1/1000 @ f4.0 ; ISO500.
Stunning images Kevin. Fantastic sighting of the cape vulture. There status is now endangered.
Well Done Kevin – just LOVE the baby ellie who thinks he’s big and scary!!!!
Great images Kevin — the elephant calf is my favourite. Congrats on your 1 year anniversary at Londolozi! I’m sure it’s been the most amazing year!
Hi Kevin,
Happy New Year! Our few days with you and Ray in November were highlights of our time in SA. Enjoy getting to see some of your fotos. Especially nice that you captured some wild dog images.
I hope the drought has eased a bit. Congrats on your first year at Londolozi.
Best to Ray and Phil,
Mary and Vernon Rail
Love the brave little elephant and the White-backed vulture photos! See you in August, Kevin.
Judy Boch