Winter in the bush has a way of slowing down time just enough for you to take it all in. The crisp morning air, the golden low-angled light framing wide sunrises and sunsets and often hazy, almost diffused light through smoke and dust make the quieter moments and star-studded night skies of this beautiful landscape feel endless.
Capturing large herds of elephants feeding along the Sand River and majestic kudu bulls silhouetted against these hazy, golden sunsets offered some of the most serene photographic moments of the week.
Around camp, winter also brings the striking bloom of the aloes (a vibrant burst of colour we can thank Varty camp stewardship for), which has brought a flurry of sunbird activity right to our doorstep. I even managed to sneak a photograph of my personal favourite, the African Paradise Flycatcher. Out in the bush, the reserve has been providing endless entertainment as always; spending a morning on the Sand River watching the white-fronted bee-eater colony darting across the water was an absolute highlight.
The predators have certainly delivered their own drama too. We had incredible sightings of the Shingi male leopard, a female cheetah, and heavy-hitting lion dynamics with both the Gijima and N’waswitshaka Males making their presence known.
On a personal note, this Week In Pictures holds a unique weight for me – it marks my final TWIP as a guide at Londolozi. Spending these last seven days in complete awe of the pure magic and raw beauty of this place, I found myself reaching for the camera not just for the action, but whenever an emotion was stirred. I caught myself photographing around camp more than usual, appreciating the familiar spaces through a new lens and taking a moment to absorb every detail. It will be missed.
Let us know your favourites in the comments section below.
Enjoy This Week In Pictures…
A backlit white-fronted bee-eater takes flight along the sand river in the early morning light. These incredible birds are some of the best aerial fliers, banking from left to right with ease. Often the best way to photograph them is to simply pick a perch, focus on that and wait.
The four Young N’waswitshaka males have become very noticeable in the last month. At barely 4 years old, they settled their territory in southern Sabi Sands (an area previously controlled by the two more experienced Gijima males). With the Gijima males having moved in a northerly direction, the Young N’waswitshaka have taken the opportunity to hold the vacant territory in the southern parts of Londolozi.
The Shingi male has continued to provide excellent viewing, even as he has been forced into independace with the Nkoveni female raising a new litter of cubs. While not good for her, we can only hope he sticks around a little longer…
The last surviving cub of a litter of three, he is on the cusp of independence.
The Shingi male streches and cleans his claws after a day of rest. Look at this blog for more as to why: https://blog.londolozi.com/2026/07/21/sharper-than-they-seem-the-science-of-a-leopards-claw/
Camp can provide some incredible photographic oppourtinues. Especially in winter. A Male white bellied sunbird flutters in the aloes at top office, never ease, but always rewarding.
The darker maned Gijima Male is a seriously impressive lion, and while he has a slight injury to his hip, there’s no doubting with a stare like this that he means business.
Star photography takes patience and practice (neither of which I have practised much of!) It’s something I’ve always wanted to try, and here the milky way over a dead leadwood tree was a pretty spectacular setting to give it a go.
The two Kambula lionesses with 8 young cubs ventured across onto Londolozi for a day, in which they managed to kill a warthog. Perhaps one of the very first tastes of meat for these cubs.
With fire breaks burning regularly, there is always a hazy sunset to be found this time of year. A large kudu bull makes it that much more impressive
My favourite bird: the (male) African Paradise Flycatcher, hidden in the undergrowth around camp. The breeding male has ludicrous central tail feathers, up to twenty centimetres in length.
Arguably the most striking of the sunbirds: a scalet-chested sunbird. With the light just right, notice the purple iridescent fleck on the shoulders
A unique view, nesting along the banks of the Sand River, the white-fronted bee-eater colony is worth visiting and provides unique photographic opportunities, like this bird flying towards its hole in the bank below us
The young sub-adult male on the Mungheni pride, now on the run from the Nkumati Coalition, was found hunting buffalo (admittedly half-heartedly for his age and size) one morning.
Taking flight from the bank.
The Xinzele female has been an anomaly of late. From not being seen for about a week, to 3 full days spent on Ximpalapala koppie, there could be some exciting updates coming soon…
A stunning female found in the north. Successfully raised the Thumbela Female while establishing dominance in NW Marthly.
Taking a break from the warthog feast, this cub perched rather comfortably on it’s mothers full stomach. Can’t imagine that was as comfortable for her.
Hidden in plain sight. With a golden glow at sunset, the grass still incredibly long for this time of year, the 8 cubs running around and playing was one of the best sightings I’ve had in a long time. One wasn’t quite sure how to keep track of these 8 furballs popping in and out of the grass.
The collared sunbird is a tiny, short-billed sunbird with a metallic-green back and a yellow belly. The male has a green throat and a narrow purplish breast band; the female is duller, with a yellow throat and no breast band. Here, a female Collared Sunbird sits on the aloes in Founders car park
There’s simply nothing better than a fire in the African bush with the night sky above.
There is something majestic and peaceful about this scene that made me stop. A large elephant bull in wide angle under some even larger Marula trees.
My favourite view – the Sand River in the late afternoon light with a herd of elephants crossing through.
Never truly at rest, this female cheetah blends in incredibly well. Another great spot from tracker and friend Ray Mabilane.
This large yet shy male leopard has been seen more frequently recently on the eastern side of the reserve. With the Maxims male having such a large territory to cover, he seems to have slid in rather unchallenged, for now. Note the very distinctive triangular 3 spots on his right-hand side.
A beautiful winter’s blue sky, an alert cheetah on the hunt, and a herd of impala in the distance. What more could you ask for?
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on The Week In Pictures #766