Showcasing the beauty of Mother Nature
Today felt like the perfect day to work through a few images of my favourite cats. I know I shouldn’t play favourites, as I am incredibly grateful for all the sightings I have on safari, but there is something that is just magical to me about leopards.
This is a stitched panoramic created with 9 images taken on an early morning game drive in the Okavango Delta. The landscape and sky were absolutely perfect for trying to capture a panoramic image, and the sleepy lioness at the base of the termite mound was just an amazing extra.
I remember this morning well not only for the beautiful sighting and amazing morning sky, but also for working through camera malfunctions while driving along a dusty and bumpy path. Thankfully, I got things sorted well enough by the time we stopped here to be able to capture lots of images, and then sort out a more proper fix once out of the vehicle.
I may have explained it previously, but I shoot with Fuji cameras and was having an F0 appear on my camera (basically, the camera didn’t think there was a lens attached). It turned out that my 300mm zoom lens had been on that body so long and used so much it had loosened some of the screws inside of the camera where the lens connects, causing the error. I didn’t find that out until I returned to camp and could get online, but my temporary fix was to swap my zoom lens to my other body, as my lighter weight lens didn’t return the same error codes. One of the people on my tour had a small screwdriver and I was able to fix my problem with ease (thanks again, Richard).
Cruising along the Chobe River is a great way to spot a variety of wildlife and birds, but it is an especially good place to spot fish eagles as they perch alongside the river. I’ve never had any success distinguishing the males from the females, despite having the opportunity to see pairs together in the past.
Here are a few images from my most recent trip to Africa, while staying in Chobe Park.
I really wanted to get back to the habit of editing and posting after a month away from it, and as I scrolled through images, the ground hornbills caught my eye. I have been very fortunate to see many of these birds, which are endangered. I still remember when we saw them on our very first trip to South Africa and our guide telling us how lucky we were to see them, since many people do not.
While in the Okavango Delta we saw a group of three on an afternoon drive and then a group of four the next morning. It is wonderful if you can get close enough to hear them calling to each other; the sound is a little spooky and otherworldly.
I have really let my photo editing and posting slide over the last 6 weeks. Looking at the timing of my last post, it was right before the start of the serious yard work season (as well as golfing). As much as I enjoy working on images, after a long day or week at work (staring at computer screens) having the opportunity to do things outside during our short decent weather season is a big priority.
I decided on some elephant images today because elephants make me happy. That’s as good a reason as any. I’ll be away for the next few weeks on a summer holiday, so there will be another pause in posting, but I am hopeful I can get back into some type of routine once I get back.
These images were all taken from the water in Chobe National Park. We had a mid afternoon boat cruise along the river which provided some lovely sightings of elephants coming down to drink. This particular area is one I have been to a few times, and the difference in the landscape from the first trip to this one is stark. My first trip was at the end of a very lush and abundant wet season, while the more recent trips were in the midst of a drought.
I was looking for a single photo to edit today due to both time constraints and not wanting to miss posting two weeks in a row, and this lion cub caught my eye. It was part of a large group that we found at the start of our afternoon drive in Savute. It was quite a hot afternoon, probably around 38C, and the lions were doing exactly as expected; moving as little as possible in the shade. It reminded me of the way my dogs like to lounge around while I am working, relaxed and belly up. It was nice to have this posture and direct gaze, rather than just seeing sleeping brown lumps under the bushes.
I love being outside in the early morning, and watching the sky progress through a multitude of colours as the sun climbs higher and higher. Waking up for early morning game drives while on safari is never a chore for me since I naturally love the time of day. Here are a few images from various early morning drives on my last trip.
While the full moon was yesterday, a one day difference is close enough for me to use it as a theme and share some travel images.
There was a full moon during my time in Savute, Botswana, and we had beautiful clear skies to watch the moon rise and sun set. Taking photos while also holding a glass of wine isn’t going to yield the best images, but it does yield some pretty fantastic memories, and that’s the most important part.
I’ve been really enjoying working through bird images lately, so I have carried on with that today. These images are from both my 2022 and 2024 trips and the only thing that unites them is that they caught my eye when I wanted to work on some images. Perhaps that isn’t the best theme or reason, but I went with it anyways.
We were fortunate to see a lot of lions the last time that I was in Southern Africa. Both South Africa and Botswana provided some amazing lion sightings – from cubs playing to mating to lounging away the heat of the day, we had a little bit of everything.
This male was seen in Chobe National Park during a morning game drive. He was following in the footsteps of a female, and she was leading him around to a variety of different places. Here, we were parked on the road and had the opportunity to watch him walk directly towards us, and then after he passed in front of the vehicle, off into the bushes.
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to see a lot of lions now, and honestly, it doesn’t get old. Each time is a thrill and a privilege.
