It’s wonderful to reconnect with guests from the past. Michael Kalm (pictured below) saw the guest posts we have been sharing over the last few months and decided to submit his own pictures for us to enjoy. We always love looking back in time to see what animals were around back then; particularly the big cats. We present Michael’s pictures here:
Two memories will stay with us always; the wonderful five days we spent at Londolozi in 2013 and our “membership” in the magnificent Londolozi Blog since then.
The descriptions, the stories, the narratives and especially the pictures in the blog, help us feel like we are still there. At first, most of the blog entries were done by the wonderful Londolozi guide/photographers. Then intermittently there would be an entry from a visiting guest, often a highly skilled photographer with wonderful state of the art equipment.
But it occurred to me that some photos that I had captured with my relatively lowly Canon SX-50 were quite remarkable in their own right so I have decided to share just a few of the 400 or so I took!
Enjoy…
Our intrepid group : Tracker Like Gumede, my wife Janet, ranger Mike Sutherland and me.
Two cheetahs on the alert. This was during a time when the previous mother and two cubs was around. Both of her cubs made it to independence
The young female felt it safe to take a snooze while her brother and mother kept watch.
A colourful crocodile sits in wait. The duckweed that would have been covering the waterhole it had been in would add to its camouflage when sneaking up to prey.
A Zebra glances warily over a shoulder
A herd of buffalo with a small calf; they have no idea what’s waiting for them around the corner…
The Sparta pride – who we no longer see on Londolozi – begin their approach towards the buffalo.
With one of the Majingilane males in tow, their chances of grabbing a buffalo immedieately went up.
The sub-adult lions would not be much use when hunting buffalo.
The buffalo form an impenetrable phalanx
The lions are patient…
Even a big male knows when he has met his match.
..and this time, the hunt was unsuccesful.
We came to Londolozi for the leopards, but stayed for the birds!
This feather we weren’t able to identify conclusively, but suspect that it may have come from an owl.
Usually one or two oxpeckers will adorn a zebra; this one had way more than normal on it.
As did this buffalo…
The greater blue-eared starling is one of Londolozi’s more beautiful birds. Fortunately it is also fairly common.
A purple roller; not quite achieving the fame of its lilac-breasted cousin, this species is still beautifully coloured.
Probably Africa’s most photographed bird; the lilac-breasted roller.
Our first leopard sighting was of the Nanga female, who was barely visible in a tree with its kill.
The Mashaba female – recognizable by her 3:3 spot pattern – has been territorial on Londolozi for a number of years now.
Her golden coat is emphasised by the beautiful light of the late afternoon.
Well at home in the marula trees that cover her territory, she often uses them as vantage points to look for prey.
Her two nose spots are unmistakeable!
Our fondest memories will be of the sunrises and sunsets…
Lovely images Michael. Great memories that stay with us that visited Londolozi forever. Looking at your photos bring back memories for me. The Sparta pride and the Magingilane. The Mashaba female was the first leopard we viewed at Londolozi when she was still the Vomba young female.
Nice pictures Michael. I feel the same as you described when discussing or remembering my time at Londolozi. A real Life changing event. With the Blog its like I have a daily game drive
“With the Blog its like I have a daily game drive” – so true!
Great images, great descriptions.
Memories of time spent in Sabi Sand are always special, especially if you have the good fortune to spend all or some of them at Londolozi. I’ve just returned but am looking forward to my next visit. Also, it’s not what kind of camera you own, but the passion and artistic eye that makes a good image. You’ve some lovely photos!
Really great photos Michael! Thanks for sharing!
Spectacular photos! What an incredible beauty the lilac breasted roller is! Why have I never heard of this fabulous bird?
Great photos, Michael, especially like the ones of Mashaba in the tree. 2013 is a long time ago though, you’ll just have to come back!
As I wrote to Ann, I would go back in a minute!
Hello Michael!
Fantastic photos!!! I specially liked the beautiful snoozing cheetah, the crocodile, the photo with the lions, the sweet young lion, the zebra with a lot of oxpeckers, and the buffalo, the greater blue-eared starling and the lilac breasted roller. Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos! I also will always
remember our stay at Londolozi and it would be lovely to go back!
Thank you so much! And yes, it would indeed be lovely to go back!
Beautiful – especially the feather shot!
Cool photos!!
I find it very difficult to cull any of thousands of photos from my trips to Londolozi. One in particular is a video of a beeding herrd of elephants that silently surrounded our vehicle before moving on. I can watch it daily!