Helen and I travelled to Chobe River with CNP Safaris in March this year. That time of the year is fondly called ”the Jacana season” because African Jacanas were normally in the midst of their breeding season. This was the time when wildlife photographers would be able to see and photograph Jacana chicks with their fathers and all the fascinating behaviour that entailed. “The river has great wisdom and whispers its secrets to the hearts of men.” ~ Mark Twain During this trip, the Chobe River levels were considerably lower than average. Measurements of the water level of the Zambezi River at Ka ..read more

The weather was variable in the week we visited Kruger at the end of February this year. It was overcast and raining for periods on most days and very windy on some days. Both mammals and birds do not like the windy conditions because it disrupts the hearing and smelling senses making them more vulnerable to predators. “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” ~ Anthony J. D’Angelo The vegetation was very thick in mid-summer making mammal sightings more difficult. The area from the Numbi gate to Skukuza had very thick bush. This meant that sightings of mamm ..read more

We visited Kruger National Park in February this year. Our focus was in the southern western section of Kruger including Pretoriuskop, Berg-en-dal and Skukuza camps. That time was late summer in southern Africa and the migrant birds were enjoying the warmth and abundance of food that summer conditions brought. Kruger Parks’ slogan – Custos Naturae which means Guardian of Nature Our base was Pinelake Resort next to Lake Longmere just outside White River and we travelled into Kruger through the Numbi gate. After looking around Pretoriuskop camp we drove to Shitlhave dam. The area around the dam ..read more

In mid-January, Helen and I visited our daughter and her partner in Dubai. January was mid-winter in Dubai so the day temperatures were not too hot and the evenings were very pleasant. Dubai has first world infrastructure and there is an amazing variety of things to see and do in this desert locale. It offers snow skiing slopes to rainforests and everything in between. Obviously all of these attractions are in buildings. One of the many places we visited in Dubai was the Green Planet. This is an indoor multi-story biodome that recreates a tropical forest microcosm exhibiting considerable diver ..read more

My enthusiastic birding wife, Helen, and I visited Marievale Bird Sanctuary at the end of January this year. For us this is a place of practice, fun and wonder at the constant changes. The Highveld in South Africa had very little rain this summer season because of the El Niño effect. Although milder than the 2015 El Niño, this time it was classified as strong and remained so until March. The effect brought drier, hotter weather. “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” ~ Anthony J. D’Angelo The birdlife you are likely to see in this wetland is highly depen ..read more

The Masai Mara is well known for its relatively high density of predators. The Mara offers cheetahs plenty of space and unimpeded views across the plains. This helps them find prey and avoid competing predators such as lions, hyaenas and leopards. Cheetahs are diurnal hunters so tend not to come into contact with nocturnal hunters such as lions, hyaenas and leopards during the day. Night is a dangerous time for cheetahs and they need to hide and keep out of the way of nocturnal predators. “The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans.” ~ Jim ..read more

The Mara Triangle is part of the Masai Mara National Reserve which is located in the south west section of Kenya. The Triangle comprises 510 square kilometers, which is approximately one third of the entire Masai Mara National Reserve. The Serengeti is the Triangle’s southern border. The Mara river is its eastern boundary and the Oloololo Escarpment is its western boundary. “The value of a work lies in its newness: the invention of new forms, or a novel combination of old forms, the discovery of unknown worlds or the exploration of unfamiliar areas in worlds already discovered – revelations, s ..read more

On the first afternoon of this Mara trip with Wild Eye, we found four lionesses near the lugga that led down to where we saw Nshipai, a leopardess. There were no wildebeest or zebra to be seen. The migration had moved down into the Serengeti three weeks earlier. The lionesses had managed to kill a Reedbuck, but the pickings were slim for four adult hungry lionesses. The second morning we found the four lionesses on the move traveling north. One lioness was younger than the other three and was limping. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” ~ African Proverb A ..read more

We were based at Wild Eye’s Enkishui camp in the southern end of the Mara Triangle. The camp is located on the western bank of the Mara river about two kilometres up river from the Purungat gate. I really enjoy late September-October in the Mara because the crowds have disappeared and the skies are full of cumulus and cumulonimbus cloud formations in the afternoons creating wonderful backgrounds for our wildlife photography. “Nature, especially wilderness, has a calming effect on the mind” ~ Percy Fernandez What was unusual about this trip was the migration had left three weeks before we arriv ..read more

In October last year I joined a photographic group at Wild Eye’s Enkishui camp. This camp is sited on the banks of the Mara river about two kilometres up river from the Purungat gate and rangers’ camp. There camp is located in a croton grove which attracts a variety of small wildlife. The camp was initially sited at this location to prevent the high level of wildebeest deaths when they crossed the Mara at this point. The carcasses floated down river and got snagged on the rocks near the Purungat bridge making the smell from July to September at this point of the migration unbearable. The posit ..read more