Shenton Safaris - African S · Thursday, May 27, 2010 1. Shenton Safaris - Photographic Newsletter...
Transcript of Shenton Safaris - African S · Thursday, May 27, 2010 1. Shenton Safaris - Photographic Newsletter...
Thursday, May 27, 2010
1. Shenton Safaris - Photographic Newsletter
1.1.
1.2. August 2009 issue
N.B. this newsletter starts at the bottom and works up towards the top...
1.3. Little ones - 14th August
Those of you who have been receiving this newsletter for years will remember the
Hollywood pride. After the death of their pride male, they were pushed out of the area
some time last year by the dominant Mwamba Pride.
They're back! We're almost positive this beautiful lioness below is of the exiled
Hollywood Pride. At the moment we have seen four lionesses in this group, two of
whom are suckling cubs - although only one group of three cubs are currently on
show.
They're patrolling the exact same area the Hollywood's used to with the same
territorial boundaries and they hunt in the same clever format and specialise in puku
and impala (as opposed to the Mwambas who specialise in buffalo). Additionally they
are strikingly beautiful with a facial structure quite different to the scruffy Nsefu
females (who seem to have moved to this side of the river) and the intense Mwambas.
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And to my little one - Saphire out on an area we call 'the shelf' as it is so stocked with
game; looking alternately cute then cheeky as she ran around taunting me by popping
puku and impala pellets (i.e. poo) in her mouth before I could get to her!
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This lovely calm elephant and her babe clambered around the ancient roots of this
ebony tree picking up the sweet fallen fruits.
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1.4. Fishing Party - August 13
We passed Fish Eagle lagoon just as a group of 36 Eastern Pink Backed Pelican came in
to land.
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Within seconds the group number had dropped to 35 as one unfortunate was taken by
a croc. We're always commenting on how amazing it is that the crocodiles and
waterbirds fish in such close quarters without more birds being taken. Proof below
that it does happen.
Below you can see the fish leaping in front of the crocodile onslaught
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A few yellow bills...
Two beautiful Fish Eagles calling in tandem. This territorial pair are often perched
together on this dead tree, however it's really difficult to get close to them before they
fly off. We got lucky this morning.
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1.5. The thoroughly awsome expanded hippo hide... 11 August
I went hippo hiding early this morning, I never cease to be excited by the new
eye-level add on to this very special hide. Minutes after we arrived (unfortunately
before the sweet light hit the hippos in front) this pair arced up into a fight.
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This fight was taking place about 2 metres from our faces and in fact when the loser
went into his submissive muck spreading posture (see demonstration below from a
hippo slightly further away later on) we all had to bring our cameras back in and duck
for cover!
I LOVE the photo below, to most of you it really probably isn't that special, but you
know when you get a bee in your bonnet about a photo you want, that you've seen in
your mind and in the field so many times and you cannot catch it on the card...
Much like whales clearing their blowholes, hippos surface and force water out of their
nostrils with a big burst of air, making a lovely spray. However as they tend to clear as
they rise, and you have no idea they're coming up until they are up and you hear the
snort, I usually miss the moment.
Below there was a whole concerto of hippos nostril clearing, the water was backlit by
the sun and then gently wafted by the breeze. It hung around long enough for me to
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fire off a couple of shots. Quite chuffed really.
And to the hide itself... Derek had to sneak across the Mwamba river and scramble
down the face of the bank opposite to take this shot of my brother, Ben and I in the
hide.
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I caught this series of the mating Pied Kingfishers from the same hide. They were
sitting on the dead tree hanging out over the river to the right of Derek in the image
above.
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And on the bank opposite the hide down at Accacia loop (which is directly behind
Derek in the shot above) the Mwamba lionesses came down for a drink.
We eventually dragged ourselves out of the hide to have an gentle drive around Fish
Eagle loop and came across the below Ele's (still gorging on Mchenja berries) and an
unusual group of Kudu with only 2 females and about 5 males.
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And just back to the awesome hippo hide for a sec, our hydrophone arrives today. So
as of tomorrow all guests to the hippo hide will be able to listen to the unerwater
sonar communication of the hippos that is completely inaudible above water. Not much
is known about this form of their communication so we're all really excited.
1.6. The frog that didn't make it... - 9 August
These shots were taken just outside our front door. I was in the house with Saphire
when I heard the distinctive squeek of a frog that has been caught by a snake.
Shame, poor little fellow, he put up a valient fight, but the outcome was fairly certain
from the first bite. The stripe bellied sand snake is only very slightly venomous and it
took a long time for the frong to succumb.
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1.7. Lions on buffalo - 5 August
Pat and Al were with guests in Kaingo's ebony grove when these two young lions
started trying to take down this buffalo. It was so near to the house they radioed me
in to join them.
It was quite tough to watch as the lions were young and inexperienced and the
buffalo, whilst also young, was resilient meaning the battle went on for hours.
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It went on for so long that the lions decided it might be prudent to stop and take some
respite from the hot sun. Shortly after I took the photo below the lions got up and
walked about 50ms off to rest in the shade to keep watch.
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Seemingly unaware he was free, or in such a state of shock and physical exhaustion
the buffalo stayed where he was - corralled between some pieces of fallen mopane.
We returned again at midday to check and found the buffalo had moved quite a
distance and was sitting on the water's edge with the lions sitting above him on the
bank, waiting for the heat of the day to pass.
Coming back at sundown we found the below scene (apologies for the poor photo
quality, the light had all but gone and we didn't want to cause the buffalo any further
distress by lighting the scene).
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Some point during the night he succumbed to the lions, when we returned the
following morning we found the rest of this section of the Mwamba Pride had joined
the two on the kill and there was very little left.
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1.8.
1.9. Elephant and Winterthorn - 1 August
2. Hi and welcome to the August edition of Office Africa.
3. I have decided to try something new with a blog format where I update the newsletter more
regularly through the month (from the top down). This is in an attempt to get some news to you more
promptly...
4. I love the photo of this elephant, purely as it shows the majesty of the Winterthorn tree. This was a
very large cow and yet she is dwarfed by this ancient tree.
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How cute is this teeny, furry, baby elephant!!!
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Until next time
4.10. Jules
Previous Issues
July 2009
March 2009
October 2008
August 2008
June 2008
December 2007 Newsletter
September 2007 Newsletter
July 2007 Newlsetter
February 2007 Newlsetter
December 2006 Newsletter (July images)
June 2006 Newsletter
Leopard Interlude
May 2006 Newsletter
October 2005 Newsletter
Rains 2006 Newsletter
September 2005 Newsletter
August 2005 Newsletter
July 2005 Newsletter
June 2005 Newsletter
May 2005 Newsletter
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