Blog – Page 161 – Christian Sperka Photography

2015-01-06

What a sighting!

One of my favorite Leopard pictures, ever – a Leopard doing what it does best – disappearing!

This young male Leopard was lying on a low branch in a tree when we approached with our game drive vehicle. As soon as we were in sight he silently moved of the tree and away through the grass. He thought himself undetected when we spotted him again and watched him for while before he decided to disappear all together. Leopards are like magicians. One moment they are there and then they are gone!

An exciting sighting demonstrating to Thanda guests the capabilities of Leopards!

Picture by Christian Sperka – Specialist Photography Guide and Resident Wildlife Photographer – Thanda Private Game Reserve

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2015-01-03

Two boys on the move!

These two male Cheetah were having a good look at the approaching Lions and then moved away very swiftly 🙂

2015-01-01

Into the new year!

This Leopard Tortoise was moving fast down the road – into the new year 🙂

2015-01-012014-12-31

Happy New Year

2014-12-30

The last captures in 2014!

In the last two days I captured and released two more snakes on the reserve. First a Mozambique Spitting Cobra was spotted around Thanda house. I capture the young snake and released it near one of Thanda’s waterholes, far away from Thanda house. The goggles I wear in the picture are just a precaution, in case the Cobra should choose to spit in its defense. This youngster only spat at my snake stick during the capture. The collage shows the release of the snake.

This image shows my snake handling gear and my snake barrel. In this picture the Cobra was inside the barrel, ready for the drive to its new home.

The second release and capture was of a young Puff Adder. It had hidden under a staff vehicle in the parking lot of Thanda’s base camp. For its own safety and the safety of the many people walking around that area we decided to catch the snake and release her in a safe distance away from the camp. This first collage shows the capture operation…

… the second collages shows the release of this shy reptile.

The images were taken by Magdel Geldenhuys, Letishia Kleinschmidt (thanks!) and my GoPro.

2014-12-27

2014 Collage

My 2014 Instagram Image Collage. What a year!

PS: I only started Instagram in September and I used a few older images to get it going 🙂 But I like the collage!

2014-12-262014-12-26

A relaxing day!

For some people a relaxing day means sitting comfortably at home and reading a book or watching a movie. For some it means to go window-shopping at a large mall. Others would like nothing better than to go to a pub or working out at a gym.

Well, my idea of a relaxing day is to pack a cooler box with drinks and food, fetch all my camera equipment, my binoculars and my bird book (=iPad) and install myself at a hide on a waterhole at a game reserve.

That is what I did on Christmas day.

While listening to a good audio book I took images of many different animals coming to the water. For most of the day 11! Rhinos kept me company. While other nature enthusiasts where coming and going I stayed for the whole day at the hide.

And these are sixteen of the pictures I took during this most relaxing day!

Eleven | White Rhinos having a “cool” day a the waterhole

Danger | A Wildebeest calf getting kicked by Zebras as it mingled with the wrong crowd

Bathing | Pygmy Kingfisher having a bath

2014-12-242014-12-23

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Ngikufisela uKhisimusi oMuhle noNyaka oMusha o Nempumelelo

I wish all my friends around the world a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2015!

With my very best wishes from South Africa – Christian

PS: The holiday greetings above are in isiZulu!

2014-12-232014-12-23

Morning drinks!

Thanda’s North Pride of Lions having a drink at a waterhole last Sunday morning. One of my favorite images of 2014!

2014-12-20

Buzzing!

This Red-billed Oxpecker – while sitting on a Cape Buffalo – was indulging himself on ticks with hundreds of Flies buzzing around its head. I like this image, which I shot this morning on my way back from the Thanda Tented Camp to Thanda House.