Although we’re technically still at the beginning of spring, the soaring temperatures resemble more of those experienced during the summer months. A light drizzle at the end of last week coupled with the heat has seen the return of many insects, snakes and some of the migratory bird species. A plethora of mice and other rodents can be seen scurrying across the road just after sunset whilst the large flocks of red-billed queleas continue to provide a spectacle in the early morning and late afternoon.
Despite the rising temperatures, game viewing has once again been sensational this week with many leopards and lions continuing their constant battle for territorial supremacy, leading to erratic and unpredictable movements. The Tsalala young males, although looking slightly battered and bruised, are spending much of their time in the southern sections of Londolozi and have been seen scent marking that particular area. The Majingilane males continue their resistance against encroaching males as the Mantimahle coalition pushes further west from the eastern sections of the Sabi Sands. Large herds of elephants are congregating around the Sand River and surrounding dams in the hopes of cooling themselves off by bathing in the water or caking themselves in mud.
And lastly, a very big Happy World Rhino Day to all the conservation enthusiasts out there. Here at Londolozi, as the protector of all living things, we continue to commit ourselves to protecting these magnificent creatures.
Enjoy this Week in Pictures…
One of the Majingilane males walks into the rising sun. He and his brother were steadily moving in the direction of the distant contact calls from the third male. 1/400 at f/6,3; ISO 1000
A black and white image of a zebra often exaggerates its contrasting colours. These lines help to create a confusion for the eye, making it difficult for a predator to decipher one zebra from another, hence their collective noun dazzle. 1/5000 at f/5,0; ISO 1000
The Ndzanzeni young male is a striking resemblance of his father, the Inyathini male. This youngster is now about a year old and is becoming more and more independent of his mother. 1/2500 at f/5,0; ISO 1250
This female is a success story all in herself, being born as a single cub to the Riverbank 3:3 female in early 2012.
Two elephant bulls hone their skills whilst play fighting in a nearby dam. The warmer temperatures often result in elephants fully submerging themselves in water to cool down. 1/5000 at f/2,8; ISO 1000
A fresh track of the dark-maned Majingilane male seconds after he crossed the road. Despite their age, they continue to hold territory around Londolozi and the western sector of the Sabi Sands. 1/8000 at f/4,5; ISO 800
A large flock of Red-billed queleas moves towards the Sand River to roost for the night. These flocks swarm down to the river in their thousands each evening to drink and bathe before finding a roosting spot. 1/8000 at f/7,1; ISO 1250
A Cape buffalo stares into the vehicle as the rest of the herd wallow in the mud. These large herds have been concentrating on the southwestern parts of Londolozi, looking forward to the coming rains and the nutritious grass likely to grow as a result. 1/320 at f/5,0; ISO 800
The Mashaba young female gazes into the setting sun with the golden light illuminating her beautiful coat. This young leopard is now scent marking certain portions of Londolozi in the hopes of establishing her own territory. 1/400 at f/5,0; ISO 1000
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
A relaxed dwarf mongoose peers out of a termite mound that it uses as a place of safety to evade birds of prey and other predators. Here, this dwarf mongoose was sunning itself in the early hours of the morning. 1/1250 at f/5,6; ISO 800
A wake of hooded and white-backed vultures descend on a buffalo carcass as the Manjingilane males slowly move off to seek shade late in the morning. 1/8000 at f/5,6; ISO 800
One of the Tsalala young male stares off into the distance, listening to other male lions vocalising in the nearby vicinity. These males, still relatively young, are moving sporadically throughout the Sabi Sands, in which they hope to eventually establish a territory. 1/6400 at f/5,6; ISO 1000
After the death of the Piva male, the Inyathini male is constantly expanding his territory and now occupies an enormous portion of Londolozi. 1/1000 at f/5,6; ISO 1250
Another leopard who originated in the Kruger National Park, he has established a large territory in the south eastern areas of Londolozi.
The sporadic movements of the wild dogs make them extremely difficult to find and subsequently follow but when we do it is always an exhilarating experience. They are animals that hunt by tiring their prey out and can run up to 50km/h for about five kilometers. 1/5000 at f/5,6; ISO 1250
The Nkoveni female peers into the Sand River in the hopes of relocating her young cubs that she left overnight. It is necessary that she leaves them in order to patrol territorial boundaries and hunt for food. 1/4000 at f/2,8; ISO 1600
This young male steenbok has been seen around the airstrip a lot lately and seems to be establishing a territory in the hopes of attracting a female mate. 1/6400 at f/5,0; ISO 1000
Two of the Mashaba female’s tiny cubs play with each other as their mother gets some much-needed rest in the nearby shade. This female currently has three cubs, something that is fairly unusual and very exciting to see. 1/1250 at f/5,0; ISO 1250
The Mashaba female is currently Londolozi’s best-known leopard. Her relaxed nature means she is comfortable around the vehicles.
A grey heron successfully catches a Mozambique tilapia whilst perched in the middle of a dam close to camp. These birds are also nesting at the moment and pairs of grey herons are raising young chicks throughout Londolozi. 1/4000 at f/5,6; ISO 1000
The Ndzanzeni female and her male cub slake their thirst as the morning and daytime temperatures continue to soar. As you can see from the photograph, they are very similar in size now. 1/4000 at f/5,6; ISO 1250
This female is a success story all in herself, being born as a single cub to the Riverbank 3:3 female in early 2012.
Gorgeous, stunning photos especially the last shot. For many people that would be the photo of a lifetime. Though the Cape Buffalo photo is a cracker
Great to see you back on the blog Callum, great pictures, as always.
Amazing photographs! I particularly enjoyed the Majingilane male walking into the sunset! Very cool. Out of interest, what camera settings did you use for that pic 😉
Thanks very much Rich! 😉
Stunning pictures this week Callum. Love the Nzadzeni female and her cub drinking together.
Thanks Marinda! A visit from you is long overdue!!
Always too difficult to pick a favorite photograph. Such beauty captured. However, the Nkoveni female photo caught my eye because of the white of the tip of her tail. Such a stand out spot in a really lovely scene. As always, thanks for sharing.
Many thanks for the compliments Lucie, I am glad you enjoyed them all.
Incredible photo’s as usual!! Favourites had to be the Majigilane male, the wild dog and, best if all, that stunning shot of the Nkoveni female!
Thank you Callum. I appreciate the kind words!
Pleasure!
Love the photo of Nkoveni and the one of Mashaba’s cubs.
Thank you very much Susan!
Beautiful Photos! Love, love, love the two leopards drinking!
Many thanks Darlene.
Wow, all beautiful images Callum! The Tsalala young male is really beautiful! Would you mind telling me what camera and lens(es) you used?
Thanks Jill. I am currently shooting with a Canon 7D and 100-400mm mark 2 lens.
Continue to admire your photography! Glad to see the progress of the Ndzanzeni female–my all time favorite photo subject.
Sarasota in November?
Thanks very much Vin and good to hear from you. I will be sure to visit sometime next year. Kind regards.
The pictures are Awesome Callum especially the tsalala male.Complementary environment and beautiful animals is simply magical.Keep them coming.Applause to you.
Many thanks for the compliments Eulalia. It is greatly appreciated and I am glad you enjoyed the Week in Pictures.
These are all wonderful pictures of the bush, that keeps me hooked to my pc every day! Thank you for them & have a great week & I look forward to lots more 🙂
Callum we are visiting Londolozi end of November, beginning December. So excited. Can’t wait.