I hope it never gets old saying this, but once again, another week of photographic splendour was had. And on that note, let’s get right into it…
The Plains Camp Male lions have enjoyed toying with a herd of buffalo that moved through the northern parts of the reserve. With the atmosphere being dry, moisture evaporating from the soil and dust in the air, some incredible scenes have been captured during sunset.
Birdlife has featured pretty highly this week in a diverse collection of some stunning colourful birds.
The wild dogs and their pups have continued to provide some top-quality viewing as the pups are spending the majority of the time outside of the den during the day, no longer only coming out when the adults call them out.
And lastly, quite an ironic and iconic sighting of the Plaque Rock Female leopard on the actual rock in which she was named after, Plaque Rock.
Enjoy this Week in Pictures…
The Two Young Plains Camp Male have been spending a fair amount of time on Londolozi. Growin in size and confidence, the next few months are going to be an interesting time whether they hang around a little longer and put pressure on the Northern Avoca Males and Birmingham Males, or whether they move on in search of a vacant territory.
Having now developed the full adult colouration the wild dog pups are no longer as soft and cuddly in appearance.
A Collared Sunbird searching for some of the last nectar in the flowers of the aloes as they are all now beginning to fruit.
Having endured the colder months of the winter the water temperatures have dropped, so in order to elevate their metabolic rate, crocodiles, who are cold blooded and have a body temperature that is very closely tied to that of their surroundings, pull themselves out of the water in order to bathe in the sun and warm up.
Little Bee-eaters are stunning birds often hunting from a perch to which they will most likely return after each attempt at catching their prey. From here they will either consumer their prey or scan the surrounding for the next potential victim.
The dry winter air has caused the soil to become dry and dusty. As this herd of two hundred Buffalo moves through the open grassy crests the cloud of dust is illuminated by the golden setting sun in the background.
One of the Plains Camp Males makes the first attempt on a buffalo that was lagging behind the herd. Almost successful in this attempt, luckily for this buffalo, it managed to get away with not just a few pretty serious claw marks on its rump but its life.
Unsuccessful in the first attempt the young males had lost the element of surprise and the buffalo was able to get away.
A magnificent Giant Kingfisher female perches on a rock alongside the watercourse of the Sand River, keeping a close eye out for any fish lurking near the surface.
The Plaque Rock Female settles herself down on the iconic Plaque Rock of Londolozi. This wide-angle image captures part of the setting sun on the western horizon while featuring the stunning leopard atop the boulders.
A pretty young playful female found along the river to the east of camp
Having just finished nursing from their mother the pups lick their lips before beginning a bout of play.
An aggressive display from a large hippo bull as he thrashes his head around in a wide yawn. Displays of dominance to ward off any intruders or rivals.
Intrigued by the movement within the vehicle the Picadilly Female’s cub stare was fixated on us.
Golden-breasted Bunting stands out as the stark contrast between the brightly coloured front of the bird against the dark soil of the banks of a mud wallow on which it is perched.
Two of the wild dog pups glance down at a sibling from the entrance to the den.
Beautiful shots and update, those Plains Camp Males are getting bigger in size,very impressive young males, interesting times ahead for the lion dynamics. Thanks
Yes, it is certainly going to be an interesting time ahead. The Plains Camp males are growing and with the vacant western region of Londolozi I am sure they will hang around for a little longer.
Terrific TWIP! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Darlene.
Spectacular. This time our first choice are the buffalo, the female kingfisher and the Plaque Rock with the leopard at sunset.bravo!
Thank you Francesca.
Stunning photo of the kingfisher! Thanks.
Thank you, Doug.
Sean, dare I say the same…a spectacular week of photographs. Hard to pick my fav, the buffaloes in the dusty sunset..the giant kingfisher….gosh I give up. Well done to everyone who contributed , they are all amazing 🙏💓
Thank you Cally, it was a tough choice this week.
I don’t know Sean…those wild dog pups still look pretty cute and cuddly to me!! 😉 Amazing photos, all of them!
Glad to see Plaque Rock looking so beautiful! Did you ever find the beta female dog’s den site?
Hi Lisa. Sadly, we believe that the beta female wild dog pups have been killed.
Oh nooo that is terribly sad.
Those two young Plain Camp males are stunning lions. Wonder what they are up to. Puppies are really getting bigger and bigger and now you can see the different personalities between them. Love the plague rock female foto and the one where she is lying on her rock. The cub of the Picadilly female is very inquisitive and makes sure it sees everyone and everything. Foto’s this week absolutely stunning and beautifully set out Sean, thanks for your hard work and all the people that took foto’s.
Thank you, Valmai. It was another amazing week had by all involved.
Amazing pics as usual-thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Marc.
Oh my word, what an incredible variety of wonderful photos, well done to you all. I ‘ve added several to my Favourites but they are all stunning. And Plaque Rock (on Plaque Rock!) will always be one of my favourite leopards – I think when you see one as a playful cub,(2018) and then a year later as a newly independent adult, it is extra-special.
Thank you, Suzanne. Having the Plaque Rock Female on Plaque Rock was an incredible sighting. I am so happy you have such an affinity towards her.
Stunning Pictures. The dog pups are still very cute.
Hi Christa, yes they are cute but now appearing more and more like their parents.
Fantastic selection of photos this week, especially that Kingfisher and the Piccadilly cub. It looks like the Plains Camp males will be a new force in the lion dynamics mix. From where did they originate?
Hi Denise, thank you. I think the Plains Camp Males will hang around a little longer and hope that no larger males move through and push them out.
Always enjoy viewing TWIP. I have so many favorites this week that I just can’t pinpoint it to one, but I did add them to my favorites. I must say the one wild dog pup is loaded with ticks.
Thank you, Linda. It was a great selection this week.
Thank you for your stunning TWIP!…. absolutely beautiful
Thank you Pauli.
Thank u for all the stunning photos. Once again. Thoroughly enjoy,the daily,and weekly ,updates. Always looking forward,to the next updates.
Thank you, Jos.
Awesome pics guys! Those wild dog pups are too cute, and the pics of the beautiful birds are lovely.
Thank you, Carly.
Another spectacular TWIP. Thanks Sean, Each picture holds its own story of the wild bush. I liked the kingfisher pic, beautiful. Oh, the croc was pretty spectacular as well.
Thank you, William. there were some amazing images this week.
Even by the very high standards of TWIP , there are some spectacular photos
Thank you, Ian.
Lovely photos, particularly the Kingfisher. Can’t wait to be with you in a few weeks time, camera equipment is packed and ready!!
Thank you, Liam. That is awfully exciting. We look forward to having you here, travel safely.
I think the puppies still look fluffy and playful!
A really good TWIP and some beautiful shots of the cats and birds. Also lovely to see the wild dog pups – they really are so cute. Thank you for sharing.
Great shots Sean! Hoping to focus on more bird shots on our next visit!
Thanks, Michael and Terri. Yes, we should definitely focus on some bird photography. it can be so much fun.