Category: CHRISTIAN SPERKA PHOTOGRAPHY

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The end of an era and a new beginning…

After many years of using my Land Rover Defender, affectionately named The Green Mamba One, I have made the decision to sell this classic safari vehicle.

Throughout the years, some of you have accompanied me on game drives, experiencing the luxury features of this very special mode of transport. And many of you have enjoyed the countless wildlife photographs I captured from its vantage point, shared on social media.

I am hoping to find a passionate Land Rover Defender enthusiast who will appreciate and acquire her in her excellent condition. At just 22 years old, she is not considered old for a Defender.

If any of you are interested, feel free to contact me at +27633294323 (WhatsApp) or at info@sperka.com.

While bidding farewell is bittersweet, I am looking forward to her successor. My new photographic safari vehicle will be named THE GREEN MAMBA TWO, a brand-new Toyota Land Cruiser LC79 4.2 D S/C currently undergoing customization to my specifications.

Thanda Management and I are looking forward to deploying her for service at Thanda Safari by mid-2024 and I will provide updates on her readiness.

Similar to The Green Mamba One, my new safari vehicle will include numerous photography and luxury features:

THE GREEN MAMBA TWO

– Specially designed five-seat, two-row passenger area with increased legroom for optimal eye-level photography and videography

– Ample additional storage space for photographic gear

– USB ports for charging equipment in each seating row

– GSM cell phone booster and WiFi router enabling live social media updates from the reserve

– Built-in digital two-way radio for secure communication during game drives

– Nespresso coffee machine for a special bush barista bar experience (supported by a second battery and a 2500W 230V inverter)

– Complete Martini bar setup

– All-red-light configuration for night safaris

– JBL audio system (for birding support and occasional bush parties)

– 13″ Apple iPad setup with essential nature apps (Roberts Birds, Stuart Mammals, …) and live GPS location map of Thanda Safari

– High-quality binoculars available for all guests onboard.

With Thanda Safari having transitioned to an All-Land-Cruiser fleet, this change was necessary to maintain the reliable service expected at a five-star operation.

I eagerly anticipate hosting many of you as guests on THE GREEN MAMBA TWO.

The short video shows The Green Mamba One as she looks now, ready for a new owner.

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Gold and Blue!

This brief slide show contains some of my favorite pictures captured around sunrise and sunset at Thanda Safari. The unique light present in the mornings and evenings is what photographers seek.

Specific terms describe the optimal lighting conditions of the day:

The golden hour encompasses the time just before and after sunrise or sunset. The closer one is to the equator, the shorter this ‘hour’ becomes. Currently, the golden hour at Thanda Safari lasts about 45 minutes in both the morning and evening.

The blue hour is a brief period before the morning golden hour and after the evening golden hour, characterized by a cooler, blue-toned light produced when the sun is positioned just below the horizon.

For those interested in today’s specifics:

Morning blue hour: 5:36am to 5:45am

Morning golden hour: 5:45am to 6:40am (with sunrise at 5:59am)

Evening golden hour: 5:22pm to 6:07pm (with sunset at 5:53pm)

Evening blue hour: 6:07pm to 6:16pm

I use a very good iPhone app called “Sun Seeker” to provide me with this valuable information.

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography.

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Energetic!

Young Lions have a large amount of energy. They play hard and then crash hard.

Their sparring is good training for stalking and attacking behavior for hunting in their adult life. It also readies them or future serious fights with other adult Lions.

Male lions are sexually mature at about 2 years of age and are fully grown at 4. Competition for the ‘Dominant-Male-Job’ is very harsh, and only one out of ten young males ever accomplishes this ultimate goal before being killed. The life expectancy of a male who makes it to full adulthood is ~12 years.

Females usually have their first litter between 2 and 4 years and live up to ~16 years.

Last Friday, the two young females in these pictures enjoyed a sunny day after a lot of rain, playing very hard on the savanna. They and their five siblings were constantly stalking each other and fending off various attacks. It was very exciting to watch, and we stayed for a long time.

The pride we observed is led by a 15-year-old lioness. We refer to her family as “Zanele’s pride”. She has four youngsters who are 24 months old.

The other adult female of the pride – Zanele’s adult daughter – is three and a quarter years old, and her three cubs are now 17 months.

Technical data for all three images: Canon R6 with RF lens f11/800mm | ISO 2500 | 1/2000sec | ev-0.5 | WB 6500K | AV Mode | Drive mode: Continuous fast

If you would like to read more of my stories and see more of my pictures, you might want to visit my blog at https://sperka.info/blog/

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iSimangaliso …

… stands for ‘miracle’ in isiZulu.

It is also the name of a world heritage site, one of the most beautiful places in South Africa.

Yesterday, we went on an all-day excursion to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a rather rainy day, but despite the weather, we had an excellent day.

It started with a morning Hippo and Croc Cruise (on one of the smaller Shakabraker Tours boats) on Lake St. Lucia Estuary. We saw a lot of birds, a young Crocodile, and many Hippos. The latter gave impressive yawning displays and even left the water right in front of us to do a bit of grazing.

Then, we had a superb lunch at St. Lucia’s best restaurant, called ‘Reef and Dunes’. My guests had fresh seafood and fish, which they enjoyed very much. St. Lucia is a small tourist town located on the Indian Ocean at the mouth of the estuary. It is a good base for all activities around the wetland.

After lunch, a quick jump into the Indian Ocean was on the agenda. We walked down the sandy beaches in St. Lucia, and my guests braved the high waves, enjoying the rather warm water for their swim. The sun made a brief appearance for that part of the program.

Instead of using the busy N2 highway for the journey home, we took a leisurely two-and-a-half-hour drive through the western part of the wetlands from Dukuduku gate to the Nhlozi gate. We enjoyed the beautiful water soaked scenery with many more birds, Waterbuck, Reedbuck, and even more Hippos. Wetlands at their best!

Upon our return in the early evening, we agreed that this was a very good all-day program for a rainy day!

If you would like to read more of my stories and see more of my pictures, you can visit my blog at https://sperka.info/blog/

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography

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A Rainy Day!

During our rainy season (usually from October to April), we experience very rainy days from time to time.

Yesterday was such a day with a constant fine drizzle from early morning into the late night.

I got soaked to the bone, but I managed to capture these pictures during our two game drives, one in the morning from 6:00 to 9:00 and another in the evening from 16:00 to 19:00 (4 pm to 7 pm).

Not a bad result for a rainy day!

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography

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Askari …

… is the term used to describe a group of young African Savanna Elephants (Loxodonta africana) led by one or a few older bulls.

When young Elephant bulls reach about 14 years of age, they typically leave their herd to join an Askari group in order to learn proper bull Elephant behavior.

In the presence of older bulls, the musth periods (times of heightened testosterone levels) of the younger bulls are either significantly shortened or completely suppressed. This adjustment makes their lives easier, as female Elephants prefer to mate with the older and larger males.

The older bulls also intervene to prevent potential conflicts between younger bulls from escalating during sparring sessions.

Without the guidance of older bulls, young males can become extremely aggressive towards other animals and humans. In some cases, rogue young Elephants have even been known to kill Rhinoceroses in their frustration over being rejected by Elephant cows.

At Thanda, most bulls, both young and old, typically remain with the herd even after reaching maturity. They are often spotted at the rear of a moving herd, kept separate from the young calves by the attentive mothers.

Technical data: Canon R6 with RF lens f4-6.3/24-240mm | ISO 2000 | 1/2000sec | f6.3 | ev-1 | 210mm | WB 6500K | AV Mode | Crop to 60% of original image

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography

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What age?

One of the most common questions that guides get asked is about the age of young animals. It is not always easy to give a correct answer without a point of reference.

The White Rhino baby in this picture is a bit less than one year old (as it has lost its ’roundish’ baby head shape and as the second horn is not visible yet).

Below are a few indications that might help in determining the age of small Rhinos:

Age 0-3 months

– The shoulders are slightly higher than the mother’s underside of her belly

– No horn is visible and it has a ’roundish’ baby head shape, quite distinct from a typical Rhino head shape

Age 3-6 months

⁃ The front horn is now visible, but the back horn is not

Age 6 months – 1 year

– The shoulders are about 1/3 up the mum’s side

– The front horn is now visible and back horn is just coming through

Age 1-2 years

– The shoulders are about 1/2 up the mum’s side

– The front horn is quite distinct, while the back horn is now visible

Age 2-4 years

– The shoulders are about 2/3 up the mum’s side

– Both horns are growing

Age 4-7 years

– The shoulders will still be lower than those of the mother. It is very difficult to distinguish them from a fully grown adult when they are by themselves (7 years+).

Rhino females are usually sexually mature at 4-5 years of age, but they rarely have their first calf before the age of 7. Males need to wait until they are 10-12 years old before claiming their own territory and mating with the females in their area.

Rhinos typically live 40-50 years in the wild.

Technical data: Canon R6 with RF lens f4-6.3/24-240mm | ISO 20000 | 1/500sec | f6.7 | ev+0 | 150mm | WB 6500K | AV Mode | Crop to 50% of original image

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography

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The Underside

It is usually not easy to observe grasshoppers in detail as they hop away if one gets too close. And getting a good look at their underside is normally not possible.

However, a few days ago, this beautiful Vlei Grasshopper (Paracinema tricolor) landed on the windscreen of my Little Mamba (Suzuki Jimny) as I crossed the Thanda Safari savanna.

It stayed for quite a while, which gave me the opportunity to capture this unusual shot with my iPhone.

Paracinema tricolor is a band-winged grasshopper, belonging to the family of short-horned grasshoppers, and is found in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

Technical data: Apple 14 Pro Max | Ultra Wide Camera 13mm | ev+4 | Auto Mode | Crop to 50% of original image

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography

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So very green…

After the recent rains, the Thanda Safari game reserve has quickly turned very green. I was recording the changes following heavy precipitation last Wednesday with shots from the air, and I decided to take a short flight along the Mduna river.

I love the tranquil mood of this short clip (the original video I took is almost four minutes long, documenting a flight from the D242 Mduna concrete bridge to a river crossing, which we call ‘Point of No Return’).

Here is a link in case you would like to watch the complete video:

https://tinyurl.com/csp0003

Enjoy your Sunday and have a great week!

Technical data: DJI Mavic Mini 3 Pro Drone | Automatic Mode

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography

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Pecking Order

When it comes to cleaning up kills from large predators there is a pecking order in place.

One of the first scavengers to arrive after the killers have left are often Black-backed Jackals (as the one in this picture).

On some occasions they even sneak in while Lions or Hyenas are still on a kill. Especially if the carcass was torn apart during the large predator’s feeding frenzy and the remains had been spread around.

This is a list of the most common members of the Thanda Safari cleanup crew, sorted according to their position in the pecking order:

⁃ Spotted Hyenas

⁃ Black-backed Jackals

⁃ Side-striped Jackals

⁃ Lapped-faced Vultures

⁃ White-backed Vultures

⁃ Hooded Vultures

⁃ Tawny Eagles

⁃ Bateleurs

⁃ Yellow-billed Kites

⁃ African Woolly-necked Storks

⁃ Pied Crows

… and always Maggots

Technical data: Canon R6 with RF lens f11/800mm | ISO 1250 | 1/500sec | ev-0.5 | WB 6500K | AV Mode | Crop to 20% of original image

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography

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