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.

Shenton Safaris - African Safari Holidays http://www.kaingo.com/photo_newsletters/August2009photo.asp

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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


8 of 30 2010/05/27 10:16 AM

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.


27 of 30 2010/05/27 10:16 AM

How cute is this teeny, furry, baby elephant!!!


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Until next time

4.10. Jules

Previous Issues

July 2009

March 2009

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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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Shenton Safaris - African S · Thursday, May 27, 2010 1. Shenton Safaris - Photographic Newsletter...

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