With winter firmly behind us now, the days are warming up significantly, and the bush is finally drying out slightly. Why I mention this is that the dust in the air is now creating the most stunning light in the early morning and evening as the sun approaches the horizon. Golden light bathes most scenes and adds a stunning layer of orange and yellow hues.
Once again we have a relatively predator-rich week with a lot of great leopard sightings, featuring the Nkoveni Trio on different occasions, and the Maxim’s Male. The Mother cheetah and her youngster have made a number of appearances too.
The Dark-maned Northern Avoca Male and one of the Ndzehnga Males with a Ntsevu Female feature on the lion front.
A couple of zebra in gorgeous light, a cheeky hippo and a whole host of birdlife also make it into this week’s selection.
Let us know your favourite image in the comments section below.
Enjoy this Week in Pictures…
With the setting sun beyond this pair of zebra, the golden light made for the perfect photographic opportunity.
Constantly on the look out from the top of a termite mound.
The Nkoveni Female chooses a comfortable horizontal branch in a marula tree to rest in between bouts of feeding on the impala carcass in the background.
A gorgeous female who is found to the east of camp. Easily recognised by her 2:2 spot pattern she is often to be found in Marula trees.
As a dominance display to ward off any threats or competitors hippos will lunge out of the water to expose their impressive canines before thrashing their heads through the water and plunging below the surface.
One of the Nkoveni Young Females rests in the shade on a hot afternoon.
A stunning young female with a very similar spot pattern to her mother, the Nkoveni Female. Litter still completely intact March 2022.
One of the Ndzhenga Males rests in a clearing near one of the Ntsevu Females, the two had been mating.
Using its large yellow eye this Brown Snake Eagle scans the open grassland below for its next meal.
The Ntsevu Female fixates her gaze on a distant wildebeest while we wait for a while hoping that they will mate.
The Maxim’s Male uses a termite mound to scan the distant crest where a herd of impala were alarm calling.
Fairly skittish male that is presumed to have come from the Kruger National Park.
Patiently waiting as his mother stalks a herd of impala in the distance.
We thought the last of the aloes had finished flowering, but this Black-headed Oriole managed to find one last late flowering one.
The young cheetah yawns as a response to its mother standing up and getting ready to move on.
Having stopped next to a water hole for our morning coffee break, we were joined by a herd of zebra that came to drink – unperturbed by all of us standing out of the vehicle!
With a spurt of energy one of the Nkoveni Young Females dashes up into the upper branches of a fallen marula tree.
Also young and playful but rather with a spot pattern of 3:2. She is slightly bigger than her sister.
Before then scratching her head on a little stump.
While the rest of the Talamati Pride feed on a buffalo kill behind him, the Dark-maned Avoca Male lifts his bloodied face for a moment.
Waiting on top of this small bare termite mound, we were unsure if this Yellow-billed Hornbill was warming up in the sun, trying to fish ay termites out of the mound or possibly waiting for a family of dwarf mongooses residing in the mound to emerge and begin foraging.
The captivating glare of the beautiful Nkoveni Young Female. Along with her sister – they are slowly approaching independence and growing into amazing leopards.
African Hawk-eagles are phenomenal hunters, that can hunt from a perch such as this. Overlooking a waterhole beneath waiting for birds to come and drink, they will wait for the opportunity to strike.
Those leopard & cheetah eyes staring at the lens is captivating! I also find the brown snake eagle a beautiful bird.
There is something special about that connection of a predator staring into the lens. It is also a cracking shot of the Snake Eagle.
I have 2 favorites: zebra’s drinking and the Nkoveni Young Female.
Those are two great choices. Thank you, Sandra.
Great TWIP! Enjoyed all the photos! Our favorite is the two cheetah with the youngster yawning as mama prepares to move on. All the photos were terrific! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much, Darlene. It is almost a little bit comical with the way the young cheetah is yawning.
Hi Sean, my favorite picture this week is the two Zebra standing next to each other, and having a drink. Not worried at all that the Land Rover was there. So many beautiful pictures and a vast variety. Loved the Nkoveni leopard cubs that soon will be on their own.
Those are some fantastic images that you have chosen this week.
Very hard choice again! I also in between the zebra in golden light, the cheetah, the Nzenga male and theNkoveni young female… in the end I had to choose her. She’s just perfect and the pictures show her whole beauty
I agree that the Nkoveni Young Female is such a stunning leopard.
The oriole as to be my favorite this week. The yellows are so cheerful! 💛
The image of the Oriole is so stunning with its vibrance and pop of beautiful colours.
Wonderful TWIP Sean! The young male cheetah is exceptionally good looking so I suspect his mum is quite a good hunter, keeping him looking fit. As I scrolled through the photos, I kept returning to Kirst’s portrait of the Avoca male – blood and grass smeared face evocative of the recent kill and the feeding frenzy that usually occurs, so that’s my vote for this week.
The young cheetah is in great condition, so yes it is safe to assume that his mother is a great hunter and is doing a sterling job in raising him.
The most wonderful photos again this week. I love them all: the beauty of the leopards, the mother cheetah and cub, the great bird photos, the zebras, the hippo frightening away competitors and all the lions. Thanks so much!
Thank you so much, Christa.
Loved the zebra pics – those were lovely – always so photogenic, as well as the black and white lion. Beautiful 😊
Zebra are incredibly photogenic and a black and white image of a male lion also has something profound about it.
Black headed oriole and the Nkoveni female on the horizontal branch
Those are two great choices.
Definitely the pensive look on the Nkoveni Young Female
She is deep in thought, the clarity of the eyes makes you feel as though you are there in person.
Nick’s snake Eagle photo wins for me this week.👍🤩😍 🦅
Being able to see the bright yellow eyes of the Snake Eagle adds a certain intensity to the image, doesn’t it?
Sean, my favorite picture this week is the first shot of the two zebra’s with the setting sun behind them. Truly a remarkable shot.
It is a remarkable shot, the golden lights adds to the image in such a magnificent way.
Great pics guys. My favourite this week is the Black headed Oriole or the two zebra’s drinking at the waterhole!
The Black-headed Oriole is such a stunning bird and the aloes surrounding it make the most gorgeous scenery.
Once again, visual richness. Thank you. The hippo picture was amazing and I learned a dominance ritual for that species. I always love to look at the birds you manage to capture. Africa has such varied and fantastic bird life.
Thank you so much, Carolyn. Yes, the hippo thrashing its head around and yawning is a sign of dominance. We are spoilt with a variety of birdlife here.
Gorgeous photos as usual. Another subject, but am I to understand that the Tsalala Female and Mungheni Female are hanging out together?
Thanks so much, Johanna. Yes, the Tsalala Female is now moving around with one of the Mhangeni Lionesses.
Awesome week of photos, and loving the representation of the cheetah!!