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 diversity of over 3 200 plants and animals. The light, humidity and temperature are controlled to mimic conditions in the rainforest. This biodome has four levels which enable visitors to see different fauna and flora at different levels of the rainforest. Its focus is on conservation and education. This post shows some of the birds and animals we saw in the Green Planet.

“New ideas that fly in the face of conventional wisdom of the day are always greeted with doubt and scorn, even fear.” ~ John C. Bogle

Ross’s turaco is a medium-sized bird, with a long tail and broad, round wings. It has spectacular purple-blue plumage with a yellow bill and wide yellow eyering and a fluffy red crest. It shows large crimson wing patches on its primary and secondary wing feathers in flight. Turacos have three toes on each foot that point forward, while the fourth toe can be rotated forward or backwards as required. This species prefers forests and wooded valley habitats.

Turacos are the only birds to possess true red and green colours. The turaco’s red pigment (turacin) and green pigment (turacoverdin) both contain copper. The beautiful red crest is raised when this species is excited. This species has an extremely large range across Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. These birds feed primarily on plants and fruit, but will occasionally eat insects.

A Hyacinth macaw is native to central and eastern South America. With a length (from the top of its head to the tip of its long pointed tail) of about one metre and is longer than any other species of parrot. It is the largest macaw and the largest flying parrot species. The tail is long and pointed and its feathers are entirely blue. The ring around the parrot’s eyes and the area just underneath the beak are a vibrant yellow. The Hyacinth macaw mostly nests in Manduvi trees, which rely on the toco toucan for 83.3% of the tree’s distribution of seeds. The toco toucan also feeds on around 53% of the Hyacinth macaw’s offspring and eggs

A Blue and Yellow macaw inhabits forest (especially varzea – a seasonal floodplain forest, and in open sections of terra firma or unflooded forest), woodland and savannah of tropical Central and South America, as well as the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. The plumage of this species is vivid with bright aqua blue feathers on its upper parts except for the head, which is lime coloured. The under parts are a rich deep yellow/light orange. Its beak is black, as are the feathers under its chin. Its feet are of a grey colour, and talons are black. This species has white skin on its face, with only small black feathers which form a striped pattern around the eyes. The irises are pale light yellow.

“Feathers fall; soft as a song, light as morning dreams.” ~ Eirene Evripidou

Green or Guinea turaco has an extremely large range and can be found in Western Africa from Senegal to Central African Republic, and as far south as Angola. The plumage on its chest, throat, neck and head and part way down its back is a brilliant green. The lower part of its back and its belly are blue. Its wings are a dark purplish colour. Its crimson red primary and secondary wings feathers are only fully evident in flight. It has a red eyering with a white patch in front of its eye reaching to its maxilla. It beak is small and pink in colour.

There are three other African turaco which look similar by virtue of their green plumage and red eyering such as Buffon’s, Livingstons, and Schalow’s turaco, but these species all have different arrangements of white lines in front and around their eyes.

“Turaco are beautiful to behold but show off their true colours when they take to flight.” ~ Mike Haworth

A Laughing kookaburra, one of four species of kookaburra which are terrestrial tree kingfishers. This species has a whitish head and a brown eye-stripe. Its upperparts are mostly dark brown but there is a mottled light-blue patch on the wing coverts. The underparts are cream-white and its tail is barred with rufous and black. The laughing kookaburra is native to eastern mainland Australia, but has also been introduced to parts of New Zealand, Tasmania, and Western Australia. This species is a perch hunter feeding on lizards, insects, worms, snakes, and mice.

There is a large genus of glossy starlings all of which occur in Africa south of the Sahara. They are so named because of their glossy blue and green upperparts. The Cape and Blue-eared glossy starlings have a yellow eye while the Burchell’s and Long tailed starlings have dark eyes.

A juvenile Green iguana. The green iguana ranges over a large geographic area. It is native from southern Brazil and Paraguay to as far north as Mexico. The green (or common) iguana is an arboreal and diurnal lizard found in tropical and subtropical regions. Living in warm and humid environments, iguanas spend a lot of their time climbing and then warming themselves on tree branches. Although iguanas cannot change their colours like a chameleon, they become darker when they are cold to absorb heat from the sun. Young iguanas are pale green with black rings on their tail and tend to spend more time on the ground. As they mature they climb more, and they change to an earthier colour. This species can growth to 1.7 metres or 5.6 foot in length.

“While it is relatively easy to recognize the perennial grasses and seed-eating sparrows as characteristic of meadows, the ecosystems exist in their fullest sense underground. What we see aboveground is only the outer margin of an ecosystem that explodes in intricacy and life below.” ~ Amy Seidl

Blue and Yellow macaw The blue-and-yellow macaw uses its powerful beak for breaking nutshells, and for climbing up and hanging from trees. As well as nuts, it will also feed on seeds, fruits, vegetable matter, bark and leaves, as well as insects, snails and small animals. This species can live for 35 years in the wild.

“It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.” ~ Aesop

A Palm cockatoo, also called the Great Black cockatoo. There are four sub species of black cockatoo in Australia. This species hide away high in the gum trees, feeding on delicious gumnuts, cawing loudly and distinctly. It is a distinctive bird with a large crest and has one of the largest beaks of any parrot (only the Hyacinth macaw’s is larger). This powerful beak enables Palm cockatoos to eat very hard nuts and seeds, and also enables males to break off thick (about 1 inch) sticks from live trees to use for a drumming display. The beak is unusual, as the lower and upper mandibles do not meet for much of its length, allowing the tongue to hold a nut against the top mandible while the lower mandible works to open it. The Palm cockatoo also has a distinctive red cheek patch that changes colour when the bird is alarmed or excited. The Palm cockatoo is found in rainforests and woodlands of New Guinea and Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia.

“Nature is the purest portal to inner-peace.” ~ Angie Weiland Crosby

Sloths—the sluggish tree-dwellers of Central and South America—spend their lives in the tropical rain forests. They move through the canopy at a rate of about 40 metres per day, feeding on leaves, twigs and buds. Sloths have an exceptionally low metabolic rate and spend 15 to 20 hours per day sleeping. There are two different types of sloths, two-toed and three-toed, and six species. This was a Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth. A sloth’s most common predators are jaguars and harpy eagles.

“Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not to suffer.” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli

A Ring-tailed lemur. Ring-tailed lemurs are named for the 13 alternating black and white bands that colour their tails. Ring-tailed lemurs live in south western Madagascar, in arid, open areas and forests. Unlike most other lemurs, ringtails spend 40 percent of their time on the ground, moving quadrupedally along the forest floor. The ring-tailed lemur habitat is shrinking at an alarming rate. Satellite images suggest that Ring-tailed lemur habitat is vanishing at an even greater rate than forest habitat in other parts of Madagascar.

A Toco toucan. It is the largest species of toucan and has a distinctive appearance, with a black body, a white throat, chest and upper tail-coverts, and red under tail-coverts. Its most conspicuous feature is its massive beak, which is yellow-orange with a black base and large black tip on its maxilla. Toco toucans mainly feed on fleshy fruits, but also supplement their diets with insects, eggs, and nestlings of other birds. It is endemic to South America, where it has a wide distribution from the Guyana to northern Argentina and Uruguay.

A Nicobar pigeon. This spectacular ground-dwelling pigeon has long, extravagant plumes trailing down from the neck. It inhabits small, densely forested offshore islands from the Indian Andamans to the Solomons and New Guinea. Its head is grey, like the upper neck plumage, which turns into green and copper hackles. The tail is very short and pure white. The rest of its plumage is metallic green. The cere on its dark bill forms a small blackish knob; the strong legs and feet are dull red.

The Silver pheasant is a species of pheasant found in forests, mainly in mountains, of mainland Southeast Asia and eastern and southern China. There are 15 sub species of the Silver pheasant. This species is omnivorous foraging on everything from seeds and plants to insects and worms. Pheasants spend almost their entire life on the ground, and are rarely seen in trees.

Victoria crowned pigeon. This is a large blue-grey pigeon with a decorative and elegant lace-like crest. Its breast is maroon and its eyes are red. This species is as large as an adult female turkey. This bird is the largest living pigeon and the closest remaining relative to the extinct dodo bird. It was named in honour of Queen Victoria for its flashy blue crown of intricate lace-like patterns and its regal poise. This ground-dwelling species of pigeon is wild in New Guinea and forages on the forest floor for fallen fruit. It is one of four species of ground-dwelling pigeons in New Guinea.

This was just a few of the birds and animals I could take images of when there was enough light and no people in the background.

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” ~ Earl Nightingale

The concept of a biodome is intriguing. It is a self-contained, self-sustaining, human-made environment. One way to think of it is as an ecosystem built by people. Inside, you might find any number of life forms, including plants, animals, fungi, and more. The biodome enables biologists and ecologist to simulate select ecosystems, such as the rainforest in the Green Planet. Three other major biodomes are in Montreal in Canada, the Burger’s Zoo in the Netherlands and the Eden Project in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. On the one side, a biodome enables the public to be immersed in a particular ecosystem getting to see its flora and fauna up close. It also has scientific value enabling scientists the ability to study species up close over an extended period.

“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

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 dependent on the level of water in the pools in the wetland in Marievale Bird Sanctuary. With so little rain this season the water level in the wetland was much lower than usual at that time of the year. Some residents are not majorly dependent on the water levels in the wetland pools. One such species is the Pin-tailed whydah. The male is usually very active courting every passing female. During the breeding season, the male whydahs grow very long tail feathers. Whydahs are brood parasites and differently coloured to widowbirds. The latter species have all black plumage with patches of colour on their shoulders and collars. Whydahs generally have a black cap and black upper parts but their belly, breast and throats are coloured as are their cheeks.

There are plenty of reeds for Southern red bishops to build nests but we did not see as many this visit as in the past because the rain had not generated a bounty of grass seed. This species of bishop is a small, dumpy sparrow-like weaver. The breeding male has a black face mask and black breast and belly. The back of its crown, its nape, upper parts and undertail coverts are a vivid scarlet red.

The low water level was ideal for the African snipe. This species is a small stocky wader with short legs and it uses its long beak to probe the muddy pool bed and water’s edge. They mainly eat insects, earthworms, small crustaceans, snails, spiders, and some plant material.

We normally see African snipe foraging on the edge of pools of water but with the water levels so low we saw this snipe wading through the water from one island to the next to forage.

“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” ~ Winston Churchill

An adult White-throated swallow perched on a dead log in front of the Hadeda hide. This swallow has a small rufous patch on the forehead and a diagnostic steel-blue breast band which creates a white throat patch.

The pair in front of the Hadeda hide were mating and preening themselves. There was no large pool of water in front of the Hadeda hide but this did not stop them frequently hawking insects from their perch.

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.” ~ Chief Seattle

The Greater-striped swallow perched on a dead log in front of the Duiker hide which looks onto a large pool of water. This species is a relatively large, beautiful swallow with a long, forked tail. Identification comes from its rufous cap, and rump, and pale buffy underparts with fine streaking. It is usually found in grasslands and wetlands.

The Yellow-billed duck is brown with a vivid yellow bill. Its belly and flanks have white scalloping on the feathers, giving it a scaly appearance, especially on the underparts. This dabbling duck is common but nomadic through Africa’s freshwater and brackish wetlands, where it forages for plants and invertebrates.

Dabbling ducks float high in the water, and paddle along skimming the water’s surface for food such as seeds and insects. They dabble when they stick their tails straight up in the air and put their head underwater to feed plants and worms on the pond bed.

A Red-billed teal. This small duck has a chocolate-brown ‘skull cap’, brown eyes, white cheeks, and a distinctive pink-red bill with a dark saddle. This is also a dabbling duck and although not migratory, it is nomadic looking for suitable water sources.

“Put simply, birds can choose with their wings. When things go wrong in an ecosystem, they will simply not return.” ~ Dr Steve Boyes

This species prefers foraging on open fresh water, with seeds and plant matter constituting most of its diet. The Red-billed teal prefers freshwater habitats in fairly open country. On this particular morning, the sun was shining on the reeds and the light reflected on the water surface created a beautiful background for this teal.

A petite Marsh sandpiper wading through the shallow water. This is a paleartic migrant which migrates to southern Africa during the southern hemisphere summer. This species prefers inland fresh wetlands and tends to avoid open sandbanks.

This species has a white eyebrow, as are the feathers at the base of the beak. The needle-like beak is black with grey base. The eyes are dark brown. The long legs are dull yellow to greenish-grey. Both sexes have similar plumage, but the female is slightly larger than the male.

A pair of Hottentot teals. This teal is another species of dabbling duck. It has a diagnostic blue bill and a chocolate brown crown. Its cheeks are beige and its neck, breast and belly are beige with dark brown spots.

As with all teal, this species has an iridescent green speculum on its secondaries, edged by narrow black and terminal white bars.

The level of the water in the open pools in the wetland has a strong influence on both the Greater and Lesser flamingoes. The water levels appeared to be ideal for flamingoes, not too deep but deep enough for them to feed easily. Surprisingly we found this lone Greater flamingo. Both flamingo species have black-tipped bills with a distinctive downward bend. The Greater flamingo has a light pink beak and small light pink eyering while the Lesser flamingo has a dark pink beak and a dark red eye ring.

The Greater flamingo is the larger of the two flamingo species seen in southern Africa. It has a very long neck and its body plumage is mostly white with flecks of pink. Its upper wing coverts are pink and the underwing colour of its primary and secondary feathers is black and can only be seen in flight or when they open their wings.

“Something is complete when you can let is be as it is.” ~ Antoine de Saint Exupéry

I was surprised to see this Purple swamphen avoid any conflict with the Red knobbed coot as they approached each other. The swamphen was much larger but just flew over the coot. The water levels were shallow enough for the swamp hen to wade through the water while the coot swam.

A male Yellow-crowned bishop perched on a seed stem looking for females to chase. This small bishop has a diagnostic yellow crown and yellow back feathers and yellow shoulders. It looks like a large yellow bumble bee when it flies. When the male is trying to attract females he raises his yellow back feathers making him look like a bumble bee. The male in breeding plumage resembles the yellow bishop, but the latter species is larger and lacks the yellow crown.

A Black heron walking along the edge of the open pool of water looking for a suitable place to hunt for small fish. It prefers shallow open waters, such as the edges of freshwater lakes and ponds. The Black heron uses a unique method of hunting. It opens its wings and shapes them like an umbrella in a method called canopy feeding. The umbrella creates shade which attracts fish.

“The camera makes you forget you’re there. It’s not like you are hiding but you forget, you are just looking so much.” ~ Annie Leibovitz

A lone male Red shouldered widow also called the Fan-tailed widow. The male has black plumes with red shoulder and a short tail. It is resident but not often seen.

A male Long tailed widowbird in display flight. The male has between six and 12 tail feathers which grow as long as half a metre. The tail is a key part of the flight display as it is expanded into a deep long keel below the body with slow deliberate wingbeats. The red-orange shoulder epaulets with a white border are highly visible during the display.

“We cannot become what we what to be by remaining where we are.” ~ Max DuPree

The dry conditions and reduced grass seed dictated that there were fewer females in the area which required the males to spend more time and effort chasing each other away from the relatively few females. The open grassland areas alongside the reed bed at the edge of the large open pools of water were punctuated by these territorially protective males.

Only after having visited Marievale many times do you get a sense of just how different the conditions and light can be, all of which dictate the type and number of birds you are likely to see. Many of the non-migratory birds such as flamingoes, herons, sandpipers and snipe are nomadic and will move to more productive feeding wetlands as moisture conditions change.

“For many of us, water simply flows from a faucet, and we think little about it beyond this point of contact. We have lost a sense of respect for the wild river, for the complex workings of a wetland, for the intricate web of life that water supports.” ~ Sandra Postel

Marievale Bird Sanctuary is situated in the Blesbok wetland which is a Ramsar site. The Blesbokspruit is the major river coursing through the wetland. The area is relatively flat which creates an extensive floodplain and wetland. Many species of birds and mammals rely on this wetland for food, water and shelter. These areas are carbon sinks storing carbon within their plant communities and soil instead of releasing it to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. They also act as a sponge retaining and filtering the water. Wetlands connected to underground sources of water are important because they retain water and provide time for it to filter down into aquifers. Since the closure of the Grootvlei gold mine adjacent to the wetland there have been concerns that its flooding would spill acid mine water into the wetland. The Eastern Basin Acid Mine Drainage chemical treatment plant nows plays a critical role in ensuring the quality of water feeding into the wetland remains unpolluted. This is especially so when the summer season has been so dry.

“Nature is so powerful, so strong. Capturing its essence is not easy – your work becomes a dance with light and the weather. It takes you to a place within yourself.” ~ Annie Leibovitz

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

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 Fowler

We were up and out of camp at 6h00 the first morning. After we had turned north onto the main gravel road we saw a female cheetah walking down the road towards us. It was unusual that she was soaking wet. It had not rained the night before so we assumed that she must have swam across the Mara river by herself at first light.

I cannot imagine how terrifying it must have been for her to cross the river knowing how many, and how big, the Nile crocodiles were in the river. Before she crossed the river she would not have known whether there were lions lying in the bushes on the other bank.

As this female cheetah strode towards us she was constantly looking around. It was still early enough for lions and leopards to be on the move and she needed to be very careful.

After she had walked past our game vehicle she turned right, off the road, and headed towards the lugga. We all held our breath because we knew that the leopardess, Nshipai, kept her cubs in that section of the lugga. In addition, the four lionesses we had seen finishing off the remains of a reedbuck the previous afternoon, were walking down the track to where we were parked.

As this female cheetah walked towards the lugga she looked very agitated. She must have been able to smell the leopards in that area and may have been down wind of the lions and picked up their scent too. We quickly drove to the other side of the lugga hoping she would not get tangled up with Nishpai.

“We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts.” ~ William Hazlitt

With a huge sign of relief from all of us in the game vehicle, the female cheetah emerged from the lugga without incident.

She started to walk up towards the ridge away from the road to get a better view of the area and see if there was any potential prey. Every 50 to 100 metres she would stop and look and listen.

After about quarter of an hour of walking she reached a small anthill which she stood on to have a look around. She sat on the anthill for some time just looking, listening and assessing area, we presume, for potential threats and/or prey. The next image shows the extent of the plains in this part of the Mara Triangle.

“Every creature was designed to serve a purpose. Learn from animals for they are there to teach you the way of life. There is a wealth of knowledge that is openly accessible in nature.” ~ Suzy Kassem

Female cheetahs are solitary except when rearing a litter. Mothers with cubs will usually stay with in close proximity of one another. Cubs usually leave their mother any time between 15 and 24 months old. Usually, females only come in contact with other cheetahs to mate. By contrast, male cheetahs often form coalitions of 2-3 in order to defend more land and take on bigger prey. These coalitions are mostly formed between brothers, but sometimes include outsiders. It is estimated that about 30% of coalitions are made up of unrelated males.

A solitary female cheetah cannot take on large prey so would normally hunt Thompson’s gazelle, reedbuck or young Topis or wildebeest. They may also try to capture young warthogs and scrub hares when they can find them.

After watching this female cheetah for about 45 minutes we left her in peace when she lay down to rest.

On a separate occasion after breakfast near the picnic site that overlooks the inselbergs looking south to the Serengeti, we found a coalition of two male Cheetahs who were hunting.

“Taking an image, freezing a moment, reveals how rich reality truly is.” ~ Anonymous

These two males were wandering across the plain looking for prey. They appeared to be relatively young adult males judging from the sharpness of their teeth and state of their ears.

After a brief rest and lookout on top of some prominent rocks, the coalition set their sights on a family of warthogs about three hundred metres away. They immediately started running. The grass was relatively long so they had to run by bouncing up every now and then to keep sight of their quarry.

Once the two males got close, the female warthog and her piglets dashed down a burrow leaving the male to ward off the intruders which he did without too much trouble. A cheetah will not risk getting gored by the tusk of a large male warthog.

The survey released in May 2023 by the Mara Predator Conservation Programme showed estimates for new cheetah density in the Masai Mara National Reserve and the surrounding wildlife conservancies measuring over 2000 square kilometres had reduced from 1.2 per cent (32 cheetahs) in 2021 to 0.88 per cent (22 cheetahs) in 2022. The survey showed that lion density and abundance in the Masai Mara ecosystem increased slightly while the cheetah population dropped by 31 per cent in the two years from 2021 to 2022.

The cheetah, which has suffered a dramatic 90 per cent decline over the past century, is becoming extinct in 18 countries where it once ranged. In 1900 there were over 100,000 Cheetahs. In 1970 their numbers plummeted to 20,000-25,000 cheetahs, and to this day there are only 10,000 cheetahs, with less than 10,000 adults surviving in Africa and a meagre 50 in Asia, mainly around Iran’s Kavir desert. One tenth of total cheetah population live in captivity.(Source: Big Cat Rescue).

“We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals… In a world older and more complete than ours, they are more finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear.” ~ Henry Beston

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

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, surprises.” ~ Octavio Paz

The Triangle mostly comprises vast open red oat grassy plains dotted with Balanite trees. There are forests along the river courses and inselbergs down in the southern section. I was in the Mara in early October which is low tourist season meaning that there are fewer people. Importantly, this is the start of the short rain season (November and December). At this time there are vast build ups of cumulus and cumulonimbus cloud formations in the afternoons creating colourful, moody and dramatic backgrounds for our wildlife photography.

A view looking west across the edge of the inselbergs towards the Oloololo escarpment. At times in the mornings there is a slight blue haze which disappears as the sun rises and the day warms up. At this point we were not far from the southern border with the Serengeti.

It is not uncommon to find predators, such as lions and Spotted hyaenas, on the road first thing in the morning. This is especially the case if it had been raining the night before. The road is probably the driest place to rest early in the morning. This female spotted hyaena was sucking her cub when our approach by vehicle disturbed her motherly duties.

This family herd of elephants were making their way from the foot of the Oloololo escarpment towards the riverine forest along one of the main drainage lines leading down to the Saparingo swamp near the Mara river.

“We live in an age of universal investigation, and of exploration of the sources of all movements.” ~ Alfred de Vigny

This is one of the few places you could see Masai giraffe browsing on bushes close to the ground. It seems incongruent to see the tallest mammal in the world feeding off the ground. The reason is the vast grassy plains have very few trees on them. The browsers probably feed on the young trees preventing them from growing into full sized trees.

The scene from our breakfast table one morning which our Wild Eye camp had set up for us half way up the Oloololo escarpment. This was close to the scene in the iconic film “Out of Africa” where Denys Finch Hatton and Karen Blixen were picnicking and gazing east over the Masai Mara’s vast plains.

“The vastness of the African wilderness humbles you, reminding you of your place in the grand canvas of life. Here, amidst the towering trees and endless plains, one feels an acute awareness of our connection to the natural world.” ~ Peter Matthiessen

One morning we ventured up north in the Triangle towards the Oloololo gate. There are many side roads which take you down to various crossing points along the Mara river. This is also an area with a higher density of riverine forests. We stopped to watch the antics of the Olive baboon troop which was making its way along the side of the road towards the Mara river. Many of the youngsters were playing while others caught a quiet moment with their respective mothers.

The Maui Maui crossing point on the Mara river. It has a gentle entry and exit gradient on the banks but the crossing is treacherous for the wildebeest and zebras because the river flows fast over a rocky river bed and below the rapids the massive Nile crocodiles watch and wait for victims who have lost their footing and are swept across the rapids. There were no crossings when we were there as the main migration had moved south into the Serengeti three weeks before we arrived.

The Mara Triangle is one of the few places you can see Black rhinos. The stringent anti-poaching efforts do a wonderful job of protecting these endangered pachyderms.

This was a young bull Black rhino who looked very unsure of himself. He must have only recently moved away from his mother and he appeared very nervous and seemed to wander around without any purpose,

Approximately 850 to 900 lions live within the Masai Mara National Reserve and surrounding conservancies. Many of the lions lie in the open because as there are not many trees in the open grass plains. This male was closely guarding his lioness. As a mating pair, lions will mate for several days.

When a lioness is in estrus, she emits a distinct scent that attracts male lions. In the final days before estrus, a male will often follow the female until she is ready to mate. We did see this pair mating but they had their backs to us. Often the male lion bites the lioness on the back of the neck during mating, which triggers ovulation, increasing the chances of conception. The biting behaviour helps the male maintain control and prevent injury during mating.

The mating pair of lions had many onlookers. A herd of plains zebra just stood about 50 metres away and watched the mating pair for about 30 minutes assessing whether they were an immediate threat or not.

The Triangle is also known for its large herds of African buffalo. Herds of more than 100 individuals are regularly seen. The older bulls which have been kicked out of the herd by the younger stronger bulls form groups for protection from lions. The main buffalo herds are usually found near water sources, especially during the dry season. These two Yellow-billed oxpeckers had a smorgasbord of feeding opportunities in the large herd.

The buffalo calves are kept near the centre of the herd for protection from lions and hyaenas. They are reasonably safe during the day but lions and hyaenas are nocturnal predators so the nights can be a dangerous time for these youngsters.

“Don’t ever underestimate an African buffalo. Lions don’t and nor should you. It is fiercely and cooperatively protective. Its speed, strength, and attitude are not immediately apparent.” ~ Mike Haworth

Although the main zebra herds had migrated with the wildebeest there are always small groups which choose to stay in the Triangle. There is enough grazing for small numbers of herbivores outside the migration period in the Triangle. These herbivores also help sustain the predators who are territorial and do not move with the migration.

This is a good example of the large moody thunderstorm building skies with the sun illuminating the foreground in the late afternoon.

“The sky is an infinite movie to me. I never get tired of looking at what’s happening up there.” ~ K. D. Lang

A different male lion watching his lioness closely. They were a mating pair but he was lying about 20 metres from his lioness. They were lying in the grass out in the middle of a huge open grassy plain.

A view looking south west across the inselbergs in the southern section of the Triangle towards the Oloololo escarpment. The vastness and quiet are spellbinding.

Topis are medium­-sized antelopes with a striking reddish-brown to purplish-red coat. This species has a similar body shape to a Hartebeest but is smaller. The Tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus) of southern Africa and the Topi (Damaliscus jimela) of East Africa are similar enough that they possibly constitute subspecies of a single species. Topi males are often seen chasing each other around and at times in their gallop they are completely airborne. Topis also produce a high stepping fast trot similar to Lipizzaner stallions.

A view looking up a drainage line in one of the large open plains. These drainage lines have many pools of water along their course and provide hiding places for herbivores such as reedbuck. Lions and leopards use them to provide cover when approaching their prey. Individual Spotted hyaenas can often be found lying in one of the pools of water in the heat of the day.

“Don’t forget, beautiful sunsets, need cloudy skies.” ~ Paulo Coelho

In the south of the Mara Triangle, the border between Kenya and Tanzania is demarcated by white border markers. Thankfully there is no fence and the wildlife is able to move back and forth across the border line without impediment. The safari guides treat the border with respect and do not cross it intentionally.

The Mara Triangle is a unique area with vast open grassy plains and big skies. The sense of space enlivens your spirit. Even though the migration had moved south weeks before there is still a diverse range of wildlife to see. The predators have to work much harder once the migration has moved on. Predator sighting and dramatic kills are also more likely at this time.

“If I had to define my philosophy, it would be about exploration, a journey, a story-telling.” ~ Hussein Chalayan

The wildlife and landscape photography is excellent and varied. Every day is different. The animals and birds we see are different, as is the light. Different sections of the Triangle offer varied landscapes. This is one part of our wonderful world I will never tire of.

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

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

As the lionesses were walking up the lugga, they would stop and rest every now and then. The lionesses following would catch up with the lead lioness and there were always rubbed heads.

As the sun progressively rose there was beautiful golden morning light which illuminated the lead lioness.

“Our destiny is not written for us, it’s written by us.” ~ Barack Obama

We had driven about a kilometre ahead of the lionesses who were following the course of a lugga. At a small pond of water under two large trees we found two old buffalo bulls. These solitary older male buffalos are sometimes referred to as “dagga boys”. The word dagga comes from one of the African languages which means mud. The reason these bulls are either solitary or in small groups is because they have been forced out of the herd by the younger bulls. “Dagga Boys ” are known to be bad tempered and are best left alone. These two old buffalo bulls were not covered in “dagga” or mud because the rains had begun in the Mara and the downpours were heavy enough to wash all the dagga away. The old bulls love wallowing in the mud as it has a cooling effect, and the mud makes it more difficult for biting insects to get into the soft skin areas.

“You will be defined not just by what you achieve, but by how you survive.” ~ Sheryl Sandberg

The two buffalo bulls had sated their thirst at the pond and were walking away when the lionesses approached. All three of us (photographers) in the game vehicle said there was no chance that the four lionesses would take on two large buffalo bulls, especially when one lioness was limping.

The buffalo bulls stopped to assess what the lionesses were going to do. They just stood there as the lionesses draw adjacent to them. Initially, the lionesses made no attempt to chase the buffalos. Then unexpectedly, and for no apparent reason, one of the buffalo bulls bolted back down towards the pond where they had been drinking minutes before. The second buffalo bull followed. The buffalos running triggered the chase response from two of the larger lionesses.

The second buffalo bull initially followed his partner. One lioness gave chase seeking to separate the bulls.

“There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent.” ~ Lao Tzu

The chasing lionesses managed to trap one bull in a hollow in the lugga. This badly restricted the bull’s ability spin around and protect itself.

Both lionesses managed to get a grip of the bull’s hindquarters, one on its rump and the second biting the tendons on one of its back legs. The other two lionesses quickly piled into help. The second buffalo bull saw what was happening and ran left and crossed the lugga to stand about thirty metres on the other side of the pond.

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” ~ Michael Jordan

The caught buffalo bull was bellowing but his partner stood some distance away and did not try to help his trapped partner. We wondered why but it was probably because of the restricted position the first bull was caught in. It was not in the open and there was very little space to be able to attack the lionesses.

It must have taken the four lionesses about twenty minutes to get the bull onto the ground.

Without help, once the bull was lying on the ground it was just a matter of time before the lioness had choked the life out of it with a strong jaw clamp to the neck to restrict the windpipe and suffocate the bull.

“Think ahead to not get cornered.” ~ Mike Haworth

It must have taken another ten to fifteen minutes before the buffalo bull was dead. The other buffalo bull walked away knowing that there was nothing he could do, and he was reasonably sure the lionesses were not going to follow him as they were now very tired.

“Determined and sustained effort are crucial ingredients for success.” ~ Mike Haworth

Once the lionesses had killed the buffalo bull, they just lay around getting their breath back after the enormous effort required to kill this large bull.

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.” ~Helen Keller

Killing the buffalo is one thing, getting through its hide is another. A buffalo bull’s hide is thick, around its neck the skin can be as thick as two inches (50mm) in places, which protects it during battles with other bulls for dominance. The softest places and where the skin is thinnest is the belly and between the bull’s back legs.

The lionesses were clearly hungry so the buffalo kill was opportune and would provide plenty of meat for the next few days. That assumed the lionesses had the buffalo carcass to themselves and would not have visitors such as a large pack of hyaenas or coalition of male lions.

On day three, we returned to the buffalo kill to find three large male lions dominating the carcass and the lionesses lying some distance away. One female tried repeatedly to feed on the carcass, but the males were having none of it.

The oldest and largest of the males had a black mane and a cut below his left eye. It looked as if a claw had narrowly missed his eye. He would not let the lionesses feed on the carcass when he was next to it.

Once the oldest male had his fill he walked over and drank from the stream flowing out of the pool next to the kill.

Once the oldest male had finished the other two males tucked into the carcass. They too would not share with the females.

“The lion’s courage is forged in the crucible of adversity, and its roar is the anthem of triumph over challenges.” ~ Rashida Rowe

There was lots of growling and snarling when the two males were feeding on the same part of the buffalo carcass, but the snarls never erupted into any form of fighting.

Once the males had finished feeding they moved about 20 to 30 metres from the carcass and lay down and slept.

It was notable that the only competition the lions had was from a pair of Black-backed jackals and a few vultures. We never saw a hyaena. This was probably because of the male lions.

Once the males had finished there was almost nothing left of the buffalo carcass. It took about four days for the lions to completely finish the buffalo carcass. Once finished the lionesses and male lions went their separate ways.

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” ~ Gary Snyder

It was fascinating to see all the actions and interactions from the start of the hunt to when the carcass had been finished. The three photographers in our game vehicle all smiled at the end of the saga and said we certainly did not judge those lionesses correctly. The crux of the kill seemed to be that the lionesses trapped the bull in a hollow in the lugga which made it very difficult for him to whirl around and protect himself and also gave his partner no room to properly defend him.

“At the start of a game drive you are full of anticipation. On the drive the visual beauty and scents of the bush make your senses swim. Nature is unpredictable but reveals a little more of itself each time creating fascination and building more mystery.” ~ Mike Haworth

One of the most intriguing aspects is that all of us in the game vehicle had been in the bush and seen many lion hunts and we still got our assessment of their probable success wrong. Part of what makes wildlife photography so interesting is that you come away marveling at the tenacity and strategy of lion hunts. No one wants to get in the way of a hungry lioness.

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike.

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 arrived. I had never seen the plains of the Mara Triangle with so few herbivores. But nature is endlessly fascinating. With so few herbivores, the predators had to work much harder to find food.

I had more leopard sightings this trip to the Mara Triangle than all my previous trips combined. On the first afternoon we were out in the Triangle and found this leopardess, called Nshipai, walking down to the bank of the Mara river. There was plenty of water around so she must have been hunting.

While walking through the grass and among croton bushes this leopardess was on high alert. There could have been anything sleeping in the grass from predator to prey.

Although there are plenty of large trees to escape up into, leopards need to be aware of lions and hyaenas in this area. This leopardess was alert and often looked back when she heard something.

“I look closely for moments like a fleeting tender touch or expression that is character-revealing” ~ Alison Langevad

The next day we were privileged to see four lionesses take down a large buffalo bull in the morning. This experience will be the subject of my next post. That afternoon we returned to the buffalo kill and spent most of the afternoon watching the interactions between the lionesses. Once the sun started to set we began to drive back to camp. It was late, the skies were darkening and it looked as though it was about to rain. Our guide, Jimmy, saw movement in the grass on the other side of a lugga (drainage line). It was the leopardess, Nshipai, feeding on a Yellow-billed stork she caught in the lugga. Leopards are superb hunters and will adapt when their normal prey is not available.

This leopardess was well hidden in the grass alongside the lugga and she was dead quiet while feeding on the stork.

Once she had eaten all she could of the stork’s carcass, she got up, had a careful look around her before walking away from the area.

Nshipai began to walk up towards the ridge when it started to rain. She promptly turned around and began casually walking back down toward the lugga. For a short while as she walking down to the lugga in light rain, there was sun on the area she was walking in and the backdrop was a dark blue sky, pregnant with rain and a beautiful rainbow. It is not often you get this photographic combination.

“It all ultimately comes down to showing respect to nature and understanding the species you want to photograph” ~ Riddhi Mukherjee

Every now and then she would stop while it was raining to see if the rain had flushed anything out of its hiding place. Leopards make use of their very long tails for a variety of different functions. Its position and shape expresses their mood, it acts as a form of communication and for enhanced movement. Their prehensile-like tails act like an additional limb, allowing leopards to increase their balance when climbing and giving more ability to turn sharply when chasing prey, like a rudder.

This leopardess nonchalantly walked back down the hill towards the lugga as it started to rain. The light was changing constantly as the storm built up.

The leopardess eventually walked down into the lugga to sit under an overhanging shelf to wait out the storm. She walked straight to the overhang so must have known this area intimately. She groomed herself while waiting for the storm to abate.

“I appreciate these moments where I can get away from life and focus on living”~ TJ Thorne

The next afternoon, it was dusk and we were driving back to camp after watching the male lions feeding on the buffalo carcass. Lying in the grass about 20 metres off the road this leopardess lay flat in the grass hoping that we would not see her. Our guide Jimmy saw her first.

After she realised that we had seen her, she relaxed and sat up. She quietly looked around listening attentively to every sound.

Our guide thought this female had two cubs which she had hidden in the lugga close to the road. She stayed in the vicinity for the entire time we were in the Triangle and there was not a lot of prey around so she probably had a cub hidden around there.

“To approach animals in their most natural, native settings. I have to understand the mysteries of their behaviour. With careful preparation, I can show the animal in its best light, demonstrating its beauty, strength, and intelligence “
~ Paul Nicklen

After about fifteen minutes she yawned, got up and stretched. It looked like she was about to start her nocturnal hunting and territory marking.

By now it was almost dark and she walked out of the grass onto the road. She sat on the road and looked around for a while before deciding which direction to go off hunting.

On our second last day we met Shujaa, the Swahili word that means brave or courageous. It also refers to someone who is a warrior and he looked the part. This was the largest male leopard I have ever seen and looked to be the size of a decent sized lioness.

Shujaa’s muzzle showed some recent wounds from deep raking claws. This was probably a territorial battle which judging from the way he was walking around, he must have won. This male was huge, muscular and had a dewlap to match.

“I think a photograph, of whatever it might be – a landscape, a person – requires personal involvement. That means knowing your subject, not just snapping at what’s in front of you” ~ Frans Lanting

Shujaa had a somewhat demonic look which was due to the healed wounds around his eyes, on the bridge of his nose and upper lip.

We first found Shujaa early in the morning walking through dew soaked grass. He was alert but exuded confidence which appeared to come from his size and experience.

For me it was very unusual to see any leopard, and particularly a male leopard, way out in the open with no trees within a couple of hundred metres. Shujaa walked through the Mara grass with absolute confidence.

“Nature is my muse, and it’s been my passion” ~ Frans Lanting

Although Shujaa appeared quite comfortable walking across a large open plain, he positioned himself to see down into luggas from a vantage point. We presumed there were two reasons for this. Firstly, any leopard would likely stick to the cover provided by the luggas and secondly this is where he could catch birds and where Reedbuck preferred to forage.

It was not only the size but the look of this male leopard which caught my imagination. He was probably the father of Nshipai’s cubs.

“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed “ ~ Ansel Adams

This trip was different and memorable. The main reason being that the wildebeest and zebra migration had moved on south into the Serengeti about three weeks earlier. This was probably the reason we were privileged to have more leopard sightings.

Leopards are survivors because they are adaptable and will eat almost anything. A leopard will hunt anything from antelope, baboons and monkeys to hares and hyraxes to warthogs, porcupines and reptiles, rodents and birds. It will even feed on carrion and fish. When and where possible leopards will lift their kill into a high tree to prevent it from being stolen by lions, hyenas or wild dogs. They are strong enough to be able to carry up to three times their body weight. You have to marvel at their adaptability.

“Where your passion meets your talent, that is where you want to be.” ~ Roie Galitz

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

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 position of the camp has worked extremely well and the wildebeest rarely try to cross the river close to the camp and there is no smell of rotting carcasses.

“Dawn was breaking. The early morning air was brisk. The game vehicle doors were open inviting us to climb in. The sense of anticipation was building knowing we would see new and unexpected wonders while wandering.” ~ Mike Haworth

We were usually up and drinking at cup of coffee before 6h00 to be ready to leave camp at 6h00. At this time the sun is just starting to crest over the horizon. We were usually out and about in the Triangle until 12h00 at which time we returned to camp to download our images and have lunch.

The game vehicles and guides were ready and waiting for us at 6h00 just as it was starting to brighten up. We were often treated the most beautiful sunrises. Interestingly the sunrises and sunsets have a yellower hue to them compared to the orange rust colours in southern Africa. The latter is drier so the added dust probably alters the colour of the sky.

This is the time when we can walk around the camp quietly to see the smaller mammals and a wonderful variety of birds. Quite close to my tent was a family of dwarf mongooses which had become habituated to all the human movement around the camp.

At the entrance to path leading to fellow photographer, Joe Knapman’s tent, was a Collared sunbird nest. Both the male and female regularly visited the nest.

First thing in the morning, the beautiful song of the White-browed robin-chat could be heard around camp. At midday they were busy foraging in the leaf litter close to my tent.

Very close to the White-browed robin-chat was female Nubian woodpecker busying herself looking for and finding grubs and insects in and under the bark of a fallen tree.

It was interesting to see a pod of hippos sunning themselves on the bank of the Mara river opposite our camp. When it got too hot they simply rolled back into the river. At night you could hear the hippos snorting to each and they would often be foraging around the tents. This noise usually woke me up but the hippos never got tangled in the tents’ guy ropes.

These Dwarf mongooses were very busy and inquisitive around the camp. This species is diurnal so forage during the day in grass and tree undergrowth for flying and crawling insects. The family lives in an old anthill near the tents.

On a few afternoons after lunch as we were preparing to head out game viewing for the afternoon, the storm clouds would build creating a wonderful atmosphere as there was a palpable feeling of an impending storm.

“The eye never forgets what the heart has seen.” ~ African Proverb

A view of the Mara river at last light when we returned to camp. We usually gathered around the camp fire to have a drink and tell stories of what we had seen. The game vehicles tended to go in different directions to ensure better coverage and if a special sighting was found the guide would radio to the others the location and within half and hour the other vehicles would arrive at the sighting.

Wandering through the croton grove yielded some unexpected visitors. I was delighted to find this Brown-throated Wattle-eye in the camp environs.

“Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” ~ Mary Ritter Beard

In the same part of the croton grove as the Wattle-eye, I found a male Paradise flycatcher. Trying to photograph these flighty small birds in the crotons requires a high level of patience and attention.

One evening, the Wild Eye camp staff set up dinner on the bank of the Mara river with this view. It was essentially the other side of the bend in the river and another kilometre or so downriver was the Purungat gate and bridge. It always amazed me how well the staff set up this type of bush restaurant with ambience, full bar and piping hot tasty food.

While it is always interesting and productive to go out in the mornings and afternoons in the game vehicle we do not usually get the chance to wander around the camp in the early morning from 6h300 to 8h30 when there is good soft light and the birds are very active. Nevertheless, the wandering at lunchtime can be fun and productive.

“You cannot leave Africa, Africa said. It is always with you, there inside your head. Our rivers run in currents in the swirl of your thumbprints; our drumbeats counting out your pulse; our coastline the silhouette of your soul.” ~ Bridget Dore

The next post will be of leopards we saw in the southern section of the Mara Triangle.

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

We spent four days in Manyoni private game reserve last September. Manyoni private game reserve lies in the heart of Zululand and its management has a strong focus on endangered species conservation. This focus is on endangered and priority wildlife species, including the African wild dog, cheetah, rhino, lion, elephant, leopard, pangolin and vulture species.

“I appreciate these moments where I can get away from life and focus on living” ~ TJ Thorne

We chose to stay at Rhino River lodge. This lodge is sited in the south eastern section of the reserve on the southern bank of the Msunduzi river. This is a seasonal river which flows into the Mkuze river. Manyoni private game reserve has over 70 mammal species and just over 450 recorded bird species. It is known as one of the best birding spots in Southern Africa. This game reserve covers 23 000 hectares consisting of a varied landscape of mountains, open plains and dense riverine woodlands.

“Nature is the greatest teacher. It teaches us patience, humility, and respect for all living things.” ~ Biju Karakkonam

The first image is of a female Red duiker. This species is smaller than the Common duiker. The upper parts are a deep chestnut-red and the lower parts of the flanks and under parts are a pale chestnut colour. The nape and throat turn ash-grey as the animal ages. Both sexes carry short, straight horns. The horns have coarse basal rings and longitudinal striations, but are smooth towards the tips.

There are two small dams on the west side of the reserve near the Msunduzi river. It is a shady serene area which is home to many bird species. Two juvenile Black crown night-herons seem unfazed by a Nile crocodile warming itself outside the water.

A Red duiker foraging under large Ana and fever trees on the bank of the Msunduzi river. Red Duiker forages mostly during the early mornings and late afternoons and prefers freshly fallen leaves, fruits and flowers from forest canopies.

A small herd of Plain’s zebra standing in the shade on a hot afternoon. The reserve falls under the Mkuze Valley Low-veld vegetation type, varying from open Savanna thorn-veld, bush-veld to riverine woodland, characterized by Acacia and Marula tree species.

“I am not the best, I am not one of the best, But every time I will do my best.” ~ Biju Karakkonam

Driving along the dry river bed bathed in warm late afternoon light. The reserve contains several protected tree species such as Torchwood, Shepherd’s tree, Matumi, Marula, and White milkwood.

A Nyala bull was drinking from a small stream of water flowing in the Msunduzi river. This species inhabits thickets within dense and dry savanna woodlands. It forages mainly during daylight hours. Among antelope species, the sexes are distinguished as bulls and cows for the larger species and the smaller varieties use the terms ram and ewe. In the case of Nyala the male is referred to as a bull while the female is called a ewe.

The Nyala’s pelage is rufous brown in females and juveniles. It is dark brown or slate grey in adult males, often with a bluish tinge. Females and young males have ten or more white vertical stripes on their sides. Both sexes have a dorsal mane of hair running right from the back of the head to the end of the tail. Males have another line of hair along the midline of their chest and belly. Both males and females have a white chevron between their eyes and a bushy tail white underside.

An late afternoon scene down at the river with filtered light. The large fig and fever trees filter the light and create cast a blue hue in the shadow areas. This kudu cow was walking slowly down to the river to drink. She was very cautious given the numerous predictors which prefer the shading river habitat.

“Nature, especially wilderness, has a calming effect on the mind” ~ Percy Fernandez

A view of a herd of impala grazing peacefully in the warm late afternoon sunlight. The herd was feeding on the grass along the dry sand river bed under large acacia and fever trees. Although the river bed looked to be sandy and dry, the water table must have been high as the grass was lush and there were patches of water at the surface of the river bed.

On several occasions we found the coalition of two large male lions. These males looked to have been around six to seven years old and appeared to dominate the south western section of the reserve. We first found these males near the river.

This old male lion was not part of the coalition but seem to spend a lot of time on his own scavenging. We did not get close but assumed his teeth must be worn down.

This next image shows the terrain in the southern western section of the reserve. The two males had walked north about five kilometres. They must have been patrolling their territory. Presumably they did most of their patrolling in the cool of night and at dawn and dusk, so were fast asleep in mid afternoon.

Down along the Msunduzi river we found a lioness and her cubs. On this occasion we were having a sundowner on an elevated bank admiring the beauty of the river scene with all the huge fig trees, torchwoods, and fever trees when this lioness walked passed below us on the river bed. She had a good look at us to see what we were doing.

The lioness looked in prime condition and was licking the blood off her mouth after having fed on a warthog she had caught. The cubs tucked into the remains but it was not possible to get decent images of them.

Two relaxed warthog lying in the sun in the afternoon. These warthogs felt safe in the confines of the camp. They must have taken up residence in the camp some time ago as they seemed quite habituated to all the comings and goings of the staff and guest in camp.

Manyoni is known for its conservation efforts. We did not see wild dogs, brown hyaena or honey badgers but on two occasions we found a coalition of three cheetahs. Our first sighting was down near the river in surprisingly thick riverine bush. The coalition had caught and killed an impala and were feeding on it when we arrived. There was always one member of the coalition on look out while the other two fed as fast as they could.

“It is my intention to present -through the medium of photography- intuitive observations of the natural world which may have meaning to the spectators “ ~ Ansel Adams

Our second sighting of the coalition was away from the river in an thornveld area. They were hunting in the last light of the afternoon and were on high alert because of the proximity of lions. The cheetah population in the reserve is estimated at 25 individuals. The cheetah reintroduction has been a success to the point where the reserve is now in the position to contribute to the metapopulation by moving cheetah to new reserves.

We spent four enjoyable and photographically productive days in the Manyoni private game reserve. Its was early spring in September in South Africa at that time. It was warm but not too hot during the days and pleasantly cool in the evenings. We still have much more to see in this reserve so will be back.

“Life is a journey which never lets you know when and where it will end.” ~ Biju Karakkonam

Manyoni private game reserve is protected with the highest protection status, highlighting the importance of the
ecosystems contained within the reserve.

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” ~ Earl Nightingale

The diversity of ecosystems provides a wide range of scenes and attracts different birds and mammals. We just scratched the surface of what this game reserve has to offer.

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

Manyoni private game reserve lies in the heart of Zululand. Initially formed in 2005 as part of the WWF Black rhino range expansion project, Manyoni has become one of the premier safari destinations in Kwa-Zulu Natal with a strong focus on endangered species conservation. This work focuses on endangered and priority wildlife species, including the African Wild Dog, Cheetah, Rhino, Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Pangolin and Vulture species.

Manyoni was established in 2004 when the land owners agreed to take down their fences to create one larger reserve. The reserve extends over 23 000 hectares and hosts several safari lodges. We chose to stay at Rhino River lodge. This lodge is sited on the southern bank of the Msunduze river. This is a seasonal river which flows into the Mkuze river.

Manyoni private game reserve has over 70 mammal species and just over 450 recorded bird species. It is known as one of the best birding spots in Southern Africa.

“Photography is a love affair with life.” ~ Burk Uzzle

One of the interesting aspects of visiting different wildlife areas is that you get to see unique species such as the Southern Crested guineafowl. I had struggled to get a decent image of a Southern Crested guineafowl in Pafuri and Amakhosi. When I got to Rhino River lodge there was a group of about six just walking around on the lawn outside the main lodge.

A large-bodied, small-headed, black gamebird perfectly lined with rows of hundreds of bluish-white spots. It has a unique-looking curly crest above the naked face, which features an ivory-coloured beak and a blood-red eye. The facial skin color varies geographically. The Southern Crested guineafowl has a blue-gray face with a large white patch on the back of the neck. A broad band around the base of the neck is an unspotted black colour. It prefers forest and thickets, where it forages on the ground for berries, seeds, and other plant matter. (Source: ebird.org)

There are visual differences between the subspecies. The Eastern Crested guineafowl also has a bare skinned face and neck but its neck and nape is grey-blue and its neck and bare skin around the eyes is red. Its throat is also has a red downward stripe. The eastern species also has a black crest but it is not as curly as the Southern species.

“The beauty of the natural world lies in the details.” ~ Natalie Angier

A juvenile Black-crowned night-heron standing on one leg next to a thicket which housed its nest. This young night-heron seemed completely unfazed about the large crocodile sunning itself nearby.

A young Water Thick-knee (also called a Dikkop) resting in the shade near the Night-heron on the bank of a small dam. This species is usually found close to water but is nomadic, moving in response to changing water levels. This species of Thick-knee looks quite different to its Spotted cousin. It is distinguished by its distinct grey wing-bar which is edged with black bars. It has a beige chest with brown streaks which transitions to white towards the belly. It also has a longer and mostly black beak with yellow nostrils.

A Green-backed heron, now called the Striated Heron, is a small heron with a greenish dark grey back and iridescent green-grey wing feathers which have a yellow edge. Its long beak is bicoloured where the maxilla is black and the mandible is yellow on its underside. It has a yellow eye and a yellow ring around its eyes and across the top of its beak. Its legs are yellow to orange in colour. This species feeds on fish and it is known to use bait to catch fish. It also feeds on frogs and a range of aquatic insects.

A Brown-headed kingfisher keenly watching out for insects to prey on from its perch in a thorn tree. The Brown-headed can be mistaken with the Striped kingfisher but the key differences are that the Striped is smaller, its head its brown with white stripes and its beak is bicoloured with the maxilla which is dark brown and its mandible is a red colour. The Brown-headed species has a brown head, and a beige band which extends around from its throat to its nape. Its upper wing coverts are black and its primary and secondary wing feathers are a vivid turquoise.

At long last I managed to get a few images of a Gorgeous bushshrike. Gorgeous bush-shrikes are seldom seen despite being a commonly occurring species, as they mostly dwell in densely vegetated riverine woodlands. It is a shy bird which tends to stay hidden in the bush and will stay still and quiet in thick vegetation if approached. As with all bushshrikes, it skulks and has a distinctive call that sounds like “du-do-whit.” Similar to most bushshrikes, it feeds predominately on insects.

“The two most engaging powers of a photograph are to make new things familiar and familiar things new.” ~ William Thackeray

This species of bushshrike is stunningly coloured with an olive coloured back, a yellow eyebrow, vivid red throat, a black chest band and red under tail coverts, and black rectrices. Its belly varies in colour according to its location. In Zululand its belly transitions from its black chest band from red to yellow to olive green and back to yellow at the bird’s vent.

A male Chin-spotted batis had caught an insect in the sweet acacia. The male has a black breast band whereas the female has a clearly defined rufous chin-spot and breast band, and rufous flanks.

A Bearded scrub-robin foraging in the leaf litter in a flower bed next to the lodge. This species is identified by its white eyebrow with a black border. It has a white throat and black gular stripe. It has a pale orange breast and flanks and white belly. The Bearded scrub-robin inhabits dense woodlands, thickets and riparian forests, and is often seen flicking through the leaf litter on the ground for insects and spiders.

A male Southern black tit seen outside our room. He was very busy in the tree looking for insects. This species of tit normally forages as a pair but I did not see the female which has greyer underparts.

A female Black-headed heron breaks off sticks to build a nest in a tree overhanging a small dam. At first glance, the Black-headed heron looks similar to Grey heron but the former has a black head, ear coverts and black nape. Its beak is slaty grey as are its legs. This species seldom hunts in water and is more often seen hunting in the grass areas near water. It is a highly capable hunter taking anything from insects, to small mammals and birds.

“Wildlife photography is a matter of patience, focus and timing. If we learn these, we learn life.” ~ Unknown

A Grey heron fishing in the water of the small dam close to the Black-headed heron. The Grey heron has a broad black band which extends from its forehead to its nape and its lower mandible and legs are pinkish yellow. It has an ability to stand motionless for long periods while fishing.

A Yellow-billed stork fishing in the same small dam as the Grey heron. In bright sunshine this stork will often lift one wing to create a shady patch on the water which attracts fish. In lower light this stork fishes with its bill immersed and slightly open, whilst stirring mud with its foot. Its beak is highly tactile, and this stork reacts extremely quickly to the slightest detection of prey.

A Little egret standing still in the water while the wind blows and disturbs its hunting. This is a small egret, larger than a Cattle egret. It has a slender GISS with a long black beak and black legs with yellow feet ( golden slippers). It looks like it put its feet in a tin of yellow road marking paint. This egret’s plumage is white all over and the male grows long white plumes on the back of its head and neck during the breeding season.

A Woolly-necked stork hunting in the soft mud next to a small dam. It was a hot afternoon so looked to be trying to cool itself by flapping its wings.

Together with the Southern crested guineafowl and the Gorgeous bushshrike, a Pink-throated twinspot was another special sighting. This species of twinspot is a small rotund type of waxbill. The male has a guava-pink face and throat, and a brown crown, while the female has mostly whitish-beige underparts. It has a mauve eye ring and its belly is black. Its flanks are black with white dots. It has a blue-grey beak and legs. This particular male had lost his tail feathers.

The female lacks the guava-pink breast, neck, nape and face colouring. Both sexes have pink upper tail coverts. The distribution of this species is restricted to southern Mozambique, eastern eSwatini, north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, and eastern Mpumalanga, South Africa. The name twinspot comes from its white spots on both flanks.

A lone Hooded vulture. This is a small mostly brown vulture. Its has a relatively small head where its face is bare skinned and normally white but flushes with pink when agitated. It has a long pinkish ivory coloured beak with a sharp downward hooked tip. Being small, this vulture tends to scavenge on the periphery of vulture feeding frenzy picking up scraps dropped by other vultures. This species has been in steep decline since 2000 and is now listed at “critically endangered”.

“Wildlife is something which man cannot construct. Once it is gone, it is gone forever. Man can rebuild a pyramid, but he can’t rebuild ecology, or a giraffe.” ~ Joy Adamson

By mistake we chased this Tawny eagle off its scrub hare kill. It was feeding on a game trail in the grass next to the road and we only saw it at the last moment as we were driving past.

This Tawny was looking around to see if there was anything coming to steal its prey. Our guide wisely did not stay too long otherwise the Tawny might have lost its meal to a wily jackal.

This was a small selection of birds that we saw while wandering around the Manyoni private game reserve. In the second and last post of the reserve I will show some of the mammals and scenery we were privileged to see.

“Every sunset gives me a hope to live.
It reminds me,
You have capture more with your heart.
It reminds me
you are not alone,
surrounded by a beautiful world,
always there for you.”
― Biju Karakkonam

The northern section of Kwa-Zulu Natal has an incredible variety of flora and fauna and is one of south Africa most important wildlife areas. It is our intention to do a lot more exploring in this area in future.

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

This is the third and last post from our recent trip to Amakhosi private game reserve. Each morning at the safari lodge we rose at 5h30 to be ready for the morning game drive at 6h00 after a cup of coffee and a muffin. The mornings were brisk at it was the beginning of spring. On some of the morning game drives shortly after leaving the lodge we crossed the Mkuze river with mist rising from the river in the foreground and the glow of the sunrise in the background.

“The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us. Thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fibre and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings our love.” – John Muir

The game drive took us to the southern part of the game reserve where we had some wonderful views of the area. This was the view from a section of the Mkuze river just east of the safari lodge. The north and eastern section of the reserve has undulating terrain and by contrast the southern section is quite mountainous.

A view from the hill on the opposite side of the Mkuze river to the safari lodge. The wellness centre is visible on the left hand side of the image and the main lodge on the right hand side. The Mkuze river is obscured by the steep rocky cliff directly in front of the lodge.

In the flatter sections of the game reserve, we found a female giraffe and her calf. A giraffe calf is usually up on its legs within 20 minutes of birth and nursing within a few hours. This calf looked to be around six months old. Our ranger often watched which way the giraffe was looking to give a possible sign of a big cat.

Up river along the Mkuze from the main lodge is “IsiGodlo” meaning the chief’s residence. It is a private house positioned on a rocky cliff directly above the Mkuze river. I never visited this house but I imagine the views are spectacular.

Often while waiting to start the game drive we were greeted by Purple crested turacos which were attracted to the seeds of the cycads in the lawn in front of the main lodge entrance. Their antics gave us much entertainment.

In the front of the lodge was a coral tree which attracted many sunbirds. The most common of which were the larger Scarlet chested sunbird and smaller Collared sunbirds. This was a male Collared sunbird with his purple necklace.

“I believe the world is incomprehensibly beautiful — an endless prospect of magic and wonder.” ~ Ansel Adams

We often saw Nyalas drinking from the pond at the entrance to the main lodge. These female Nyalas were quite habituated to people but would not let anyone get too close.

On our first day, we found the dominant coalition of two males down at the western boundary fence. They were interested in a lioness just other other side of the fence. They responded to the male lions roaring from the other side of the fence with their own powerful roars.

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” ~ John Muir

This male Nyala did not know it but he was only a hundred metres further along the fenceline from the two male lions. Once the lions started roaring he moved deeper into the thick bush.

This Waterbuck bull did not venture too far from the Mkuze river. This is a water dependant species which is not usually found more than two kilometres of a water source. A male Waterbuck is larger than a female and the fur of both sexes is strongly scented by their sweat glands. The Waterbuck was on alert because of the lions in his part of the reserve.

We found a male cheetah along the eastern boundary with the Mkuzi Falls reserve. He was close to another male who was across the fence.

Our guide, Jacques, chose a different place to stop every day for a coffee break. Each one of our stops had a wonderful elevated view across sections of the Mkuze river. This was in the western side of the reserve looking north west on to the adjacent reserve.

“The eye never forgets what the heart has seen.” ~ African Proverb

Looking down on the anti-poaching team camp from one of the surrounding hill tops where we stopped for coffee one morning. The Mkuze river is flowing in front of the camp and there is a large pool of water that extends around the bend. A natural large pool created by the rock formation in this area.

The type of scenery down near the anti-poaching camp along the Mkuze river. It was teeming with life.

A vista of the rolling hills looking south west across the Mkuze river valley onto the reserve.

One afternoon, we returned to the small waterhole where we had seen the lone lioness the day before. We had suspected that the lioness was hanging around the waterhole because she had cubs close by and we were hoping to see the cubs. Instead we found a breeding herd of elephants which had stopped for a drink on their way towards the Mkuze river.

Later that afternoon we surprised the same herd of elephants on route to the river. They stopped, blocking the road, for a good look at us before they were satisfied that we were no threat, then they moved on into the bush.

Our guide, Jacques, correctly anticipated which section of the Mkuze river the elephants were making their way down to. We drove across the river to get a better view of the herd drinking.

“Few can sojourn long within the unspoiled wilderness of a game sanctuary, surrounded on all sides by its confiding animals, without absorbing its atmosphere; the Spirit of the Wild is quick to assert supremacy, and no man of any sensibility can resist her.” ~ James Stevenson-Hamilton

It was late afternoon in the mountainous southern section of the reserve. The whole herd came down to drink, each group taking turns. They wanted to quench their thirst from the fresh water in the flowing river rather than a stagnant waterhole.

Sunset is a magical time in the African bush especially if there are plenty of clouds which add drama and colour to the scene. This was view looking west as we were crossing the Mkuze river over a rocky section.

After the sun has set there is a period of about 20 minutes when the light softens and the colours initially take on a pastel hue before becoming more saturated. After the phase of greatest colour saturation, the light and colour in the beautifully coloured sky fades fast giving way to the darkness. This is an in-between time in the bush which brings about a reverent stillness.

We had a privileged sighting of a leopardess and her year old male cub who emerged from the thick bush next to the road and walked around in the spotlight for about fifteen minutes. Unusual behaviour for such a secretive cat. Nature continually surprises when you least expect it.

We had superb sightings of some of the wildlife in the reserve. The variety of birdlife is astounding and the scenery beautiful in the ever changing light at different times of the day. I sense there is much more to see in terms of both mammals and birdlife. Management of the reserve make a concerted effort to maintain the gravel roads which makes a real difference to the bush experience on the game vehicle. This was complemented by our guide, Jacques’s excellent 4×4 game vehicle handling and his tracker Zakele’s incredible eyesight and knowledge of the bush.

“Everybody needs beauty…places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul alike.” ~ John Muir

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike